Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship:

Krazy & Ignatz 1919-1921: A Kind, Belevolent and Amiable Brick
by George Herriman

176-page black & white 9" x 12" softcover • $24.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-364-4

Previews & Ordering Info

As Fantagraphics’ ambitious plan to reprint every single Sunday Krazy Kat page created by George Herriman for close to three decades (this being the penultimate book) careens toward the finish line, this volume features another three years’ worth of Sunday strips — over 150 little masterpieces by the greatest cartoonist of all time, featuring the greatest comic-strip love triangle of all time: “kat,” “mice” and “pupp.” Each page is a hilarious, poetic masterpiece crackling with verbal wit and graphic brilliance. Those were the days…!

In the introductory essay, editor Bill Blackbeard chronicles Krazy Kat’s ascent from its earliest days as a tiny pendant for Herriman’s earlier strips The Dingbat Family and The Family Upstairs to its own full feature. A second major article in this volume is Bob Callahan’s “Geo. Herriman’s Los Angeles,” a fascinating look at Herriman’s pre-Krazy Kat days as a journalist/illustrator, covering such things as a Mexican bullfight (Herriman was appalled), the opening of a new “bums’ jail” (Herriman’s sympathies were clearly with the vagrants), and UFO sightings — all accompanied by Herriman’s virtuoso cartoons, of course.

As usual, the cover is designed by Chris Ware, featuring a striking two-color look that will set this latest volume apart from the previous eleven.

Exclusive Savings: Order Krazy & Ignatz 1919-1921 together with the previous volume 1916-1918 and save 20% off the combined cover price!

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship:

Buz Sawyer Vol. 1: The War in the Pacific
by Roy Crane

240-page black & white/color 9.25" x 9.25" hardcover • $35.00
ISBN: 978-1-60699-362-0

Previews & Ordering Info

Roy Crane created the adventure comic strip with Wash Tubbs, and many a superhero owes a debt to Crane’s square-jawed, hard-hitting adventurer Captain Easy. But during World War II, he left the Captain Easy strip to create a more realistic fighting man, a Navy pilot named John Singer Sawyer, who fought in the Pacific Theater from 1943 until V-J Day in 1945.

This book, the first in a series reprinting the Buz Sawyer strip, reprints all of the daily strips published during World War II. Buz serves aboard an aircraft carrier, flies combat missions against the notorious Japanese Zeros, crash lands behind enemy lines, and is captured by a Japanese submarine.

The book also includes a selection of the best of the Sunday strips, which featured Buz Sawyer’s pal and gunner, Rosco Sweeney, presented as fold-out pages.

Everywhere Buz goes, he finds high adventure and beautiful women—in fact, his fellow flyers kid him about his ability to find romance on even the most hostile Pacific island, where he meets a dangerous spy named Sultry (!). And when he goes home on leave, it is only to be caught up in a rivalry between rich heiress Tot Winter and girl-next-door Christy Jameson.

It features some of Crane’s most atmospheric drawing, aided by his expert use of Craftint tones, luscious romance, and exciting action scenes. These stories amply illustrate why Peanuts artist Charles Schulz called Roy Crane “a treasure.”

Also featured in this handsome archival volume: an introductory essay by comics historian Jeet Heer and a selection letters to and from Roy Crane (including one from "Al Toth").

“[Roy Crane] is a treasure. There is still no one around who draws any better.” — Charles Schulz

“Every time I thought I had come up with something that I had thought no one else had done, damn it, I’d find that Crane or Foster had already done it!” — Al Williamson

“Roy Crane did adventure with a beautiful combination of cartooning and storytelling. Every panel was an entertaining panel, with something to look at. When you combine his storytelling ability, with or without balloons, with his action and those great panels, you can’t fail.” — John Severin

Comica, the London International Comics Festival, announces:

"On Saturday March 12th, mesmerising Italian maestro Lorenzo Mattotti makes a rare visit to London to discuss his career in comics and beyond, including his latest graphic novel Stigmata, translated by Fantagraphics, and his collaborations, from his animated terrors in the movie Fear(s) of the Dark to illustrating Lou Reed’s concept album The Raven. Joining Mattotti in conversation will be his friend and fellow artist Dave McKean, famed for his multi-media solo projects, most recently the erotic graphic novel Celluloid, and his works with Neil Gaiman notably on The Sandman. Introduced and hosted by Comica Director, Paul Gravett, don’t miss this opportunity to witness a unique encounter between two of the world’s greatest contemporary visionaries from 6 to 7.30pm followed by book signings at Goldsmiths University in South-East London."

Purchase advance tickets and get more information here.

I'm enjoying the flow of decontextualized absurdity and sight gags at the anonymous Nancy Panels Tumblr page, which is exactly what it says it is.  Perhaps it will tide you over while you patiently (or impatiently) await Nancy Is Happy, our first collection of Ernie Bushmiller Nancy strips, which is now rescheduled for December 2011.

The New Chicago Comics exhibit at MCA Chicago may be over but they still have a Busy Beaver Button vending machine dispensing buttons featuring artwork by the exhibiting artists: Jeffrey Brown, Lilli Carré, Paul Hornschemeier, and Anders Nilsen. Oh, me and my precious laundry quarters would soon be parted. (Via Lilli's Kettle of Fish blog.)

Tim Lane reveals two new forthcoming self-published items: above, the third issue of his comic book series Happy Hour in America (the first two come highly recommended and are still available through Spit and a Half), and below, a second issue of his zine Myth of Jack. Can't wait!

Johnny Ryan's latest strip for Vice; yet another homage to Igloo Tornado's Henry & Glenn Forever and, I'm willing to bet, associated with the Henry & Glenn art show at La Luz de Jesus in L.A.

Jim Blanchard emailed us the scan above (click it for a bigger version), saying:

"I bought a 1974 issue of PEOPLE at an antique store in Bellingham for the Telly cover, and within the mag was a small piece on a very young Steve Brodner -- Thot you fellas might enjoy......"

Indeed! Thanks Jim!

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Soup-n-1/2-Sandwich by Steven Weissman (for the Henry & Glenn art show in L.A.; view at original size):

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And elsewhere:

The All-New Cartoon Boy Adventure Hour by John Kerschbaum (an encore presentation of John's Act-i-vate strip at MTV Geek)

Belligerent Piano by Tim Lane:

Ectiopiary by Hans Rickheit:

Eye of the Majestic Creature by Leslie Stein:

Maakies by Tony Millionaire:

The Pain — When Will It End? by Tim Kreider (an older comic and a new essay on Egypt):

Truth Serum by Jon Adams:

CLOBBERIN’ TIME from chris anthony diaz on Vimeo.

Super-fan Chris Diaz and a few collaborators have created this spiffy short video putting together a series of Steven Weissman Post-It drawings into a quick animation with sound effects. Biff!