LUST: Kinky Online Personal Ads by Ellen Forney

Unveiled at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery in Seattle

Book Launch Party and Original Art Exhibition on Sat., Feb. 9, 2008.

Fantagraphics Books celebrates the publication of cartoonist Ellen Forney's provocative "LUST" collection with a book launch party and art exhibition befitting the romantic Valentine's Day occasion. This festive event takes place on Saturday, February 9 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, located at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle's lively Georgetown district. The display of original art from the book continues through March 17, 2008.

"LUST: Kinky Online Personal Ads From Seattle's The Stranger" (Fantagraphics Books, Seattle, 2008) takes a peek at the alluring deviance revealed in the alternative weekly's "Lustlab" section. Each week for the past several years Forney has selected one ad to illustrate as a "Lustlab Ad of the Week" cartoon in both the print and online versions of the newspaper. "LUST" collects these images and includes fascinating interviews with several of the advertisers, with an introduction by Stranger editor Dan Savage. Forney recently illustrated "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, winner of the prestigious 2007 National Book Award for young people's literature. Alexie contributed the introduction to her wildly successful anthology "I Love Led Zeppelin" (Fantagraphics Books, Seattle, 2006). Forney is a regular contributor to The Stranger and other periodicals, and a highly regarded illustrator, painter and performance artist. She was chosen to participate in the Seattle P. I.'s 2007 Writers in Residence program.

The exhibition, opening Saturday, February 9, will include more than two dozen seductive selections from the book. Creative custom LUST chocolate Valentine novelties will be dispensed by sensuous hostesses to an exotic mix of love songs by DJ David James. Forney will present a short multimedia performance based on the book's contents. The "LUST" launch party coincides with the inaugural "Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack." More than twenty-five galleries, studios, nightclubs, boutiques, and cafes will participate in this monthly showcase of Georgetown's creative diversity.

Fantagraphics Bookstore is open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Events are free and open to the public of all ages.

Listing Information:

Ellen Forney's "LUST" Opening reception

Saturday, February 9, 6:00 - 9:00 PM*

Original Forney art show, DJ David James, artist performance, Valentine's Day party favors.

Exhibition continues through March 17, 2008

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, 1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.), Seattle, WA. 206.658.0110. Open Daily 11:30 - 8:00 PM. Sundays until 5:00 PM

*It's the inaugural Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack! Festive openings, performances and related events throughout the neighborhood.

Alexander Theroux read from Laura Warholic and answered questions last night at the Strand bookstore in New York City, and those unable to attend can watch a tape of the event at the Strand website (click "highlights"). 

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery impresario Larry Reid passes this info along: the Grateful Dead/Blue Cheer poster pictured above, pointed out to us by friend of Fantagraphics Denis Wheary, reveals the probable origin of the "lost" Rick Griffin piece in our "Rebel Visions" exhibition:

Don't forget, the last day to see "Rebel Visions" is tomorrow, February 6, before it comes down to make way for Ellen Forney's LUST exhibit (opening party on Saturday February 9)! 

Presenting the second MOME interview to be presented on Fantagraphics.com in its entirety: Gabrielle Bell, from MOME Vol. 2:

gary groth: Do you remember a time or a period when you made a decision... "This is what I want to do?"

gabrielle bell: Yes. I was traveling at the time. I was in Texas and I was just wandering through a comic book store. There were some instructions on how to become a comic artist. It was very simple — very, very easy. But actually, it was before that I decided to be a cartoonist, maybe a couple of weeks before. It was pretty organic.

Read on!  

Opening this weekend.

Wilfred Santiago just joined the Flickr and is posting previews of 21, his forthcoming Fantagraphics graphic novel about baseball great Roberto Clemente. Check it out!

It's a bit tardy, but his week's installment of Steven Weissman's "Chocolate Cheeks" is now up for your reading pleasure. (Remember, site registration is required. Say, this might be a good time to mention that we just made our sign-up page a little more user-friendly.)