Peter Bagge fans in the Northwest can get a double dose this weekend. First, Peter's band Can You Imagine? plays at the Sunset Tavern in scenic downtown Ballard, in Seattle, on Friday night. Also on the bill: The Tom Price Desert Classic, which is studded with Fantagraphics staff past and present, and more special guests. Get more info and RSVP on Facebook. Then on Saturday Peter appears as a special guest of the Olympia Comics Festival (where our own Jason T. Miles will also be tabling with his Profanity Hill concern). Good times!

I was excited to see this photo posted on Twitter by Kristin Hersh yesterday, with Gilbert Hernandez's cover art for her upcoming memoir Rat Girl, to be released by Penguin in the U.S. on August 31. Besides being a phenomenal songwriter and performer with Throwing Muses, 50FOOTWAVE and solo, Kristin is one of the best storytellers and writers in the performing arts biz, no lie, and she has some amazing tales to tell. This book is a must-get.

UPDATE: I just found out it was colored by our own Jacob Covey! It just keeps getting better.

Daily clips & strips — click for improved/additional viewing at the sources:

• Tim Hensley celebrates the release of Wally Gropius with what seems to be a new and/or previously unseen Wally drawing

• This week's "I, Anonymous" spot by Steven Weissman

• "Riverside" is a new lithograph by John Hankiewicz

• Look closely at "Magnolia" (above) and "Oak," two Eleanor Davis pieces for Tree Show VI at GRSF

• Michael Kupperman artwork in the Lady Gaga anthology fanzine Prison for Bitches (which also includes Johnny Ryan)

• "The Tiger & The Princess of Hearts" is Jim Blanchard's piece in the tiger-themed group show Tiger Tiger Burning Bright opening at Roq la Rue gallery in Seattle tomorrow night

• Noah Van Sciver's animated music video for Lust-Cats of the Gutters

• A portrait of "Lexie Super-Dog" by Josh Simmons on his & Wendy Chin's Quackers blog

• It's, like, a rock made out of trussed-up hair, or something, by Renee French

• It's Paul Hornschemeier's new weekly t-shirt design for his Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop

• Joost Swarte covers The New Yorker (via The Beat)

• Your daily deluge of Derek Van Gieson: "Abstraction House," a "Devil Doll" outtake, and supervillain record-shopping habits

Here's a treat for Krazy Kat fans, Dave Alvin fans, and especially people in the Venn diagram overlap: the previously unheard Dave Alvin instrumental "Krazy and Ignatz" is available to stream or download as part of a free Yep Roc Records digital sampler.

Daily clips & strips -- click for improved/additional viewing at the sources:

• It's a brand new installment installments of The All-New Cartoon Boy Adventure Hour by John Kerschbaum at ACT-I-VATE

• Swedish Slouchers is a new lithograph from John Hankiewicz

• Click to see the latest animated drawing by Lilli Carré in action

• "Lisa in a Pink Blouse" is a circa-1990s portrait by Mark Kalesniko

• Renee French gets buggy

• Eric Reynolds was searching YouTube for Butthole Surfers videos and came across this one which is full of Robert Williams artwork

The one bummer about being at MoCCA this past weekend was that I missed what were surely amazing performances by Ardent Vein (our own Ajax Wood) and Zinjanthropus (current and former FBIers Tom Price, Martin Bland & friends) at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery / Georgetown Records on Saturday evening. Fortunately our good pal John Ohannesian was there to document the occasion:

Check out more of John's photos of the event on our Flickr page.

This Saturday evening, April 10, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery features music by our resident warehouse composers Martin Bland, Tom Price and friends in the dissonant Zinjanthropus, joined by the audio assault of Ajax in Ardent Vein. Don’t miss your chance to view the stunning artwork of Gilbert Hernandez from his new book HIGH SOFT LISP.

Outside, our annual Spring Cleaning Sidewalk Sale will be accompanied by the sounds of more than 20 eccentric marching bands from across the country. Lots of books up to 50% off cover price with music provided by the cacophonous Honk Fest West, featuring free performances at several locations throughout the historic industrial arts quarter. If that’s not enough excitement, the Georgetown Art Attack features a diverse array of visual and performing arts at dozens of spots in close proximity to the bookstore.

To accommodate all this activity, S. Vale Street will be closed to traffic for the evening. But plenty of free parking is available along Airport Way and elsewhere.

We’re open every day at 1201 S. Vale St, just minutes south of downtown Seattle. Phone 206.658.0110. See you this weekend.

The hits keep coming to our signature Seattle showroom as Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery heats up with enough amazing art, crazy comix, and amusing music to keep everyone entertained.  

Saturday, April 10 features music by our resident warehouse composers Martin Bland, Tom Price and friends in the dissonant Zinjanthropus, joined by the audio assault of Ajax in Ardent Vein. Outside, our annual Spring Cleaning Sidewalk Sale will be accompanied by the sounds of 20 eccentric marching bands from across the country in Honk Fest West. Defies description. Really. Don’t miss it. Oh yes, it’s also the infamous Georgetown Art Attack.

On Saturday evening, April 17 we host a major book bash with Peter Bagge and James Sturm. Bagge will sign copies of the anxiously awaited HATE ANNUAL #8. The evening will also feature the world premiere of Peter’s graphic novel OTHER LIVES from Vertigo. James Sturm will give a brief presentation on co-founding of Seattle’s alternative weekly The Stranger and the Center for Cartoon Studies before signing copies of MARKET DAY, his first graphic novel in ten years. Bonus: neighboring Georgetown Records celebrates national Record Store Day.

All day Saturday, May 1 is Free Comic Book Day! Don’t miss your chance to get a FREE preview of Jim Woodring’s forthcoming graphic novel WEATHERCRAFT. We’ll also be handing out a John Stanley sampler from Drawn & Quarterly along with other goodies.

If that’s not enough, on Saturday, May 8 we proudly present TALES DESIGNED TO THRIZZLE art exhibition and book signing by Michael Kupperman. A new issue of his popular comic will make its debut at the event. And it’s the Georgetown Super 8 Film Festival and Art Attack.

Yes, it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. We’re open every day at 1201 S. Vale St, just minutes south of downtown Seattle. Phone 206.658.0110.

Jim Blanchard's got an art show up now at The Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro in Bellingham WA, with a blowout closing reception/rock show on May 29. Hoo doggie! More info at Jim's blog.

As the weather heats up, so does the action at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, with a series of exhibitions, signings and performances featuring some of our favorite artists.

On Saturday, March 13, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, Fantagraphics Bookstore welcomes illustrious LOVE AND ROCKETS co-creator Gilbert Hernandez on the occasion of the release of his latest masterpiece HIGH SOFT LISP. This exhibition of his amazing original art and book signing doubles as the official after-party for the Emerald City Comicon. Expect to socialize with a diverse array of unannounced special guests at this festive annual event.

Rock on Saturday, April 10 with our crew of musical savants from the warehouse and friends for an evening of dissonant performance. Improvisational quartet Zinjanthropus features maestro Martin Bland reuniting with his mate Ren from the awesome Australian combo Lubricated Goat and his Monkeywrench axe man Tom Price of the legendary U-Men. Joining them is former Gas Huffer front man Matt Wright. Our beloved Ajax makes lovely noise as Ardent Vein. Georgetown will be filled with melodious mayhem all night as the cacophonous Honk Fest West marching band carnival takes over the streets. Un-freaking-believable, this one.

On Saturday, April 17 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM we host a signing and publication party for James Sturm and Peter Bagge. Sturm returns to Seattle where he co-founded The Stranger and created his popular comic Cereal Killings for Fantagraphics Books. He since co-founded the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont and continued a successful career as a cartoonist. He'll be signing his recent graphic novel MARKET DAY. Also appearing will be the architect of the alternative comics movement Peter Bagge signing the highly anticipated HATE ANNUAL #8. Catch up on the latest shenanigans of Buddy Bradley and the gang.

Look for these and other activities throughout the Spring at Fantagraphics Bookstore, located at 1201 S. Vale Street only minutes sought of downtown Seattle. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110. See you all soon.