FANTAGRAPHICS 197
Famous Funnies had published 46 issues by the time Action Comics #1, which
included the debut of Superman , appeared on newsstands. Th e editors of Famous
Funnies attempted to compete with the rising popularity of the superheroes by show-
casing more dramatic and science fi ction -oriented material. In 1939, the We s t e r n
strip Lightnin’ and the Lone Rider , a Lone Ranger knockoff , was added. It was signed
by “Lance Kirby,” who later gained fame as the legendary Jack Kirby. Th e title strug-
gled somewhat during the 1940s as it largely continued to concentrate on comic strip
reprints. One of the few highlights from late in the run of the series came in 1950 with
issue #209. Th at issue carried the fi rst of a series of Buck Rogers covers by legendary
artist Frank Frazetta. Famous Funnies ceased publication with issue #218 (1955). By
that time, its size had been cut in half. Except for Buck Rogers , it no longer contained
any reprinted material. Ironically, its fi nal cover prominently displayed a television, the
new popular medium of choice. Th e legacy of Famous Funnies is that it standardized the
modern comic book format and demonstrated that comics deserved a place on American
newsstands. Its success helped to spark an entire industry.
Charles Coletta
FANTAGRAPHICS. Fantagraphics is the largest publisher of alternative comics in the
United States and has, for more than three decades, infl uenced the American comics
industry through its publishing of comics and graphic novels, as well as magazines and
books about comics. Th e company was founded in 1976 by Gary Groth and Mike
Catron. Kim Th ompson joined in 1977 and subsequently became co-owner together
with Groth, as Catron left to work for DC Comics. Fantagraphics moved around a bit
initially, but after a while they found a permanent home in Seattle. Th e press started
publication with the pre-existing fanzine Th e Nostalgia Journal which was sold to Groth
and Catron in 1976. Th ey started publishing with issue #27, then soon switched to
the magazine format and changed the name to Th e Comics Journal with issue #32;
Th ompson was added to the editorial board with #37. TCJ became renowned for its
lengthy interviews, scathing reviews, and most importantly for always treating comics
as a serious art form at a time when most criticism was fan-based. Today, more than
30 years later, TCJ is still published monthly and is the biggest, longest running and
most respected American magazine about comics.
Fantagraphics has also published other magazines, including Amazing Heroes
(1981–92), mainly focusing on mainstream comics, and Nemo: Th e Classic Comics
Library 1983–89), focusing on reprinting classic comic strips, accompanied by essays
and reviews on the same theme.
A few years into publishing TCJ , Groth and Th ompson started looking for comics to
publish. Th eir fi rst hit was Love and Rockets , by the Hernandez Brothers ; Gilbert and
Jaime were soon followed by other successful comics, such as Hate by Peter B ag ge and
Eightball by Daniel Clowes. Today Fantagraphics Books publishes hundreds of com-
ics and graphic novels a year, and has given several generations of alternative American
comics’ artists both a start and a publishing home; their artists and writers include Jessica
