"Efforts" (2011) from Patrick McHale on Vimeo.

Visitors to Geneviève Castrée's Susceptible exhibition and book signing this Saturday evening at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery are in for a delightful treat. Following Geneviève's slide talk, we'll present a free concert by Ashley Eriksson. (Many of you will know her band Lake from their song at the end of each episode of Cartoon Network's popular Adventure Time program.) Check out this lovely Lake tune with amazing animation by Patrick McHale.

Join Dave Cooper tonight, Friday, March 8th for the opening reception of his art show A Little Knotty at the Cotton Candy Machine in Brooklyn! Dave, himself, will be in attendance to sign your well-worn copies of Bent or Ripple! 

He'll be joined by artist Troy Nixey, debuting his own show Dead Inventors, and the two gentlemen will display original watercolored drawings, inkings, new prints and some fun merchandise. The reception runs from 7:00 to 11:00 PM.

If you can't make it this Friday, the exhibit will be on display through April 7th, 2013.  Tara McPherson's Cotton Candy Machine is located at 235 South 1st Street in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, near the Bedford & Lorimer L, Metropolitan G, and Marcy JMZ Subway stops.

For the past week, our own Ron Regé, Jr. has brought his unique psychomagic to SAW, the Sequential Artists Workshop, in Gainesville, Florida. Sadly, the Cartoon Utopia Camp 2013 must come to an end, but before it does, you can spend one last weekend basking in the glow of Ron's artistic vision!

Stop by SAW tonight, Friday, March 8th, for a final reception of the comics created this past week in his workshop! From 7:00 to 10:00 PM, you can view the original artwork, and get yourself a copy of the anthology zine. SAW is located at 18 SE 5th Avenue.

And then tomorrow night, Saturday, March 9th, join Ron for an exhibit of his original drawings at the F.L.A. Gallery [ 10 Main Street, Gainesville ]. The opening reception runs from 7:00 to 10:00 PM, and the art show will be on display through April 21st, 2013!

So, come bid Ron a fond farewell with a weekend's worth of fun in Florida!

Seattle, if you haven't already heard, you've got another chance to listen up to Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975! 

Editor Pat Thomas will be back in town for the first time in over a year on Saturday, March 23rd at the Cinema Salon.

Pat will be joined by Ron Johnson, founding member of the Seattle Black Panther Party, and Seattle University professor Gary Perry.  They'll discuss the legacy of the 1965 Watts Riots, the L.A. Rebellion and social justice, reviving a cultural, social, artistic and political framework now lost to memory.

This event is part of L.A. Rebellion, a special weekend-series of Black Cinema hosted by our friends at the Northwest Film Forum throughout March.

I've raved before about how fascinating Pat's presentations are here on the FLOG, but it truly bears repeating. And to hear he'll be joined by Ron and Gary truly makes this event one not to miss! Plus, it's FREE, so you don't have to miss it.

This special salon starts at 6:00 PM. The Cinema Salon is hosted by The Project Room at 1315 East Pine Street on Capitol Hill.

Monday, March 4th

•  Gainesville, Florida:  Hopefully you're all signed up to take Ron Regé, Jr.'s week-long workshop at SAW, the Sequential Artists Workshop! I am very jealous of all of you! (more info)

Thursday, March 7th

•  San Francisco, CA:  The mighty Mario Hernandez will be discussing his contributions to the groundbreaking Love and Rockets series at the Cartoon Art Museum from 7:00 to 9:00 PM! (more info)

Friday, March 8th

•  New York City, NY:  The Art of Harvey Kurtzman, a comprehensive retrospective of MAD creator Harvey Kurtzman, opens at the Society of Illustrators! (more info)

•  Minneapolis, MN:  Dash Shaw will be a special guest at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design! This lecture is open to the public. (more info)

Saturday, March 9th

•  Seattle, WA:  Join us at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery for a book signing for Geneviève Castrée's Susceptible, along with a presentation and art exhibit of originals from her graphic novel debut! Ashley Eriksson of LAKE will perform music. (more info)

Sunday, March 10th

•  San Francisco, CA:  It's your last chance to see the Love and Rockets 30th Anniversary Celebration exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum! Of course, you've already been! Go again! (more info)

We're excited to announce that Dash Shaw will be a special guest at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design this Friday, March 8th! (As our own Mike Baehr put it, "At the behest of Professor Sally, I'd wager.")

Join him at Auditorium 150 at 1:00 PM as he discusses his comics and cartoons, and debuts new material! This event is open to the public, so come one, come all!

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design is located at 2501 Stevens Avenue, just south of downtown Minneapolis, next to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Children’s Theatre Company.

Two-Gun Zilch is coming... to the Society of Illustrators in New York City for the exhibit The Art of Harvey Kurtzman, a comprehensive retrospective of MAD creator Harvey Kurtzman, opening this Friday, March 8th!

Co-curators Monte Beauchamp and Denis Kitchen have assembled the most comprehensive assemblage of Kurtzman art to date, culled from private and family collections. Highlights include: Kurtzman life drawings from 1941; rarely-seen late ’40s strips done for the New York Herald-Tribune and well as for Marvel’s Stan Lee; key covers, strips and full stories Kurtzman created for MAD, Frontline Combat, Two-Fisted Tales, Humbug and Help!, sometimes in collaboration with fellow comics geniuses Will Elder and Jack Davis. In addition, “Kurtzmania,” numerous rare artifacts and publications never seen by the public, will be on display.

The exhibit runs through Saturday, May 11th in the museum’s two-floor gallery in New York City’s Upper East Side. The Society of Illustrators is located at 128 East 63rd Street.

Join us for a reception and book signing featuring Geneviève Castrée's Susceptible exhibition and music by Ashley Eriksson on Saturday, March 9 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery.

Castrée is a gifted cartoonist, visual artist and musician raised in Quebec and currently residing in Anacortes, Washington, where she is central to the lively cultural climate in that remote island community. She will display original work from her first full-length graphic novel Susceptible and give a brief presentation on her creative process.

Eriksson, another Anacortes resident, is best known for her band Lake. The group composed the music that plays at the end of each episode of the popular show Adventure Time on Cartoon Network. She’ll be performing songs from her forthcoming K Records release Colours.

This event coincides with the colorful Georgetown Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts presentations through the historic neighborhood. Fantagraphics Bookstore is located at 1201 S. Vale Street, only minutes south of downtown Seattle. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.

Yes! We are all set-up and ready for you to come buy some comics from us at Booth 510 at the 11th Annual Emerald City Comicon! We'll be joined by our wonderful guests:

Friday, March 1st
4:00-6:00 PM            Peter Bagge

Saturday, March 2nd
11:00-1:00 PM            Bill Schelly
1:00-3:00 PM             Peter Bagge
3:00-5:00 PM            Ellen Forney
5:00-6:00 PM            Michel Gagné

We've got our exclusive limited-edition Peter Bagge t-shirt in stock, featuring our anti-superhero, Buddy Bradley! Get yours while supplies last, along with a debut copy of Peter Bagge's Other Stuff, not due in stores until May!

Buy the book, and the tee is yours for only $10! Or just get the tee for $15!

In fact, all our t-shirts are on sale for a mere $15, including our highly-sought-after Love & Rockets t-shirts! 

So, be sure to come see us at Booth 510!  We're right by the superhero stuff... no, literally...

Fantagraphics is in the North Lobby this year for a change, near the photo ops area, and across from our friend, local artist Augie Pagan (Booth 506).

The Emerald City Comicon is held at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center at 800 Convention Place in bustlin' downtown Seattle.

Residents of the Pacific Northwest are in for a pop culture bonanza this weekend at Emerald City Comicon. The action begins on Friday with an appearance by the legendary Peter Bagge, signing from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at booth 510. Fans in attendance will be the first in the country to get advance copies of Peter Bagge's Other Stuff, as well as the exclusive Buddy Does Emerald City tee shirt at a premium price. Bagge was largely responsible for creating the atmosphere that attracted dozens of aspiring cartoonists to Seattle in the 1990s. Come celebrate that legacy with us.

The action continues on Saturday at 11:00 AM with comix scholar Bill Schelly signing copies of his three volumes on the late Joe Kubert, who we lost last year after a stellar career that began at the age of 12! Bill has an amazing grasp of comix history and is a wonderful conversationalist. Featured guest Peter Bagge returns to the booth from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, followed by Ellen Forney,  signing copies of her runaway bestseller Marbles and other books. Cartoonist and archivist Michel Gagné rounds out the entertainment from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.

Come meet our knowledgeable staff and mingle with pop culture personalities like Carrie Fisher, Patrick Stewart, Gillian Anderson, Adam West, Burt Ward, Wil Wheaton, and countless others. See you in Seattle at Booth 510. Cheers!