The Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack encourages adventurous Northwest art mavens to encounter the colorful creativity of one of our region's most seductive urban environments. On the second Saturday of each month, Georgetown's resident artists and surrounding businesses welcome the public to explore this enchanting industrial arts corridor.

Among the highlights of the April 9 installment: An improvisational music performance by accomplished experimental sound artist Rob Angus at Georgetown Records; "Assemblages: Form and Fragments" by collage artist Ken Torres at All City Coffee; the Nautilus presents "Wasteland," a collaborative show by Corey Urlacher and Kat Houseman including
live music and belly dancing; abstract paintings by Katrina Wolfe at Calamity Jane's; scenic photographs of Japan by Richard Walker at Vecta Photo with proceeds from sales benefiting the International Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan; resident artists Michael Hoppe, Mark Tedin, Julie Baroh, and Kyle Abernathy at Krab Jab Studios; the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall celebrates spring with assorted jackrabbit shenanigans, colorful treats and "Symbols of Synthesis" by featured artist Rose Jarvey in the Lula B canned ham trailer; a continuing exhibition of famed French cartoonist Jacques Tardi at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery; the Stables hosts a group show of Seattle artists curated by Twilight Artist Collective including Curtis Ashby (CASH), Jenna Colby, Twozdai Hulse, Xavier Lopez, ninjagrl, Rick Simpson and Linus Von Moos; and the casual cacophony that characterizes the creative Georgetown community.

The Georgetown Art Attack is a monthly production of the Georgetown Merchants Association (www.georgetownmerchants.org.) A downloadable map of participants can be found at www.georgetownartattack.com.

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Come check out the fabulous backglass for the forthcoming Frank pinball machine that recently arrived at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery! A thing of jaw-dropping Woodring weirdness.

According to game developer Eli Curtz of Olympia, the custom playfield program will interface with a Stern or late model Williams driver board. We can hardly wait to play the thing. In the meantime, you can get a glance of this work in progress at Fantagraphics Bookstore. Come down to the store and get some amazing comix, then stay and play at one of Georgetown's many amusing pinball emporiums. Hope to see you all soon.

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. 

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.

Francophiles and Fantagraphics followers unite! On Saturday, March 12, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery hosts "Better Tardi Than Never: How France's Greatest Living Cartoonist Took a Mere 32 Years to Break Through to American Audiences." It examines the life's work of Jacques Tardi. Organized by Fantagraphics Books co-publisher, editor, and Tardi translator Kim Thompson, the exhibition includes pages from the artist's earliest English translations in 1977 to the present.

Thompson began translating Tardi in 1983 with an excerpt from It Was the War of the Trenches in RAW #5. He became a tireless advocate of this extraordinary artist, translating and publishing his work in several anthologies until American readers finally caught on. The show includes examples of each Tardi translation to reach American soil, along with a narrative explaining the context.

The reception on Saturday will feature a slide lecture by Kim at 6:30 PM. "You Don't Know Jacques. Tardi: 20 Books in 20 Minutes" looks at the cartoonist's career in France. The event will also feature the world premiere of Fantagraphics' fifth Tardi book, the epic "icepunk" tale The Arctic Marauder, among other surprises.

Fantagraphics Bookstore is located at 1201 S. Vale Street in the heart of Seattle's historic Georgetown district. Phone 206.658.0110. This event coincides with the colorful Georgetown Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts presentations throughout the neighborhood. See you then.

The fabulous Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack returns on March 12. The neighborhood lights up from 6:00 to 9:00 PM with visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic industrial arts corridor. This monthly event affords the public an opportunity to visit working artists' studios and patronize the lively and diverse establishments that surround them.

Among the highlights of the March 12 Art Attack: The amazing Georgetown Trailer Park Mall celebrates Americana at its best with the debut of Charlie's Buns ‘N' Stuff, a trunk show of Frida Kustoms in the Frida Trailer Gallery, and live recording for the Georgetown Trailer Park Podcast; Krab Jab Studio presents "The Alien-Pooka War" by artist Milo Duke; the grand opening of Vecta Photo, a photography studio and gallery in the Original Rainier Brewery, features photographs of Seattle Slam wheelchair rugby athletes (proceeds of sales will benefit the team); "Chalk:" new art by Mark LaFalce at Mark LaFalce Painting Works; the neighboring Seattle Sculpture Atelier features a preview of Spring classes; Calamity Jane's hosts an assemblage and sculpture group show with Yvette Endrijautzki, Morbid Anatomy, Matthew C. Scott, Jack Howe and Brandon Bowman; Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery mounts an exhibition focusing on master French cartoonist Jacques Tardi with a slide talk by curator, editor and Tardi translator Kim Thompson; and the many wonderfully creative shopping and dining experiences that make historic Georgetown a priceless civic asset worthy of preservation.

The Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack is a monthly promotion of the Georgetown Merchants Association. For more information and a downloadable Art Attack map please visit:
www.georgetownartattack.com.

On the eve of the Emerald City Comicon, the City of Seattle's official public affairs station will air a feature on Fantagraphics Books. The spot focuses on Fantagraphics resident curator Larry Reid examining the illustrious history of the Emerald City as the birthplace of alternative comix. It includes many wonderful works by distinguished local alternative cartoonists. In addition to the story on comix, the bookstore plays host to the entire "City Stream" episode. So if you haven't yet visited Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, this show will give you a pretty good look.

The program debuts this Thursday, March 3 at 7:00 PM on the Seattle Channel (channel 21 on local Comcast cable systems.) It repeats several times throughout the week, and can also be seen as streaming video on their website.

If you're in town for the convention, be sure to visit the bookstore, drop by our booth at the con - and don't miss the fabulous "Con Artists" bash at the Jewel Box in the Rendezvous on Saturday night! See you all soon.

The work of French cartoonist Jacques Tardi was introduced to American audiences more than three decades ago. His work was championed by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly, who included him in their prestigious RAW anthology in the early 1980s. For the remainder of the century, several North American publishers endeavored to draw attention to Tardi. Yet with the exception of the alternative comics cognoscenti, his work remained marginalized in the United States. Only with the persistence of Seattle-based Fantagraphics Books — who have published no fewer than five Tardi titles in the past 2 years - has this acknowledged genius found a substantial American following.

"Better Tardi Than Never: How France's Greatest Living Cartoonist Took a Mere 32 Years to Break Through to American Audiences" examines the life's work of Jacques Tardi. Organized by Fantagraphics Books co-publisher, editor, and Tardi translator Kim Thompson, the exhibition includes pages from the artist's earliest English translations dating back to 1977. Thompson began translating Tardi in 1983 with an excerpt from It Was the War of the Trenches in RAW #5. He has been a tireless advocate of this extraordinary artist, translating and publishing his work in several anthologies until American readers finally caught on. The exhibition will include examples of each Tardi translation to reach American soil, along with a narrative explaining the context.

The opening reception on Saturday, March 12 will feature a slide lecture by the show's curator Kim Thompson at 6:30 PM. "You Don't Know Jacques. Tardi: 20 Books in 20 Minutes" examines the cartoonist's career in France. The event will also feature the world premiere of Fantagraphics' fifth Tardi book, the epic "icepunk" tale The Arctic Marauder.

The opening on March 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM coincides with the colorful Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic neighborhood. For more information and a map of participants see: www.geogetownartattack.com.

Listing information

BETTER TARDI THAN NEVER
How France's greatest living cartoonist took a mere
32 years to break through to American audiences.

Curated by Kim Thompson
Opening Saturday, March 12, 6:00 - 9:00 PM

YOU DON'T KNOW JACQUES
Tardi: 20 books in 20 minutes
A slide presentation by Fantagraphics co-publisher, editor and translator Kim Thompson at 6:30 PM on March 12.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.)
Seattle, WA 98108 206.658.0110
Open daily 11:30 - 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM