Sketchbook #22

Courtesy David Collier. This one requires a bit of explanation, it refers to a somewhat notorious comix house, referred to as "the Green House" (a.k.a. "Rathutch" and "Crabbpot") occupied at one point or another by folks including myself, Jeremy Eaton, J.R. Williams, Pat Moriarity, Al Columbia, and others. At one point, rumor had it that the house was going to be razed, and I told this to Dave Collier just as I was asking him to draw in my book. Dave had stayed at the house several times (it was a major crashpad) and was fond of it. The house never…

Fox Hollow: Comics Rock.

One of many bands with ties to Fantagraphics, Fox Hollow features Eric Reynolds (the third arm to Gary and Kim) and his wife, Rhea (who used to do a lot around here but now does other things), Adam Grano (Art Director of TCJ, etc.), Kaela Graham, and Kevin Schlosser (both of whom have always had better things to do than work here). Fox Hollow just put their slick demo online. Check it out, totally free and exciting. Foxy Trivia: Let's Go! is no love song. "I know you're a busy man but I need your attention" is the subject line…

Larry Reid’s Weirdos

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery’s resident curator Larry Reid presented a very engaging and informative slide lecture on the topic “WEIRDOS: Seattle’s Alternative Comics Culture in the Context of R. Crumb’s Underground” at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle last night. Stay tuned — we'll be adapting Larry's presentation into an online feature here on the website in the near future.

Chocolate Cheeks for 4/18/08

It's time for your weekly installment of Steven Weissman's "Chocolate Cheeks"! In this week's strip: Spence, smacked, with a shiner and smashed specs! (Remember, you must be registered and logged in to read.)

Comic Book Confidential!

I attended David Hajdu's excellent event at Town Hall last night, which featured (or so I gathered) a significantly different lecture from those given on the rest of his book tour. The lecture was to promote The 10 Cent Plague, Hajdu's excellent history of the crackdown on horror and crime comics of the 1950s, which promoted the Kefauver Senate Subcommittee hearings on juvenile deliquency and led to the formation of the Comics Code Authority. This event was put on by Nextbook, a non-profit organization that serves as a locus for Jewish literature, culture, and ideas; as such, Hajdu tailored his…

Ray Fenwick’s HOBK special edition

Tiny Showcase has just announced a special, signed edition of Ray Fenwick's amazing Hall of Best Knowledge. Every single copy of Ray Fenwick's Hall of Best Knowledge preordered through Tiny Showcase will be signed by Ray. Each copy of the book comes packaged with a set of 10 bookplates, designed by Ray, for a low price of $26. The 3" by 4" bookplates are gum-backed, ready to apply to your most prized novels, textbooks, zines, and survival guides. The 10 bookplates come packaged in a foil-stamped library due date pocket. This is a very special signed preorder, so we should tell you that yes, the quantities are…

Francoise Mouly & Jonathan Bennett

I enjoyed this candid interview with the legendary Francoise Mouly about her new Toon Books line for little kiddies (and which are beautifully designed by MOME's Jonathan Bennett, which is why Jonathan has missed the last few issues). I particularly enjoyed this part: MOULY: "'If you really want to work for us,' says the head of Scholastic, 'You could help us do the comic book version of Shrek 2.'" (laughs) Q: And of course you jumped at that. A: You have Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly in your office and they're begging to be in your employ so of course you find them the perfect thing. The…