LISTING INFORMATION:
WHO: Joëlle Jones & Matt Wagner
WHAT: Madame Xandu art exhibit and book signing
WHEN: Thursday, March 4th, 6-10pm
WHERE: Floating World Comics, 20 NW 5th Ave #101

BIO INFORMATION:

Who is Madame Xanadu? She is one of comics’ most legendary and mysterious magicians. For years, she has aided the powerful and powerless alike when supernatural forces threaten our world. Madame Xanadu has played a part in countless stories, but her own story was never told before this critically acclaimed series was launched by DC/Vertigo in 2008. Nominated for multiple Eisner Awards in 2009, it has quickly become one of the more talked-about series in comics.

“This features lots of the fairies, magicians and medieval-style witchcraft in a style that evokes at least a little bit the classic Midsummer Night’s Dream issue of THE SANDMAN. The book looks lovely and reads well.” – Variety

Portland artist Joëlle Jones joined regular series writer Matt Wagner for issues #19 and #20, a 2-part story that offers a storybook look back at Madame Xanadu’s earliest days in ancient, pastoral Britain. The Elder Folk confront the coming of mortal man, and the rivalry between two ageless sisters takes root. Squabbles with the young immortal’s sister Morganna turn bloody as the world of Fairy and Roman conquest vie for domination.

Matt Wagner has enjoyed a career in comics for over twenty years. Born and educated in Pennsylvania, his first published work was a short story that would introduce one of comicdom’s most respected creator-owned characters–the mastermind assassin, GRENDEL. Best known for this epic creation and his other, more personal, allegory, MAGE, Matt has also worked on a variety of established characters. These include his ground-breaking work on the character of Batman villain, Two-Face, in the graphic novel, FACES, as well as a five-year stint both developing and generating the stories for the fan-favorite Vertigo title, SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE. In the past few years, Matt has also written and drawn several high profile projects for DC; a three-issue prestige series starring Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman; titled TRINITY and a year-long, project which comprised two mini-series that chronicled some of the earliest aspects of Batman’s career, collectively titled DARK MOON RISING.

Wagner’s more recent efforts in this vein have included writing MADAME XANADU, as well as reboots of ZORRO and GREEN HORNET.

Joëlle Jones is a relative comics newcomer by comparison. Her first published work was illustrating a short story for the Dark Horse anthology SEXY CHIX in 2005, which was followed a year later by the full-length graphic novel 12 REASONS WHY I LOVE HER, written by Jamie S. Rich and published by Oni Press. 12 REASONS WHY I LOVE HER earned her a nomination for the prestigious Russ Manning Best Newcomer Award. Since then, Jones has drawn TOKEN for DC’s Minx line, and collaborated with Rich again in the summer of 2009 for the crime graphic novel YOU HAVE KILLED ME. Her work has also appeared in FABLES, MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS, PORTLAND NOIR, and the popular POPGUN anthology. Most recently, she drew a comic book based on the popular online musical DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG, and is currently at work on a comic book by best-selling novelist Janet Evanovich called TROUBLEMAKER and a Vertigo graphic novel titled THE STARVING ARTIST. Her next book with Rich, SPELL CHECKERS, also featuring artwork by Nicolas Hitori de, will be published by Oni Press in April.

http://www.joellejones.com/

http://www.mattwagnercomics.com/

So what did we learn from this year’s list?  4 of the bestselling titles weren’t even available from Diamond!  Shows what they know.  6 of the 25 titles were published by Portland companies.  Also if you work here you’ll have an opportunity to hand sell a lot of copies (see: me or Jamie).  First Thursday signings generated lots of sales (see: David Mack).  Marvel only had 1 title on the list.  16 of the titles were from indy publishers.  Secret Acres has published 7 titles since their foundation in 2008; 2 of those books showed up on our list.  Walking Dead and Scott Pilgrim are unstoppable.

THE LIST!

1.   SCOTT PILGRIM VOL. 5 (Oni Press)
2.   WATCHMEN TP (DC/Vertigo)
3.   YOU HAVE KILLED ME (Oni Press)
4.   WALKING DEAD VOL 9 (Image)
5.   KABUKI ALCHEMY HC (Marvel/Icon)
6.   CAPACITY TP (Secret Acres)
7.   LOEG CENTURY #1 (Top Shelf)
8.   KRAMERS 7 (Buenaventura)
9.   ALL STAR SUPERMAN VOL 2 HC (DC)
10. BLANKETS (Top Shelf)

11. BATMAN AND ROBIN #1 (DC)
12. BOOK OF GENESIS BY ROBERT CRUMB (W.W. Norton)
13. FILTH TP (DC/Vertigo)
14. MONSTERS GN (Secret Acres)
15. A DRIFTING LIFE (D&Q)
16. ALL STAR SUPERMAN VOL 1 TP (DC)
17. CATERER #3 (Floating World)
18. THB COMICS FROM MARS (Adhouse)
19. MULTIFORCE (Picturebox)
20. GIANT THB 1.V.2 (Horse Press)

21. BART SIMPSON’S TREEHOUSE OF HORROR #15 (Bongo)
22. WEDNESDAY COMICS #1 (DC)
23. BEN JONES HC (Picturebox)
24. LOCAL (Oni)
25. TEKKON KINKREET (Viz)

We’re down to the last ten copies of the limited edition ‘TOYLAND’ giclee print. There’s still time to get one before they’re gone. Artwork is shipped priority mail or fedex for international orders.

PIM & FRANCIE - SALMON FALLS SWEET SHOPPE

Size: 14″ x 12″ - mixed media - 2003

SOLD

To purchase please email: jason (at) floatingworldcomics (dot) com

“CHOCOLATE CHEEKS” book release & art exhibit with Steven Weissman

This February’s 1^st Thursday, Floating World Comics is proud to present a book signing and art exhibit with one of my favorite comic creators, Steven Weissman, creator of Yikes!.

Hilarious, frightening, mysterious, adorable and utterly bleak, Chocolate Cheeks has arrived to disgust and delight comic-book readers of all ages. “Sweet” Chubby Cheeks and the Pullapart Boy (a 21st Century Frankenstein’s monster for kids) are driving each other crazy. Forced together by their dating parents, these two bitter enemies have alienated—or otherwise disposed of­—most of their social circle, leaving them with plenty of quality time for each other. They go camping, start a business, form a band, join a team, try to make some new friends (including icky new characters Crustache and Lumpy Noodle) and engage in a “holy war.” Things go from worse to worst, though, when the two boys find a cat—or is it a bird?—one hot summer day in the harrowing 51-page story “Blue Jay” (as previously serialized at Fantagraphics.com).

Steven Weissman, modern master of light tragedy, is at his most horrible with Chocolate Cheeks. Juxtaposing gag-driven, newspaper-fashioned strips that are just gross enough to delight younger readers and sophisticated enough to be appreciated by grown-ups alongside the symbolically rich extended narrative of “Blue Jay,” this is the greatest “Yikes” book yet.

LISTING INFORMATION:

WHO: Steven Weissman

WHAT: CHOCOLATE CHEEKS book release & art exhibit

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 4th, 6-10pm

WHERE: Floating World Comics, 20 NW 5^th Ave #101

BIO INFORMATION:

Steven Knight Weissman, at various times known as “Steve,” “Ribs,” and “Weissman” (but never “Stevie Knight,” as one potential employer threatened to call him in 1987), was born in California on June 4, 1968. He’s written and drawn comics for Marvel Entertainment, Nickelodeon Magazine and, most TRIUMPHANTLY, Fantagraphics Books. He currently lives in the Los Angeles’ “Little Armenia” neighborhood with his wife, Charissa, and their son, Charles.

“Steven Weissman is the best cartoonist to explore the fantastic world of children since John Stanley (Little Lulu).” – Gilbert Hernandez

“Weissman indirectly captures childhood better than most literal representations do.” – The Onion

“Steven Weissman is a cartoonist who is so good, so funny, and so original that he doesn’t have to be serious to be taken seriously.” – Jaime Hernandez

Jan. 30th 9pm, $7

Show Cave Gallery

3501 Eagle Rock Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90065

Artists include Bruno Dicola, Robert Seidel, Dan Deacon, Jimmy Joe Roche, Peter Glantz, Zane Kozak, Vince Collins, Carolina Melis, Bruno 9li, Dearraindrop, Will Sweeney, Tasha Brotherton, Jen Stark, Vivian Wong, Mato Atom, Christophe Blanc, Superbrothers, Yoshi Sodeoka, Lung, David O’Reilly and Throne Boogie.

Started as a slap in the face to the sleepy Croatian comics scene, Komikaze has spread contagiously all around Europe and beyond using different techniques of dissemination, namely web presentation, exhibitions, comic-workshops/social-bonding-rituals, zine and magazine distribution, street art, and performances. Komikaze has been a regular guest at festivals like Angouleme in France and Crack Fest in Rome.

www.komikaze.hr

LISTING INFORMATION:

WHO: KOMIKAZE

WHAT: Art exhibit, comic-zine distribution + Komikaze Vol. 8 book release, circus

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 7th, 6-10pm

WHERE: Floating World Comics, 20 NW 5th Ave #101

Little crumbs from the manifesto:

“KOMIKAZE” is a gang of crooks which disturb and provoke the public with their appearance… Our wish is to pluck out the glass eyes of the habit and by our own example show how everybody can see well with thir own eyes. ////Since our aims are brutal and bizarre, we have directed our knife points towards the field of artistic expression in order to save the innocent… …Our actions are various. The act of exhibiting itself is not crucial for a medium in which the reproduction is equal to the original. Today photography, a good photocopy, digital copy and print, speak equally strongly as the original….The point of the story is that everyone is the courier of an important message if they follow their inner wild eye. By this I want to say that the stress is on the process of viewing, not the exhibited objects…
My vision of the future is a constant circulation of comics on the Internet, and they will be printed and pasted inside or outside, according to anybody’s needs. In the woods, too, if desired. These will be the real culture factories, an old idea in a new package. It is just a question of time when everyone will realize that to spill ink on paper is an act of freedom.

BIO INFORMATION ( other authors on www.komikaze.hr ):

I V A N A A R M A N I N I

Main editor and organizator of Komikaze, and comics author. Graduated from the University of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Croatia. She’s the founder and coordinator of Komikaze, starting 2002 through this method: The primary idea of the project being a regional network of comics author that involves internet and print publishing, comic-workshops and multimedia happenings. In 2005 she published a comic book Gloria Scott’s Adventures, based on short stories by Mima Simic.

I G O R H O F B A U E R

Born 1974, graduated as a painter from Zagreb, active as a comics artist as well as a poster artist for which he became famous in 90s, while doing posters for the two biggest music venues in Zagreb, Croatia.
http://gigposters.com/designer/10000_Igor_Hofbauer.html

D U N J A J A N K O V I C

Dunja was born in 1980 on an island in Croatia. Graduated from the Fine Arts Academy in Zagreb, Croatia, and the School of Visual Arts in New York. Published a couple of comic albums and zines by the name of Ego. Likes to switch gender roles between playing drums and sewing. Lives in Portland, Oregon.
http://tripica.blogspot.com/
http://www.tripica.org/

A N N A E H R L E M A R K

Born in 1981 in Upsala, Sweden. Since 2003 she lives and works in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from where she leaves all the time. Slavic language student, lives off of school loans. Active as an organizator, activist and designer in AKC Metelkova cultural center in Ljubljana. Writes and thinks through a feministic filter. Draws comic with Komikaze. Curious multipracticing honest Lutheran immigrant.
http://gigposters.com/designer/104144_Anna_Ehrlemark.html

V A N C O R E B A C

Born in 1977. Finished painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Croatia. Half of the year he spends on the island Hvar, and half in Zagreb. Draws comics since he was a kid.
http://www.komikaze.hr/index.php?issue=22&author=vanco%20rebac&action=showPages

P U M A 3 4 / F I L J I O

Graphic artist and designer who started, built and still builds the identity of Zagreb street art.
http://www.filjio.com/
http://johncroat.blogspot.com/

I R E N A J U K I C - P R A N J I C

Born 25. 10. 1973. Graduated from the Fine Art Academy and Art History on the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, Croatia. Area of work: comics, illustration
http://irenajukicpranjic.blogspot.com/

D A M I R S T E I N F L

Works on comics and illustrations for which he received awards. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics. He’s a founder of a non-formal Croatian avant garde comic collective Emisija Emocija.
http://damirsteinfl.blogspot.com/

D A N I L O M I L O S E V - W O S T O K

Cult Serbian comics author from Vrsac, Serbia. The man who thinks comics saved his life when he was little. Collaborates with many artists: Nabor Devolac, Grabowski, Sasa Mihajlovic, to name a few. His zine Krpelj has run for more than 350 issues. When he’s not drawing he’s filming lo-fi movies. He persuaded his whole family to draw comics.
http://www.komikaze.hr/index.php?issue=22&author=wostok&action=showPages

N I N A B U N J E V A C

Born in Canada, Nina moved to Yugoslavia as a child, where she lived till she was 12. She returned to Toronto right before the Yugoslavian crisis started, and lives there today where she draws comics , paints, illustrates and sculpts.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=80165&id=580863064

R A D O V A N P O P O V I C

Born 1969. Hyperproductive comics author and writer. Wrote numerous texts and reviews about author comics. Editor of Serbian comics magazine Striper, and more comics zines and art actions. Member of multimedia team Kosmoplovci. http://www.kosmoplovci.net/studiostrip/indexx.html
http://www.komikaze.hr/index.php?issue=22&author=radovan%20popovic&action=showPages

A L E K S A N D A R O P A C I C

Born 1973 in Obrenovac. Finished painting at the University of Applied Art and
Design in Belgrade. Ex-professor at the university, later laid off for not showing up to work. Then a teacher at elementaray school, later laid off because of over tolerant attitude ( “All kids deserved A’s”). Member of multimedia team Kosmoplovci. http://www.komikaze.hr/index.php?issue=21&author=aleksandar%20opacic&action=showPages

M A J A V E S E L I N O V I C

Lives in Belgrade. Draws comics, illustrations and designs. She graduated from the University of Design in Belgrade. She publishes comics and illustrations in various magazines and has received many awards. She likes to draw cats but rabbits are also one of her favorites.
http://www.majaveselinovic.com/

P A U L O ‘ C O N N E L L

Author of comics and comic scenarios from Brighton, who started and took part in many zines, magazines, and comic anthologies that are in print and published on the web as well.
http://www.soundofdrowning.com/

D A N I E L L O C K E

Comic artist from Brighton.
http://www.daniellocke.com/

N O R I H I R O S E K I T A N I

Born 28. 11.1979. in Osaka, Japan
http://www.geocities.jp/sekintani/index.html

C R A O M A N

Born 1989. Lives in a village near Paris. Publishes for french publisher Le Dernier Cri.
http://craoman.blogspot.com/

D A V G U E D I N

French drawer from Paris. Together with his brother he publishes for Le Dernier Cri under name Guedin Brothers. Guedin not being their real name, read from behind it spells dingue, meaning ”crazy.”
http://dnotamy.free.fr/

C H I U K W O N G M A N

Comes from Birmingham. He subversivly interpretates classic fairy tales through comics.
http://www.myeyeisonfire.net/

K A P R E L E S

Hyperactive graffitty artist from Belgium who publishes in diverse magazines and anthologies since 1995.
http://k8pr3l35.blogspot.com/

We’re down to the last dozen copies of the limited edition ‘TOYLAND’ giclee print.  Be sure to order one before they’re all gone.  Also we want to remind you that Al Columbia will be appearing at Ada Books (717 Westminster St.) in Providence, RI on December 11th from 6-8pm, to sign books and meet readers.  Artwork is shipped priority mail or fedex for international orders.

RUTHY & LUCY’S REVENGE

Sneak peek from the upcoming color comics series: “THE ADVENTURES OF PIM & FRANCIE”
Size: 8″ x 8.25″  -  mixed media on 3 ply crescent board  -  2009

SOLD

To purchase please email: jason (at) floatingworldcomics (dot) com

On Saturday, December 5th, we’re throwing a big party with Image Comics to celebrate the release of C. Allbritton Taylor’s debut graphic novel, One Model Nation.  Acclaimed artist Jim Rugg will be coming to town as well as editor Joe Keatinge, One Model Nation researcher/historian, Donovan Leitch Jr., and artist Mike Allred, creator of Red Rocket 7 and co-editor of the book.

LISTING INFORMATION:

WHO:  C. Allbritton Taylor, Jim Rugg, Donovan Leitch Jr, Mike Allred, Jon Fell, Joe Keatinge

WHAT:  ONE MODEL NATION Book Release Party & Signing

WHEN:  Saturday, Dec. 5th, 6-9PM

WHERE:  Floating World Comics, 20 NW 5th Ave #101, Portland, OR 97209, (503)241-0227

BIO INFORMATION:

One Model Nation, the first graphic novel of its kind, will be released by Image Comics on December 2, 2009 in book stores nationwide.  Writer C. Allbritton Taylor and One Model Nation historian Donovan Leitch, piece together the band’s epic journey, revealing the final dark days of the Baader-Meinhof Gang and the band’s mysterious disappearance only months later.

In 1977, four young men were the voice of their generation.

In 1978, they disappeared.

Afrodisiac and Street Angel illustrator Jim Rugg brings you a complete view of the political art noise band, One Model Nation.

With Scorsese-esque electricity, One Model Nation captures the arts and politics of an era whose influence can not be measured.

“This is a life’s work for me,” says C. Allbritton Taylor.  “From the Munich Olympics to the heyday of raves, hip hop to state-of-the-art handguns, this era has informed modern culture, fashion, politics, technology, you name it.  But this dark time has been a relative German secret which only recently has begun to be revealed, mostly due to the birth of the internet.  On a personal level I needed to see this time and place fleshed out into people and events that make sense yet maintain heroic proportions.  Donovan spent years researching the multitude of bizarre and overwhelming events in which these people lived their lives and made their noble, everyman decisions. This story needed to be told.”

“I have always been fascinated by post-war Germany, the counter-culture revolutionaries and their violent upheaval against the rise of capitalism in a Communist country. The fact that One Model Nation, four musicians who helped to create electronica, was unwittingly pulled into the battle being waged between these two forces makes their story all the more compelling. This is the equivalent to a Syd Barrett German epic,” says Donovan Leitch.

For a sneak peak at the first chapter of the book please click on the following link:

http://www.imagecomics.com/OneModelNation_SneakPeek.pdf

About One Model Nation

www.onemodelnation.com

About Image Comics

www.imagecomics.com

This December, 1st Thursday we have a group show where over a dozen artists have designed flyers, posters and album covers for bands… that don’t actually exist.  The show is co-curated by T. Edward Bak (Service Industry, Mome, D&Q Showcase).

(poster by E*Rock)

LISTING INFORMATION:

WHO: T Edward Bak, Rikki Barney, Sean Christensen, Chris Cilla, David V. D’Andrea, Milo George, Justin Hampton, Kevin Hooyman, Klutch, Jason Leivian, Jason Overby, Jennifer Parks, E*Rock, Tim Root, Zack Soto

WHAT: Fake Rock Band Poster Exhibit

WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 3rd, 6-10PM

WHERE: Floating World Comics

20 NW 5th Ave #101

Portland, OR 97209

(503)241-0227

Show runs through Dec. 31st

BIO INFORMATION:

T. Edward Bak is an accomplished comic artist whose work has been featured in Mome, D&Q Showcase and National Geographic.  He is currently working on a biography of Alaskan Naturalist, John Muir.  He proposed the theme and idea for this show, make a poster for a rock show, but the bands have to be totally made up!  We’ve asked local comics artists as well as “real” rock poster designers to contribute to the show.

TOYLAND by Al Columbia

Pim & Francie is already receiving advance praise from folks like Spike Jonze.  Jim Woodring’s drawing group, Friends of the Nib, is calling it “book of the year“. 

Al’s always working on something new and amazing, whether it’s music, filmmaking, comics, or in this case, painting.  Al showed me a photo of this new painting he was working on and I became immersed in the labyrinth of frayed facade and haunting beauty.  We were proud to feature it as the centerpiece of the new issue of Diamond Comics.

To commemorate the release of Al Columbia’s new book, Floating World has teamed with the artist to produce a limited edition series of archival prints of this latest painting, Toyland.  The giclee prints are just $200 each, printed on museum quality paper measuring 18″x24″; the artwork is 15″x20″.  A note about the artwork; the original painting was quite large and had to be scanned in pieces.  The image above is a lo-res version of the file we used to produce the prints, as you can see any seams are virtually unnoticeable.

We only made 25 copies of this incredible image, and each was signed and numbered by the artist at his recent book release party at the Fantagraphics store.  Orders will be filled in numerical order starting with number 3 of 25 (#1 and #2 already sold).  They will be shipped securely in a tube.  Click on the paypal link below to place your order.