Fantagraphics Blog

Steven Weissman announces on his blog: Hey! Please check out "Hey, Ice-Cream!" The new iPhone app from cartoonist Steven Weissman* and Glimmer Apps is hilarious, noisy comic-strip fun for all ages. Plus, you can use characters and environments from the story in "create" mode to make your own comic scenes. You can even e-mail the scenes to your friends and family!Download this great new app today! * That's me, and I appreciate your patronage, feedback and championship! THANKS Awesome! It's only 99¢! Buy it!

With our ongoing warehouse move, we're in a spring cleaning mood, and have decided to raid the archives are start selling some uniquities from the office, warehouse and even the personal collection of Gary Groth. First up, a lovely war comics page from the 1950s/1960s by the late Jerry Grandenetti:   For the full eBay listing, go HERE. Can anyone identify the exact comic this page comes from? If so, email us at fbicomix at fantagraphics dot com and we'll be very grateful.  UPDATE: ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT TO BID! 

What I Did by Jason 272-page black & white/duotone 6.5" x 8.75" hardcover • $24.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-414-6 Ships in: November 2010 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now A matching volume to 2009’s Almost Silent, What I Did collects three of Jason’s acclaimed 1990s graphic novels into a handsome, definitive omnibus format. "Hey, Wait…," which was the first of Jason's books to be translated to English, tells the story of two childhood friends. A dreadful event midway through the story changes their lives forever, and the story becomes the summary of lives lived, wasted, and lost. Jason's sparse dialogue, dark wit, and…

(Click to enlarge) This "Handy Fantagraphics Map/Staff Field Guide" was created by Chi-Wen Lee and Andrew Davis to help future interns: it dates roughly back to the third week of October, where it originated over a bubble tea-fueled discussion about Lucky in Love, how awesome the Fantagraphics people are, the awesomeness of Seattle, the mysterious stairway that leads to the upstairs apartment, how hard it is to remember everyone's names, and Pinocchio with a gun. Yes, in that order. 

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "I enjoyed Tardi’s art, which made me feel as though I was visiting 1911 Paris. […] The stories are dense and packed with outrageous events, providing a sense of adventure. The recaps, as characters explain what’s going on to each other, were both a help… and a satire, reinforcing just how much Tardi is playing with the conventions of the genre and layering event upon event, a kitchen-sink approach to plotting that keeps the reader interested in a world that seems so sedate but where anything can happen. [… The Extraordinary Adventures of…

Letters of Note reproduces a 1977 letter from Charles M. Schulz thoughtfully (natch) responding to a question from a young fan. (Via The Comics Reporter.)

Tony serenades Boston, 1989, with an appearance by the late Billy Ruane. (Via the Maakies website.) There's a lot of great stuff on YouTube if you search for Tony Millionaire.

This post has been in progress for nearly a month now… with so much to catch up on, I'll just be highlighting a few selected items and then giving you links to the regularly-updated stuff. As always, click for better viewing and possible commentary at the sources. • At The Hooded Utilitarian, Ng Suat Tong reports on some recent Jaime Hernandez original art sales, with lots and lots of images • At Not Quite Clobberin', a scan of a seldom-seen 1997 autobio strip by Jaime Hernandez • Doc Shaner posted a bunch of Popeye art on his Tumblr last week,…

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "…[A] slobbery-gorge-mongous new Fantagraphics coffee table crusher and consumer-seducing guide to celluloid anarchy… Edited by VHS junkies, one-time punk record store owner and movie house curator Zack Carlson and Vulcan Video tastemaker Bryan Connolly, Destroy All Movies!!! is a $35 pink-splattered mind-bomb of enthusiastic but not uncritical assessment of high quality films loyal to the cause… and annoying to the cause… The eagle-eyed authors spent thousands of hours assimilating their assessments by staking camp at Seattle’s own utterly awesome Scarecrow Video. It shows in as much knowledge as passion for the material. […]…

In the spirit of Halloween, Jim Blanchard presents a newly-reworked version of "Donner Diner" featuring his inks over 1993 pencils by James Sturm, R. Sikoryak, Jason Lutes and Jim Woodring. Yum!