Fantagraphics Blog Sonia Lei

Just arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department: Willard Mullin's Casey at the Bat and Other Diamond Talesby Willard Mullin and Ernest Thayer 52-page two-color 6.25" x 6.25" hardcover$9.99 | 978-1-60699-814-4 See Previews / Order Now In 1953, in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of the World Series, legendary cartoonist Willard Mullin created images illustrating one of America's best-loved poems: Ernest Thayer's "Casey at the Bat." These images were then put on a series of drinking glasses that were given away as premiums at various major and minor league ballparks across America. The first set was issued on April…

A bedraggled group of travelers finds an abandoned storehouse full of rations, fresh water, alcohol, and supplies. They celebrate, even as one of them uncovers a dead body in a dark corner. Anyone who has read Josh Simmons' previous work can already guess that such celebration will be short-lived. In his latest full-length graphic novel, Black River, Simmons takes us to a post-apocalyptic world of desperation, survival of the most brutal, and chaos in the form of gangs, a drug called Gumdrop, and resource scarcity. In the midst of this, a group of nine travelers and their two dogs do…

Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created MAD and Revolutionized Humor in Americaby Bill Schelly 644-page 6" x 9" hardcover$34.99 | 978-1-60699-761-1 Ships in: April 2015 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now Harvey Kurtzman created MAD, and MAD revolutionized humor in America. Kurtzman's groundwork as the original editor, artist, and sole writer of MAD provided the foundation for one of the greatest publishing successes of the 20th century. But how did Kurtzman invent MAD, and why did he leave it shortly after it burst nova-like onto the American scene? Bill Schelly's heavily researched biography finally and fully answers these question for the…

It's storytime at Fantagraphics headquarters: we've just received our advance copies of Robert Goodin's all-ages graphic novel, The Kurdles. Between the stunning watercolors and laugh-out-loud dialogue between characters, The Kurdles has immediately captured our hearts—especially those of us with wee ones. We're confident that this quirky little tale of a lost teddy bear will become a fast favorite. You can pre-order The Kurdles now and expect it delivered to your doorstep by April!

Who or what are Kurdles? Are they man or beast—or something else entirely? As it happens, Kurdles are the denizens of Kurdleton, and Sally the bear runs into them as she tries to find her way home after being separated from her owner. So begins this 60-page all ages tale, and we have here a 9-page, downloadable excerpt for your viewing pleasure. At a generous 8.75" by 12", the oversized format of The Kurdles allows you and your little ones to be fully immersed in the lush watercolor world that Robert Goodin has created, not to mention all the individual details that one…

It's a good thing these advance copies of The Complete Eightball comes shrinkwrapped, else all our advance copies would be covered in drool by now! The long-awaited, painstakingly proofed, and completely perfected box set collecting all 18 issues of Daniel Clowes' influential Eightball comic series have arrived fresh from the printers. And it looks beautiful. Two glossy hardcover volumes of roughly 280 pages each filled with extras, including brand new artwork by Clowes, are all wrapped up in a deluxe, sturdy slipcase cover with no detail spared! Look for our video and more photos soon. The Complete Eightball hits bookstores in May, but we…

Master of horror Josh Simmons is back with an all-new graphic novel filled with terrors to chill the mind and soul. In Black River, the world is a barren, post-apocalyptic landscape where no one is to be trusted and chaos reigns. A ragtag group of people travel together for safety, looking out for each other as they seek a supposed walled city that still has electricity and some semblance of civilization left. We're pleased to present the finalized cover design here for you. Black River is scheduled to be released in April and is available for pre-order now!

We hope this first look glimpse at our upcoming Kurtzman biography, Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created MAD and Revolutionized Humor in America, gives you a good idea of its grandeur and behemoth-like stature. At 644 pages, this tome is filled cover to cover with Bill Schelly's careful research, interviews, and imagery connected with Kurtzman, providing without a doubt the most in-depth retrospective published of this iconic figure. Look for Harvey Kurtzman in bookstores come April, or do one better and secure your copy via pre-order now.

With an introduction by Rifftrax writers Conor Lastowka and Sean Thomason, riffed comic strips, and two more treasured years of Peanuts shenanigans to revisit, The Complete Peanuts 1995-1996 (Volume 23) brings us to the antepenultimate book in our ambitious series. Check out this 19-page, 2.3 MB downloadable excerpt, then head over to the  book page to grab your pre-order for a May delivery. We'll have more previews soon! 

Dripping with Fear: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 5edited by Blake Bell 240-page color 7.25" x 10" hardcover • $39.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-706-2 Ships in: March 2015 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now Dripping With Fear: The Steve Ditko Archives Volume 5 features another 200-plus meticulously restored, full-color pages from Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko in his early prime, at the time working in near anonymity for Charlton Comics in the then-popular horror/suspense genre. Comics like Tales of The Mysterious Traveler and This Magazine Is Haunted saw an explosion in Ditko’s ingenuity, as he manipulated the traditional comic-book page layout with masterful results….