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Join us at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Sunday, December 30 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM as we welcome Brooklyn cartoonist Nathan Bulmer back to his native Seattle. He’ll be signing copies of his new Eat More Bikes collection from Koyama Press, and other self-published comix. Enjoy live music from Zachary David Jammin’, imbibe in complimentary seasonal refreshments, view the colorful 30 Years of Love and Rockets exhibition, and take advantage of deals all over Georgetown from the Only in Seattle Sundays discount program sponsored by the Office of Economic Development. Fantagraphics Bookstore is located at 1201 S. Vale Street…

While trampsing around the suburbs and backwaters of Texas, I happened to find the majestic Webb Gallery in Waxahachie for there lay a treasure trove of Esther Pearl Watson paintings. With fading painted trim in still vibrant oranges and teals matched with iron statues and odd toys from people long since dead, it reminds you of an open range and that mix of culture which is a side-step from Southwestern. Watson's paintings, unlike her Unlovable comics Fantagraphis printed, are deeply personal and autographical. As the daughter of the local color, Watson watched her father build several large-scale UFOs. Out on…

The 30th anniversary Love and Rockets celebration continues with this third of three volumes. Perla La Loca collects the adventures of the spunky Maggie; her annoying, pixie-ish best friend and sometime lover Hopey; and their circle of friends. As usual, Jaime Hernandez spotlights a wide range of headstrong female characters found in previous volumes Maggie the Mechanic and The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. Perla begins with the "Wigwam Bam" story, arguably Jaime Hernandez's definitive statement on the post-punk culture (what a good song too!). As Maggie, Hopey, and the rest of the Locas prowl Los Angeles, the East Coast, and parts…

Coming in late February/early March, Messages in a Bottle collects the best work by Bernard Krigstein, a singular draftsman and one of the most graphically sophisticated comics illustrators of all time, whose too-brief career in the 1940s and '50s included work for EC and Atlas Comics. For those who have been awaiting a new edition of our long-out-of-print B. Krigstein: Comics, this book contains every story from that volume plus several more. It is our great privilege to have had a number of these stories specially recolored by the great Marie Severin; the remainder have been painstakingly restored from the original comic books by…

This month's issue of Booklist reviewed three recent releases by Fantagraphics creators, excerpted below:  Heads or Tails by Lilli Carré (Starred Review) "As a graphic artist, Carré carries forward the design tradition that stems from the gossamer surrealism of Cocteau; as a verbal artist, she may be the most successful prose poet going. . . Her Wanda Gág–meets–Gene Deitch drawing style and new-weirdness literary bent make her work acutely interesting to both read and scrutinize." —Ray Olson Blacklung by Chris Wright (Starred Review) "Wright shows he’s got a deep arsenal of storytelling weapons at his command. Unsettling, upsetting, and strangely…

As the final embers of the Yule log die down, that wad of Christmas cash is starting to feel mighty warm in your pocket, isn't it? We're here to help you avoid unsightly burn holes in your pants and get what you really wanted for Christmas by offering 20% OFF everything on our website (including our already-discounted clearance items and gift sets) Wednesday, December 26 through Saturday, December 29, 2012! Just use the coupon code FANTACLAUS when you check out and you'll receive 20% off everything in your order. (If you prefer to shop by phone, just mention this offer…

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery curator Larry Reid joined Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn last Friday at the ribbon cutting ceremony marking the re-opening of the Airport Way Bridge at the north entrance to the Georgetown business district. While Reid had imagined wielding scissors on a Claes Oldenburg scale, the more modest pair did the job. So patrons again have an unobstructed route to the store. Following the snipping exercise, the Mayor dropped by the bookstore for some Christmas shopping. (To avoid tipping off the gift recipients, we won’t disclose his purchases – but he displayed excellent taste in comix.) Store is…

Huzzah! The Complete Syndicated Pogo Vol. 2: "Bonafide Balderdash" by Walt Kelly has hit the NY Times "Graphic Novels Best Sellers list" (hardcover). George Gene Gustines highlighted Pogo and its many qualities and quirks about this funny strip set in Okefenokee Swamp. The rest of the list is here but you'll notice no other funny animals!

As with every year we've been diligently compiling our books' appearances on end-of-year lists and for your browsing and shopping reference we have created a handy page of 2012 Critics' Picks, listing books that are being chosen by critics, fellow artists, readers and other comics professionals as the Best of 2012. (See also the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 lists — these lists can also be found under "Award Winners" in our "Browse Shop" navigation tab.) This page will continue expanding as the year winds down and into the new year and more lists are announced. If you're a critic,…

Ever since her performance at our Love and Rockets Anniversary Party, we've just been entranced by artist and musician Geneviève Castrée! And for a limited time only, we have some of her comics and music for sale at the store, including this particularly exquisite album, recorded under the alias Woelv for K Records in 2007. Not only does this record feature Geneviève's beautifully haunting music, but it also comes with a 60-page book of her lovely illustrations that exists to better understand the stories that are melodically expressed in her songs. This entire record is sung in the French language,…