Fantagraphics Blog Jen Vaughn

We are a lucky company to have such fantastic cartoonists at Fantagraphics. Olivier Schrauwen's Arsene Schrauwen, Jaime Hernandez's The Love Bunglers AND Eleanor Davis' How to Be Happy are up for an award. This time it is the Slate and the Center for Cartoon Studies Studio Prize. The dual team released shortlists for the print and webcomic divisions. "The winner in each of our two categories will be announced April 6; each winner will receive $1,000 and, of course, eternal glory. The shortlists were selected by Slate Book Review editor Dan Kois; the faculty and students at the Center for Cartoon Studies, represented by CCS Fellow Sophie Yanow; and…

Hear ye, hear ye! Fans of Peter Bagge, Hate, the Bradleys and comics history will be happy to hear that a new book has just hit the bookstores: Peter Bagge: Conversations by Kent Worchester and the University Press of Mississippi. Get the quippy and quirky interviews that also include some previously unavailable material! We can add this to Bagge's growing list of publishers carrying his comics and work: Fantagraphics, D&Q, IDW, Dark Horse…. From the University Press of Mississippi description: "For fans of Peter Bagge (b. 1957) and his bracingly satirical writing and drawing, this collection offers the perfect means to track his career choices,…

Cartoonist Wilfred Santiago recently highlighted a recipe inspired on a scene from Michael Jordan: Bull on Parade. Cook some of MJ's Peaches French Toast to please not only your taste buds but your loved ones. It looks so tasty but only if you use fresh peaches as Jordan recommends.    Ella Woods also wrote a short article on fanzines and how the Michael Jordan epiloque was based off some physical fanzines about music. She poses the question, how does one finish a biography when the subject is still living? If you want to find out, you'll need to read Michael Jordan: Bull on Parade!

LOS ANGELES – This April, the one and only Secret Headquarters is hosting an art show and release party featuring watercolor pages from Robert Goodin's most excellent new comic, The Kurdles. The opening reception for the exhibition is on Friday, April 3rd at 7pm. The show will remain up from April 3rd-April 30th.  When Sally the bear gets tossed by her own owner, she finds herself helping a rag-tag group of characters when their house threatens to grow legs and leave! Reminiscent of The Brave Little Toaster or Herge's Tintin, The Kurdles is an all-ages comic spiced up with a teaspoon of strange and is…

Congratulations to cartoonists Olivier Schrauwen and Jaime Hernandez for being nominated as an LA Times Book Prize finalist for their recent Fantagraphics book, Arsene Schrauwen and The Love Bunglers. Check out the website for a full listing of finalists. Join us in our 35th year for suspense and surprises as the best books of 2014 are recognized in ten categories and the winners of the 2014 Robert Kirsch and Innovator's Awards will be celebrated. Tickets go on sale for $10 on Tuesday, March 17, at 10 a.m. The ceremony itself is Saturday, April 18, at 6:30 p.m at the Bovard Auditorium, USC Campus.   Schrauwen recently received a gold medal…

Kinokuniya posted a 12 minute clip of the Massive talk from last Wednesday in New York City with editor Anne Ishii, designer Chip Kidd and moderated by Terence Irvins (comics and graphic novel buyer). They talk about how Massive came to be, how Anne Ishii and Chip Kidd met, The Passion of Gengorah Tagame from PictureBox and more.  Want more Massive? You're gonna get it! Cover artist and cartoonist Jiraiya will be in the states for an East coast/west coast tour this month. Check out all the stops and grab your copy NOW! Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It is sold…

Cartoonist pioneer, Dash Shaw, is forever reaching beyond what we perceive and accept as comics. In the current issue of ArtForum, new on the stands this week, Shaw made a Top Ten list of his favorites in the art, publishing and just whole damn world. Here's a pic Dash took of the first page featuring Breakdown Press, a Quaker comic, a 3-D musuem artists use as a modern morgue (files of reference art), and our favorite Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. Grab a copy at your local bookstore to read the rest of the Top Ten or visit the website! Dash is currently a…

Need some Monday night fun? James Romberger and Marguerite Van Cook will be appearing at the United Citizen's Brigade Village East for Nat Townsen's Downtown Variety Hour! They'll be reading from The Late Child and Other Animals, taking the same stage as Janeane Garofalo, Cipha Sounds from Chapelle's Show, and comedian Brendan McLaughlin! Pictured below, comedian and native New Yorker Nat Towsen (VICE, CollegeHumor) welcomes hilarious comedians, local artists, and Village luminaries for a regular variety show in the eclectic tradition of the disappearing downtown Manhattan culture. Every show also features a "Downtown History" segment, music from classic local musicians, and free giveaways from…

We have a thing for drinks and comics here. Whether it's Elysian's 12 Beers of the Apocalypse (with Charles Burns) or the right Love and Rockets cocktails to a glass of bourbon only Scrooge McDuck could afford…. if there's a glass we'll fill it! The site Women Write About Comics recently created some character drinks and made a bit of a tasty one based on Ed Luce's upcoming book. The Wuvable Oaf Jalapeno vodka (lots of it), Crush strawberry soda, Cointreau, Looza cherry nectar, a dash of rosewater and….a dash of cumin on the top….. serve in a frosted pint glass/pitcher with several lime wedges. Like…

This spring, bookstores will be tumescent with customers clamoring to get their hands on our shrinkwrapped and stacked copies of Massive. The editorial minds of gay manga Anne Ishii, Graham Kolbeins and Chip Kidd hit the road for bookstores, conventions and various places along with visiting artists from Massive: Jiraiya! He's appearing on both coasts for a variety of events!    Please do note the PHOTO embargo: Jiraiya wishes to retain his anonymity and while he appreciates meeting fans, has a strict "no facial photography" rule. We ask that attendants respect his privacy. So take some shots of his hands drawing, get creative if you MUST…