Re/Read is a recurring column by Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery curator Larry Reid looking back at books you may have missed or are worthy of another read. This time we’ll discuss the stunning collection, Is That All There Is?, by Dutch master Joost Swarte. Like many American comix enthusiasts, I first became aware of Joost Swarte though Art Spiegelman and François Mouly’s RAW anthology. It was a revelation when Fantagraphics Books published Is That All There Is?, the first substantial English edition of his remarkable comix and graphics. While Swarte’s work often references classic American comic strips, his work…
New Digital Debuts and Backlist!
Rege, Forney, and Moscoso — oh, my! This’s week’s digital releases include two from the great Ron Rege, Jr. and backlist favorites by Ellen Forney and Victor Moscoso. Let’s get to it! What Parsifal Saw is a psychedelic collection on Ron Rege, Jr.’s newer, shorter work. This collection features Rege’s signature esoteric ideas and spirituality and includes an adaptation of 19th century occultist Helena Petrovna Blavatsky’s work. What Parsifal Saw is your look into cosmic consciousness, outsider rawness, and pure cartoonish joy. It can now be found on comiXology and Google Play. Back in print and…
What’s in Store: Ron Regé, Jr on April 8!
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is pleased to welcome back to Seattle visionary artist Ron Regé, Jr. on Saturday, April 8 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. The reception will feature a book signing and exhibition of prints from his new collection, What Persifal Saw. Ron Regé’s work reflects his interest in mysticism and spirituality. This approach to contemporary cartooning is demonstrated in “Cosmogenesis,” his adaptation of the writings of 19th century occultist Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. The story concerns the ancient alchemical ideas that strongly influenced his previous work, The Cartoon Utopia, recently made available in a softcover edition from Fantagraphics Books. Regé…
Fantagraphics at MoCCA Arts Fest 2017
We’re bringing the big books to the Big Apple for MoCCA Arts Festival 2017, sponsored by The Society of Illustrators! April 1-2 you can find us at the Metropolitan West event space in Hell’s Kitchen. We’re bringing along special guests, hot new books, and a spunky can-do attitude. Debut Books Love and Rockets Vol. 4 #2 by Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez The second issue of Love and Rockets picks right upfrom Issue #1! Over on Jaime’s side, it’s La Llorona’s turn to hit the stage at the punk rock reunion and the Hellmets are closing in on Princess Animus. Is…
What’s in Store: Tasty Times Tomorrow
Georgetown Bites allows food and beverage fans to experience the diverse culinary delights of Seattle’s historic arts community in affordable fashion. The 3rd annual Taste of Georgetown features special offers from 28 appetizing enterprises for as little as $4 each. Celebrate the unique hospitality of this colorful neighborhood on Saturday, March 25. Tickets are available at the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Tasting continues until 5:00 PM. Adventurous diners can also visit the many galleries, shops, and assorted cultural attractions on Saturday, March 25 in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood, including Ezequiel Garcia at Fantagraphics Bookstore…
Your Tablet Will Thank You
Pamper your tablet with our new digital releases this week, which include fantastic new graphic novels and art collections, as well as backlist breath-takers. Manuele Fior is back with The Interview! Set in Italy in 2048 while strange triangles appear in the sky bearing mysterious messages. At the same time, Raniero, a fifty-something psychologist whose marriage is failing meets a new patient who is part of a youth movement called the “New Convention.” The Interview is a science fiction graphic novel that eschews the stars in favor of the delicate nature of human emotions. I can be found through comiXology…
Re/Read: Prince Valiant Volume 8
Re/Read is a regular feature by Fantagraphics Bookstore curator Larry Reid drawing attention to backlist books you may have missed or are worthy of another read. This time we’ll visit a classic by Hal Foster, Prince Valiant Volume 8, 1951 – 1952. I have long maintained that midcentury America’s fascination with medieval folklore owed more to Hal Foster than Chaucer. Foster’s colorful Sunday comic strip, “Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur,” captured the country’s imagination as it was delivered directly into millions of American homes. A Prince Valiant feature film was produced in 1954, starring Robert Wagner, Janet Leigh,…
Get Two of the World’s Best Cartoonists on Your Tablets!
Lucky you! We’ve got a brand new graphic novel by Cathy Malkasian and a couple new-to-digital backlist bangers from Roger Langridge this week. Cathy Malkasian has quietly been making one of the most impressive bodies of comic work over the last decade, and Eartha continues this incredible run. For thousands of years, unfinished dreams — sex fantasies, murder plots, wishful thinking — came to Echo Fjord to find sanctuary. But recently, they’ve stopped coming and Eartha is tasked with solving the mystery. Malkasian’s stunning landscapes, depictions of nature, and character nuance are on full display in Eartha, now available through…
What’s in Store: Ezequiel Garcia’s Growing Up in Public
Fantagraphics Bookstore, in association with the Argentinian Ministry of Culture, is pleased to present Ezequiel Garcia on Saturday, March 25, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Garcia will discuss his new graphic memoir, Growing Up in Public from Fantagraphics Books. Garcia’s book chronicles the personal and professional challenges he faces as a young artist in his hometown of Buenos Aires. He laments the loss of architectural landmarks and cultural heritage in the face of shrinking public support for the arts in his home country. His engaging narrative is sure to resonate in Seattle as we deal with remarkably similar issues in…
Re/Read: Four Color Fear
Re/Read in a recurring column by Fantagraphics Bookstore curator Larry Reid that examines backlist titles you may have missed or are worthy of another look. This time we’ll feature Four Color Fear: Forgotten Horror Comics of the 1950s. The sensational success of EC horror comics in midcentury America gave rise to a multitude of imitators. Four Color Fear collects the most compelling of these much-maligned comics. The book includes acknowledged masters of the medium, including Jack Cole, Basil Wolverton, Al Williamson, Wallace Wood, Reed Crandall, and Joe Kubert, but it’s the back bench artists and anonymous writers that make this anthology…
