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JOHNNY RYAN'S ANGRY YOUTH AT FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKSTORE & GALLERY ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 September 30, 2009 – SEATTLE, WA. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery loudly presents transgressive cartoonist Johnny Ryan on Saturday, October 10 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Ryan will sign books and present an exhibition of his original comix, colorful silkscreen prints, and sculpted figures. This event marks the launch of Ryan's original graphic novel Prison Pit combining his love for WWE wrestling, Gary Panter's "Jimbo" comics, and Kentaro Miura's "Berserk" Manga into a brutal showcase of violence, survival and revenge. The prolific Los Angeles-based cartoonist is best known…

Cripes, September is over already? Here's your Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "The Red Monkey Double Happiness Book makes for pleasant midday reading, maybe perched somewhere outdoors in the sun with a glass of ginger ale at your side. Read it in a lazy mood, identify with the slacker characters, and speculate on whether you could solve demented mysteries as well as they could. (Answer: probably not.)" – Molly Young, We Love You So • Interview: Making his second appearance on the Inkstuds radio programme, Mr. Tony Millionaire • Plug: "Man, if that Crumb book weren't coming out [Prison…

This is "Twelve Stories," Ray Fenwick's new letterpress print for Tiny Showcase. Super nice.

Be like Jerry and get yourself a copy of Drew Friedman's latest limited-edition fine art print reproducing his 2004 strip "HEY OSCAR!" illustrating reasons why Jerry deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award! Order here (make it a pair with Dino), and get some background and must-read anecdotes on Drew's blog.

Wednesday, Sept. 30, 7PM Mysterious Galaxy Books7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
Suite #302
San Diego, CA 92111
Tel: 858.268.4747


If you've got pictures of Fantagraphics at SPX, let us know! Here's a few that we've found on our own or have been sent to us. Con reports abound on the web: Rob Clough has a good one to start with, and Sean T. Collins has audio from the Critics Roundtable panel featuring our own Gary Groth. Let's lead off with a video of Gahan Wilson at the Ignatz Awards, courtesy of Tom Neely: Gahan Wilson & Gary Groth by Flickr user mgrhode1 Carol Tyler by Flickr user mgrhode1 From Rafer Roberts, the Gahan Wilson/Carol Tyler panel Another view, from…

Here comes your Online Commentary & Diversions for today: • Interview: We Love You So, the blog of Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are movie, talks to newly-minted Ignatz winner Jordan Crane, saying "Presenting melancholy tales of workaday worries and broken relationships right alongside whimsical, child-friendly fare, Uptight provides a fascinating peek inside Crane’s constantly shifting thoughts, and never fails to entertain." From Jordan: "When I’m writing something I usually have a particular person in mind that I’m writing it for. Not a general thing like 'I’m writing for someone between the ages of 25 and 50' but rather…

Scheduled to arrive in comics shops across the country this week (though by some reports I think some shops may have received it last week): Johnny Ryan's Prison Pit Book 1! Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter says "This is an awesome book, and you need to own it eventually so why not buy it today?" Indeed! But first, why not check out the previews & reviews here and contact your local shop to make sure they get it?

The publisher of Jacques Tardi's most recent World War I book, the two-part PUTAIN DE GUERRE (my best translation: FUCKING WAR!), has released this nifty trailer on YouTube. It's all in French but there's lots of cool Tardi images between the vintage photos.     PUTAIN DE GUERRE Volume II will be released in November in France. There are no plans just yet to release a U.S. edition (there are several other Tardi books we want to work our way through, including IT WAS THE WAR OF THE TRENCHES this coming Spring), which is good because it will give me…

Mome Vol. 16 – Fall 2009 By various artists; edited by Gary Groth & Eric Reynolds This issue features several of our favorite alternative comic artists of the last 15 years, bringing us great joy. Archer Prewitt is the first, with an all-new “Funny Bunny” strip created in between his active musical career. “The Moolah Tree” is the new Fuzz & Pluck graphic novel from Ted Stearn, following Fuzz & Pluck and Fuzz & Pluck: Splitsville, beginning serialization here. We are equally proud to debut new work from Renée French, whose work is also featured on the front and back…