Fantagraphics Blog

  Steve Brodner just announced some exciting news: "Tonight marks our first contribution to Need to Know, PBS’ new Friday night newsmagazine.  We are doing short films which combine narrative, live art and animation. This week we contemplate Hamid Karzai. 8:30 tonight in the East (check locals) and 6PM on Sunday."

Only about 12 hours left for EVERY issue of The Comics Journal to be on sale! All available issues through #287 are HALF OFF and #288-300 are 1/3 OFF! Plus, all Comics Journal Library books and Comics Journal Special Editions are also HALF OFF! Time's a-ticking away so get those orders in while you can.

Billy Hazelnuts and the Crazy Bird by Tony Millionaire 104-page black & white 6.5" x 9" hardcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-56097-917-3 Ships in: June 2010 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now Billy Hazelnuts is back for the first time since his acclaimed 2006 Eisner Award-winning debut. Life has settled back to normal in the old house. Becky and her mom are getting used to having Billy around, as he performs various household chores, utilizing his amazing strength. Nothing could be better, aside from a jumpy relationship with the cat. Until one day Billy hears screeching in the back yard and runs…

Daily clips & strips — click for improved/additional viewing at the sources: • Tim Hensley celebrates the release of Wally Gropius with what seems to be a new and/or previously unseen Wally drawing • This week's "I, Anonymous" spot by Steven Weissman • "Riverside" is a new lithograph by John Hankiewicz • Look closely at "Magnolia" (above) and "Oak," two Eleanor Davis pieces for Tree Show VI at GRSF • Michael Kupperman artwork in the Lady Gaga anthology fanzine Prison for Bitches (which also includes Johnny Ryan) • "The Tiger & The Princess of Hearts" is Jim Blanchard's piece in…

Online Commentary & Diversions:   • Review: "It's a closely observed story — specific in its details but broadly recognizable from the lives of a million young men — in an expressive, inky style… Night Fisher [is] an excellent naturalistic story of these young men in this closely examined place." – Andrew Wheeler, The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent. • Panel: Inkstuds host Robin McConnell presents an audio recording of the TCAF spotlight panel with Dash Shaw and Paul Pope which he moderated • Birthday: Matt Thorn, editor of our upcoming manga line, wishes Moto Hagio a happy birthday

  Many  Seattle artists (including three Fantagraphics employees — Jacob, Jenny, and myself) joined forces to create a series of illustrations for 826 Seattle and the Greenwood art walk. There is a piece depicting each of the planets in our solar system (plus Earth's moon) and they all have been made into postcards which can be purchased here:   http://www.greenwoodspacetravelsupply.com/catalog/011197.html Also, if you are in the area and have the time, please come out to the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. this Friday evening for the opening reception and to see original art and prints from the project (for sale CHEAP). The weather is…

The Best Show on WFMU host Tom Scharpling welcomed Tales Designed to Thrizzle creator Michael Kupperman as a guest on May 4 (along with Dave Willis and Dana Snyder of Aqua Teen Hunger Force), and the audio is now archived for your listening pleasure here.

Here's a treat for Krazy Kat fans, Dave Alvin fans, and especially people in the Venn diagram overlap: the previously unheard Dave Alvin instrumental "Krazy and Ignatz" is available to stream or download as part of a free Yep Roc Records digital sampler.

Jim Woodring just dropped by the office to drop off the first 36 pages of his in-progress follow-up to Weathercraft, titled Congress of the Animals. We don't have a release date set for it but I'm guessing it will probably be about a year from now. Click the photos for bigger images.

JimFlora.com is launching a quartet of small, low-cost limited edition screen prints of a 1950-51 Jim Flora painting entitled Mardi Gras. Flora, who was living in Mexico at the time, rendered the work in four color patterns, which have been replicated in the print series.