Jenny Ryan embroidered this awesome cover for Nickelodeon Mag's "Comic Book" section this month, based on a drawing by her husband, Johnny Ryan. Very cool. From Jenny's Flickr page.
Fanta-ween
Jimb-o-lantern by Eric Reynolds: Cyril Root (from Richard Sala's The Chuckling Whatsit) by Rhea Patton: J.R. Williams' entry in my Yoda sketchbook says it all: Don't forget to send us your photos! Email them to mbaehr at fantagraphics blot blob or add them to our groups on Flickr or Facebook.
Groth dropped
This is almost certainly the most random Gary Groth name-drop of the day.
November 2007 is Classic Comics Month
{mosimage} We are truly living in a Golden Age of classic comics strip collections, and as such we’re collaborating with CHECKER PUBLISHING (Flash Gordon, Little Nemo, Steve Canyon), DRAWN AND QUARTERLY (Moomin, Oh Skin-nay!, Walt and Skeezix), and IDW (Dick Tracy, Terry and the Pirates) to produce a cool, oversized promotional sampler that will be available in participating comic shops throughout November 2007 (while supplies last). This full-color 11" x 17" tabloid is a spectacular showcase of some of the finest comics art of the last century and a collector’s item in the making! Designed like an old-time classic newspaper…
New Release: Palestine: The Special Edition
Palestine: The Special Editionby Joe Sacco Fantagraphics Books is pleased to present, for the first time, the definitive, expanded, hardcover collection of Sacco's landmark of comics journalism. Palestine: The Special Edition is more than a new edition: consider it the "Criterion" Palestine. In addition to the original, 288-page graphic novel and introduction by the late Edward Said, The Special Edition includes a host of unique material never before published, including many of Sacco's original background notes, sketches, photographic reference, and much more. The book also includes a new, introductory interview with Sacco about the making of the book as well…
Anders Nilsen’s moleskin
Check out these online excerpts from Anders Nilsen's sketchbook comics. There's also more here.
30 Seconds of Spooky
In the service of Halloween (and brevity), Neil Gaiman and several other "personalities" read a tale of terror on the Public Radio this past Saturday. Spooky!
* Giggle
Since I designed the Fantagraphics "Complete Dennis" books, Devlin Thompson sent me the following image thinking I'd be amused. He was right: I really am. There are so many things I mean to be posting and have no time for that this makes me feel guilty… but haw-haw guilty.
Mister Wonderful, Part 7
In Chapter 7 of Mister Wonderful, the action moves out of the cafe while Marshall just tries to hold on for dear life. I hope everyone is reading this strip, it's really been great. It's a slightly different strip for Clowes, and seems perfect for its NYT audience. The main character, Marshall, is already shaping into one of Clowes' most fully realized and endearing characters after a brief seven pages, and the subtle formal play between Marshall's interior monologue, the visual "action" (this week's simple "HA-HA"s hit like brick), and dialogue has been masterful and shows Clowes at the peak…
The Power of Peanuts
Forbes' annual top-earning deceased celebrities list is out, and once again, Charles M. Schulz is near the top of the list, coming in at #3, behind #1 Elvis Presley and sandwiched between two Beatles (after John, ahead of George). I don't know why this thrills me every year, but it does. I mean, the Beatles and Elvis? Sure. But a shy cartoonist from Minnesota? The mind reels. Schulz really was the Beatles of comics. There is one conspicuously absent name not on this list: are we to infer that the Beatles aren't the only celebs more popular than Jesus? (Just…
