Stuck with another ugly sweater, useless gadget, or awful CD this year? We know. Santa sucks! Get yourself the gifts you really want this weekend at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery's storewide sale. At least 20% off on every item in stock! Two days only — Saturday and Sunday, December 26 & 27. Hundreds of titles by your favorite artists and a big batch of brand new books. 2009 was a banner year for Fantagraphics Books. Don't miss this chance to catch up on the graphics action.

For all you procrastinating shoppers, Fantagraphics Bookstore is open this week 11:30 to 8:00 PM and on Christmas Eve until 5:00 PM. Avoid the mall nuts and parking hassles. Perfect presents for everyone on your list — many priced under $20.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport Way S.) just minutes south of downtown Seattle. Phone 206.658.0110. See you all soon.

We hope that in all the excitement over the 3rd Anniversary Party this Saturday at Fantagraphics Bookstore — for which we have assembled the most amazing group of cartoonists ever — you don't overlook the equally auspicious Portable Grindhouse panel discussion on Sunday, December 13 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. It promises to be both entertaining and enlightening.

Participants include artist Lisa Petrucci of Something Weird, the world's premier purveyor of psychotronic film (and the subject of a new art book KICKASS KUTIES from Dark Horse); cartoonist Marc Palm of the exalted Scarecrow Video; Seattle Times pop culture correspondent Mark Rahner and Robert Horton, movie critic at KUOW-FM and film curator for the Frye Art Museum, who together write the acclaimed horror comic ROTTEN. The panel will be moderated by PORTABLE GRINDHOUSE editor Jacques Boyreau. The panel will be followed by a reception and book signing.

Don't you dare miss either of these events or you'll regret it to the day you die and we'll be forced to taunt you with the infantile chant "Neener, neener, neener - we told you so." Sure, it's unbecoming, but sometimes we can't help ourselves.

[Ed. note: Click on the mural image above to download a high-res version you can use as a desktop background or what-have-you!]

The talented and lovely Femke Hiemstra visits Seattle from Amsterdam showing new paintings on Friday at Roq la Rue and as a guest at the wild 3rd anniversary party at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Saturday.

Roq la Rue proprietor and lowbrow culture maven Kirsten Anderson observes, "Drawing on a range of influences from firework wrappers to Japanese woodblock prints, Femke's use of both pop culture detritus and child-like fantasy create a vibrant playground for the imagination, with each piece looking like a portal for a fantastic adventure. It is left to the viewer to imagine the story that lies inside."

On Saturday Femke will sign copies of her recent book ROCK CANDY (introduction by Kirsten Anderson). She joins an amazing cast including Paul Hornschemeier and Jay Ryan from Chicago, Dame Darcy and Jacques Boyreau from Portland, and Seattle's own Peter Bagge, Ellen Forney, Jim Woodring, Scott Musgrove, and Jim Blanchard with music, refreshments, and comix, natch. The holiday party of the season.

The Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack joins forces with Georgetown's Annual Holiday Art Walk on Saturday, December 12. More than 100 independent artists and creative enterprises will participate in what promises to be the most festive Art Attack ever. (The Georgetown Holiday Art Walk continues on Sunday, December 13 from noon to 5:00 PM.)

Among the fun: A grand opening gala at Georgetown Music on the site of the old Georgetown Pharmacy with live music, new and used instruments and more; "Future", the second installment of The Story of Belle and Wissell and their adventures through time, featuring an animated holiday window display, activities, and seasonal party favors; Glass engraving artist Bird Kelly from Beeraphenalia showing custom pints and steins, with paintings by M. S. Corley at Full Throttle Bottles; Equinox Studios, home to over 45 artists and artisans, hosts an open house featuring "Tools of the Trade" with live music, food, beverages and conversation pieces at every turn; FRIDA/Georgetown Tile Works presents "The Third Annual Holiday Artisans Bazaar," featuring one of a kind affordable goods created by over 50 local artists & designers (continuing Sunday); Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery celebrates their Third Anniversary with an evening of art, comics, music and more featuring an international cast of artists including Peter Bagge, Jim Blanchard, Jacques Boyreau, Dame Darcy, Ellen Forney, Femke Hiemstra, Paul Hornschemeier, Scott Musgrove, Jay Ryan, Matthew Southworth, and Jim Woodring with live music by Dame Darcy and Peter Bagge's Can You Imagine featuring Steve Fisk and DJ Russ "Fallout" Battaglia; Georgetown Art Center will present small and affordable arts and crafts by Tenly Duboise, Jethaniel "Spyder" Peterka, Amanda Dellinger and Angielena Chamberlain; Exquisite interior accoutrements at Great Stuff and Susan Wheeler Home; the debut of Georgetown Lab, an experimental space on the former site of Planet Georgetown; and much, much more.

Saturday and Sunday will also include open studios at Art At the Top of the Stairs featuring Louise McDowell, Donna Van Norman, Eunice Nammacher, and Sally Jones; Nepali, Tibetan, and Kashmiri crafts at Evergreen Guardian Imports; Deborah Stachowic and Mary Tudor at Georgetown Gardens; Mark LaFalce, Painter. On Sunday only, Bella Vitale Studio salon; and Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery presents a panel focusing on the exploitation film genre with Lisa Petrucci of Something Weird, cartoonist Marc Palm of Scarecrow Video, Seattle Times pop culture critic Mark Rahner, KUOW film critic and Frye Museum film curator Robert Horton, moderated by PORTABLE GRINDHOUSE editor Jacques Boyreau, followed by a book signing and reception.

For more information contact Art Attack coordinator Larry Reid. To view map visit: www.georgetownartattack.com.