In 2003, when Harvey Pekar's American Splendor film was coming out, the indie-friendly film chain Landmark Cinemas was really high on the film and an acquaintance of mine who worked as a graphic designer for their in-house magazine, FLM, asked me if I would try to edit a short comics section in tribute to Harv. So I did. It didn't come out quite like I'd hoped, but I was honored to do it. I thought of this when Harvey passed away recently and I wrote this, but couldn't find a copy. This weekend, while starting to move everything out of my basement to have some work done, I found it. As far as I know, it isn't on the web anywhere else, and there are some great pieces. 

Click HERE for a larger version than what's below, so you can read all of it, but here's the Tim Hensley piece to whet your whistle: 

Make plans for Labor Day weekend in Seattle now! The Bumbershoot art and music festival promises to be the best in recent memory. In addition to performances by the likes of Bob Dylan, Neko Case, Hole, the Decemberists, Weezer and countless other bands, the festival includes a large exhibition of contemporary Seattle cartoonists.

Organized by Fantagraphics resident curator Larry Reid, "Counterculture Comix: A 30-Year Survey of Seattle Alternative Cartoonists" begins with Lynda Barry's work circa 1980 and continues through the present. The show reveals Seattle as the ancestral home of the alternative comix genre and examines the role comix played in Seattle's youth movement of the 90s, which penetrated popular culture globally.

Hundreds of original artworks, comix and related ephemera by an impressive roster of influential Seattle artists will be displayed including Lynda Barry, Charles Burns, Peter Bagge, Ellen Forney, Jim Woodring, Megan Kelso, Jim Blanchard, Roberta Gregory, David Lasky, Ted Jouflas, Justin Hampton, J. R. Williams, Pat Moriarity, Donna Barr, Mark Zingarelli, Michael Dougan, Jeremy Eaton, Jason T. Miles, and more.

See you in September.

Via our pal Donna Barr comes word that Roberta Gregory, beloved creator of Bitchy Bitch, has a new website where you can check out her strips, read her blog, get updates on her current projects and find out how to get her new book, Follow Your Art: Roberta's Comic Trips.

Online Commentary & Diversions:

• List: Graphic Novel Reporter's "2010 Core Graphic Novels List" includes Ghost World, Safe Area Gorazde, and You'll Never Know; the "Expanded List" includes Abstract Comics, The Complete Peanuts , I Killed Adolf Hitler, It Was the War of the Trenches, Love and Rockets, Pim and Francie, Pogo, The Squirrel Machine, West Coast Blues, and You Are There

• Review: "Many books have been written about World War I, but few can truly worm their way into your head like Jacques Tardi’s It Was the War of the Trenches. … The tales here are devastating and heartbreaking, and often disturbing, but readers will nonetheless have a hard time putting it down." – Holly Scudero, Sacramento Book Review  

• Review: "Perhaps there is something in Charlie Brown, that the longer I read his adventures, the more I become a fatalist. I look at the history of Europe and I know that there are frequent periods of relative peace, such as the past 60 years in Poland. And since they are rare, sooner or later they can suddenly end." – Konrad Hildebrand, Motyw Drogi (translated from Polish)

• Review: "This, then, was my introduction to the idiosyncratic and fantastically imagined worlds of Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez. ... While the stories and art of each Hernandez brother is unique, they shine extra bright by being juxtaposed, one to the other. Altogether: these rambling, lingering tales are bewitching." – Anna Clark, Isak

• Review: "...[In A Mess of Everything, Miss] Lasko-Gross covers the usual Holden Caulfield territory with brevity and an eye for detail. Her cartooning is very expressive and the book is coloured in subdued wash-like tones of brown, grey and blue that enhance the emotional impact of her cringe-worthy struggles for independence and individuality." – Bryan Munn, Sequential

• Plug: "[Roberta] Gregory is the cartoonist responsible for the comic series Naughty Bits, which is one of the best comic series I've ever read. Seriously, Life's a Bitch is one of my favorite comics ever. It's basically a biography of one normal — albeit kinda hateful — woman, and it's insightful, funny, and true." – Paul Constant, The Stranger (previewing an event on Saturday that, alas, we didn't know about in advance)

• Plug: Ragged Claws Network gives you a heads-up about Weathercraft by Jim Woodring

• Contributor notes: Bob Andelman, whose interview with Howard Chaykin about Will Eisner is included in The Best American Comics Criticism, talks about the book

• Reviewer: Laura Warholic author Alexander Theroux looks at a new biography of Jack London for The Wall Street Journal: "Readers can be pardoned for thinking it seems not improbable that London, given the chance, would punch Mr. Haley in the nose."

Comics writer Alan David Doane, oft-linked in our "Daily OCD" posts, has a new E-book compiling a decade's worth of his interviews with comics notables such as Peter Bagge, Charles Burns, Colleen Coover, Renee French, Roberta Gregory, Paul Hornschemeier, Johnny Ryan, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Dirk Deppey (not to mention a slew of non-Fantagraphics folks too). You can download the book, aptly titled Conversations with ADD, for free at the Comic Book Galaxy website.

Holy smokes -- collector alert! We had 8 great comics from past years that, due to record-keeping error, have not been available for sale for years but were really in stock all along! Now you can buy them again -- quantities are limited so act fast:

An Accidental Death by Ed Brubaker & Eric Shanower

(1993) Before he killed Captain America, Eisner winner Brubaker racked up his first nomination for this tale, delineated in rich, realistic detail by Shanower. Was a teenage girl's death accidental, or obsession-fueled murder? $3.50

Freaks #2 by Jim Woodring & F. Solano Lopez

(1992) The second of the four-part authorized adaptation of Tod Browning's classic horror film, written by Woodring and drawn by Solano Lopez. In this issue, the seeds of jealousy and intrigue are sown among the circus folk. Highly recommended. (Issue 3 is also available.) $2.25

Girltalk #1 by various artists

(1995) The voice without makeup, survival tips for real life, letting off steam, love songs to the one that got away. Girltalk publishes underground heroines and money-making illustrators along with diamonds in the rough. $3.50

Meat Cake #12 by Dame Darcy

(2002) Elegant society reveals its true nature with tales of deflowering demons, tea with a couple of Playboy Bunny virgins, a running commentary on Romanians, delinquent dolls, and what happened when Fashion Week met the apocalypse. $3.95

Mechanics #2 by Jaime Hernandez

(1985) Classic Love and Rockets in full color! This miniseries reprinted the early, sci-fi adventure "Mechanics" stories with the addition of artful color embellishing. Plus in this issue, a Rocky & Fumble adventure! $2.00

Naughty Bits #1 by Roberta Gregory

(1991) Where it all began! The long-running, eye-opening series kicks off. Can you handle "Crazy Bitches," "Female Problems," and "Bitchy Bitch Gets Laid"? How about "Bitchy Bitch Goes to Fantagraphics"? Classic venom and hilarity! $2.50

Sinner #3 by José Muñoz & Carlos Sampayo

(1988) Cop-turned-P.I. Alack Sinner takes on a shocking case from a young socialite that revolves around a questionable retirement home and discovers there's more to this whole affair than meets the eye! Plus a thought-provoking backup story. $2.95 (Issues 4 and 5 also available)

Steven #1 by Doug Allen

(1999) Everyone's favorite depraved child alcoholic stars in his own comic book. Let's eat some paste and rejoice! "Dumpy" offers advice on trash-digging, the "supporting" characters battle it out to see who's the biggest loser & more. $2.95

 "COMICS SAVANTS" EXHIBITION OPENING AUGUST 8 -- FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKSTORE & GALLERY CELEBRATES SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE CARTOONISTS

July 29, 2009 - SEATTLE, WA. Since relocating to Seattle from Southern California 20 years ago, Fantagraphics Books has remained committed to nurturing and promoting the diverse practitioners of alternative comics in the Northwest. The country's most successful purveyor of challenging comics routinely employs local cartoonists and publishes the work of regional artists which has contributed to Seattle's international reputation as the unrivaled center of alternative comics. To celebrate this association, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery presents "Comics Savants: A Survey of Seattle Alternative Cartoonists" opening Saturday, August 8.

This exhibition will feature over a dozen emerging and established artists, including many of the most accomplished cartoonists in the alternative movement. Among them: Peter Bagge, who coined the term "alternative comics" in 1990 and as the highly-regarded creator of the phenomenal Hate comic book series attracted dozens of young cartoonists to the city during the 90s decade; Seattle native Charles Burns, whose teen years are fictionalized in his amazing graphic novel Black Hole, soon to be a motion picture directed by David Fincher; Visionary artist Jim Woodring, one of only a handful of cartoonists to be embraced by the fine art world, having been awarded the United States Artist Fellowship in 2007 and a 2009 Art Trust Washington State Artists Fellowship, who will exhibit work from his forthcoming graphic novel Weathercraft; Ellen Forney, whose collaboration with local author Sherman Alexie won the prestigious 2008 National Book Award; David Lasky, who will exhibit pages from his collaboration with Seattle writer Chris Esty "The Last Testament" from Hotwire #2; Second wave Seattle alternative cartoonist Megan Kelso; emerging artist Eroyn Franklin, who will exhibit hand cut pages from her Xeric award winning graphic novel Another Glorious Day at the Nothing Factory; current and former Fantagraphics Books staffers Jim Blanchard, Roberta Gregory, Patrick Moriarity; Ted Jouflas; Jason T. Miles and Eric Reynolds.

In addition to the display of original artworks, an eclectic array of comics and graphic novels by exhibiting artists will be available. Many featured artists will attend the opening reception of Saturday, August 8 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.) only minutes south of downtown. This event coincides with the colorful Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack featuring exciting visual and performing arts presentations in close proximity throughout the historic artists' enclave.

LISTING INFORMATION

COMICS SAVANTS: A Survey of Seattle Alternative Cartoonists

Peter Bagge, Jim Blanchard, Charles Burns, Ellen Forney, Roberta Gregory, Ted Jouflas, Megan Kelso, David Lasky, Jason T. Miles, Patrick Moriarity, Eric Reynolds, Jim Woodring, and introducing Eroyn Franklin.

Opening reception Saturday, August 8, 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Exhibition continues through September 9, 2009

Join us on Saturday, August 22 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM for the publication party of Eroyn Franklin's Xeric award wining comic Another Glorious Day at the Nothing Factory.

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

Strips, Scripts and Scapes: Contemporary Comix in Southern California

June 22 - August 22 

I missed this Riverside Art Museum show in time to post for the opening, but the show includes Sammy Harkham, Johnny Ryan, John Pham, Mike Bertino, Travis Millard, Rusty Jordan, Souther Salazar, Brent Harada, Walt Holcombe, Martin Cendreda, Mary Fleener (story by Harvey Pekar), Taylor McKimens, Roberta Gregory, Mark Todd, Esther Pearl Watson, and Megan Whitmarsh. 

Courtesy Roberta Gregory: 

If you're not a bookseller or librarian, skip this post, but the new issue of Booklist is the annual spotlight on graphic fiction, and there's some very useful stuff for those building a core collection of GNs. The issue includes an interview with James Sturm, an "honor roll of female pioneers" in comics, and a look back at a lifetime reading "the Funnies" courtesy columnist Michael Cart. There are a number of top 10 lists, reviews, etc. as well. 

One thing that was particularly gratifying to see was the "Core Collection: Graphic Women" list. Of the 13 books on the list, Fantagraphics published five (including books by Linda Medley, Mary Fleener, Roberta Gregory, Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Carol Tyler). A sixth, La Perdida, was originally published by Fanta in serial form. A seventh, Persepolis, we almost published (long story). An eighth, Summer of Love, was by Debbie Drechsler, whose equally great Daddy's Girl is being republished by Fanta this month. So that was kind of a cool list to see.

Meanwhile, congrats also to Drew Friedman, whose The Fun Never Stops! was named one of the top 10 comics collections/graphic novels of 2007 by Booklist.