Graphic Lit: Vintage, Independent, Marvel, and DC
In what may be an expression of nostalgia, we carry a lot of the genius of newspaper-published graphic literature, a Golden Age that lasted from the 1930s to the departure of Bill Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes. The two comic book behemoths, Marvel and DC, are included here. We don’t cover the “universes” of each company. Occasionally, however, they publish some strikingly original or quirky work that suits our inventory. On this page we feature all our adult graphic literature (some of which, of course, is perfectly appropriate for children); our Young Adult graphic literature has its own page under that name.
Content note: I have moved all of Neil Gaiman’s work (Sandman and others) to his page here.
Pogo volume 4: Under the Bamboozle Bush
Pogo volume 4: Under the Bamboozle Bush
n addition to presenting all of 1955 and 1956’s daily Pogo strips complete and in order for the first time anywhere (many of them once again scanned from original syndicate proofs, for their crispest and most detailed appearance ever), Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips Vol. 4: "Under the Bamboozle Bush" also contains all 104 Sunday strips from these two years, presented in lush full color for the first time since their original appearance in Sunday newspaper sections 60 years ago — plus the usual in-depth “Swamp Talk” annotations by R.C. Harvey, spectacular samples of Kelly’s work scanned from original art, and a whole lot more!
"Pogo is beautifully produced — no surprise to anyone familiar with the work of Fantagraphics Books in Seattle — and a joy to read. It comes as a genuine gift to anyone who loved Pogo and, it is to be hoped, as an introduction for younger readers to what many people believe was the best comic strip ever drawn in this country." — The Washington Post
"The book is lovingly made and the strips presented with care and pleasure. But is it any good? Oh yes. It's funny and charming, bursting with witty wordplay and vivid characters you love immediately. ... In short, read Pogo and you can immediately see it slide into the pop cultural matrix and how it drew upon the work that came earlier, moved forward the art form of comic strips and influenced artists after it for generations to come. But most of all, you'll laugh..." — The Huffington Post
"There's simply no denying Kelly's mastery: he evokes full characters with nothing but a few choice words, and the sprightliness of his visual style is all fun here, laying the groundwork for what would become profoundly subversive later. The included essays, as is usually the case for Fantagraphics reissues, absolutely nail the context and import of the strip, too. I just dont think you can say you love comics and not have this around." — National Post
"These collections will leave even the most dyspeptic Pogo fan wide-eyed with wonder and gratitude." — San Francisco Chronicle