Fantagraphics

Wow! Lots of great books coming out this month!

As long rumored, the much maligned Comics Journal website has re-launched with a new editorial team: Dan Nadel and Tim Hodler, founders of the Comics Comics website and zine, will bring their view of contemporary comics to the hallowed brand of TCJ.com. Hodler started things off with an editorial which, amazingly, did not talk about how crappy websites are; insead it laid out a pretty exciting vision for the new site:

This site is divided into several sections which will continue to grow over the days and weeks and months to come: Feature articles, including lengthy interviews, investigative journalism, and long-form critical and historical essays; regular columns on a variety of subjects; a steady stream of book reviews; thorough and easily navigated event listings; an ever-growing archive of The Comics Journal‘s thirty-plus years as a print magazine (by the end of 2011, each and every issue will be online)—this will be available in full to magazine subscribers only; and of course this daily blog, which will be a catch-all for short items, selective link-blogging, and a forum for guest voices and bad jokes.

...unless you read old comic strips. Fantagraphics' Floyd Gottfredson reprint project was a big news item at last year's San Diego, and you can bet that the book (due on April 15th) will get people talking some more. FBI released a pdf of the promo materials and here's a sneak peek.

What is the great Italian cartoonist up to?

A new graphic novel by Jim Woodring? A mere year after the great WEATHERCRAFT? Yes, somehow, in between dreaming about his giant steel nib pen, Woodring managed to draw a whole new book. And Flog just debuted the cover. As WEATHERCRAFT dealt with Manhog, this tome deals with Frank -- CONGRESS OF THE ANIMALS is the first ever all new Frank OGN and it's coming in May.

An astonishing icepunk adventure by the great French cartoonist Jacques Tardi is coming in March from Fantagraphics. It looks incredible.

Tony Millionaire at Desert Island -- let do this!

So, this month is a bit light. There are always some significant titles every month, so here's the list for January.

I see Saruman was at the Fantagraphics Bookstore Anniversary party on Saturday. It's good to see him getting out of Isengard more. [Via twitter but lost the link!]

The much-beloved cult strip Barnaby by Crockett Johnson is getting a quality reprint, courtesy of Fantagraphics, The Comics Reporter reports. Eric Reynolds will edit while Dan Clowes supplies the art direction. First volume is due in April 2012. Spurge has all the history and details:

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