Fantagraphics Blog FantaBlog

If you live near NYC, this is probably the best comics news you'll read all week:   Major Retrospective of Work by Underground Cartoonist Kim Deitch Opens at MoCCA on September 12 • Exhibition dates: September 9 – December 5, 2008• Opening Reception: September 12, 2008, 6 – 9 pm The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) is pleased to announce a major retrospective of work by underground cartoonist and graphic novelist Kim Deitch (b. 1944), opening September 9th and running through December 5th, 2008. Kim Deitch: A Retrospective will display original comics pages and other work covering the artist's entire career to date, beginning with full-page comic strips…

You heard it HERE first, in the second visitor comment for a local NW NewsSource story on Bumbershoot guest appearances outside of Bumbershoot (notably Daniel Clowes's on Friday night):      

Behold a host of images, moving and still, from Daniel Clowes' visit to Seattle this past weekend. First up, the opening of the Ghost World exhibit at the Fantagraphics Bookstore (click here if the slideshow doesn't appear below): Here's a snippet of the Q&A with Gary Groth and Dan at the exhibit opening (video link): And here's the "Comix Sub-Heroes" panel discussion with Dan and Adrian Tomine, moderated by Ivan Brunetti, at the Bumbershoot festival (slideshow link): I'll let the images speak for themselves except to say that everybody and everything was delightful and wonderful. I've said this before, but it bears…

As envisioned by Kurt Wolfgang. (Normally Eric would post this, but he's out chauffeuring Mr. Clowes right now.) 

Here's what people on the web are writing about our books this week: • Futurismic, German site Nerdcore and Canada's SEE Magazine (which wins for best article title and best writer name) take note of Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko by Blake Bell; the latter article sparks debate between Steven Grant and Jarett Kobek • The Onion A.V. Club's latest "Comics Panel" roundup includes a B+ review for Tim Lane's Abandoned Cars; Sequart takes a good look at the book too • Chris Mautner at Blog@Newsarama gets the first word in on The Portable Frank by Jim…

 Does Kirby draws a badass McCain or what, eh?!? 

TONIGHT! SEE Daniel Clowes in a rare in-store appearance! GAZE upon an exhibit of original art from Ghost World! HEAR Dan answer questions from our fearless leader Gary Groth! MEET other special unannounced guests! PURCHASE the very first copies of Ghost World: Special Edition and our special signed limited-edition silkscreen exhibit poster (VERY limited quantities of both – get there EARLY to secure your copies)! GET your Clowes books and paraphenalia signed! CLICK here for more details! It all happens from 6 to 9 PM TONIGHT at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, 1201 S. Vale St., Seattle WA USA. Phone 206-658-0110.

Time for a new installment of Steven Weissman's in-progress pages from "Blue Jay," an epic 32-page story from Chocolate Cheeks, the next collection of the Yikes! gang's adventures. In this week's episode: Elzie Crisler (the world's cutest monster dog) is in deep, deep trouble. (Remember, you must be registered and logged in to read.)

… after all these years of reading Rick Altergott's DOOFUS, I never knew Flowertown was in Wisconsin.