Fantagraphics Blog Jen Vaughn

The indomitable Charles M. Schulz, aka Sparky, hits home the week after Thanksgiving by having our new Thanksgiving-themed books on the NY Times Best Sellers list. In this humourous collection, Woodstock goes through a variety of masks and outfits to disguise the fact that he is a bird during this poultry-fied food holiday. As for Snoopy, he decides it's time to visit some kin and enjoy a nice holiday with his brother, Spike, or so he thought… Snoopy's Thanksgiving is one of our many Peanuts gift books that fit small hands, big hearts and don't hurt your wallet.    Check out Charlie Brown's Christmas Stocking (literally…

During Ed Piskor's West Coast tour he hit up Meltdown Comics on sassy afternoon for a signing and while he was there, Boing Boing cofounder Mark Frauenfelder sat down to interview the cartoonist of Hip Hop Family Tree. Piskor's comic strip has been serialized on Boing Boing for the past two and half years and this was the first time he had met Mark.  Sit back or sit up and draw to this nice 45 minute interview covering Piskor's backstory, drawing style and the research behind Hip Hop Family Tree. “I consider myself more than a cartoonist but also an archeologist on this…

  Linework NW Illustration and Comics Festival announced its new set-up for the 2015 show in Portland, OR on April 18th and 19th. This highly regarded show is already changing up the format after a successful first year show. Expanding from a one day show at the majestic Norse Hall, Linework will now be two days BUT have different sets of cartoonists, zinesters, artists and printmakers tabling on Saturday and Sunday. A few publishers such as Fantagraphics, Ad House, Oni, Nobrow and more will be there both days as publishing 'anchors'. "The effect is more like a music festival than your typical comics show"…

The New York Comics and Picture Symposium welcomes Marguerite Van Cook on the week of her graphic novel coming out to comic stores everywhere (and birthday!). Van Cook will be presenting at the 110th meeting of the NY Comics & Picture-story Symposium  held on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 at 7 pm at Parsons The New School, 2 West 13th Street, in the Bark Room (off the lobby). Free and open to the public. Please note 7 pm starting time. Van Cook will read from and discuss her original graphic autobiography The Late Child and Other Animals, accompanied by a slide show of…

Given the recent holiday, we are happy to highlight some employees we are most thankful to have joined Team Fanta this year. They'ved added much to the hivemind. May I introduce (or reintroduce) Marc J. Palm, local cartoonist and manning one of the customer service desks like you wouldn't be-lieve. If you've been in Seattle for a bit, you've no doubt seen a Marc Palm art show or perhaps some of his art advertising a Scarecrew Video show.  1-What other jobs/experiences have you had in comics?I've never worked professionally in comics until now I suppose. Although I've been self-publishing zines…

The Women's Caucus for Art (WCA) is pleased to announce that artist Sue Coe (of Sheep of Fools and Blab!) is a recipient for the 2015 WCA Lifetime Achievement Award along with Kiki Smith, and Martha Wilson. The WCA will celebrate the honorees and their accomplishments at an awards ceremony and gala at the New York Institute of Technology on February 12, 2015. The awards celebration will take place on Thursday February 12, 2015 at the New York Institute of Technology Auditorium (NYIT) at 1871 Broadway, New York, NY. The Gala kicks off with a ticketed cocktail reception from 5:30 to 7pm. The ticketed reception…

Now soaring through the air waves and wifi networks to land safely on your digital reading device is ACES HIGH illustrated and some written by George Evans. This EC Comics Library is filled from wing tip to landing equipment with aviation war stories, including the titular comic of the same name, now available digitally thanks to comiXology. As a bonus, we present a rarity: Evans's never-before-reprinted 3-D story of World War I ace Frank Luke (in regular, easy-on-the-eyes 2-D). This volume also includes numerous Evans crime and shock stories, including "As Ye Sow…," "…My Brother's Keeper," and "Cadillac Fever." Other war stories, many…

  Next Saturday, December 6th with the crisp air at your heels, warm yourself in the light of the Fantagrapahics Bookstore as two cartoonists present their modern comics. Neo-noir cartoonist Tim Lane and prolific self-publishing cartoonist Eroyn Franklin will fill the dark night with their tales of trouble and woe from 7pm on at the bookstore in Georgetown. The event is also the Marathon II closing party! This is your last chance to ogle the curated work of Short Run Comix and Arts Festival exhibitors including John Porcellino, Pam Wishbow, Josh Simmons, MariNaomi, Ed Piskor, and Tom Neely.    Alternative cartoonist and illustrator Tim Lane resides…

Zak Sally sent over some samples of his new comic in his Eisner-nominated series, RECIDIVIST Vol. IV, an experiment in comics. It's a gorgeous work of art following/not following a man, a place, a time, a house. The comic also comes with a great soundtrack to read to, it is most akin to a genre of ambient terror music (if that exists) and works smashingly well with reading the book. Like I mentioned, this comic is an experience, not your literal and linear reading experience but something to absorb–maybe not even read front to back. It is well worth the price…

Friday, December 5th you could be anywhere: stuck to a lamppost, fluttering off of a junction box on the ave, 'cooling' up someone's composition notebook–wait, you're a person, not a sticker! Or in this case, a STINCKER! On Friday, December 5, from 7-10:30pm The Stinckers makers are having a release party (or a sticking party?) at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles (7522 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90046). See some new stickers from Mats?!, Steven "Ribs" Weissman, Johnny Ryan and J. Roysdon. Maybe more!   The next night, December 6th, the group is having an art show at Comic Arts L.A. at the Think…