Time for the new installment of Steven Weissman's in-progress pages from "Blue Jay," an epic 32-page story from Chocolate Cheeks, the next collection of the Yikes! gang's adventures. In this week's episode: kisses 'n' hugs, but is there trouble brewing? And don't forget to catch up on our current 5-day chunk of Martin Kellerman's hilarious Swedish smash-hit Rocky, updated Monday-Friday!
Daily links: 12/19/08
• I Love Rob Liefeld reviews The Lagoon by Lilli Carré • Comic Book Resources' "Comics Should Be Good" places Tales Designed to Thrizzle #4 by Michael Kupperman and Ganges #2 by Kevin Huizenga at the #5 and #4 positions, respectively, on their "Top Ten Comics of 2008" • They also mention Ellen Forney and Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert by Bill Schelly on a list of "Top Ten Moments of Comic-Related Happiness in 2008" • Steven Stwalley features Tom Kaczynski and praises Mome • Bram Meehan puts this year's two major Bill Mauldin releases, our collection Willie &…
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery holiday hours
In any weather conditions, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery will be open every day until Christmas to fill your frantic gift list. We close at 5:00 PM on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas day. The store will also be open between Christmas and New Year's, closing at 5:00 PM on New Year's Eve and the following New Year's Day. Drop by and see our stunning BEASTS exhibition and the equally exquisite BEASTS BOOK 2, as well dozens of delightful new titles from the publisher of the world's greatest cartoonists. 1201 S. Vale St., Seattle. (206) 658-0110.
S.britt Troll Print
There are a lot of great prints in the current Fantagraphics BEASTS! print show but I have to give a special nod to the craftsmanship of S.britt's Gocco print of the troll. I haven't used Gocco but I know that this kind of registration is hell to achieve. …And, of course, it's just charming as all get out. Meanwhile Aya Kakeda created a nice effect by using charcoal over the top of her screenprint. Tom Neely watercolored his letterpress print. Keith Warren Greiman was awesome to do a small 2-color screenprint that sells for 5 bucks, making it affordable for…
New Dame Darcy merch
Dame Darcy has some nice-looking brand-new letterpress prints and stationery (and a haunted antique velvet dress) for sale — see her blog for all the details.
Stinckers and Mats!?
Are you familiar with "Stinckers"? Vending machine stickers made by Weissman, Johnny Ryan, Jeff Roysdon, and the man known as Mats!? Check out the website for all the great art and incidentals. I just had to post this new work of Mats!? that he's making with a mouse, no ink. Really smart use of 2 color.
“Rocky” by Martin Kellerman – #390
{mosimage} Fritz the Cat meets Jane Austen!?! This mostly autobiographical daily strip details the rudely hilarious travails of a young cartoonist and his layabout pals and neurotic girlfriends. Basically, it’s the pottymouthed animal-headed Seinfeld-esque comic strip we’ve all come to love. A smash hit in its native Sweden, presented in English for the first time. Join us Monday through Friday for a new daily strip, with a rolling archive of a week’s worth of strips. “It’s being acclaimed as the funniest Swedish comic of our time, but it’s more than that. Rocky is the long awaited generation novel that no…
Ellen Forney covers The Stranger
No, Ellen isn't performing Billy Joel karaoke (that I know of). In celebration of her most recent cover illustration for The Stranger (above, and currently seen around the snowy streets of Seattle), Ellen presents a retrospective of her Stranger covers going back to 1993.
Daily links: 12/18/08
• Inside baseball: in a must-read slice of industry history from the mid-1980s, former Fantagraphics staffer Dave Olbrich comes clean about the debacle of the Jack Kirby Awards. Be sure to check the comments for official reaction from Kim Thompson • Cartoon Brew recommends Fuzz & Pluck: Splitsville by Ted Stearn • Comics – History & Price Guides takes note of Krazy & Ignatz 1931-1932 by George Herriman • Stella Matutina says Castle Waiting by Linda Medley would "make a great present for the fairy tale-loving feminist in your life" • Rob Clough reviews Sublife Vol. 1 by John Pham • Jim…
Ted Stearn’s Fuzz & Pluck at SHQ in LA Tomorrow!
Secret Headquarters Presents: Ted Stearn'sFuzz and Pluck: SplitsvilleJoin us for drinks this Friday the 19th at 8pm Fuzz & Pluck: Splitsville tells the hilariously bizarre adventures of Pluck, an irritable and featherless rooster, and his best pal, the awkwardly unsocialized but lovable teddy bear known as Fuzz. These two usually inseparable and co-dependent misfits find themselves suddenly separated and alone. Pluck vows to establish his place in the world's pecking order by becoming a champion gladiator, while the more demure Fuzz finds himself a POW in a stuffed animal collection, only to escape and befriend a mercurial ferryman who recruits…
