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Don’t miss the action at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery this Saturday, May 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The incomparable Dash Shaw appears to screen animated shorts, discuss his work, and sign comix including advance copies of his ambitious new graphic novel New School. An exhibition of original Shaw drawings will be on display. This event coincides with national Free Comic Book Day. Fantagraphics Bookstore will issue an exclusive 16-page Freak Comic Book mini featuring a stellar cast of local alternative artists. Edited by Intruder contributor Marc Palm, the book includes new works by Max Clotfelter, Kelly Froh, Eroyn Franklin, Tom Van Deusen, Ben…

One of the world's great cartoonists, Jacques Tardi, revisits the subject which drives some of his most passionate work in Goddamn This War!, a chronological, infantry-eye view of the first World War. Our edition of Goddamn's predecessor, It Was the War of the Trenches, was one of the most acclaimed graphic novels of 2010, earning two Eisner awards and a spot on numerous "best of the year" lists. Here's just a sampling of the praise, which could just as well apply to Goddamn:  "The potency of the soldiers' tragic stories is enhanced by the elegance of Tardi's lucid drawing and keen compositions… This…

Wandering Son fans will be happy to know that we're catching up on our release schedule and Volume 5 is off to the printer now for release in August (barring any calamities), just 3 months after Volume 4, which is due later this month after a slight delay. Which gender-specific uniform is a gender-questioning teen to wear to the junior-high entrance ceremony? Can new and old friendships survive romantic jealousy? These and other questions are addressed with uncommon insight in this volume of Shimura Takako's delightful, acclaimed dramedy. "…[L]ike the best coming-of-age stories — comics or otherwise — Wandering Son is meticulously accurate in…

Dash Shaw's newest comic, 3 New Stories, is available today for the first time both in print and digitally via comiXology! In this 32 page comic, Shaw creates three full-color short stories exploring varied dystopian societies, from a Sherlock Holmes-style investigator who must complete his high school degree to filmed "voluntary" nudity to prison camps full of jaded children. Enjoy this full meal of comic on its own or consider it an appetizer for New School out next month. It's only $2.99 for a fun read. "Dash Shaw is a modern comics master. He experiments with everything from structure to…

Release the hounds! Graham Chaffee will be premiering his latest graphic novel Good Dog on Friday, May 17th at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles! We can't wait for everyone to see Graham's latest work!  Over the past few years, he's been devoting himself to the art of tattooing, but he's back with this beautiful story about Ivan, a good dog, who is plagued by terrible nightmares about chickens and rabbits. Readers accompany the stray as he navigates dog society, weathers pack politics, and surveys canine-human interactions. And while supplies last, you can also get a copy of the FBI•MINI comic…

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.   3 New Stories by Dash Shaw 32 page full color 6.5" x 10.25" comic • $3.99 "3 New Stories is a fascinating work, a book knocked me back on my heels with its tremendous inventiveness, playfulness and intriguing approach to the comics page." –Jason Sacks, Comics Bulletin Peter Bagge's Other Stuff by Peter…

3 New Stories by Dash Shaw 32-page full-color comic book • $3.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-721-5 Order Now! This one-shot comic book features three all-new, full-color short stories that explore varied dystopian societies. From a Sherlock Holmes-style investigator who must complete his high school degree to filmed "voluntary" nudity to prison camps full of jaded children, Shaw pens each story with his signature style and unique spin, all in 32 pages. "A former student of the genius artist-seer-cartoonist Gary Panter, Dash, it's fair to say, is something of a genius as well." — Chris Ware "Dash Shaw is an utterly brilliant young cartoonist who…

This summer ends with a blast at Bumbershoot! The Northwest's foremost arts festival features the premiere of Fantagraphics Follies, showcasing diverse works from some of Seattle's most notorious cartoonists. Don't miss your favorite Fantagraphics artists appearing on stage in the lively variety show format of a late-night talk show at the colorful Labor Day weekend event.   The entertainment begins big with Jim Woodring demonstrating his prowess with a giant quill pen. Fine artist (and finer cartoonist) Eroyn Franklin puts on a shadow puppet show, followed by the hilarious comix comedy routine of Kelly Froh. Ellen Forney plays Marbles before her stint on the couch, and…

Some lucky dozens of you have already got your hands on advance copies of Dash Shaw's incredible new graphic novel New School on his ongoing book tour… If you haven't had a chance to fondle a copy, here's a couple of photos to ogle for the time being. A powerful combination of 1990s nostalgia, family drama, speculative fiction, and experimental visual techniques, flavored with wonder and deadpan humor, New School is unlike anything you've read before. Library Journal and Paste both named it one of their most-anticipated books of the year, with the latter saying "In a few short years, Dash Shaw has proven…

The lucky seventh volume of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant is off to the printer for release in August and here's our final, fine-tuned cover art. From an investigation of black magic to a quest for Christian missionaries, from epic derring-do to lighthearted domestic comedy, this volume runs the gamut of what readers love Foster's dashingly-told, masterfully-drawn strip for. This Saturday, May 4, head to your participating local comic shop for a FREE excerpt from this volume in our Prince Valiant: Free Comic Book Day Special Edition comic book! And we'll have more sneak peeks for you right here in the coming weeks. Of course,…