Hey friends, It’s that time again. Come find us at Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland this weekend! Here’s a list of the panels where you’ll find Fanta artists, our signing schedule, and some helpful links. See you at tables W56-61, aka Party Central. Panels Gilbert Hernandez & Jim Rugg in Conversation With Love & Rockets, legendary cartoonist Gilbert Hernandez helped create one of the most lauded comic series of all time. Pittsburgh cartoonist Jim Rugg has built a loyal fanbase with Street Angel, a beloved indie comic about a sword-wielding skateboarder and her heroic adventures. Join these two celebrated…
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…
What’s in Store: D J Bryant with special guest Tom Hansen
Join us on Saturday, September 9 at Fantagraphics Bookstore for an evening of contemporary comix and prose with D. J. Bryant and Tom Hansen. Bryant presents an exhibition of original drawings from his debut graphic novel, Unreal City. Hansen will read from his latest novel, This Is What We Do. J. Bryant’s sensuous Unreal City contains five highly charged stories about relationships. They address gender, narcissism, objectification, and the thin line that divides love from hate. Existential and elliptical, these narratives perfectly complement Bryant’s exquisite artwork, which will be on full display in the exhibition. His rendering style recalls…
2017 Ignatz Nominees Announced!
SPX has announced the nominees for this year’s prestigious Ignatz Awards. Here are the Fantagraphics titles that made the cut! Outstanding Artist: Emil Ferris – My Favorite Thing is Monsters Manuele Fior – The Interview Outstanding Anthology: Spanish Fever: Stories by the New Spanish Cartoonists – edited by Javier Olivares & Santiago Garcia Outstanding Collection: Hip Hop Family Tree, Vol. 4 – Ed Piskor Time Clock – Leslie Stein Outstanding Graphic Novel: Band for Life – Anya Davidson Eartha – Cathy Malkasian My Favorite Thing is Monsters – Emil Ferris Outstanding Story: My Favorite Thing is Monsters – Emil Ferris Stayed tuned or come see us at SPX to…
What’s in Store: The Birth of Kustom Kulture
Hope you can join us at Fantagraphics Bookstore this Saturday evening as we celebrate the late Michael Dormer, one of the pioneers of Kustom Kulture in the 60s and 70s. His signature cartoon character, Hot Curl, became synonymous with Southern California’s surf scene, but he’s perhaps best known for his contributions to the 1964 cult classic, Muscle Beach Party. Dormer designed the animated opening sequence and his murals adorned the sets, providing a colorful backdrop for Little Stevie Wonder‘s dazzling appearance with Dick Dale and the Del Tones. Dormer worked with legendary surf, hot rod, and skateboard artists like…
San Diego Comic-Con 2017: The Aftermath
Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone who came and saw us at San Diego Comic-Con this year! Celebs were sighted, crowds were impenetrable, garbage food and too much caffeine were consumed. But most importantly, we sold a shit load of books, and got to engage with so many readers and fans. I lost count of how many people hugged a copy of My Favorite Thing is Monsters, and thanked us for publishing it. The excitement over Gilbert and Jaime being inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame. Sold out books and enthusiastic Trina Robbins fans congratulating her on her…
Re/Read: Giraffes in My Hair by Bruce Paley & Carol Swain
Re/Read is an occasional column by Fantagraphics Bookstore curator Larry Reid drawing attention to comix that you may have overlooked or are worth of another read. This time we’ll look at Giraffes in My Hair: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Life written by Bruce Paley and drawn by Carol Swain. Paley’s memoir reads like a contemporary telling of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, a book that inspired the writer from an early age. His harrowing adventures frequently found him at odds with the cops, drug dealers, and other nefarious characters. They also brought him into contact with counterculture celebrities as diverse…
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…
Surf’s Up at Fantagraphics Bookstore on August 12!
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery hosts the book release celebration for Michael Dormer and the Legend of Hot Curl with surf sounds by Pleasure Island on Saturday, August 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. The late Michael Dormer is synonymous with the California surf counterculture in the 1960s and 70s. The post-World War II influence of Beatnik poetry, jazz, and art on the California Coast created a revolution in the Orange County surf world, and no one defined the visual style of this movement more than Dormer. His career as an artist took off when he created “Hot Curl,” the mop-haired,…
Re/Read: Peter Bagge’s Buddy Does Seattle
Re/Read is an occasional column by Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery curator Larry Reid examining books you may have missed or merit more attention. In light of the tragic events recently afflicting Seattle’s music scene, it’s a good time for a lighthearted look at the good times in Peter Bagge’s classic, Buddy Does Seattle. Seattle’s sensational grunge era of the 1990s is often viewed through the gloomy lens of Northwest Noir. Peter Bagge’s Hate comic book serial adds levity to that perception. Protagonist Buddy Bradley and his crew of lovable losers provide a perfect allegory for the lively youth movement…
