Fantagraphics Books

All you want to know about Fantagraphics Books

Fantagraphics Books

Type	Comic publisher
Founded	1976
Founder(s)	Gary Groth Mike Catron
Headquarters	Maple Leaf, WA
Key people	Gary Groth Mike Catron Kim Thompson
Industry	Comics
Website	Fantagraphics.com

Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint.

The company is currently located in the Maple Leaf neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.

1 Company history
2 Titles
3 Notes
4 References
5 External links

Company history

The Fantagraphics booth at the Stumptown Comics Fest 2006.

Fantagraphics was founded in 1976 by Gary Groth and Mike Catron at College Park, Maryland. Kim Thompson joined the company in 1977, and became a co-owner with Groth.^{[citation needed]}

Fantagraphics publishes The Comics Journal, a magazine that covers comics as an art form from a critical perspective. It also has published critically acclaimed and award-winning series and graphic novels such as Ghost World, Hate and Love and Rockets. In 2003 the economic history of the company was summed up thusly: "The publisher has alternated between flourishing and nearly perishing over the years. It would have been out of business as long ago as 1978 if Kim Thompson hadn't poured his inheritance into the company's survival. In 1991, Fantagraphics was saved from closing its doors by the launching of its relatively lucrative erotic comics line. As recently as 1998, the company was forced into a round of layoffs."^[1]

In 2003 Fantagraphics 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.^[2] One employee quit during the subsequent downsizing while denouncing Fantagraphic's "disorganization and poor management."^[1] Fantagraphics was saved by a restructuring and a successful appeal to comic book fandom that resulted in a huge number of orders.^[1] After restructuring, the company has had greater success with such hardcover collections as The Complete Peanuts, distributed by W. W. Norton & Company.^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, Fantagraphics opened its own retail store in Seattle.

Titles

Comic book series

Ignatz Series

Babel by David B.
Baobab by Igort
Calvario Hills by Marti
Chimera by Lorenzo Mattotti
Delphine by Richard Sala
Ganges by Kevin Huizenga
Grotesque by Sergio Ponchione
Insomnia by Matt Broersma
Interiorae by Gabriella Giandelli
New Tales of Old Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez
Niger by Leila Marzocchi
Reflections by Marco Corona
Sammy the Mouse by Zak Sally
The End by Anders Nilsen
Wish You Were Here by Gipi

Anthologies

Anything Goes!

Snake Eyes
Pictopia
Graphic Story Monthly
Hotwire Comix & Capers
BLAB!
MOME
Blood Orange
Zero Zero

Magazines

Amazing Heroes - a defunct publication devoted mostly to mainstream comics
The Comics Journal — magazine of comics news and criticism
Honk - magazine of comics news and criticism
Nemo, the Classic Comics Library - a defunct magazine devoted to classic comics