Fantagraphics Blog

Well here's some wonderful news, as reported by The Comics Reporter: the great Stan Sakai has received the 2011 Cultural Ambassador Award by the Japanese American National Museum. The news release is here, and on Facebook Stan says (with typical understatement) "Senator Dan Inouye was seated at the table next to ours. He is third in line for the presidency, so secret service was around. Food was excellent." Congratulations and well deserved, Stan! (By the way, this year's Stumptown Comics Fest is barely over but Stan has already been lined up as a special guest for 2012!)

On his Here Lies Richard Sala blog, Richard Sala posted this drool-inducing photo of original pages for his forthcoming graphic novel The Hidden, along with an update on the status of the book, which is now complete and undergoing production. He also points out an eerie incidence of life imitating comics, which, if you know his work, is rather ominous.

Hey, moneybags! A couple of original Daniel Clowes pages from David Boring are up for auction at Heritage. Links & info at the Daniel Clowes blog.

I was kinda bummed that the 8th Annual Stumptown Comics Fest just happened to coincide with National Record Store Day, but that just made me extra-happy to find this wonderful collaboration between Mome artist Laura Park and musician Neko Case, to commemorate the occasion! These limited-edition tees were printed by our friends at Poketo. If you're lucky, you can still find one at participating stores, but with a lovely illustration like that, don't be surprised if they're all sold out!

Shout it out! Johnny Ryan is winner of Best Letterer at the Stumptown Comics Awards for his mashup of techno, metal and horror letterforms in Prison Pit Book 2! If you're at the fest, swing by our table (#304) and pick up both volumes. Congrats Johnny!

Our weekly strip from Michael Kupperman — Steven Weissman is on vacation this week — plus links to other strips from around the web: — Up All Night by Michael Kupperman (view at original size): — And elsewhere: Belligerent Piano by Tim Lane: Ectiopiary by Hans Rickheit: Lucky by Gabrielle Bell: Maakies by Tony Millionaire: Mugwhump the Great by Roger Langridge (at Act-i-vate): Smashing Crayons by Steve Brodner at SlateV: Truth Serum by Jon Adams:

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review/Interview: ESPN.com's Jim Caple looks at 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente — "Santiago has a stunning, cinematic style, and 21 is filled with gorgeous illustrations that capture the power and grace of Clemente as no standard book of black and white type ever has or could. […] By appealing to all ages, 21 is a wonderful way to introduce younger readers to one of baseball's most important players and a great way to introduce older readers to the story-telling power and sophistication of graphic novels." — and talks to its creator, Wilfred Santiago:…

Kristin Hersh tweeted this pic of a fan-made tote bag with a hand-drawn reproduction of Gilbert Hernandez's cover artwork for the Throwing Muses album Limbo. Nicely done! Anyone else out there have any DIY Fantagraphics-related handicrafts you've made? Tweet or Facebook 'em at us!

Stop by Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery today and wish Larry Reid a happy birthday! Larry's been one of the most influential figures in the Seattle counterculture scene for more years than he'd care for us to count, and has been instrumental in the establishment of alternative comix as a respected art form. The man's a giant, I tells ya, and we're privileged to have him on our team. If you want to make Larry happy today (and to make up for me embarrassing him here), first and foremost, buy lots and lots of comic books, and second, "like" the Fantagraphics…

I don't think I'd seen this 2010 Jaime Hernandez pin-up of Wonder Woman (based on issue 41 of her comic) at ComicArtFans before until Hey Oscar Wilde! pointed it out on Tumblr.