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  I first crossed paths with Charles Burns in the mid-70s, when we both attended a small college in rural Washington State. I later learned that Burns wasn't entirely comfortable in an art school attended by eccentric Charles Manson enthusiasts and Symbionese Liberation Army sympathizers. By contrast, I had finally found my people. Burns soon departed for the greener pastures of The Evergreen State College, where he joined talented young artists Lynda Barry and Matt Groening.     Upon graduating in 1978, I opened the experimental Rosco Louie gallery in the tony Pioneer Square section of Seattle. I was privileged to give both…

A year following their collaboration on the critically acclaimed biography 7 Miles A Second, Marguerite Van Cook and James Romberger are back with The Late Child and Other Animals. This autobiographical work follows the story of Van Cook's mother, Hetty, through World War II, the loss of her husband, the adoption of her first daughter, and then the birth of Marguerite as a bastard child. We are so pleased to unveil the final cover design for this personal, coming-of-age memoir. Keep your eyes peeled for more upcoming previews, and we've got the book ready for pre-order here.

Praise for It Was the War of the Trenches "'The war to end all wars' has become a magisterial comic book to end all comic books. I seldom give blurbs, but this book is an essential classic. Among all of Jacques Tardi's towering achievements as a comics artist, nothing looms larger than this devastating crater of a work. It’s a compulsively readable wail of Existential despair, a kaleidoscope of war’s dehumanizing brutality and of Everyman’s suffering, as well as a deadpan masterpiece of the darkest black humor. The richly composed and obsessively researched drawings — perfectly poised between cartoon and…

Drew Weing's graphic novel debut Set to Sea, which follows the adventures of a poet who ends up seabound aboard a pirate ship, is a mere month away from its upcoming paperback release. We've got a 12-page, 1.1 MB excerpt you can download and read while you wait. Want to pre-order your copy now? Step right this way!

As we prepare for the release of our newest Carl Barks book, The Seven Cities of Gold, we're excited to also have the boxset of volumes 7 and 8, Lost in the Andes and Trail of the Unicorn, coming out in October as well. Here is the advance copy we've received to ogle: a beautiful slipcase cover holding two books full of duck adventures is the perfect way to cheer up a grey, drizzly Seattle day. Excerpts for each book are available at their respective listing pages, and we'll have an unboxing video preview to whet your appetite for this…

Have you heard? Art Spiegelman is coming to Seattle, and he's bringing an entourage! Along with musical accompaniment by jazz composer Phillip Johnston and his sextet, Spiegelman will be presenting his new work, "Shaping Thought!" as well as images and stories that have influenced him, at the Moore Theatre on Sunday, October 12th as part of his WORDLESS! tour. This is not a show you'll want to miss. To that end, Fantagraphics has partnered with The Seattle Theatre Group to give away two tickets to one lucky fan. Here's how to enter: It's simple. Take a picture of yourself—or your…

Saturday, September 27 We've been using the Latin alphabet since roughly 700 B.C., but as a language, and an art form, it's continuously evolving. Niko Vassilakis has been astutly aware of it's possibilies as an aural, oral, and ocular medium, and seeks to combine all those senses familiar with words and the alphabet into a visual display of poetry. Vassilakis compiled and edited the book The Last Visual Anthology: Visual Poetry 1998-2008 (or, Vispo), and is continuing his work with a new show titled, ALPHABETO DIGITALES, opening on September 27 with a reception! Join us at 100% Cafe in the Bronx from 6-8 pm, where…

EC Comics fans, rest easy! Here is the cover art for the next book in our highly regarded EC Comics Library series, Aces High. In this eleventh volume, we highlight cartoonist George Evans and his spectacular aviation-themed artwork, along with plenty of his crime and horror stories, written by himself, Harvey Kurtzman, Al Feldstein, et al. More previews of Evans' high flying tales of derring-do to come, but you can go ahead and pre-order your copy now.

In a Glass Grotesquely by Richard Sala 136-page color 7" x 7" softcover • $19.99 ISBN: 978-1-60699-797-0 Ships in: November 2014 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now A suite of related short mysteries and thrills, all depicted in Sala's trademark colorful watercolor washes and sharp, detailed line-work. Rising from the crumbling pages of some forgotten (and nonexistent) pulp magazine comes the diabolical villain Super-Enigmatix. Following in the bloody footsteps of master criminals such as Fantomas, Fu Manchu, or Professor Moriarty, Super-Enigmatix is ruthless, cunning, and thoroughly evil. His only goal is to spread fear and cause chaos — but does…

This week's bone-crunchingly, lip-smackingly tasty platter of Online Commentaries and Diversions: Review: Heroes of the Comics: Portraits of the Legends of Comic Books by Drew Friedman "Shirt-sleeves rolled up, bent over drawing boards, puffing on cigarettes, the heroes of the remarkable artist Drew Friedman’s new book aren’t super ones, they’re the (mostly) guys who created Batman, Spider-Man, Plastic Man, and many others." – Ken Tucker, Playboy Interview: Gil Roth interviews Drew Friedman and Sara Lippmann in his podcast.   Review: Hip Hop Family Tree Vol. 2: 1981-1983 by Ed Piskor "Every name comes with a face attached, and Piskor’s nimble,…