Comics bring the world together:

An Iranian cartoonist won the second award of the Belgrade “Golden Smile” Cartoon competition in Serbia.

The Iranian cartoonist, Shahrokh Heydari stood second in the 5th biannual cartoon exhibition of Serbia held in the Progress Gallery of Belgrade.

Great and eminent satirists, comedians, actors, directors, authors, clowns and scenes from comedy movies were the subjects of this international exhibition.

The Iranian cartoonist, Shahrokh Heydari won the silver medal, an honor diploma and a cash prize of 400 Euros for his cartoon that pictured Shell Silverstein.

No word on the FIRST prize winner.

A cool charity event in Portland this weekend organized by Andy Mangels spotlights Wonder Woman and raises money for a women and children’s shelter. Could any hero do more? Anne Timmons, Terry Dodson and Matthew Clark will appear, there will be asilent auction with work by Adam Hughes and others, a raffle and…MORE as they say.

Wonder Woman debuted in American comic books during World War II, and was the super-heroic star of a popular television series in the 1970s. Now, as a charity benefit for Portland’s most protective women and children’s shelters — Raphael House and Bradley-Angel House — Excalibur Comics will host “Wonder Woman Day” on Sunday, October 29th from 2pm to 6pm. The free all-ages event will include a trio of comic book artists signing Wonder Woman comics and special art prints, as well as a silent art auction with over 100 of the world’s top artists contributing original art, plus raffles, costumes, rare memorabilia, and more!

Producing the event is best-selling author and DVD documentary director Andy Mangels, who is also the curator of the online Wonder Woman Museum, and one of the world’s top experts on the famed super-heroine. “Wonder Woman represents peace, strength, equality, and honesty,” Mangels said. “Her mission to promote those ideals has been detailed in comic books, novels, and television for over sixty years. This special event will allow fans and the public to celebrate the character and the people who create her adventures today, as well as to see and buy some incredible materials about the ‘Amazing Amazon,’ all while raising money for two incredibly worthy causes.”

(more…)

HE’S a curmugeonly filing clark from Cleveland. SHE went to grad school for Art History. But they’re on tour together to promote the BEST AMERICAN COMICS anthology! And they’re bringing their friends, and it’s going on TONIGHT!

2006 Tour for Harvey Pekar and Anne Elizabeth Moore

San Francisco:
Cody’s 4th St, Berkeley, panel, Friday, October 20, 7:00 p.m.
with Esther Pearl Watson, Justin Hall, Lloyd Dangle, and John Porcellino

The Booksmith, big offsite event held at All Saints Church, 1350 Waller St, panel, Saturday, October 21
with Esther Pearl Watson, Justin Hall, Lloyd Dangle, and John Porcellino

Seattle:
University Book Store, panel, Monday, October 23
with Jesse Reklaw and David Lasky

New York:
Galapagos Art Space, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, panel/party/slideshow, Tuesday, October 24
with Kurt Wolfgang, Jessica Abel, David Heatley, Kim Deitch, and Tom Hart

McNally Robinson Booksellers, NYC, panel, Wednesday, October 25
with David Heatley, Seth Tobocman, Alex Robinson, Tom Hart, and Kim Deitch

AdHouse Books publishers of such fine works as Project: Romantic, Process Recess, Salamader Dream, Mort Grim, and many many more, has opened a virtual storewhere you can shop with PayPal. get thee over there for some sure to sell out soon Paul Pope limited editions!

The response to the complaint in Harlan Ellison’s lawsuit against Fantagraphics has been posted iver at the Comics Journal site. It’s a denial of all of Ellison’s claims based on 32 defenses, including various First Amendment protections. The response ends with a request to dismiss the case and have Ellison pay the court and lawyer costs.

Those hoping for some rhetorical response to Ellison’s gaudy complaint or a countersuit will be disappointed except for one point that seems to imply bad sanitary habits on someones part:

TWENTY-THIRD AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE
(Unclean Hands)
Defendants are informed and believe and on that basis allege that Plaintiff’s claims are barred, in whole or in part, by the doctrines of in pari delicto and/or unclean hands.

Unfortunately, we’re advised that’s just a legal term. We also find the constant mentions in the response to the Constitution somewhat quaint, as that document has been proven to be completely irrelevant now that we’re fighting the War on Terror. Still, people will cling to what they believe in.

The exciting part of the suit is over. Now it’s just months — or years– of legal wrangling. Yuck.

We’ve been spending an INORDINATE amount of time over at the TCJ.com board this week, but it must have been because we were subconsciously waiting for the news we have been anxiously awaiting each and every day as we perambulated on the widow’s walk here at Stately Beat Manor. It seems that CORTO MALTESE is coming back in English. The evidence? A bare listing from Previews.

HEAVY METAL

BALLAD OF THE SEA GN
Featuring the adventures of Cortoso Maltese.
MATURE THEMES
SC, 164pgs, B&W SRP: $14.95

Created by the great Hugo Pratt, there is nothing so magical, nothing so languid, nothing so elegant, wistful, romantic and perilous as CORTO MALTESE, the story of a wandering sailor who fights pirates and smugglers and soldiers and meets beautiful women and lingers on the beaches of remote tropical islands in the early years of the last century. there have been previous,badly translated English editions, but they are long out of print.

If we could only get to our bookshelf past the piles of yaoi that have been flooding into the house lately, we could reach our old Casterman editions of a few Corto volumes. The copies of NBM’s rather disappointing pamphlet reprints are buried somewhere else, and a reprint from Tony Raiola is yet in a third spot. Why are these not closer to the front of the bookshelf? In some ways, it is not even necessary; Corto is always near—in our heart, he’s always with us.

Rest assured, there has been a little Corto Maltese cabal in comics, planning some way to bring him back, and shove aside all the pretenders, gawkers and loudmouths, to make way for the REAL comics. But now comes word that Heavy Metal has acquired the rights?

Based on the fanfare with which this announcement was made — you’d think a reprint of one of the ten greatest comics of all times might warrant a press release — we somehow can’t muster much enthusiasm that this release will be more wildly successful than the previous attempts to introduce Pratt to an American audience. (Walk into the pop culture stores of France, and Corto Maltese is everywhere — we’ve netted glasses. a watch, socks and more.) We’re just not smart enough, we guess.

In some ways, this is okay. Corto Maltese is still right where he belongs, at SBM, anyway, and he’ll remain there until our dying breath.

We haven’t been linking to Neil Kleid’s fine week of guest blogging over at Blog@NEwsarama, but we should have. He’s had fine interviewers with K. Thor Jenson, Chip Zdarsky, Josh Fialkov, Andrew Dabb,
and an informative anthology roundtable. But these are all trumped by an interview with Slave Labor’s Dan Vado, which we hereby label MUST READING.

Vado is rarely called upon in industry roundtables, doesn’t spend his time blogging or yapping on panels. Instead, for 20 years he’s kept a comics company afloat while publishing regular comics (STILL!) and graphic novels, and now moving into the web and licensing. And he does it without drama (and without a dedicated marketing staff, which we’ve mentioned to him many times, but hey, he’s the one running the company.) Try these doses of plain speaking on for size:

Notice that there have been a lot of people who have tried to market comics to this non-existent goth market and have fallen on their faces. Where are they now? More to the point, if you look at the list of the top 100 selling graphic novels every year for the past nearly 10 years you will see that there are only 3-4 titles which pop up on those lists every year; WATCHMAN, DARK KNIGHT and JOHNNY THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC. Jhonen Vasquez, from a popularity perspective, is in a league with Alan Moore and Frank Miller, and yet he as a creator is dismissed as the product of a goth subculture gone wild.

…or this…

The Disney thing is a long story and has been discussed a million places. Suffice it to say, we are not going to really go after new licenses with Disney, although we are planning on expanding on the licenses we currently have. Not that there aren’t a million great ideas for their properties, but the comic world isn’t really ready to embrace what we are doing. Funny thing–in any other industry a Disney license is a license to print money. Only in the Direct Market is Disney a second-rate brand.

…or this…

Something cannot be both a sleeper and a hit. A comic or graphic novel either sells or it doesn’t. Critical acclaim does not translate to sales. For all the talk and hype on Street Angel, the comic hovered around 1500 copies sold and never broke out of that. Not enough for a creator with rent to pay to keep the project going. A million blog entries or message board posts mean shit when it comes to actually selling something. For all of the hype or critical acclaim for Street Angel on the Internet, that alone wasn’t enough to help make it a financial success or, for that matter, even get it nominated for a single award in any category. Snakes on a Plane, that movie was in discount houses in a couple of weeks despite all of the viral marketing hype.

That’s a bitter pill to swallow for someone like me who thought STREET ANGEL was a breath of fresh air in a turgid clime, but it explains why Jim Rugg is inking for DC now.

Just go read the whole interview.

The surprise announcement of the new Fantagraphics store in Seattle drew some interesting internet chatter. With well-founded fears of anxiety from traditional comics retail stores, Eric Reynolds was in an explaining mood over at The Engine.

I believe this store can only be a good thing for the health of the comics market in Seattle and beyond. We have some 1000 items in our warehouse. According to Diamond’s own data, fewer than 40 percent of their accounts stock any given book we publish (and it’s just as often fewer than 25%). There are maybe 50 truly great comic book retailers in this country that actively support us, and as much as I remain ever-grateful for their existence and wish we could clone them, they are the exception to the current rules. For most of the new books we publish these days, the direct market accounts for about one-fourth of our initial sales. Over the last five years, our sales have gone up everywhere but the direct market. We are not costing the direct market sales — the direct market is costing itself sales (whether it be due to Diamond’s increasing inability to stay competitive with the rise of wholesalers and book trade distributors also selling graphic novels, or the 3000+ Diamond accounts out there that still don’t have any interest in diversifying their inventory and customer base by ordering outside of their own narrow tastes for the usual mainstream stuff). Interest in literary graphic novels has grown just about everywhere (in general bookstores, amongst the public, amongst the media, on the internet, etc.) over the last five years except in the direct market. We simply can’t afford anymore to make decisions out of fear of alienating such an increasingly small segment of our market. We could not survive in solely the direct market anymore: Marvel, DC, Image, et. al. ruined that possibility ten years ago with the exclusivity wars (which we fundamentally were opposed to from the get-go, a position which has probably hurt our standing in the d.m., but I have no regrets on that front. it was the right position to take).

There’s more at the TCJ board, with comments from Kim Thompson.

Ex-Seattleite Tom has an inside perspective, and the news that local legend Larry Reid will be running the store:

Reid had Reynolds’ current marketing and PR job with the company in the early 1990s, and is an outsized, larger-than-life character. Reid’s a Seattle multiple-scene fixture going back what I guess would be a couple of decades now, and an extremely enthusiastic proponent of cartooning both when he’s worked for the company and when he hasn’t. Reid was the first PR guy that Fantagraphics had that was there a significant amount of time and that didn’t seem forced into the job. He had a bonafide affinity for those Fantagraphics comics of the late ’80s and early ’90s that had connections to the growing “alternative” culture that Seattle spearheaded and of which he was a part (Hate, Eightball), and more than anyone gave the company a foothold with those kinds of fans. He’s also an experienced event organizer and art show curator. His running a company-backed store could be pretty great. Or at least it could mean a few more Larry Reid stories.

There’s been some behind the scenes soap opera in the comics of world of late, which we are not going to get into, and anyone who does will be deleted. But it has opened up a bit of a worm can about some fairly well known swipings. The main culprit is Arthur Suydam, who has been enjoying a busy revival with his covers for Marvel.


Greg Land is another well known, nay, notorious, swiper:

(Image from the above link.)

Of course, there was the Magneto-King of Spain international incident a ways back. As we said then, such blatant swipes are usually brought on by the dreaded deadline doom, both for busy artists and busy editors. It isn’t a crime — yet — or perhaps even a moral sin. But it is a little disappointing.

Among the acrimony at this TCJ.com thread, a letter sent from Marvel’s Managing Editor to freelancers is reproduced:

(more…)

How do you really, truly make sure a vampire is dead dead dead? Why, auction off his sets and props:

BLADE - THE SERIES, SET DEC AUCTION.

ONE DAY ONLY, EVERYTHING WILL BE SOLD WITH NO MINIMUM PRICE.

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TIME CHANGE!

Able Auctions supports the CKNW Orphans’ Fund.

Auction Details

Everything under the Sun including: massage tables, coffins, all kinds of props, signs, several boxes of comic books.

LINENS:

PILLOW CASES, NEW BED SHEETS, QUILTS, TABLE CLOTHS, PLACE MATS, PILLOW CURTAINS.

TOOLS:

WORK BENCHES, CREEPERS, CARTS, HOISTS, ENGINE STANDS, WOOD WORKING TOOLS, JACKS, PLUMBING.

COMPUTERS:

LAPTOP PARTS, CARDS, MONITORS, NETWORK CARDS, CABLES.

HOUSEHOLD:

RUGS, ANTIQUE FURNITURE, COUCHES, CHAIRS, PITCTURE FRAMES, VACCUMS, ARTWORK.

MISCELLANOUS:

COFFINS, AMMO CASES, GUN CASES, STORAGE CABINETS, (NEW) MESSAGE TABLES, GYM MATS, SWORDS.

[Thanks to LW for the link]

Webcomics Nation’s Joey Manley points us to Publishing 2.0 media pundit Scott Karp’s musings on how the media giants of the future won’t be as big as the media giants of the past:

There is now macroeconomic data to support the theory that Media 2.0 won’t be as profitable as Media 1.0 (from MediaPost):

In a break from historical patterns, the equities research team at Merrill Lynch says the rate of advertising price inflation now trails the overall rate of economic inflation. “Interestingly, advertising growth seems to be tracking real [gross domestic product] growth instead of nominal GDP growth, as it did in the past plus some,� writes Merrill Lynch ad industry analyst Lauren Rich Fine in a report released early this morning. “This supports our belief that media no longer enjoys the benefit of above average rate inflation, rather the opposite where increased competition & measurement is putting pressure on rates.�

Okay, in more comprehensible terms, that’s more of the long tail that’s wapping us in the face as the consumer drinks from the doggie water bowl of increased choice and control of delivery. The pie is bigger than ever but no one can eat all that pie. What kind of empires will future Walt Disneys, Ted Turners and Oprahs carve out for themselves in a world where one kid with a camera has access to the exact same audience they do? (NBC just announced sweeping personnel cuts this very week.)

Manley, for one, isn’t worried.

I think it’s great news. I can easily get by with annual profits in the, um, low-to-mid five figures. And I’m not the only one. I’m guessing you can, too. Disney, obviously, can’t. It won’t go that far, of course, and Disney will always do better than I’m doing, and better than you’re doing, but the profit scenario for media companies large and small, even if it’s lower than it has been for a company like Disney, is still more than I (or you) have made at, you know, most of our day-jobs. Where we made media. Profit potential for a Disney is lower precisely because you and I, and hundreds of thousands of others, get to play the game now, and are nibbling at the pie. It will always take a lot more pie to fill up a Disney than it does the rest of us — and Disney will always get a much bigger part of that pie — but they (and their big media cousins) won’t get nearly as much of it as they did before. And we will get a little bit more of it than we ever had a chance to. So, yeah, that’s a good thing, from where I’m sitting.

Universal and Fox can’t pull the trigger on spiraling costs, and 27-year-old first time director was under suspicion:

It’s game over for Universal’s and Fox’s participation in the feature adaptation of Microsoft’s “Halo.”

Both of the studios that agreed to co-finance the screen adaptation of the popular Microsoft game have abruptly backed out of the picture. While rumors had the studios concerned over a budget that was rising above the original projected $135 million pricetag, the filmmakers said the double defection came after U and Fox played hardball and unsuccessfully tried to get the filmmakers and Microsoft to reduce their profit participation.

There are way too many comics themed news story in the non comics media to link to these days, but once in a while, you come across one which puts it all in perspective. Meet Stacie Jordan, whose job scripting the Dabel Bros. Laurell K. Hamilton adaptations has rocketed her into the whirlwind world of comics stardom. Will Stacie be able to stand the glare of fame and fortune?

“I’ve not been exposed to comics too much,” said Stacie, now 27. “My husband was the one who introduced me to them. I would go sit at the booths (at comic conventions) and help him sell comics. Then, I got into the company because my background is in teaching, and they needed someone to come in and help them manage the production end of it — make schedules and that type of thing.”

Those nuts-and-bolts tasks, however, faded into the background earlier this year after Dable [sic] acquired the rights to Anita Blake. Now, you’d think for a series that has sold 3 million copies in 16 languages, Dable’s writers would fight each other for the chance to do it. Not true by a long shot.

“My husband said, ‘Well, I don’t really want to do a more female-oriented book,’” his wife said. “‘I want to do some of the other books.’ So I ended up getting it, and, now, it’s like this really big deal. I had never heard of Anita Blake before this.”

Later in the story we learn Stacie’s secrets for dealing with the exciting glamourous world of comics:

Still, it’s an enjoyable way to moonlight, she says. She enjoys going on the Internet to chat with fans and loved watching the countdown clock tick down the seconds before the book went on sale. Already, she’s getting peppered over how she will handle later books in the series.

Get used to it, Stacie. You’re going to get peppered a lot.

Our attention has finally been drawn to the greatest blog in the ever growing comics blogosphere, Super Underwear Perverts, which shows that men really CAN be objectified, but it takes a gay man to do it the right way:

Proprietor Ray has a great eye for photos that show us what superheroes might look like in real life:

As well as fine comics illustrations that celebrate the male form:

And finally, cartoon remixes that make us chuckle with their whimsical reminders of how nutty life in these United States really can be:

Super Underwear Perverts, thanks so much. We will be returning every day! Consider yourself BOOKMARKED!

CANCER VIXEN author Marissa Acocello Marchetto is sponsoring a day of FREE mammograms tomorrow and hopes some women artists will sign up. That’s pretty freaking awesome. Let’s do it, girls.

An exciting new retail venture will unite two of the world’s most recognizable critters:

Blue’s Clues, a hit U.S. cartoon series about the adventures of a blue puppy, needs the help of a little kitty to make it in Japan.
U.S. media conglomerate Viacom and Japan’s Sanrio Co., owner of the popular Hello Kitty character, have tied up to promote Blue’s Clues merchandise in the world’s No. 2 retail market.

Sanrio and Viacom, whose Nickelodeon unit controls the Blue’s Clues property, plan to develop a limited edition product line combining the two characters for sale at select retailers from next spring.

BTW, we are now the #1 referral on Google for “Disney s*x tape,” and have noticed people from Turkey to Norway to Indiana finding the Beat via that search, so don’t tell us you people don’t love this furry shit.

Yesterday, ICv2 published a list of the Top Ten Most Powerful people in Manga, gleaned from interviews with other industry figures. Here’s the power list:

1. Kurt Hassler, Graphic Novel Buyer, Borders Group
2. Hidemi Fukuhara, Chief Executive Officer, Viz Media
3. Stuart Levy, Founder, CEO, Chief Creative Officer Tokyopop
4. Dallas Middaugh, Associate Publisher of Manga, Del Rey
5. Jim Killen, Graphic Novel Buyer, Barnes & Noble
6. Mike Richardson, CEO & Publisher, Dark Horse
7. Mike Kiley, Publisher, Tokyopop
8. Yumi Hoashi, EIC & VP of Magazine Division, Viz Media
9. Hikaru Sasahara, CEO, Digital Manga Publishing
10. Masashi Kishimoto, Creator of Naruto

No surprises there, although there has been much discussion in the manga blogoverse. Mangacast has lists from David Welsh and David Taylor among others which dwell more on various personnel from manga publishers.

Hassler’s spot at the top in particular could have been predicted. As a manga-ka himself (Tokyopop’s SOKORA REFUGEES, written under the name “Segamu”) he knows the manga business very well, and has a very hard line about what he will and won’t order for Borders. Spend time in a casual setting with any publisher and we guarantee the phrase “Kurt Hassler won’t carry it!” will be heard.

Denise Mina, the mystery writer who turned to comics with a stint on HELLBLAZER is the latest book author to write a graphic novel, according to an interview in CBR. Vertigo will publisher A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY, with art by Antonio Fuso.

“Sickness” was born out of Mina’s meditations on the idea of inheritance. “I was thinking about King Lear and inheritance,” Mina said. “Most people who do have an inheritance are depending on the sale of a house at a time when the parents are often unable to look after the house. It makes for tense times.”

In “Sickness,” it’s a close knit Glasgow based family that is having a tense time over a house. “They are a large family with a mum and dad - Ted and Biddy, three kids - Amy, Sam and William, and a Gran, Martha. Also neighbors Kerr Gibb and Darota,” Mina explained. “They are a close family and can’t get away from each other because they all have flaws that mean they are afraid to leave the house.”

[snip]Like her “Hellblazer” stories “A Sickness in the Family” is a crime story with supernatural elements, but it’s also a tragedy in that’s its cast of characters are basically good people who are driven to do some very bad things.

Neal Adams is joining the ‘tooner to auteur crowd with a planned adaptation of his own Bucky O’Hare comic:

Newly-formed production company Buzzworthy, from comic book writer Neal Adams, has picked up the CGI-animated comedy, Bucky O’Hare.

Adams will be directing and producing the film, written by Larry Hama; The Hollywood Reporter notes it’s based on Adams’ 1980’s comic book series. The story centers on a green anthropomorphic hare who, with a crew of other mammals including one boy, battles toads in an intergalactic war.

Production for Bucky O’Hare is set for a quick start.

“Quick start”? Okay!

Miriam Engelberg who became a first time graphic novelist this year with CANCER MADE ME A SHALLOWER PERSON has died at age 48 of breast cancer.:

“I’d be telling a friend something upsetting about the latest twist and turn in my cancer saga, but as the words came out of my mouth they would turn into something absurd and we’d both end up laughing,� she wrote.

Before she was diagnosed in 2001, she worked for a San Francisco nonprofit called Compass Point doing computer work, and published a comic book, “Planet 501c3,� about the nonprofit world. She had no formal drawing training, and her style was basic; the book is in black and white.

“I started doing this before I was diagnosed with cancer,� she told the AP. “I started doing cartoons when my son was a baby to relieve stress. I wrote the first one about waiting to hear about the results from my mammogram. It just came out of that.�

As she finished her book, she thought she had a happy ending: a successful round of radiation and chemotherapy. But then she got the news that the cancer was spreading. She decided to add a few panels about it.

There are about 8 gajillion SPX photo sets up on the web, but we wanted to spotlight the first time exhibitors. We usually go around taking pictures of our pals, but this time we took pictures of perfect strangers — with the result that we don’t know who half of these photos are! We got business card for everyone, but lost half of them (ert!) so we enlist the group mind in Id’ing the culprits.

Jillian Tamaki’s GILDED LILLIES got some buzz going. Jillian is best known as an illustrator for places like THE NEW YORKER, but she’s getting an increasing amount of comics work.
(more…)

The webcomics collective The CHemistry set has released their very own trailer/teaser:

But that’s not all, they’re also teaming with the FALLING SHORT film showcase:

Online comics collective THE CHEMISTRY SET is pleased to announce their affiliation with the FALLING SHORT film showcase, a bi-monthly screening of short films presented in New York City, home to several CHEMISTRY SET members. FALLING SHORT is a bi-monthly program of independently produced short films by up-and-coming directors from across the United States.

“The art of film and the art of comics aren’t so far apart on the creative spectrum, and this is a unique opportunity to support other independent artists and reach potential readers who wouldn’t normally seek out comics on their own,” says CHEMISTRY SET member Kevin Colden.

THE CHEMISTRY SET will lend promotional support to the film showcase alongside Mighty Healthy NYC, a streetwear clothing line, Nature Sounds, a Brooklyn-based record label, and Three21 Media, whose CEO Rik Cordero is programming the event. A trailer for THE CHEMISTRY SET, which will be featured at the showcase, can be found here:

Hi-res video: http://www.three21media.com/content/?page_id=117

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v0vclcaFoo

FALLING SHORT 2
DATE: Wednesday, October 25 2006
TIME: Doors open 7:00pm
PLACE: Novo (290 Hudson St. btwn Spring & Dominic)
FILM CURATOR: Rik Cordero (Three/21 Films)
MUSIC: Mad Ryan (MH) | Reason (Nature Sounds)
CONTACT: Rik Cordero 917 696 6437 (Three/21 Films) / Ray Mate 516 972
2517 (Mighty Healthy)

Fantagraphics is taking the unheard of step for an indie comics publisher of opening their own store! And it opens this Saturday. The announcement from Eric Reynolds is below.

We have some exciting news for any of you who live or plan to visit the great Pacific Northwest. This weekend in the happenin’ Seattle neighborhood of Georgetown, we are doing something we’ve wanted to do for years. We’re opening our own Fantagraphics storefront, to be simply called FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS.

The store opens this Saturday, Oct. 21. This will be what those in the business call a “soft” opening. The doors will be open and our entire catalog — plus other surprises — will be available for sale.

We will continue to fine-tune the store and will really roll out all the stops beginning in November, with a grand opening event in early December. Stay tuned for details. What we can tell you now: The store will contain everything Fantagraphics has in print (as well as Eros Comix), and will also house our soon-to-be-legendary DAMAGED ROOM, featuring heavily discounted and often out-of-print books unavailable anywhere else.

The space also has room for art exhibitions, which we’ll have more news about very soon.

Be sure to check out FLOG!: The Fantagraphics Blog for more information later this week, including pictures. And then stay tuned for a lot of great shows and events to come in 2007. In other words, start making your Seattle vacation plans NOW, and if you have friends in Seattle that might be interested, please pass on the news.

Here’s the 911:

FANTAGRAPHIC BOOKS
1201 South Vale Street
Seattle, WA 98108
Mon. - Sat 11:30 - 8
Sun 11:30 - 5
206-658-0110

Thanks for your time,
Your friends at Fantagraphics Books

Yes, we were a little late this week…writing those long essays takes TIME, we tells you.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19

• Brooklyn, NY, 8 pm — Sidescrollers release party

Come on out and get Sidescrollers signed by Oni Press’s newest comic star Matthew Loux! It’s at Book Court, a very cool bookstore in the Downtown Brooklyn/Cobble Hill area.
Book Court 163 Court St. between Pacific and Dean St.
nearest to the 4/5 Borough Hall station or the F/G Bergen St. station.
The event starts at 8pm.
This event was listed as a “Best Bet” in this week’s Brooklyn 24/7 Magazine! Come and see what the fuss is all about!

• New York, NY, 7 pm
Jenny Allen & Jules Feiffer sign The Long Chalkboard: And Other Stories
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Union Square, 33 East 17th Street, 212-253-0810

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21

•Madison, WI — 12:30-4:00 Wisconsin Book Festival
Events include live interviews with Chris Ware and Marjane Satrapi
WPR Live: Onstage Interviews for To The Best of Our Knowledge
Saturday, October 21 12:30 - 4:00 PM
Venue: Memorial Union Theater
Presenter(s): Ted Kooser, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Andrew Sullivan, Brian Mann, Marjane Satrapi, Chris Ware

Join Jim Fleming, Steve Paulson, and Anne Strainchamps of Wisconsin Public Radio’s Peabody Award-winning national program To the Best of Our Knowledge for a special on-stage multi-interview event. The first of three compelling segments will feature former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser and “alternative poet laureate” Linton Kwesi Johnson; the second pairs conservative pundit Andrew Sullivan with NPR commentator Brian Mann in a discussion of the American political landscape; and the third showcases master graphic novelists (and old friends) Marjane Satrapi and Chris Ware. Sean Michael Dargan and his band will provide live musical interludes, and the show will be recorded for future broadcast on To the Best of Our Knowledge.

• Los Angeles, CA — Meltdown 13th Anniversary party

In honor of this triskadektauspicious occasion we shall hold a COSTUME CONTEST (7:30 p.m.) and a NERD WAR (8:00 p.m.)

What is a NERD WAR? A game show, friend, in which your skills and trivial knowledge are put to the test against your brethren resulting in the distribution of FABULOUS PRIZES worth many AMERICAN DOLLARS!

Our NERD WAR is hosted by those geek gods RENFIELD and the evening ends in a FREE SHOW from those fine fools! Free drinks, booze and delicacies for all. Registration for the Costume Contest and Nerd War begins at 6:30 p.m. Join us for an evening of fun and frolic, won’t you?

MELTDOWN’S 13TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY featuring RENFIELD
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 - ALL AGES - CHEAP AS FREE!

•Toronto, ON, 3 pm - Depuy and Berberian

With generous support from the French Consulate here in Canada, Dupuy & Berberian will be making rare english-speaking appearances in Toronto and Montreal. (Well, Charles will be speaking english, Philippe will have a translator.) In Toronto on Saturday, October 21st at 3PM, D&B are special guests of the grand literary event IFOA where they will be interviewed by Seth. In Montreal, on Tuesday, October 24th from 6-8:00 PM, D+B will be at Casa Del Popolo (4873 St Laurent) and will interviewed by Dimitri Katadotis of the CBC.

•Toronto, ON 5 pm: Jaime Hernandez
Studio Theatre

Jamie Hernandez’s life’s work is the comic book Love & Rockets, a collaborative ongoing series that has become nearly synonymous with alternative comics. His graphic novel Locas collected more than 10 years of his stories from L&R into an irresistable and acclaimed single graphic novel. Hernandez will be interviewed by film and television director Jerry Ciccoritti about his newest graphic novel, Ghost of Hoppers.

• Lynwood, WA 6 pm: Scott Kurtz and Tycho & Gabe and charity poker at THE COMICS STOP
3333 184th St SW, Suite G, Lynnwood, WA 98037, Check link for more info

Beginning at 6:00pm, Scott Kurtz and Gabe & Tycho will begin signing and sketching for fans. Kurtz has been publishing PvP through Image Comics for over three years, while the guys from Penny Arcade have just debuted their second graphic novel through Dark Horse Comics. For those who don’t bring their own, all the PvP and Penny Arcade graphic novels will be available for purchase at the store.

At 9:00pm, the charity event begins.

The Comic Stop has teamed up with Child’s Play, an organization which helps put video games and systems into hospitals, to host a charity poker tournament, featuring your chance to play poker alongside Kurtz, Gabe, Tycho and others!