(W/A/CA) Daniel Clowes Fantagraphics' latest Studio Edition turns the spotlight to the great Daniel Clowes, author of Ghost World, Patience, Wilson, David Boring, The Death Ray, Like a Velvet Glove Cast In Iron, and many other books. This collection features over 120 pages of exact facsimiles of the original art, at original size, to best showcase the artist's cartooning process. Curated by Clowes himself, this career overview collects raw original pages from the very beginning (1986's Lloyd Llewelyn) to his one-man anthology, Eightball and up through his best-selling 2016 graphic novel, Patience. Plus new covers, endpapers, notes and more by Clowes himself, including five pages of a never-before-published aborted graphic novel.

(W/A/CA) Joe Queenan For two and a half millennia, generals and CEOs alike have followed the lessons of Sun Tzu. But for the time-poor modern warlord on the go, humorist Joe Queenan has condensed these precepts into their vital essence. The sprightly illustrations of Keith Bendis help to focus the student's attention on this entirely serious, in no way sardonic, take on the 2,500-year-old text.

(W) Pier Dola When one man, too terrified to leave his ratty apartment during the pandemic, turns exclusively to social media for human contact, his quarantine routine disintegrates into madness. Thus kicks off a hilariously withering social critique of an entire planet filled with masses of humanity suffering from a dearth of compassion, decency, and empathy. Nothing escapes Dola's manic, trenchant stare as he takes on a vast array of contemporary social deformities - anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, xenophobes, the alt right, the woke left, evangelical fanatics, corporate power mongers, racists, fascists, neo-Nazis, gerontophobes, nihilistic revelers, Boris Johnson, and the death of the social contract. And yet there are still those rare moments of human idealism and striving amidst the moral, spiritual, and physical carnage. As one man says, consolingly, to another: "Although in these dark times of selfish fear it seems that goodness doesn't exist in our hearts, there are still good people. Maybe they are the minority, but those rare islands are the ones that make it bearabl

(W) Hans Rickheit, Krissy Dorn When Delia receives mysterious radio signals from beyond the planet, her curiosity is sparked. The plucky young scientist teams up with the esteemed Professor Tak and his bohemian son Theodore to convince the skeptical citizenry that this is not all just some elaborate hoax. The implications of her discovery may shatter her world. Set in an atmospheric '50s-era city in a parallel universe populated by anthropomorphic squirrels, Delia is a sprightly comics collaboration between cartoonist Hans Rickheit (The Squirrel Machine, Cochlea & Eustachia) and his wife, Krissy Dorn. This sci-fi adventure romp brims with dark humor, danger, and ominous allegorical undertones.

(W) Nicki Michaels An intimate (and sometimes goofy) portrait of cartoonist Willy Murphy's life, loves, and struggles - and a revealing glimpse into the underground comix scene in San Francisco in the early and mid-1970s. Written and edited by those who knew him best, this book is bursting with personal reminiscences, Willy's playful sketches and drawings, never-before-seen photographs, and a cornucopia of the comix - most newly scanned from his original art.

(W) Diego Arandojo, Jorge Fantoni (A) Jorge Fantoni, Diego Arandojo Diego Arandojo and Jorge Fantoni's graphic novel The Hidden River tells the story of real and fictional Argentine authors, investigat- ing and collecting disparate anecdotes of secret societies, connecting strands of a plot hidden in the shadow of Buenos Aires, that extend out to entangle some of the most notable occultists of the 20th Century.

(W/A/CA) Jason Novak In this adaptation of the original 1924 version of In Our Time, cartoonist Jason Novak finds the graphic equivalent of Hemingway's lean, muscular prose - stark, punchy, beautifully composed panels that convey the understated poetics of those early, famously breathtaking stories.

(W/A/CA) Justin Gradin Justin Gradin's stunning debut graphic novel Mystic Debris and its cast of quixotics exist in a comics continuum with Gary Panter's Jimbo, Mark Beyer's Amy and Jordan, and Marc Bell's Shrimpy and Paul. Whizbang is a metalhead whose band, Fascinator, has left him for stardom. His wife, Planchette, has left with their newborn baby. He leaves himself for a shimmy up the astral projector stripper pole, to hang with cosmic dust bunnies in a quest for enlightenment, or at least in a quest to avoid a job at the door factory.

(W) Jon Buller, Laura Buller (A) Laura Buller, Jon Buller (CA) Jon Buller Nudism Comes To Connecticut is a fascinating graphic memoir of optimism, debt, nakedness and real estate scheming in the early 1930s. Frank Mallett, inspired by cooperative colonies he had visited in Europe, returned home envisioning utopian communities of bohemian emigr?s and artistic intellectuals proliferating in sylvan harmony. With the crash of 1929 his already floundering enterprises seemed doomed - until he discovered a growing interest in healthy, wholesome nudism. Closely based on actual people and events, Nudism Comes to Connecticut exposes the conflict between the ecstasy of the 'exquisite naked plunge' and voyeurism, competitiveness, and greed by way of many period writings and letters. Although Frank's love of nature never falters, he learns that there is more to nudism than meets the eye. Nudism is veteran children's book authors Jon Buller and Susan Schade's first published graphic novel, lovingly rendered in delicate, indeed, enticing, pen lines.

(W) Elizabeth Haidle Portland-based artist Elizabeth Haidle muses, "Drawing from live models is hard. Why do we do hard things?" And as she paints the human form in dazzling watercolors, uncovering the nuances of gesture, evoking the personalities behind the poses, embellishing her figures with whimsical details - in short, striving to capture the enormity of humanity - she may have just found her answer. (STL213972) (C: 0-1-1)

Chris Cajero Cilla's (The Heavy Hand) new book from FU Press is a collection of the artist's short stories created over the past decade-plus that recall the work of contemporary masters such as Matthew Thurber and Michael Deforge, as well as the great underground comix of the 1960s and 1970s. Cilla co-mingles styles and genres in the service of surrealist gems such as "Burp's Law," "Exqueezmeat," and "Labyrinthectomy," all of which will buoy you with a blissfully dull buzz, long after you've put it down.

(W/A/CA) Thijs Desmet Ghost, a cantankerous character who drowns his cynicism in booze and cigarettes. Skeleton, a sensitive soul full of curiosity and wonder. This odd couple makes for a hilarious pairing as they are doomed to roam a desolate afterlife. Sarcastic and heartfelt in equal measure, this droll adventure sets out to explore the meaning of life in the land of the dead. In Smoking Kills, Flemish cartoonist Thijs Desmet renders a bewitching tale of spooks and truths in vivid colored pencils.

(W/A/CA) Mike McCarthy In 1995 Something Weird Video released filmmaker John Michael McCarthy's Elvis-obsessed auto-bio bump and grind cinematic oddity TEENAGE TUPELO, co-produced by exploitation king David F. Friedman. Memphis instrumental combo Impala provided the scintillating score set to the swaying rhythms of starlet D'Lana Tunnell, produced by legendary Sun records-era Roland Janes and released on Sympathy for the Record Industry. Now Fantagraphics Books unleashes this mammoth coffee table volume: a nudie cutie time capsule of art, essays, and reviews, along with photos of the beautiful starlets who appeared in the movie.

(W/A/CA) Otto Binder The Unwanted is Otto Binder's response to the 1950s McCarthy era of paranoia and intolerance, couched in metaphorical science fiction terms. A civilization of 'Mastermen' rules the galactic empire and must evaluate citizens of the various planets for inclusion into an imperial congress. Membership means access to technology, prosperity and protection. We learn the priorities and values of these visitors and why, in evaluating this planet, the Mastermen find a world shockingly different from their own. Written in the 1950s and never before published, this edition pays homage to Binder's comics career by enlisting the collaborative talents of Angelo Torres?-?who, with Al, Williamson and Roy Krenkel, illustrated Binder's EC story 'Lost in Space' in 1955?-?and Austrian sculptor, speed painter, and digital artist Stefan Koidl, to illustrate it. The result is a stunning tribute to Binder's lifelong commitment to comics and prose.

(W/A/CA) Don Simpson The most famous never-completed masterpiece in comics history- Image Comics' 1963 by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and Rick Veitch-is finally given the irreverent, and completely unauthorized 72-page climax no-one ever asked for! Written and drawn in an authentic Old School manner, X-Amount is just enough to satisfy! A comic for the ages that may finish off the Silver Age once and for all! For sophisticated readers.

(W/A/CA) Noah Van Sciver In this third and final installment of the fan-favorite series 'starring' self-styled literary superstar-to-be Fante Bukowski, Noah Van Sciver once again skewers the literary pretensions of his self-important title character. With an ear for hilarious dialogue and no end of grist for the mill, Van Sciver has garnered multiple Eisner Awards nominations and made Bukowski more popular than he could have ever hoped.

The French cartooning master Jacque Tardi's first solo graphic novel is a riotous action-adventure comedy set in Paris, 1914. A strange old man visits Lucien Brinvadoine's flat and implores him to go to Istanbul to seek his destiny. No sooner are these words spoken than a shot is fired through the window and the man is murdered by a mysterious assailant. Thus kicks off a madcap adventure wherein the mild-mannered Brindavoine races to the Middle East with assassins threatening him at every turn. Farewell, Brindavoine showcases the French cartooning master's signature blend of dark humor, brutal violence, and beguiling mystery.

(W/A/CA) Attilio Micheluzzi The first act of this thrilling two-part adventure tale takes place in Beirut in 1941, when renegade journalist Marcel Labrume crosses paths with the beautiful and mysterious American millionaire Carol Gibson, who the Germans suspect of being a spy. With the help of Labrume, the young woman works to deliver a Jewish man wanted by the Germans to Palestine. Then, in 1942, Marcel Labrume is captured during the Battle of Bir Hacheim and becomes a prisoner of war. With his usual style and aplomb, and by the skin of his teeth, Labrume manages to narrowly escape death.The Farewell?Song of Marcel Labrume is Fantagraphics? first entry in its planned Micheluzzi library, which will reprint all of his most significant works. Micheluzzi is one of the most iconic graphic stylists of the European comics scene known for his elegant line and stunning draftsmanship. He drew many graphic novels between 1974 and 1990, mostly of adventurous stories grounded in historical reality with a patina of romanticism, in the tradition of Milton Caniff and Hugo Pratt. Micheluzzi?s artwo

(W/A/CA) Gerald Jablonski Finally, what the world has been waiting for - a big, oversized collection of Gerald Jabolonski's psychedelically underground, absurdly avant-garde comics! Jablonski has been comics' best-kept secret for decades, telling the tales of imposter ants, bear-faced grumps, and stoic farmers with pun-laden word balloons that wildly snake around the page. This book also includes a discussion with Gary Groth, the artist's first interview in print. Jablonski belongs in the ingeniously baffling auteur pantheon with John Cage, James Joyce, and Andy Warhol. Yes, you read that right.

(W/A/CA) Johnny Ryan FATCOP never passes up a possible grift, a chance to use excessive force, or a pit stop at any chain restaurant he passes. He chafes when forced to take a new partner, Pete Rick, to keep him on the up and up. Even when he lucks into a heroic deed, he manages to do so repulsively. But when FATCOP uncovers a child slave ring operating out of the local Trader Joe?s, he may have met his match on the reprehensibility scale. If he?s not careful, it might be a transformative experience that causes him to reconsider his role as a loving partner and father. Well, up to a point, anyway ? sometimes a fat cop is just a FATCOP.Johnny Ryan returns to his lowbrow humor roots following his cult classic and violent fantasy series, Prison Pit. Ping-ponging his antihero through an ever-escalating and cascading series of violent, scatological, and wildly imaginative absurdities (most but not all of FATCOP?s own making), Ryan?s brilliance as a visual and verbal gag writer shines on every page of this master class in physical humor and comics storytelling. FATCOP is as hilarious as i

(W/A/CA) Joe Ciardiello In this gorgeous graphic memoir, Joe Ciardiello weaves together his Italian family history and the mythology of the American West while paying homage to the classic Westerns of the '50s and '60s. Ciardiello's sinuous ink line and vivid watercolors illuminate the oversized characters that dominated the cinematic American West-featuring John Ford, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Claudia Cardinale, Sophia Loren, and many more. A paean to Hollywood, a love letter to the Western, and a tribute to its Italian influences.

(W/A/CA) Josh Simmons Josh Simmons (Black River) returns with a harrowing and genre-bending collection of more than two dozen short stories. The individual stories in Flayed Corpse stand on their own and also complement each other in ways that only heighten the anxiety and dread pouring from the pages. Flayed Corpse also collects several collaborations between Simmons and other cartoonists, including James Romberger, Anders Nilsen, Tara Booth, Eroyn Franklin, Tom Van Deusen, and Eric Reynolds, amongst others.

(W/A/CA) Jacques Tardi Fog Over Tolbiac Bridge is the first of four major graphic novels adapted by Tardi from the legendary French crime writer L?o Malet's original 'Nestor Burma' novels. Tardi's stylish use of mechanical gray tones provides the book with a lovely period feel which, combined with Tardi's usual obsessive visual research, gives it a uniquely personal, authentic quality. Tardi's adaptation is a cracking good detective yarn and a milestone in comics history.

(W/A/CA) Frank Stack Frank Stack has been been quietly creating observational, iconoclastic art for more than forty years and is best known as the artist behind Harvey Pekar's award-winning graphic novel, My Cancer Year and as the creator of the first underground comic book, The Adventures of Jesus. Foolbert Funniescollects comics that ran in National Lampoonand other publications and features characters such as Dirty Diana, nostalgic time traveler Frank Crankcase, commonsensical Dr. Feelgood, politician Paddy Booshwah and a host of Amazons, artists, and pulp heroes, all depicted in Stack's scratchy, hatchy "crowquill" style.

(W/A/CA) Jack Davis When Jack Davis took up his pen for EC Comics, he imbued his stories with a playful sense of (gallows) humor that made his innocent victims more eye-poppingly terrified, his ax-murders more gleefully gruesome, and his revenge-seeking corpses more morbidly motivated than any other EC artist. These horror and suspense tales ? from the pages of Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, Crime SuspenStories, and Shock SuspenStories ? include frightful fare such as ?Hyde and Go Shriek!?, ?Tombs-Day!?, ?Witch Witch?s Witch!?, ?Head-Room!?, ?Chop Talk!?, ?Coffin Spell!?, and more, all leavened with the cackling, pun-laced wit of scripter Al Feldstein and illuminated as only the virtuoso brushwork of Jack Davis could present them.But the standout story has to be ?Foul Play,? the most infamous of all EC horror stories, in which a baseball team takes revenge on a murderous rival player by, um (spoiler alert), ?repurposing? various parts of his anatomy for one final blood-spattered, organ-scattered inning. You?ll never see a baseball game the same way again. And as gruesome as that so

THE SEQUEL TO FRANK AND THE CONGRESS OF THE ANIMALS FEATURES EVEN MORE STUNNING VISUALS For the past 20 years or so, Jim Woodring's beloved trilobular chuckbuster Frank has enjoyed one mindbending catastrophe after another in the treacherous embrace of The Unifactor, the land into which he was born and from which escape seemed neither desirable nor likely. And then, abruptly, in 2011's acclaimed Congress of the Animals (the second Woodring orginal graphic novel, following Weathercraft) Frank did leave the Unifactor for uncharted lands beyond-where, after a string of trials, he acquired a soulmate named Fran. This development raised far more questions than it answered. Would Frank become placid and domesticated? Would he be jilted? Would he turn out to be a dreadful cad? Would he become a downtrodden and exhausted paterfamilias staring vacantly into the dimming fire of life as obnoxious grandchildren pulled his peglike ears and stole his porridge? The answers to these fruitless speculations and many more are delivered in a devastatingly unpredictable fashion in Fran, which is in effec

(W/A/CA) Thomas Woodruff A stunning, head-turning, 'graphic opera' masterpiece from an acclaimed painter and illustrator. Francis Rothbart follows a feral child who is raised by magpies and other creatures and is repeatedly struck by lightning. Because of these phenomena, the child develops eccentric talents, which he then abuses, leading to his ultimate destruction by the same natural world that once nurtured him. Written mostly in rhymed verse, Francis's picaresque saga unfolds in an allegorical environment, much like the topographical constructions behind renaissance religious paintings. Referencing both the Venetian landscapes of Bellini, Pierro di Cosimo, and Carpaccio, mixed with the unlikely animated backdrops of Jay Ward and Chuck Jones, Woodruff's images recall the fictive gardens of a paradise lost that lingers somewhere deep in all our souls, moist and dark like the caves of the pious saints. Combining both paintings and drawings, each scene is a visual and verbal feast that transports us to a place in which trees anthropomorphize into figures bending from the weight of s

(W) Keith Mayerson, Chris Byrne An astonishing historical and artistic discovery: a 2300 page proto-graphic novel begun by a 'weekend cartoonist' in 1928 and continuing over the next 50 years! When Frank Johnson, an itinerant musician and shipping clerk, died in 1979, he left behind a startling discovery: more than 2,300 notebook pages of comics and 131 unbound drawings, among them a massive, continuous story line beginning in the earliest surviving notebook dated 1928 - before the existence of comic books! - and following the exploits of his own cast of characters across 50 years until Johnson passed away. During this lifelong project, Johnson invented in private many of the conventions and tropes that define comics storytelling, effectively enacting an alternative secret history of the comics medium. This debut publication of Johnson's work is the first of two 600+ page volumes that will collect the best 1200 pages of his comics, including Wally's Gang, his 50-year magnum opus chronicling the humorous, cliff-hanging adventures of a group of bachelor friends; The Bowser Boys, a s

(W/A) Various In editor Alexi Zeren's words, Freak Buck is a prison for the monsters we build every day, and the book covers are the cell walls. It features new and cutting-edge work from Marti (La Vibora, The Cabbie), Igor Hofbauer, Abraham Diaz, Gunnar Lundkvist, Josh Simmons, Josh Bayer, Alexis Rose, Jasper Jubenvill, Longmont Potion Castle, Emily V Brown, Dylan Languell, Heather Bryant, and many more. A beautifully designed, limited run, cutting-edge anthology that showcases both established indie artists and previously unpublished cartoonists.

(W/A/CA) Roger Langridge This nearly wordless romp from master cartoonist Roger Langridge is the author's paean to the silent, heartbreaking slapstick comedies or the teens and '20s, spun for a contemporary audience. Though Langridge has garnered considerable acclaim the past few years for his brilliant takes on The Muppet Show, Popeye, Betty Boop, and Marvel Monsters, he is at heart a cartooning auteur, earning multiple Eisner, Harvey, Reuben, and Ignatz Awards nominations.

(W/A/CA) Charles Burns Since 2000, cartoonist Charles Burns (Black Hole) has been self-publishing a secret sketchbook zine that he gives out to friends and VIPs. Burns has now compiled all twenty-five issues into a single volume for all of his fans to enjoy. Featuring finished drawings, rough sketches, process pieces, and more, the book is a window into the artist's id as well as a revealing behind-the-scenes look at how characters and motifs in works like Black Hole and Last Look have evolved.

Alex is an animator and he's angry. Stuck in a traffic jam on his way to his job at 'Mickey Walt' Studios, Alex rages, reminisces, fantasizes and hallucinates about his early days as a starry-eyed animator landing his dream job, through the increasingly depressing political battles and creative compromises. Loaded with insider information on two generations of animators, Freeway is another ambitious step forward for a major cartooning talent.

(W) Pier Dola SEX & DEATH are the primal subjects that Pier Dola explores with unrelenting tenacity in his incendiary debut graphic novel. A modern day Pilgrim's Progress as seen through the scatological lens of an unrestrained satirist working at full throttle, Pier Dola's From Granada to Cordova is a riotous, relentless, and terrifying attempt to grapple with the abyss. If this doesn't knock you squarely on your ass, we don't know what will.

From Shadow to Light: The Life and Art of Mort Meskin is a coffee table art book and critical biography of one of the twentieth century's most influential and overlooked comic book artists. Meskin's career spanned both the Golden and Silver ages of comics, from the 1940s to the 1960s. His drawing, chiaroscuro technique, and storytelling are considered by connoisseurs of the form to be among the most sophisticated of his time. Following World War II he formed a studio with the legendary Jerry Robinson, co-creator of The Joker and Robin. He later worked for Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's company S&K Studio and with Stan Lee at Atlas (Marvel). From Shadow to Light compiles for the first time the best of Meskin's art from his comic book career, his post-comics career bin advertising, and his fine art. Many of the comics pages are scanned form the original art, thanks to the cooperation of the Meskin estate. Mort Meskin's story is one of perseverance and overcoming personal demons. It is the tale of the indomitable spirit of a true artist and innovator. From Shadow to Light: The Life and Art

In all the excitement over manga from Japan and bandes dessinées from France, it's easy to forget that most other countries have a thriving comics culture all their own. This eye-popping anthology, assembled by Danish publisher/editor/translator Steffen Maarup, introduces adventurous readers to 18 exciting talents, most of whom are taking their first bow on the English-speaking stage. One centerpiece of the book is Nikoline Werdelin's stunning 'Because I Love You So Much,' a Doonesbury-style slice-of-life Danish daily strip about a suburban Danish couple who discover their daughter is being molested - is it happening at her daycare center - horrifyingly, closer to home? Other major revelations include Julie Nord's elegantly drawn 'From Wonderland With Love' (which gives the collection its title), a modernistic riff on Alice in Wonderland, and Ib Kjeldsmark's 'Sloth,' a riotously punk-inflected day-glo duo-toned road trip. The book also spotlights the snarky and surreal single-panel work and gags by HuskMitNavn, Christoffer Zieler, and Johan F. Krarup; the visually explosive silent

(W) Liv Stromquist, Melissa Bowers (A/CA) Liv Stromquist In this graphic nonfiction book, Swedish cartoonist Liv Stromquist traces how different cultures and traditions have shaped women's health and beyond. Her ponytailed avatar guides the reader from the darkest chapters of history to the lightest. Like humorists Julie Doucet (Dirty Plotte), Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For), and Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant), she uses the comics medium to reveal how far we haven't come.

(W/A/CA) Tommi Musturi Tommi Musturi?s Future traps the reader into a web of stories happening in different time spaces, providing perspectives on the possible futures of mankind through imaginary future worlds, current events, historical references, utopias, and ideals. Future is a mash-up of the familiar and the terribly alien: quotidian existence, sci-fi spectacle, utopian fantasy, AI dystopia, and other worst-case scenarios. Richly philosophical and allegorical, Musturi chronicles alcoholic magicians, guerrilla art squads, mutant reality television hosts, and incel archaeologist-astronauts, among many others.?Weaving between a variety of styles in illustration and narration that transform and reflect our constantly changing reality, Future is an impassioned graphic novel for our times that renews the medium of comics ? a vital and multifaceted work of art. Known as a stylistic chameleon who often deals with existential themes that twirl around the ideal of ?freedom,? Musturi has crafted his masterpiece, an attention-grabbing, bravura showcase of a rich visual imagination with a

(W/A/CA) Ted Stearn Pluck, an irritable rooster, and his best pal, the teddy bear known as Fuzz, struck up a friendship in a garbage truck, sending them on a series adventures. But now, we find them slowly drifting out to sea. How did they get there? How will they escape? Stearn's work is rich with pathos, wit, farce and drama. Sometimes cruel but always funny, like a Winnie the Pooh for adults. As Simpsons creator Matt Groening says, 'This epic tale of a hapless li'l bear and his defeathered friend is why I love comics. All hail the peculiar Fuzz and Pluck and their creator, Ted Stearn!'

(W/A/CA) Charles Rodrigues Culled from the pages of National Lampoon, this is Fantagraphics second collection of the work of Charles Rodrigues, one of the most audacious, taboo-busting cartoonists who ever lived. There is no example of human suffering, tragedy, or absurdity that is off limits. The cartoons are hilarious and yet without a drop of rancor, even the chapter titled 'Good Ways to Kill a Rock Performer.' This is a welcome re-examination of one of the great, under-appreciated and quintessentially American cartoonists.

Gahan Wilson Sunday Comics collects, for the first time, each and every one of Wilson's little-known syndicated strips that appeared in America's newspapers between 1974 and 1976. Featuring his usual cast of freaks, geeks, and weirdoes, Wilson deftly exploits the minimalist Sunday strip form to skewer the everyday horrors of being human.