We're very excited to begin presenting Michael Kupperman's Up All Night, printed weekly in the Washington City Paper and presented online exclusively here at Fantagraphics.com! The strip joins our regular weekly feature by Steven Weissman (G'n'R's back!) and our usual links to other strips from around the web:

---

Up All Night by Michael Kupperman (view at original size):

"Chinese Chicken Salad Democracy" by Steven Weissman (view at original size):

---

And elsewhere:

Amazing Facts... and Beyond! with Leon Beyond by guest artist Sammy Harkham:

Ectiopiary by Hans Rickheit:

Lucky by Gabrielle Bell:

Maakies by Tony Millionaire:

Mugwhump the Great by Roger Langridge (at Act-i-vate):

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "The Arctic Marauder, Fantagraphics’ latest entry in their Tardi line, ...is a wickedly sly take on classic turn-of-the-century pulp adventures that nevertheless manages to both tweak and evoke those stories. It is, in short, a blast to read. [...] Tardi writes... as if he was getting paid by the exclamation point. [...] If the prose were any more purple, it would bruise. But as much fun as the overwrought text is, the art is the book’s main draw. [...] Marauder looks quite unlike any comic you’ve read before." – Chris Mautner, Robot 6

• Plug: "Just got a copy of Jacques Tardi's Arctic Marauder in the mail...looks fantastic...bravo @fantagraphics..." – Paul Pope

• Review: "The characters [in Freeway] are well crafted, and Kalesniko does a fine job contrasting the reality of his circumstances against his dream scenario — particularly in the case of his own insecurity compared to his dream-vision’s easy-going confidence. The office politics are well played and all too real, and the pages are laid out well, the illustrations suitably charming." – Michael C. Lorah, Newsarama

• Review: "In summary, you just have to buy Love from the Shadows, it’s an essential purchase for all comic lovers. Whether you’re a Love & Rockets fan from the early days, or if you’re new to the works of Gilbert Hernandez, there’s something here for everyone. In fact, due to its standalone nature, the book serves as a perfect introduction, if not not to the world of Love & Rockets, then at least to its style. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it’s a breath-taking masterpiece. It’s like Love & Rockets meets David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive!" – Edward Kaye, Hypergeek

• Profile: Johnny Ryan is the subject of the latest Cartoonist Survey at David Baccia's David-Wasting-Paper blog: "[Q:] If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be? [A:] Give lots of rim jobs."

A Stacy Fisher / Gary Panter art show opens at Cleopatra’s in Brooklyn on Sunday. See/click the invitation for more info. Via Gary's blog.

We aren't in attendance at C2E2 in Chicago this weekend, but you'll be able to find our wares at various dealer booths, including Chicaco Comics' (booth 526) — and if you stop by their booth between 2 and 4 tomorrow (Saturday March 19), you'll be able to meet Paul Hornschemeier and have him sign your books (or, Paul notes on his blog, your dog).

We recently received a pallet of marginally marred books from one of our distributors and we're offering them at 50% off cover price at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. Popular titles by alternative comix giants like Peter Bagge, Charles Burns, Daniel Clowes, R. Crumb, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, Michael Kupperman, Tony Millionaire, and Johnny Ryan along with incredible classics like Peanuts, Popeye, Krazy Kat, and Prince Valiant. This huge variety of bargain books won't last long. Drop by the store and browse. We're open every day. Phone 206.658.0110. See you then. 

Kati With An I (trailer) from prewarcinema on Vimeo.

It should come as little surprise that Leslie Stein, whose debut book Eye of the Majestic Creature premieres at MoCCA Fest next month, is also a musician, seeing as how one of the main characters in the book is a talking anthropomorphic guitar. Leslie's music is featured in the new documentary film Kati with an I — in the trailer posted above, it begins around the 1 minute mark. (Thanks to director Robert Greene for the scoop.)

Head to Diamond Comics Distributors' Previews website for an 8-page excerpt from Jacques Tardi's The Arctic Marauder (embedded in one of those nifty Issuu flip-through thingies — full-screen viewing is recommended).

Now is the perfect time to upgrade your spring wardrobe with lovely new tee shirt designs by Basil Wolverton, Jim Woodring and Jim Blanchard from Seattle-based label Americaware. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is offering a 25% discount off the $29.95 designer shirts — now only $22.50. The line features six signature creations by each cartoonist in sizes M, L and XL. Fantagraphics Bookstore is the only store on the planet to carry these amazing garments, so drop by while our limited supply lasts. Open daily at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle's enchanting Georgetown arts community. Phone 206.658.0110. See you then.

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "The saga of Roberto Clemente is well known to baseball fans yet it has been given new life in this stunning graphic novel [21: The Story of Roberto Clemente]... Santiago's panels have a sharp, cinematic feel and the compositions and framing give the readers a better sense of how dynamic and explosive the game is than any baseball movie. The wonder of this book is that it will appeal to kids and adults alike. Even non baseball fans will fall under its spell. The national pastime has been virtually untouched by the graphic novel genre but if Santiago's effort is any indication, the marriage of subject and form is nothing short of a grand slam. Santiago has set the bar high, though, and we'll be all the richer if anyone can approach the artistry and emotional resonance of this memorable book." – Alex Belth, Sports Illustrated

• Interview: Wilfred Santiago talks with Sketch Maven about his career and creating 21: "After the previous graphic novel, In My Darkest Hour, I wanted to do a biography.  There were many reasons why Clemente was chosen. The richness, purpose-driven life, the inspirational life story are a few among many factors. The relevance of Clemente’s story to a youngster of today also came to mind. Roberto was a great and famous baseball player, and the baseball was a challenging aspect to the story. But, it was great to explore the sport in a comic book format."

• Plug: "21: The Story of Roberto Clemente will be released by Fantagraphics on April 12. Great news." – Eephus League via It's a Long Season

• Review: "One of my favorite presents from last year’s holiday season was Fantagraphics’ Usagi Yojimbo: The Special Edition... The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy... rivals just about any epic fantasy (novel or film) in the last 25 years for its narrative complexity and powerful action sequences. [...] Reading these stories will help you understand why, when we talk about the success stories of independent comics publishing, Usagi Yojimbo should be one of the first titles that gets mentioned." – Ron Hogan, Beatrice

• Review: "Crane’s work is highly, emotionally charged, but in a quiet way.  Illustrated in a lush, enveloping, greytone, 'Vicissitude' has a Film-Noir quality that adds an air of mystery to this story of melancholy and rotting love.  It is so engaging and enthralling that its ending is jarring. 'Freeze Out,' the Simon & Jack tale, is fantastic.  It’s all-ages comic book magic.  Reading it made me feel like a kid again, reading stories of adventure, fantasy, and magic for the first time on my own. If there were any doubts about Crane’s prodigious talent, Uptight #3 is the spell to dispel those doubts. [Grade] A+" – Leroy Douresseaux, Comic Book Bin

• Profile: The Toronto Star's Vit Wagner on the work and career of Joe Sacco: "'The drive is there,' says Sacco. 'I have a desire to go there and see things and talk to people. It’s invigorating and exciting. But my work involves a slower process. It takes me time to report. I like to sink into the situation. But beyond that, it takes a long time to write and draw my stuff, especially the drawing. You can report that there are 200,000 people in Tahrir Square, but if you want to draw the scene it takes a lot of effort.'"

• Interview: Sequential's David Hains talks to Joe Sacco: "I find more than half of my readers are from schools, in classes where they read my work. People have been to the regions and they’ll see, oh this medium has taken this on, I’ll pick that up. It’s sort of more book people than comics people. Although some of those are the same people, and thank God."

• Interview (Audio): Inkstuds host Robin McConnell talks to fellow Canadian Blake Bell about documenting the life and work of Bill Everett

• Coming Attractions: Library Journal's Martha Cornog looks ahead to three of our Summer releases (Martí's The Cabbie Vol. 1, Gahan Wilson's Nuts, and Krazy Kat in Song and Dance) in the latest "Graphic Novel Prepub Alert":

"Described as a Spanish Dick Tracy on steroids, the titular cabbie here is involved in a hunt for his father's stolen coffin, which contains his full inheritance. Art Spiegelman wrote the introduction, so we're not talking warmed-over liver."

"Wilson drew these linked one-pagers in the National Lampoon throughout the 1970s. His hero in a hunting cap is Everykid, who braves the daily awfulness of a child's world: school irrelevancies, getting sick, strange old relatives, department store Santas, going to camp, and death, for starters. No monsters and ghoulies — just real-life quimsies. Don't you wish you could have seen Gahan Wilson comics when you were a kid?"

"What a lavish show-and-tell: a DVD of nonprint media appearances of Krazy Kat, including videos of a 1921 'jazz pantomime' ballet and rare animated cartoons, plus two booklets collecting drawings, designs, strips, and background relating to Krazy in music and dance. [...] Clearly a shining star for popular culture and film collections."

Gary Panter did this sweet flyer for an upcoming show with his band Devin Gary & Ross (info at the link).