Don't miss another wild weekend at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. It begins with our annual Blue Friday celebration of all things Smurf. See our holiday Smurf Village and pick up a copy of the brand new Return of Smurfette, Finance Smurf, and other blue wonders, designed by former Fantagraphics art director Adam Grano for our good friends at Papercutz. Come back the following day for Small Business Saturday, a national marketing effort aimed at encouraging holiday shoppers to patronize locally owned enterprises. Aside from the obvious irony of huge multinational corporations promoting a "Shop Small" campaign, we appreciate…
Subterranean Seattle
Casual fans of Fantagraphics may not be aware of the close association we have with Seattle's illustrious music scene. I was reminded of this relationship on Friday while attending a sold out Mudhoney and Tom Price Desert Classic concert. Nearly half the musicians on stage that night were former or current Fantagraphics staffers. What a great place to work! We'll celebrate the legacy of Seattle's early music and comix on Saturday, November 29 as Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery hosts the book launch party for Sub Pop USA: The Subterranean Music Anthology, 1980 -1988. The book documents the formative years of Bruce…
On Your Marks, Get Set, Go! to Short Run Marathon at Fantagraphics Bookstore
Hurry down to the second annual Short Run Marathon exhibition, reception, and book signing at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery this Friday, November 14. Meet an amazing array of exhibiting artists including Ed Piskor, Tom Neely, John Porcellino, MariNaomi, Josh Simmons, and Pam Wishbow. They'll be joined by participants, organizers, and fans of the Short Run Comix and Arts Festival held the following day at Washington Hall in Seattle's Central District. Expect another festive affair as many of the world's most prominent emerging cartoonists appear this Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Fantagraphics Bookstore is located at 1201 S. Vale Street in the heart of…
Marathon II: A Short Run Art Show at Fantagraphics Bookstore
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, in association with Short Run Comix and Arts Festival, is pleased to present Marathon II, the second annual Short Run art show featuring Tom Neely, Ed Piskor, Josh Porcellino, MariNaomi, Josh Simmons, and Pam Wishbow. The exhibition and book signing on Friday, November 14 serves as a reception for participants and fans of the lively Short Run comix convention held the following day at Washington Hall in Seattle's Central District. The exhibition title references the daunting challenge of establishing a viable career in alternative comix. Marathon II showcases a diverse group of gifted artists that defied…
Blown Cover
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 29 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery as we celebrate the publication of Sub Pop USA from Brooklyn publisher Bazillion Points. Longtime Seattle residents remember the humble beginnings of the legendary record label as a fanzine, cassette compilation, and broadsheet column by visionary indie music impresario Bruce Pavitt. His early efforts soon brought national attention to bands like Big Black, Sonic Youth, and the Wipers, while laying the foundation for an international pop culture phenomenon that gave us music by Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and more. This collection of the first 8 years of Sub Pop includes art…
Haunted History at Fantagraphics Bookstore
We have some amazing Halloween treats in store at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery: Vintage copies of mid-60s Creepy and Eerie. These issues are from the estate of the late Gary Arlington, famed EC comics collector and proprietor of the San Francisco Comic Book Company, widely regarded as the country's first comic book shop. (As seen in the photo below by Patrick Rosenkranz.) The magazines feature mid-century masters like Jack Davis, Wally Wood, Frank Frazetta, Alex Toth, Reed Crandall, Steve Ditko, John Severin, and more. Own a monstrous piece of comix history for only $8.95. Speaking of history, don't miss…
Another Wild Weekend at Fantagraphics Bookstore
Make your way to Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery this weekend for two of the liveliest events of the year. On Friday, October 10 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM we host Danny Bland in conversation with noted Northwest novelist Jonathan Evison. They'll discuss Bland's new book of haiku, I Apologize in Advance for the Awful Things I'm Gonna Do featuring calligraphy by Exene Cervenka of X and photographs by Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs. Look for an engaging dialogue from these unlikely literary luminaries, followed by a reading, book signing, and reception. This Saturday, October 11 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM,…
Wanna See Something Scary?
With Halloween approaching, it's a good time to consider some spooky favorites from Fantagraphics Books. The formative work of Charles Burns in Big Baby foreshadows the brilliance that would follow. Alluring stories like "Curse of the Molemen," "Blood Club," and "Teen Plague" remain creepy and compelling while exploring themes of adolescent angst. Ghost World by Daniel Clowes is a similarly insightful examination of the otherworldly imaginations of its youthful protagonists. It remains among the greatest graphic novels – and film adaptations – of all time. Al Columbia's Pim & Francie is at first blush a collection of meticulously rendered drawings, but a closer…
The Great Pumpkin Never Tasted So Good
This Friday and Saturday marks the 10th annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival, featuring dozens of tasty punkin beers from over 60 Northwest brewers, at the Elysian brewery in Georgetown. Stagger down the street a few blocks to Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery afterward and pick up a copy of Waiting for the Great Pumpkin. If you don't have tickets to the sold out beer festival, be sure to take in the Macefield Music Festival in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, where the Tom Price Desert Classic, featuring our own Martin Bland, open for legendary Northwest proto punk band The Sonics on Friday.
Stars Align at Fantagraphics Bookstore this Fall
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is pleased to welcome an amazing array of accomplished cartoonists throughout the fall and winter of 2014, culminating with an appearance by one of America's most influential artists. The action begins on Friday, October 10 with Danny Bland presenting his new book of haiku, I Apologize in Advance for the Awful Things I'm Gonna Do from Seattle's illustrious Sub Pop label. Bland will engage in conversation with equally accomplished Northwest author Jonathan Evison, followed by a reading, book signing and reception. The next night, Saturday, October 11, we host an international crew of incredibly talented cartoonists. Simon Hanselmann from Australia…
