Fantagraphics Blog Jen Vaughn

The word is out! The night before the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD (aka SPX), Atomic Books is hosting their annual party. This year will have a stellar cast of characters doing readings from their comics and signing. On September 12th from 5-6pm, enjoy the THE Charles Burns signing his third installment of his current series called Sugar Skull. From 7-9pm, your ears will be thrilled by the sights and sounds of Ed Piskor (Hip Hop Family Tree Vol. 2), Simon Hanselmann (Megahex), Noah Van Sciver (with his AdHouse book Youth Is Wasted), Emily Flake, Josh Bayer and Tom Neely plus MORE.    We can't wait, so save some…

Finally! San Diego Comic-Con is over and we can get back to publishing great comics and sending you your rewards like the Gary Panter kicks and prints that just showed up today! We're spending the next week sending out the items we had to wait on like the signed Luba and Her Family, Unlovable 3 and Love Bunglers, plus more prints, more portraits. There are some signed prints we're still waiting on like Tony Millionaire and S. Clay Wilson for the book and print. We'll send them out as soon as we get them and keep you in the loop. A few…

PNCA Presents SuperTrash, an Exhibition of Cult Movie Posters The Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) presents SuperTrash, an exhibition of 200 works of cult movie signage from the 1930s through the 1980s. The exhibition, which originated at The Andy Warhol Museum and went to the Anchorage Museum, opens at PNCA in Swigert Commons on September 4 and runs through October 21, 2014. Curated by Jacques Boyreau, the author of TRASH: The Graphic Genius of Xploitation Movie Posters, SuperTrash features work by artists such as Joe Niem, Drew Struzan, Olivia De Berardinis, Robert Tannenbaum, John Alvin, Rene Ferraci, Jack Kamen, Albert…

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.  How to Be Happy by Eleanor Davis 152-page color/b&w 7.75" x 10.125" hardcover • $24.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-740-6 "A mix of evocative, geometric watercolors and fluid pen-and-ink cartoons, How to Be Happy tells stories of sad people, lonely people, strong people, confident people, all trying to find a tiny bit of happiness in life…Davis' clever…

It was bound to happen with 32 years of comics in the making. On Friday at the Eisner Awards Ceremony, the two cartoonists Fantagraphics has grown up with received their due. In the category of Best Writer/Artist, Jaime Hernandeznbsp;received an Eisner for his work on Love and Rockets to be followed quickly by Gilbert Hernandez for his standalone story "Untitled" in Love and Rockets: New Stories #6 (page 59 for those of you at home).  Gilbert gave a touching speech and we even snapped a photo of his notes. Jaime juggled his Eisner a bit, speechless yet very endearing.   AND Félicitations are due to Jacques Tardi and Jean-Pierre Verney! The…

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.Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 5: Outwits the Phantom Blot by Floyd Gottfredson 288-page black & white/color 10.5" x 8.75" hardcover • $34.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-736-9 "This is primetime Gottfredson, beautiful to look at and fun." -Tom Spurgeon, Comics Reporter Prince Valiant Vol. 9: 1953-1954 by Hal Foster 120-page full color 10.25" x 14" hardcover • $35.00ISBN:…

Here's a complete list of fun panels our cartoonists, editors and team players will be on Thursday through Sunday at San Diego Comic Con. We love questions so don't feel shy at the panels. And check out all these people during their lovely signings at the table, booth #1718.   Thursday, July 24th 5:00-6:00 Spotlight on Eleanor Davis Eleanor Davis (How to be Happy) will do an autobiographical presentation that has something to do with finding truth in fiction & the strange passions inside an author/reader relationship.Room 9 6:30p.m. – 7:30p.m Indie Comics Marketing & PR 101Have a comic but don't know how to…

Today marks the start of a limited-time only Jason treasury bundle, featuring titles BRAND NEW to comiXology and on Sale! For a chill $99 you get 18 titles by Jason saving up to 52% on the books. It even includes several sold out print titles like The Living and the Dead, The Iron Wagon, Pocket Full of Rain and more. So fill up that digital shelf with as many Jason books as you can muster! Or exactly eighteen! Isle of 100,000 Graves • Werewolves of Montpellier • I Killed Adolf Hitler • Lost Cat • Athos in America • Hey, Wait • The…

  Now you know about the books you want to get but WHAT about getting them signed?! These cartoonists' hands have been certified by the State of California to touch black ink to paper and spin it around a bunch! Come get your books 'notarized' by these official cartonists and special guests at the designated times their 'offices' are open. Don Rosa, Eleanor Davis, Lucy Knisley and Drew Friedman are all Special Guests of SDCC (everyone else is just a Rad as Hell Guest). Find us at the usual spot booth #1718     Wednesday, July 23rd 6:30-8pm: Don Rosa Thursday, July…

The London Film and Comic Con held its inaugural awards ceremony for the True Believer Awards over the weekend. The Secret History of Marvel Comics by Blake Bell and Dr. Michael J. Vassallo received an award for the Best Comics Related Book Category    Exposing the seamy underside of Martin Goodman's publishing empire, this never-before-told history of Goodman's pulps and scandal sheets and the Marvel artists who worked for them is chock full of unseen art. Blake Bell is also the editor for our sumptuous Steve Ditko Archives. Congrats!