Fantagraphics Blog Jen Vaughn

Feeling sad that you cannot make it to the largest comics convention in zee world? ComiXology and Fantagraphics know exactly what you want, what you need – no, crave. So say Lost Cat by Jason is typically 17.99 on comiXology, we're ringing it in at 8.99. The sale ends Sunday, February 1st at 11pm EST or about the time the wine and champagne hangovers end at Angouleme! Check out more of our deals on their site (Arsene Schrauwen 14.99, Athos in America 8.99, Jason Conquers America 0.99, I Killed Adolf Hitler 4.99 and moooore).   

Local cartoonist and hero, Noah Van Sciver, will be signing copies of his latest graphic novel, Saint Cole, in Denver! Join Noah and the booksellers from the hottest independent book and comics store in town, Kilgore Books, on Wednesday, February 18th from 6-8pm. 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, their infant child, and Nicole's troubled-and-rough-around-the-edges mother, Angela. The second book from Fantagraphics and Van Sciver continues his interest in pathos and the human condition.   We'll see you THERE! It'll look a bit…

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.  Saint Cole by Noah Van Sciver 116-page black & white 7.5" x 9.25" softcover$19.99 | 978-1-60699-817-5 "…with forensic precision, he unblinkingly lays bare the grim inner workings of a male character….More first-rate work from a neo-underground maestro." –Tom Murphy, Broken Frontier   "His latest delves deeper into pathos and loss than his past one…

Celebrating the 25th Anniverisary of Eightball, Fantagraphics is releasing one hell of a collection. The Complete Eightball (issues #1-18) comes complete with end-notes, all new front and back cover on the box set, this is the end-all-be-all of Daniel Clowes comics collections. Clowes is appearing, pen in hand, at a few select locations in the states so fingers crossed, here goes! April 18th – The Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery Seattle, WA April 19th – Linework NW Portland, OR April 21st – Powell's City of Books Portland, OR April 30th – Quimby's Bookstore Chicago, IL June 5th – Meltdown Comics Los…

You heard right! The Daniel Clowes will be appearing at Linework NW on April 19th, 2015 in Portland, OR as one of their special guests and signing his fantastic new collection, The Complete Eightball, at the Fantagraphics' table.    From the mouths of Linework NW: "Daniel Clowes is one of the great voices of contemporary American literature and a legendary artist and draftsman. His newest publication is The Complete Eightball 1-18 (Fantagraphics Books), a mammoth two-volume, 568-page collection of the author's groundbreaking personal comics anthology, a work that consistently raised the bar of comics art and literature over its impressive 17-year run. It was in these pages that many…

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. Run Like Crazy Run Like Hell by Jacques Tardi; adapted from the novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette and translated by Doug Headline 104-page black & white 7.5" x 10.75" hardcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-620-1  "As with the other Tardi/Manchette books, Run Like Crazy… is full of moments of pitch-black humor, and a strong current of…

Portraits shot at the right moment are like the fermata on a pitch perfect note. Master photographer and jazz pianist Les McCann was able to catch such moments from the greatest of jazz singers and musicians. YOU now have a chance to meet him! Author and historian Pat Thomas (Listen Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975) curated the new McCann retrospective: Invitation to Openness: The Jazz & Soul Photography of Les McCann 1960-1980 and will be with McCann at the book release party at Book Soup on Saturday, March 28th. 5pm is when DJ Adam Dorn starts spinning the soulful tunes to images by McCann. Pat…

This collection has been a long-time coming! On Friday, February 27th cartoonist, painter and activist Guy Colwell will be at Pegasus Bookstore in San Francisco for the release of Inner City Romance. This blood-pumpin', needle-stickin' collection features comics on social politics like racial activism, harassment, prison, black culture, ghetto life, the and the sex trade. It portrays 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.  Colwell will be in conversation with author Bob Levin about his…

Do you want to see Simon Hanselmann in Europe? Get thee to the Kiss Kiss Bank Bank! For only 5 Euros you can get a 'French Kiss' from Simon or you can plunk down for the high-dollar item, a candelit dinner with Simon at Angouleme (let's be real, is there any other kind there?). Other rewards include signed books, pins and posters. Hanselmann is celebrating the release of his new Misma book, Megg, Mogg & Owl: Magical Ecstasy Trip, printed in French.  The money will get Simon aaaaalllll the way from Australia to Angouleme for the Festival de Bande Dessinee there in addition…

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. Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen by Dylan Horrocks 228-page full color 7" x 10" hardcover • $29.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-790-1 "Like Hicksville, it's about comic book artists and the allure of comic books. And also like Hicksville, it, too, is worthy of an award." –Marc Frauenfelder, BoingBoing "Do yourself a favor and pick this book…