We'd like to thank everyone involved in making 2012 a spectacular success at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. Gifted artists, authors, musicians, and curators coalesced to create a stimulating cultural atmosphere at the space. 

Thanks to artists Peter Bagge, Gabrielle Bell, Jeffrey Brown, Nathan Bulmer, Charles Burns, Art Chantry, Jack Davis, Michael Dougan, Ellen Forney, Camille Rose Garcia, Ruth Hayes, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Tom Kaczynski, David Lasky, Tony Millionaire, Gary Panter, Joe Sacco, Noah Van Sciver, Chris Ware, and Jim Woodring; authors Jim Demonakos, Susan Kirtley, Mark Long, Pat Thomas, and Nico Vassilakos; musicians Geneviève Castrée, Zachary David, Dennis Driscoll, Lori Goldston, Kyle Hanson, and Molly Nilsson; guest curators J. Michael Catron, Max Clotfelter, Michel Gagne, Ben Horak, Cathy Hillenbrand, Tim Miller, Kristy Valenti, and Jen Vaughn; bookstore interns Lillian Beatty and Lillian Morloch; bookstore staff Janice Headley and Russ Battaglia, as well as our retail partners at Georgetown Records.

Most of all we want to thank you - our wonderful patrons - for your enthusiasm and support over the past six years. Cheers!

As with every year we've been diligently compiling our books' appearances on end-of-year lists and for your browsing and shopping reference we have created a handy page of 2012 Critics' Picks, listing books that are being chosen by critics, fellow artists, readers and other comics professionals as the Best of 2012. (See also the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 lists — these lists can also be found under "Award Winners" in our "Browse Shop" navigation tab.) This page will continue expanding as the year winds down and into the new year and more lists are announced.

If you're a critic, blogger, pundit and/or enthusiast who's putting together your own Best of 2012 list and need to be reminded which of your favorite Fantagraphics titles were released this year (and there's a lot of them), by all means use our complete and up-to-date 2012 Releases section as your guide. (Note that this list includes multipacks which may contain previous years' releases.)

In December of 2006, the Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery opened its doors. Several hundred signings, shows and new comic Wednesdays later, alt-weekly comic The Seattle Weekly awarded this Georgetown storefront as the Best Comic-Book Store in this year's "BEST OF SEATTLE" issue. Above, the Best of Seattle mascot reads Love and Rocket: New Stories #1 as comic book store curator and impresario Larry Reid looks on in the  fantastic photo popping from the newsprint. Gwendolyn Elliot says, "With current and vintage titles at times political, whimsical, or just downright dirty, this isn't some geeky, grimy comic book store—it's a gallery, bookshop, and thriving arts community all in one."

In addition to the Seattle Weekly, NY Mag.com's The Urbanist lists the Fantagraphics Store as a place to browse obscure comics while in Seattle. The Venn diagram below illustrates just how hip Georgetown is by way of New York neighborhoods.

So pick up a nice copy of The Seattle Weekly for a list of great places to see and visit the "Best Comic Book Store" today! We have a new gallery show coming up next week and a whole fall schedule full of the best cartoonists coming by the store.

The book might not be out until October but you can peruse the table of contents of The Best American Comics 2012, edited by Françoise Mouly, now!

Created by series editors, Jessica Abel and Matt Madden, this year's Best American Comics honors many Fantagraphics authors. Not only is there a Gary Panter cover but the inclusion of Jimbo, Joyce Farmer's Special Exits, Jim Woodring's Congress of the Animals, Jaime Hernandez's Love Bunglers from Love and Rockets, Michael Kupperman as well as Charles Burns, Blab's Nora Krug, Hotwire's David Sandlin, Jordan Crane, Jonathan Bennett, Renee French, David Collier and Chris Ware.

A+ B, Down, Down + Forward, Down + Back, Pencil, Ink, Fail. GAME OVER.

To celebrate Geek Girl Con and PAX Prime, Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery presents “GAME OVER.” This exhibition, opening on Saturday, August 11th, will feature the “box art” of some of our most famous graphic novels reimagined as failed videogame adaptations. No set of killer button combos or brute force could make these “graphic novels as games” playable, but Prison Pit for Nintendo 64 is even gorier than Mortal Kombat, and you can bemoan Pete Bagge's Hate-come-to-virtual-life as a CD-ROM. You can even draw your own failed videogame adaptation!

The opening on Saturday, August 11, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, coincides with the Georgetown Art Attack, which features visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic arts community.

Come see why readers voted Fantagrahics Bookstore & Gallery “The Best Comic Book Store” in the current “Best of Seattle” edition of the Seattle Weekly. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street at Airport Way S. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.