In Portland, Vancouver & Seattle!

Or Tool, or Lynyrd Skynyrd.

• Review: The Barnes & Noble Review takes a long, loving look at Humbug: "...[Harvey] Kurtzman and his cronies served up some of the smartest satire of the time, much of it as fresh today as it was when first printed... beautifully restored... [a] wonderful production from Fantagraphics... Every page... attests to one thing: [Kurtzman's] all-American genius as writer, artist, and editor." Related: The New York Times "Paper Cuts" blog comments on the B&N review

• Blurb: Earz Magazine has a short update on Esther Pearl Watson & Mark Todd, including a mench of Unlovable Vol. 1

This weekend is the Emerald City Con, our hometown comics event of the year. We'll be exhibiting all weekend and showcasing a host of new spring books including Gilbert Hernandez's LUBA, Bob Fingerman's CONNECTIVE TISSUE, Miss Lasko-Gross's A MESS OF EVERYTHING, the great HUMBUG boxed set, Archie Goodwin's BLAZING COMBAT, Boody Rogers' BOODY, Paul Hornschemeier's MOTHER, COME HOME, and much, much more. We'll also be hosting signings, including:

JAIME HERNANDEZ: all weekend!

PAUL HORNSCHEMEIER: all day Saturday!

DAME DARCY: Saturday from 1 to 3PM

BILL SCHELLY (author of MAN OF ROCK, the excellent JOE KUBERT bio): Saturday from 11 to 2PM

Also, STAN SAKAI will be in attendance in Artist's Alley all weekend, signing copies of USAGI YOJIMBO. 

After the con on Saturday, join us at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery from 6:00 to 9:00 PM for an extraordinary exhibition of original artwork by Jaime Hernandez and Stan Sakai. Jaime and Stan, together with special guest Paul Hornschemeier, will be signing books and mingling with fans.

It's impossible to overstate the enduring influence of LOVE & ROCKETS on the comics medium, so we'll skip the superlatives. Suffice to say that Jaime will be on hand to greet fans and sign books. Stan's epic USAGI YOJIMBO adventure series has introduced generations of young readers to the world of comics, and his books are more popular than ever. His original drawings and paintings are inspiring. Jaime and Stan will be joined by their young colleague Paul Hornschemeier signing copies of his wonderful new graphic novel MOTHER, COME HOME.

This event serves as the official after-party for this weekend's Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, so expect to see other comics creators and luminaries. Adult beverages will be provided for grown ups and sodas for the kids.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located just minutes south of downtown Seattle at 1201 S. Vale Street (at the corner of Airport Way S.) in the colorful Georgetown arts community. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.669.9059.

See you on Saturday.

KGB ANNUAL EASTER GRAPHIC NOVEL READING
Sunday April 12, 2009
7pm -9pm
KGB Bar 85 E. 4th St between 2nd and 3rd Ave
21+

This year, featuring the past and future graduates of New York's
School of Visual Arts.

Reading: Dash Shaw ('05), acclaimed creator of Bottomless Belly
Button, BodyWorld and contributor to MOME.
http://www.dashshaw.com/

Leslie Stein ('03): creator of Baghead, Eye of the Majestic Creature
and Yeah, It Is.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/handmade-portraits-leslie-stein-2906/

Ulises Farinas: ('06ish) Reading from his Act-I-Vate serial, MOTRO.
http://www.activatecomix.com/45-1-1.comic

Alabaster Pizzo ('10) reading a story about mice at an open mic event.

and emceed by comedian Joe Boginski ('07).

Hosted as always by Tom Hart who might or might not read.

This is a quick screenshot of part of a press release BOOM! comics sent out yesterday, which was forwarded to me by several people overnight:

I'm not sure if this is crazy or genius or what, but I laughed.