An exhibit of Ho Che Anderson's original artwork from King, running through the end of this week at Sala de Exposiciones CAM de Alicante in Alicante, Spain, re-opens in Valencia, Spain on April 7 at Aula CAM de Valencia La Llotgeta. More information here (en Español).

Todd DePastino hits the road in April and May to promote his TWO new books about the legendary cartoonist Bill Mauldin. DePastino is the author of the just-released A LIFE UP FRONT, the definitive biography of Mauldin published by W.W. Norton. He is also the general editor of the cartoon collection WILLIE & JOE: THE WWII YEARS, coming next month from Fantagraphics (check out our Flicker slideshow here). He will talk about both books in New Mexico, Chicago, Boston and Pittsburgh in the coming weeks. 

WHEN: Thursday, April 3, 7:00 PM
WHERE: Santa Fe Public Library
145 Washington Street
Santa Fe, NM 

WHEN: Friday, April 4 at 7 PM
WHERE: Page One Bookstore
11018 Montgomery Blvd. NE
Albuquerque, NM
505.294.2026

WHEN: Saturday, April 5 at 3:30PM
WHERE: Garcia Street Books
376 Garcia St.
Santa Fe, NM
505.986.0151 

WHEN: Sunday, April 6 at 3 PM
WHERE: Bookworks
4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM
505-344-8139

WHEN: Friday, April 11, 11AM
WHERE: Southminster Presbyterian Church
799 Washington Road
Pittsburgh, PA 

WHEN: Thursday, April 24, 7PM
WHERE: Boston College Cushing Hall 001
140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA
Boston, MA

WHEN: Thursday, May 8, 11AM
WHERE: Pritzker Military Library
610 North Fairbanks Court, 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL
312.587.0234

WHEN: Thursday, May 8, 5-7PM
WHERE: Abraham Lincoln Book Shop 
357 West Chicago Avenue 
Chicago, IL
Including webcast interview & virtual booksigning

WHEN: Tuesday, May 13, 9AM
WHERE: Friendship Village of South Hills
1290 Boyce Road
Pittsburgh, PA

WHEN: Wednesday, May 28, 7PM
WHERE: Mt. Lebanon Public Library
16 Castle Shannon Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA

Get yer South by Southwest on at Austin Books tomorrow!

 

"THE FUN NEVER STOPS!" WITH DREW FRIEDMAN AT FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKSTORE & GALLERY IN SEATTLE, OPENING MARCH 27.

Drew Friedman is among the most notorious illustrators and cartoonists in America. According to Entertainment Weekly, “He holds a marvelously warped lens up to crusty politicians and debauched celebrities. A good-natured misanthrope with an obsessive style and a sardonic tongue, Drew Friedman is one of the country’s sharper political artists.” Friedman will appear in Seattle for the first time at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery for a book signing and exhibition of his original artwork on Thursday, March 27 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.

“The Fun Never Stops!” exhibition features 17 portraits meticulously rendered in Friedman’s singular style. Included are political figures such as “McCain as Popeye,” “John Kerry’s Inauguration,” and “Really Rich Rudy” as well as pop culture icons like Frank Sinatra, Woody Allen, and Alfred E. Newman. In addition, Fantagraphics Books produced a limited edition silkscreen print featuring George W. Bush as Slim Pickens in the apocalyptic finale to “Dr. Strangelove.” Friedman’s portraits are alternately savage satires or reverential renderings – and frequently both, as in his series of “Old Jewish Comedians,” recently published in two volumes by Fantagraphics Books.

Friedman’s illustrious career has included comics work published in Art Spiegelman’s RAW, R. Crumb’s Weirdo and MAD Magazine, and frequent illustrations in National Lampoon, The New York Times, The New York Observer, among countless other publications. He was the recipient of the 2001 Reuben Award for newspaper illustration. Friedman’s work has been collected by Seattle’s Fantagraphics Books in The Fun Never Stops!: An Anthology of Comic Art 1991 - 2006, Old Jewish Comedians, More Old Jewish Comedians, and Warts and All.

“The Fun Never Stops!” begins with a reception for the artist on Thursday, March 27 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Admission is free to the public of all ages. The exhibition continues though May 6, 2008. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street (at the corner of Airport Way S.) in Seattle’s historic Georgetown industrial arts district. Open daily 11:30 until 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone: 206.658.0110.

Listing Information

DREW FRIEDMAN: THE FUN NEVER STOPS!
March 27 – May 6, 2008.
Opening Reception and Book signing
Thursday, March 27, 5:00 – 8:00 PM

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.)
Seattle, WA 206.658.0110

Open Daily 11:30 – 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM

You may or may not be aware that last week Fantagraphics co-sponsored a "bookwarming" party for Drew Friedman at NYC's exclusive Friars Club, on the occasion of the release of More Old Jewish Comedians from Fanta. I say you might not be because it was a private affair by invitation only, so it wasn't publicized in advance, although you may have seen some of the "postgame" coverage. Despite it being a private affair, by all accounts it was one of the most successful events the Club has ever thrown, with an estimated 400 people cramming into the Milton Berle Room and joining a cavalcade of comedy legends in honoring Drew, including Mickey Freeman, Freddie Roman, Jerry Stiller, Gilbert Gottfried, Jeffrey Ross, Joe Franklin, Larry Storch and others. 

We should be getting a slew of pics that we'll upload soon into a Flickr set, but in the meantime, don't miss these great write-ups (with photos):

 • The Daily Crosshatch  

• PW's The Beat (the same entry has some nice pics from Friday night's Leah Hayes signing at Rocketship, too)

•  Vanity Fair

• Arflovers' blog 

ABOVE PHOTO: (Left to right) Gilbert Gottfried, Jerry Stiller and Larry Storch, at the Friars Club. Photo by Brian Heater from our pals at The Daily Crosshatch. 

It was a lively scene down at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Saturday evening for our special Friends of the Nib Comics Jam with special guest of honor Kim Deitch and emcee Jim Woodring. We've got lotsa more photos right here at this link.

A happenin' crowd: 

 Kim signs books:

 Presenting a world premiere preview slideshow of Deitch's Pictorama:

 "Dial M for Monster"!

 

We'll have more Fanta-specific news about this show soon, but I liked this new Jeffrey Brown poster enough that I wanted to share. Oh, there is some news to share: Jordan Crane has been added! Jordan will be signing at Emerald City as well as having an art show opening at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery that same weekend. Make your travel plans now!

You have exactly one-week to go over to the Comics Journal website and waste perfectly valuable work time reading an interview with Paul Karasik about Fletcher Hanks. Hanks is featured on the cover of the Journal's Best of the Year issue and they are offering the contents on-line for free this week only as a promotion.

Also, if you in in NYC this coming weekend, Paul will be signing books at Jim Hanley's Universe on Friday, March 14 from 5-7. After the Karasik signing, head on over to Rocketship in Brooklyn for a Hotwire nightcap at 8PM!

...and then on Saturday, March 15, Karasik will be giving a workshop on "Comics Deconstruction" at SPLAT: the Graphic Novel Symposium.

Portland's Grass Hut is expanding their space and celebrating with one helluva art show tonight. Souther Salazar 's piece above-- More info on their site.