Ho, ho, ho. One week to go. And you have yet to buy a single gift for anybody? If you live in the Northwest, you're in luck. Simply drop by Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery in Seattle and we'll set you up quick. Skip the manic mall crowds and parking problems. We've got exquisite gifts to suit everyone on your list. If you're on a tight budget, we recommend the dozen books below, all under $20 — many below $10! Check ‘em out.
For the love of your life: LOVE & ROCKETS! We suggest MAGGIE THE MECHANIC, where it all started. Fall in love all over again with Maggie, Hopey and the gang. This essential book is only $14.95. A companion stocking stuffer is a set of LOVE & ROCKETS TRADING CARDS. Colorful pictures and bios of all the characters provide a primer for new readers and a refresher for those returning to the series. On sale at the insane price of $6.48.
Get your innocent infatuation a copy of Jordan Crane's wistful "picto-novella" THE LAST LONELY SATURDAY, on sale for only $5.33. Or perhaps the more brazen LUST, Ellen Forney's kinky on-line personal ad illustrations from Seattle alternative paper The Stranger, complete with insightful, and occasionally hilarious, interviews. $19.95
Ladies love the work of Camille Rose Garcia. THE MAGIC BOTTLE combines her arresting imagery with the tale of Lulu, whose bleak world changes when she discovers a magic bottle with a pirate map inside. A real treasure on sale for $9.97. Young buccaneers will enjoy THE LITTLEST PIRATE KING, David B's adaptation of the classic French high seas adventure by Pierre Mac Orian. A full-color hardcover for $16.99.
Get the guys MUZZLERS, GUZZLERS AND GOOD YEGGS — timeless tales of misfits and miscreants from visionary artist Joe Coleman. Only $13.00 while they last. Speaking of visionary artists, pick up a copy of TROSPER, a full color CD booklet by genius Jim Woodring with musical accompaniment by Grammy-winning guitarist Bill Frisell (spotted last Saturday at our festive 4th anniversary celebration.) Just $14.95!
For our secular celebrants there's KAFKA, the inspired collaboration of R. Crumb and David Zane Mairowitz, which seamlessly weaves biographical context into some of the famed author's most compelling stories. The bookstore's best selling title at the low price of $14.95.
Then there's LITTLE MAAKIES ON THE PRARIE, the latest collection of Tony Millionaire's seemingly sophomoric, yet strangely sophisticated comic strip. A handsome Chip Kidd production at only $19.99.
Lest we show exclusive fealty to Fantagraphics, the bookstore also carries a full line of alternative comics and classics from our esteemed colleagues. We like THE 120 DAYS OF SIMON, which chronicles a 4-month tour by Swedish cartoonist and rap star (?) Simon Gärdenfors. Unlike the cloying cuddle porn that characterizes many Top Shelf productions, this book is… uhm, well… OK. It's cuddle porn, too. But it's Swedish! A good read for $14.95. We're also fond of DIARY OF A MOSQUITO ABATEMENT MAN by John Porcellino on Zak Sally's La Mano 21 imprint. In a departure from most King-Cat comics, in this book Porcellino actually does something. Spoiler alert! He abates mosquitoes. Hand crafted in Minneapolis for only $12.
We have countless other bargain books, as well as a substantial assortment of beautiful art books, prints, and graphic novels for those with slightly higher limits. We suggest the awesome DESTROY ALL MOVIES coupled with a gift card from Scarecrow Video; THE BRINKLEY GIRLS, Trina Robbins' thoughtful anthology of Nell Brinkley's sensuous ingénue illustrations; or maybe GAHAN WILSON: FIFTY YEARS OF PLAYBOY CARTOONS with over 1,000 timeless gag cartoons by the master of macabre. (The deluxe edition includes a set of Christmas cards the artist created for Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner.) The list goes on.
Drop by the store at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle and our friendly staff will help you select the perfect gift, with enough left over to get something for yourself. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. We'll be open until 4:00 PM on Christmas Eve. Phone 206.658.0110. See you soon.