Fantagraphics Blog FantaBlog

The Comics Journal #290 Edited by Mike Dean and Kristy Valenti; Gary Groth, executive editor Hard truth, subjective take or slanted hatchet job? Monte Schulz and a roundtable of Peanuts experts and critics probe and debate David Michaelis's controversial new biography of one of the most influential and beloved cartoonists of our time: Charles M. Schulz. Matt Madden, co-series-editor of the Best American Comics anthology series, will dish about his upcoming comics textbook (written and drawn with Jessica Abel, his frequent collaborator) and his efforts to translate the OuBaPo movement into English with 99 Exercises in Style. A preview of…

For over a year Bob Staake has been working with London animation studio Wyld Stallyons to produce an animated version of his book Struwwelpeter (part of our Blab! Storybook series). The second animation test is now online for the world to see and dang if it doesn't look great — Staake's work is beautifully suited to modern animation techniques. (There's also a downloadable Quicktime version. And don't forget to visit Bob's official site for the book.)

Courtesy my ol' pal J.R. Williams: 

Courtesy Jason Lutes: 

Your must-read of the day: Jim Woodring calls it the single best piece of writing about Frank that he's ever read. What more need you know?  Oh, and check out this prototype for Jim's next Presspop vinyl masterpiece, Kaiju:

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at Emerald City Comicon this past weekend and our official afterparty/Jordan Crane exhibit opening on Saturday! We've got a bunch of photos, of which the two below are just the tip of the iceberg; click here for the whole set on Flickr. Eric Reynolds and Kristy Valenti on Con duty: Jordan Crane signs comics:

Left to right: Shannon Anderson of Georgetown Tile Works, Georgetown Merchants' association chair Kathy Nyland, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery curator Larry Reid accept a big check from City of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to support the fabulous monthly Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack.