Legendary Bay Area cartoonist Guy Colwell was a pivotal figure in the transition from the era of underground comix to contemporary alternative comix. His gritty portrayal of urban culture in Inner City Romance was groundbreaking. He is also one of the few cartoonists of that period to gain recognition in the realm of fine art. The 30 exquisite miniature paintings in this exhibition represent a triumph of technique and content. Meet this amazing artist at a festive reception and book signing on Saturday, March 14 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Fantagraphics Bookstore. This event coincides with the colorful Georgetown…
What’s in Store: Top Ten of 2016
It’s come time for Fantagraphics Bookstore curator Larry Reid to select my favorite comix of 2016. A tough task this year with so many wonderful new books – a little like choosing which of my children I love the most. The choices are so close this list could easily be reversed. 10. Hey Lady. With a button affixed to the cover of each issue, I was immediately attracted to Regina Schilling’s zines. When I was able to fully absorb the contents, it became clear there was more to these creations than a clever premise and seductive artwork. Schilling selects a…
Re/Read: Inner City Romance
Re/Read in a recurring column by Fantagraphics Bookstore curator Larry Reid that examines backlist titles you may have missed or are worthy of another read. This time we’ll look at Guy Colwell’s essential Inner City Romance. Inner City Romance collects five issues of the transitional underground comic book series of the same name, originally published from 1972 to 1978. Colwell’s comix provide an unvarnished look at the impact of crippling poverty, substance abuse, and violent crime in the aftermath of the Bay Area’s sixties counterculture. His work is informed by his incarceration at McNeil Island federal penitentiary as a Viet…
Check Out This Week’s Digital Lineup!
New comics from living legends and new favorites, underground artists and Fantagraphics Underground — this week’s got it all! We are proud to present four new digital debuts that both run the gamut of subject matter and celebrate the comics medium as a whole. Gilbert Hernandez is back is with a brand-new, full-color, sexually-explicit retelling of Bible parables. As only the unfettered id of Hernandez could conceive, Garden of Flesh retells the stories of Adam and Eve up to Noah’s Ark, blurring the lines between erotic and pornography. Find this book on comiXology and Google Play today! …
What’s in Store (Best of 2015 Edition)
It’s time that I select my favorite comix of 2015. Lots of incredible books to choose from this year. I was particularly impressed with the quality of self-published and small press editions, which I’ll list separately on the bookstore’s Facebook page. – Larry Reid, Curator, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery Black Light: The World of L.B. Cole. The colorful covers of golden age comix are the focus of this exceptional and long overdue volume on mid-century master L. B. Cole. Essential. We Are Gypsies Now. Tacoma-born media artist Danielle de Picciotto chronicles her nomadic adventures with husband and collaborator…
FU News!
Two new publications are on the horizon for Fantagraphics Underground…
