BEASTS!

Village Voice Review

2010-01-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

The reviewer went on to say many nice things, I just enjoyed the project being called maniacal by the Village Voice.

Ken Gerhard, Monster Hunter.

2009-12-03T22:27:00.000-08:00

Beasts! Book Two contains an interview with an honest-to-God monster hunter, Ken Gerhard, who packed up for rural France to search for werewolves for the History Channel special The Real Wolfman. The other day Ken sent a note about the Sasquatch sighting he's been exploring just ten miles from his home in San Antonio, Texas: "Police on the west side of San Antonio received a 911 call from multiple eyewitnesses who claimed that they saw a hairy hominid standing over six feet tall, run out of the woods and kill a deer."

Check out his blog for the rest of the developing Sasquatch story and more on his exploits with werewolves.

Chinese Beasts!

2009-11-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe it happened but the world now has "Taiwan's Traditional Chinese Edition" of BEASTS! Book One. Remarkably, this is the first Fantagraphics book ever translated into Chinese and I couldn't be happier that the publisher included Beasts! in the small roster of books that makes up their debut "Graphic Novelty" line. (Iconic works "Jimmy Corrigan" and "Blankets" are among them.) It's a privilege to have the book translated for a wider audience and they really did a wonderful job on the repackaging. It feels more like an exhibition catalog than a coffee table book but that works for this material.

The publisher's site is here. Some pleasantly odd production photos are here. Most importantly, a pretty awesome video trailer is found here.

I'm afraid that I have no idea how to get ahold of copies stateside.

Update for November '09

2009-11-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

Life has not been conducive to maintaining this blog but now that I remember my log-in info perhaps I can get some things up here again from time to time. Thanks to anyone still stopping by, and to the "followers" of this site.

At this point the first volume of BEASTS! is in its fourth printing and the second volume is in its second printing. You'll know if you have a first edition by the silver page ends. We had to rush the second printing out and forego the silkscreened page ends. It remains to be seen if the economy can hold up a paperback edition of Book Two.

Meanwhile, there is now a Chinese edition of BEASTS! Book One which will be posted about... later.

Lastly, anyone who has longed for one of the remaining copies of the "10 BEASTS!" letterpress print set from Tiny Showcase, they have a holiday sale going right now. The set is available at half price. A steal!

Tomorrow is for Love, Tonight is for Beasts!

2009-02-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

This post comes very late but at 8pm TONIGHT in LOS ANGELES:

In what should be the final Beasts-related event (I'm tired), the classy joint that is the Secret Headquarters comic shop is hosting a huge bunch of artists kindly marking up books of whatever sort you put in front of them. This is the only joint signing for Beasts Books One & Two and a remarkable line-up of confirmed artists. Well worth a visit to the shop if you're anywhere near LA. And who knows, maybe even Richard Sala will surprise us and show up. Anything could happen on Friday the 13th.

Also note: SHQ has on hand literally the very last available copies of the first edition of Beasts Book Two from our distributor's warehouse; Tessar Lo will be there. Derek Albeck can not make it; SHQ have a new record store opening up nearby. Ask them about it!

BEASTS! TONIGHT in San Francisco!

2009-01-17T16:36:00.000-08:00

Even I still haven't seen everything that will be in the show but Luke Martinez at GRSF has been frantically getting the crazy number of pieces together for tonight's big opening. If you're in the area, head down to Giant Robot to see (and buy) new work like this piece by Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch.

Thanks Luke and Eric Nakamura for putting this on.

GRSF preview: Mr. Ed, MIchael Velliquette, Keith Warren Greiman

2009-01-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

From Spain, Mr. Ed sent a re-imagining of his Cadejo. (Two versions.)

Michael Velliquette did an intricate cut paper Humbaba for the show.

Keith Warren Greiman's new version of the legendary Black Shuck.

Matt Hawkins Auto-Basilisk

2009-01-14T22:16:00.001-08:00

Above is a video from Matt Hawkins' Flickr page. This is his enormous, tongue-flicking paper toy version of the Basilisk which will be available at the Giant Robot San Francisco show. This toy is based on his 2d contribution to Book Two. In April, Chronicle Books is publishing a book that Matt edited on paper toys, including work from numerous contemporary paper toy makers.

GRSF preview: Adam Grano, Kaela Graham, Scott Teplin

2009-01-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

Adam Grano's new gouache painting of the helpful Brownie.

Kaela Graham's new gouache painting of the Barometz!

Scott Teplin's original watercolor art from Book One!

GRSF preview: Tyler Stout, Tessar Lo, Jay Zehngebot, Ben Newman, Jacob Covey

2009-01-08T23:53:00.000-08:00

New Tyler Stout screenprint just for GRSF! (The man behind so many great posters includes glow-in-the-dark inks on this one, too.)

New original of Kirin from Tessar Lo!

New Hydrus screenprint from Jay Zehngebot!

A third iteration of Stikini (screenprint) by Ben Newman!

A new version of Argus the Watcher, by Jacob Covey. Ink and correction fluid on postcard.

GRSF preview: Meg Hunt

2009-01-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

Meg Hunt's new Erinyes print debuted at the Seattle Beasts! print show but this new version is a one-of-a-kind stunner. The print has been elaborated upon by hand to make what she calls a "bandit" print. This and four more straight prints from the edition are all that you'll have the opportunity to buy. Check out Meg's note on the eyes here.

Support the economy by supporting artists. It's totally the best thing. Seriously. It's artists or restaurants and Kraft macaroni is not bad at all.

GRSF preview: Levon Jihanian

2009-01-08T23:23:00.000-08:00

At this point I don't even know what to say about people's art. I asked the best and the best keep making great work for the show. Here's another amazing new piece by Levon Jihanian. The Ass, 2.0. Levon's fully committed to this legend: the art is fifteen by twenty-three inches of obsessive mark making. I'm kind of amazed this is even real.

* This is also a good point at which for me to mention that all of the art on this blog would be far more satisfying if you, the reader, owned the book in which descriptions elaborated on the beast. (I mean, just try googling "Ass" and see what useful information you get.)

Hydra by Travis Lampe

2009-01-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

A third iteration of the Hydra from the prolific Travis Lampe, this one titled "Top 9 Best Loved Songs for Baby Hydras." For sale at the GRSF show January 17.

GRSF preview: Kazimir Strzepek

2009-01-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

It cannot be overstated how amazing the GRSF show is going to be. Once again we will have all-new art in the show (as well as versions from the books). Kaz just sent over this gem, a layered acetate drawing of his Polevik beast. In addition to the fact that the art is as great as Kaz's Mourning Star comic, the "Plate 65" reference to the book endears me endlessly to this new piece.

UPDATE: I'm not sure but I think the eyes might be LEDs.

UPDATE 2: Kaz skipped the LEDs so the staff didn't have to deal with it. But I also found out he priced it way low. It will be sold by the end of opening night or I don't know people.

GRSF Art Show

2008-12-31T22:51:00.000-08:00

Giant Robot in San Francisco will host the most spectacular Beasts! art show yet. "ONE. HUNDRED. BEASTS!" will showcase one hundred artists' original art and prints. The art will be work from the book alongside new versions. And your mind, it will be blown. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Easier to read artist list HERE.

MOTHMAN COMETH

2008-12-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

Jon Vermilyea screenprint. BIG. Tomorrow night. Beasts!

Even more BEASTS! show prints.

2008-12-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

Martin Ontiveros, Long Wang. Screenprint. (All new art for the print show.)

Keith Warren Greiman, Black Shuck. Screenprint. (All new art for the print show. Little prints for just $5!)

Tom Neely, Skinwalker. Letterpress print with watercolor.

More details on the show below.

More BEASTS! show prints.

2008-12-09T21:05:00.001-08:00

Aya Kakeda, Mapinguari. Screenprint with charcoal shading. (A great looking effect, by the way.)

Chris Kerr, Amphisbaena. Screenprint.

Leif Goldberg, Bonnacon. Screenprint.

These are all variations of the art submitted to Book Two. More info on the show in the post below.

PRINT SHOW SATURDAY

2008-12-08T21:34:00.000-08:00

The pieces for the Beasts! print show at the Fantagraphics Gallery have poured in. Dozens of prints and most are available for under $100. Among the all-new works are these:

Dan Zettwoch, The Kraken (Giant Squid). Screenprint.

S.britt, Troll. 5-color Gocco print!

Travis Lampe, Hydra. Letterpress print.

Show details are in the post below this one. Come out!

Saturday, Dec 13th: BEASTS! The Print Show

2008-11-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

Featuring dozens of international artists from both Beasts! books, the print show features traditional prints (no digital prints!) ranging in size from tiny to overwhelming. Holiday gifts galore.

BOOK ONE slideshow

2008-11-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

BOOK TWO slideshow

2008-11-24T16:44:00.000-08:00

Vampire Kit

2008-11-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

This 19th Century Vampire killing kit is an eerie display of how real vampires are to some people.

On Beasts.

2008-11-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

"Unproven" creatures like the Unicorn and Leviathan make frequent appearances in ancient texts, but what amazed me in my research is how frequently they turn up in natural history and other scientific texts. It's easy to dismiss these creatures nowadays because of the popularity of Science and the Experiential over the Mystical and Spiritual but reading the ernestness of these old texts is disorienting and incredibly inspiring.

As George Caspard Kirchmayer writes in "On the Basilisk " (one of many apparently popular treatises he wrote from about 1680): "To deny the existence of the basilisk is to carp at the evidence of men's eyes and their experiences in many different places. Accordingly, we allow the basilisk a place in nature, as the most deadly and venomous creature and plague in the animal creation. We would have it understood we are not here maintaining that ridiculous and more than monstrous story of the manner of its birth, nor the deadly effect of its look, nor those other points which are more like old wives' stories than anything else. It is for the existence of this most venomous reptile that we are now contending."

I love that Kirchmayer is asking us (in elegant and intelligent terms) to forgive the hype, the basilisk deserves to live. Let's not kill him off simply becuause we can't prove he exists.

And while Kirchmayer is disputing Pliny and similarly popular thinkers he'll also zealously defend the Unicorn at length: “Over the whole world it is a common saying that the unicorn perished and became extinct at the flood, and that not a single individual of the Monoceros species survived. We shall correct this injustice, and shall, with God's help, find a means of putting a stop to this universal blasphemy.”

God help those who are not curious.

Beasts Reviews and Interviews

2008-11-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

Wired Magazine leaked all the details about the new hardcover, plus several preview images. Look for more coverage by them in the near future.

Playboy recommends Beasts! as a monstrous gift.

Comic Book Resources has an interview with me and artist Femke Hiemstra about the book. Femke breaks down her process in choosing and making the Japanese Mountain Woman. "At the time I just finished my first solo show, and I was dead tired. I had to focus on my own stories for months. Doing the mountain woman was something different, almost relaxing. I had much fun researching and drawing the piece. And sure, I wanted to be part of this club. I loved the first book, now I could be a part of the second one."

Beasts2 preview: AJ Fosik

2008-11-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

The Weretiger of Asia is one of many shape-shifters known to the world. (It seems there are nearly as many shape-shifting forms reported as there are known varieties of animals.) Like the Werewolf, there are many cultural explanations for why humans transform into these feline man-beasts, but most commonly it is supposed to be due to a curse or as a consequence of mixing genetic material. This mixing of material may be the unavoidable result of an animal's violent attack on a victim or, avoidably, through a person's unnatural indescretions with an animal.
A.J. Fosik is a unique artist rooted in his own fantastic sort of folk/new wave/sci-fi/naturalist mindset. His piece is one of four or five 3-dimensional pieces in BEASTS! Book Two, due out in December.

BEASTS! Book One Softcover Edition

2008-09-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

A peek at the gatefold cover of Book One, featuring a detail of Jordan Crane's art.

Lauren Weinstein's charybdis

2008-07-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

Lauren Weinstein took time from her "Goddess of War" book to contribute to Beasts2. Above is her uncolored page care of the Picturebox spotlight on her studio. (I have to say the shot doesn't do her piece justice.)

Below is another one of the pencil sketches in her process.

Sven Sundbaum's Beasts! show chalks

2008-07-06T00:27:00.000-07:00

From the Belle & Wissell gallery show, which I've posted about before.

Renee French Sasquatch Cover

2008-05-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

One of the Beasts! made the cover of The Stranger 's new Sasquatch Music Festival Guide: The lovely and sympathetic bigfoot portrait from Renee French. (Who is a swell gal to boot-- have you seen her great blog?)

Vamp your desktop.

2008-03-25T14:26:00.001-07:00

Looks like Sam Weber made his Vampire available as a wallpaper for various formats, including your fancy iPhone. For a limited time via TOR.

BEASTS! Open Call Results.

2008-03-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations and thank you to Jennifer Tong, who captured this charming and unsettling glimpse into the life of Nymphs. Her piece will be appearing in "BEASTS! Book Two."

And lest the about-200 other people who submitted feel rejected, I assure you all that it wasn't easy to decide on one piece. There were dozens of great pieces sent in, with styles that ran the gamut of the medium. SO! I enlisted the opinions of four folks here at the Fantagraphics offices. Each of us made a note of our top few favorites and found that we had very little overlap. One piece might be loved by one of us while not on the radar for the rest of us. In the end, two pieces were decidedly favored by all five of us. The Nymphs was one of those and Ian Huebert's Three-Tailed Bavalorous was the other.

To make the ultimate decision on a winner, I researched the story of the Bavalorous and eventually determined that it is definitive "fakelore"-- it is a creation of fiction passed off as traditional folklore (in the story of Paul Bunyan). As such, it doesn't belong in "BEASTS!," which aims to depict true mythological and folkloric creatures that were thought to exist in some way. (Although that line is a very blurry one.)

The piece that was a very close third was the Reptoid by Cassandra Ford. This creature has one of the most compelling modern stories, as seen here and Cassandra's tactile portrait is incredible.

I can't possibly post all of the pieces here but below are some more of the Honorable Mentions, as it were. Also, Michael J. Patrick was awesome enough to help me out by volunteering to start a Flickr Pool of the Beasts Open Call Submissions. Hopefully all the artists can head over there and put their work into the pool for everyone to see, and have a chance to really show off their work. Then we here at the office can sit back and watch as we're straightened out on which piece SHOULD have been chosen for the book!

Serious thanks to ALL of you who have supported the book and took the time to send in a piece.

Above, another of my personal favorites by Joshua Agerstrand.

Above, Spanish artist Mario Trigo.

Above, Toronto's Michael Wandelmaier.

Above, Manchester's Stuart Kolakovic.

Note to Beasts Open Call Artists.

2008-03-04T17:43:00.000-08:00

There was an unexpected turnout for the open call slot in Beasts Book Two. I'm excited to see that so many people are interested in the book and took the time to make work to send in. There are over 200 submissions, making it unfeasible to post all the contributions and I'm unsure I can even cull all the addresses to return emails to everyone (for which I apologize). I really appreciate your time and I'll be enlisting the help of my beloved colleagues here at the Fantagraphics offices to decide on one piece to run in the book.

The submitted work is wildly diverse in both artistic styles and in the beast illustrated.* I'm especially pleased to see so many unpublished artists responded, giving me the chance to see a lot of work I won't otherwise come across. I will contact the chosen artist and post a few of the office favorites on the blog sometime next week. (We're in the midst of catalog solicitations and I'm neck deep in freelance work and preparing for fatherhood...)

THANKS EVERYBODY!

*I'm not sure which was most popular but it may well be one of the more obscure contemporary creatures, The Maryland Goatman. Surprisingly, there were five or six of these, while classics such as the chimera had only two depictions. I don't think the almighty Pegasus even got touched.

YOU can be in Beasts!

2008-02-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

I am accepting submissions from the blog readers to appear in Beasts, Book Two, should anyone be interested. At least one piece will be chosen to run in the book, alongside work by some of the best artists out there.

Please read all the details here.

The gorgeous art above is by Femke Hiemstra for Book Two.

Jay Zehngebot Acetates

2008-01-22T16:53:00.000-08:00

Yet another teaser for Book Two: Jay Zehngebot sent this jpg of his Hydrus in progress. This shows 3 of the 5 acetates for his silkscreen print. With his unique approach to coloring this is sure to be a gorgeous final piece.

UPDATE: March, 2008. Yep, it's gorgeous.

BEASTS! Book One highlights reel...

2008-01-04T00:36:00.000-08:00

The paperback edition of Beasts! Book One won't be out until Book Two hits the stands in late 2008. In the meantime I thought I'd (re)post the five double-page pieces created for Book One...

Jordan Crane

Dave Cooper

Tim Biskup

Souther Salazar

Tony Millionaire

BOOK 2: A Jasor Outtake.

2008-01-04T00:23:00.000-08:00

The artist Jasor made this preliminary illustration of his beast, the Barbegazi. (The final art appearing in the book differs.)

Lizz Hickey Proof.

2008-01-03T01:05:00.000-08:00

Lizz Hickey made a dense little 10"x10" world for Beasts v.2. Above is just the first step of her intense etching/painting/drawing. The final piece will have you crosseyed taking in all the tiny horror.

Meanwhile, legendary alt-comics godhead Peter "HATE" Bagge dropped by today, bringing with him an acrylic painting to be scanned for the book. I'm not sure if I've seen his paintings published anywhere so it's a particular Beasts treat.

Kim Deitch's Jersey Devil sketch.

2007-11-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

I'm crazy happy to have a legend of underground comix contributing to Beasts, Vol.2, but especially thrilled that it's Kim Deitch, a fascinating and hilarious guy who I feel lucky to have chatted with for hours when he came to Seattle last fall. I really like Kim and his work ethic is unmatched: He not only agreed to be in the book but is the only artist yet to have sent me a sketch to look at!

AND it gets better. Kim happens to be the son of Gene Deitch, the cult hero of Terrytoon animation, the artist behind the 1950s Record Changer magazine comics featuring "The Cat", and the manic creator of the short-lived-but-unforgettable Terr'ble Thompson newspaper strip of the '60s. Gene is now in his mid-80s and as passionate about art as he ever was. Time-allowing, Gene will be making a lot of us fans ecstatic by contributing a sea serpent illustration for Beasts!2. (Count among those excited fans: Kim, Gary, and Eric of Fantagraphics Books (which has so far published two collections of his work).)

Kukuwaq Print from Tyler Stout

2007-10-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Tyler made a big, beautiful Kukuwaq for your walls. The 7 color print went up for sale yesterday on his site.

Announcing: BEASTS! Volume Two.

2007-10-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

Beasts! has been a success and I've decided to risk being pigeonholed as That Beast Guy. Volume 2 is underway, promising to be just as strong as Vol.1. The book will be branching out a little to include three-dimensional diorama pieces by a few amazing folks and some other bonuses. The book will also feature more international artists, including several I have to communicate via interpreters.

There will be many names that readers won't recognize, bringing a whole new audience to some artists who deserve more exposure. And some they do recognize: Legendary Love & Rockets artist Jaime Hernandez was the first to turn out his piece (as yet uncolored). The "Peg Powler" can be seen above.

A note to artists: I am still filling a number of slots but I've learned one thing, which people like Sammy "Kramer's Ergot" Harkham and Jordan "Non" Crane can attest to: There is no better way to create disgruntled feelings aimed at yourself than to do an anthology. There are many, many artists I enjoy who I just can't get into the books. The goal with Beasts! is to have a diverse representation of styles and for me to avoid nepotism regardless of external pressures (and my own wishes in many cases). Anyway, forgive me if I haven't included your work. Ultimately this is just my bias anyway.

Kikuo Johnson for Nick Magazine.

2007-10-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Kikuo landed a Nickelodeon Magazine job illustrating myth beasts for a spread. A departure of his style, the beasts had to be flat colors to be reprinted smallish for the article. (Bonus: Pictured are Nuckalavee, which was also illustrated for Beasts! by Nathan Huang, and the Kalikantzaro which Josh Cochran did for the Tiny Showcase letterpress Beasts set.)

More Beasts born of BEASTS! book one.

2007-08-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sea Monster and Bigfoot by Josh Cochran. Seems the talented Mr. C got a job illustrating a book of folkloric creatures.

Melusine by Alex Meyer.

BEASTS! Tees.

2007-07-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Available now, I hacked together a Cafe Press shop. Turns out the quality on these shirts is pretty good and sturdy. Order one!

Beasts of Communication Arts.

2007-06-22T00:08:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS SAM WEBER!

I'm extremely proud to have Sam's work in "my" book BEASTS! and even more happy for him to have his Vampire as the cover to the elite industry reference book, the Communications Arts Illustration issue.

I'm floored. As great as Comm Arts is it often has rather impotent images for the cover-- this is pretty goddamned intense for them. Sam's Vampire transcended any hope I had for the overdone vampire motif. It's truly spine-tingling in it's reduction to a victim's-eye-view and being free of any embellishment. The man is terribly talented.

So thanks again for contributing Sam. I never imagined I'd be Art Director (such as I was, which is very little) for work on a Comm Arts cover.

Nothing to Report.

2007-06-13T14:27:00.001-07:00

Beasts 2nd edition now available.

2007-06-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that Beasts is now available in its 2nd edition, new and improved. The printing on this one is much crisper which really helps the art. The new cover is blue with the cover icon much larger this time. It also contains four new pieces of art. Kevin Scalzo, Chris Ryniak, and Andrew Brandou all did new versions of their original beast while Mizna Wada did an entirely different Japanese beast.

The first run sold out in just a month or two and preorders are strong on the new edition so get your copy soon. Above is the new endpaper illustration that Ray Fenwick kindly created with just 2 or 3 days notice.

Order it directly from the publisher, Fantagraphics, or find it at your local bookstore, etc.

The 91st Beast.

2007-05-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

The magazine "First City" in Delhi interviewed me and requested a piece of artwork to run with the piece. Since Beasts! was a topic of discussion I decided to make a new beast illustration with ties to India.

Originating in austere environments of India, the Yakku are the demons which bring disease to human beings. The form they take and the type of plague they bring vary from one to the next but all answer to the great sickness demon Maha-Kola-Sanni-Yaksaya.

Beasts Portland Signing

2007-05-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Way late on posting the Portland signing at Bwana Spoons' awesome Grass Hut shop.

The Shop.

Adam Grano.

Jacob Covey and Eric Reynolds.

Jesse Reno.

Corey Lunn.

Martin Ontiveros and Bwana Spoons.

Jason Miles, Colleen Coover, and Bwana.

GRNY signing.

2007-05-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm way behind on postings but here are some pics from the Beasts! signing in New York. Wish I had some better ones but so it goes... Thanks for hosting, Giant Robot!

Beasts for all-ages.

2007-05-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

From S.britt: "I thought I'd share with you this snappy lil' picture of my future father-in-law, Susumu. He was totally engrossed in the book, spending about an hour going through it and reading each and every page."

Nice.

BEASTS! make great weekly covers...

2007-04-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

Ronald Kurniawan's Albastor is the cover of this week's Portland Mercury.

10 Beasts! pics from If'n Books + Marks.

2007-02-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

If'n Books has posted pics of their process putting together the hand-crafted portfolio cases for the 10 Beasts! print set, which helps you to understand the beauty of handmade objects.

The set is now online at Tiny Showcase. And here is a fuzzy photo of the cover, glowing in the dark...

10 Beasts! letterpress set at Tiny Showcase.

2007-02-19T02:41:00.000-08:00

All-new artwork was created by ten artists for a very limited edition letterpress set. Packaged in a screenprinted (with glow-in-the-dark ink) portfolio case with each print individually numbered, only 100 sets are available. The artists are Jordan Crane, Tony Millionaire, Souther Salazar, Josh Cochran, Keith Shore, Meg Hunt, Ken Lavallee, S.britt, Jesse LeDoux, and Saelee Oh (who did not contribute to the book, only the print set). Below are some of the pieces. View the entire set and buy it at: www.tinyshowcase.com/beasts.

Note the vampire print (center) by Keith Shore is where the head on the book's spine comes from.

Tony Millionaire Sketch at LA Signing.

2007-01-31T23:27:00.000-08:00

The mighty Tony Millionaire sketches for Thinkspace Gallery curator, Andrew Hosner.

Souther Salazar "Doodling" at L.A. Signing.

2007-01-31T23:22:00.000-08:00

L.A. Photos courtesy of Thinkspace Gallery.

Upcoming Chicago Signing: March 9th

2007-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

And don't miss the Friday, Feb. 2nd signing in Portland!

BEASTS! signings in LA and PDX.

2007-01-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

Major signings in Los Angeles and Portland coming up. Thinkspace Gallery in LA is hosting an unprecedented lineup of artists, at least TWENTY in all. You're lucky to get 5 or 6 for almost any group signing so this should be mind-blowing.

Bwana Spoons' Grasshut is the host for another ridiculously talented group of TWELVE (including the only signing I'll manage to travel to for whatever that's worth). Please turn out to these, it will be a great time and the artists will appreciate the support. Go to both signings and you have a third of your book autographed!

Thanks again to all the artists for being so generous with their time on this project.

Bwana Spoons: Kappa

2007-01-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Japanese water ghoul. He'll kill ya unless you give him a cucumber or make him spill that water outta his head.

Meg Hunt: Erinyes

2006-12-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

Ronald Kurniawan: Albastor

2006-12-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

Esther Pearl Watson: Aitvaras

2006-12-20T00:05:00.000-08:00

Of course if you want to know what this beast is all about you'll have to buy the book...

The Real Bones of the Unknown.

2006-12-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

Seeing remains such as these washed up on the beach would hammer home that there are secrets under the ocean tides. And yet these bones of the "Basking Shark" are not uncommon. The pictures you find on the internet are surprisingly plentiful. The shark itself is surprisingly cartoonish: Hollow-bodied maw ribbed with cavernous jaws, jutting fins ending in a simple tail. It looks like an 8-year old's fantasy of an omnipotent submarine base. Like Knight Rider Underseas.

Begs the question of whether you're really quite so sure the unicorn is bunk.

Anders Nilsen: Sianach

2006-12-14T10:55:00.000-08:00

Although no one has ever witnessed the Sianach and lived long enough to report it somehow we know that it has the form of a gigantic carnivorous deer. Anders made this deceptively light picture of a mortifying scene, leaving the viewer vibrating between the two poles of innocence and arbitrary cruelty.

Of course, since the perspective is that of an onlooker you can be sure that you, the viewer, are doomed. No one escapes to tell of the Sianach.

Scott Teplin: Loathsome Worm

2006-12-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

Sketches and final art. The most useful illustration in the book for the amateur in the field of Beast watching. Visit Scott here.

Comics Love Beasts.

2006-12-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

Just a nice image of a nazi tyrannosaurus fighting a giant.

Steven Weissman: Pey

2006-12-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

I'm too sick right now to describe this piece. Suffice it to say that Steven knocked it outta the park. He's the only one in the book who told the story of his creature in a strip. The Pey eats the dead and wounded on battlefields.

Jay Ryan: Thunderbeast (Raiju)

2006-12-06T18:03:00.000-08:00

Reknowned poster artist, Jay Ryan has always been very generous with me (and everyone he has ever met it seems). He made time to contribute to Beasts! at an incredibly busy time: He delivered the work to me the night his book tour stopped in town.

Raiju the Japanese Thunderbeast tears about the earth when storms brew. The rodent-like creature seeks to take up quarters in people's navels so at times of rain you are advised to keep your bellybutton covered while asleep.

Delayed again. January release.

2006-12-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

The forty people who purchased copies of the book at the gallery show have all the books we'll get before the new year. (I only have one copy myself.) Alas, the book is shipped but customs will see the book delayed until its arrival in stores come mid-January. I swear. January. Here's a photo of the book in all its ostentatious, gold capped glory...

Beasts! Show at Belle & Wissell Gallery.

2006-12-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

There aren't words for how industrious the Belle & Wissell curators are. Gabe Kean is a master of Experience Design and strives for a collaborative experience with the audience. Jacob McMurray holds down curating duties at the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Mueum for his 'day job.' The two of them have a compulsion for taking on huge projects: All of the planning and execution of this exhibit is theirs.

A shot of the gallery showing original artwork from the book.

Note that world map on the wall. Jacob McMurray hand painted that, then placed indicators for the location (and dates of witness) of all 90 creatures that appear in the book.

Visitors then referenced the map's key and could view the creatures in the book.

And that is the book.

To put a face to this project, that is me signing said book.

An old-school talent in sign-making, Sven Sundbaum wrote out all 90 contributors names and drew the Beasts! icon on the back wall.

Lastly, the mesmerizing interactive piece Gabe coded/constructed just for the show. All of the book's artwork is available to flip through complete with text. The pedastal's knob rotates through them as well as zooms in on work for a more detailed look.

Unfortunately, this show won't tour due to the involved nature of setting it up.... unless, of course, Gabe and Jacob are suitably bribed to do it.

BEASTS! done big.

2006-12-03T23:42:00.000-08:00

These are the first photos I have of the BEASTS! book release party and gallery show opening. (Only 40 copies were available and quickly sold out-- the final shipment doesn't arrive until January I hate to say.) Hosted at Seattle's new Belle & Whissel gallery, it was a ridiculously impressive curating job with a multimedia kiosk, original art, a map showing all the creatures' respective homes and dates of witness. Thanks Jacob McMurray and Gabe Kean for doing it up big.

These pictures show images from the book being projected onto the building across the street from the gallery. Thanks Paul Hughes for the cellphone pics.

Tony Millionaire: Leviathan

2006-11-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hands down, Mr. Millionaire is one of the most talented artists around. Beyond his incredible illustration style he is a rare breed having mastered the hilariously dark four panel gag strip (Maakies) as completely as the touching children's tale (Sock Monkey, Billy Hazelnuts). Now his characters are stepping up to the animated cartoon series, The Drinky Crow Show on Cartoon Network.

Tony draws the classic mythological creature, the Leviathan, into his Maakies strips frequently and now it is in character development for the TV show. I pestered him for months to contribute to Beasts! and each time I did he asked me what the hell I was talking about. Eventually he offered to run his sketches of the creature. SO, here is your factoid: These sketches (embellished with Tony's esoteric notes) are the actual reference material being used by animators to create the look of the Leviathan for the Drinky Crow Show.

UPDATE: A still from the show which features the Leviathan!

Sea Dragon.

2006-11-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

I forget what kind of creature this is but it's a classic piece of clip art at this point. He lives on the BEASTS! credits page.

Johnny Ryan: Harpy

2006-11-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

Johnny's Harpy made one hell of a Thanksgiving day Stranger cover...

Amanda Visell: Cerberus

2006-11-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

Amanda chose the legendary Cerberus, hound of hell, for her contribution. However, after a couple of months she decided on another slant, contacting me with this new, funnier, and more narrative piece. And although I love the gateway to hell being his doghouse, the above art does not appear in the book.

Mat Brinkman: Chenoo

2006-11-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

The Chenoo are stone giants who tear up the countryside with unfettered anger. Not bright, or simply too blind in their rage, they become indiscriminate in their attacks, turning even on themselves and forgetting the object of their initial upset. Brinkman rules.

Reader Art: Aeron

2006-11-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

Aeron is an artist and blog reader awaiting the posting of Mat Brinkman's piece. Here then is his vision for the stone giants that are Chenoo.

Kevin Cornell: Donestre sketch and final art

2006-11-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

Kevin's Donestre was one of the early pieces done for the book and the continued quality of submitted art helped me to feel confident about contacting more and more talented folks. To aim a bit higher. The Donestre is a lion-headed man-creature. One of the most clear archetypes in the bestiary, his nature compels him to devour travelers leaving only their head which he weaps over, lamenting his behavior.
The beast's expression is a beautiful, sympathetic portrait of shame and inner conflict. Perfect.

Andy Kehoe: Manticore

2006-11-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

Red-pelted, man-headed lionine beast of India. The Manticore's most intriguing feature is its three rows of teeth. The best part of doing the Beasts! project was my constant discovery of new, truly incredible artists. Andy Kehoe is one of those... This is a gorgeous landscape blending brilliantly with the otherwise unlikely 'camouflage' of a red creature.

Swamp Thing

2006-11-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

This is a cover article about the Swamp Thing movie monster from an old "Popular Mechanics." They don't tell you how to make the beast so much as they tell you about the guys who did, which is pretty disappointing.

Lagoon Monster Mask.

2006-11-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

Beasts being born of the unknown it's not surprising that there are a lot of water creatures in the Beasts! book. I haven't counted but considering how little most of us get in or on the water it's disproportionately large... unless you consider the basic symbolism of water, and the trend of these creatures being suddenly born from it only to retreat back into its incubating depths. In any case, here we have an ad from the perennial vessel of popular monster culture, "Famous Monsters" Magazine.

Richard Sala: Vodnik

2006-11-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

The Russian beast known as the Vodnik is reported in many forms: the appearance of a bearded old man, a water ghoul, or simply a floating log. Sala's vision brilliantly connects these experiences: A wayward traveler, were she among the lucky few to escape the Vodnik, may register being watched only to swing around and see water shimmering about this ominous log. Look beyond it and there your wrinkled ghoul lurks, retreating for the moment of a safer attack. The forest is haunted by the Vodnik's previous victims.

Jenny Hanivers

2006-11-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

Beast myths have many origins. The ones most interesting to me are the embedded cultural myths but then there are the so-called Jenny Haniver types. Purportedly found carcasses of strange creatures that are, in fact, hoaxes of taxidermy. Probably the most famous of these is Jake the Alligator Boy along with preserved mermaids, etc. Ebay is wonderful for finding creatures you didn't know exist. Witness the creature above, "discovered" washed up on a beach.

Werewolf.

2006-11-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

Some legends say that you become a werewolf by being bitten by certain dogs, others say it's punishment for, uh, fucking those dogs.

Josh Cochran: Tritons

2006-11-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

Sketch and final art for this aggressive race of mermen.

1960s Kid Drawings

2006-11-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

Tim Biskup: Amermait

2006-11-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

Jesse LeDoux: Butatsch-ah-ilgs

2006-11-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

The pencil sketch and final art for the obscure Swiss creature called Butatsch-ah-ilgs.

Fifty Foot Fist.

2006-11-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

Some posts, such as this remarkable Mandrake the Magician page, do not appear in the book.

Kaela Graham: Barometz, published.

2006-10-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Kaela Graham: Barometz, unpublished.

2006-10-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Dave Cooper: Bapets (Double page spread)

2006-10-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Dave Cooper: Bapets pencils and ink studies

2006-10-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

BEASTS! In stores January 1st.

2006-10-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

This is not the book cover but that is art from the book:

Sam Weber's chilling Vampire and Heiko Müller's Wolpertinger of German folklore.

Official Seal.

2006-10-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Beasts! is a 200 page, full-color (plus Gold throughout), hardcover book from Fantagraphics Books. Ninety artists from the fields of rock posters, skate graphics, comics, children's books, fine art, etc. have each chosen a classic mythological or folkloric creature to illustrate. All of the depicted beasts have been thought at some time to exist (generally through a handful of eyewitnesses or as cultural stories).

Each beast is accompanied by a brief description of the creature written by Paul Hughes, Felicia Gotthelf, Heidi Broadhead, or Rob Lightner. It was birthed/curated by Jacob Covey and marvelously edited by Karin Snelson. It is due in stores in early January.

Artist list:

Attaboy ........................... yumfactory.com
Marc Bell .................. adambaumgoldgallery.com
Tim Biskup . ........................ timbiskup.com
Andrew Brandou . .................. howdypardner.com
Mat Brinkman ...................... fortthunder.org
S.britt ................................ sbritt.com
Scott Campbell . .................. scott-c.blogspot.com
Martin Cendreda .................... zurikrobot.com
Art Chantry ........................ artchantry.com
Don Clark ....................... invisiblecreature.com
Ryan Clark ....................... invisiblecreature.com
Josh Cochran ...................... joshcochran.net
Dave Cooper ...................... davegraphics.com
Colleen Coover ...................... cooverart.com
Kevin Cornell .................... bearskinrug.co.uk
Jacob Covey .......................... unflown.blogspot.com
Jordan Crane ........................ reddingk.com
Kevin Dart ......................... kevindart.com
PJ Fidler ............................ pjfidler.com
Jeremy Fish .................... sillypinkbunnies.com
Renee French ...................... reneefrench.com
Tom Gauld . ...................... cabanonpress.com
Charles Glaubitz ..................... mrglaubitz.com
Kaela Graham ..................... kaelagraham.com
Adam Grano . ....................... adamgrano.com
Dan Grzeca . ........................... grzeca.com
Sammy Harkham ................... kramersergot.com
Gilbert Hernandez ................... fantagraphics.com
Mike Hoffman ...................... mikehoffman.com
Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch .........lorenholyoke.com
Seonna Hong ......................... seonnahong.com
Katy Horan ............................... katyart.com
Nathan Huang ....................... nathanhuang.com
Meg Hunt . .............................. meghunt.com
Stella Im Hultberg .................. stellaimhultberg.com
Jason .................................. mjaumjau.net
James Jean ......................... jamesjean.com
Foi Jimenez ....................... foijimenezjurado.com
Brent Johnson .................... brenthalomew@hotmail.com
R. Kikuo Johnson .................... seabread.com
Ted Jouflas ....................... fantagraphics.com
Nathan Jurevicius ................ nathanj.com.au
Andy Kehoe ......................... andykehoe.com
Angela Kongelbak ............... kongelbak.com
Ronald Kurniawan ................. ronaldkurniawan.com
Kenneth Lavallee .................... knnth.com
Jesse LeDoux ....................... ledouxville.com
Little Friends of Printmaking ..thelittlefriendsofprintmaking.com
Corey Lunn ......................... urbanhonking.com/pictureswamp
Jessica Lynch ....................... slowshirts.com
Alex Meyer ........................... alexjmeyer.com
Jason Miles ......................... horswhistle.blogspot.com
Tony Millionaire ...................... maakies.com
Alan Mooers .......................... alanmooers@yahoo.com
Heiko Muller ......................... heikomueller.de
Julie Murphy ......................... juliemurphy.info
Chris Neal ............................ redsilas.com
Anders Nilsen ...................... theholyconsumption.com
Martin Ontiveros ................... martinhead.com
Brian Ralph ............................ reggie12.com
Ron Rege, Jr. ......................... geocities.com/ronregejr
Jesse Reno ........................... jessereno.com
Lesley Reppeteaux .............. reppeteaux.com
Eric Reynolds ...................... comicartcollective.com/reynolds
Jason Robards ...................... itscoolsteve.com
Jay Ryan ............................ thebirdmachine.com
Johnny Ryan ..................... johnnyr.com
Chris Ryniak ........................ bigistudio.com
Stan Sakai . ....................... usagiyojimbo.com
Richard Sala ....................... richardsala.com
Souther Salazar . ................... southersalazar.net
Kevin Scalzo ....................... kevinscalzo.com
Keith Andrew Shore .................. kasprojects.com
Michael Slack ........................ slackart.com
Jeff Soto ............................ jeffsoto.com
Bwana Spoons ..................... grasshutcorp.com
Tyler Stout ............................ tstout.com
Deth P. Sun ......................... dethpsun.com
Scott Teplin ................. futuretrash.blogspot.com
Peter Thompson ...................... beguiling.com
Joe Vaux ............................. joevaux.com
Amanda Visell ................ thegirlsproductions.com
Mizna Wada ....................... hihou.net/mizna
Esther Pearl Watson ................. estherwatson.com
Sam Weber ......................... sampaints.com
Steven Weissman .............. sweetchubby.blogspot.com
Justin B. Williams ........... justinobwilliams@yahoo.com
Nate Williams ............................ n8w.com
Dean Yeagle ........................ cagedbeagle.com