This interview was conducted by Fantagraphics intern Rolando A. López and proofread and formatted by Janice Headley. Thanks to all! – Ed. In his 1989 The Comics Journal interview (#126), Jaime Hernandez said: “I hope [Love and Rockets is] still fresh 20-50 years from now. I hope it doesn’t lose anything in the long run. Even if I’m writing about contemporary things . . . I hope people can look back at it as a piece of history instead of a gimmick.” Readers have followed the lives of Maggie, Hopey, and the gang for almost 30 years now, and Love…
Prison Pit Book 3 by Johnny Ryan – Previews, Pre-Order
Prison Pit Book 3 by Johnny Ryan 120-page black & white 6.5" x 8.5" softcover • $12.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-497-9 Ships in: September 2011 (subject to change) — Pre-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 so deranged and twisted…
New Comics Day 8/24/11: Esperanza, Humorama, Drawing Power, TCJ 301
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. Esperanza: A Love and Rockets Book(Love and Rockets Library: "Locas" Book 5) by Jaime Hernandez 248-page black & white 7.5" x 9.25" softcover • $18.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-449-8 "Yes, I hear people say, Jaime Hernandez, I keep hearing about how great he is and everything, but there are like a million books,…
Daily OCD: 8/23/11
Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "…[T]he stories [in Maggie the Mechanic], of course, suck you in, because they're absurd and funny and warm, and even though they're the kind of stories where it's not a question of whether the good guys will win, only when they will, they're well told and well plotted, and I was sad when they ended. Apparently they're meant to be the sci-fi version of magical realism, which is neat, but the dinosaurs and aliens and rocket ships were far less interesting than seeing the girls get drunk and run around, or even just…
Now Available: Jason 2009 signed exhibit print
Jason 2009 Exhibition Print – Signeddesigned by Jacob Covey 16" x 22" 3-color silkscreen printsigned by the artist; ships rolled The signed, limited-edition print for Jason's 2009 exhibit at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery features Athos, The Last Musketeer, on a lonely park bench, in artwork originally featured on the cover of The Comics Journal #294. Formerly available only at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, we are pleased to now offer limited quantities of this exquisite print via mail order! Screenprinted in black, teal and metallic silver on heavyweight white paper.
Nuts by Gahan Wilson – Previews, Pre-Order
Nuts by Gahan Wilson 144-page black & white 8" x 8" hardcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-454-2 Ships in: September 2011 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now In this thematically and narratively linked series of one-page stories originally published in the National Lampoon’s “Funny Pages” section throughout the 1970s, the master of the macabre eschewed his usual ghouls, vampires, and end-of-the-world scenarios for a wry, pointed look at growing up normal in the real, yet endlessly weird world. Watch as our stoic, hunting-cap-wearing protagonist (known only as “The Kid”) copes with illness, disappointment, strange old relatives, the disappointment of Christmas, life-threatening escapades,…
Daily OCD: 8/22/11
Today' Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "Whether you want to take a stroll down mammary lane with grandpa or are searching for new pomo tattoo ideas, this omnibus look at the various gagsters that brought their pens and inks to the pages of Humorama's various digests from 1938 until the sexual revolution will give you a window into your sexual soul that you didn't know existed and will finally gives rest to the lie that sex was invented in the 60s…. Whether gag panels or slice of life renderings, this is a loving look back at all the dead…
Usagi Yojimbo, Prince of Thule (and special Usagi/Valiant offer!)
Prince Valiant chronicler (and fine cartoonist in his own right) Brian Kane presented Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai with this fantastic fan-art mashup of Val and Usagi at the Baltimore Comic Con this past weekend and forwarded it along to us, and now he's given us permission to share it with you! (Click the image for a slightly larger version.) Inspired by this artwork, we had the idea to offer free standard domestic shipping on orders that include at least one Usagi book and at least one Prince Valiant book for the rest of the week! This offer is not…
Drawing Power sneak peek at PREVIEWSworld
PREVIEWSworld is offering up yet another 5-page preview of one of our books due in comic shops this week — this time it's Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising 1870s-1940s. In addition to Dr. Seuss (above) you'll see Buster Brown, Amos 'n' Andy, Winsor McCay and more.
Pogo update from Mark Evanier
Our good friend Mark Evanier, who's been providing invaluable editorial assistance on our forthcoming Walt Kelly Pogo collections, has posted a very informative must-read update on his blog. Long story short: Volume 1 has gone to the printer and is going to be awesome. But read Mark's entire post for many more details and a much more eloquent description of the book! (And since we know you'll ask: no, these books will not be released in slipcased pairs à la The Complete Peanuts. They're big enough on their own!)
