Fantagraphics Blog

It's with sadness and a certain measure of pride that we commemorate the tragic loss of Kurt Cobain 20 years ago. Sadness in that many of our staff had the honor of associating with this brilliant artist; pride in knowing that his work impacted popular culture on a global scale. Nirvana's accomplishments will be recognized on April 10 with their formal induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Those of us that were here will never forget the time Fantagraphics staff was invited backstage for their triumphant return in front of fifteen thousand fans at the Seattle Coliseum…

OH NO, you did not just get invited to the Unlovable Volume 3 Launch Party, we were just SHOWING you that there is one. Kim said that she and Erick were gonna like, crash it, but we just got these swede pants from the thrift store and new earrings from the Collin Creek Mall—OH FINE, EVERYONE IS INVITED! Skylight Books in Los Angeles is proud to announce they are hosting the Unlovable Volume 3 Launch Party with cartoonist Esther Pearl Watson on Sunday, May 4th. Summer vacation is here and Tammy Pierce is back with more sometimes ordinary, often humiliating,…

Gosh! The second volume of our acclaimed series collecting Crockett Johnson's beloved strip Barnaby is fluttering its way here on pink Fairy Godfather wings, with two years of strips from 1944-1945, insightful bonus essays, and a handsome hardcover package designed by Daniel Clowes.  Our downloadable excerpt has all the strips from January, 1944, plus the Table of Contents and a bit of incidental stuff. When Barnaby's dad installs a gym in the basement, Mr. O'Malley starts training Gus the Ghost to take on Launcelot McSnoyd the leprechaun in a pugilistic contest, and when Gus, out jogging, stumbles into a flooded brook, plans for the…

The Amateursby Conor Stechschulte 64-page black & white 6" x 9" softcover • $14.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-734-5 Ships in: May 2014 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now A local medical expert and sheriff are summoned to investigate a strange sighting that sets the stage for Conor Stechschulte's debut graphic novella: a severed human head that still seems to be talking. We flash back to a pair of butchers who arrive at work one morning to find not only that there is no meat in their shop but also that they have forgotten completely how to do their job. As customers arrive, they…

Intruder Alert! Talented Emerging Seattle Cartoonists Featured at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on April 12. The Pacific Northwest enjoys a long tradition as a breeding ground for innovative illustrators and cartoonists. At no time has this been more evident than now. The Intruder comix collective is at the forefront of this new movement. On Saturday, April 12, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery celebrates the publication of the 10th issue of the Intruder anthology with a lively party including an art exhibition, music performance, and book signing. The Intruder is a free quarterly tabloid featuring an eclectic group of contributors from the…

"Symphonic, tragic, revelatory, exciting and devastating as only great art can be, The Love Bunglers is one of the best comics ever made." – The Austin-American Statesman "The kind of rich, intricate stories — packed with sharp observations about human desire and self-justification — that only an author with 30 years of experience with these characters could write. [Grade] A" – The A.V. Club "Even in a long career of masterpieces, Jaime's story about missed opportunities for happiness is a revelation." – Publishers Weekly "It goes without saying that The Love Bunglers completely knocked me out… Concise, moving, and incredibly…

Los Angeles! Celebrate the release of The Blighted Eye: Original Comic Art from the Glenn Bray Collection with a special book release party on Friday, April 25th. Collector extraordinaire Glenn Bray will be joined by special guests, Todd Hignite and Robert Williams, who each supplied a foreword to this exceptional book! The Blighted Eye is a mind-boggling collection of original comic art, amassed over the last nearly 50 years — Charles Addams, Carl Barks, Charles Burns, Al Capp, Dan Clowes, Jack Cole, R. Crumb, Jack Davis, Kim Deitch, Will Elder, Al Feldstein, Virgil Finlay, Drew Friedman, Chester Gould, Justin Green,…

This week's comic shop shipment is slated to include the following new title. Read on to see what comics-blog commentators and web-savvy comic shops are saying about them (more to be added as they appear), check out our previews at the links, and contact your local shop to confirm availability. Batter Up, Charlie Brown! by Charles M. Schulz 64-page black & white (with spot color) 5.75" x 5.75" hardcover • $9.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-725-3 "If baseball had a fictional Hall of Fame for philosophical managers, an entire wing could be devoted to Charlie Brown who invests new meaning in that old line…

Our main man Tony Millionaire is signing the night before CAKE in Chicago! Join him at Graham Crackers Comics Loop location on 77 E. Madison for imbibing and scribblin' in his new book Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey Treasury. From 5-7pm, he is yours to pester with great questions and post for pictures. The precocious sock monkey Uncle Gabby and his innocent pal Mr. Crow are the heroes of this endearing new and all-ages collection. Follow them as they try to find a home for a shrunken head, play matchmakers between the bat in the doll's house and the mouse in…