Fantagraphics Blog Larry Reid

September 27, 2013 – Seattle, WA . Join visionary artist and cartoonist Jim Woodring at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on October 12 for an exhibition and book signing commemorating publication of his latest graphic novel Fran. The event features works created with his giant quill pen and musical entertainment by Stephen Steinbrink. Seattle-based iconoclast Jim Woodring has enchanted readers for years with the improbable adventures of Frank and a supernatural cast of supporting characters. Metaphysical romance enters the picture in Fran, when the title character seduces Frank. Woodring describes this latest wordless volume as both a sequel and prequel to his sensational graphic…

When Seattle software giant Microsoft purchased Skype in 2011, the company committed to create a contemporary working environment to house the service. Consulting with Fantagraphics curator Larry Reid and others, Jason Thomas Faulkner from the Skype UX Design Team recently completed finishing touches to the Skype complex, located in two buildings on Microsoft's sprawling suburban campus. Last week Faulkner gave Reid and Fantagraphics associate publisher Eric Reynolds a guided tour of the stunning new facility. One building features lyrical graphics related to Seattle's celebrated music history, with rows of oversized Charles Burns portraits from Black Hole defining conference rooms intended…

With baseball’s pennant races heating up, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery looks back to an earlier era of the national pastime. Willard Mullin’s Golden Age of Baseball: Drawings 1934 – 1972 chronicles the game and its legendary players. The bookstore will display pages from the artist’s long career opening Saturday, September 14. As America’s premier sports cartoonist, Willard Mullin was in New York to record the careers of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Lou Gehrig. He witnessed Jackie Robinson’s historic integration of the game and documented the departure of the Dodgers and Giants to the west. In many significant ways, the game of…

The late Kim Thompson introduced the world to Stan Sakai in Fantagraphics' Critters anthology three decades ago. As Sakai's signature character Usagi Yojimbo nears its 30-year anniversary, the Baltimore Comic-Con honors this exceptional artist at the Baltimore Convention Center on Saturday. Sakai will greet fans at booth 1902 before appearing at the Usagi Yojimbo Celebration with Dark Horse editor Diana Schutz in room 301 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. An exclusive Usagi Yojimbo tee shirt (pictured below) and yearbook featuring homages of the intrepid Samurai warrior by over 40 artists will be available at the convention. At 5:00 PM you can bid on the original art…

With baseball’s pennant races heating up and the postseason fast approaching, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery looks back to an earlier era of the national pastime. Willard Mullin’s Golden Age of Baseball: Drawings 1934 – 1972 chronicles the game and its legendary players. The bookstore will display pages from the artist’s long career opening Saturday, September 14. As America’s premier sports cartoonist, Willard Mullin documented the game of baseball in a more genteel era. He was in New York to record the careers of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Lou Gehrig. He witnessed Jackie Robinson’s historic integration of the game and the departure…

Come to Fantagraphics Bookstore this Saturday as we welcome Brian Ralph on a rare visit to the Northwest. He'll present his new book Reggie-12 with a slide show, signing and reception. In a preview of the event, Paul Constant of The Stranger writes, "It's not for kids, but it feels as fizzy as a Saturday morning cartoon, in the best way possible. If you were raised on Astro Boy or Godzilla movies, you'll love the fuck out of this book." Brian will also sign copies of his alternative zombie adventure Daybreak, hailed by Entertainment Weekly as "A storytelling tour de force," and…

Fantagraphics Bookstore hosts a rare Seattle appearance by alternative cartoonist Brian Ralph on Saturday, September 7 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The artist will present an entertaining slide talk and sign copies of his recently released book Reggie-12 from Drawn & Quarterly. Brian Ralph has maintained an ambitious publishing schedule since graduating from Rhode Island School of Design in 1996 and becoming a member of the influential Fort Thunder comix collective. First serialized in pop culture magazine Giant Robot, Reggie-12 follows the exploits of a hilarious young robot and his bumbling feline sidekick. Ralph’s alternative zombie adventure Daybreak and wordless mystery…