Fantagraphics Blog

“Flora was one of those rare beasts: a killer illustrator/designer who could trigger powerful brain-invasive joy with thought-provoking art and unexpected design.” — Gary Panter “There was one Flora cover in the record cabinet when I was growing up, and I was almost afraid to play it — maybe because the art came from a mad party in the Twilight Zone, or because nothing in the grooves could possibly have the energy and crazy glee of the cover. These manic little masterpieces belong framed on the wall in the Flora wing of a modern art museum.” — James Lileks “Jim Flora is the…

The High Fidelity Art of Jim Flora edited by Irwin Chusid & Barbara Economon 180-page full-color 11" x 10" softcover • $34.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-655-3 Ships in: August 2013 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now Since the 2004 publication of The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora, the once-forgotten illustrator has gained recognition as one of the foremost pioneers of a raucous, cartoonish style of commercial art that defines the Mid-Century aesthetic. Two follow-up volumes, The Curiously Sinister Art… (2007) and The Sweetly Diabolic Art… (2009), captured Flora's largely unseen fine art works, spotlighting a variety of themes such as architecture, cats and dogs,…

Here's your first sneak peek at a printed copy of the new annual issue of Love and Rockets: New Stories! 50 pages of new Gilbert! 50 pages of new Jaime! What else do you need to know?? "When can I see more?" Okay, read a 10-page excerpt here, and be on the lookout for more previews. "When can I get it?" Pre-order your copy at the same place and be among the first to read it in late September or so; pick up a copy and get it signed by Jaime at Autoptic in Minneapolis; or wait until October when it's in stores — the…

  That's right, just BEST. Okay, okay, the alt-weekly newspaper actually sang our praises as the Best Local Publisher. Brian Miller mentions some of our heavy-hitter cartoonists and that "Among an important sector of literate Americans who favor comics and graphic novels, the name [Fantagraphics] is as recognizable as Boeing or Starbucks. Which is not to say it's ever gone corporate, or ever will." illustration by Joshua Boulet from Seattle Weekly 

"Anyone with a love for fantasy art can only marvel at [Foster's] ability to capture both the gritty down-to-earth feeling of the times as well as those sweeping moments that kindle our sense of wonder…. These books are wonderful — rich and comprehensive…" – Charles de Lint, Fantasy & Science Fiction “A witch named Horrit once prophesied that Val would never know contentment, but fans of the strip will find it here.” – Vanity Fair “Prince Valiant opens up a world that I wanted to stay in — a wide-eyed early 20th century approach to fantasy with a now-vanished sincerity…

The 2013 Harvey Award Nominations list more than a few Fantagraphics' titles! Here's a peak at their covers and click on any to find out more information if for some reason they aren't already on your bookshelves! Final ballots are due to the Harvey Awards by Monday, August 19, 2013. Full submission instructions can be found on the final ballot. Voting is open to anyone professionally involved in a creative capacity within the comics field. Final ballots are available at www.harveyawards.org. Those who prefer paper ballots may e-mail harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com.   Jaime Hernandez is up for BEST CARTOONIST for his work in Love and Rockets:…

Recently arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department:  BARGAIN COMBO: Eye of the Majestic Creature Vol. 1 + 2 Gift Set Price: $38.98 $31.18 Eye of the Majestic Creature Vol. 2 by Leslie Stein 144- page black & white 8" x 11.5" softcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-672-0 See Previews / Order Now Eye of the Majestic Creature Vol. 2 is the second book collecting Leslie Stein's loose, funny and charming autobiographical narratives that combine idiosyncratic fantasy and stark reality. Larrybear, our hero, has moved from the countryside to the city, where she finds work as a shop girl. Quotes from Theodore…

Recently arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department: No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics (Softcover Ed.)by various artists; edited by Justin Hall 328-page black & white/color 7.5" x 10" softcover • $35.00ISBN: 978-1-60699-718-5 See Previews / Order Now For the first time, the entire spectrum of four-plus decades of queer cartooning is collected under one cover. Featuring groundbreaking crossover successes like Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, Ellen Forney, Dan Savage and David Wojnarowicz, as well as international superstars like Ralf König and Nazario and dozens of others cartoonists who have rarely been read outside the greater queer community….

Join us at Fantagraphics Bookstore this Saturday, August 10 as we welcome two extraordinary young cartoonists to Seattle. Josh Simmons and Ben Catmull will appear from 6:00 to 9:00 PM to sign copies of recent publications from Fantagraphics Books. This'll be great fun! Ghosts and Ruins is Ben Catmull's follow-up to his wildly popular debut Monster Parade. Josh Simmons’ recent collection of short stories, The Furry Trap, similarly explores a sinister world of undiluted horror. Simmons will also sign copies of earlier graphic novels House and Jessica Farm as well as his equally compelling minicomics. This event coincides with the festive Georgetown Art Attack….

Naughty, the new novel by Monte Schulz, is a fictionalization of a sordid and sensational true crime story. Combining the best aspects of pulp noir and literary fiction, Schulz weaves a vivid and compelling tale of sociopathy, seduction, deceit and murder, and the ensuing courtroom drama, all dressed in authentic Eisenhower-era detail. The lurid jacket paintings are by artist Debbie Faas. The book is due on shelves in October; see here for more info and stay tuned for more previews between now and then!