Seven inches of superhero splendor from Seattle band Ancient Warlocks will be available at the Charles Peterson exhibition reception and Peter Bagge signing this Saturday, May 14 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery.

Says Warlock Darren Chase, "The Superwizard single features two songs inspired by the comic books of yesteryear. The title track is a rock n roll tribute to Fletcher Hanks' mighty hero of the early 1940's, The Super Wizard Stardust. Thrill to the heavy sounds of Superwizard as Ancient Warlocks take you on a mission to stop the fiends bent on wrecking civilization! This pressing is on black vinyl with silkscreen cover art. It's limited to 300 hand numbered copies in three different sleeve colors. Grab yours before the supervultures snatch 'em all up!"

Darren will be on hand to sign copies and I'm sure we can convince DJ Russ to give it a spin during the Taking Punk to the Masses bash on Saturday from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

Catching up on our Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "...Fantagraphics Books’ new Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: “Race to Death Valley” contains all you need to know to revel in the very different, deeply pleasurable work of [Floyd] Gottfredson. Working with one of the most famous — and most anodyne — cartoon characters in the world, Gottfredson turned the grinning, goody-goody Mouse into a plucky, even reckless adventurer, his smile transformed from a people-pleasing smirk into a challenge to the world.... Gottfredson drew Mickey with a nosy snout and the bright eyes of an adrenalin junkie. The mouse’s diminutive size inspired Gottfredson to have the character attempt daredevil races, leaping stunts, and develop a flurry-fisted fighting style.... This beautiful volume gives the Great Rodent his humanity." – Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly

• Review: "Fantagraphics does a very smart thing with [Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Vol. 1], packing it full of historical materials to set the story for the comic strip. Having David Gerstein edit it is, of course, the smartest thing they could have done.... Simply put, it's the most extensive collection of 'extras' I've ever seen in one of these comic strip reprint series to date.... Reproductions are as great as you could ever hope for from material that's 80 years old and originally printed in the inkiest of newspapers you could imagine.... It's a kick to see this more interesting version of Mickey running around, saying and doing politically incorrect things. It's amazing to see how much detail an artist could pack into a small series of panels like this. But, most of all, it's a whole lot of fun." – Augie De Blieck Jr., Comic Book Resources

• Review: "This is, first of all, superb material.... Way back when, [Mickey Mouse] had a continuity and some darn good stories, illustrated with dynamic and expressive art. It was everything you could have wanted a newspaper strip to be, including being quite funny at times...and even suspenseful. The book itself is perfect and by that I mean I can't think of a single way it could have been improved. The reproduction is sharp. The editorial material fills you in nicely about the history of the strip, plus there are articles that discuss its merits and significance. The volume itself is handsome and will look good on your shelf." – Mark Evanier

• Plug: "You can download 19 pages from Fantagraphics' upcoming Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 1: Race to Death Valley by Floyd Gottfredson now. I'm looking forward to this book, the first volume in a complete reprinting of Gottfredson's work on the Mouse." – Pop Culture Safari

• Plugs: Some great press mentions for our Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Free Comic Book Day comic, including the AP's Matt Moore and Whitney Matheson of USA Today Pop Candy, who says "This is sort of what FCBD is about, isn't it? Fantagraphics presents Floyd Gottfredson's amazing old Mickey strips from 1935 that are still entertaining today. Perfect for all ages..." The Wright Opinion's Brendan Wright says "The line work is beautiful and fluid, with plenty of panels that are funny to look at without reading the words. Thorough as always with this type of project, Fantagraphics has provided both an intro by David Gerstein an an appreciation of Gottfredson by classic Disney animator and official Disney Legend Floyd Norman."

• Review: "For Isle of 100,000 Graves, the cartoonist Jason works with a writer, Fabien Vehlmann, for what is at least the first time in his strong North American publishing run. It's a fun collaboration over which to muse because it's hard to tell exactly what Vehlmann brings to the table. The writer has grasped onto Jason's use of deadpan humor and wistful character moments to an uncanny degree.... Because of this deliberate care in both building their personalities and working from them in terms of how they react to certain story moments, both leads come across as incredibly endearing. A story-ending plot twist almost gets lost in a by-that-point hilarious one-liner about the methods used in bringing it about." – Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter

• Review: "Underground-influenced comics fall into certain patterns — idiosyncratic art, rambling tales of daily life, copious use of mood-altering substances — but [Leslie] Stein makes hers [Eye of the Majestic Creature] fresh with the addition of a talking guitar.... Stein’s style is very readable, with sparse linework and a lead character that resembles a more tripped-out Little Orphan Annie, with huge blank buttons for eyes. Stein’s settings and other characters show more detail, especially in the complex stippling, demonstrating her outward focus.... Her world is full, even if it’s one that’s a bit off-kilter..." – Publishers Weekly

• Review: "Peter Bagge continues the saga of Lisa and Buddy Bradley and their son Harold in Hate Annual #9.... Peter Bagge has always made you care for these characters no matter what crazy problems they had. He has this rare gift of getting his readers to empathize with the drawings on the page and realizing them as real people.... Bagge shows us a very human side to the characters he creates and mirrors life in a sometimes painful way.... As we live our lives, we can look at these pages and see a little bit of ourselves in the drawn panels. This is what makes this series, and all previous ones, stand the test of time and remain a great read. Rating: 8.5" – The Comic Book Critic

• Interview: The Daily Cross Hatch continues serializing the transcript of Brian Heater's MoCCA panel conversation with Peter Bagge: "I started drawing Buddy in 1980, when he was a member of The Bradleys. He was always 10 years younger than me. He started out as an adolescent — not always exactly 10 years. That’s on purpose, because that 10 years gives me space. When you’re going through a crisis or a rough time, it’s not funny, but 10 years later, you can look at the whole situation more objectively and find the humor in it."

• Review: "[Joe Daly's] latest, award-winning, on-going project Dungeon Quest is a delightful combination of nerdy discipline and pharmaceutical excess... Happily marrying the sensibilities of post-grunge, teenaged waste-lads... with the meticulous and finicky obsessions of role-playing gamers and the raw thrill of primal myths, this captivating and wittily indulgent yarn is enchantingly rendered in solid, blocky friendly black and white and garnished with lashings of smart-ass attitude. Strength: vulgar. Intelligence: witty. Dexterity: compelling. Mana: absolutely. Status: unmissable." – Win Wiacek, Now Read This!

• Plug: Rehmat's World looks at Joe Sacco's Palestine

• Interview: The Daily Cross Hatch begins serializing another of Brian Heater's MoCCA panel conversations, this time with Gahan Wilson: "The people who do horror stories and grim stuff are remarkably sweet people.... It was very odd. Why are horror writers like this? And it suddenly occurred to me — of course, what horror writers are writing about is the vulnerability of themselves and their readers and everybody and how fragile everything is.... They’re experts at being scared. If they weren’t experts at being scared, they wouldn’t write about being scared and scare other people."

• Interview: If you read Japanese, enjoy excerpts from a conversation between Moto Hagio and her colleague Ryoko Yamagishi from Otome Continue Vol. 6 presented at Poco Poco

• Feature: All this week, the "Cartoonist's Diary" column at The Comics Journal is written by Joyce Farmer

• Feature: Eye of the Majestic Creature creator Leslie Stein is the guest contributor in the latest installment of "What Are You Reading?" at Robot 6. Among her picks: Yeah! by Peter Bagge & Gilbert Hernandez: "Gilbert’s illustrations are excellent and Bagge’s writing is funny, as per usual."

• Craft: Frank Santoro's new "Layout Workbook" at TCJ.com examines some Hal Foster Prince Valiant pages

Join us in Georgetown this weekend for non-stop action. Friday is the boisterous Honk Fest West festival featuring dozens of eccentric marching bands from all over the country. Chaotic cacophony throughout the entire neighborhood. Note: South Vale Street will close Friday evening in front of Fantagraphics Bookstore for the festivities, but drop in for a sneak preview of Charles Peterson's Taking Punk to the Masses show and visit Martin, Tina and Russ while they transform Georgetown Records into a mom and pop punk rock emporium circa 1988 in preparation for the next night's blowout!

Saturday is the fabulous Georgetown Art Attack. Among all the amazing mayhem, don't miss the Charles Peterson exhibition and Peter Bagge signing at Fantagraphics Bookstore, followed by a concert with the Capillaries featuring cartoonist and musician Matthew Southworth, Bagge's Can You Imagine? with Steve Fisk, and Wormburner around the corner at Buddy & Jay's Scrap Metal Emporium.

Don't miss a minute - get a room! Stay and play all weekend at the friendly and affordable Georgetown Inn, located one block from the action. The historic Georgetown neighborhood is only 5 minutes south of downtown Seattle and 15 minutes north of Seattle Tacoma International Airport. 

Here's another slightly belated photo/video slideshow preview of a current release...

Hate Annual #9
by Peter Bagge

32-page full-color comic book • $4.95 — Order Now!

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review (Audio): On the inaugural episode of Boing Boing's Gweek podcast, co-host Mark Frauenfelder talks about Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 1: Race to Death Valley by Floyd Gottfredson: "Gottfredson really turned Mickey into this adventuring character who has really fun experiences... It's got that great '30s look to the art... It is very dense, but well-done, with a good sense of composition, so it flows along. The characters really have great emotion. There's nothing stiff about it — it's really lively... it's just beautiful. ...Carl Barks is always the first artist most comic book aficionados think of when they think of great Disney artists, but Gottfredson — this book might give him a chance to be up there with Barks and have people be able to fully appreciate how cool his stuff is."

• Review: "The story is spooky and confusing in ways that aren’t boring or stupid. Gilbert is one of the best people out there at telling stories with dream logic and this one bonks you over the head with it, so if you are a nut for dream logic then [Love from the Shadows] is right up your dream alley. This book reminds me very much of David Lynch’s movies Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive. It also reminds me of Carnival of Souls. It might even remind me of those things too much. I’m not sure yet but I have yet to read a comic by either Jaime or Gilbert Hernandez that made me feel bored, cheated, or like I wasn’t given something to think about at the end. Gilbert’s art is simple but never generic." – Nick Gazin, Vice

• Interview: Nick Gazin follows his Vice review above with a Q&A with Gilbert Hernandez: "Fritz is a character that rarely shows who she really is inside, and the characters she plays reveal bits of her we can’t normally see. She’s not necessarily passive aggressive, but there’s a lot of anger and viciousness that comes out in her roles. Fritz has become my favorite character to write and draw because she has no restrictions to where I can take her. And she’s willing to go the distance.... Dude, she’s nuts, I’m not shittin’ you."

• Review: "Johnny Ryan’s one of the best and only people making funny comics these days.... I don't know if he cares what people thought, but I do know that once you master something it gets boring. Johnny's modern comics are dark and based more in a mixture of Lovecraftian horror and certain manga sensibilities. What's in [Take a Joke] is the bend before the break.... It seems like Johnny has turned to the dark side and is trying to make comics that are more upsetting." – Nick Gazin, Vice

• Interview: As above, Nick Gazin's Vice review is followed by a Q&A with Johnny Ryan : "Things just change, bro."

• Review: "There are many, many nicely taken photos of Kurt Cobain's guitars. I'm teasing a little because I think [Taking Punk to the Masses] is a goofy book but I like it and you probably will too. This book rules. It is very, very fun to read if you care about this stuff. I am not trying to tell you that this book isn't a good, easy read. There's something really silly to me about a full page photo of this shirt Kurt Cobain wore on the cover of Spin, lit dramatically like it's the Shroud of Turin.... I might be overthinking this. If you bought Fantagraphics' book about punk movies and have an interest in punk or the Seattle indie rock scene then you'll love this thing to death." – Nick Gazin, Vice

• Review: "Tardi's a drawing and storytelling genius and a quote of me saying as much is quoted in the press release for this book. It's fun to see Tardi draw highly technical fantasy machines, but I think [The Arctic Marauder] had too much text and the wood cut drawing style that Tardi uses here turns me off. Tardi's still great but this book didn't grab me the way his other books have." – Nick Gazin, Vice

• Review: "Perhaps the strangest revelation? In their own depraved way, the Bradleys have transformed into adults, with the interplay between Buddy and Harold especially heartwarming. Hate Annual #9, in fine, earns this column’s highest recommendation." – Bryan A. Hollerbach, PLAYBACK:stl

• Review: "I really think that Bagge’s artwork in this issue marks a high point of the series thus far, and I’m not just saying that. I actually dug out a few of my old issues of Hate, and a few of the annuals, and I swear that his style has become more and more refined over the years. Hate Annual #9 is a fantastic and unmissable chapter in the lives of Buddy, Lisa, and friends. Old feuds are put to rest, new friendships are made, and we are introduced to a slew of new characters and new storylines. I’m really excited to see were Bagge takes Buddy and co. next year! Here’s to another 26 years of Hate!" – Edward Kaye, Hypergeek

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "More than anything, ...21 is a book of huge ambition and formal daring. The storytelling is kaleidoscopic, leaping from Clemente’s final game in 1972 to his childhood to his 1960s heyday and back again, with time out for portraits of both the steel city and the Caribbean island that he loved so much. But for all his overt displays of (admittedly dazzling) technique, Santiago never loses track of his story. Though it’s not an ideal starting point for readers unfamiliar with Clemente’s life and significance — the treatment is far too idiosyncratic and personal for that, though newcomers will find the extensive bibliography useful — it hangs on strong narrative threads. [...] 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente is a mammoth achievement..." – Jack Feerick, Kirkus Reviews

• Interview: Comic Book Resources' Shaun Manning talks to Jim Woodring about the Nibbus Maximus and his new graphic novel: "'The story Congress of the Animals is one I've wanted to tell for a long time. In a lot of ways it's the most personal of the Frank stories and it breaks some aspects of the Frank mold,' Woodring said. 'There's a lot going on that may not be apparent, but I operate on the theory that is, there is something there people will pick up on it even if they don't see it directly. And that if they are sufficiently interested in puzzling it out, the meaning will become apparent.'"

• Interview: The Daily Cross Hatch continues serializing the transcript of Brian Heater's MoCCA panel conversation with Peter Bagge: "I still have ideas for [Buddy] and Lisa. I always have ideas for them. But what I also told myself is that I never want to just do the same character forever. You’re fortunate if you wind up doing something that’s popular. It’s rare for a cartoonist to land on something that’s popular enough that you could do it forever. Maybe I’m projecting, but I always felt sorry for daily strip cartoonists, who — you think up the Lockhorns, and you have to do the Lockhorns forever. They must always be on the verge of suicide."

• Commentary: Robot 6's Chris Mautner takes you to "Comics College" with a reader's guide to the work of Joe Sacco: "The novelty of Sacco’s particular niche tends to obscure some of his rather significant qualities as an artist and storyteller. He’s an endlessly inventive cartoonist, capable of creating incredible detailed vistas that give readers a definitive sense of place and time. He’s capable of moving from near-photo-like realism to a Basil Wolverton-ish exaggeration that can perfectly capture, say, a sweaty, crowded night club. In short, he’s an amazingly gifted craftsman, one of the best people making comics out there today."

• Analysis: "...Prince Valiant is so lush, so rich on a panel by panel basis that I often find a nine-grid of it is just enough for the day, something that unfolds and unfolds in your head long after you've set it aside. Foster makes a world with his artwork, layering in meticulous details that are never arbitrary or belabored, always enhancing the impact of the pictures' content." – Matt Seneca, Death to the Universe

• Commentary: At The Comics Journal, Sean Rogers on the work of Kim Deitch as illuminated by The Kim Deitch Files

• Craft: Frank Santoro 's latest Layout Workbook for TCJ.com looks at the proportions of his Mome stories

• Tribute: Margalit Fox pens the New York Times obituary of Bill Blackbeard

Got comics questions? Head on over to The Stranger's Questionland, where you can get your queries answered all this week by our friendly staff as well as comics luminaries Peter Bagge, Tony Millionaire, Jason Lutes and Matthew Southworth.

Peter Bagge is the guest on the latest episode of The Dusty Wright Show video podcast, filmed back on April 10 at Scott Eder Gallery in Brooklyn the day after Pete's exhibit opening there. It's a funny and opinionated chat — classic Pete! Check it out embedded above or on the Culture Catch website.

Charles Peterson: Taking Punk to the Masses exhibition at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery opening Saturday, May 14 with special guest Peter Bagge.

April 28, 2011 - Seattle, WA. As the Northwest's grunge generation examines the implications of their misspent youth, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is pleased to present "Charles Peterson: Taking Punk to the Masses." Inspired by the recent Fantagraphics book, Taking Punk to the Masses: From Nowhere to Nevermind, published in association with the acclaimed Nirvana exhibition at EMP, Peterson's photography show will focus on the seminal musicians and social milieu that evolved into a global youth movement. The show opens on Saturday, May 14 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM with a reception for the artist and a guest appearance by extraordinary Seattle cartoonist Peter Bagge, who chronicled the grunge counterculture in his comic book series Hate.

Charles Peterson's cinematic approach to photography captured the unrestrained enthusiasm of Seattle's punk environment throughout the 1980s and 90s. His exhibition will include influential early bands like the U-Men and 10 Minute Warning (with future Guns N' Roses member Duff McKagan), as well as audiences at local venues. Peterson's work is central to both EMP's Nirvana exhibit and the companion book, which documents the grunge scene from its inception with images, artifacts and oral histories provided by many of the participants (including Fantagraphics Bookstore's resident curator). His photography is the subject of several books and has been celebrated in galleries and museums worldwide. The exhibition at Fantagraphics Bookstore will give audiences an opportunity to see this remarkable artist in his formative period.

Peterson will be joined by legendary cartoonist Peter Bagge signing copies of the recently released Hate Annual #9 comic and Yeah! collection. Bagge's influential comic book serial Hate went beyond satire to help establish the attitude and aesthetics of the grunge era. In the latest issue, Hate protagonist Buddy Bradley returns to Seattle from his home in New Jersey so his wife Lisa can look after her ailing parents, once again mimicking the experiences of his readership. Making its debut is the Yeah! collection. Originally serialized on DC's imprint Homage, Yeah! tells the tale of an intergalactic all-girl pop group trying to make it big. Collaborating with artist Gilbert Hernandez of Love and Rockets fame, Bagge again hits his mark. According to Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's, "Reading Yeah! is a bit like reading my life story, as told in an alternative universe."

Adding to the atmosphere, Fantagraphics Bookstore's retail partners, Georgetown Records, will mount a related installation of vintage Seattle punk posters, records, and ephemera, alluding to a boutique record store of the grunge era. Russ Battaglia of Fallout Records & Skateboards fame will spin period platters. (Fallout was the site of an early Charles Peterson show, and a frequent hangout for artists and musicians.)

The evening will conclude with a concert at neighboring Mix nightclub with Bagge's pop combo Can You Imagine? featuring musician/producer Steve Fisk. The group highlights harmonies by Michelle Plaitis, Sue Merrill, and Rachel Frost, reflecting the imagined music of Yeah! They'll be joined by the return of the Capillaries, fronted by gifted cartoonist and musician Matthew Southworth (who will also be on hand at the bookstore to sign newly minted copies of the collected Stumptown from Portland publisher Oni). Also on the bill is Wormburner from Hoboken, New Jersey — Bagge's home prior to his move to Seattle. (New Jersey is also home to Buddy Bradley and Yeah!)

The festivities on May 14 coincide with the colorful Georgetown Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic industrial arts corridor. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport Way S.) Open daily 11:30 - 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.

Listing information

CHARLES PETERSON: TAKING PUNK TO THE MASSES

Opening reception Saturday, May 14, 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Special guest Peter Bagge premiering HATE ANNUAL 9 and YEAH collection

Concert by Can You Imagine?, Capillaries, and Wormburner follows at Buddy & Jay's Scrap Metal Emporium (AKA Mix), 6006 12th Ave. S.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport Way S.)
Seattle, WA 98108
206.658.0110
Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM
www.fantagraphics.com

The Georgetown Art Attack has become one of the region's most provocative cultural outings, as adventurous residents explore the delightfully rustic industrial arts corridor and discover aesthetic treasures at every turn.

Among the many highlights of the May 14 Art Attack installment: Taking Punk to the Masses, seminal Seattle grunge photography by Charles Peterson, joined by cartoonist Peter Bagge signing copies of his new Yeah! collection and Hate Annual #9 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery; a companion installation of vintage Seattle punk posters, records and ephemera at Georgetown Records followed by a concert with Bagge's combo Can You Imagine? featuring Steve Fisk, with the Capillaries and Wormburner from Hoboken, N J at the Mix; new work by Mark Takamichi Miller and students at the Miller School of Art; the Nautilus is celebrating its one year anniversary with a show of Kyle Abernathy's oil paintings, live music and a magician; a solo show of photomontages by Amie Stewart at Calamity Jane's; live music by Cold Cold Ground and guests at the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall together with a show of industrial jewelry by Sonja Albin at Lula B Lightning and "I Don't Know Shit" by mixed media artist Julie Trout at Frida Trailer Gallery; "Inky Spokes: Bicycle Inspired Art" by Aaron Asis, Deborah Scott, Greg Boudreau, Jethaniel Peterka, Nikki Mazzei, Soren O'Malley and Yvette Endrijautzki at All City Coffee; Krab Jab Studio celebrates a move to Studio 246 in the Origial Ranier Brewery complex, welcomes new member Sandra Everingham, and mounts a show by East Coast illustrator Jeff Menges with Mark Tedin, Julie Baroh, and Michael Hoppe; an opening reception for "One Act," new paintings by Michael McDevitt at Georgetown Arts & Culture Center; mixed media photographer Misha Hunting and experimental images by John Gerhard at Vecta Photo Studio & Gallery; Foto Bolivia, a group photography exhibition of daily life in the South American country at La Catrina; "This a Way and That," new works and limited edition prints by Mark LaFalce at Two Tartes Café; and, as always, much more.

Don't miss the colorful and boisterous Honk Fest West festival of unconventional marching band throughout Georgetown on the evening of Friday, May 13. So plan to spend your weekend in Seattle's outrageously unorthodox arts community. The Georgetown Art Attack is a monthly promotion of the Georgetown Merchants Association (www.georgetownmerchants.org). For a printable Art Attack map visit: www.georgetownartattack.com.