Fantagraphics Blog

Walt Kelly was old school: When he drew his comics, he first sketched them out in light blue pencil, and then proceeded to delineate them in his legendarily lush ink line. One huge advantage of this system was that he didn't have to erase any pencil lines (all that erasin' time adds up). Here is a sample. Another advantage is that it made them really cool looking! Carolyn Kelly, the editor of the POGO series, thinks so too, and since she had a selection of original POGO art from the strip's first years, she scanned several images that featured those…

In this month's issue of Booklist you can find reviews of three of our recent releases, excerpted below: Amazing Mysteries: The Bill Everett Archives Vol. 1, edited by Blake Bell: "Dating from 1938–42, most [stories] feature superheroes designed to compete with the then-new Superman, such as Amazing-Man, who gained his powers from the Tibetan monks who raised him; the Flash Gordon-derived Skyrocket Steele; and Hydroman, who could transform himself into a waterspout. The stories and artwork are laughably crude by modern standards, although no more so than those in other comic books from the period. But even the earliest ones…

Usagi Yojimbo: The Special Edition, the deluxe, slipcased two-volume hardcover set collecting the complete first decade of Stan Sakai's long-running, beloved series, with bonus materials including a color cover gallery, a career-spanning interview and more, has sold through its print run and is now a collectible. However! We have received a small shipment of dent-and-ding copies returned from the distributor, so if you don't mind a slipcase with a bonked corner or other superficial damage and you love bargains, good news because you can buy one of them for $50 — that's half price — from our mail-order department or…

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "The names here are mysterious, but the book makes a good case for many of the artists to be better known, which seems to be its intent. Tommi Musturi’s 'Samuel' stories, for example, several of which are included, are colorful, wordless, and Zen-like in their focus on the here and now. Joanna Rubin Dranger’s 'Always Prepared to Die for My Child' is another highlight, with simple drawings that manage to convey a lot. And Jenni Rope’s minimalist stories, which nearly bookend the volume, are poetic and impressive…. The number of woman cartoonists is…

Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez happened to be together in L.A. recently for the launch of the Daniel Clowes art book at Meltdown Comics and the folks there seized the opportunity to have the brothers sit down for an enjoyable chat on the Meltcast 2.0 video podcast. Topics include formative comics reading experiences, favorite superheroes, inspiration for their characters, and of course Dan: "The guy knew Mexican monster movies, like us, so why not be his friend?"

Hey, remember that exhibit I told you about last month? The one curated by our own Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist, artist and editor, Paul Karasik? Over at the Northern Illinois Unversity Art Museum in DeKalb, IL? Yes, “Graphic Novel Realism: Backstage at the Comics,” that's the one! The show is still open through Friday, May 25th, but if you can't make it to Dekalb (me neither), check out this video Paul shot featuring a walk-through of the exhibit! You'll spot source materials, sketches, and finished work by Joyce Farmer, Jaime Hernandez, Mark Newgarden and Megan Montague Cash, as well as…

Still from "In Suspense" by Lilli Carré A "moving hold" is an animation technique that involves cycling several drawings of a stationary character, giving the drawn lines a sense of vibration and energy. And it's also the title of the Lilli Carré exhibit opening in Chicago this week! Moving Holds opens this Friday, April 20th at Western Exhibitions. For the show, Carré has created three different sets of work that all incorporate moving holds, as an idea, a technique, or both. Don't miss the opening reception from 5:00 to 8:00 PM this Friday! Western Exhibitions is located at 119 N…

Now available for immediate shipment from our mail-order department: Castle Waiting Vol. II #16 by Linda Medley 24-page black & white 6.75" x 10.25" comic book • $3.95 – Order Now! Linda Medley returns with the first of a handful of issues that wrap up the second volume of the Castle Waiting saga! In this issue, our heroine Jain gets an unpleasant surprise as she moves into her new room, while Sister Peace has an awkward moment at the housewarming party; baby Pin surprises Jain and Chess with his amazing new ability; and mischief is brewing with Castle’s supernatural residents!…

This week's comic shop shipment is slated to include the following new titles. 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. Castle Waiting Vol. II #16 by Linda Medley 24-page black & white 6.75" x 10.25" comic book • $3.95 "Cue the 'they don't call it that for nothing' jokes. Linda Medley puts out an issue of this relaxed, good-natured fantasy series when she feels like it and not a minute…

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • List: Time Out New York names the "50 Funniest New Yorkers," and coming in at #16: "Cartoonist Michael Kupperman transports his readers to another world altogether. In the recurring comic Tales Designed to Thrizzle and book-length parody Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910–2010, Kupperman perverts antiquated cultural signifiers into a jungle of foreplay robots, nut bras and absurd character concoctions such as the Mannister (a man whose superpower is turning into a bannister). Even in his live appearances — during which he occasionally appears as Twain — Kupperman has the same sort of folksy okey-doke quality…