Fantagraphics Blog Mike Baehr

"The dazzlingly demented Virgil Partch was seemingly born with a drink in one hand and a brush in the other." — Comics Bulletin "Hilarious, subtly subversive, and unique for his time, Virgil Partch was a 20th-century gag cartoonist whose 'pleasingly grotesque style' still delights people today…" — The Rumpus "Partch's madcap — often bawdy and even a little naughty — style was immediately recognizable and oft times laugh out loud funny." — Heroes Online Cork High and Bottle Deepby Virgil Partch 184-page black & white/color 6.75" x 6.75" hardcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-716-1 Due to arrive in about 2-4 weeks. Click…

Shipping now from our mail-order department: The Amateursby Conor Stechschulte 64-page black & white 6" x 9" softcover • $14.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-734-5 See Previews / Order Now When Jim and Winston arrive one morning to open their butcher shop, something is wrong. There is no meat in the shop, and they have both completely forgotten how to do their job. What has caused this strange amnesia, and what do they do now? This funny, often discomfiting graphic novella is the debut book from Conor Stechschulte. Exclusive: Conor has provided us with this limited-edition 4-color screenprint to include as a free bonus…

Acclaimed by Library Journal, Booklist, and YALSA; praised by sports writers from Sports Illustrated and ESPN; and enjoyed by thousands of readers of all ages — Wilfred Santiago's graphic biography 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente is now coming in a new paperback edition! Presenting the tragically short life of the legendary major leaguer with faithful accuracy and expressive storytelling and artwork, 21 is a landmark in sports biography — and a great comic book. We're in pre-press with the printer right now and the book is scheduled to hit stores in September. More sneak peeks are on the way…

Dash Shaw is having a prolific year, with no signs of slowing down. His newest graphic novel, Doctors, is due this Fall. As with his other sci-fi-tinged stories, Shaw uses futuristic technology to explore human issues — this time, the ethics and emotional impact of interrupted mortality. In our downloadable preview, an older woman with a seemingly idyllic life finds romance with a younger man — but her daughter appears with an unbelievable claim that her life as she knows it is not what it seems. Doctors will be on call (in stores) in September (and available at SPX) and…

One of our most anticipated books of the year, An Age of License by best-selling cartoonist Lucy Knisley is officially at the printer for September release, and we are pleased to unveil the final cover art for you right here. Knisley's engaging cartoon travel diary maps a physical and emotional journey as she travels through Europe on a book tour. The book has its big debut at Comic-Con in San Diego in July (where Lucy is a special guest!) and, for folks who won't be there, pre-sale on our website is on now. (Publishing press & pros, we'll have a…

"Strange Suspense offers page after lurid four-color page of Ditko's weird monsters, rubber-faced crooks, and abstracted landscapes… The book is a white-knuckle trip through Ditko’s fevered imagination." – The A.V. Club "This book is chock-full of intense faces and monsters and colors. Strong blacks, horror comics, mean revenge, strange surgery…It's all horror comics from before Fredric Wertham illegalized good-time comic books." – Vice "The tales in this tome are sheer pre-Comics Code Authority horror, complete with stabbings, decapitations, mutilations, and disintegrations. …Ditko's talent jumps off the page and one of the benefits of reading the stories in chronological order is seeing…

Just arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department: Barnaby Vol. 2by Crockett Johnson 376-page black & white/color 11" x 6.75" hardcover • $35.00ISBN: 978-1-60699-709-3 See Previews / Order Now Resuming our noble undertaking: The long-lost comic strip masterpiece by Crockett Johnson, legendary creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon, collected in full! Barnaby's deft balance of whimsical fantasy, timeless humor, and elegant cartooning will delight readers of all ages.

You love comics, we love comics, and Drew Friedman has taken his love for the medium and given it tangible form in 83 beautiful, evocative, full-color portraits (plus some spot illustrations) of the pioneers of the art and business of comics, with some words about each, collected in an oversized coffee-table art book titled Heroes of the Comics: Portraits of the Legends of Comic Books, coming this August. Our downloadable excerpt includes the Table of Contents, 2 pages from Friedman's Introduction, and 8 portraits (from funnybook progenitor and EC founder Max Gaines through Superman creators Siegel & Shuster) with their…

"A revelation. As in his contemporaneous animated cartoons, this Mickey is a feisty, wisecracking daredevil… Gottfredson’s charmingly old-fashioned drawings accentuate the gags and briskly propel the plotlines." – Gordon Flagg, Booklist "I have a feeling that [these] book[s], crafted with such obvious care, will earn Gottfredson a new legion of admirers." – Leonard Maltin "From the beautifully reproduced strips to the densely packed ancillary features, this must be the book that editors David Gerstein and Fantagraphics’ co-founder Gary Groth wanted for years for their own libraries. Their enthusiasm shows in the wonderfully designed package. This book is highly recommended for any…

All right all you film fanciers, illustration enthusiasts, and design doyens, get ready to feast your eyes on Film Noir 101: The 101 Best Film Noir Posters from the 1940s-1950s, the ultimate visual guide to the genre in a sumptuous oversized coffee table book! In our downloadable excerpt, read author Mark Fertig's Introduction and then feast your eyes on posters #101-92, starring Joan Crawford, Lawrence Tierney, Glenn Ford, Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Joan Fontaine, and many more, followed by Fertig's insightful notes on each film. Don't be a sap — pre-order today for delivery in August!