Fantagraphics Blog FantaBlog

Saturday's Artopia extravaganza was the most festive yet. Thousands of adventurous art patrons strolled through Georgetown taking in everything from Megan's Kelso's Artichoke Tales exhibition to the vintage Georgetown Trailer Park Mall, complete with the mobile Elvis museum and wedding chapel. Circus acts, sideshow routines, carnival games, marching bands, and plenty of food and drink kept everyone wildly entertained. Fantagraphics Bookstore's entry in the Power Tool Races — a chainsaw-powered 1991 Daniel Clowes-designed Santa Cruz skateboard — won the trophy for… well, some absurd category. Comedian and film director Bobcat Goldthwait dropped by the store after the races to admire…

We have four new issues of Ignatz Series series coming soon, available individually or get all 4 for the price of 3 in our Ignatz Summer 2010 Super-Pack! One of them comes with a special exclusive bonus, and to help you catch up on the stories, all back issues of these 4 series are 20% off for a limited time! Read on for details. Grotesque #4 by Sergio Ponchione 32-page duotone 8.5" x 11" saddle-stitched softcover with jacket • $7.95(part of the Ignatz Series)ISBN: 978-1-60699-419-1 Ships in: July 2010 — Pre-Order Now In the concluding chapter of Sergio Ponchione’s dreamworld…

On his blog, Drew Weing has posted 103 pages (so far) of his forthcoming graphic novel Set to Sea, so head on over there for a huge sampling of the book and tune in every other day or so for a new page. (Of course, we hope you'll also read the story in book form!) Drew is also a thoughtful commentator whose posts are always worth reading.

Periodic clips & strips — click for improved/additional viewing at the sources: • Dash Shaw identifies this only as "scrap" • Mark Kalesniko presents the original art for the cover of Mail Order Bride • A short autobio strip from poor Noah Van Sciver • From Renee French: beetle, trap, trap • Page 30 of Hans Rickheit's Ectopiary; also, this is NSFW • Why not go look at some Drew Friedman classics over at Golden Age Comic Book Stories? • Get a daily dose of Dan Clowes at Fuck Yeah Daniel Clowes • Anders Nilsen presents some things to consider…

Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "…[T]he first volume of Mezzo and Pirus’s stunning King of the Flies [was] published earlier this year by Fantagraphics. … Over just 64 pages, the team known as Mezzo and Pirus tell an impressively complex collection of ten interlinked short stories. …Mezzo and Pirus are remarkably skillful, and create a deep and believable world. It’s meant as a compliment to say that by the end of this book, it feels as if twice as many pages have passed. … With its bold style and thick lines, dark hues with splashes of garish colour, Pascal…

Get yer limited-edition Maakies Drinky Crow poster signed by Tony Millionaire from I Love Waterloo!

io9 has a sneak peek at our forthcoming book Catalog No. 439: Burlesque Paraphernalia and Side Degree Specialties and Costumes, described as "a mail-order tome of electrical cages, creepy costumes, and other casual torture devices. DeMoulin [Bros.] marketed these gadgets to men's social clubs, who were all too happy to subject new recruits to shocking see-saws and detonating flower pots."

Congratulations to T. Edward Bak for reaching his Kickstarter fundraising goal for his research trip to Alaska for his ongoing Mome serial and graphic novel in progress Wild Man. You can still donate through the end of the month and get yourself nifty pledge gifts like prints and original art, and maybe enable TEB to get some extra-nice expedition gear or something.

Jason brings our attention to another example of his work inspiring other media: a 2005 stage show titled Psst! by Minneapolis dance and theatre company Off-Leash Area. Excerpts can be seen here (and above), and another clip can be seen here.

Dusty Wright of his eponymous Show talks to Jim Woodring against a backdrop of original Weathercraft art at Scott Eder Gallery during Jim's recent trip to NYC.