Charles Burns returns to Seattle this fall with an art exhibition and book signing at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. Tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 30. Trick and treat this Halloween! We’ll keep you all posted.
Weekend Webcomics: 4/25/10
It's official: I'm moving the weekly webcomics updates to the weekend, for severalfold reasons, not insignificant among which is that now I can call it Weekend Webcomics, because I like alliteration (though I suppose nothing was keeping me from calling it Weekly Webcomics previously, but anyway). More witchery in this week's The House of No by Derek Van Gieson… …whoa, this week's Blecky Yuckerella strip by Johnny Ryan totally ties in to last week's Steven Weissman strip (archived here)…. …and double whoa with this week's Barack Hussein Obama by Steven Weissman.
Giant Robot hosts Fantagraphics artists at LA Times Festival of Books this weekend!
Giant Robot will be hosting signings by John Pham, Steven Weissman, Esther Pearl Watson, and other art/illustration luminaries at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books this Saturday and Sunday! See above for the schedule; here's the Facebook invitation with more info.
Things to see: 4/23/10
Daily clips & strips — click for improved/additional viewing at the sources: • T. Edward Bak presents a new epilogue to his acclaimed comic Service Industry • Jordan Crane posts a new installment of "Chapter Two – Unraveling" at What Things Do • The new Jim Flora fine art print, Ferris Wheel Fireworks, is now up for pre-order • See and buy all 100+ pieces of Johnny Ryan, Matt Furie & Le Merde art from GRSF's The Boys are Back in Town exhibit — I think there's some new characters from Prison Pit Book 2 in there • On a…
Daily OCD: 4/23/10
Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "If you’re looking for a light-hearted pick-me-up, King of the Flies Vol. 1: Hallorave is not it. If, however, you’re looking for a darkly compelling, twisted, beautifully illustrated account of the broken souls and self-absorbed nihilism, Pirus and Mezzo’s album is about as good as you’ll find in the comics field. It’s a stunning piece of fiction, beautifully crafted in its prose, pacing, artistry and crushing understanding of humanity’s ugliness." – Michael C. Lorah, Newsarama • Review: "…[Like a Dog] manages to capture the angst and anomie of a then-confused twentysomething who also just…
Adele tops French BO, Variety Mixed But Encouraging
Luc Besson's The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, adapting the earlier volumes of Jacques Tardi's graphic novel series, opened last week at a solid #1 at the office in France (handily beating the only other major opening, the Matt Damon Iraq flick Green Zone), to generally positive reviews. There was general praise for the lead performance by Louise Bourgoin (although some reviewers familiar with the original comics lamented the "sweetening" of Tardi's cranky original), the special effects, and the fun-ride aspect of the movie, less enthusiasm for some of the broader farcical aspects, and a general consensus that the Paris-based…
Things to see: 4/22/10
Daily clips & strips — click for improved/additional viewing at the sources: • This week's "I, Anonymous" spot by Steven Weissman • This week's Maakies by Tony Millionaire • This week's Belligerent Piano by Tim Lane • That version of a Jesse Marsh Tarzan cover by our own Eric Reynolds that I believe we've featured here previously has finally shown up on the Covered blog • Derek Van Gieson claims to be "toning it down" as "Tales from Abstraction House" proceeds — lies
Daily OCD: 4/22/10
Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "…[The Search for Smilin' Ed] closely resembles a bad acid trip I had several years back while watching Howdy Doody, old Fleischer cartoons and listening to Art Bell on Coast to Coast AM…, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. But it comes together in a grand and epic fashion, telling a tale that showcases a vintage psychedelic style in terms of both narrative and art. … The story is alternately hilarious and mildly disturbing in a Philip K. Dick sort of way. … It’s a hilariously disturbed delight for the…
MoCCA & CCS recap
As so often happens with good intentions, I realize I'm quickly running out of steam when it comes to doing a big blog post about my week on the east coast for the MoCCA Festival and a trip to the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, VT. I came back with more minis and other comics than I have from any trip in years, so the idea of highlighting the highlights has proven to be too daunting. One thing that strikes me after attending MoCCA, and being given so many decent submissions, and see much of the work on display, is…
The Kim Deitch Universe from The Search for Smilin’ Ed
One of the highlights of The Search for Smilin' Ed (aside from the story and artwork, of course) is the full-color two-way foldout illustration of the Kim Deitch Universe, with an annotated guide in the back of the book. We thought it might be nice to give people an advance opportunity to explore this amazing illustration and familiarize themselves with Deitch's mind-bogglingly rich and complex world. Click the images above to open big honking JPGs in a new browser window (they're large files, so please be patient while they download). Here's what the foldout looks like in person:
