Fantagraphics Blog Mike Baehr

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship: The Complete Peanuts 1981-1982 (Vol. 16) by Charles M. Schulz 344-page black & white 8.5" x 7" hardcover • $28.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-471-9 See Previews / Order Now With this volume, The Complete Peanuts ventures into the lesser-known 1980s, and Peanuts fans are sure to find plenty of surprises. In Snoopy-family news, Spike is drafted into the Infantry (don’t worry, it’s only Snoopy’s imaginary World War I army), and a brand new brother, “Marbles” (with the spotty ears) takes his bow. We also see two major baseball-oriented stories, one in which Charlie Brown…

Posting the Donald Duck cover reminded me, we've had this up on the site for a few days but we never gave it a proper fanfare: the final cover art for Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 2: Trapped on Treasure Island by Floyd Gottfredson. Series design by Jacob Covey. Again, click the image for a better look. The slipcase for the Vol. 1 & 2 Box Set is looking pretty snazzy too — we should have an image of that to share soon!

You saw it in our BLAD, now here it is solo: the final cover image for Walt Disney's Donald Duck: Lost in the Andes by Carl Barks. Another triumph from our design maestro Jacob Covey! Click for an embiggened version.

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • List: The Hooded Utilitarian, nearing the top of their results in their International Best Comics Poll, reveals George Herriman's Krazy Kat at #2, with a brief essay by Jeet Heer  • Review: "…The Comics Journal #301… is crammed with fantastic content. The volume's texture, heft, and text make it the readers' equivalent of a dense slab of chocolate cake…. In short, Gary Groth and his editorial team have produced a stellar contribution to comics history and scholarship. It is a feast for comics aficionados and neophytes alike. " – Casey Burchby, SF Weekly • Plug: The Forbidden…

A couple of blogs reminded us of the occasion. This strip can be found in this book.

We produced this "BLAD" promotional brochure to help hype Walt Disney's Donald Duck: Lost in the Andes by Carl Barks, and we are pleased to present it here for the first time. You'll notice a different cover design for the book than we've shown you before, and you'll see a good sample of the recoloring job done by Rich Tommaso — not to mention, of course, some glimpses of Barks's genius. Click each page for larger images, or download the whole thing as a PDF.

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "The harmony of words and illustration strengthen Kelso’s voice as a narrator of stories that appeal to women of all ages…. This collection of short stories is a fantastic starting point for those of you who still view comics as Marvel/DC, or as ‘kiddie’ entertainment. (Shame!!) While playing with fantasy elements we all loved reading as little kids, Kelso incorporates today’s real life issues — STDs, pregnancy, being broke, infidelity — into her comics. Raw, yet refined, Queen of the Black Black is an enjoyable, meaty read that left me pumped to experiment…

One of Jim Flora's most iconic album cover designs, Inside Sauter-Finegan, is now available as a limited-edition fine art print from Jim Flora Art. Sez Flora doyen Irwin Chusid, "Eddie Sauter and Bill Finegan were famous for their orchestral mayhem. While Flora's mischievous cover figures didn't physically resemble Eddie or Bill, his caricatures reflected their inventive approach to redefining big band jazz in the 1950s." Dig it!

Ivan Brunetti appears at Wizard World Chicago Artists Alley table #3704 next week (August 11-14)! The improbably named Michael Bonesteel of the Chicago Sun-Times profiles Ivan: "Given the minority presence of alternative comics artists like himself at Wizard World, does Brunetti ever feel a bit overwhelmed? 'Sure, but that’s the way it has always felt,' he replied. 'Superheroes have always dominated the comics world, and alternative comics are but a mere subset of that world. I’ll take what I can get, personally. I think there’s room for everything. I’m just asking for an out-of-the-way corner. I promise I won’t bother…