FLOG! Entries - August 2008

Mome Vol. 26

mike

As envisioned by Kurt Wolfgang. (Normally Eric would post this, but he's out chauffeuring Mr. Clowes right now.)

Blogosphere roundup for 8/29/08

mike

Here's what people on the web are writing about our books this week:

• Futurismic, German site Nerdcore and Canada's SEE Magazine (which wins for best article title and best writer name) take note of Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko by Blake Bell; the latter article sparks debate between Steven Grant and Jarett Kobek

• The Onion A.V. Club's latest "Comics Panel" roundup includes a B+ review for Tim Lane's Abandoned Cars; Sequart takes a good look at the book too

• Chris Mautner at Blog@Newsarama gets the first word in on The Portable Frank by Jim Woodring (below the Steve Canyon review)

• For The Washington Post, Douglas Wolk looks at Explainers by Jules Feiffer and Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw

• Guided by Voices fan blog Pop Zeus plugs Robert Pollard's Town of Mirrors

• Tripping Toward Lucidity looks at Mail Order Bride by Mark Kalesniko

• Mexican site Comiquero recommends The Last Lonely Saturday by Jordan Crane (albeit with art from a different story)

• Sequart examines Where Demented Wented: The Art and Comics of Rory Hayes, while The Village Voice pairs Demented with Herbie Vol. 1

• Comic Book Resources compares Mome Vol. 12 to two other recent anthology releases and declares it "the best deal for your anthology pleasure this summer." Take that, Tori Amos!

• Boing Boing spotlights Love and Rockets: New Stories #1

• Sequart continues their detailed examination of the original run of Love and Rockets comics with a look at issue #35

• Demon Art recommends Malicious Resplendence by Robert Williams for hot rod lovers

• Dick Hyacinth updates his ongoing "Best of 2008" list with 5 more of our titles

• Indie Pulp looks at Jason's Pocket Full of Rain and Other Stories

• PLAYBACK:stl on Daddy's Girl by Debbie Drechsler

And in other links...

• If you fall on that part of the Venn diagram where "alt-comics fans" and "Sims 2 players" overlaps, Kinemortophobia has some virtual posters featuring our book covers for you to download

• Richard Grayson of Dumbo Books reports from last Friday's Michael Kupperman signing at Desert Island in Brooklyn

• Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter makes a suggestion for The Comics Journal #300 (due next year). It's been a while since we did a flip cover like that.

• Via Spurge, and from Electric Politics, three words that you might not ever expect to go together: Robert Crumb podcast

• Another great theme sketchbook: Calvin and Hobbes, with Jordan Crane, Jim Woodring and others

• Bob Levin offers some additional thoughts on his book Most Outrageous

• Screenwriter and blogger Todd Alcott dishes on successfully pitching a Maakies gag to Tony Millionaire, and, with Tony, unsuccessfully pitching a Sock Monkey movie to Hollywood

• Spanish-language blog Little Nemo's Kat discusses the acquisition of a page of original Gilbert Hernandez art from Luba #3

• Leon Beyond takes on Krazy Kat, courtesy of Kevin Huizenga

And in anticipation of comics events in Seattle this weekend:

• Seattle Weekly profiles Ivan Brunetti

• Don't miss Ellen Forney at Bumbershoot tomorrow

• The Daily Herald of Everett, WA has a profile and short interview with Daniel Clowes

• The Stranger recommends that you come see Dan at our storefront tonight

The Deviant vs. the Human

Eric

Does Kirby draws a badass McCain or what, eh?!?

TONIGHT! Daniel Clowes! Seattle! Ghost World!

mike

TONIGHT! SEE Daniel Clowes in a rare in-store appearance! GAZE upon an exhibit of original art from Ghost World! HEAR Dan answer questions from our fearless leader Gary Groth! MEET other special unannounced guests! PURCHASE the very first copies of Ghost World: Special Edition and our special signed limited-edition silkscreen exhibit poster (VERY limited quantities of both - get there EARLY to secure your copies)! GET your Clowes books and paraphenalia signed! CLICK here for more details!

It all happens from 6 to 9 PM TONIGHT at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, 1201 S. Vale St., Seattle WA USA. Phone 206-658-0110.

Chocolate Cheeks for 8/29/08

mike

Time for a new installment of Steven Weissman's in-progress pages from "Blue Jay," an epic 32-page story from Chocolate Cheeks, the next collection of the Yikes! gang's adventures. In this week's episode: Elzie Crisler (the world's cutest monster dog) is in deep, deep trouble. (Remember, you must be registered and logged in to read.)

You know...

Eric

... after all these years of reading Rick Altergott's DOOFUS, I never knew Flowertown was in Wisconsin.

Ridiculously cheap McSweeney'ses

mike

I don't know if I'll get in trouble for plugging another publisher here on our official organ, but good gravy: our esteemed colleagues at Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern have put nearly all of their available back issues (including the Chris Ware-edited all-comics #13) on sale for just $5 each through tomorrow.

Society of Illustrators on Politics

Eric

The Society of Illustrators is launching a new exhibition, "Politics '08", next week on Sept. 12 in NYC. The show includes Steve Brodner, Drew Friedman, and many more.

UPDATE: This show was originally to open on Sept. 4 but has been pushed back to Sept. 12th!

Burns Exhibition in NYC

Eric

Adam Baumgold Gallery presents an exhibition of drawings by Charles Burns from September 5 through October 12, 2008. This will be Charles Burns' first New York solo exhibition and will include fifty seminal drawings executed in the last 25 years that showcases Burns' masterful pen and ink drawings for his award winning comic books and other publications.

Featured in the exhibition will be covers and drawings for the serialized version of Charles Burns' epic graphic novel "Black Hole," as well as the drawings for the covers and pages of "Skin Deep," "Big Baby," and "El Borbah," and a rare RAW era "Dog Boy" strip. The exhibition will also have drawings and covers for The New Yorker, Esquire and numerous other magazines that include drawings of cult figures William S. Burroughs and Robert Crumb. Also included will be the cover of "Permagel" the new large scale book of Burns' art.

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 - 5:30 P.M. . For additional information please contact Adam Baumgold at (212)861-7338 or abaumgold@aol.com. Signed exhibition posters will be available. A preview of the exhibition can be seen at adambaumgoldgallery.com Charles Burns will be present at the opening on Friday September 5th from 6 to 8.

Adam Baumgold Gallery
74 East 79th St. #1-D
New York, NY 10075
(212)861-7338

See the show HERE!

From the Files.

covey

The new masthead slogan for every Eros comic: "It isn't very good but lots of our other artists are even worse."

Here's a tip to cartoonists looking to be published: It doesn't matter if you've lived through three murder attempts, don't slander the work of the publisher you're courting. (Kim Thompson has verified that this technique, though surprisingly often utilized, is not effective.) And maybe don't send in your self-professed "not very good" work. (See below.)

(Thank you to Customer Service voice-of-Fantagraphics Stephanie Olczyk for placing this in the *ahem* "permanent" file. We'll miss you when you're gone.)

In Praise of Dennis: A Rant.

covey

It never ceases to amaze me how much an artist can learn about cartooning from a single volume of our Dennis series . I can smell that shop. Ketcham didn't have to make readers smell the shop but he did it so naturally, so easily, it was like he drew with scented inks. He definitely didn't draw that shop from life--it's not believable in that way-- he just knew the smell, knew the way it FELT to be there.

And the way he manages these subtle perspectives. You're not exactly viewing it from any standard angle, but it's like God's perspective-- sympathetic to the experience of both adult and child. Flipping through two years worth of "static" single panel Ketcham gags is liable to give you whiplash the way he shifts 'camera' angles every single day, instinctually shaping the view to fit the situation. Most every comic in history has relied on one or two perspectives but Ketcham seems to be relentlessly challenging himself to portray intimacy and distance, chaos and discipline, etc.

Frequently there's a sketch quality to his work that amazes me. Even here, if I overanalyze the composition I wonder why the shop just ends on the left, but it works. Looking at day after day of his work, I admire the odd framing he'll often utilize, as if his brush developed in kind with range-finding cameras of his own childhood.

I keep meaning to gather together a more-than-impetuous posting about this beautiful strip (and one that's not entirely glowing--overall, Ketcham's humor is too mean-spirited for me) but this will have to do for now. I have work to do.

(Seriously. All their backs are to the viewer and the main characters are nowhere to be seen. Can you feel yourself crammed in the corner, brushing up on that guy's tweed jacket? Nice.)

Now in stock: Krazy and Ignatz 1943-1944 (plus 1935-1936 New Printing)

mike

Krazy and Ignatz 1943-1944
By George Herriman

Krazy and Ignatz 1943-1944: "He Nods in Quiescent Siesta" covers the last two years of Herriman’s masterpiece. With this volume, Fantagraphics and its precursor Eclipse have reprinted the entire 29-year run of the Krazy Kat Sundays! Like Charles Schulz, George Herriman was a cartoonist to the very end. Aside from collecting the last masterful year and a half of Krazy Kat, this new volume offers a retrospective look at Herriman’s life at the drawing table, offering many never before seen samples of his original art (which the cartoonist often lovingly hand-colored for friends). Gathered from many scattered collections, these pages testify to Herriman’s invererate passion for drawing. Rounding out the volume are scores of Krazy Kat daily strips also from Herriman’s last years, further testament to the cartoonists vitality. Series editor and veteran comics historian, Bill Blackbeard, also provides a concluding, wide-ranging essay on the life and art of Herriman. More than a simple reprint collection, Krazy and Ignatz 1943-1944 portrays the full range of a cartoonist who remained an artist all his life.

120-page full-color 9" x 12" softcover • $19.99
Add to Cart • Read More...

Krazy and Ignatz 1935-1936 (New Printing)
By George Herriman

The heretofore black-and-white Sunday Krazy Kat returned in full spectacular color in June 1935, collected here from then through 1936, with a flood of rare color extras and a revelatory essay by Jeet Heer.

120-page full-color 9" x 12" softcover • $19.95
Add to Cart • Read More...

New Comics Day 8/27/08

mike

After the wallet-busting deluge last week, you might be relieved to know that we have exactly nothing arriving in comics shops today. (We just didn't want to have to go up against Barb Wire Omnibus Vol. 1.)

We do have a couple of new books in stock today for direct orders, though... sit tight...

Leah Hayes at Desert Island FRIDAY

Eric

Join Desert Island this friday for a live performance and book signing by the inimitable Leah Hayes, author of Funeral of the Heart and the musician behind Scary Mansion. Some fun! All of Ms. Hayes' work wil be available for your perusal, as well as some special treats created just for this event. Hear some Scary Mansion tunes here.

Stop by at 6 for a beer and an autographed book. Performance starts at 8.

Who: Leah Hayes / Scary Mansion
What: Musical performance and book signing
When: Friday August 29th 6-9 p.m. (music at 8)
Where: Desert Island, 540 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn NY 11211
Why: If you need to ask this question then maybe you shouldn't come.

Arthur on UG Comix

Eric

The new issue of the always-worth-checking-out issue of Arthur Magazinefeatures a pretty great three-page review of the new expanded and redesigned softcover edition of Patrick Rosenkranz's Rebel Visions, executed in comics form by Joseph Remnant, a very talented young cartoonist I expect we'll be hearing more of. The mag is available for free all over the place, but you can also read a 2-part, downloadable PDF version available on their homepage. The strip starts on page 21 of the first PDF and page one of the second.

Persoff Pisses Off the Squares

Eric

Cartoonist Ethan Persoff has created a Tijuana Bible, presented as a replica of a prophetic 1934 comic from Lieberman's Lil' Squeezer Books, starring Bush & Cheney for the Democratic National Convention. All we can say is, right on.

Free Nate Neal Comics

Eric

Cartoonist Nate Neal is serializing new pages from his caveman graphic novel, "The Sanctuary," on a newly dedicated Sanctuary blog. New pages will be posted every Sunday. These new pages pick right up after the third print issue of the series, which was originally self-published by Neal and will be available as a pack through Fantagraphics in the Diamond PREVIEWS catalog for January 2009 products. Order yours today!

For more Nate, check out his non-cavemen work here, as well as his recent stories in MOMEs 11, 12 and the forthcoming 13.

Weissman on Schulz

Eric

KPCC radio in L.A. ran a story in conjunction with the Riverside Metropolitan Museum's current "Peanuts" exhibition, and spoke with our own Steven Weissman about Charles M. Schulz and his strip.

You can listen or read a transcript here.

Popeye on Plato

Eric

From McSweeney's: Plato's Allegory of the Cave, as explained by Popeye to Bluto. "I'm gonna explain ta yer that we's is either dumb or not so dumb, accordin' ta how ya figger out this allergorter..."

A Life of Mystery: only $12

Eric

Check out a larger version Ray Fenwick's new print here.