Fantagraphics Blog

• Some lucky 5th-grader is getting this in the mail from Steven Weissman • Richard Sala presents "Strange Question," a story dated 1985/2003, in two parts • A nautical-themed Jim Flora piece from around 20 years ago • OMG, Gabrielle Bell draws Stephen Colbert in her new Lucky strip • Mark Kalesniko presents a roughed-out page from Mail Order Bride • Woo woo! It's Paul Hornschemeier's latest WSJ illustration • More Renee French-drawn teeth. Gaaaah. Whew! • A quarterly alternative comics anthology with a funny-sounding four-letter name? Gee, I wonder where they got that idea? Kidding aside, Robot 6 and…

Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko by Blake Bell… [is] fantastic! … It’s part biography, part art book – an amazing recap of Steve Ditko’s entire career in comics, from the early days with Charlton to the present. … It’s also one of the best designed books I’ve read recently, including lots of rare pencil pages, out-of-print rarities, and full color scans on virtually every page. There’s a lot more to Steve Ditko than just Doctor Strange and Spider-Man." – Marc Sobel, Comic Book Galaxy • Review: "Vitally, Anderson draws an earthy…

Our Gang Vol. 1-3 Pack by Walt Kelly three 96-page 7.25" x 9.5" full-color softcovers • $40.00 postage paid (see below) Along with the soon-to-be-released Our Gang Vol. 4 we are pleased to offer the first three volumes of Walt Kelly's rollicking adaptation/continuation of the beloved MGM shorts together for one low price including standard shipping within the U.S. (rush and foreign orders extra); see product description for details and more information.

Our Gang Vol. 4 (1946-1947) by Walt Kelly 112-page 7.25" x 9.5" full-color softcover • $14.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-322-4 Ships in: April 2010 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now The Rascals are back in another 100-plus vintage full-color pages of rollicking comedy and high adventure. Created in 1946 and 1947, these stories show Walt Kelly refining the style that would serve him so well for his later masterpiece — Pogo. Much of this fourth volume is taken up with an extended four-part cycle of stories — almost a graphic novel, really! — in which Froggie and the Gang (including Julip the Goat)…

Friday night and the feeling is right for your weekly batch of new online strips: Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto in this week's The House of No by Derek Van Gieson… …aw nuts, it's this week's Blecky Yuckerella strip by Johnny Ryan…. …and this week's Barack Hussein Obama strip from Steven Weissman totally reminds me of a Venture Bros. episode.

Daily clips & strips — click for improved viewing at the sources: • It's Jaime Hernandez's cover for the first issue of the CBGB comic — more info at Robot 6 • Cormorants a-courtin' by Debbie Drechsler • Still digging these "structure" drawings by Tom Kaczynski

Online Commentary & Diversions: • Awards: Congratulations to Steve Brodner, nominated for a National Cartoonist Society Division Award (a.k.a. the Reubens) for Advertising Illustration (as reported by The Comics Reporter) • List/Review: Shannon Smith of File Under Other names Michael Kupperman a favorite cartoonist of 2009 and comments briefly on Mome Vol. 13: "Open letter to comics publishers: If you put Josh Simmons in your book I will buy or steal a copy." (Good news Shannon: be on the lookout for Vol. 19. But please don't steal it.) • Review: "West Coast Blues is a cracking good crime comic, not…

Jim Blanchard's got an art show up now at The Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro in Bellingham WA, with a blowout closing reception/rock show on May 29. Hoo doggie! More info at Jim's blog.

My original title for this post was "R. Crumb FUCKs Wallets." Maybe I should've stuck with that. It's probably a sign that I'm too cynical that my reaction to this was mild surprise that it's an authorized design (licensed by Supreme for Porter, or something like that) rather than a ripoff, which would have been pretty easy to do. See more images & products at SLAMXHYPE (via Alan David Doane). No word on where to buy these. Japan maybe? UPDATE: Our super-sleuth in residence Janice Headley comments: no! in new york! http://www.supremenewyork.com/

Jeez, was it really only last weekend that Gilbert Hernandez was in town? We've got a set of photos documenting his signing and art opening at our flagship store, including shots of all the artwork in the exhibit for those of you who can't make it to view the show in person. Look for a guest appearance by L.A.-based pop-surrealist artist Camille Rose Garcia, too. Browse the whole set here, or sit back and let the slideshow roll here.