FLOG! Entries tagged 'Ulli Lust'

Fantagraphics at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2013!

janice

Join Fantagraphics this weekend, Saturday, May 11th and Sunday, May 12th, at the 2013 Toronto Comic Arts Festival in Canada! Dare we say, it's our biggest TCAF yet? Just look at this signing schedule!

Saturday, May 11th
Dash Shaw                            9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Jaime Hernandez        9:00 AM-10:00 AM
Ulli Lust                          10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Lilli Carré                              12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Tom Kaczynski                    12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Michael Kupperman         1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez 1:30-2:30 PM [ Beguiling Signing Area Toronto Reference Library B1 ]

Sunday, May 12th
Jaime Hernandez          11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Lilli Carré                                    12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Ulli Lust                              12:00 PM-2:00 PM
Dash Shaw                              1:00 PM-2:30 PM // 4:00 PM -5:00 PM
Michael Kupperman                2:30 PM-4:30 PM
Tom Kaczynski                2:30 PM-3:30 PM
Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez 4:00-5:00 PM [ Beguiling Signing Area Toronto Reference Library B1 ]

And just look at all the fabulous debuts we'll be presenting!

• Julio's Day by Gilbert Hernandez

• Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust

• The Children of Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez

• 3 New Stories by Dash Shaw

• New School by Dash Shaw

• Castle Waiting Vol. 2: Definitive Edition by Linda Medley

And panels! Boy, do we have panels!

Saturday, May 11th

12:15 – 1:15pm // Spotlight: Ulli Lust A talented Austrian cartoonist who makes her home in Berlin, Germany, Ulli Lust is well known across Europe for her cartooning. Her debut full-length graphic novel Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life won huge acclaim in 2011, including taking the prestigious Angouleme “Revelation” prize. Now this important work of memoir and reportage has made its way to English audiences, and Ulli Lust and Verlag Der Tagesspiegel journalist Lars von Torne as they explore this important and highly-anticipated TCAF debut. (Reference Library)

12:15 – 1:15pm // Spotlight: Gilbert Hernandez’s Marble Season
Gilbert Hernandez is the co-creator of the acclaimed series Love & Rockets, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary. Gilbert is attending TCAF in support of his highly-anticipated, semiautobiographical new graphic novel, Marble Season. Marble Season tells the untold stories from the American comics legends’ youth, but also portrays the reality of life in a large family in suburban 1960s California. Pop-culture references—TV shows, comic books, and music—saturate this evocative story of a young family navigating cultural and neighborhood norms set against the golden age of the American dream and the silver age of comics. Gilbert will present from this new work, and participate in a moderated Q&A. (Forest Hill Ballroom)

1:30 – 2:30pm // Moebius, Past and Future Jean Giraud, also known as Moebius, was a legend in the comics industry – his lush, whimsical art and creative storytelling inspired a generation of cartoonists around the world to take the comics medium to new directions and new heights. Four cartoonists discuss Moebius’ life, work, and his role in inspiring the industry today – as well as their own books. With Frederik Peeters, Paul Pope, David B., Glyn Dillon. Moderated by Xavier Guilbert. (Forest Hill Ballroom)

2:45 – 3:45pm // Writing Life These four cartoonists tell the most personal kind of stories – stories from their own lives. This program explores what’s involved in memoir. How accurately can memory and representative artwork depict real life? And are there kinds of stories that cannot be told? Featuring Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama), Derf (My Friend Dahmer), Ulli Lust (Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life), and Lucy Knisley (Relish). Moderated by Robin Brenner. (Pilot Tavern)

4:00 – 5:00pm // Spotlight: Michael Kupperman Acclaimed American comics artist and humourist Michael Kupperman (Tales Designed to Thrizzle) discusses his life, work, and upcoming projects in this special TCAF Spotlight program. Perhaps certain special guests will drop by? (Pilot Tavern)

Sunday, May 12th

12:15 – 1:15pm // What’s Funny in the Funnies? Comics & Humour What makes a comic funny? We couldn’t tell you exactly, but what we do know is that these five panelists have made some damn funny comics, so they’ve likely got some insight. We’ll refund show admission if they don’t. Featuring Bill Amend (Foxtrot), Ivan Brunetti (HAW!), Danielle Corsetto (Girls with Slingshots), Lisa Hanawalt (My Dirty Dumb Eyes), and Michael Kupperman (Tales Designed to Thrizzle). (High Park Ballroom, located in the The Marriott Bloor Yorkville.)

12:15 – 1:15pm // Queer Comics 2013 You don’t have to be queer to make or read queer comics. Social, civil, and sexual issues, serious or satirical, make queer comics works that deal with the joys and problems of life that affect all of us. The creators on this panel make books that transcend gender identities to appeal to everyone. Featuring Justin Hall, Erika Moen, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Chip Kidd, and moderator Zan Christiensen (Northwest Press). (Pilot Tavern)

2:45 – 3:45pm // Spotlight: Dash Shaw Acclaimed cartoonist and animator Dash Shaw discusses his new and upcoming graphic novels, New School and 3 New Stories, in this multimedia presentation. (Reference Library)

2:45 – 3:45pm // Spotlight: David B. TCAF presents a conversation with acclaimed French cartoonist David B. (Best of Enemies) on his life, work, and the French comics industry. Moderated by Sean Rogers. (High Park Ballroom, located in the The Marriott Bloor Yorkville.)

4:00 – 5:00pm // Spotlight: Ivan Brunetti Renowned cartoonist Ivan Brunetti (HAW!) is also Assistant Professor in the Art and Design Department of Columbia College Chicago, teaching courses on drawing, design, illustration, cartooning, and graphic novels. On this special TCAF Spotlight panel, Brunetti will talk about his own cartooning career, and the importance of comics in education, as outlined in his new book Aesthetics from Yale University Press. (High Park Ballroom, located in the The Marriott Bloor Yorkville.)

4:00 – 5:00pm // Live Drawing… 2! Four creators enter, one creator leaves! Come watch four artists draw for their lives – and for your entertainment. Winners will feast on the souls of the losers (vegetarian option available). Featuring Phil McAndrew, Lucy Knisley, Jim Rugg, and Scott C.! (Pilot Tavern)

So, stop by Tables 142 & 143 and give all your money to our PR/Marketing duo of Jacq & Jen! We're on the first floor by the stairs, so you can't escape us.

The Toronto Reference Library is located at 789 Yonge Street. The closest major intersection is Yonge & Bloor. The closest subway station is Yonge/Bloor Station. See you at TCAF!

Stumptown Photos

TheJenVaughn

Holy comicsolly! Here's photos from the Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, OR. Dash Shaw was in attendance with New School, which flew off the table. WHY THE WAIT on pictures? We forgot our own con rules. To remain human you must 5-2-1-I: At least 5 hours of sleep, 2 meals a day, 1 shower and Ibuprofen at night. Four hours of sleep one night wrecked this gal and boy, did she pay for it.

Lots of our Fantastaff came to the show since it was so close! Me, Designer Emory Liu, PR Director Jacq Cohen, Dash and Office Manager Steph Rivers.

Table service: Dash Shaw signs the fore pages of Bottomless Belly Button.

Patrick Rosenkranz held some long, lovely conversations with fans of comics history and his book Rebel Visions. Patrick also led a Spain Rodriguez tribute panel, if you can ever take a class by him bring a recorder!

Dash talks to fans, cartoonists and the awesome Ming Doyle (who is both).

Obligatory "WE LOVE THESE BOOKS" shot, I'm holdin' Julio's Day by Gilbert Hernandez, Jacq is rockin' Ulli Lust's Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life.

Talking comics and Fantagraphics with Julia Gfrörer (Black is the Color coming out in September), Patrick Rosenkranz and Dash.

Jacq sells Love and Rockets.

This cutie was all about the Carl Barks' Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge books.

Portland is awesome because there are cartoonists everywhere. And by everywhere I mean at bars or restaurants. We ran in to Greg Means, Alec Longstreth and Claire Sanders at the Red Flag on the way to the Top Shelf party.

Having the warehouse van proved useful driving home slightly drinky cartoonists. James Kochalka, Rachel Foss and Dash Shaw hold court in the back.

ACCESSORIES. We saw quite a bit. Ed Luce rocked some additional tags.

Dash signed the Stumptown sketch poster HIS WAY.

Patrick Yurick had the best NEW comics-related tattoo. It even has the Wattersonesque dropped panel borders for that comic beat.

Speaking of PANELS: Dash tickled the audience with this animation and comic panel. He's got comedic timing DOWN.

Here I am looking goofy alongside some of the smarter people in comics on a submissions panel: Allison Baker of MonkeyBrain Comics, Jamie S. Rich (talking about old Oni days), Bob Schreck and Sina Grace of Image and Skybound. Panel photo by Glenn Peters.

Our Kristy Valenti, Patrick Rosenkranz and Tom Spurgeon gave a beautiful Spain Rodriguez tribute panel. Photo by someone who still rocks a flash.

Book Appreciation! James Kochalka is a Jim Woodring fan!

Karl Stevens ooohhs and aaaahhs over Dash Shaw's New School.

Dark Horse's Brendan Wright caught Bark-handed!

INTERN POWER. We had several interns tabling with their own comics. Low-res intern Kevin Uehlein and Ben Horak on the edges of a beautiful comics table, Beth Hetland and Pat Barrett in the middle. Ben's shy so all you get is his sideburns.

Intern Nomi Kane and her comic spread. The Back of Ben Horak.

Dead dog after dinner at Hungry Tiger Too with Dash Shaw, Bayard Baudoin, Tom Neely, Zack Soto, Benjamin Marra and his lovely lady.

Tom Kaczynski gets goofy when others aren't watching.

Thanks for coming out! Olan Mills family photo by Joshin Yamada with me, Dash, Jacq and Tom Kaczynski of Beta Testing the Apocalypse.

Photoset: Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust

mike

Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life
by Ulli Lust (translated by Kim Thompson)

464-page two-color 6.75" x 9" softcover • $35.00
ISBN: 978-1-60699-557-0

A long, dense, sensitive, and minutely observed autobiographical masterpiece recalling the summer of 1984, when the artist, a rebellious, punked-out 17-year-old, hitchhiked her way across Italy. 2011 Angoulême prize winner.

Due to arrive in about 4-6 weeks. Click the thumbnails for larger versions; get more info, see more previews and pre-order your copy here:

http://www.fantagraphics.com/todayisthelastday

Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust - Previews, Pre-Order

mike

Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life
by Ulli Lust (translated by Kim Thompson)

464-page two-color 6.75" x 9" softcover • $35.00
ISBN: 978-1-60699-557-0

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

Back in 1984, a rebellious, 17-year-old, punked-out Ulli Lust set out for a wild hitchhiking trip across Italy, from Naples through Verona and Rome and ending up in Sicily. Twenty-five years later, this talented Austrian cartoonist has looked back at that tumultuous summer and delivered a long, dense, sensitive, and minutely observed autobiographical masterpiece.

Miraculously combining a perfect memory for both emotional and physical detail with the sometimes painful lucidity two and half decades’ distance have brought to her understanding of the events, Lust meticulously shows the who, where, when, and how (specifically, how an often penniless young girl can survive for months on the road) of a sometimes dangerous and sometimes exhilarating journey. Particularly haunting is her portrait of her fellow traveler, the gangly, promiscuous devil-may-care Edi who veers from being her spunky, funny best friend in the world to an out-of-control lunatic with no consideration for anything but her own whims and desires.

Universally considered one of the very finest examples of the new breed of graphic novels coming from Europe, Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life won the 2011 Angoulême “Revelation” prize, and Fantagraphics is proud to bring it to English speaking readers.

30-page excerpt (download 5.5 MB PDF):

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

MoCCA in photos - All the photos

TheJenVaughn

MoCCA was a BLAST, as usual. PR Director, Jacq Cohen, and I showed up early on Friday to set up the table. People couldn't wait for Saturday, clumping around the new books. Our two newest EC Comics Library releases featuring Al Williamson and Jack Davis' work are creating a heartbreakingly beautiful rainbow.

One side of the set-up table!

Friday night was Dash Shaw's opening for his New School art exhibition and 30th birthday at Desert Island. His fianceé (sorry, ladies and germs) made a cake that was uber-delicious. Below, Dash talks about his new comics.

Party hardy, Gabrielle Bell is talking to Ariel Shrag (!) in the left-hand corner.

A gentleman was purchasing Julio's Day by Gilbert Hernandez at Desert Island so we had to compliment him on his exquisite taste. Lo and behold, Tony (or so he says) showed up at MoCCA the next day ready to buy more quality comics, this time Castle Waiting Vol. 1 by Linda Medley. My mom would be so proud that I'm still somewhat polite!

I ran into a familiar face, cartoonist and animation intern Andrew Greenstone, who was more than willing to hang out and shot the shit---I mean, talk business.

If I ever become a comic book store owner, I hope I'm as cool as Gabe Fowler. The red print was a Desert Island exclusive!

The next day MoCCA started out with the great Bill Griffith signing new copies of Zippy: The Dingburg Diaries.

Cartoonist Charles Burns showed up to hang out with friends and look at comics. I never ever tire of that man's company, but he did mention some people are reticent to eat with him because of what he draws in his comics. FOOLS, I say! Also, Evan Dorkin makes Chris Duffy guffaw in the background. Doesn't "Griffith, Dorkin, Duffy and Burns" sound like an amazing lawfirm? Like possibly corrupt but they probably have a pastry chef on staff to appease their clients?

Also signing at MoCCA was Kim Deitch, whose new book The Amazing, Enlightening and Absolutely True Adventures of Katherine Whaley is coming out soon and is haunting, to put it mildly.
Deitch brought his original pages which fans poured over.
James Romberger and Marguerite Van Cook made their Fantagraphics signing debut for 7 Miles a Second, the moving comic written by David Wojnarowicz. The book has one of those covers that is both oblique and arresting (Jacq adds up some quick math on the right). While I did not stop a child from picking up the book, I did tell a parent or two it had adult material in it. One of my favorite sells of the weekend was selling Prison Pit Book Two to a 14 year old kid whose mom seemed dubious until I brought up the philosophy behind the book. The teen gave me a giant wink as he left, he might not get it still.

Van Cook discussed innovative printing techniques from their travels and non-profit advice while James would sketch in signed copies of the book.

Recently, Alex Dueben talked to Romberger for Comic Book Resources and stopped to meet them in person.

Next up was Leslie and Dash! Local cartoonist Leslie Stein is also in a pretty crazy fun band, Prince Rupert's Drops. If you live in the New York area, check them out. The rest of us will just live via our headphones or listening to their tracks on the recent AudioFemme interview. Leslie signed my old copy of Eye of the Majestic Creature and we talked about second book that's coming out this fall! I heard some comments from other cartoonists that they feel weird about asking fellow toonies to sign their books but I don't give a humdinkle about that. Make it FANCY for me.

Dash signed the spine of many a Bottomless Belly Button and cover of 3 New Stories for eager fans. Those gorgeous red prints (you can only see a quarter of it) are available from Desert Island if you are looking for something for the Shaw fan who 'has it all.'

One of the favorite books of the con was Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust. Mk Reed confessed to reading the original edition with an English translation, she was so eager. Here, Carl Antonowicz expresses something...yes, it's joy at the book!

Publishers Weekly's Cal Reid looks great in his Love and Rockets shirt (Virtual Memories podcast host, Gil Roth suited up behind him).

Really loved that Bill Griffith whipped out some future Zippy strips (for May!) during a lull during his signings. No big deal.

Self Made Hero cartoonist JAKe (according to the internet) is a huge Drew Friedman fan, he just can't take great photos.

Given our close proximity to the stairs to the bathroom, there wasn't much chance for wondering down aisles or buying comics. I really wanted to read L. Nichols' Flocks and she was helpful enough to COME TO ME with her Square for my plastic purchase.

Tucker Stone, of TCJ and Bergen Street Comics, came by to get Gary's signature on a copy of The Comics Journal. Pretty cute, right?

Jacq and me with two of our debut books by Ulli Lust and Gilbert Hernandez! Photo by Dre Grigoropol.

Hung with bossman Gary Groth, Dash, Leslie and Jacq one night.

Charles Forsman was out and about with his Oily Comics micropublishing outfit. Chuck's comic, The End of the Fucking World, will be out this July from Fantagraphics in one single beautiful book. I'm so excited about that. We in no way support NCIS.

Chuck and I go way back, we used to work at the same graphic novel library together in Vermont. A photo from 2009:

Speaking of libraries, the next day Tom Spurgeon and I visited Columbia University's Butler Library and Rare Book room, led around by enthusiastic librarian Karen Green. It was so very cool to see our books with library binding but they've also perfected a myler binding so we don't lose those cool spine designs. Shaw's Bottomless Belly Button and Noah Van Sciver's The Hypo.

Kim, I didn't forget about you, the library has a lot of Jacques Tardi books. Some were checked out, which is even better than finding them at the library.

A grand place I hope to visit again. Thanks to Anelle Miller and her trusty band of volunteers for the enjoyable convention, Gary and Jacq for booth help plus a few of these photos. Lastly, another one of my favorite moments of the week was selling Dungeon Quest Book One to a gentleman on Saturday who came back Sunday to buy the other two after reading the first in one sitting. It was a cherry on top of an awesome convention.

First Look & Excerpt: Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust

mike

We're proud to soon be releasing Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life, a major work of comics autobiography by Austrian cartoonist Ulli Lust and winner of the 2011 Angoulême "Revelation" prize.

In 1984, 17-year-old Ulli and her friend Edi spent several eventful months on a trip from Vienna to Sicily. By turns exhilarating and harrowing, their journey is told with uncanny recall, lucid observation, and emotional honesty. Lust's cartooning is evocative, detailed, and punctuated with expressionistic outbursts.

"Ulli Lust really nails my favorite part of storytelling. Bumming cigarettes, learning how to hitchhike - the small details that create great character." – Jaime Hernandez

The 464-page book will debut at MoCCA Fest next week, and we'll also have copies — and Ulli herself! — at TCAF in May! It should be on shelves in stores about 2 months from now. You can get it a bit sooner by pre-ordering direct from us, and in the meantime you can take a test drive with our 30-page excerpt.

Fantagraphics' Diamond PREVIEWS for May 2013

mike

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

Cover Uncovered: Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust

mike

Ever since we first got our hands on the original German edition of Ulli Lust's highly-acclaimed Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life (winner of the 2011 Angoulême "Revelation" prize), we've known we wanted to publish the English version. Now that's a big step closer to actuality as we've just sent the files, with Kim Thompson's translation, off to the printer. In this autobiographical tale, told with a keen eye for events, environments and emotions, Lust traces the steps of her teenage self and her wild friend Edi as they hitchhike across Italy one summer, a trip fraught with sex, drugs and some violence, and all the danger and excitement they entail. The book is due in April — previews are in the works, and pre-order is on now.

Daily OCD 8/17/12

TheJenVaughn

The freshest fried-this-morning Online Commentaries & Diversions:

• Review: Tucker Stone on The Comics Journal gives a thumbs-up to Dungeon Quest Vol. 3 by Joe Daly. "Dungeon Quest–the mumbling stoner counterpart to its methed up metal freak cousin, Prison Pit–has a whole new stack of penis-obsessed pages to play with. It’s tempting to single out one part of this volume to label as best, but that temptation dissipates upon the realization that it’s going to be impossible to pick a winner."

• Review: BookGasm raves about Jacques Tardi's New York Mon Amour. JT Lindroos says, "It shuffles in elements from Tardi’s other books, but distills those familiar ingredients into a wholly unique concoction. . . It’s a love letter to an imaginary city bursting with life, depression and death, a city you love to observe from a distance."

• Interview (audio): BoingBoing's podcast Gweek features Joshua Glenn, editor of Significant Objects, and Top Shelf cartoonist Ed Piskor.

• Plug: Noah Van Sciver finished out the TCJ Comic Diary week with a visit by Gary Groth. Heidi MacDonald of The Beat said nice things about The Hypo: "an extremely well researched look at Abraham Lincoln’s early days as a depressed young lawyer, will be one of the buzz books of the fall."

• Plug: Bleeding Cool and Rich Johnston show off some pages from Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust, coming out this fall.

• Interview: Editor of the Steve Ditko and Bill Everett Archives, Blake Bell, shows up on the Distinguished Comic Book Podcast to talk about Ditko, Bill Everett, and the Secret History of Marvel Comics.

• Plug: Robot 6 and Bridget Alverson are excited for both the upcoming Wilfred Santiago books on Michael Jordan and John Brown. "If the images are any indication, Santiago is busting out from the limited palette he used for the Clemente book to full, brilliant color, applied in a bold, painterly style."

• Plug: The Covered blog continues to highlight new versions of Love and Rockets covers. This time it's L&R #50 drawn by Robert Goodin. Check out Goodin's eerie treatment of a classic.

• Plug: The Love and Rockets Northeast Tour is mentioned on BoingBoing. Thanks, Marc!

• Interview: Casey Burbach interviews editor John Benson on fanzine Squa Tront's issue #13 (forty years after issue #1 came out) and the EC collections that have been published: "I thought that the color in the latest “EC Archives” series was pretty bad, at least in the book that I saw – not appropriate for comics of that era. . . The Fantagraphics series will be produced with quality and taste, I’m sure. Hopefully, with a different distribution set-up, going into bookstores, they may also reach a new audience."

• Review (audio): The Comic Books are Burning in Hell podcast recently chatted up Johnny Gruelle's Mr. Twee-Deedle edited by Rick Marschall. Around the 38 minute mark is where they predict ". . . it'll wind up a real contender for 2012's 'thru the cracks' award for most sadly obscure release. . ." Let's avoid ANY books falling through the cracks, check out this broadsheet-sized wonder today!

• Review: The Australian checks out Flannery O'Connor: The Cartoons, edited by Kelly Gerald. Owen Heitmann says, "Flannery O'Connor: The Cartoons is primarily of historical interest, documenting the early development of the first postwar female writer to merit inclusion in the Library of America series. Editor Kelly Gerald has taken this archival approach to heart, reproducing apparently every extant example of O'Connor's cartooning, even doodles from later handwritten letters."

Daily OCD: 10/31/11

mike

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "Sala’s new book, The Hidden, does not wholly depart from the campy fascination with the morbid that marks his previous work, but is even darker in tone, despite the vibrant watercolor work. The visual markers of Sala’s humor are present — the affected font, the twisted faces — but there is arguably something more serious and disturbing at play here." – Jenna Brager, Los Angeles Review of Books

• Reviews (Video): "This week on the Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I discuss Richard Sala's work, including his Peculia books and his new graphic novel The Hidden, perfect books to read for Halloween." So says co-host Dave Ferraro — watch the multi-part video at the link

• Review: "EC is often at the center of the story [of Pre-Code horror comics]... Four Color Fear strives to provide an accessible sampler of everything else. Editor Greg Sadowski is adept at such missions.... Sadowski keeps endnotes, often heavy with hard publication facts and extensive quotes from artists and observers, in the back of the book in order to structurally foreground the sensual, aesthetic experience of reading old comics." – Joe McCulloch, Los Angeles Review of Books

• Review: "Thirty years after the debut of their Love and Rockets series, the Hernandez Brothers continue to impress readers with their incredible Love and Rockets: New Stories #4.... More than ever, Jaime demonstrates a mastery of line and pacing, making for emotional realism that is rarely matched in the world of comics.... As for Gilbert, he presents readers with the captivating 'King Vampire,' a story which revolves around killer vampires.... The result is a gripping tale filled with plot twists, violence, and absolutely gorgeous art.... With Love and Rockets: New Stories #4, the Hernandez Brothers establish once more their immeasurable contribution to the world of comics. Instead of producing works that are stale and predictable, the duo is creating comics that are as imaginative and fresh as ever." – Jason Grimmer, 211 Bernard (Librairie Drawn & Quarterly)

• Review: "David B. is one of the most important cartoonists in France. A member of L'Association, his most important work is Epileptic... But I will confess that I like the stories in The Armed Garden more. These are stories about heretics. Heresy is a subject of particular interest for certain storytellers -- for example, Jorge Luis Borges.... These bizarre fable-like tales may seem far from us, but they show want can happen when societies are stressed." – Robert Boyd, The Great God Pan Is Dead

• Review: "The stories [in The Man Who Grew His Beard] are funny, ironic and absurd. In that, he reminds me of his fellow Belgian cartoonists, Kamagurka and Herr Seele. But he also reminds one of the avant garde Belgian cartoonists of Freon (later Fremok). These are more 'art comics,' where the visual aspect is paramount. This is not to say the narratives are unimportant, mere hangers onto which to hang the art. They are amusing, weird and compelling -- the visual aspect makes them all the more so." – Robert Boyd, The Great God Pan Is Dead

• Review: "Told with great confidence and uncomfortable frankness across a sprawling 450 pages, [Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life] is a coming-of-age narrative that inevitably places itself in the tradition of German travel literature, perhaps unwittingly joining the company of such august figures as Goethe and Hesse.... Despite its trauma, the journey ends up being one of liberation. Though its description of the risks inherent to the only semi-aware need for independence characteristic of youth is sobering, the book is never judgmental. There is a distinct undertone of empowerment to this story of one woman’s instinctive search for enlightenment. It is a grand tour." – Matthias Wivel, The Metabunker (Look for our edition of this book in Summer/Fall 2012.)

• Interview: On the day Gary Groth was to have interviewed Robert Crumb on stage at his canceled appearance at the GRAPHIC Festival in Sydney, Gary called Crumb up for a nice long phone chat instead, now transcribed and posted at The Comics Journal, posing questions asked by the Hernandez Bros., Tony Millionaire, Trina Robbins and more in addition to his own

• Commentary: "Long gone publisher St. John's line of romance comics has a chronicler in the person of John Benson. He edited [Romance Without Tears] from Fantagraphics in 2003. He argues that this line was superior to just about everybody else's line of romance comics and he is good at peopling his argument, particularly in a second book [Confessions, Romances, Secrets and Temptations] he put together in 2007." – Eddie Campbell

• Plug: "Two — count ’em — two books fold into one in Everything Is an Afterthought. First, we get a heartbreaking biography of the late, great rock critic Paul Nelson. Then, to prove the greatness part, the author of the first section (Kevin Avery) compiles Nelson’s most incisive hits." – Jim Farber, New York Daily News

• Plug: On Librairie Drawn & Quarterly's 211 Bernard blog, Jason Grimmer runs down some highlights from Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910-2010 by Michael Kupperman, saying "Come on, that's a helluva CV know matter how you slice it. The least you could do is read about it."