Fantagraphics Blog Jen Vaughn

 The Late Child and Other Animals will continue its illustrious NYC debut at the First Person Plural event at Silvana this Tuesday, November 18th at 7pm. Climb downstairs for the best in new non-fiction as cartoonists Marguerite Van Cook and James Romberger perform along with writers Cameron Fraser, Asali Solomon and FPP co-founder Wendy S. Walters will all be performing with special DJ sets by Lady DM. Silvana is located at 300 W. 116th St. near Frederick Douglass Blvd, across from Harlem Tavern, steps from the B/C at 116th. Admission is free but the show is priceless.Silvana300 W 116th StNew York, NY 10026

 We're all excited about Liz Suburbia's SACRED HEART which will be coming out next year from Fantagraphics. But what do we do until then? If you yelled "Adorn ourselves with clothing and our walls with prints featuring her artwork" then I have a punch in the mouth for you because you are correct! This fall Silver Sprocket released a rad back patch called "Organized Sports" (above), they also have some of her work in the anthology As You Were. They are also selling this sweet screen print called "House Shows" (11.75 x 15.75") for only $14! Meanwhile, Out of Step Arts also sells some of Suburbia's prints AND some sweet threads. This Old. V. A. shirt features…

The Miami Book Fair is a beautiful meeting of literary minds, scholars, writers, cartoonists and readers. This year, the fair will be graced by four brilliant minds, who also happen to have Fantagraphics books out. They are all appearing on some apenls on Saturday, November 22nd at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus. Most of the comics panels take place in room 1365 in building 1 (see map below) at the intersection of NE 1st Ave and NE 3rd Street.    Joyce Farmer's recent reprint from Fantagraphics is her original graphic novel called Special Exits. It is a touching, heartwarming and melancholy look at…

This month's issue of Booklist will include reviews of recent releases by a Fantagraphics creator, excerpted below:    Hip Hop Family Tree Vol. 2 (1981-1983) by Ed Piskor "The second collection of Piskor's hip-hop history in comics may be a better place to start reading it than the first….Piskor's Jack Kirby-ish drawing chops-monumental figures in thrusting, dynamic action; flat colors that crush perspective-constitute precisely the sturdy vehicle to carry it as far as Piskor will take it." –Ray Olson  Peanuts Every Sunday 1956-1960 (Vol. 2) by Charles M. Schulz "Peanuts' enduring appeal is timeless and universal, and this handsomely designed volume only enhances its allure… This era…seesthe introduction…

In a celebration of comics, Short Run and more, this week sees the release of Max Riffner's new graphic novel, The Crippler's Son, chock full of wrestling action. When The Crippler comes to town for a wrestling match, James isn't awestruck, he's just trying to get by in medical school. Schooling that The Crippler has paid for. In this debut work from Max Riffner, two brothers attempt to reconnect despite a wrestling ring's worth of differences. We guarantee you'll stay around until the final round. Much like Richard Sala's Violenzia, this book is a digital exclusive from Fantagraphics and comiXology and is only…

Tuesday in LA, the place to be is at Meltdown Comics. Pittsburgh-based cartoonist Ed Piskor has pop and locked, Heavy D Shaked and prepped his way over to come out and give you one hell of a party along with the crew at Meltdown. A special guest DJ will be spinning the vintage hits from 4-6pm and at 5pm in the NerdMelt Showroom you'll find Boing Boing founder's Mark Frauenfelder in conversation with Piskor about the Hip Hop Family Tree series, his Rob Leifeld mini-comic and much much more.     Get excited and maybe even practice your dance moves with some Hip Hop Family Tree…

In less than a week you could be glued to your seat listening to Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize winner Jim Woodring give a talk on Fran at The Pennsylvania Center for the Book. On Wednesday, November 19th, in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library at Penn State from 4-5:30pm, Woodring will be speaking about his intricate story-telling and world-buildling that cuminated in this surreal and cyclical story of Fran and earning the Lynd Ward Prize. Congratulations, Jim!   This event is free to the public thanks to these sponsors: University Libraries, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, the Dorothy Foher Huck Chair, Library Learning Services…

photo by Greg Preston A five question interview with cartoonist Drew Friedman was featured on the Book Soup blog in anticipation of his signing and conversation with artist William Stout this Friday, November 14th at Book Soup in 8818 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. People often ask Drew why he draws people and specifically these cartoonists at later stages in their life and he responded: "I like to draw people older or very old because you get to see their lives etched into their faces. Every line, wrinkle and liver spot tells the story of their life. Drawing younger faces is finally boring for me. It's…

This week's comic shop shipment is slated to include the following new titles. Read on to see what comics-blog commentators and web-savvy comic shops are saying about them (more to be added as they appear), check out our previews at the links, and contact your local shop to confirm availability. Arsène Schrauwen by Olivier Schrauwen 250-page color 8" x 10" hardcover • $34.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-730-7 "There is an element of old world fable, distinctly European, to Arsene Schrauwen, as well as the kind of modernist journeys portrayed in books like Kafka's Amerika, with their emphasis on the conflict between an individual's internal struggles and…

This Saturday, Pat Thomas, author of Listen, Whitey! The Sights and sounds of Black Power 1965-1975 will present a multi-media presentation at the Howard Zinn Book Fair in San Francisco. From noon to 1:30 pm, at Mission High School (3750 18th street) rock out to the music, spoken word recordings and images that show bizarre connections between the Partridge Family and the Black Panther Party, Timothy Leary and Eldridge Cleaver, Amiri Baraka and Motown, Bob Dylan and George Jackson. Pat will be sharing the stage with Rickey Vincent, author of Party Music: The Inside Story of the Black Panthers Band. This FREE event will feature a whole day…