Fantagraphics Blog Sonia Lei

We got in our morning workout with the advance arrival of Alexander Theroux's newest and by far heftiest book, Collected Poems. At 672 pages, this is a book to take in small doses, like spare sips of a fine wine. With a huge variety in form and length, this compilation of Theroux's poetry has a diverse palate and promises to be a major literary event of 2015. Collected Poems is slated to arrive in April. Our video and photoset previews are not far behind, and the book is available for pre-order.

Harvey Kurtzman created MAD, and thus was the road to our modern era of parody and satire paved. From MAD to EC Comics to Playboy, Kurtzman's expansive body of work has made its indelible mark on American culture and humor. Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created MAD and Revolutionized Humor in America is a heavily researched biography by Bill Schelly, in which we are treated to a fuller glimpse into the life and times of this influential man, including extensive interviews with colleagues, friends, and family, and an examination of Kurtzman's personal archives. Here is our finalized cover design, featuring the impish, toothy grin of…

Jazz erupted onto the American music landscape in the 1900s, evolving rapidly and spreading internationally like wildfire. Les McCann, an American soul jazz musician whose first major album Swiss Movement was a huge Billboard pop chart success, always had a 35mm camera close at hand to capture candids of dozens of jazz artists, both on stage and off. This never-before-seen treasure trove of images provides a unique insider's perspective into the world of jazz and is collected here in Invitation to Openness: The Jazz & Soul Photography of Les McCann 1960-1980. Curated by Pat Thomas and Alan Abrahams, Invitation to…

Alexander Theroux is an award-winning writer whose notable achievements include the Lannan Literary Award for Fiction, the Clifton Fadimon Medal for Fiction, a Fulbright Grant, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. We have curated a veritable tome of Theroux's poetry into this volume, appropriately titled Collected Poems. This 15-page downloadable excerpt provides just a taste of Theroux's wide array of poetic style. Give it a read, then head over to the book page to pre-order your copy today!

Just arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department: Prince Valiant Vol. 10: 1955-1956by Hal Foster 112-page full color 10.25" x 14" hardcover$35.00 | 978-1-60699-800-7 See Previews / Order Now Our tenth volume finds our band of heroes making their way back to the Kingdom of Thule by way of Constantinople and Eastern Russia. Soon they are attacked by a tribe of barbarians who kidnap Aleta for the great Dragada Khan who wants to make her one of his wives. After nearly being killed in battle, Valiant returns to his homeland only to find the threat of hunger hovers over…

Just arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department: Love and Rockets: New Stories #7by Los Bros Hernandez 100-page black & white 7.25" x 10.5" softcover$14.99 | 978-1-60699-770-3 See Previews / Order Now The seventh annual volume of Love and Rockets: New Stories, the most important and enduring alternative comics series in the history of the medium, finds Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez writing and drawing at the top of their game. In Jaime's stories, Maggie and Hopey take a road trip and much-needed break from their humdrum domestic lives and travel to visit a "sick friend." And, when the cat's away,…

Just arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department: Treasury of Mini Comics Vol. 2edited by Michael Dowers 848-page black & white with color 5" x 6.25" hardcover • $29.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-807-6 See Previews / Order Now For everyone interested in the history of underground and alternative comics, Treasury of Mini Comics Volume Two gathers prime examples—more than 800 pages' worth—from a quintessential self-publishing format in this compact but hefty hardcover. Previously only seen in limited-run pamphlets, these comics are startling, visionary, hilarious, profane, and profound. This volume also takes a look back at the wild 8-page sex comics called "Tijuana…

Just arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department: Love and Rockets Library (Palomar & Luba Book 5): Ofeliaby Gilbert Hernandez 256-page black & white 7.25" x 10.25" softcover$19.99 | 978-1-60699-806-9 See Previews / Order Now In Ofelia, the sisters, the kids, and the cousins are all settled comfortably in California after leaving Palomar in Luba and Her Family. Luba and her cousin Ofelia’s relationship has always been fraught, but when Ofelia threatens to write a book about Luba, past memories, secrets, resentments, and pain resurface. Meanwhile, Luba’s children—genius Socorro, recently out-and-proud Doralís, and prickly Maricela—show that a talent for…

Just arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department: Saint Coleby Noah Van Sciver 116-page black & white 7.5" x 9.25" softcover$19.99 | 978-1-60699-817-5 See Previews / Order Now Saint Cole depicts four days in the life of a twenty-eight-year-old suburbanite named Joe who feels trapped working overtime at a pizza restaurant to support his girlfriend, Nicole, and their infant child. Especially when Nicole invites her troubled mother, Angela, to move into their two-bedroom apartment until she lands on her feet again. Joe reacts to this development by further retreating into alcohol. He thinks he loves Nicole but resents her at…

Just arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department: Inner City Romanceby Guy Colwell 200-page black & white 8" x 10" softcover$24.99 | 978-1-60699-813-7 See Previews / Order Now Guy Colwell's Inner City Romance tread new territory for underground comix, filled with stories about prison, black culture, ghetto life, the sex trade, and radical activism. It portrayed the unpleasant realities of life in the inner city, where opportunities were limited and being on the lowest end of the economic ladder meant that one's vision of the American dream was more about survival than lifestyle choices. Readers wondered who Colwell was,…