FLOG! Entries tagged 'jeffrey brown'

Cheers to the Year 2012

LarryR

We'd like to thank everyone involved in making 2012 a spectacular success at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. Gifted artists, authors, musicians, and curators coalesced to create a stimulating cultural atmosphere at the space.

Thanks to artists Peter Bagge, Gabrielle Bell, Jeffrey Brown, Nathan Bulmer, Charles Burns, Art Chantry, Jack Davis, Michael Dougan, Ellen Forney, Camille Rose Garcia, Ruth Hayes, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Tom Kaczynski, David Lasky, Tony Millionaire, Gary Panter, Joe Sacco, Noah Van Sciver, Chris Ware, and Jim Woodring; authors Jim Demonakos, Susan Kirtley, Mark Long, Pat Thomas, and Nico Vassilakos; musicians Geneviève Castrée, Zachary David, Dennis Driscoll, Lori Goldston, Kyle Hanson, and Molly Nilsson; guest curators J. Michael Catron, Max Clotfelter, Michel Gagne, Ben Horak, Cathy Hillenbrand, Tim Miller, Kristy Valenti, and Jen Vaughn; bookstore interns Lillian Beatty and Lillian Morloch; bookstore staff Janice Headley and Russ Battaglia, as well as our retail partners at Georgetown Records.

Most of all we want to thank you - our wonderful patrons - for your enthusiasm and support over the past six years. Cheers!

Fantagraphics at San Diego Comic-Con 2012: The Panels!

janice

Who's ready for some Comic-Con?! Fantagraphics is getting ready to head to San Diego ourselves, and over the next week, we'll be rolling out our list of debuts and our signing schedule right here on the FLOG.

How about a list of panels featuring our fabulous Fantagraphics artists? See you there!

Thursday, July 12th

• 1:00-2:00 PM // CBLDF Master Session: Gilbert Shelton: With his creations The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Fat Freddy's Cat, and Wonder Warthog among others, Comic-Con special guest Gilbert Shelton is a master of establishing iconic characters and presenting them in scenarios that underscore his expressive cartooning abilities. Get a rare glimpse into the drawing process of this master of the Underground Comix movement, hosted by Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter. The pieces created in this Master Session will be auctioned off at CBLDF's Art Auction on Saturday night. Room 11AB

• 4:00-5:00 PM // Womanthology: One woman's (Renae De Liz) question on Twitter became a fully realized all-female graphic novel anthology in under a year. A legion of supporters helped fund Womanthology: Heroic through a considerably successful Kickstarter campaign, and recently IDW announced the continuation of Womanthology as an ongoing series, starting with Womanthology: Space. Meet some of the more than 170 creators who made the book happen, including our own Trina Robbins (The Brinkley Girls). Moderated by Womanthology contributor Barbara Kesel. Room 25ABC

• 8:00-9:00 PM // Artist As Brand, Rise of the Artist Entrepreneur: Greg Spalenka moderates a panel discussion on art career sustainability. Learn strategies on how to create an income off your talent on your own terms. Panelists include Dave McKean (an icon of popular art culture, professional artist, photographer, graphic designer, director, musician, Arkham Asylum, The Sandman, MirrorMask), Craig Elliott, Shiflett Brothers, Miss Mindy, and Daniel and Dawna Davis. Room 8

Friday, July 13th

• 2:00-3:00 PM // No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics: Queer cartooning has been one of the most vibrant artistic and countercultural movements of the past 40 years, tackling complex issues of identity and changing social mores with intelligence, humor, and an irreverent imagination. No Straight Lines, a massive anthology published by Fantagraphics Books, is the most definitive collection to date of this material, showcasing everything from lesbian underground comix, to gay newspaper strips, bi punk zines, and trans webcomics. The editor of the book, Justin Hall moderates an all-star panel of some of the true greats of LGBTQ comics: Alison Bechdel, Paige Braddock, Ed Luce, Trina Robbins, and Eric Shanower. Room 25ABC

• 2:30-3:30 PM // Dave McKean: My Two Years with Dawkins, Christ, and a Small Crab Called Eric: Dave McKean, illustrator of many books with Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, John Cale, Heston Blumenthal, Grant Morrison, and occasional artist,photographer, director, musician, writer, and singer of forgotten songs, talks about two intense years spent exploring both sides of the theological divide. Room 5AB

• 2:30-3:30 PM // Comics Arts Conference Session #8: Jack Kirby, Modernism, and Abstraction: Jack Kirby is increasingly emerging as an important 20th century American artist even beyond the realm of the comics world. This panel will discuss the relationship of Kirby with abstract art, his deeply modernist artistic achievement, and his influence on art and abstract comics. Andrei Molotiu (Indiana University, Bloomington; Abstract Comics: The Anthology) will give a presentation on the topic, then will discuss the subject with artist Mark Badger (Batman: Jazz, Martian Manhunter) and other surprise guests. Room 26AB

• 5:30-6:30 PM // D+Q & Fantagraphics: North America's two most influential independent comics publishers, which have defined the literary comics medium for the past 25 years, preview their upcoming lists. Jacq Cohen (publicity director) and Eric Reynolds (associate publisher) of Fantagraphics, and Julia Pohl-Miranda (editorial marketing manager) and Tom Devlin (creative director) for D+Q present their 2012 and 2013 lists, with a few surprises. Room 26AB

Saturday, July 14th

• 11:30-12:30 PM // Save the Date: Your New Favorite Film: This may be the first comic book film that isn't based on an actual comic book; instead, Save the Date uses the style and sensibility of indie comics by renowned graphic novelist Jeffrey Brown as a jumping off point to tell a contemporary story of the trials, pain, and happiness of modern love. Explore the challenges and advantages of working in film versus comics with cartoonist/screenplay co-writer Jeffrey Brown, director Michael Mohan, and producers Jordan Horowitz and Michael Roiff, and the cast. Room 5AB

• 1:30-3:00 PM // 30th Anniversary of Love and Rockets: For 30 years Los Bros Hernandez have entranced comics readers around the world with their adventures of Maggie, Hopey, Luba, and the entire Love and Rockets cast of characters. Comic-Con special guests Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, and Mario Hernandez join with Fantagraphics Books co-publisher Gary Groth to talk about this award-winning series of comics and its decades-spanning durability. Room 24ABC

• 4:30-6:00 PM // Spotlight on Gilbert Shelton: Underground comix legend and Comic-Con special guest Gilbert Shelton makes a rare U.S. appearance to discuss his career (including The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Wonder Warthog) with moderator Fantagraphics Books co-publisher Gary Groth, plus Ron Turner (publisher, Last Gasp San Francisco), and Shelton's literary agent, Manfred Mroczkowski (Interlicense Ltd., Mill Valley, CA). Room 5AB

• 5:30-8:00 PM // Gays in Comics: 25th Year Celebration!: This year, founding moderator and best-selling author Andy Mangels, chairs a new form of panel, a live documentary that will unfold for the audience, featuring a mixture of commentary, images, music and other surprises! Showcased with live appearances and video messages will be an army of awesome creators who have appeared on the previous 24 panels, including Roberta Gregory, creator of Naughty Bits and Bitchy Bitch and the godmother of the gay comic movement; Trina Robbins, remarkable writer and artist whose work on behalf of women in comics has helped redefine the industry; Justin Hall, author of No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics, creator of Glamazonia, and Prism Comics talent chair; and much more! Room 6A

Blood Orange is back, in packs

mike

Before there was Mome, before the current explosion of small-press anthologies, there was Blood Orange, the short-lived mid-'00s series edited by Chris Polkki which gathered rising stars of the art-comics scene in four distinctive, beautifully designed 48-page issues. Blood Orange captured the pulse of alt-comics circa 2004-2005. We recently recovered a small quantity of shrink-wrapped packs of all 4 issues from the distributor, and we're now offering them via mail-order for the special low price of $17.85 — that's 3 issues for the price of 4! (You can also get the individual issues for $5.95 each.)

In the first issue: Nicolas Mahler, Rick Altergott, Michael Kupperman, Lauren Weinstein, Typex, David Collier, Maaike Hartjes, Allison Cole, Tobias Tak, Dan James, Marc Bell, John Hankiewicz, Matthew Thurber, Kevin Huizenga, Ron Regé Jr., a sketchbook from Gary "Teacher's Pet" Baseman, and covers by Andrew Brandou.

The second issue continues to encourage experimentation, pushing the medium in new directions. Look for innovative stories from groundbreakers such as Archer Prewitt, Rebecca Dart, Chris Wright (with a full-length 18-page story), Ron Regé Jr., Jeffrey Brown, Matti Hagelberg, Lauren Weinstein, Cole Johnson, Helge Reumann, and Fabio Viscogliosi, along with drawings by Renee French... all wrapped in a lovely cover designed by the one and only Steven Weissman.

The third issue of this always-surprising quarterly anthology series features European cartoonists Pakito Bolino and Caroline Sury (of France's Le Dernier Cri), Ulf K., Alex Baladi, Nicolas Mahler, Olaf Ladousse, and Fabio Zimbres; as well the homegrown talents of Anders Nilsen, Renee French and Ben Jones (Paper Rad). Also includes a brand-new 11-pager by Jeffrey Brown! With an eye-popping cover by French illustrator Olivier Douzou.

Blood Orange #4 wraps up the series with exclusive new stories by Brian Ralph, Lark Pien, Tobias Tak, Rebecca Dart and Ted May. Covers by Lark Pien.

Our Heroes at HeroesCon This Weekend!

janice

Fantagraphics won't be at this weekend's Heroes Con ourselves, but some of our artists sure will be! If you're in the Charlotte, NC-area, head out to the Charlotte Convention Center and meet 'em in the "Indie Island"!

• Jeffrey Brown | AA-417
• Dave Cooper | AA-515
• Colleen Coover | AA-113
• Jaime Hernandez | AA-415

• Roger Langridge | AA-220
• Jim Rugg | AA-537
• Rich Tommaso | AA-422
• Drew Weing | AA-444

You can even catch our artists in some panels, if you're so inclined!

Saturday, June 23rd

• 12:30 PM // Approaches to Humor, Room 203A: Sure the Convention is HeroesCon, but let’s never forget the funny side of the comic book world. Join The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald as she sits down with three of the very best cartoonists in the business. They are able to me us smile and even laugh out loud Roger Langridge (The Muppets, Fred the Clown) and Evan Dorkin (Milk & Cheese) and newcomer Tim Rickard (Brewster Rockit: Space Guy).

• 2:00 PM // Echoes of ‘82, Room 209: This year, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Heroes Con, cartoonist Ben Towle and blogger Craig Fischer turn their attention to 1982, and ask: What are the comics, and comics events, from 30 years ago that continue to influence comics culture today? Ben and Craig zero in on three — Destroyer Duck #1, Love and Rockets #1, and the demise of Warren Publications early in 1982 — and they’ve asked an all-star roster of creators (Jaime Hernandez, Louise Simonson) and commentators (Stergios Botzakis, Toney Frazier, Heidi MacDonald, Andrew Mansell) to join them in discussing these and other comics. We’ll also beam in some off-site commentary from Kirby experts Steve Bissette, Geoff Grogan, Charles Hatfield, John Morrow and James Sturm. With a lineup like that, how can you resist pulling on your leg warmers and joining us for the fun?

Saturday, June 23rd

• 3:30 PM // Dave Cooper & Dave Johnson, Room 208AB: Two great artists sit down to talk technique, inspiration and influences. And what is better than a Dave? Two Daves!!! That’s what. This is going to be a great hour. Join us.

Darth Vader, Son, and Jeffrey Brown at the Fantagraphics Bookstore!

janice

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Wait, what am I saying? It was earlier this month at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, fer crissakes.

We were delighted to be joined by Jeffrey Brown, who was in town for a screening of his film Save the Date at the Seattle International Film Festival! He graciously signed copies of his best-selling new book Darth Vader and Son, and even more graciously (way more graciously), chat with lil' ol me about the new movie, his upcoming books, and, well... cats. Kinda.

[ Warning: lots of giggling... ugh... ]

We still have some copies of Darth Vader and Son at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, so swing on by 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle's Georgetown district. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone: (206) 658-0110.

Have Some CAKE with Fantagraphics This Weekend in Chicago!

janice

The most delicious comic-con ever debuts this weekend, Saturday, June 16th and Sunday, June 17th... Introducing CAKE: the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, a weekend-long celebration of independent comics, inspired by Chicago’s rich legacy as home to many of underground and alternative comics’ most talented artists!

While Fantagraphics won't be tabling there ourselves (sob!), many of our wonderful artists will be there, as featured guests, panelists, exhibitors, or probably just walkin' around somewhere.

Some of the featured guests include:

• Jeffrey Brown Table 57
• Lilli Carré Table 1
• Paul Hornschemeier Table 71
• Anders Nilsen Table 80
• Laura Park (who did that gorgeous poster, btw!) Table 1
• Jeremy Tinder Table 3

Some more exhibitors:

• Gabrielle Bell
• Nick Drnaso
• Charles Forsman
• Justin Hall
• Kevin Huizenga
• Tom Kaczynski
• Jim Rugg
• Leslie Stein

And check out these panels with our Fantagraphics artists! Why, it's the icing on the... okay, I'll stop:

• Crude and Rude: Comics and Vulgarity: featuring Ivan Brunetti , Lisa Hanawalt, Hellen Jo and Onsmith, moderated by Josh Reinwald and Justin Rosenberg (Sponsored by Quimby’s Bookstore)

• Jeffrey Brown Makes a Minicomic: Jeffrey Brown makes a minicomic in 1 hour!

• Double Vision: Comics and Animation: with a Q&A featuring Jo Dery, Jim Trainor, Amy Lockhart and Marc Bell, presented by the Eyeworks Animation Festival (Lilli Carré and Alexander Stewart)

• Start a Micropress: featuring Sarah Becan, Austin English, Jesjit Gill, Annie Koyama, Greg Means and Caroline Paquita, moderated by Zak Sally

• Comics In Chicago: The Past 10 Years (Sponsored by the Chicago Independent Radio Project - CHIRP): featuring Ezra Claytan Daniels, Lyra Hill, Paul Hornschemeier, Robin Hustle and Jeremy Tinder, moderated by Edie Fake;

• Queer Communities, Queer Anthologies: featuring Justin Hall, Robert Kirby and Annie Murphy, moderated by Noah Berlatsky (Sponsored by Little Heart, a Comic Anthology for Marriage Equality)

• Kevin Huizenga, Anders Nilsen and John Porcellino in Conversation, moderated by Caitlin McGurk

• Violent Line: Mark-Making and Meaning: featuring Anya Davidson, Charles Forsman, Patrick Kyle, Grant Reynolds, Conor Stetchschulte, Lale Westvind and Mickey Zacchilli, moderated by Noel Freibert

• Real Life: A Roundatable on Women and Graphic Autobiography: featuring Rina Ayuyang, Lucy Knisley, Keiler Roberts, Marian Runk, Leslie Stein, Julia Wertz

CAKE will be held at the Columbia College of Chicago's Ludington Building [ 1104 S. Wabash (8th Floor) ] from 11 AM to 6 PM. It is free and open to the public. Go, and give our artists a hug and your money.

Daily OCD: 6/4/12

mike

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "The sad, forgotten beauty of the in-between moments of daily life: playing a board game at a kitchen table just cleared from a family dinner; listening to music having just slipped off your shoes; daydreaming while doing the dishes. What would it be like if a series of graphic novellas tried to capture these moments? What if it also featured an omnipresent, invisible rabbit that could change sizes and a dark, cloud-shaped creature ('the Big Blind') living in the basement of an apartment building that fed on the memories, dreams, and nightmares of its inhabitants? It would probably be something like the Italian comic-book creator Gabriella Giandelli’s... Interiorae." – Nicholas Rombes, Oxford American

• Preview: At The Beat, Jessica Lee presents a 5 page sneak peek of the new book by Josh Simmons, saying "Toying with the vulnerability of characters that seem timelessly recognizable, i.e. fairies in a fantastical land or a batman-esque figure scaling a wall, The Furry Trap is a graphic novel that is set to shock and appall its reader, yet Simmons is able to retain an even stronger range of visual style that makes this graphic novel’s scope extend further than being just a horrific tale."

• Plug: "...[T]he new volume of Prince Valiant, volume 5, is here and an event all its own. Fantagraphics' new hardcover printings of these wonderful Hal Foster Sunday pages offers the finest reproduction yet, far superior to their old softcover series. While I own the original Sunday pages, collected years ago, I could not resist sitting down with these new volumes and getting re-hooked on the stories AND art by one of the very true masters of comic art." – Bud Plant

• Plug: "Out of the Shadows deserves your attention. Meskin is one of my favorite artists from the 1940s and 1950s.... Mort's work here are some of the hidden gems of the Golden Age.... This book comes a long way to reveal this incredible talent who rose above the mass of Golden Age artists." – Bud Plant

• Interview: I think we missed this February 2011 interview with Jaime Hernandez on the SiDEBAR podcast — The Comics Reporter caught it

• Commentary: At The Comics Reporter, Tom Spurgeon on becoming a regular Love and Rockets reader via the Mechanics reprint series

• Scene: The Seattle Star's Heather Logue reports on Saturday's Jeffrey Brown signing at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery: "And truthfully I did spend much of my time at the reading trying desperately to stop picturing in my mind the cartoon genitalia he’d drawn dozens of times in his books. Awkward."

• Scene: Jen Vaughn is driving cross country to start her new job here at Fantagraphics and she's making stops along the way to do portfolio reviews and evangelize for her former employer, the Center for Cartoon Studies. I think we picked a good one!

This Week in Fantagraphics Events: 5/29-6/4

janice

Wednesday, May 30th

• Hanover, NH: Join our very own Jen Vaughn at the The Howe Library for a lecture and discussion on Mother, Come Home by Paul Hornschemeier! (more info)

Thursday, May 31st

• Brooklyn, NY: It's your last chance to see the exhibit Drew Friedman: My Way, his very first New York gallery show of comic strip and illustration art at the Scott Eder Gallery! (more info)

• Seattle, WA: Join Jeffrey Brown at the SIFF Cinema Uptown for a screening of his new film Save the Date! See if you can spot artwork by Paul Hornschemeier and Anders Nilsen around the set! (more info)

Friday, June 1st

• Seattle, WA: It's your last chance to catch the Jeffrey Brown film Save the Date, this time over at the Harvard Exit theater! (more info)

Saturday, June 2nd

• Seattle, WA: And then join us at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery as we welcome Jeffrey Brown for a book signing and informal reception, plus yours truly will be interviewing him about the new movie, his comics, and knowing me, probably cats. (more info)

Down with OPP*: Darth Vader and Son

janice

* Other People's Publications
** Yeah, You Know Me.

"Down With OPP" is our erratically-scheduled column where we spotlight books by other publishers that we carry at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. And I'm excited to announce we just got in a batch of Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown, out now from our friends at Chronicle Books!

This is a charming little book that depicts what it might've been like if Darth Vader had raised Luke Skywalker as a kid: bedtime stories about Darth Maul, trips to the zoo to see the banthas, afternoon baseball games with the lightsaber. You don't have to be a parent to appreciate the book, and you don't even have to be a Star Wars fanatic. After all, this kind-of humor is universal, amiright?:

But, y'know, Fathers Day is coming up on Sunday, June 17th, and this nice little embossed hardcover book makes a great gift for any Dad, even if he isn't a dark lord of the Sith. Why, you could even get it personalized this Saturday, June 2nd as Jeffrey will be making an appearance at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery from 6:00 to 8:00 PM!

Yours truly will be awkwardly interviewing him about comics and his new film (!!!), the romantic comedy Save the Date, which will be screening Thursday, May 31st and Friday, June 1st at the Seattle International Film Festival. (In fact, I'm told there's artwork by fellow Fantagraphics artists Paul Hornschemeier and Anders Nilsen around the set of the movie!) It's going to be a great night, and we may even have some special guests joining us... Plus, our own Larry Reid will be unveiling his latest power tool racer!

The 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. Phone: (206) 658-0110.

SAVE THE DATE(S): Jeffrey Brown & Joe Sacco at Fantagraphics Bookstore consecutive ...

LarryR

Please join us at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery as we welcome two of the country’s most acclaimed contemporary cartoonists: Jeffrey Brown on Saturday, June 2 and Joe Sacco on Saturday, June 9. These remarkable artists represent the current diversity of alternative comix and their potential to impact both popular and political culture.

Upon graduating from the Art Institute of Chicago, Jeffrey Brown came to the attention of comix readers with works dealing with relationships and romantic misadventures. His primitive rendering style complemented his candid observations in a series of accessible graphic novels comprising the “Girlfriend Trilogy.” His recent work has taken a turn to humor and satire. Public response to his latest book, Darth Vader and Son (Chronicle Books, April 2012), has been nothing short of phenomenal. Brown imagines the Dark Lord in the role of “Father Knows Best” to mischievous young Skywalker. At once ridiculous and revealing, Darth Vader and Son resonates with generations of Star Wars fans. As co-writer of the new movie, Save the Date, Brown will appear at the Seattle International Film Festival with director Michael Mohan following screenings on Thursday, May 31 and Friday, June 1. This romantic comedy, nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, also features Brown’s comics. At his appearance at Fantagraphics Bookstore on June 2 at 6:00 PM, Brown will discuss his comix career followed by a book signing and informal reception.

Joe Sacco’s journalism studies at the University of Oregon informed his career in comix. Following a trip to the occupied territories of the Middle East in 1991, Fantagraphics Books published his provocative comic book series Palestine. Sacco’s unfiltered portrayal of the tragic consequences of the continuing conflict helped alter American perceptions of Palestinian refugees. Now in its 14th printing, Joe Sacco’s Palestine is widely regarded as one of the transformative works in the comix medium. He has subsequently visited other regions ravaged by war and reported on the suffering of civilian populations, including atrocities in the Balkans (Safe Area Gorazde), Chechnya (Chechen War, Chechen Women), and elsewhere. His latest work, Journalism (Metropolitan Books, June 2012), collects Sacco’s documentary reports from North Africa, India, Iraq, and other areas of social and political unrest. Sacco will discuss his unique approach to comix and journalism prior to signing books at Fantagraphics Bookstore from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Saturday, June 9. Arrive early and enjoy the colorful Georgetown Carnival arts festival featuring lively visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic neighborhood.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport Way S.) minutes south of downtown Seattle in the heart of the historic Georgetown arts community. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.

Listing Information:

Jeffrey Brown discussion and book signing
Saturday, June 2, 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Joe Sacco discussion and book signing
Saturday, June 9, 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale Street, Seattle
206.658.0110

Save the Date(s): Jeffrey Brown and Joe Sacco in Seattle

LarryR

Join us on consecutive Saturdays in June as Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery welcomes two remarkable cartoonists back to Seattle. Jeffrey Brown will appear on Saturday, June 2 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. He'll discuss his role as co-writer of the romantic comedy "Save the Date" (which will screen the night before at the Seattle International Film Festival) and sign copies of his new book Darth Vader and Son.

The following Saturday, June 9 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM we're pleased to present Joe Sacco celebrating his new book Journalism. Visitors to this signing will be among the first in the nation to see the book, which will be offically released 10 days later. Don't miss this opportunity to meet this extraordinary artist and pick up an advance copy of the book. Bonus! This event coincides with the colorful and wildly entertaining Georgetown Carnival arts festival.

As the year progesses we'll host appearances by some of the legendary figures in contemporary comix, including Gary Panter, Charles Burns, the Hernandez Brothers, and more!

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Benefit Fashion Show!

janice

Not only does the Threadless t-shirt company keep us lookin' good, but now they're also helping defend our first amendment rights with a benefit for the mighty Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!

Tonight, Friday, April 13th, they'll be hosting the CBLDF/THREADLESS C2E2 Fashion Show Welcome Party, launching a colossal new "Comics-On-Tees" collection featuring artwork by Jeffrey Brown, Anders Nilsen, Paul Hornschemeier, and Jeff Lemire, based on a story from Jeffrey!

Raffle prizes will include a plethora of awesome Threadless swag, including original retail art, and great CBLDF items, including classic signed comics, exclusive prints, and more! Giant games of Mario Kart will be projected for attendees to play, with a guest DJ providing non-stop music, getting you in the mood for a weekend of comic con revelry. There will also be a “drawing wall” for ongoing Live Art throughout the night and plenty of beer, wine, and popcorn from the famous Threadless popper.

To top it all off, THREADLESS and CBLDF will announce a major project for 2012, expanding their fundraising partnership and creating something awesome for comic fans of every stripe.

The CBLDF/THREADLESS C2E2 Fashion Show Welcome Party kicks off at 9:00 PM at The Threadless Atrium [ 1260 West Madison, Chicago ]. Free for card carrying CBLDF members, with a $20 suggested door donation for non-members. Sorry kiddoes, 21 and up only!

CartoonInk! Exhibit Opening Friday in Chicago

janice

There's a fantastic exhibit opening this weekend in Chicago featuring several Fantagraphics artists, including Chris Ware, Lilli Carré, Anders Nilsen, and Jeffrey Brown!

CartoonInk!: Emerging Comics in Context spotlights the work of students and alumni of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, all curated by SAIC faculty Christa Donner, Surabhi Ghosh, and Mome contributor Jeremy Tinder!

Bump!!!

After a few delays (hence the past date on the poster above, which was gorgeously designed by Marc Bell), CartoonInk! runs this Saturday, September 10th through October 15th at the Betty Rymer Gallery at SAIC. And on Friday, September 9th, there will be an opening reception from 4:30 – 7:00 PM!

Anders reports he'll have a full wall painting there (see pics up on his blog), and Lilli says she'll have some original pages and animation frames on display!

The Betty Rymer Gallery is located at 280 South Columbus Drive, between Jackson Dr & Monroe St. in Chicago.

Things to See: 6/6/11 Roundup

mike

It's been a while since I had a chance to do one of these...

• Jim Woodring's Frank and associates in a piece inspired by Giorgione's painting The Tempest (via Facebook - full size)

• Tony Millionaire did this illustration for the Three Guys and a Twelve-Pack podcast; also, an old strip for Screw (I think)

• This hilarious portrait by Cathy Malkasian is available as a print — you gotta go check it out just for the title and description, which are also hilarious

• A beautiful movie poster illustration and some musician portraits by Matthias Lehmann

• Richard Sala traces the evolution of the cover art for Mad Night

• Lilli Carré shares her Newcity cover illo and also her NYT Op-Ed illo

• Noah Van Sciver started a new sketch blog on Tumblr called Infortunate

• While recently in Chicago, Josh Simmons got his pals Anders Nilsen and Jeffrey Brown to draw some Quackers; Anders also has a bunch of new self-portraits and has put out an expanded fold-out edition of his Kramer's Ergot 7 strip

• Amazing stuff from Renee French on her blog and her new Posterous thing

• At What Things Do, Kevin Huizenga's Cartoon Polymaths strip "The Body of Work," and a couple of classic strips at his Fight or Run blog

• Also at What Things Do, two new installments of Jordan Crane's "Keeping Two"

• I think this weird piece by Steven Weissman relates to Barack Hussein Obama; also his latest "I, Anonymous" spots on his Chewing Gum in Church blog

And more Things to See from the past... jeez, 3 weeks:

• More recent sketchbook drawings by Andrei Molotiu

• At Jason's Cats Without Dogs blog, sketches, old strips and the last of his series of posts on his cartooning heroes

• New prints and an artist's book by John Hankiewicz at his Clip Joint blog

• Buy Dame Darcy's mermaid print to help send her to the annual Mermaid Parade on her 40th birthday! She's also now an ordained Wiccan minister! Good luck and congrats! All this and more in her latest blog update

• Drew Friedman rounds up his various album cover illustrations and collects a whole bunch of TV Guide covers by Jack Davis

• Recent charcoal portraits of Oliver Reed & John Coltrane by Jim Blanchard

• Sketches by Mark Kalesniko for his new graphic novel Freeway at his blog

• I believe this strip by Sergio Ponchione has to do with Italian politics

• Laura Park's been busy moving

• Recent drawings by Sammy Harkham on his Flickr page

• Portraits, sketches, illustrations and more by Steve Brodner

• Hans Rickheit keeps posting those old medical deformity sketches on his blog

• Derek Van Gieson made a hilarious-looking board game

• Some marks and text by Tom Kaczynski

Announcing Our Stumptown 2011 Schedule!

janice

Join us this weekend for the 8th Annual Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, Oregon! It's their first year at the Oregon Convention Center, and we'll be there Saturday, April 16th and Sunday, April 17th, with some of our amazing artists and editors, and both new books and favorite titles. Marketing maestro Mike Baehr and I are looking forward to seeing everyone!

Get your hands on early copies of these Fantagraphics titles:

• Love From the Shadows by Gilbert Hernandez
• 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago
• Hate Annual #9 by Peter Bagge
• Isle of 100,000 Graves by Jason

And we've got an exciting signing schedule in store for you, with a couple of our acclaimed Mome artists, and a couple of our incredible editors:

Saturday, April 16th
1:00-2:00 PM          Patrick Rosenkranz
2:00-3:00 PM          T. Edward Bak
4:00-5:00 PM        Jacques Boyreau
5:00-6:00 PM          Andrice Arp

Sunday, April 17th
2:00-3:00 PM          Patrick Rosenkranz
4:00-5:00 PM          T. Edward Bak
5:00-6:00 PM          Andrice Arp

You can also get your books signed by artists Ben Catmull and Jeffrey Brown, who will be signing at different tables at the show, and swing by the Profanity Hill table to say hi to Fantagraphics' own Jason T. Miles!

And in celebration of the latest issue of Hate Annual, we'll be doing some fun giveaways, thanks to our friends at AmericaWare, who've just debuted a collection of Peter Bagge t-shirts! Just come by the Fantagraphics table for your chance to win a shirt featuring the loveable Lisa! You know you wanna be BAD!

(And if you live in Seattle, you can check out t-shirts from Bagge, Woodring, Wolverton and Blanchard at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery!)

Where can you find us at Stumptown? Why, at booth #304!

And while at Stumptown, be sure to take in some panels featuring Fantagraphics artists and staff!

Saturday, April 16th

11:00-11:45 PM // Process in the Periphery: Natural History and Narrative Explorations in the Biography of Georg Wilhelm Steller: A presentation of artist T Edward Bak's current work-in-progress with an examination of challenges in illustrated historical exposition. (Room A104)

12:00-12:45 PM // Sex, Drugs & Insurrection: The Underground Comix Movement: During the underground comix era artistic freedom was a non-negotiable starting point. Audacity, iconoclasm, and experimentation became the new standards for success. Comics this raw and explicit had never seen print before. This presentation is not for the young or squeamish. Presented by Patrick Rosenkranz (Room A106)

2:00-2:45 PM // Comics as Journalism: Mike Rosen, editor of Oil and Water, moderates a discussion about using comics as a form of journalism, tackling stories in ways that traditional prose journalism doesn't. Join Shannon Wheeler, Sarah Glidden, Matt Bors, and Steve Duin. (Room A105)

3:00-3:45 PM // How To Publicize Your Comic: Fantagraphics Director of Publicity & Promotions, Jacq Cohen, goes over the step-by-step process of creating a publicity plan for a comic and gives pointers on how to promote yourself and your book. (Room A104)

3:00-4:45 PM // Teaching Comics: College-level comics courses are a fairly new phenomenon, but the schools offering them have already met with great success. Join educators Brian Michael Bendis (PSU), Patrick Rosenkranz (PNCA), Trevor Dodge (CCC/PNCA), and Nicole Georges (IPRC) in a panel hosted by Dark Horse executive editor Diana Schutz (PCC) as they share their experiences in the comics classroom and bring you up to date on courses now available nationwide. (Room A106)

Sunday, April 17th

2:00-2:45 PM // Douglas Wolk: Page One: We'll look at some great opening pages of comics, and discuss how they instantly establish a look and feel for what comes after them (including some Fantagraphics titles!). Hosted by critic Douglas Wolk. (Room A104)

6:00-10:00 PM // Stumptown Comics Fest Afterparty: See the Stumptown Cartoonist Show, featuring artwork by Andrice Arp and many, many other artists, at Pony Club Gallery (625 NW Everett Street #105).

We'll see you there!

Giant Robot Game Over IV

janice

Giant Robot gets a "1UP" with Game Over IV, their latest group show paying homage to video game culture, with several Fantagraphics artists at the joysticks, including Andrice Arp, Jeffrey Brown, Paul Hornschemeier, and Steven Weissman. That's a sneak peek at Paul's work up there, and below, we've got a piece from Steven.

The show opens Friday, March 4th at GRSF [618 Shrader Street, San Francisco] with a reception from 6:30 - 10:00 pm. Is the princess in another castle? You can catch the show until March 30, 2011.

New Chicago Comics buttons at MCA Chicago

mike

The New Chicago Comics exhibit at MCA Chicago may be over but they still have a Busy Beaver Button vending machine dispensing buttons featuring artwork by the exhibiting artists: Jeffrey Brown, Lilli Carré, Paul Hornschemeier, and Anders Nilsen. Oh, me and my precious laundry quarters would soon be parted. (Via Lilli's Kettle of Fish blog.)

New Chicago Comics opening photos

mike

Anders Nilsen posts photos from the opening night of the New Chicago Comics exhibit at the city's Museum of Contemporary Art, which ends its too-short run next week. Above: exhibiting artists Anders, Paul Hornschemeier, Lilli Carré and Jeffrey Brown. Did you ever see a cuter bunch of cartoonists?

New Chicago Comics on the news

mike

NBC Chicago ran this news segment on the New Chicago Comics exhibit at the city's Museum of Contemporary Art last night, talking with Jeffrey Brown and Paul Hornschemeier about their work. (Via Paul's News and Head Lice blog, where Paul says "I am pleased to report that I managed to say 'fart' on the nightly news.")

New Chicago Comics preview tonight, open to public tomorrow

mike

At his News and/or Head Lice blog, Paul Hornschemeier posted photos of the installation in-progress of the New Chicago Comics exhibit opening this weekend at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Top: Paul & MCA curator Michael Green. Above: Anders Nilsen, Lilli Carré & Green. Not pictured: Jeffrey Brown.