Ellen Forney: Better than Guy Deslisle, on par with George Perez! From last week's Entertainment Weekly.

It was a wild time down at our store on Saturday night at the opening party for Ellen Forney's LUST exhibit. Here's a brief clip of her slideshow presentation (NSFW language, or, as someone in the audience shouts, "Dirty!"):

Below, a few photos; for many more, see our photoset on Flickr. Our pal Ben Haley has some great shots on Flickr too.

Seattlest interviews Ellen Forney on the eve of her big party at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery tomorrow! 

Collectible? Yes! Delectable? Quite! Behold the Ellen Forney LUST miniature chocolate bars that will be dispensed by lovely ladies at the opening party for Ellen Forney's LUST exhibition and book launch this Saturday from 6 - 9 PM at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. Also, a new performance piece by the artist, liquid refreshments, and just added — a kissing booth! Really. Get your Valentine a signed copy of LUST. Nothing says love like comics.

LUST: Kinky Online Personal Ads by Ellen Forney

Unveiled at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery in Seattle

Book Launch Party and Original Art Exhibition on Sat., Feb. 9, 2008.

Fantagraphics Books celebrates the publication of cartoonist Ellen Forney's provocative "LUST" collection with a book launch party and art exhibition befitting the romantic Valentine's Day occasion. This festive event takes place on Saturday, February 9 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, located at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle's lively Georgetown district. The display of original art from the book continues through March 17, 2008.

"LUST: Kinky Online Personal Ads From Seattle's The Stranger" (Fantagraphics Books, Seattle, 2008) takes a peek at the alluring deviance revealed in the alternative weekly's "Lustlab" section. Each week for the past several years Forney has selected one ad to illustrate as a "Lustlab Ad of the Week" cartoon in both the print and online versions of the newspaper. "LUST" collects these images and includes fascinating interviews with several of the advertisers, with an introduction by Stranger editor Dan Savage. Forney recently illustrated "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, winner of the prestigious 2007 National Book Award for young people's literature. Alexie contributed the introduction to her wildly successful anthology "I Love Led Zeppelin" (Fantagraphics Books, Seattle, 2006). Forney is a regular contributor to The Stranger and other periodicals, and a highly regarded illustrator, painter and performance artist. She was chosen to participate in the Seattle P. I.'s 2007 Writers in Residence program.

The exhibition, opening Saturday, February 9, will include more than two dozen seductive selections from the book. Creative custom LUST chocolate Valentine novelties will be dispensed by sensuous hostesses to an exotic mix of love songs by DJ David James. Forney will present a short multimedia performance based on the book's contents. The "LUST" launch party coincides with the inaugural "Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack." More than twenty-five galleries, studios, nightclubs, boutiques, and cafes will participate in this monthly showcase of Georgetown's creative diversity.

Fantagraphics Bookstore is open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Events are free and open to the public of all ages.

Listing Information:

Ellen Forney's "LUST" Opening reception

Saturday, February 9, 6:00 - 9:00 PM*

Original Forney art show, DJ David James, artist performance, Valentine's Day party favors.

Exhibition continues through March 17, 2008

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

*It's the inaugural Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack! Festive openings, performances and related events throughout the neighborhood.

Coincidentally, on the same day that we uploaded our desktop wallpaper based on Ellen Forney's LUST, Ellen herself sent us this doozy:

Available for download in a variety of sizes (ahem) and aspect ratios! 

Over at the Stranger's website, our own Ellen Forney has teamed up with the Stranger's Kelly O to talk about the R. Crumb show that just opened at the Frye Museum here in Seattle. I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but I will be listening and so should you. 

I could go on and on about how great the Crumb exhibition is, but simply put, it might be the greatest comic art exhibition I've ever seen and if you like comics enough to read this blog and are anywhere near Seattle, you're out of your mind if you don't make a special trip to the Frye in the next two months.  

And speaking of Forney, we have this to look forward to next Saturday, Feb. 9:

Our Eric Reynolds made the scene at the Frye Museum for the gala opening of "R. Crumb's Underground" and has the photos to prove it -- click here for the whole set on Flickr.

I also uploaded a few of Eric's photos from Ellen Forney's talk at Comixtravaganza -- see those here.

The "Comixtravaganza" event at the Seattle Public Library was a big, well-attended success! Top to bottom: David Lasky leads a comics workshop; the "Getting Into Comics" panel with our own Eric Reynolds at far right; and Ellen Forney meets fans and signs books after her performance. Click each photo for more details in our Flickr stream and click here for the entire set of photos.