Fantagraphics Blog

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of original artwork and book signing by celebrated cartoonist Gilbert Hernandez on Saturday, March 13 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Gilbert will be Fantagraphics guest at the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle on March 13 and 14. The reception at Fantagraphics Bookstore serves as the official after-party for the convention, so expect to see a wide array of comic book professionals in attendance. Together with his brother Jaime, Gilbert Hernandez revitalized the moribund comics medium nearly 30 years ago with the inspiring series LOVE AND ROCKETS. Los Bros. Hernandez created…

Your daily roundup of art bits from 'round the web: • Is this a glimpse inside Tales Designed to Thrizzle #6 from Michael Kupperman? (Update: Nope) (Update update: Our own Adam Grano IDs it as a colorized page from Snake 'n' Bacon's Cartoon Cabaret — what's goin' on here?) • Steven Weissman's remaining Post-Its from the GR2 show are now available on Comic Art Collective — who are you to resist? • A 5-page Kim Deitch story from 1973, presented by John Glenn Taylor (via The Comics Reporter) • This 1948 Jim Flora illustration accompanies news about a future Flora…

Today's dose of Online Commentary & Diversions: • List: The great John Porcellino names Zak Sally's Like a Dog as one of his favorite comics of 2009 (unsurprising, since he wrote the introduction): "It's impossible for me to be objective about this book, as Zak is one of my closest friends, but this is a really powerful, fascinating collection of comics. Very dark, and even brutal sometimes, but bracing, and highly original." • Interview: Blogcritics' Michael Jones talks to Femke Hiemstra about her art book Rock Candy: "I do not deliberately strive for a 'childlike' feel or a 'children's book…

Good grief, all you art bloggers sure stay busy over the weekends… • Man, remember the awesome comics that Tower Records' Pulse magazine ran back in the 1990s, like this one from Frank Santoro? • A piece by Richard Sala for an Oz-themed art show at Gallery Meltdown in L.A. which opened on Saturday (Steven Weissman's in it too) • Speaking of Steven Weissman, here are some ideas he's working on • Nautical sketches circa 1950s by Jim Flora • Two from Jim Blanchard, who describes the commissioned drawing at top as "Definitely the high point of my art career…

In like a lion with Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "Thank God then for Almost Silent, a new collection repackaging some of Fanta’s older Jason books — some of which are no longer in print in their original format — as an anthology the same size, shape and design as Low Moon. … Buy it to read the stories, keep it to restore order and balance to your bookshelf." – J. Caleb Mozzocco, Newsarama • Review: Avoid the Future collects and expands on their first 10 Twitter micro-reviews of Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s: "More than…

  Announcing the STRAND Tote Bag Design Contest! WIN BOOKS from Fantagraphics, Toon Books and Drawn & Quarterly! The Strand Book Store has partnered with the School of Visual Arts, TOON Books,Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics Books to host a tote bag design contest. Beginning today, March 1, 2010, artists from around the world are invited to submit original illustrations representing the Strand Book Store.In April 2006, a Japanese language financial newspaper named the Strand tote bag the #1 souvenir to bring home to Japan from New York City. In one month, tote bag sales tripled and have been at the same level ever since….

Due to circumstances beyond our control we are late in presenting our weekly batch of new online strips: Revisiting the baby theme in this week's The House of No by Derek Van Gieson… …ancient mysteries in this week's Blecky Yuckerella strip by Johnny Ryan…. …and Steven Weissman calls this week's Barack Hussein Obama strip "Shut Up Island."

This is really great. Full story here. (Thanks, Emdashes!)

For your viewing and clicking pleasure: • What better way to start things off than with a full dozen sketchbook pages by Jim Woodring? Put down some plastic to collect your melted brain • This is just one of three adorable self-portraits by Tim Hensley • More wackiness from Derek Van Gieson