Steve Ditko at MoCCA Festival?!?

“STRANGE & STRANGER: THE WORLD OF STEVE DITKO” to debut at the MOCCA Art Festival (June 7/8th). {mosimage} Fantagraphics Books is proud to announce that Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko – the first critical retrospective of Steve Ditko, the co-creator and original artist of the Amazing Spider-Man – will make its much-anticipated debut on Saturday June 7th, 2008 at the MoCCA Comics Art Festival. The author, Blake Bell, will be on hand both days at MoCCA to sign copies of the book and will debut his slide show presentation on Ditko’s work as part of the festival’s…

Drew Friedman at Rocketship in Brooklyn on May 16

DREW FRIEDMAN ART SHOW AND BOOK SIGNING AT ROCKETSHIP IN BROOKLYN MAY 16! WHO: Drew Friedman WHAT: Opening reception and book signing WHERE: Rocketship 208 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 • 718.797.1348 WHEN: Friday, May 16, 8PM “Drew Friedman isn’t just a brilliant artist. He takes you to a place. He takes you back in time. He makes you smell the stale cigarettes and cold brisket and you say thank you for the pleasure.” — Sarah Silverman Join cartoonist DREW FRIEDMAN for a special exhibition of original art and objects, along with a book signing in conjunction with the release…

Bob Levin Debuts Most Outrageous at Bay Area Events

You are invited to two exciting Bay Area events featuring acclaimed Berkeley author Bob Levin, whose new book, Most Outrageous, details the unsettling story of the life of Hustler cartoonist Dwaine Tinsley, creator of “Chester the Molester.” When Larry Flynt’s Superstar was accused of sexually abusing his teenaged daughter for five years, the prosecution brought in hundreds of Tinsley’s cartoons as evidence. Levin details this unprecedented case, and Tinsley’s family life, with unquestionable sophistication, exhaustive journalistic research, and humanity. WHO: Bob Levin WHAT: Most Outrageous Book Release Party, with author reading & signing as well as hors d’ouevres and no…

Jules Feiffer Debuts Explainers at the Strand on May 15

You are invited to the world premiere of Jules Feiffer‘s long-awaited collection, Explainers, featuring the complete first decade of his legendary and groundbreaking comic strip, Sick, Sick, Sick (and later redubbed Feiffer), from the Village Voice. Feiffer will read from the book and answer questions before signing copies of the deluxe hardcover collection. “Samuel Johnson said he hoped God would think he had made good of his God-given talents. Jules Feiffer need have no dread of such an audit… What has made his services so welcome for so many years now is his possession, in addition to high intelligence, of…

The Production Evolution of a Humbug Page

{product_snapshot:id=1501,true,false,true,left} Fantagraphics’ Humbug collection is due in early 2009. This two-volume slipcased hardcover set assembles the never-before-collected, complete, original 11-issue run (1957-58) of the satirical magazine conceived and edited by Harvey Kurtzman and created by Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Will Elder, Al Jaffee (Kurtzman’s MAD magazine cohorts one and all) and Arnold Roth. This feature, conceived by Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth and written by our production ace Paul Baresh, will give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the restoration of a Humbug page. – Ed. This is the original artwork. You can see all the items are pasted on and there are…

Fantagraphics attends New York Comic Con!

FANTAGRAPHICS ATTENDS NEW YORK COMIC CON APRIL 18-20 NEW BOOKS, AUTHORS HIGHLIGHT FIRST-EVER NY COMIC CON APPEARANCE New York Comic Con, taking place April 18-20 at the Javits Center in New York City, is the East Coast’s biggest popular culture convention, and in 2008 Fantagraphics Books — the west coast’s biggest alternative comics publisher — will join the ranks of exhibitors for the first time. Publishers Gary Groth and Kim Thompson will be on hand all weekend, hosting round-the-clock signings for several authors and debuting several new titles at the show. Authors signing at the Fantagraphics tables at NY Comic…

Rebel Visions – Introduction by Patrick Rosenkranz

{product_snapshot:id=1456,true,false,true,left} Foreword I was a student at Columbia University when I started reading the East Village Other in 1966. It was full of outrageous and libelous stories, bawdy language, wild accusations, and doctored photographs. Best of all, it had totally crazy comics, the likes of which I’d never seen before. Every week I’d pick up a new issue at a Village newsstand, along with a slightly larger New York Post, and, unsure of how my fellow Gothamites might react to its lurid covers, I would read EVO camouflaged on the subway ride uptown to Morningside Heights. {mosimage} Like many of…

Martin Bland sound art, Spring Cleaning Sale at Fantagraphics

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKSTORE & GALLERY HOSTS “MARTIN BLAND’S RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS” ON SATURDAY, APRIL 12 Fantagraphics Books’ resident genius will present his recent experimental sound project, “Martin Bland’s Randomized Control Trials,” on Saturday, April 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. This event coincides with the colorful “Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack.” The bookstore will also offer a huge “Spring Cleaning Sale” with hundreds of graphic novels marked at 50% off from April 11 though April 13. Fantagraphics Bookstore employee Martin Bland has an impressive musical pedigree. He was the drummer for Australia’s legendary psyche-garage band Lubricated…

Comics Forum: “R. Crumb’s Underground,” March 27, 2008 (audio)

On Thursday, March 27, 2008, at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, moderator Gary Groth was joined by Peter Bagge, Ellen Forney, and Jim Woodring for a lively discussion about Robert Crumb and a range of related topics. Download the complete audio of this event (24.5 MB MP3) or stream it here: {audio}images/stories/artists/interviews/01%20Comics%20Forum%2003_27_08.mp3{/audio} More photos can be seen on Flickr, in regular and slideshow formats. Related books (click covers for complete product details) {product_snapshot:id=400,true,false,true,left} {product_snapshot:id=173,true,false,true,left} {product_snapshot:id=735,true,false,true,left} {product_snapshot:id=1127,true,false,true,left}

Most Outrageous – Introduction by Bob Levin

{product_snapshot:id=1469,true,false,true,left} I had no idea what to do next. For fifteen years, while practicing law in Berkeley, I had been writing about cartoonists for The Comics Journal. It had become apparent early on that the more off-beat the cartoonist was in his life or art, the more I would be drawn to him. Once my bias had become clear, someone at the Journal would have another cartoonist for me: a schizophrenic and an alcoholic and a speed freak and a suicide and a misanthrope and one fellow whose career off-tracked when he became a woman. Their work was often grotesquely…