Fantagraphics Blog

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery curator Larry Reid is up to some extracurricular mischief: along with Mystic Sons of Morris Graves co-founder Charlie Krafft he's putting on an invitational art exhibition opening tonight from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at 3 galleries in the Tashiro Kaplan compound here in Seattle, with a séance to celebrate the centennary of Graves's birth on August 28. For complete details read the full announcement at Regina Hackett's Another Bouncing Ball blog. Ouija board above by Larry with graphic designer Tim Silbaugh.

Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "With this second hardcover collection, Fantagraphics allows gives fans of the character much reason to rejoice. Thanks to the use of the original proof sheets (and the marvels of modern printing technology), these strips look better than they did when originally published. … Wherever Prince Valiant goes, adventure follows and every bit of it is breathtakingly beautiful thanks to the work of the legendary Hal Foster. … I don’t know that I can put into words what I have witnessed on the printed page, but I do know this: If you have any interest…

Here's two more angles on the Ben Jones-decorated ice cream truck that Adult Swim parked outside of Comic-Con (originally reported here), taken by our own Eric Reynolds, and Brian Ralph has yet two more views over at the New Bodega blog. UPDATE: Oh snap, there's even more photos from Ben himself on his Picturebox blog! (Hat tip: Jordan Crane at What Things Do.)

We've been collecting more photos from Comic-Con in 3 (so far) Flickr galleries (1, 2, 3). Here are some highlights! From our own Eric Reynolds: Jean Schulz with her Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award at the Eisners. From our own Adam Grano: Moto Hagio sketching. Jaime Hernandez says howdy to Dave Gibbons. Adam meets Matt Groening. Sadtrooper. From Pink Cow Photography: The Hernandez clan. From Jody C.: Carol Tyler, with Tim Hensley at left in the background. From Exhibit A Press: Stephen DeStefano. From Bridie Macdonald: Ben Schwartz & son, with Andrei Molotiu at left. Great stuff! If you know of…

In this video from the Oregon Cartoon Institute, Rebel Visions & The Artist Himself author Patrick Rosenkranz and Charles Boucher talk about Basil Wolverton and Carl Barks's influence on Robert Crumb. Patrick also directs your attention to the new issue of Destroying Angels zine, with features on Jim Osborne, the Black Prince of the Underground, and 3-D comics pioneer Ray Zone.

Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "…[F]or the first time I realized that Prison Pit [Book 2] isn't a fusion-comics exploration of awesomeness in all its forms, but a horror-comics exploration of awfulness — of violence that maims and kills not just body but soul. Ryan is willing, even this early in a series I imagine will be able to last as long as he wants it to, to completely invert his instantly-iconic warrior, to make the audience root against him desperately, to feel dick-shriveling revulsion at his violence and pity for his victim. 'That fucking sucked,' CF says when…

Peter Bagge collectors! People who like fun! Get yerself some merch from Peter's band Can You Imagine? in the Can You Imagine? merch shop! T-shirts! Buttons! Mugs! 'N' more!

Mark your calendars and buy your advance tickets now: The Book Table presents an evening with Charles Burns & Chris Ware on Tuesday, November 2nd at 7:30 PM at the Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois. Click here for all the details and to pre-order tickets. (Hat tip to Sandy Bilus.)

We all knew it, but now it's official! Congratulations to Jim Woodring for being awarded this year's Stranger Genius Award in Literature. Announcing the award on The Stranger's blog Slog, Paul Constant says "Woodring is the first Stranger Genius of Literature who has been published by local publisher Fantagraphics Books (they've been ardent promoters of Woodring's work from the very beginning of his career). Quite simply, that's insane: They're the best comics publisher in the world. They publish geniuses on a regular basis, and many would argue that Woodring is the greatest cartooning genius on the Fantagraphics roster. We agree…

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship: Set to Sea by Drew Weing 144-page black & white 5.5" x 6.25" hardcover • $16.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-368-2 Add to Cart • More Info & Previews The central character is a big lug and an aspiring poet who runs up tabs at the local bars by day and haunts the docks by night, writing paeans to the seafaring life. When he gets shanghaied aboard a clipper bound for Hong Kong, he finds the sailor’s life a bit rougher than his romantic nautical fantasies. He helps rebuff a pirate assault, survives a gunshot…