Fantagraphics Blog Eric Reynolds

The First Post has a free 12-page excerpt up of THE BOTTOMLESS BELLY BUTTON by Dash Shaw.  By the way, Fanta has just gone back to press on BBB, which we're thrilled about. I was thinking this morning that the two artists we've published of late with perhaps the most "heat" at the moment are Dash Shaw and Steve Ditko. Which then reminded me of Dash's unpublished Dr. Strange strip (see below), and inevitably led me to one conclusion: that really, Marvel Comics should give Dr. Strange to Fantagraphics. Marvel doesn't know what the fuck to do with him. Give him to us and…

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS & DESERT ISLAND present: WHERE DEMENTED WENTED: Celebrating the Comics and Art of RORY HAYES Join us for a book release party and panel discussion featuring: KIM DEITCH BILL GRIFFITH GEOFFREY HAYES and moderator DAN NADEL Listing information: WHAT: Book Release Party for WHERE DEMENTED WENTED: THE ART AND COMICS OF RORY HAYES, with panel discussion and Q&A WHO: Dan Nadel, Kim Deitch, Bill Griffith & Geoffrey Hayes WHERE: DESERT ISLAND • 540 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, NY • 718.388.5087 • desertislandbrooklyn.com WHEN: Friday, August 8, 7PM (discussion begins at 8PM) FREE ADMISSION An exclusive, limited-edition Hayes silkscreen will…

Courtesy Mario Hernandez:

You Torontoans won't want to miss this event on Aug. 7, featuring an art show with Ray Fenwick, Ho Che Anderson, Chester Brown, and many more. The awards themselves are the following night, August 8th, where you can presumably obtain this unlikeliest of jam posters featuring Brown channeling Harold Gray in the lettering dept. and Lynn Johnston channeling Charlie Brown:  

 Don't forget to vote in the Harveys! Ballots due Aug. 15.  UPDATE: The email address to return ballots to is a dreaded SBCglobal address that no one at Fantagraphics can email to. I guess no Harvey Awards for us this year! 

Please enjoy this not-comics video and take a moment to appreciate your Friendly Neighborhood Fanta Graphic Designers, Jacob Covey and Adam Grano, for beautifying America's bookshelves with their graceful designs and for keeping us safe from any Comic Sans atrocities (the Blippo Bold of Graphic Novel Design).

A good week to be a comics fan kickin' it in Martha's Vineyard:

Last week, I was emailing with MOME contributor Derek Van Gieson, who also happens to be a New Yorker contributor. He was bringing me up to speed on his next MOME story's progress, and mentioned to me that in the course of working on something for Vol. 13, he abandoned several panels. I told him I was sorry to learn he had worked hard on something only to abandon it, and later that day he told me not to worry, he'd found another home for part of it at The New Yorker. I half-jokingly told him I took a certain pride in knowing the New…

… Courtesy the great Drew Friedman:  

Courtesy Ivan Brunetti: