Fantagraphics Blog Sonia Lei

Here is our first look at the beautiful advance copy of our next volume in The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library, Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge: The Seven Cities of Gold. With bright, vivid coloring faithful to Barks' original work and story after story of the ever-ambitious Scrooge McDuck's plots to mine even more riches from the world, this is sure to be a page-turner for fans of all ages. In the titular story that inspired the famous boulder scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Uncle Scrooge goes on a gold-hungry quest in search of the mythical Seven Cities of Cibola, fabled…

For the new paperback printing of cartoonist Drew Weing's debut nautical graphic novel, Set To Sea, we've completely redesigned the cover, which we're pleased to unveil today! The upward perspective of the ship's mast against a deep blue, star-studded sky create a delightful sense of anticipation and expectation that helps set the mood for this book that is equal parts quietly poetic and swashbuckling adventure. Stay tuned for more previews and sneak peeks, which we'll post to the Flog and on our website, where you can also go ahead and pre-order your book. We expect Set To Sea to sail…

Gracing the cover for our newest volume of The Complete Peanuts is a rather morose-looking Peppermint Patty. This is volume 22 of our definitive collection of Charles M. Schulz's timeless work, with an introduction by CNN anchor and longtime Peanuts fan, Jake Tapper. Each volume collects a full two years of strips, daily and Sunday, in crisp black & white. The Complete Peanuts Vol. 22 covers the years 1993-1994 and will also be available in a box set with Vol. 21 (1991-1992). Pre-order your copy now for an October delivery!

President Richard Nixon discovers a plethora of top-secret, otherworldly government facilities, with the primary focus being torture, homeland security, and riding giant wolves while naked except for a hood. We're basically horrified by the advance copies of Bumf Vol. 1: I Buggered the Kaiser we've received at the Fantagraphics office. There are literal piles of naked, writhing bodies. There is unapologetically crass humor. No one is spared. It is, in short, a most excellent book, fresh from critically-acclaimed comics journalist Joe Sacco. There is not much else to say. You're just going to have to read and assess this book for yourself.

This week's delicious figgy pudding of Online Commentaries and Diversions: Interview: Hip Hop Family Tree Vol. 2: by Ed Piskor "These bite-sized biographies of hip hop’s biggest names and slice-of-life reflections on its defining moments are routinely featured at Boing Boing, but to really experience these beautifully stylized vignettes in all their throwback glory you really need to check out the collected editions." – Geek Dad Review: "In this volume, you see the evolution from club following to recording industry. Names you recognize are put in a different light—Melle Mel, Kool Herc, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, Ice T, Run-DMC, Rick…

Two Carl Barks books are better than one, we think you'll agree! With that in mind, here is the slipcase cover art for the fourth Gift Box Set of our Barks Library Books, Vols. 7 and 8: Lost in the Andes and Trail of the Unicorn. This quack-tastic box set will be out in stores by late October. Check out more info at the book page, where you can also place your pre-order.

We are quite pleased to unveil the cover art for the next Sock Monkey book out from the inimitable Tony Millionaire, this time in collaboration with Los Angeles-based animation director Matt Danner: Sock Monkey: Into the Deep Woods. This 80-page illustrated children's book combines images and prose to tell new tales of Uncle Gabby the Sock Monkey and his plush friend, Mr. Crow. We'll have additional previews soon, and the book is available for pre-order now!

"The comic that PLUGS you IN!!" It has been a long time coming, but we have at long last finalized the proofs for the monumental, deluxe five-volume collection that is The Complete Zap Comix. We hope this 60-page, 23.5 MB excerpt, sampling the first dozen or so pages from each book, will temporarily whet your appetites for what's to come. Now it's full steam ahead with the production of this exquisite, comprehensive book set, and we anticipate it to land in bookstores by late November. It's not too late to start saving up couch coins and spare change in your…

With adventures, secret treasure, buried cities, and mysteries at every step, Carl Barks' The Seven Cities of Gold is a gripping tale starring our favorite curmudgeonly miser, Uncle Scrooge, and his duck family, Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Here is a 22-page, 6.6 MB excerpt of the titular story, taking us right up to the steps of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola. Will the ducks find the riches they've been seeking? How much chaos will the Beagle Boys reap this time? With an early October release, you won't have to wait long to find out! More info and our pre-order sale are up on our…

Paul Constant over at The Stranger has an excellent write-up on Jim Woodring's new "Notorious Autojournal", Jim: Jim is a brand-new collection of Woodring's earliest comics work, which was originally produced as zines in the early 1980s until Fantagraphics cofounder Gary Groth fell in love with his work and became his lifelong publisher. This isn't a stack of embarrassing juvenalia; the quality of work is very high, but if you stare at the pages for a while, you'll notice a bit of uncharacteristic uncertainty resonating through the ink. In an interview with Woodring, he admits that "it is hard to…