Fantagraphics Blog

 I spent a lot of time thinking about Harvey Pekar yesterday, especially after receiving a few media queries about him, and the more I did, the more I realize I might owe my life in comics to him. I had forgotten this, to be honest. So I thought I would write down a few things, if only to help myself remember and honor him a bit. I realize I let Harvey the Celebrity overshadow Harvey the Writer for much of the last decade of his life. At the start of the 1990s, Harvey Pekar was near the top of my…

Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "After hearing his name lauded for many years, Werewolves of Montpellier was my first excursion into the world of Jason, the renowned Norwegian-born artist known for mixing whimsical anthropomorphic characters with introspective and often quite heavy storylines. Now I understand what my friends have been raving about for years. Jason’s artwork is sparse and the story is a masterpiece in simplicity. … At times heartbreakingly sad and laugh-out-loud funny, this story just feels like real life… but with werewolves. … These characters are hopeless, hilarious, tragic and beautiful – probably a lot like you…

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS AT COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL OUR PLEDGE TO YOU: ALL COMICS, ALL THE TIME! Your guide to signings, panels, new books, freebies, sales and more! JULY 13, SEATTLE, WA — Comic-Con is upon us, and it is time to spill the beans on some major news. Fantagraphics Books is excited to announce that at this year's show we will have no celebrity tie-ins, no comic adaptations of summer blockbusters, no TV show spinoffs, no videogame companion books, and no major announcements regarding digital distribution. We do, however, pledge to deliver more cartoonists, more classic comics collections, more original literary graphic…

Even us comic/video game nerds and nerdettes are not free from Photoshop's nipping and tucking. Apparently, "words" were no longer enough — pictures are now worth 1,000 venomous lies. Cosplay before-and-after [photographymaniacs.com]

Consciousness of Lack is the new silkscreen print from Jordan Crane available at his Reddingk site, and undoubtedly to be for sale at Comic-Con. Nom nom nom!

The nominations for the 2010 Harvey Awards have been announced and we're pleased to report that our artists and publications have been honored with 5 of them: Best Continuing or Limited Series: Ganges by Kevin HuizengaBest Single Issue or Story: Ganges #3 by Kevin Huizenga Best Domestic Reprint Project: Humbug Special Award for Excellence in Presentation: The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley's Cartoons from 1913-1940, edited by Trina Robbins, designed by Adam Grano Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation: The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean and Kristy Valenti Our normal M.O. with award nominations is…

RIP Harvey Pekar — sad, sad news. Eric is working on a tribute for tonight or tomorrow, but for now, I'll just borrow this from Drew Friedman.

WHO: Drew Weing WHAT: The SET TO SEA Book Release Party! WHERE: Bizarro Wuxtry, 197 E. Clayton St., Athens, GA WHEN: Friday, July 30, 5 to 8PM

This happened in my neighborhood this weekend. You'd really expect Captain Haddock to know better. Maybe he's a bit lightheaded from losing all that weight.