The extremely wuvable Ed Luce will be at SHQ on Friday, May 22nd to celebrate the release of his big, beautiful Wuvable Oaf collection! We will have posters to give away, signed SHQ exclusive bookplates, and more. Will there be kitties? Maybe. Probably not, but maybe.

“Like Sex and the City but with adorable, ex-wrestler hairy gay men (or bears), Wuvable Oaf is Luce’s debut graphic novel. This book fills a romance comics hole by portraying a likeable gay male character that is both fully realized and relatable. Mostly playful, but sometimes serious, Wuvable Oaf captures the levity of loneliness. Luce delivers a rom-com that would leave Zack Galifianakis and Zooey Deschanel feuding over who got to play Oaf in a hypothetical movie adaptation.
Ed Luce (pronounced “loose,” like the opposite of tight) has made a huge splash in the comics scene with his self-published comic book series. Since 2008 he’s been traveling to conventions and comics festivals all over the U.S. Wuvable Oaf has garnered a huge following of fans both in the comics world and in the queer art world. Luce lives in San Francisco with his partner and collaborator, Mark, and their kitty, Luna. He can regularly be found either under a pile of drawing paper or at a local comics festival.”

Alex Schubert (artist, man of mystery, humanitarian, hero.)
Blobby Boys 2.
Street People from Valley Cruise.
SHQ exclusive enamel pin designed by Alex.
Beers.

Expect these things and more at Secret Headquarters on Friday, May 15th.

If you miss it, you’re gonna feel so bad.

Join us on Friday, April 3rd to celebrate the release of Robert Goodin’s long awaited graphic novel, The Kurdles!

In the spirit of Hergé’s Tintin or Carl Barks’ Uncle Scrooge, The Kurdles is an all-ages comic spiced up with a teaspoon of strange. Sally is a teddy bear who gets separated from her owner while on a drive in the country. Desperate to find her way home, she stumbles upon Kurdleton, home to a most peculiar group of characters in the midst of a crisis; their forest house has grown hair, eyes, and a mouth! The creatures work with their new friend to keep Kurdleton from growing legs and running away! Goodin, an animation industry veteran (American Dad, Rugrats), delivers a timeless classic in his debut graphic novel, introducing an unforgettable and charming cast of characters. Printed in an oversized format to showcase Goodin’s stunning, hand-painted artwork, The Kurdles will capture the imagination of both parents and children. – Fantagraphics

We will have some of Rob’s gorgeous pages displayed throughout April, and Rob will be selling original art for the opening, one-night-only!

JIRAIYA IS COMING TO THE UNITED STATES!!

Making his first ever public appearance, the artist known as JIRAIYA is coming to America in a series of signings and speaking events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. The legendary Japanese artist will be signing limited edition giclee prints, Japanese-language editions of his collected comics and illustration work, as well as English translations and apparel for MASSIVE, at a variety of bookstores, galleries and academic institutions.

Most recently featured on the cover of Fantagraphics’ critically acclaimed gay manga anthology, Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It, Jiraiya’s artwork has entertained audiences around the world since 1998, when his musclebound pinups debuted in G-men magazine. Guy Trebay at The New York Times has described Jiraiya’s figures as “jolly, hairy Asian men of refrigerator scale.”

Jiraiya starts his journey in Los Angeles at USC’s ONE Archives, Silver Lake comic shop Secret Headquarters, and the Tom of Finland Foundation in Echo Park. The artist will be giving visual presentations on his career and process, and signing books as well as prints and merchandise available via MASSIVE Goods. Tour stops in San Francisco include Books, Inc. Castro and a talk moderated by queer comics historian Justin Hall at the California College of the Arts in Oakland. Finally, Jiraiya will tour New York City to meet fans at the School of Visual Arts, the Bureau General Services, Queer Division (at the LGBT Center), and a Drink ‘N Draw event in Brooklyn. (Event details below)

Jiraiya’s first North American tour has been made possible with the generous financial support of interTrend, a national advertising agency that represents some of the biggest brands in the world. For more than 20 years, interTrend has provided cutting-edge, award-winning campaigns. interTrend is a full-service communications agency that identifies global ideas for its clients by leveraging its unique DNA.

* PHOTO EMBARGO: Jiraiya wishes to retain his anonymity and while he appreciates meeting fans, has a strict “no facial photography” rule. We ask that attendants respect his privacy.
–MASSIVE