Crime doesn't pay... but for $8 you can pay to see crime being stopped by our own Michael Kupperman on Tuesday, July 10th!

Yes, his monthly comedy series The Crime Stoppers Club is back, with special guests Julia Wertz, James Adomian, Matthew Thurber, Annie Lederman, and special guest Adam Warrock!

Join them at Littlefield [ 622 Degraw Street, Brooklyn ]; doors open at 7:30 PM, and show is at 8:00 PM.  Show is 21+, so leave the vigilante youngsters at home. Seating is limited, so get there early.

And don't miss out on future editions of The Crime Stoppers Club -- follow them on Facebook here!

Fantagraphics won't be at this weekend's Heroes Con ourselves, but some of our artists sure will be! If you're in the Charlotte, NC-area, head out to the Charlotte Convention Center and meet 'em in the "Indie Island"!

• Jeffrey Brown | AA-417
• Dave Cooper | AA-515
• Colleen Coover | AA-113
• Jaime Hernandez | AA-415

• Roger Langridge | AA-220
• Jim Rugg | AA-537
• Rich Tommaso | AA-422
• Drew Weing | AA-444

You can even catch our artists in some panels, if you're so inclined!

Saturday, June 23rd

• 12:30 PM // Approaches to Humor, Room 203A: Sure the Convention is HeroesCon, but let’s never forget the funny side of the comic book world.  Join The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald as she sits down with three of the very best cartoonists in the business.  They are able to me us smile and even laugh out loud Roger Langridge (The Muppets, Fred the Clown) and Evan Dorkin (Milk & Cheese) and newcomer Tim Rickard (Brewster Rockit: Space Guy).

• 2:00 PM // Echoes of ‘82, Room 209: This year, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Heroes Con, cartoonist Ben Towle and blogger Craig Fischer turn their attention to 1982, and ask: What are the comics, and comics events, from 30 years ago that continue to influence comics culture today? Ben and Craig zero in on three — Destroyer Duck #1, Love and Rockets #1, and the demise of Warren Publications early in 1982 — and they’ve asked an all-star roster of creators (Jaime Hernandez, Louise Simonson) and commentators (Stergios Botzakis, Toney Frazier, Heidi MacDonald, Andrew Mansell) to join them in discussing these and other comics. We’ll also beam in some off-site commentary from Kirby experts Steve Bissette, Geoff Grogan, Charles Hatfield, John Morrow and James Sturm. With a lineup like that, how can you resist pulling on your leg warmers and joining us for the fun?

Saturday, June 23rd

• 3:30 PM // Dave Cooper & Dave Johnson, Room 208AB: Two great artists sit down to talk technique, inspiration and influences.  And what is better than a Dave?  Two Daves!!! That’s what.  This is going to be a great hour.  Join us. 

It's actually really lovely at the Elysian Brewing Company, but tomorrow night Thursday, June 21st, they bring us "Wasteland," the latest from our 12 Beers of the Apocalypse collaboration! 

"Wasteland" is an Elderflower Saison, available on draft, and in exclusive 22 oz. bottles with labels featuring the artwork of the great Charles Burns from his weirdly apocalyptic Black Hole series. 

The official tapping begins at 5:00 PM, followed by a survival demo by Bryan & co. at 6:30 PM, with cavepainting til 8:00 PM. As always, themed attire is welcome, so grab your spelunking helmet!

Come by and collect the next stamp in your Apocalypse Beer Survival Guide. Fill your book with survival item stamps at our Apocalypse events throughout the year for an outstanding experience at our final End of the World Celebration on 12.20.12! 

The Elysian Brewing Company is located at 1221 E. Pike Street in Seattle. It's the end of the world as we know it, and the end is BEER!

Not a ton going on this week... I s'pose we're all either recovering from CAKE, or gearing up for... SAN DIEGO! (More details about that coming soon.)

• New York City, NY: Tim Kreider will be doing a signing at the Half King Restuarant & Bar at 7:00 PM! (more info)

Friday, June 22nd

• St Louis, MO: Kevin Huizenga will be doing a signing at Star Clipper, along with Dan Zettwoch, at 7:00 PM! (more info) 

Saturday, June 23rd

• Brighton, UK:  There's gonna be a midsummer midnight 35mm-print screening of the Daniel Clowes movie Ghost World at the Duke Of York's Cinema. They'll have a Ghost World-themed bar, zine stalls, and a raffle! Plus, the screening will be preceeded by live music from Sacred Paws and The Choo-Choo Trains! What? No Blueshammer? (more info)

photo credit: Fantagraphics editorial intern, Matt Burke

This past weekend, the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery welcomed back the acclaimed Joe Sacco to discuss his forthcoming release, Journalism, out later this month from Metropolitan Books. 

The last time we were lucky to have a visit from Joe was in 2007, when he and our Store Manager/Curator Larry Reid discussed Palestine: The Special Edition. You can watch video from that here. And, as you'll see in the video below, it was another riveting discussion, this time with our head honcho Gary Groth at the helm!

(Sadly, I missed the first couple of minutes of their talk, sorry!)

You can also check out some more beautiful shots from our new Editorial Intern Matt Burke (and some not-as-beautiful iPhone shots from me), both below, and on the Fantagraphics Flickr feed!

Gary Groth rocks the mic // photo credit: Matt Burke

The crowd before the Q&A began // photo credit: Matt Burke

Joe chats with local cartoonist Kelly Froh while Fantagraphics' own Russ Battaglia gives a grin

Joe signs a book for Marketing Director Mike Baehr

If you can't wait for the official release date, the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is the only place on the planet where you can get it before June 19th!  I bet your Dad would like a copy! We're located at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle's Georgetown district. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone: (206) 658-0110.

Wednesday, June 13th

• Los Angeles, CA:  Listen up, 'cause author Pat Thomas will be doing a signing and presentation for Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975 at Skylight Books. (more info)

Friday, June 15th

• Elmhurst, IL: Anders Nilsen debuts his new exhibit, Adam and Eve Sneaking Back Into the Garden to Steal More Apples, at the Elmhurst Art Museum at 6:30 PM. (more info)

• Chicago, IL: Kevin Huizenga will be doing a signing at Quimby's alongside Dan Zettwoch, starting at 7:00 PM. Get those Ganges comics signed! (more info)

Saturday, June 16th

•  Chicago, IL: Um... CAKE, anyone? (more info)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Wait, what am I saying?  It was earlier this month at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, fer crissakes. 

We were delighted to be joined by Jeffrey Brown, who was in town for a screening of his film Save the Date at the Seattle International Film Festival!  He graciously signed copies of his best-selling new book Darth Vader and Son, and even more graciously (way more graciously), chat with lil' ol me about the new movie, his upcoming books, and, well... cats. Kinda.

[ Warning: lots of giggling... ugh... ]

We still have some copies of Darth Vader and Son at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, so swing on by 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle's Georgetown district. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone: (206) 658-0110.

The most delicious comic-con ever debuts this weekend, Saturday, June 16th and Sunday, June 17th... Introducing CAKE: the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, a weekend-long celebration of independent comics, inspired by Chicago’s rich legacy as home to many of underground and alternative comics’ most talented artists!

While Fantagraphics won't be tabling there ourselves (sob!), many of our wonderful artists will be there, as featured guests, panelists, exhibitors, or probably just walkin' around somewhere.

Some of the featured guests include:

• Jeffrey Brown Table 57
• Lilli Carré Table 1
• Paul Hornschemeier Table 71
• Anders Nilsen Table 80
• Laura Park (who did that gorgeous poster, btw!) Table 1
• Jeremy Tinder Table 3

Some more exhibitors:

• Gabrielle Bell
• Nick Drnaso
• Charles Forsman
• Justin Hall
• Kevin Huizenga
• Tom Kaczynski
• Jim Rugg
• Leslie Stein 

And check out these panels with our Fantagraphics artists! Why, it's the icing on the... okay, I'll stop:

•  Crude and Rude: Comics and Vulgarity: featuring Ivan Brunetti , Lisa Hanawalt, Hellen Jo and Onsmith, moderated by Josh Reinwald and Justin Rosenberg (Sponsored by Quimby’s Bookstore)

•  Jeffrey Brown Makes a Minicomic: Jeffrey Brown makes a minicomic in 1 hour!

•  Double Vision: Comics and Animation: with a Q&A featuring Jo Dery, Jim Trainor, Amy Lockhart and Marc Bell, presented by the Eyeworks Animation Festival (Lilli Carré and Alexander Stewart)

•  Start a Micropress: featuring Sarah Becan, Austin English, Jesjit Gill, Annie Koyama, Greg Means and Caroline Paquita, moderated by Zak Sally

•  Comics In Chicago: The Past 10 Years (Sponsored by the Chicago Independent Radio Project - CHIRP): featuring Ezra Claytan Daniels, Lyra Hill, Paul Hornschemeier, Robin Hustle and Jeremy Tinder, moderated by Edie Fake;

•  Queer Communities, Queer Anthologies: featuring Justin Hall, Robert Kirby and Annie Murphy, moderated by Noah Berlatsky (Sponsored by Little Heart, a Comic Anthology for Marriage Equality)

•  Kevin Huizenga, Anders Nilsen and John Porcellino in Conversation, moderated by Caitlin McGurk

•  Violent Line: Mark-Making and Meaning: featuring Anya Davidson, Charles Forsman, Patrick Kyle, Grant Reynolds, Conor Stetchschulte, Lale Westvind and Mickey Zacchilli, moderated by Noel Freibert

•  Real Life: A Roundatable on Women and Graphic Autobiography: featuring Rina Ayuyang, Lucy Knisley, Keiler Roberts, Marian Runk, Leslie Stein, Julia Wertz

CAKE will be held at the Columbia College of Chicago's Ludington Building [ 1104 S. Wabash (8th Floor) ] from 11 AM to 6 PM. It is free and open to the public.  Go, and give our artists a hug and your money.

Chicago, you've got one hell of an awesome weekend coming up. Kick things off on Friday, June 15th with the opening reception for a new exhibit from Anders Nilsen at the Elmhurt Art Museum.

Titled Adam and Eve Sneaking Back Into the Garden to Steal More Apples, the show will mostly be drawings, and includes the largest drawing Anders says he's probably ever done, a 5' x 8' leviathan.

Anders will also debut a 28'-long handmade accordian book called Rage of Poseidon. He explains, "The book compiles a number of stories adapted from my sketchbooks, all stories of familiar gods and angels, including ones about Isaac and Abraham, the Devil, Leda and the Swan, and one where Jesus tries to pick up Aphrodite in a bar."  Visit Anders' blog for more details about the show, and some behind-the-scenes photos.

Join him for the opening reception this Friday night at 6:30 PM, and make a return visit on Friday, August 17th for a slideshow presentation and artist talk with Anders.

The Elmhurst Art Museum is located at 150 Cottage Hill Ave. in Elmhurst, Illinois, right outside Chicago.

Wednesday, June 6th

• New York City, NY:  Are you attending BookExpo America? Hey, so are we! Visit us at Booth #3422. Noah Van Sciver will be signing copies of The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln from 1-3 PM, and you can catch him at 11 AM on the Uptown Stage as part of the panel "Meet 2012 Graphic Novel Authors!"

Thursday, June 7th

• New York City, NY:  You've got another chance to meet Noah Van Sciver at Booth #3422 at the BookExpo America. He'll be signing copies of The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln from 10 AM-12 PM.

Saturday, June 9th

• Seattle, WA: The Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is pleased to present Joe Sacco celebrating his new book Journalism. Sacco will discuss his unique approach to comix and journalism prior to signing books from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. (more info)

• Worldwide: Our warehouse hero Ajax Wood (occasionally Cannibal Fuckface) can be heard worldwide at 9 PM PT with his old band Last Gasp (cough) on radio station KEXP, streaming online across the globe at KEXP.ORG, or at 90.3 FM if you live in Seattle. (Full disclosure: fine, yeah, I work there, too.)

• Spokane, WA:  And Jen Vaughn, the latest addition to our marvelous marketing team, will be making an appearance at the Saranac Art Projects, giving a talk about life at The Center for Cartoon Studies! She'll also be available to review your portfolios, so head over there at 2 PM! (more info)