APRIL 28, 2016: SEATTLE, WA — This summer marks the 40th anniversary of Fantagraphics Books, and the publisher will celebrate the occasion with a series of events throughout the rest of 2016. Founded in 1976 by Gary Groth and Mike Catron (soon to be followed by Kim Thompson), the company published over 5,000 comic books and graphic novels over the next four decades, confirming its reputation as the publisher of the world’s greatest cartoonists, and as a champion for cartoonists who don’t fit within the commercial confines of traditional corporate publishing. The highlight of the anniversary celebrations will be the long…
New Comic Book Day: Peanuts, prose, Ducks, Ditko and a new Jessica Farm!
Look for these new releases at your local comic book shop today:
What’s in Store: Independent Bookstore Day
This Saturday, April 30 is Independent Bookstore Day, when book lovers everywhere are encouraged to support their local bookstores. In Seattle alone, over 20 stores are offering consumers a rich variety of programming and incentives to make the rounds. Fantagraphics Bookstore is hosting a reception from 1:00 to 3:00 PM for Underground Seattle, a handsome minicomic produced exclusively for the occasion. The book includes stories by some of Seattle’s most accomplished cartoonists including Tom van Deusen, David Lasky, Eroyn Franklin, Peter Bagge, Ellen Forney, Kelly Froh, Robyn Jordan, Max Clotfelter, Laura Knetzger, Joe Garber, Tatiana Gill, Pat Moriarity, Seth…
New Digital Releases
Get your reading devices ready for Kramers and consternation because this week marks the digital debut of Kramers Ergot #9 and Josh Simmons’s The Furry Trap. Powerful and uninhibited cartooning of the highest caliber still exists in the short form and in Kramers Ergot #9, the best and brightest voices have been collected. Whether you’re laughing with joy or cowering in terror, Kramers has you covered with contributors like Michael Deforge, Renee French, Archer Prewitt, Anya Davidson, Julia Gfrörer, Kim Deitch, and more. Get it on your tablet through comiXology. Josh Simmons’s 2012 collection The Furry…
Fantagraphics Exclusive: Sir Alfred No. 3
SIR ALFRED NO. 3 By Tim Hensley $24.99 signed/numbered edition of 1000 The final publication of Pigeon Press In the last months before comics impresario Alvin Buenaventura passed away, he completed publishing Sir Alfred No. 3, an oversized comic book/graphic novel by the brilliant Tim Hensley (author of the acclaimed 200? Fantagraphics release, Wally Gropius). Sir Alfred No. 3 is an oblique biography of the world’s most famous film director, Alfred Hitchcock. In fact, despite being numbered “No. 3,” no other issues exist. The comic book is composed of multiple gag strips based on anecdotes found in tomes of film lore in the…
What’s in Store: Art, Music, Comix and More!
Don’t miss the action this Saturday, April 23 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM with Simon Hanselmann and HTML Flowers. This promises to be a wildly entertaining evening of art, music, and comix action. You might want to arrive a little early. The following Saturday, April 30 is Independent Bookstore Day (like Record Store Day, only for bookstores.) To commemorate the occasion we published a 32-page mincomic, Underground Seattle, featuring stories by a crew of exceptional local artists including Tom van Deusen, David Lasky, Eroyn Franklin, Peter Bagge, Ellen Forney, Kelly Froh, Robyn Jordan, Max Clotfelter, Laura Knetzger, Joe Garber, Pat Moriarity,…
Celebrate 4/20 with new releases and a sale!
It’s a beautiful thing when New Comic Book Day happens to fall on April 20th and what awaits you in stores includes Kramer’s Ergot #9 and the latest from Simon Hanselmann- Megg & Mogg in Amsterdam. When you buy Megg & Mogg in Amsterdam (or Hanselmann’s previous book, Megahex) from Fantagraphics.com you can also receive an exclusive, free copy of Minihex, a collection of rare, controversial and previously unpublished work packaged in a full-color mini comic. Simon Hanselmann will be signing copies of Megg & Mogg in Amsterdam at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery this Saturday in his new hometown of Seattle. And…
Digital Debauchery
Werewolf Jones is back, baby! And so is everyone else in New York Times best-selling author Simon Hanselmann’s entire gang. Load up your tablet and get cozy with the crew because today marks the digital release of Megg & Mogg in Amsterdam. Megg the witch, Mogg the cat, their friend Owl, and Werewolf Jones struggle with depression, drug use, sexuality, poverty, lack of ambition, and other complex emotions in this new collection. It’s a laff riot! Megg & Mogg in Amsterdam assembles Hanselmann’s work from Vice, the Ignatz Award-nominated story “St. Owl’s Bay,” and other surprises, and can now be…
Wimmen’s Comix at Green Apple Books
It was standing room only at The Complete Wimmen’s Comix book signing on April 12th at Green Apple Books in San Francisco. Eleven creators spoke and fielded questions from the crowd. As was once true of the collective’s meetings, the artists’ discussions were lively and slightly contentious (accurately recalling 40-something years ago? Whew.) The passing back and forth of 2 microphones, one of which had a very short cable, lent an air of Three Stooges to the proceedings. The current activities of the women ranged from the theater to scientific illustration to academia to literature and union cartoons. Having been published…
What’s in Store: Record Store Day
One of the truly gratifying developments we’ve experienced over the last decade at Fantagraphics Bookstore is the revival of the record store. Our retail partners at Georgetown Records have held true to their vision of promoting great music and restoring record stores to their previous place as essential cultural institutions. Come celebrate their success on Record Store Day this Saturday, April 16 from 11:30 to 8:00 PM. You’ll find exclusive RSD releases and an amazing array of collectible recordings from legendary Northwest bands, in addition to their diverse selection of vintage vinyl. If you missed the awesome exhibition…
