The Seattle-based French cultural organization the Alliance Française is having a Christmas market and you're invited!

Fantagraphics will have a table there selling our French translations (Tardi, Trondheim, David B., etc.) but we will also have a big pile of non-Fantagraphics editions of French and Belgian classics such as Tintin, Asterix, the Smurfs, and Lucky Luke, and several boxes full of french comics IN THE ORIGINAL FRENCH that have not previously been made available in our store.

The Alliance Française is a great organization and this should be a fun time for Francophiles in general even above and beyond Fantagraphics' presence, so we hope to see you there. Francophone Kim Thompson will be manning the table throughout and will answer your questions and banter with you (and take your money) in French, in English, or in Danish if you happen to trek up from Ballard, for that matter. A bientôt!

The Alliance Française is located on the ground floor of Historic Seattle's beautiful Good Shepherd Center at 4649 Sunnyside Avenue North. There are two large free parking lots as well as abundant free on-street parking.

Celebrate 30 Years of Love and Rockets with Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez at Fantagraphics Bookstore on Saturday, December 8!

When Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez created the first issue of Love and Rockets three decades ago, they foreshadowed the diverse American society we enjoy today. Their work wasn’t overtly political. They simply reflected their cultural environment. In doing so, they profoundly influenced popular culture on a global scale. Celebrate the illustrious legacy of these amazing artists on Saturday, December 8 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. This festive evening of art, comix, and music marks the 6th anniversary of Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery .

The Love and Rockets comic book series helped lay the foundation for the alternative comix movement. Brothers Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez combined elements of their Southern California punk counterculture with accessible pop motifs, breathing new life into the moribund underground comix form. Their work found a receptive audience among the adventurous youth culture of the period. The Hernandez brothers’ efforts soon came to the attention fledgling comic book publisher Fantagraphics Books, helping launch that storied enterprise. The relationship remains strong 30 years later, as Fantagraphics and Love and Rockets help shape the rising influence of alternative comix. The Love and Rockets franchise has grown to include countless comix collections and continues as an annual edition that complements the solo projects of the sibling artists.

The festivities on Saturday, December 8 include an exhibition of Love and Rockets art and artifacts chosen by Fantagraphics editorial associate Kristy Valenti and bookstore curator Larry Reid. A signed commemorative silkscreen print will be produced for the occasion. Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez will be available to sign a wide variety of comix, anthologies, and related merchandise. Accomplished cartoonist, visual artist and musician Geneviève Castrée will provide entertainment with her music project Ô Paon – helping us celebrate 30 years of Love and Rockets as well as six wonderful years of Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. This event coincides with a lively holiday edition of the Georgetown Art Attack, featuring visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic neighborhood, including wandering carolers from Choir of the Sound.

Listing Information:

30 Years of Love and Rockets with Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez
Exhibition and book signing, with music by Ô Paon
Saturday, December 8, 6:00 to 9:00 PM
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale Street, Seattle. 206.658.0110
Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM

Write yourself a note so you don't forget! It's time for the Eighth Annual Giant Robot Post-It Show, curated by our own Esther Pearl Watson with her equally-awesome husband Mark Todd!

Each one-of-a-kind Post-It masterpiece is merely $20, and this might possibly be the biggest Post-It Show yet with over 2,000 submissions! And there's over 260 artists involved, including our own Andrice Arp, Gabrielle Bell, Lilli Carre, Martin Cendreda, John Cuneo, Eleanor Davis, Renee French, Johnny Ryan, Malachi Ward, and Steven Weissman!

The Giant Robot Post-It Show 8 runs from December 8th through 16th at GR2 [ 2062 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA ] with an opening reception event on Saturday, December 8th from 6:00 - 10:00 PM. Come prepared to "cash-and-carry"!

Yes, Budapest!

The Last Vispo Anthology: Visual Poetry 1998-2008 features 148 contributors from 23 countries on five continents, and on Thursday, November 29th, the book will be celebrated at the Petőfi Literary Museum!

Join contributor Márton Koppány for a discussion about the book at 5:00 PM. It's sure to be a very special event!

Viva Las Vegas! 2012 ain't over yet, and we're not done celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Love and Rockets!

Join Jaime & Gilbert Hernandez in Sin City on Saturday, December 1st at Alternate Reality Comics. The signing runs from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, and don't take a gamble and get there late -- they'll have a special, limited edition commemorative print for sale for only $15.00! (Limited to only 75 copies!)

As if that weren't inticing enough, all Love and Rockets comics and graphic novels will be 20% off! Complete your collections! Buy holiday gifts for your stupid friends who don't already own these landmark comics!

Complimentary beverages and snacks will be served. Alternate Reality Comics is located at 4110 S. Maryland Pkwy. #8, at the Maryland Pkwy & Flamingo intersection, behind Long John Silver's, arrr.

Turkey smurkey. It's a holiday weekend -- put down that comic book, get off the couch, and come buy more comic books!

Thursday, November 22nd

• Salvador, Brazil: Max launched his retrospective exhibition, Panóptica, at the Instituto Cervantes de Salvador! Check out the FLOG for pics and reports from previous stops on this exhibit's tour! (more info) 

Friday, November 23rd

• Seattle, WA: The Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery has extended our exhibit for Noah Van Sciver's The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln and Frank M. Young & David Lasky's The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song to today! Beat the stampedes this Black Friday, and support independent shops! (more info) 

• Vancouver, BC: It's a Horror Hangover thanks to Robin McConnell of Inkstuds with this group show featuring Fantagraphics' staffers Jason T. Miles and Jen Vaughn, Mome veterans Malachi Ward and Jim Rugg! Plus, check out that poster illustration from Al Columbia! (more info)   

Saturday, November 24th

• Seattle, WA: Join us at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery for the book release party for The Last Vispo Anthology, edited by Northwest literary artists Nico Vassilakis and Crag Hill.  Their work will be feted with an exhibition, readings, and a musical performance from Lori Goldston (former Nirvana and Earth cellist, and recent Stranger “Genius Award” recipient) performing with former Black Cat Orchestra bandmate Kyle Hanson. (more info) 

• St. Petersburg, FL: Meanwhile, the Eve N Odd Gallery will be hosting a launch party for The Last Vispo Anthology: Visual Poetry 1998-2008, as well, with prints from the book on display! (more info)

• Vancouver, BC: You'll be horrified if you miss the last day of Horror Hangover, hangin' at the Hot Art Wet City's Pop-Up Gallery! (more info)

Sunday, November 25th

• Vancouver, BC: And the celebration continues for The Last Vispo Anthology at the STAG (Strathcona Art Gallery) Library with unscheduled pop-up readings and performances by: Jim Andrews (Vancouver), Judith Copithorne (Vancouver), Crag Hill (Idaho), Donato Mancini (Vancouver), Gustave Morin (Windsor), Michael V. Smith (Kelowna), Nico Vassilakis (Seattle) and possibly more! (more info)

As Jen mentioned earlier this week on the FLOG, the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery recently launched an exhibit spotlighting two graphic novels that bring history to life: Noah Van Sciver's The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln and David Lasky's The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song! It was originally scheduled to run through today, but Larry now tells me that on Friday, November 23rd, the exhibit will be, well, history, so check it out while you still can!

If you missed our opening reception, then dang it, you missed a truly awesome time. The great Jim Woodring was droppin' some science, although Marketing Director Mike Baehr seems dubious. Local cartoonist Tim Miller pledged his undying love to Noah. (Just kidding about all of that; I have no idea what was going on...)

I also have no idea what's going on in this awesome photo Lasky took of me, Mike, and local cartoonist (and Short Run Small Press Fest organizer) Kelly Froh. But it makes me laugh.

[ Check out more of David's photos at his Flickr page here! ]

David and Noah's exhibit of original artwork will be on display through this Friday, November 23rd, so stop by -- you'll be thankful you did! We even still have a few signed copies left of each title.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle's Georgetown district. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. CLOSED on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, but OPEN AS HELL on Friday, November 23rd. Phone: (206) 658-0110.

Please join us this Saturday, November 24 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM for the festive release of The Last Vispo Anthology, edited by Northwest literary artists Nico Vassilakis and Crag Hill.

The reception will feature short readings by contributors James Yeary, Donato Mancini, Robert Mittenthal, Joseph Keppler and Gustave Morin, as well as editors Hill and Vassilakis. The exhibition will include 14 prints from the anthology. Musical entertainment will be provided by Lori Goldston (former Nirvana and Earth cellist, and recent Stranger "Genius Award" recipient) performing with former Black Cat Orchestra band mate Kyle Hanson. This event marks the departure to New York of editor Nico Vassilakis, a longtime Fantagraphics employee and fixture in Seattle’s cultural community. Admission is always free.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle’s vibrant Georgetown industrial arts corridor. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.

This Sunday, November 25th, the STAG (Strathcona Art Gallery) Library in Vancouver, BC will host a book launch party for The Last Vispo Anthology: Visual Poetry 1998-2008, edited by Nico Vassilakis and Crag Hill.

Running throughout the evening from 7:00 - 10:00 PM, there will be unscheduled pop-up readings and performances by: Jim Andrews (Vancouver), Judith Copithorne (Vancouver), Crag Hill (Idaho), Donato Mancini (Vancouver), Gustave Morin (Windsor), Michael V. Smith (Kelowna), Nico Vassilakis (Seattle) and possibly more.

The launch will also feature a window installation of visual poetry by Gustave Morin, and an exhibition of prints drawn from The Last Vispo.

The STAG (Strathcona Art Gallery) Library is located at 826 East Pender Street, Vancouver. BYOB, BC!

Who says Halloween is the scariest holiday? When you can't bear the sight of dirty dishes and leftovers, when the parents have worn your last nerve, or when you can't seem to button your jeans anymore, it's time to head to the Horror Hangover in Vancouver, BC!

(Yeah, I know Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving in October -- it's been a helluva hangover.)

This group show was curated by Robin McConnell of Inkstuds, who explains, "Horror Hangover is a chance for cartoonists to work on some conceptual ideas for visions of times mostly terrible, some exhausting, with a couple of positive examples." Sounds perfect for the holidays to me!

Not only does the show feature Fantagraphics' staffers Jason T. Miles and Jen Vaughn, but you can also find work from Mome veterans Malachi Ward and Jim Rugg! Plus, check out that poster illustration from Al Columbia!

The opening reception is this Friday, November 23rd, from 7:00 to 11:00 PM, and your last chance to see it is on Saturday, November 24th from Noon to 6:00 PM. Hot Art Wet City's Pop-Up Gallery is located at 752 E. Broadway.