Hot on the heels of Gene Deitch's The Cat on a Hot Thin Groove comes another collection of jazzy midcentury music illustrations, The High Fidelity Art of Jim Flora. Lovingly compiled and authored by Flora doyens Irwin Chusid and Barbara Economon, and designed by Laura Lindgren, this softcover coffee-table book will be swingin' and be-boppin' its way to you this Summer. Take it away, Irwin:

"It features all of Flora's known album and EP covers (including back cover illustrations) from 1947 to 1961 for Columbia, RCA Victor, and their affiliated labels, along with music-themed fine art works, illustrations, and sketches. The book was completed last week and will head shortly to the printer. (Despite what it says at Amazon, the publication date will be sometime in August, not June 30. We dawdled a bit.)"

This month PREVIEWS is spotlighting "Manga & More: Comics from Around the World," and since we here at Fantagraphics pride ourselves on being Publisher of the World's Greatest Cartoonists, the shoe certainly fits. See below for additional info, sneak peek images (click 'em for larger versions), and links to previews for our May 2013 offerings!

This info was prepared for retailers, but we're also sharing it here to encourage everybody to order these books from your local comic shop! 

Hit the links below for complete info on each title, and see the whole lineup here.

NEW VOLUME OF THE BEST-SELLING ARCHIVAL SERIES!
FAN-FAVORITE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN BY AN ALL-TIME COMICS GREAT

Walt Disney's Donald Duck: The Old Castle's Secret (The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library Vol. 6)

By Carl Barks; edited by Gary Groth

$28.99 / HC / 240 pgs / FC / 7.25 x 10

Another volume of the essential Complete Carl Barks Disney Library series, this one collecting the entirety of Carl Barks’ astounding 1948 output. Readers and critics can't stop talking about the stellar quality of this series -- no serious comics collection is complete without these books! More Details

Read a 22-Page Excerpt with the Table of Contents (PDF)

Offered Again:

Walt Disney's Donald Duck: A Christmas for Shacktown
By Carl Barks
$28.99 SEP121088

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Box Set: Vols. 3 & 4
By Floyd Gottfredson
$49.99 AUG121147

Be sure to stock our full line of Disney books!

NEW EC COMICS LIBRARY VOLUME!
HARD-BOILED CRIME & HORROR CLASSICS BY JOHNNY CRAIG

Fall Guy for Murder and Other Stories (The EC Comics Library)

By Johnny Craig

$28.99 / HC / 160 pgs / BW / 7 x 10

New volumes in our EC Comics Library series are now being released quarterly! This one is the first of four projected volumes to showcase, for the first time, the full chronological run of Johnny Craig’s EC stories from Crime SuspenStories, Vault of Horror, and elsewhere, with our trademark bonus features and top-notch production values. More Details

BATTER UP! NOSTALGIC BASEBALL CARTOONS BY THE "SPORTS CARTOONIST OF THE CENTURY"

Willard Mullin's Golden Age of Baseball: Drawings 1934-1972

By Willard Mullin; edited by Hal Bock and Michael Powers

$29.99 / HC / 200 pgs / PC / 9 x 12

The title of “Sports Cartoonist of the Century” was bestowed on Willard Mullin by his peers, and his cartoons were read by millions of sports fans from the '30s to the '70s. He created the "Brooklyn Bum" and depicted legends like Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Sandy Koufax and events like Lou Gehrig’s emotional retirement speech. This is the first-ever retrospective of his work! Recommended for all shops; essential for shops that also deal in sports trading cards and memorabilia. More Details

(And don't forget to stock 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago for your baseball-loving customers!)

VISIONARY NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL SEQUEL BY A CERTIFIED COMICS GENIUS

Fran

By Jim Woodring

$19.99 / HC / 120 pgs / BW / 7.25 x 10

Another original graphic novel in the format of the resoundingly acclaimed Weathercraft and Congress of the Animals. At the end of Congress, Jim Woodring’s beloved character Frank underwent a transformative journey and found himself with a cute new girlfriend. Now what? Fran answers that question in strange and unpredictable ways that are sure to delight fans of adventurous comics. More Details

Offered Again:

Congress of the Animals
By Jim Woodring
$19.99 FEB111042

Problematic: Sketchbook Drawings 2004-2012
By Jim Woodring
$28.99 AUG121141

More Jim Woodring backlist

THE FIRST FULL-LENGTH GRAPHIC NOVEL BY THE HOT-SELLING GENRE-BENDER

Lost Cat

By Jason

$24.99 / HC / 160 pgs / PC / 5.5 x 8.5

A milestone event! The latest addition to award-winning Norwegian comics master Jason's deep catalog is also his first full-length graphic novel. His bittersweet, deeply quirky stories have won him a legion of devoted fans for whom every release is a must-have, and Lost Cat is sure to win him even more loyal readers. More Details

Offered Again:

Athos in America
By Jason
$24.99 SEP111102

Why Are You Doing This?
By Jason
$12.95 MAR052906

Sshhhh!
By Jason
$16.99 AUG084055

More Jason backlist

AWARD-WINNING GRAPHIC MEMOIR OF A SEXY, DANGEROUS PUNK ROCK ROAD TRIP

Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life

By Ulli Lust

$35.00 / SC / 460 pgs / PC / 6.75 x 9

The unflinchingly honest, minutely observed autobiographical story of two teenaged girls’ wild hitchhiking trip across Italy. Already considered a contemporary classic in Europe, where it won the 2011 Angoulême “Revelation” prize, this first English edition is one of our big prestige releases of 2013! More Details

Read a 30-Page Excerpt (PDF)

AN EARLY EUROCOMICS MASTERPIECE, NOW IN PAPERBACK WITH A NEW COVER & INTRODUCTION

You Are There - New Softcover Edition

By Jean-Claude Forest and Jacques Tardi; introduction by Dr. Bart Beaty

$19.99 / SC / 192 pgs / BW / 7 x 10

Following the sell-out of the 2009 hardcover edition, Fantagraphics presents a new softcover edition of one of the earliest European graphic novels. Set in the early 20th century on a small island where the scion of a once wealthy family is trying to reclaim his birthright, You Are There is a collaboration between renowned cartoonist Jacques Tardi and Barbarella creator Jean-Claude Forest. More Details

Read a 19-Page Excerpt (PDF)

Offered Again:

West Coast Blues
By Jaques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette
$18.99 JUL090863

More Tardi backlist

MIDCENTURY JAZZ ART FOR SWINGIN' HEPCATS!
FOURTH VOLUME IN THE SELL-OUT SERIES

The High Fidelity Art of Jim Flora

By Jim Flora; edited by Irwin Chusid & Barbara Economon

$34.99 / SC / 180 pgs / FC / 11 x 10

Our series of Jim Flora art books has been so successful in reviving interest in the once-forgotten illustrator that the first two volumes are sold out. This one is the easiest sell of all, compiling the work Flora is best known for and with the broadest fan appeal: his famous record covers (including recent discoveries) and other music-related artwork. More Details

Offered Again:

The Sweetly Diabolic Art of Jim Flora
By Jim Flora; edited by Irwin Chusid & Barbara Economon
$34.99 MAY090845

New Reprints:

Ghost World – New Reprint By Daniel Clowes $11.95 DEC032432 18th softcover printing! To paraphrase The Dead Milkmen, "If you ain't got Ghost World, your store could use some fixin'." More Details & Previews

Big Baby – New Reprint By Charles Burns $16.95 DEC063563 With the recent release of the hot-selling The Hive, make sure your Burns backlist is beefed up! More Details & Previews

Usagi Yojimbo Book 4: The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy – New Reprint By Stan Sakai $16.95 STAR07545 Demand for this perennial all-ages favorite series never wanes! More Details & Previews

(final cover may vary)

Via the Jim Flora blog, co-editior Irwin Chusid shares a few words about The High Fidelity Art of Jim Flora, coming this Summer: 

Our first book, The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora (2004), featured Flora's known album covers. (No complete discography existed.) Since that book's publication, more vintage covers have been found, as well as the artist's rough drafts and rejected designs. The Mischievous Art... went through two editions, but is now out of print, highly sought and available only at high prices through rare-book sellers. So we decided to compile a complete collection of Flora record covers (including recent discoveries) and unpublished sketches in one volume, augmented by music images not included in previous volumes. The High Fidelity Art of Jim Flora will be the definitive anthology of the maestro's visual compositions, reflecting jazz, classical, and Latin music. Regarding his jam-packed canvases Flora once said he "couldn't stand a static space." There's nothing static about the images in The High Fidelity Art: they wail, dance, bounce, and swing from the chandeliers. They hit notes that shatter glass. This is art to which you can tap your toes and snap your fingers. Flora had a knack for grooving with a paintbrush.

The book will feature a 1998 interview with Flora which I conducted at his home on Bell Island, in Rowayton CT, just a few months before he passed away from stomach cancer. The interview has not been previously published.

The book is scheduled to reach market in June 2013. Barbara Economon and I will provide the contents, and Laura Lindgren will expertly design it-the same team as the first three Flora anthologies.

Attention all fans of classic jazz and jazzy artwork: this classic Jim Flora album cover illustration is now available as a limited edition archival print from Jim Flora Fine Art.

"Charles, Mother Has Come to Stay" is a late-1960s painting by Jim Flora (previously seen in our out-of-print second Flora art book The Curiously Sinister Art of Jim Flora), now available as a limited-edition archival quality reproduction from the fine folks at Jim Flora Fine Art Prints.

Make it your New Year's Resolution to go out to more comics events! The Fantagraphics Flog can help!

Thursday, January 5th

• Portland, OR:  Floating World Comics proudly presents an art exhibit and a signing with Tony Millionaire! He'll be autographing his latest collection 500 Portraits, along with his other titles, from 6:00 to 10:00 PM. Heck, we've watched the man sign body parts before, so don't be shy! (more info)

Saturday, January 7th

• Seattle, WA: And it was at Tony's last signing at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery that we watched him sign someone's arm, who then headed down the street to get it permanently tattooed! We hope that person, and all Seattleites, will join us from 6:00 to 9:00 PM for another fun-filled signing, this time for 500 Portraits. We'll be launching an exhibit of work from that collection, plus our Store Curator Larry Reid will debut the short live-action film "Everybody Loves Drinky Crow." (more info)

Sunday, January 8th 

• New York City, NY: This is your last week to check out the Curiously Sinister Art of Jim Flora exhibit at the Dorian Grey Gallery. The 60-year retrospective, curated by our own Flora archivist Irwin Chusid, closes this Sunday. (more info)

As we reported last month, a retrospective of Jim Flora's curiously sinister art is currently on display at the Dorian Grey Gallery in New York City.

And this Saturday, December 17th, you can satisfy your sinister curiosity with a slideshow presentation and talk with Flora archivist Irwin Chusid!

Irwin will present a talk about the artist's life, accompanied by a digital projection of over 100 spectacular works from the Flora collection. The wine begins pouring at 4:00 pm, with the presentation starting at 5:00 pm sharp. Admission is free, but seating is limited, so arrive early!

untitled tempera, early 1940s

The Dorian Grey Gallery is located at 437 East 9th Street (between 1st and A) in New York City. The exhibit runs through January 8th.

An exhibit of Jim Flora's curiously sinister art opens tomorrow night, Saturday, November 19th, in the curiously sinister city of New York, and you do not want to miss this!

The Dorian Grey Gallery is proud to present the very first posthumous New York exhibit and sale of Jim Flora original art, curated by our own Flora archivist Irwin Chusid, in conjunction with gallery owner Luis Accorsi and director Christopher Pusey.

It's gonna be a doozy: Offerings include temperas on paper; woodcut prints (vintage and new); medium and large acrylics on canvas; pen & ink drawings on paper; fine art and screen prints, and branded Flora paper merchandise. Many of these exhibited works have NOT been previously published in our three Fantagraphics anthologies!

The opening reception is this Saturday night from 6:00 - 9:00 PM, and will include a live music set by the Cracked Latin trio, featuring gallery owner/vocalist Accorsi along with guitarist/vocalist Lane Steinberg and percussionist Charlie Zeleny. Zowie!

The Dorian Grey Gallery is located at 437 East 9th Street (between 1st and A) in New York City.  The exhibit runs through January 8th.

Plan ahead for the future with a blast from the past -- it's the 2012 Jim Flora calendars!

There's the Sheffield Island letterpress calendar, as seen above, based on a 1954 Flora woodcut... 

...And there's the smaller classic design, featuring Flora's illustrations from the 1950s: Swingin' Sax, Boogie-Beat Drummer, and Stardust Moon.

These are all hand-printed by Yee-Haw Industrial Letterpress of Knoxville, and as the Jim Flora website promises, they are guaranteed to include your birthday, as well as those of your family and friends!

• Frank "caught in the loving tendrils of the sun" by Jim Woodring; also "Hopelessly outclassed" and "The descent into wealth"

• A Grotesque "family portrait" and Mr. O'Blique postcards that Sergio Ponchione will be giving away to lucky attendees (I think? the autotranslation's a little iffy) at an upcoming festival in Italy

• Ooh, a Jason/Lewis Trondheim exquisite-corpse wraparound cover for a 2004 issue of Belgian comics fanzine Totem; this and film review potpourri at Jason's Cats Without Dogs blog

• Sketches and process peeks at Forlorn Funnies #1 at Paul Hornschemeier's The Daily Forlorn

• Focus book by Kevin Huizenga

• Steve Brodner's portrait of Art Pope for The New Yorker (with process sketches); plus sketches of Lamar Alexander and Chris Christie; all of the above with Steve's commentary

• Speaking of The New Yorker, Paul Karasik got a cartoon in there! Congrats Paul! (via Facebook)

• A whole buncha Stephen DeStefano animation artwork for various projects here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, plus Sea Hag

• Noah Van Sciver presents a spooky story from the latest issue of Blammo

• Movie night Richard Sala-style (year unknown); also some cozy reading and The 7 Deadly Sins

• Tim Lane's poster for the St. Louis International Film Festival (along with its conceptual inspiration)

• Steven Weissman and Jordan Crane are putting together an elementary school haunted house for some LUCKY KIDS and here's Steven's flyer for it with Jordan's logo for the school (from Steven via email); also from Steven, his latest "I, Anonymous" spot and Stincker sketchin'

• A fun Dave Cooper gig poster for his friend's band (via Facebook)

• This comic cover by Chuck Forsman is a fake, but I wish it wasn't

• A buncha silly Star Trek doodles by Tim Kreider

• Jim Varney smiles down from heaven on Johnny Ryan

• Prison Pit fan art by Sergio Zuniga (at Johnny Ryan's blog, along with one previously posted here)

• Prison Pit fan art by Fréderic Fleury via Twitter

• Mark Twain-via-Michael Kupperman fan art by Dyna Moe (via Facebook, where the artist's profile pic was taken in front of Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery)

• Speaking of Fantagraphics Bookstore and Facebook, here's a panel from a comic in progress by Csaba Mester featuring the former location posted at the latter location

Plus:

• Another Bob Fingerman character design

• Speaking of Facebook yet again, a Victor Kerlow illustration on the subject

• Jupiter and Saturn by Frank Santoro

• Many recent illustrations by Max at his El Hombre Duerme, el Fantasma No blog

• Recently discovered previously unseen woodblock prints circa 1939 by Jim Flora

• Lilli Carré's new looping animated logo for the Eyeworks animation fest is pretty great (tee hee, the "W" is boobs)

• A portrait by Nick Drnaso

• A whole ton of stuff from Ray Fenwick's website popped up in my RSS reader and I'm not sure how much of it is new but why not go check it all out anyway

• Straw dog on a bed by Renee French

• Computer sketches (that is, sketches done on the computer) by Eleanor Davis

• Trubble Club is always fun even if we can't tell who drew what