Fantagraphics Blog Sonia Lei

Shipping now from our mail-order department: Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 1 (Paperback)by Steve Ditko 240-page full color 7" x 9.75" softcover • $28.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-739-0 See Previews / Order Now Over 200 Pages of Pre-Spider-Man, Pre-Comics Code Horror Comics by Steve Ditko "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…

Shipping now from our mail-order department: Cork High and Bottle Deepby Virgil Partch 184-page black & white with color 6.75" x 6.75" hardcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-716-1 See Previews / Order Now The foamy formula of excess (C2H5OH + homo sapiens) has created a combustible concoction that has long fueled sleepless nights, great passions, artistic achievement, and regretful mornings, but never before has it produced such inspired hilarity. Collecting the top shelf of VIP’s drink-themed artwork including well-known favorites, this new book is sure to delight even the most rigid teetotaler (and perhaps cause them to reconsider). So batten down the…

Shipping now from our mail-order department: witzendby Wallace Wood and various artists 608-page black & white with color 8.5" x 11" hardcover • $125.00ISBN: 978-1-60699-744-4 See Previews / Order Now When the formulaic constraints, censorious nature, and onerous lack of creators' rights in mainstream comics got to be too much for the brilliant cartoonist Wallace Wood in 1966, he struck out on his own with the self-published witzend. It became a haven for Wood and his fellow professional cartoonist friends where they could produce the kind of personal work that they wanted to do, without regard to commercial demands —…

Holy cats! It's Friday the 13th, a full moon, and — we've just discovered 2 cartons of Al Columbia's Biologic Show #0 at our warehouse! Coincidence? I think not. If you're looking for some good old-fashioned twisted horror and beautiful, depraved artwork, look no further! Disclaimer: Fantagraphics is not responsible for any side effects from reading this comic, to include melting eyeballs, temporary insanity, or the sudden desire to turn on all the lights in your house. Stories in Biologic Show #0 include "Seymour Sunshine," "Extinction," "Grinding Larry," and a tale of Columbia's waif hero and heroine, Pim and Francie.

Are you being worn out by unnecessary foreplay? If so, you'll be as excited as we are about the advance copies of the softcover edition of Tales Designed to Thrizzle Vol. 1, by Michael Kupperman, that landed on our desks today! Wait. I'm not sure that came out right. But whether you need robotic assistance for your spouse, want to learn to recognize criminal fingertalk, or have questions about giant giraffe insurance for the old people in your life, Tales Designed to Thrizzle will provide questionable answers, inappropriate advice, and downright improbable offers. Read our 10-page excerpt here, and pre-order your copy…

Wow. Jim has arrived in our office, and we can't put it down! Page after page of Jim Woodring's surreal, fantastical drawings await you as you follow the author's eponymous alter-ego through a continually-shifting landscape and delve into his myriad collection of images and prose. Here is a brief glimpse to whet your appetite before this 'notorious autojournal' hits stores in September. Go here for the 21-page preview and to pre-order your copy. Go on. Delight your senses. You deserve it.

August just keeps looking better and better! Among the dizzyingly beautiful books we're excited to bring to you in two months is best-selling cartoonist Lucy Knisley's newest book, a travelogue documenting her trip throughout Europe in the fall of 2011. An Age of License follows Lucy as she navigates new countries, new experiences, and new romance, all rendered in an often-whimsical, sometimes stream-of-consciousness style that perfectly captures her moments of introspection between the memories she captures on the road. This part narration, part sketchbook format takes us right into Lucy's thoughts and revelations. Download the 22-page excerpt and, to continue…

High quality paper stock, full-page color plates, legendary comic creators — that's right, Drew Friedman's finely curated portraits of the comic book pioneers of our time, Heroes of the Comics, is hot off the printers! We are thrilled to give you this sneak peek before its August debut. Inside, you'll find over 80 lovingly rendered portraits alongside a short essay that summarizes each person's life, work, and contribution to the world of comics. This homage to comic book history is not to be missed — pre-order yours today!

Meet Megg, Mogg, and Owl. Megg is a drug-addicted, depressed witch, and Mogg is her familiar — a cat who doesn't seem to respect her boundaries. Owl is an anthropomorphized owl. This first collection of Tasmanian-born Simon Hanselmann's online comic stars characters struggling with poverty, drug use, depression, sexuality, and their sometimes abusive relationships with each other. Megahex will feature three seasons of Megg and Mogg from the past five years, as well as over 70 pages of new material. Our downloadable excerpt dives right into Megg, Mogg, and Owl getting high and getting in trouble. There is a party…

Advance copies of Carol Swain's Gast have arrived fresh off the printers, and we couldn't be more excited to give you a first glimpse inside this gorgeous book. Gast follows amateur naturalist and bird-watcher Helen as she investigates the suicide of a 'rare bird' named Emrys. In the process of unraveling this mysterious occurrence and the life of Emrys, Helen also goes on a journey of self-discovery. We expect the book to hit the shelves by mid-August. Read an excerpt and pre-order your copy today!