Fantagraphics Blog Blog

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, in association with the Bureau of Drawers, hosts "LOVESICK" Comix Exhibition Opening February 12. Aaron Renier and Jason Shiga appear on Wednesday, February 23. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery loves local comix! Saturday, February 12 features the opening of "Lovesick," an exhibition of emerging and established artists from the Bureau of Drawers cartoonist collective. The show includes original art, handmade books and prints by 16 Seattle comix artists and illustrators. Exhibiting artists will be present for a festive reception at Fantagraphics Bookstore on Saturday, February 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM — just in time for Valentine's….

[The Comics Journal interns Laura Pieroni and Chi-Wen Lee put together a series of discussion questions about Linda Medley's Castle Waiting Vol. 2 for use in book clubs. As these questions are intended for those who have read the book, please be warned that they may contain mild spoilers. – Ed.] Synopsis: Linda Medley's fairy-tale misfits are back in the second volume of Castle Waiting. While some of Castle Waiting's residents reminisce, a Hammerling pair ventures to the castle for assistance in putting together a woman's wardrobe. In return for Lady Jain's help with the clothes, the Hammerlings assist in…

[In this installment of our series of Editors Notes, Kim Thompson interviews himself (in a format he's dubbed "AutoChat") about The Arctic Marauder by Jacques Tardi, now available to order from us and at a comics shop near you. – Ed.] Hey, whoa, another Tardi book? Didn't the last one come out like three months ago? Yeah, sorry. The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec Volume 1 ran a little late because of designer bottleneck, and then this one was on time. Not that I'm complaining. So, what made you select this one out of the dozens of Tardi books that…

Originally published in Graphic Story Monthly No. 1, Jan. 1990. Craig Maynard passed away in late 2010; read Kim Thompson’s tribute on Flog! The Fantagraphics Blog. {mosimage}{mosimage}{mosimage}{mosimage}{mosimage}{mosimage}

[In this installment of our series of Editors Notes, Kim Thompson interviews himself (in a format he's dubbed "AutoChat") about Stigmata by Lorenzo Mattotti, now available to order from us and at a comics shop near you. – Ed.] So… Mattotti, eh? Yeah. I've long wanted to do a book by Lorenzo. For my money he's one of the most brilliant cartoonists in terms of sheer virtuoso draftsmanship who ever lived. I think among the current breed of Europeans he's rivaled only by Moebius and Blutch and I'd still rank him first. I was just biding my time. It's been…

[In this installment of our series of Editors Notes, Kim Thompson interviews himself (in a format he's dubbed "AutoChat") about King of the Flies Vol. 2: The Origin of the World by Mezzo & Pirus, now available to order from us and coming soon to a comics shop near you. – Ed.] Congratulations on King of the Flies Volume 1 being named one of the 10 best graphic novel releases of the year by Amazon.com. Thanks, that was a nice surprise. Not because I didn't think King of the Flies deserved it, but because I thought it had kind of…

Stan Sakai has crafted the adventures of his Ronin Samurai rabbit, Usagi Yojimbo, for more than 25 years. He has made Usagi one of the most recognizable "funny animals" or anthropomorphic characters in the comics universe through his unique storytelling and peerless craft. Usagi wanders through Edo period (1600s) Japan, running into the likes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird) and Groo The Wanderer (Sergio Aragones). Sakai's work has been praised by the likes of Stan Lee and been awarded three Eisners for storytelling, overall talent, and lettering. Fantagraphics released a special commemorative…

Seattle cartoonist Jim Woodring, author of Frank comics and the acclaimed Weathercraft, has built a seven-foot-long pen-and-penholder, a giant version of the steel dip pen nib and wooden handle used by artists and calligraphers. The pen will make its debut in the Skinner Auditorium of Gage Academy of Art on Sunday, January 9 from 1pm to 4pm. The nib is sixteen inches long and made of brass-pated, hand-engraved cold-rolled steel. The handle is lathe-turned poplar, painted with black lacquer. The ink is a specially formulated acrylic blend. A vase functions as an inkwell. When this project was announced earlier this…

This week we mailed out copies of our Spring/Summer 2011 distributors catalog (designed and produced for buyers and sellers in the book trade) to members of the press. We are pleased to also offer it as a 7.4 MB PDF download. Please be advised that the information in this catalog is preliminary and still subject to change, including but not limited to book titles, prices, cover art, contents, specs, and especially release dates. (For instance, Ah Pook Is Here is already rescheduled from July to Fall 2011.) Inquiries from members of the press may be directed to Jacq Cohen at…

[The Comics Journal interns Andrew Davis and Chi-Wen Lee put together a series of discussion questions about Stephen DeStefano & George Chieffet's Lucky in Love Book 1: A Poor Man's History for use in book clubs. As these questions are intended for those who have read the book, please be warned that they may contain mild spoilers. – Ed.] Synopsis: At age 15, the only things on Lucky's mind are women, sex, movies, and, to some degree, the war. He fantasizes about being a hero, much like in the Tex Stengler films his friends and he watch. When he does…