August 23, 2012 – Seattle, WA. Cartoonist Gary Panter has indelibly influenced four decades of American popular culture. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery celebrates this remarkable artist with an exhibition of original drawings and colorful prints on Saturday, September 8, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Panter will appear to sign copies of his new collection Dal Tokyo, published by Seattle-based Fantagraphics Books.

Gary Panter’s manic “Jimbo” comix and dense illustrations were emblematic of California’s punk movement in the 1970s and later became fixtures in Art Spiegleman’s avant garde RAW Magazine anthology. In the 1980s, Panter cultivated a broader audience as set designer for the unlikely hit children’s television franchise Pee Wee’s Playhouse, where his singular aesthetic was recognized with multiple Emmy Awards. He is widely regarded as one on the most innovative artists in contemporary comix, and in 2006 was included in the sensational “Masters of American Comics” traveling exhibition. In recent years, his work has been published by Matt Groening’s Bongo Comics, Drawn & Quarterly, Picture Box, and two previous volumes from Fantagraphics Books: Jimbo in Purgatory and Jimbo’s Inferno. Panter was the recipient of the prestigious 2012 Klein Award, presented by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York.



The ambitious Dal Tokyo concept occurred to Panter in the early 1970s – (the title is an amalgam of Dallas in his native Texas, and Tokyo, which he once considered an exotic faraway land.) It imagines a frenetic future society on Mars combining cultural motifs from America and Japan. Visual puns, punk, and psychedelic imagery coalesce in this alluring allegory. The strip was serialized for a year in the weekly L. A. Reader and later published monthly in the Japanese magazine Riddum for more than a decade.



Please join us on Saturday, September 8 to welcome this extraordinary artist to Seattle. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle’s Georgetown arts community. This event coincides with the colorful Georgetown Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts throughout the historic neighborhood.

Questions? Contact store curator Larry Reid at 206.669.9059. The exhibition will continue through October 10th, 2012.

* Other People's Publications
** Yeah, You Know Me.

I'm super-excited to announce that the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is now carrying work from Koyama Press, one of my absolute favorite small press publishers, run by the lady I've deemed "The Nicest Woman in Comics"™, Ms. Annie Koyama.

And one of the titles we now have in stock is Root Rot, the forest-themed anthology edited by Annie and Michael DeForge last year, featuring Mome-vets like T. Edward Bak, Joseph Lambert, and Jon Vermilyea, alongside some other excellent artists like Derek M. Ballard, Dan Zettwoch, Hellen Jo, and many more.

Some of the contributions are singular drawings over two-spreads, like T. Edward's gorgeous opening piece, or Robin Nishio's hilarious squirrel sketches. Others submitted short strips, like Joe Lambert and Angie Wang's family portraits. They all do what a good anthology should do: which is leave you wanting more!

Get some Root Rot and other Koyama Press titles while supplies last at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is 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.

Sadly, I was out of town when the show first opened, so yesterday was my first look at our latest exhibit Game Over: Failed Alternative Video Games, and holy heck -- it's a winner!

Inspired by video game journalist Bob Mackey's piece for 1Up.com, our very own Jen Vaughn conceptualized the “box art” of some of our most famous graphic novels reimagined as failed videogame adaptations. For example...

How about Prison Pit for the Xbox 360? As Jen puts it, "even gorier than Mortal Kombat!" The box detail that cracked me up? "No quests here." Ain't that the truth!

Speaking of quests, who wouldn't want to try out Dungeon Quest: Book Three for the Wii? Introducing new playable character, Lou the Little Forest Man! The box detail that made me laugh here: "Skip that next bag of weed and save up for Dungeon Quest 3..." HEE!

If you live outside of Seattle and can't make it to the show, you can check out more of Jen's hilarious and awesome adapations over on the Fantagraphics Flickr. 

But if you do live around Seattle, don't let it be game over for you! You have until Wednesday, September 5th to check out the show. The 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.

* Other People's Publications
** Yeah, You Know Me.

Hark! It's Kate Beaton calendars! And, you can get them now, only at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, fresh from their debut at the Drawn & Quarterly booth at San Diego Comic-Con!

Before you scoff and say, "No one uses calendars anymore," I want to point out that at my day job, my officemate and I each have paper calendars at our desks, (his, a boring Office Max one; mine, an excellent Apak Little Otsu one) and we work in the same room!!! Everyone needs a calendar!

There are two different designs to choose from: one has a literature theme and the other has a more general theme. Both feature page after page of Kate's delightful strips that landed her on the New York Times Bestselling Graphics Novels list and on the Best of 2011 list in Time Magazine!

Get 2013 off to a great start, and get one today! The Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is 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.

 Thursday, August 9th

• Portland, OR: Our lovely editor Justin Hall will be signing No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics at Floating World Comics with special guests Erika Moen, Robert Triptow, and Vaughn Fricke! (more info)

Friday, August 10th

• Brooklyn, NY: The great Lewis Trondheim is coming all the way from France to help Bergen Street Comics celebrate the world premiere of Ralph Azham Vol. 1: Why Would You Lie to Someone You Love?!!! (more info)

Saturday, August 11th

• Seattle, WA:  Join Fantagraphics at Booth 214 at the 2nd annual GeekGirlCon! Signing with us today will be Ellen Forney, Megan Kelso, Justin Hall, and Roberta Gregory! (more info)  

• Seattle, WA: To celebrate GeekGirlCon and PAX Prime, Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery presents “GAME OVER,” an exhibition of “box art” of some of our most famous graphic novels reimagined as failed videogame adaptations. (more info) 

 • Montreal, QB:  He just can't stay away from Canada! Beloved artist Jason will be signing at the Planète BD! (more info) 

Sunday, August 12th

• Seattle, WA:  It's your last chance to visit Fantagraphics at Booth 214 at the 2nd annual GeekGirlCon! Check it out! (more info)   

 

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.

We're proud to announce the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery Fall Schedule! Come find out why New York Magazine listed us in their Urbanist's Guide to Seattle! See why the Seattle Weekly named us Seattle's Best Comic Book Store, adding "it's a gallery, bookshop, and thriving arts community all in one." But, hopefully, you know how great we are already, so just c'mon out and buy some books!

• Saturday, September 8th: GARY PANTER Dal Tokyo exhibition and book signing. Exhibition continues through October 10.
 
• Saturday, October 13th: THE HORROR: EC Comics Library exhibition with music performance by MOLLY NILSSON. Exhibition continues through October 31.
 
• Saturday, October 20th: CHARLES BURNS signing The Hive in association with Elysian Brewing’s Great Pumpkin Brew Festival.
 
• Monday, October 22nd: CHRIS WARE, CHIP KIDD, and CHARLES BURNS artist talk and book signing at Town Hall.

• Friday, November 2nd: NOAH VAN SCIVER The Hypo with DAVID LASKY The Carter Family exhibition and book signing. Exhibition continues through November 22.
 
• Saturday, November 10th: ELLEN FORNEY Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me presentation and book signing at Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Public Library.
 
• Saturday, November 24th: NICO VASSILAKIS The Last Vispo Anthology exhibition, book signing and performances.  Exhibition continues through December 6.
 
• Saturday, December 8th: Spectacular 6th Anniversary Celebration with very special guests, including musical guest GENEVIÈVE CASTRÉE.

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You won't want to miss a minute of the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery Fall Schedule! We're located at 1201 S. Vale Street at Airport Way South. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. 

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.

Max Clotfelter, Ben Horak, Tim Miller, and a student from their comics class with 826 Seattle. // photo credit: Kelly Froh

While we were at Comic-Con, the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery launched the “The Massive World of Mini-Comix,” an exhibition featuring art created by young students who attended an 826 Seattle workshop! 

I finally had a chance to view the show this past weekend, and it was so inspiring! I loved getting to see artwork by 12-year-olds next to work by people 2-to-3x their age, their teachers, Seattle cartoonists Max Clotfelter, Ben Horak and Tim Miller. 

The show closes on Thursday, August 9th, so if you live in Seattle, you still have a chance to see it! The Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street at Airport Way South. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM.

Local artists Eroyn Franklin and Max Clotfelter check out the show! // photo credit: John Ohannesian

Or, if you live outside of the Seattle area, you can check out more photos of the show on the Fantagraphics Flickr!

Gee, sure is a slow week for events at Fantagraphics... cough.

Monday, July 9th

• Berkeley, CA: Our own Tim Kreider will be doing a reading at 7:00 PM at Books, Inc. (more info)

Tuesday, July 10th

• Brooklyn, NY:  Join Michael Kupperman at Littlefield for another fine edition of his monthly comedy series The Crime Stoppers Club, with special guests Julia Wertz, James Adomian, Matthew Thurber, Annie Lederman, and special guest Adam Warrock! (more info)

• New York City, NY: It's the launch party for Significant Objects, hosted by editors Joshua Glenn & Rob Walker at The Strand! Starting at 7:00 PM, writers Luc Sante, Matthew Sharpe, Mimi Lipson, Ben Greenman, Annie Nocenti, Shelley Jackson, Jason Grote, and more will share their extraordinary stories of ordinary things! (more info)

Wednesday, July 11th

• San Diego, CA: Oh right, it's Preview Night at that San Diego Comic-Con thing! (more info)

Thursday, July 12th

• San Diego, CA: Hurry! Quick, get to Booth #1718 at the San Diego Comic-Con and check out all our awesome debuts before they sell out!  (more info)

 • San Diego, CA: Mome-vet Malachi Ward is part of The Crazy Rattlesnake Treehouse Gang live comics reading at Space 4 Art [ 325 15th St ]! No badge required to attend! The fun starts at 8:00 PM! (more info)

• San Diego, CA: Comedian Patton Oswalt is doing a show at the awesomely-named Spreckles Theater at 8:00 PM. Patton wrote the introduction for The Complete Peanuts 1985-1986 (Vol. 18) which happens to be debuting aaaaaat... (more info)

Friday, July 13th

• San Diego, CA: Dang, you guessed it! Booth #1718 at the San Diego Comic-Con! Patton, come by and see us! We love you! (more info)

Saturday, July 14th

• Seattle, WA:  The Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery presents the opening reception for “The Massive World of Mini Comics,” an exhibition featuring art created by young students who attended an 826 Seattle workshop devoted to comic zines taught by Seattle cartoonists Max Clotfelter, Ben Horak and Tim Miller, and facilitated by Fantagraphics Books and Alex Bleecker, program coordinator for 826 Seattle! (more info)

• San Diego, CA: Swing by Booth #1718 at the San Diego Comic-Con to see which Fantagraphics employee has cracked from all the loud video game noises! (more info)

Sunday, July 15th

• San Diego, CA: It's your last chance to visit us at Booth #1718 at the San Diego Comic-Con! Will there be amazing deals? You better swing by and check. (more info)