RE/Read is an occasional column by Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery curator Larry Reid examining books you may have missed or merit more attention. This time we’ll look at I Am Not Okay With This by Charles Forsman. Almost lost in the sensational response to the Netflix adaptation of Forsman’s The End of the Fucking World is the equally compelling graphic novel I Am Not Okay With This. This book explores similar themes of alienation and anxiety among tormented suburban teens. Employing a diary as a narrative device, Forsman follows his female protagonist as she navigates the familiar perils of…
What’s in Store: Top Comix of 2017
It’s come time for Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery curator Larry Reid to name my choices for the best comix of the past year. This list is customarily limited to the top 10 publications plus a handful of honorable mentions. This being a banner year for contemporary comix, I’ve expanded my subjective selections to an even dozen, together with an equal number of alternatives – any one of which could be included among the best. 12. Chris Ware: Monograph This comprehensive collection of Ware’s art, comix, and ephemera does justice to the remarkable career of one of the most innovative…
Celebrate Fantagraphics Bookstore’s 11th Anniversary with Charles Forsman, Dame Darcy & Frank Young!
Time flies when you’re having fun! Join us at Fantagraphics Bookstore to celebrate our 11th anniversary with an evening of comix, music and more on Saturday, December 9 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. The festivities include guest appearances by Charles Forsman, Dame Darcy and Frank Young, as well as an exhibition of prints by Charles Burns and Jaime Hernandez from their recently released Fantagraphics Studio Editions. Charles Forsman returns to the bookstore to sign copies of his new graphic novel, I Am Not Okay with This. The book continues the cartoonist’s examination of adolescent alienation with his signature deadpan…
Re/Read: Charles Forsman’s Celebrated Summer
Re/Read is an occasional column by Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery curator Larry Reid examining backlist books you may have missed or merit another look. With Charles Forsman’s The End of the Fucking World soon to be released as a Netflix original series, it’s a good time to look back at his graphic novella Celebrated Summer. In Celebrated Summer, Forsman follows the drug-induced adventures of two friends at the conclusion of their high school years. The transitional period from adolescence to adulthood provides fertile ground for contemporary cartoonists. I couldn’t help but consider this work in terms of the Daniel Clowes…
Glorious Digital Books!
This week’s digital releases are crazy good and there’s plenty of them, so no time to waste . . . We’ll kick off this week with Love and Rockets Vol. IV #3. The Locas girls’ punk reunion has come to a close, but the evening has just begun. The Animus situation has gotten out of hand. Plus, some classic Palomar characters are awkwardly reunited. Catch this brand-new issue digitally through comiXology. Right before the television drama based on the book comes to Netflix, rediscover Charles Forsman’s The End of the Fucking World. Originally released to…
Short Run Marathon Returns to Fantagraphics Bookstore on Friday
Come celebrate our amazing comix community on Friday, October 30 as Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery hosts Short Run Marathon III, a pre-fest reception and art exhibition. The show includes the work of Short Run featured artists Charles Forsman, Melissa Mendes, Jim Woodring, Krish Raghav, Bruce Bickford, and special guest Sam Alden, with live music by Lisa Prank.
What’s in Store (Anniversary Edition)
Time does fly when you’re having fun. Nine years ago today Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery quietly opened its doors to the public. (We celebrated our grand opening 6 weeks later.) In the years since, our little bookstore has become a cultural institution, hosting countless signings, exhibitions, receptions, workshops, presentations, and performances featuring some of the world’s most imaginative artists. Thank you all for your support. This tradition of showcasing established and emerging artists continues next Friday, October 30 with Short Run Marathon III exhibition and pre-fest reception featuring Charles Forsman, Melissa Mendes, Jim Woodring, Krish Raghav, Bruce Bickford, and special guest Sam…
What’s in Store
Celebrate the Short Run Comix & Arts Festival on Friday, October 30 as Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery hosts Short Run Marathon III, a pre-fest reception and art exhibition. The show includes the work of Short Run featured artists Charles Forsman, Melissa Mendes, Jim Woodring, Krish Raghav, Bruce Bickford, and special guest Sam Alden, with live music by Lisa Prank.
What’s in Store
The comings weeks at Fantagraphics Bookstore include exciting in-store concerts presented in association with Georgetown Records and Short Run Comix & Arts Festival. On Saturday, October 3 at 5:00 PM, we welcome legendary post-punk ensemble Toiling Midgets ahead of their headlining appearance later that evening at Lucky Liquor. Formed in San Francisco in 1979, the group has included members from Negative Trend, Flipper, American Music Club, The Enemy, Blackouts, and other underground music marvels. It’s rumored they’ll be joined by a recently anointed Stranger Genius familiar to fans of Fantagraphics. Don’t miss a rare public appearance by this influential…
What’s in Store
Plan your social calendars for a sensational series of events at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery this fall. On Saturday, October 10, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, Warren Bernard presents Cartoons for Victory with an exhibition from his fascinating archive of World War II home front ephemera, a slide talk, reception, and book signing. On Friday, October 30 at 6:00 PM the store hosts Short Run Marathon III featuring work of special guests at the Short Run Comix & Arts Festival including Charles Forsman, Melissa Mendes, Jim Woodring, Krish Raghav, Bruce Bickford, and Sam Alden, with live music by Lisa…
