At her Screened-in Porch blog, Carol Tyler gives us a glimpse into her working process, with this example page from You'll Never Know. Love the info on her sketch paper source.

Shimura Takako's manga Wandering Son (Hourou Musuko), which we are publishing in English starting next year, is being adapted for Japanese television, with the first episode debuting on January 13 on Fuji TV's late-night noitaminA programming slot. At the show's official website you can watch a series of three trailers (one, two, three) — I found a fansubbed version of the second one on YouTube which I've embedded here. It looks like a beautifully produced show.

Here's the initial announcement as reported by Anime News Network, and here is their update on the most recent trailer. 

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship:

Usagi Yojimbo: The Special Edition
by Stan Sakai

1160-page black & white/color 2-volume hardcover 7.5" x 11" x 3" slipcased set • $100.00
ISBN: 978-1-60699-154-1

Ordering Info & Previews

Created in 1984 as a supporting character for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo has vaulted to the very forefront of iconic modern comics characters and is a perennial favorite amongst young boys and adult fans. Usagi Yojimbo chronicles the action-packed wanderings of a masterless samurai (a “ronin”) in feudal Japan — as told with funny-animals. (If PIXAR and the late Akira Kurosawa were to collaborate on a movie, it might very well look like this.)

For the first ten years of his career, the battling bunny was published by Fantagraphics Books. In honor of his 25th anniversary, Fantagraphics is releasing a deluxe slipcase set collecting the seven first Usagi books. With over 1000 pages of story, this is the complete, definitive, early Usagi. This Special Edition will also be brimming with extra material, including a complete full-color gallery of the more than 50 Usagi covers from that period (never-before-collected); preparatory sketches, including Sakai’s original first draft of the “Samurai” story; two “non-canon” Usagi stories by Sakai co-starring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (with whom Usagi also shared screen time in the TMNT TV series); the rare behind-the-scenes "How I Draw Usagi Yojimbo" strip; Introductions by Stan Sakai and Stan Lee; and a feature-length, career-spanning interview with Sakai.

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "[Megan Kelso's] first full-length graphic novel, Artichoke Tales, raises the stakes seen in her short stories and makes the relationships between three generations of characters one of simultaneous longing and resentment. [...] This story is entirely about relationships, both familial and romantic. At the same time, it’s also about one’s relationship to one’s country, one’s religion, and one’s ethnicity, and the ways in which resorting to war to solve conflicts changes all of these relationships irrevocably." – Rob Clough, The Comics Journal

• Review: "Jason’s work always jumps directly into the reader’s brain and heart, using the beastly and unnatural to gently pose eternal questions about basic human needs in a soft but relentless quest for answers. That you don’t ever notice the deep stuff because of the clever gags and safe, familiar 'funny-animal' characters should indicate just how good a cartoonist he is… This collection [What I Did], despite being early works resonates with the artist’s preferred themes and shines with his visual dexterity. It’s one of Jason’s very best and will warm the cockles of any fan’s heart." – Win Wiacek, Now Read This!

• Interview: Newsarama's Chris Arrant talks to Stan Sakai about the past and future of Usagi Yojimbo: "When did I hit my stride? Well, I think Usagi really started to come together with the first four Fantagraphics issues – before that he’d appeared in short stories and anthologies, but I was able to devote a lot of attention to detail and characterization with that first story-arc. For me as a writer and artist, I think it would be 'The Kite Story.' That was the first story that I did a lot of research on, and it really came together smoothly."

• Profile: The Tulsa World's Matt Gleason talks to Rip M.D. creator Mitch Schauer: "A young Mitch Schauer often sympathized with the classic movie monsters that populated late-night TV. 'They were never really bad on purpose,' the longtime Tulsan said from his home in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Schauer particularly sympathized with Boris Karloff's Frankenstein. 'He didn't want to be created,' said the 54-year-old. 'Then he gets created, and everybody wants to throw rocks at him, crucify him or burn him. Frankenstein was just misunderstood.'"

• Plug: "Punk, new wave weirdos, 80's cult legends and everything in between. Alamo Drafthouse's Zack Carlson and Vulcan Video's Bryan Connolly have a shared insanity for punk rock cinema. Destroy All Movies!!! The Complete Guide to Punks on Film isn't just for horror fans, but every horror fan should own a copy." – Alison Nastasi, Cinematical (The Moviefone Blog)

• Plug: In an article on Splitsider surveying comedians about their experience on Twitter, the great Peter Serafinowicz once again name-drops his pal "genius comic artist and writer" Michael Kupperman

• Plug: Attention Eisner Awards judges! At The Manga Curmudgeon, David Welsh suggests Moto Hagio and her book A Drunken Dream and Other Stories for nominations in several Eisner Award categories

• Coming Attractions: Library Journal plugs four of our upcoming Spring 2011 titles in their latest "Graphic Novel Prepub Alert"

Peter Bagge has a hilarious new strip in the new issue of the Belgian comics anthology El Rios — dig it here. (Via The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log.)

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.

Here are some photos (and a video) I took at our 4th Anniversary party last Saturday night. See a whole bunch more (including photos of the entire "Medieval Thinkers" art exhibit) over on our Flickr page.

It was packed shoulder-to-shoulder!

Jim Woodring & Zak Sally greet their public.

Larry Reid chats with Grammy-winning musician and Jim Woodring collaborator Bill Frisell

Jim signs copies of Weathercraft

Mark Pickerel (ex-Screaming Trees) performs a solo set

Zak performs songs from his album Fear of Song accompanied by his 4-track cassette recorder

Watch Zak play his final song of the evening, "My Secret World"

Folks checking out the "Medieval Thinkers" exhibit

Lots of comics from the exhibiting artists for sale

The Kim Deitch Files print portfolio from La Mano 21 makes its debut

Gary Groth checks out the exhibit

Aaaand, as if that weren't enough, there's a whole great big mess more photos to be seen on Medieval Thinkers contributor Kelly Froh's Flickr page. Whew!

It's not exactly a huge surprise, but welcome news nonetheless: Blake Bell has announced on his blog that following his biography of Bill Everett Fire & Water (seen above), we'll be publishing a series of Bill Everett Archives books that he'll be editing, in an exact repeat of his Steve Ditko bio Strange & Stranger and subsequent volumes of The Steve Ditko Archives. The first Everett Archives volume will be out in the second half of 2011 and Blake needs your help coming up with a title for it! Just as the first two volumes of The Steve Ditko Archives are Strange Suspense and Unexplored Worlds, Blake's looking for a "Something Something: The Bill Everett Archives Vol. 1" sort of thing. If Blake uses your suggestion, you win a free copy of the book when it comes out! Leave your suggestion on Blake's blog (where you'll find more information) or on his Bill Everett Facebook page.

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• List: "King of the Flies: 1. Hallorave manages to combine dystopia and partying in one particularly morose suburban nabe. Artist Pascal 'Mezzo' Mesenburg’s crisp scenes of druggy costume soirées and bowling-alley liaisons deftly complement writer Michel Pirus’s slyly interlocking tales of depraved jollies in suburbia." – R.C. Baker, Village Voice "2010's Best Comics and Graphic Novels"

• List: Kelly Thompson of Comic Book Resources names Linda Medley one of her Favorite Female Comic Creators of 2010, saying "...Castle Waiting Volume 2 is easily one of the best fiction books I've read this year and that's thanks to years of hard work by Medley carefully crafting these stories and characters and flat out making me fall in love with them. Her illustration work remains truly exceptional."

• List: At Attentiondeficitdisorderly, Sean T. Collins's Comic of the Year of the Day is It Was the War of the Trenches by Jacques Tardi, "a furious comic, furiously cartooned."

• Review: "So, the writing and conception are impressive, and Tardi’s art is typically glorious and surreal. [You Are There] looks like a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film, and would be of interest to anyone who grew up with Asterix and Tintin and prefers the atmospheric and character-driven style of adult European albums to the cinematic and genre-driven style of American comic books." – Grant Buist, The Name of This Cartoon Is Brunswick

• Review: "I was a huge Jason fan before this year, but after this year's excellent Werewolves of Montpellier and now this hardcover collection of the artist's most early works, he has officially become my favorite creator making comics today. [...] Reading through this collected edition, you can actually see Jason developing his trademark style. His anthropomorphic figures wearing apathetic faces are ever present, but as one turns the pages, you see a young artist become an expert storyteller. ...I guarantee if you take a chance on Jason's work, you will never forget it. What I Did is beautifully bound and could be a perfect gift for someone who needs to get in touch with their independent spirit this holiday season." – Mark L. Miller, Ain't It Cool News

• Interview: Guttersnipe's Shawn C. talks to Dame Darcy in advance of her appearance at the inaugural Comic and Zine Fair at the Waldorf in Vancouver, B.C. this Sunday

Uptight #4
by Jordan Crane

36-page black & white comic book • $3.95

Ships in: January 2011 (subject to change) — this item will be available for order simultaneous with its release to comic shops. Stay tuned for updates.

Jordan Crane continues to display his mastery of adult drama and rollicking all-ages adventure equally in this issue of his acclaimed comic book series. This issue features the second chapters of Jordan's currently-ongoing, as-yet-untitled (as far as we know) stories introduced in the last issue. "Chapter 2: Trash Night" returns to the troubled relationship of Dee and Leo. Tensions continue to mount as Leo's suspicions about Dee reach a boiling point. Meanwhile, Simon & Jack, the boy and cat heroes from Jordan's classic tale The Clouds Above, are joined in their continuing adventure by Simon's intrepid classmate Rosalyn, who runs afoul of the sinister Principal Codswallop while Simon faces peril in the school cafeteria freezer in "Dark Day"!

Preview "Trash Night" (under its original title "Unraveling") and "Dark Day" at Jordan's webcomics site what things do.

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