Fantagraphics Blog

Ghosts and Ruins by Ben Catmull 84-page black & white 10.25" x 8.5" hardcover • $22.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-678-2 See More Previews / Order Now Who doesn't love a good ghost story? This gorgeous, coffee-table art book is a compendium of old, forgotten haunted houses imagined by artist Ben Catmull, along with the stories and rumors of who haunts them, and why. Each spread features a different haunted house, lovingly and exquisitely rendered in scratchboard on masonite, with a short, nightmare-inducing description of each scene. In "Drowned Shelley," for example: A chorus of frogs surrounds the house where young Shelley was drowned headfirst…

Friday, July 26th • San Francisco, CA:  The California College of the Arts concludes their summer "Comics in the City" series with special guest Dash Shaw! Dash's discussions on his work and his latest book, New School, are not to be missed. (more info) • New York City, NY:  It's your last chance to see the Charles Burns exhibit at the Adam Baumgold Gallery, Before & After Portraits from Black Hole! (more info) Saturday, July 27th • Los Angeles, CA: Johnny Ryan's solo art show, Johnny Ryan's Chicks With Dicks, opens at Мишка! Johnny will also be debuting two exclusive…

Last week launched a most amazing exhibit: Jaime Hernandez: 30 Years of Locas (and Counting) at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design! Curated by our very own Zak Sally, the exhibit features Hernandez' work from 1977 to the present, including original art from Hernandez' personal collection as well as posters, prints, publications, and historical production pieces from our archives. And on Friday, August 16th, Jaime will be the special guest at an artist's reception from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, surrounding a talk at 7:00 PM in Auditorium 150.  This exhibit only runs through August 18th, 2013, so see it…

Prepare to be fully entertained at Fantagraphics Bookstore in the month of August. On Saturday, August 10 we'll host a haunting reception for Ben Catmull and Josh Simmons. Catmull will sign copies of his new book Ghosts and Ruins, while Simmons will sign his recent collection of horror stories The Furry Trap. Frightening fun coinciding with the colorful Georgetown Art Attack. (Catch the Trailer Park Trannies drag show at the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall.) On Saturday, August 24, Fantagraphics Bookstore welcomes Brandon Graham. The cartoonist behind popular projects like Prophet, Multiple Warheads, and King City returns to his former Seattle…

Gahan Wilson Sunday Comics by Gahan Wilson 176-page full-color 12" x 6.25" hardcover • $29.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-612-6 Ships in: August 2013 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now Gahan Wilson is probably best known for his macabre Playboy cartoons, filled with charming monsters, goofy mad scientists, and melting victims, and his cutting-edge work in the National Lampoon, but he's also one of the most versatile cartoonists alive whose work has appeared in a wide range of media venues. Gahan Wilson Sunday Comics is Wilson's assault from within: His little-known syndicated strip that appeared in America’s newspapers between 1974 and 1976. Readers must have been…

By Friday everyone was in the San Diego swing by now. Steven 'Ribs' Weissman, Johnny Ryan and Ron Regé, Jr. were ready to WOW everyone! The Kim Thompson Tribute panel was held that day and the room was packed. Thank you to everyone who came out, Eric Reynold's panoramic photo below. Here a librarian freaks out over Ghosts and Ruins by Ben Catmull, which she had preordered for her library! The whimsy and humor surprised her but in a good way. LA cartoonist Joseph Remnant stopped by to finally buy the Jack Davis collection. He even dressed to match. Leader…

The Secret History of Marvel Comics: Jack Kirby and the Moonlighting Artists at Martin Goodman's Empire comes out this Fall, but New Yorkers can get a sneak peek much sooner at the Society of Illustrators! On Wednesday, August 7th at 7:00 PM, authors Blake Bell and Dr. Michael J. Vassallo will pull back the curtain and reveal the secrets behind this comprehensive exposé that will blow a hole in your perception of the origins of Marvel Comics! See a deluge of some never-before reprinted work from creators like Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Alex Schomburg, Bill Everett, Matt Baker, Al Jaffee,…

Floraphiles, music lovers, and midcentury design aficionados, rejoice! The High Fidelity Art of Jim Flora is nearly here, compiling every known Flora album cover for the first time, plus loads of other music-related illustrations and other, previously unseen artwork. Once again, editors Irwin Chusid and Barbara Economon and designer Laura Lindgren have put together an exemplary package showcasing Flora's distinctive and influential visuals in a snazzy coffee-table book. Check out this 21-page sampling here or download the PDF, and look for the book in about 4-6 weeks.

The End of the Fucking World kicks off in Brooklyn at Bergen Street Comics, and sorry, but I will never get tired of saying that title.  Meet perspiring artist Charles Forsman on Wednesday, August 7th as we celebrate the release of his debut graphic novel, a stunning tale of James and Alyssa, two teenagers living a seemingly typical teen experience that takes a more nihilistic turn that threatens both of their futures.  It's sure to be one of the most talked-about graphic novels of 2013, and you can be one of the very first to get your sweaty hands on…

"The most beautiful piece of Americana made in years. Every page Forsman draws is a minimalist masterpiece. Huge and heartbreaking. A modern triumph disguised as an episode of Peanuts." – Matt Seneca "The awkwardness, the urgency, the sense of discovery, the sense of revulsion — it’s all true, even if you’ve never stuck your own hand in a garbage disposal." – Sean T. Collins "Great stuff." – Frank Santoro "[TEOTFW] exemplifies what exactly it is I love about comics. It’s lo-fi yet stylistic, subtle yet visceral – a version of Bonnie and Clyde bled through the lens of Gus Van…