Fantagraphics Blog

There's a fantastic exhibit opening this weekend in Chicago featuring several Fantagraphics artists, including Chris Ware, Lilli Carré, Anders Nilsen, and Jeffrey Brown!  CartoonInk!: Emerging Comics in Context spotlights the work of students and alumni of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, all curated by SAIC faculty Christa Donner, Surabhi Ghosh, and Mome contributor Jeremy Tinder! Bump!!! After a few delays (hence the past date on the poster above, which was gorgeously designed by Marc Bell), CartoonInk! runs this Saturday, September 10th through October 15th at the Betty Rymer Gallery at SAIC. And on Friday, September 9th, there…

Celebrate the release of Even More Old Jewish Comedians with some old Jewish comedians, and the guest of honor, artist Drew Friedman, on Thursday, September 15th at the legendary Friars' Club in New York City. The Friars' Club is the very one, infamous for all those celebrity roasts, and on that note… please excuse their use of "comic sans" in the flyer up there! OOOH! I did a roast! I kid, I kid! We love The Friars Club for hosting this event. They helped us celebrate the release of More Old Jewish Comedians back in 2008 , and an estimated…

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship: Prison Pit Book 3 by Johnny Ryan 120-page black & white 6.5" x 8.5" softcover • $12.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-497-9 See Previews / Order Now Prison Pit blends Angry Youth Comix creator Johnny Ryan’s fascination with WWE wrestling, grindhouse cinema, first person action video games, Gary Panter’s “Jimbo” comics, and Kentaro Miura’s “Berserk” Manga into a brutal and often hilarious showcase of violence like no other comic book ever created. Even the lead character’s name, which is only one letter away from “Cannibal Duckface” (hint: “Cannibal” is correct) is unprintable. Prison Pit is…

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship: Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910-2010 by Michael Kupperman 160-page two-color 6" x 8.25" hardcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-491-7 See Previews / Order Now "Here Mister Kupperman," he said, thrusting a manuscript into my hands. "Publish this, and let the world read of my adventures." My name is Mark Twain, and I write these words to you in the good old days of August 2010. "What's that," you say? "Didn't you die a hundred years ago, you old coot?"… The truth is I never died, but the same old rumors got exaggerated and then…

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship: The Man Who Grew His Beard by Olivier Schrauwen 112-page full-color 8.5" x 10.25" softcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-446-7 See Previews / Order Now The Man Who Grew His Beard is Belgian cartoonist Olivier Schrauwen’s first American book after having staked a reputation over the last decade as one of Europe’s most talented storytellers. It collects seven short stories, each a head-spinning display of craft and storytelling that mixes early twentieth-century comics influences like Winsor McCay with a thoroughly contemporary voice that provokes and entertains with subversively surreal humor and subtle criticism…

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship: The Art of Joe Kubert edited by Bill Schelly 232-page full-color 9.25" x 12.25" hardcover • $39.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-487-0 See Previews / Order Now Joe Kubert is one of the great comic book artists. His career literally traverses the history of comics, beginning in 1938 when he became a professional at age 12, to today as one of the greatest draftsmen working in the field. Kubert is known and respected as much for his sinewy, passionate drawing as he is for his consummate storytelling skills. Over his 70-year career in comics, he…

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship: The Armed Garden and Other Stories by David B. 112-page two-color 7.5" x 10.75" hardcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-462-7 See Previews / Order Now David B., the creator of the acclaimed Epileptic, gives full rein to his fascination with history, magic and gods, not to mention grand battles, in this literate, witty, and absorbing collection of stories — all based on historical fact, or at least historical legend, and delineated in a striking stylized two-color format. “The Veiled Prophet”: During the 8th century (the time of Harun al-Rashid, the Caliph of 1001…

Artwork from the collection of the late SPX Executive Director Jeff Alexander, who passed away last year, is being auctioned to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund this Saturday at 4:30 at SPX. Internet bids will also be accepted via email — see the link for details. Among the pieces being offered in this year's first annual auction are the original Billy Hazelnuts page by Tony Millionaire shown here, a couple of original Roger Langridge pages featuring Fred the Clown, and a Peter Bagge sketch which I couldn't find an image for. Preview the artwork and get more information…

The Joost Swarte exhibit Trafic at Galerie Champaka in Brussels which Kim posted about a couple of weeks ago is set to open tomorrow (which is today if you're in Brussels), and the gallery has posted some mighty handsome preview images of the artwork on their public Facebook page.

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "In this Golden Age of Comic Strip Reprints, Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse was, I had long assumed, the one that had gotten away…. It should go without saying that Fantagraphics has done their usual stellar job in regards to editorial presentation… and design… In addition to over two and a half year's worth of the strip, the book contains an impressive amount of introductory material and contextual essays… There are other neat bonus features, such as cover images from foreign editions collecting storylines from the strip. As for the comics themselves, they entertain on…