FLOG! Entries tagged 'Graham Chaffee'

Daily OCD Extra: Booklist's June Reviews

TheJenVaughn

This month's issue of Booklist reviewed three recent releases by Fantagraphics creators, excerpted below:

Peter Bagge's Other Stuff by Peter Bagge et al.

"The pleasing hodgepodge includes multipart sequences featuring Bagge creations like hipster wannabe Lovey and clueless suburbanites Chet and Bunny Leeway (resurrected from Bagge’s 1980s series, Neat Stuff); Bagge-scripted stories drawn by other alt-comics titans, including R. Crumb, Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine, and Gilbert and Jamie Hernandez as well as a story scripted by Alan Moore…While his rubbery, exaggerated visual style may be one-note (as effective and appealing as that single note might be), this diverse assortment of work, nearly all of it top-notch, shows that Bagge has plenty of arrows in his artistic quiver." –Gordon Flagg

Good Dog by Graham Chaffee

"Chaffee’s artwork is bold and straightforward, and he imbues each dog with its own personality while avoiding excessive anthropomorphizing. The natural audience for this work is, of course, dog lovers, but you don’t have to be a caninophile to appreciate Chaffee’s remarkable ability to get inside the mind of man’s best friend." –Gordon Flagg

'Tain't the Meat... It's the Humanity! and Other Stories (The EC Comics Library)
by Jack Davis & Al Feldstein

"…while other EC artists were moodier or spookier, Jack Davis’ stories stood out for their distinctly cartoony tinge, leavening the terror with a mocking humor…they remain entertaining six decades later, or as the Crypt-Keeper would put it, “There’s no ghoul like an old ghoul.” –Gordon Flagg

Good Dog by Graham Chaffee - Now in Stock

mike

Just arrived and shipping now from our mail-order department:

Good Dog
by Graham Chaffee

96-page black & white 8.25" x 10.25" hardcover • $16.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-653-9

See Previews / Order Now

Order this book and receive this FBI•MINI comic shown here as a FREE bonus! Click here for details. Limit one per customer while supplies last.

Good Dog marks the welcome return of alternative cartoonist Graham Chaffee, who, after his successful 2003 collection of short stories, The Most Important Thing and Other Stories, took a detour to devote himself to the art of tattooing, before charging back with his new, beautifully conceived graphic novel.

Ivan, who is plagued by terrible nightmares about chickens and rabbits, is a good dog — if only someone would notice. Readers accompany the stray as he navigates dog society, weathers pack politics, and surveys canine-human interactions.

Good Dog's story and pen-and-ink art are deceptively simple, but Chaffee uses the approachability of the subject matter as a device to explore topics such as independence, security, assimilation, loyalty, and violence. Preteen-and-up dog fanciers, especially, will warm to the well-meaning Ivan and his exploits with a motley assortment of Scotties, Bulldogs, and mutts. Chaffee combines illustrative gravitas with cartooning verve and creates a richly textured, dog’s-eye view of the world. The story is a rousing Jack London-esque adventure as well as a moral parable.

Advance Praise:

"Graham Chaffee has been one of my favorite cartoonists since I fell in love with his 1997 debut graphic novel, Big Wheels. Combining tremendous empathy towards his characters, concise storytelling and exquisite detail, Chaffee's comics are sublime. I am eagerly awaiting Good Dog. I'll plan my week around reading it." – James Sturm (Market Day)

"Good Dog is a book as seemingly lost in time as its canine hero Ivan. Graham Chaffee has a real talent for charming anthropomorphic cartooning and his clean, appealing storytelling and expressive brushwork evoke the work of an alternative golden age of comics; an age perhaps in which superheroes never existed and the medium told more straightforward, poignant stories." – James Romberger

"Getting into the mind of a dog — that's a real trick. I know, I've tried. Getting into the whole heart and soul of a dog is another whole feat. Graham Chaffee not only does it with aplomb (he draws GREAT dogs), he gets into the whole dog's life — and so should you." – Nick Abadzis (Laika)

"I got choked up a couple of times which is the one of the best things a comic can do to me. Compliments to Mr. Graham Chaffee. Really solid storytelling and excellent art. Reminiscent the best way of Jack London's The Call of the Wild." – Farel Dalrymple (Pop Gun War)

Graham Chaffee at Meltdown in Los Angeles!

janice

Release the hounds! Graham Chaffee will be premiering his latest graphic novel Good Dog on Friday, May 17th at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles!

We can't wait for everyone to see Graham's latest work! Over the past few years, he's been devoting himself to the art of tattooing, but he's back with this beautiful story about Ivan, a good dog, who is plagued by terrible nightmares about chickens and rabbits. Readers accompany the stray as he navigates dog society, weathers pack politics, and surveys canine-human interactions.

And while supplies last, you can also get a copy of the FBI•MINI comic Bad Dog, a charming story of Ivan's buddy Kirby!

So, sit! And, stay! For this exciting book launch, starting at 7:00 PM! Meltdown Comics is located at 7522 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles.

Please welcome our new temp

mike

He's fitting in okay but he's only shown a real interest in one of our books.

Photoset: Good Dog by Graham Chaffee

mike

Good Dog
by Graham Chaffee

96-page black & white 8.25” x 10.25” hardcover • $16.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-653-9

Here are a few pretty pictures of the book, which should be unleashed (GET IT?) and on shelves in about 4 weeks; click the thumbnails for larger versions. Get more info, see more previews and pre-order your copy here:

http://www.fantagraphics.com/gooddog

Good Dog by Graham Chaffee - Previews, Pre-Order

mike

Good Dog
by Graham Chaffee

96-page black & white 8.25" x 10.25" hardcover • $16.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-653-9

Ships in: May 2013 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now

Order this book and receive this FBI•MINI comic shown here as a FREE bonus! Click here for details. Limit one per customer while supplies last.

Advance Praise:

"The world does not have nearly enough graphic novels told from the perspective of adorable dogs. Let alone graphic novels that have a good chance of making you feel delighted on one page, then maybe like you might cry a little bit on the next page. Good Dog does those things, and also, did I mention it’s told from the perspective of an adorable dog? Seriously, the dog is so great! I would adopt him in a second and we would do everything together." – Erik Henriksen, Wired, "The Best Comic Books of 2013"

12-page excerpt (download <1 MB PDF):

Video & Photo Slideshow Preview (view in new window):

Good Dog, meet Bad Dog, the FBI�MINI by Graham Chaffee

mike

Graham Chaffee created a special companion short story for his new graphic novel Good Dog, titled Bad Dog, just for us! We're happy to make it the latest addition to our FBI•MINI series of free bonus minicomics. Order Good Dog from us (or $50 worth of other merchandise) and you can get Bad Dog for free! (It will also be included with the digital edition of Good Dog on comiXology when it's released there in May.)

Bad Dog stars Kirby, bulldog buddy of Good Dog star Ivan, in his very own adventure! Escaping from his yard, he travels far and wide, makes a new pal, and gets into some fur-raising scrapes. It's a charming, action-packed, wordless story with some surprising twists.

First Look & Excerpt: Good Dog by Graham Chaffee

mike

Readers have been patiently awaiting a new book from Graham Chaffee for nearly two decades, and that patience is about to be rewarded in just a couple of months. His first book in 18 years, Good Dog is a modest masterpiece of comics storytelling. How high is anticipation for the book? Well, Erik Henriksen of Wired already named it one of "The Best Comic Books of 2013," saying:

"The world does not have nearly enough graphic novels told from the perspective of adorable dogs. Let alone graphic novels that have a good chance of making you feel delighted on one page, then maybe like you might cry a little bit on the next page. Good Dog does those things, and also, did I mention it's told from the perspective of an adorable dog? Seriously, the dog is so great! I would adopt him in a second and we would do everything together."

Sounds wonderful, right? It is! Meet Ivan the dog and see his first misadventure in our 12-page teaser excerpt, and pre-order the book right here.

Daily OCD 2/27/13

TheJenVaughn

The best looping GIF of Online Commentaries & Diversions:

• Review: Publishers Weekly gives a Starred Review to Messages in a Bottle by B. Krigstein. "Krigstein’s stories are sometimes epic and sprawling, sometimes compressed and confined…His mastery of chiaroscuro, and his dramatic composition and layout, applied across a very wide range of subject matter, are what make this gorgeous collection so essential."

• Review: The AV Club also shows extreme love for the comics of B. Krigstein in his new collection Messages in a Bottle. Noel Murray writes, "Krigstein treated each assignment as a chance to put theory into practice, and even among EC’s formidable roster of stylists, Krigstein stands out as one for whom the words around the pictures almost don’t matter, because the art’s so mesmerizing that it’s hard to pay attention to anything else…"

• Review: The Advocate warms up to the reading of Gilbert Hernandez's Julio's Day. Jacob Anderson-Minshall writes "Hernandez is able to illustrate that those events had a global reach and dramatically impacted the lives of everyone — including the people in Julio’s life…A remarkable accomplishment that is likely to find its way on numerous Best of 2013 lists and garner Hernandez more well deserved awards and accolades, Julio’s Day is, at its heart, a gay story."
• Plug: Philip Nel plugs our latest volume of The Comics Journal #302 and it's interview -- the last interview-- with children's book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. "Above all, in reading Groth’s interview, it’s great to hear Maurice’s voice — his salty, funny, grumpy, insightful, irascible voice — just one last time." • Review: Neal Wyatt of the Library Journal looks at the new books coming out this year from Fantagraphics. "Browsing the Fantagraphics spring catalog underscores the myriad of styles and literary approaches that graphic novelists and artists explore—be it Anders Nilsen’s near metaphorical images or Dash Shaw’s crowded and kaleidoscopic landscapes." He singles out Good Dog by Graham Chaffee, The Amazing, Enlightening and Absolutely True Adventures of Katherine Whaley by Kim Deitch, Lost Cat by Jason, New School by Dash Shaw ("Known for his frenetic and inventive artwork…") and The End by Anders Nilson. • Plug: Dash Shaw appeared on Tumblr's Editorial Tumblr. He looks very nice, all working hard on comics and such.
• Plug: The Austin Public Library highlighted two of our books on their blog. On Jordan Crane's The Last Lonely Saturday, Betsey Blanche described as "The artwork is simple – drawn in mostly red and yellow – but full and effective." They also pulled out Lilli Carré's The Lagoon: "It’s another haunting but beautiful book about a family, mysteries, and the power of legends."
• Review: The Comicbook Pusherman looks at 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago. "…as a comic it absolutely crackles. The art is stunning. Santiago clearly captures baseball's (and Clemente's) unique energy and the Americas of the '50s and '60s and most distinctly the Puerto Rico of the 30s and 40s," says Jeffrey O. Gustafson. Gary at APE 2007 // photo credit: Chris Diaz • Plug: Get ready, MoCCA tablers. Gary Groth is on the esteemed jury for the Awards of Excellence starting up this year so reported by The Beat. Bring your A-game books printed on some uncoated paper. • Plug (video): Our own Publicity Director, Jacq Cohen, is captured on film at Comic Con India on the Wandering Violinist talking about Joe Sacco's Palestine. • Plug: Peter Bagge writes an article on cartoonist Al Capp at Reason. • Plug: Bob Temuka and the Tearoom of Despair pick the perfect albeit spoiler of a panel from Hate by Peter Bagge.

Gary's Boing Boing Recommendations

TheJenVaughn

Yesterday, Publisher Gary Groth's interview with the team from Tell Me Something I Don't Know went live on Boing Boing. Jason Lex, Jim Rugg, and Ed Piskor asked for some of Gary's Fantagraphics recommendations. Here are the quick descriptions and links to the books Gary mentioned.

Good Dog by Graham Chaffee is a beautiful black and white graphic novel that chronicles the tales of stray dog, Ivan, on his search for a home, friends and more. Ivan is a good dog - if only someone would notice. Chaffee combines illustrative gravitas with cartooning verve for a richly textured, dog's-eye view of the world. Coming this May 2013.

Wake Up, Percy Gloom is the second Percy Gloom graphic novel by Cathy Malkasian. Kindhearted Percy awakens from (what he thinks is) a 200-year nap and finds himself in a strange new land. As Percy goes on a quest to locate his mother in addition to his long-lost love and soul mate, Miss Margaret. Coming out this April 2013.

Willard Mullin's Golden Age of Baseball is a collection of the sports comics by Willard Mullin. Mullin was to baseball players what Bill Mauldin was to soldiers: advocate and critic, investing them with personality, humanity, dignity, and poignancy; Mauldin had Willie & Joe and Mullin had the Brooklyn Bum, his affectionate 1939 character representing the bedraggled figure of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Coming this April 2013.

Finally, His Wife Leaves Him by Stephen Dixon is a new book from the Fantagraphics' prose line. One of America's great literary treasures has completed his first novel in five years - a long, intimate exploration of the interior life of a husband who has lost his wife. Coming this May 2013.

Daily OCD 1/17/13

TheJenVaughn

The chest rackiest cough of Online Commentaries & Diversions:

• Review: Andy Shaw reviews Chris Wright's Blacklung on Grovel. "The characters have enormous depth, and the book explores interesting themes on the nature of violence. It’s particularly strong on class structure, exploring the different levels of what’s acceptable to different people in different walks of life…While extremely dark this is definitely one of the most sophisticated horror books I’ve read in some time."

• Review: Blacklung by Chris Wright makes another best of list on Comic Book Resources. Greg Burgas writes "Wright’s pirate comic is a strange animal – it’s extremely graphic, both violently and sexually, yet it’s a bizarre meditation on religion and good and evil, all with characters who don’t look quite human.… Blacklung is a comic that deserves a lot of thought, so you might as well read it and think about it!"

• Review: Page 45 looks at Problematic by Jim Woodring. And "whilst there is indeed the odd everyday observation, the vast majority of it is Frank-related musings, thumbnails and roughs," pens Jonathan Rigby.

• Review: Page 45 enjoys the newest Richard Sala book, Delphine. "Truly this is the stuff of nightmares: a frantic evocation of being lost, misled and out of your depth in surroundings which barely make sense – except when they do after which you dearly wish that they hadn’t," says Stephen L. Holland.

• Plug: Graham Chaffee's Good Dog was singled out on Wired to be one of THE books of 2013. "The world does not have nearly enough graphic novels told from the perspective of adorable dogs. Let alone graphic novels that have a good chance of making you feel delighted on one page, then maybe like you might cry a little bit on the next page…it has all the polish and purpose borne by most books put out by fancy-pants publisher Fantagraphics," writes Erik Henriksen.

• Review: Page 45 enjoys Castle Waiting Vol. 1 (softcover) by Linda Medley. "Life in these stories gently flows along at the same pace as the early Bone stories, and the timing is as perfect as Linda’s art is impeccable…From what appear to be stock fairy-tale archetypes, Medley creates life and energy," writes Tom Rosin.

• Review: Johanna Draper Carlson of Comic Worth Reading reads I Love Led Zeppelin after catching Ellen Forney fever with Marbles. "it’s an entertaining, spicy read. For me, it provided new context for the background behind her story, fleshing out a decadent life in strong, distinctive lines."

Graham Chaffee blogs Good Dog

mike

News of our upcoming Graham Chaffee book Good Dog has been warmly received by everyone who's been waiting for Chaffee's return to comics. For months now Graham has posting process art for the entire book on his blog, from rough character drawings to script notes to layouts done in his sketchbook. It so happens he just posted the last page (so spoiler warnings apply) so now's the time to dive on in!

(final cover art may vary)