Country of origin United States Official website fantagraphics.com Founded 1976 | Headquarters location Seattle, Washington Distribution W. W. Norton & Company | |
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Key people Gary Groth
Kim Thompson
Eric Reynolds Publication types Books, Comic books, Magazines Imprints Eros Comix
Ignatz Series Headquarters Seattle, Washington, United States Founders Michael Catron, Gary Groth Profiles | ||
Fantagraphics books and the advent of the graphic novel
Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint. Many notable cartoonists publish their work through Fantagraphics, including Jessica Abel, Peter Bagge, Ivan Brunetti, Charles Burns, Daniel Clowes, Mary Fleener, Roberta Gregory, Joe Sacco, Chris Ware, and Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez a.k.a. the Hernandez Brothers.
Contents
- Fantagraphics books and the advent of the graphic novel
- Founding
- Comics publisher
- The Kirby Award and the Harvey Award
- Relocation to Seattle
- Financial ups and downs
- European line
- New challenges
- Ignatz Series
- Eros Comix
- Eros Comix Titles
- MangErotica Titles
- Anthologies
- Magazines
- Graphic novels
- Classic comics compilations
- Books
- References
Founding
Fantagraphics was founded in 1976 by Gary Groth and Mike Catron in College Park, Maryland. The first act of the new company was the takeover of an adzine named The Nostalgia Journal, which was quickly renamed The Comics Journal.
As comics journalist (and former Fantagraphics employee) Michael Dean writes, "the publisher has alternated between flourishing and nearly perishing over the years." Kim Thompson joined the company in 1977, using his inheritance to keep the company afloat. (He soon became a co-owner.)
The company moved from Maryland to Stamford, Connecticut, and then Los Angeles.
Beginning in 1981, and lasting until 1992, Fantagraphics published Amazing Heroes, a magazine which examined comics from a hobbyist's point of view.
Comics publisher
Beginning in 1979, Fantagraphics began publishing comics, starting with Jay Disbrow's The Flames of Gyro. They gained wider recognition in 1982 by publishing Los Bros Hernandez' Love and Rockets, and moved on to such critically acclaimed and award-winning series as Acme Novelty Library, Eightball, and Hate.
Catron acted as Fantagraphics' co-publisher until 1985 (also handling advertising and circulation for The Comics Journal from 1982–1985), when he left the company.
The Kirby Award and the Harvey Award
From 1985–1987, Fantagraphics coordinated and presented (through their magazine Amazing Heroes) The Jack Kirby Award for achievement in comic books, voted on by comic-book professionals. The Kirby Award was managed by Dave Olbrich, a Fantagraphics employee (and later publisher of Malibu Comics). In 1987, a dispute arose when Olbrich and Fantagraphics each claimed ownership of the awards. A compromise was reached, and starting in 1988, the Kirby Award was discontinued and two new awards were created: the Eisner Award, managed by Olbrich; and the Fantagraphics-managed Harvey Award, named for cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman. Since their inception, the Harvey Awards have been presented at various comic book conventions, such as the Chicago Comicon, the Dallas Fantasy Fair, WonderCon, the Pittsburgh Comicon, the MoCCA Festival, and their current venue, the Baltimore Comic-Con. The Harvey Awards are no longer affiliated with Fantagraphics.
Relocation to Seattle
In 1989, Fantagraphics relocated from Los Angeles to its current location in the Maple Leaf neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.
In 1990, the publisher introduced Eros Comix, a lucrative line of erotic comics which again saved the company from bankruptcy.
Longtime employee Eric Reynolds joined Fantagraphics in 1993, first as news editor for The Comics Journal from 1993, before moving to marketing and promotion in 1996. Tom Spurgeon, now publisher of The Comics Reporter, was editor of The Comics Journal from 1994–1999.
Financial ups and downs
In 1998, Fantagraphics was forced into a round of layoffs; and in 2003 the company almost went out of business, losing over $60,000 in the wake of the 2002 bankruptcy of debtor and book trade distributor Seven Hills Distribution. One employee quit during the subsequent downsizing while denouncing Fantagraphic's "disorganization and poor management." Fantagraphics was saved by a restructuring and a successful appeal to comic book fandom that resulted in a huge number of orders. After restructuring, the company has had greater success with such hardcover collections as The Complete Peanuts, distributed by W. W. Norton & Company.
In 2009 Fantagraphics ceased publishing the print edition of The Comics Journal, shifting from an eight-times a year publishing schedule to a larger, more elaborate, semi-annual format supported by a new website.
European line
Starting in 2005, Fantagraphics began a European graphic novel line, starting with the co-publication of the Ignatz Series, edited and produced by the Italian artist Igort. The publisher announced a deal with Jacques Tardi in March 2009, that would see co-publisher Thompson translate a large number of his books.
New challenges
In 2006, Fantagraphics opened its own retail store, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood.
In early 2012, Michael Catron returned to Fantagraphics as editor with the company he had co-founded 36 years earlier.
Co-publisher Kim Thompson left Fantagraphics due to illness in March 2013, and died of lung cancer a few months later. His absence left the company without a number of titles it had been counting on for the summer and fall of 2013; and in November Fantagraphics was forced to start a Kickstarter campaign to raise $150,000. An outpouring of support from readers enabled the company to reach and surpass its fundraising goal in just four days.
Ignatz Series
The Ignatz Series is an international comic imprint. It is published by Fantagraphics Books (U.S.), Avant Verlag (Germany), Vertige (France), Oog & Blik (Holland), Coconino Press (Italy), and Sinsentido (Spain). It is named for Ignatz Mouse, a character in the comic strip Krazy Kat.
The books in the Ignatz series are designed midway between standard North American comic book pamphlet-size and graphic novel-size. Each title is 32-pages, 2-color, saddlestitched, 8½" × 11", with jacket, priced at $7.95.
The Ignatz collection is edited and produced by Italian artist Igort. Fantagraphics editor Kim Thompson frequently provides translations.
The Ignatz series comprises the following titles:
Eros Comix
Eros Comix is an adult-oriented imprint of Fantagraphics Books, established in 1990 to publish pornographic comic books. Eros Comix sells anime videos, DVDs, adult comic books, and books of erotic art and photography. The 2006 Eros Comix print catalog sells over 470 items, including adult comic books, and humorous cheesecake-style comics often featuring pin-up girls like Bettie Page.
The late writer-artist Tom Sutton contributed work under the pseudonym "Dementia".
Ignatz Series
To be released: