This past Saturday, the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery was proud to co-present an event at the Seattle Public Library Central Branch as Ellen Forney debuted her brand-new graphic memoir, Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me, out now on Penguin Books' Gotham imprint. Thank you to everyone who came out!
Comics readers are more good-looking that regular readers.
No surprise to anyone, Ellen gave a fantastic, and brave, performance. Marbles is her graphic memoir about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She told the audience that she had hid this from her friends when she first found out, so for Ellen to talk about it years later in front of a packed auditorium filled with strangers was truly inspiring!
Ellen had "Club Van Gogh" membership cards printed up for us to hand-out! (We still have some at the store, if you missed out.) Alas, it does not get you free miles on Alaska Airlines flights, despite what Larry might have told you!
Speaking of Larry, his introduction for Ellen was especially sweet. He reminisced about the days when he was the PR Director for Fantagraphics, and Ellen came to the office saying she wanted to be a cartoonist!
After her amazing presentation, Ellen headed out to the lobby of the Seattle Public Library to sign books...
...the line wrapped around the corner!
Local artists David Lasky and Greg Stump stopped by, seen here with the lovely Leeann Bowen! Megan Kelso was also in the audience, but I didn't manage to get a snap of her.
Back in the now-empty auditorium, Larry chatted with local arts activist Cathy Hillenbrand, who will surely enjoy her new copy of I Love Led Zeppelin!
Thank you so much to the wonderful staff of the Seattle Public Library, who are always a joy to work with! And thanks again to everyone who made it out for the event. There are more camera-phone-snaps of the event at the Fantagraphics Flickr page!
If you couldn't make it, Larry will have signed (yes!) copies of Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me at the store later this week. 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.
The Last Vispo Anthology: Visual Poetry 1998 – 2008 featured at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on November 24.
Much like the language of comix, visual poetry employs imagery to supplement the written word. This ocular form of discourse is the subject of a new book, The Last Vispo Anthology, edited by Northwest literary artists Nico Vassilakis and Crag Hill. Their work will be feted with an exhibition, readings, and music performance at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Saturday, November 24 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
The reception will feature short readings by contributors James Yeary, Donato Mancini, Robert Mittenthal, Joseph Keppler and Gustave Morin, as well as editors Hill and Vassilakis. The exhibition will include 15 prints from the anthology. Musical entertainment will be provided by Lori Goldston (former Nirvana and Earth cellist, and recent Stranger “Genius Award” recipient) performing with former Black Cat Orchestra band mate Kyle Hanson. This event marks the departure to New York of editor Nico Vassilakis, a longtime Fantagraphics employee and fixture in Seattle’s cultural community. Admission is always free.
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle’s vibrant Georgetown industrial arts corridor. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.
Listing Information
The Last Vispo Anthology exhibition, book signing and readings featuring music by Lori Goldston and Kyle Hanson.
Saturday, November 24, 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Exhibition continues through December 6. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery 1201 S. Vale St. Seattle,WA 206.658.0110 Open daily 11:30 – 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM
Scarecrow Video is one of those local landmarks that makes me proud to live here: it's the largest independent video store in the country, and is known for their amazing collection of rare, out-of-print oddness. Their vast catalog was scoured by the editors of our (now out-of-print itself) collection Destroy All Movies!!! The Complete Guide to Punks on Film, with help from employees of the store.
Local cartoonist (and Scarecrow employee) Marc Palm curated the show, inviting over 30 artists to contribute their renditions of video box art, including our own Larry Reid, manager and curator of the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery!
That's Larry's box in the center, featuring a shout-out to Carl Barks's Donald Duck! (Sorry the photo is blurry! Larry's box was high up on the wall, and I was literally on tip-toe trying to take a photo of it!)
Lots of local artists are featured in the show, including David Lasky, whose box is in the center of that pic above.
I would totally watch "Twin Peaks: The Animated Series."
VHS Art New Wave will be on display at Scarecrow Video [ 5030 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle ] through Tuesday, November 20th! Plus, all the boxes are being sold via silent auction, with proceeds going to benefit Scarecrow and its ever-growing library that is already 150,000 titles strong. Go check it out, and then check out some videos, why dontcha!
One of Seattle’s most celebrated artists, Ellen Forney, will discuss her courageous new graphic memoir Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me at the Seattle Public Library central branch on Saturday at 7:00 PM. Her slide presentation in the Microsoft Auditorium will be followed by a book signing. Copies will available at the event. Admission is free.
Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me, from Penguin Books’ Gotham imprint, chronicles Forney’s experience with bipolar disorder in the context of her career in comix. She documents her symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment with both sensitivity and humor.
Forney has 3 previous comix collections from Fantagraphics Books and is a newly anointed Stranger “Genius.” Her collaboration with Sherman Alexie on The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was honored with a National Book Award in 2007. Beyond these and other accomplishments, Ellen follows in the tradition of Lynda Barry, Tom Robbins, Kurt Cobain and other notable artists in cleverly communicating regional sensibilities to the rest of the nation. To preview the event, Forney will appear on Seattle's KUOW public radio to talk with reporter Marcie Sillman this morning, Thursday Nov. 8th, at 9:45 a.m.
Please join us this Saturday, November 10 at 7:00 PM at the Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Avenue, as this extraordinary artist unveils her remarkable new book. Presented by Seattle Public Library Foundation and Fantagraphics Bookstore.
One of Seattle's most notable artists, Ellen Forney, will discuss her courageous new graphic memoir Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me at the Seattle Public Library central branch on Saturday, November 10 at 7:00 PM. Her slide presentation in the Microsoft Auditorium will be followed by a book signing. Copies will available at the event. Admission is free.
Ellen Forney has a long history of achievement as a cartoonist, visual artist, and charismatic figure in the Seattle's cultural community. Forney was recently anointed a "Genius" by alternative newspaper The Stranger. She's the featured public artist on the Capitol Hill light rail station project. Seattle-based publisher Fantagraphics Books has collected her work in three popular volumes — Lust, I Love Led Zeppelin, and Monkey Food. Her collaboration with author Sherman Alexie on The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was honored with a National Book Award in 2007. Beyond these accomplishments, Ellen has followed in the tradition of Lynda Barry, Tom Robbins, Kurt Cobain and other notable artists in cleverly reflecting regional sensibilities to the rest of the nation.
Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me, from Penguin Books' Gotham imprint, chronicles Forney's experience with bipolar disorder in the context of her career in comix. She documents her symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment with both sensitivity and humor. Her accessible approach to this difficult subject removes the social stigma associated with mental illness. Please join us on Saturday, November 10 at 7:00 PM at the Seattle Public Library as this extraordinary artist unveils her remarkable new book.
Listing Information
Ellen Forney presents Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me. Saturday, November 10, 7:00 PM Microsoft Auditorium. Seattle Public Library Central Branch. 1000 4th Ave. Admission free. Reservations not required.
Presented by Seattle Public Library Foundation and Fantagraphics Bookstore.
One of many appealing aspects of David Lasky and Frank M. Young's new graphic biography of The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song is the CD of the Carters performing live on border radio, playing songs featured in the comix. It has the ethereal effect of transporting readers back in time. A big attraction at the reception for Lasky and Noah Van Sciver this Friday, November 2 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is a music performance by Dennis Driscoll. He contributed a sweet version of "Bury Me Beneath the Weeping Willow" to America Salutes The Carter Family cassette-only release.
Another attraction on Friday is an exhibition of cartoonists associated with Seattle's lively Intruder comix and graphix tabloid at the One Night Stand Gallery, located directly above Fantagraphics Bookstore. This action coincides with the Short Run Small Press Fest November 1 - 3.
• Seattle, WA: It's your last chance to see our exhibit The Horror: from the EC Comics Libraryat the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery! I wrote myself a note about this in my calendar that just read "The Horror Ends," which cracked up my friend who saw it out of this context. (more info)
Thursday, November 1st
• Seattle, WA: Our own Jason T. Miles is just one of many awesome local artists in the show Handbound: Exploring the Process of Short Run Small Press Fest Exhibitors at SOIL Gallery. This group show explores the creative process of exhibiting book artists through a combination of original art, sketches, ephemera and books. It's high-brow, low-brow and everything in between. Reception is from 5:00-8:00 PM, and the show runs through December 1st. (more info)
• Seattle, WA: A plethora of Fantagraphics artists and friends will be exhibiting at the 2nd Annual Short Run Small Press Fest at the Vera Project at Seattle Center. This event is FREE, open to the public, and is completely awesome. (more info)
• Athens, GA: Head back to the Georgia Museum of Art today as Patrick Dean, curator of the exhibit “Beyond the Bulldog: Jack Davis,” and a cartoonist himself who sits on the board of the Jack Davis Foundation, will give a talk from 3:00 to 4:00 PM with a reception to follow. (more info)
Daylight Savings is upon us this weekend, which means those of us in the Northwest can look forward to darker evenings and some good ol' Seasonal Affective Disorder.
What better time to burrow under the blankies with The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln, a documentation of Abraham Lincoln's crushing cloud of depression by Noah Van Sciver! Reading Noah's sensitive look at Lincoln's irrepressible ambition despite his troubled times is even better than one of those sun lamps. After all, Lincoln made it through the darkness, and so will you...
It's been an honor watching this book unfold from local fellas, cartoonist David Lasky and writer Frank M. Young, and the finished product is even more beautiful than I could've imagined!
Don’t Forget This Songis more than just an "graphic novel" bio on country music legends The Carter Family; it's a really lovely, sensitive look at the bond of family. As our own Kim Deitch says on the back of the book, "Young and Lasky do a winning job presenting this absolutely charming tale of romance, compulsion, anthropology, great meteoric success, and all the ironic baggage that usually goes with that kind of success."
The dialogue is written in the Southern dialect of the time, which gives the book an added dreamy, transportive feel. And the whole dang thing even comes with a CD of rare Carter Family radio recordings, so you can listen to the music as you follow their lives!
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. Um, don't forget this event!
Fantagraphics Bookstore and Georgetown Records are pleased to announce a sensational series of music, comix, and literary events for the remainder of this year. Don't miss a minute!
On Friday, November 2, David Lasky and Noah Van Sciver appear for a joint exhibition and book signing from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Musical entertainment will be provided by K recording artist Dennis Driscoll, who promises to cover some Carter Family material. The following Saturday, November 10 at 7:00 PM, newly christened "Stranger Genius" Ellen Forney will present her courageous new graphic memoir, Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me in the Microsoft Auditorium of the Seattle Public Library Central Branch. On Saturday, November 24 at 6:00 PM, we host a book launch party for The Last Vispo Anthology, edited by longtime Fantagraphics staffer Nico Vassilakis. The evening features readings by many contributors and music by another "Stranger Genius" honoree Lori Goldsten (former Earth and Nirvana cellist), joined by former Black Cat Orchestra bandmate Kyle Hanson. On Saturday, December 8, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, Fantagraphics Bookstore commemorates its 6th anniversary in style with Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez celebrating 30 years of Love & Rockets. Special guest artist and musician Geneviève Castrée will perform for the occasion. The series concludes on Sunday, December 30 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM with Nathan Bulmer signing Eat More Bikes collection from Koyama Press. All events are all ages and free. Make plans to move to Seattle now.
The 2013 Fantagraphics Ultimate Catalog of Comics is available now! Contact us to get your free copy, or download the PDF version (9 MB).
Preview upcoming releases in the Fantagraphics Spring/Summer 2013 Distributors Catalog. Read it here or download the PDF (26.8 MB). Note that all contents are subject to change.
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