Fantagraphics Blog FantaBlog

I don't think I've taken a trip to New York City in the last ten years without making a stop at Jim Hanley's Universe. I wish I could stop by tomorrow. If you're near one, they could use your patronage. Preferably in the form of Fantagraphics books, but that's up to you…

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "…[T]he [Comics] Journal returns in a new bricklike bookshelf format (seriously, this thing has like 600 pages!), anchored by a massive Robert Crumb interview, and a whole freakin’ lot of really strong criticism. I most especially liked the Cerebus retrospective by Tim Krieder…. Great great great read!" – Brian Hibbs, The Savage Critics • Review: "The artists that create worlds that start with the alphabet — these are the ones who have been getting in my head lately, motivating me to sort through my response to their art and settle my own ideas…

The September 2011 issue of monthly manga magazine Comic Beam contains the landmark 100th serialized chapter of Shimura Takako's Wandering Son, featured (as one might hope) on the cover. We got some catching up to do! She's also revealed the cover to a new 28-page comic which is debuting in Japan in a few days — if any fluent Japanese speakers would like to translate the details at those links and post them in the comments, we'd be most grateful!

Drew Friedman posted a roundup of recent illustration jobs on his blog, some of which we've already shared here but some of which is new, including… …Keef! for Readers Digest… …and Mayor of London Boris Johnson & British PM David Cameron posed as the "British Gothic" couple, for British GQ. Also don't miss the portrait of Drew's uncle.

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. The Complete Peanuts 1981-1982 (Vol. 16) by Charles M. Schulz 344-page black & white 8.5" x 7" hardcover • $28.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-471-9 The Complete Peanuts 1979-1982 Box Set by Charles M. Schulzdesigned by Seth two 344-page black & white 8.5" x 7" hardcovers in a custom slipcase • $49.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-472-6 "The…

Our warehouse manager Nico dug up this video of Will Elder's son-in-law Gary VandenBergh speaking on the phone with Grateful Dead frontman and delicious-ice-cream inspiration Jerry Garcia about Garcia's love for Elder's EC Comics and post-MAD work. It seems a good bet that part of this interview will find its way into VandenBergh's in-progress documentary about Elder.

Lynn Johnston, who already shared her wonderful foreword for the new volume of The Complete Peanuts, shares some additional thoughts on Charles Schulz and his strip in this installment of her video podcast. (Via The Daily Cartoonist.)

Fantagraphics Books and the Ninkasi Brewing Company are proud to present… METALHAUS! For one night only, join Portable Grindhouse editor Jacques Boyreau, along with Darren Aboulafia and Tim Colley, for a "designer mess-up of VHS flotsam, hipster kitsch, and remastered live shows from seminal provocateurs like David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Blondie, Roxy Music, P.I.L., The Clash, and, oh yeah, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Twisted Sister, AC/DC." Oh, and did I mention… there will be a special guest appearance by Killbot, a 9-foot-tall killer robot! Capitol Hill, you are doomed. The Metalhaus reign of TV-trash-terror starts at 10:00 PM on Saturday,…

Ellen Forney & Jim Woodring at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, 03/08 This weekend, the Boise Art Museum unveils a new exhibit that is right down our alley: Comics at the Crossroads: Art of the Graphic Novel. The exhibition spotlights 40 different comic book artists from the Pacific Northwest, including our own Jim Woodring, Ellen Forney, Shannon Wheeler, and Colleen Coover. We're also excited to see Fanta-friends David Lasky and Matthew Southworth included in the line-up! Included in the exhibit will be original artwork, unpublished drawings, book covers, and more! A preview party for Comics at the Crossroads is…

Robert Goodin shows newcomer Malachi Ward how great it is to be in Mome! Mome 22 introduces a slew of first-time contributors, and today, we continue our spotlight on these newcomers with a new favorite of mine, Malachi Ward! Malachi was gracious enough to spend some time signing with us at San Diego Comic-Con, despite the fact that Mome 22 was delayed in customs and didn't make it after all. Quite clearly, he is awesome. Malachi debuted this gorgeous self-published comic at SDCC.  If you turn it over, it has an entirely different cover and different story.  I tried to…