Fop

Fop - Page One - 2001

Fop - Page Two - 2001

Early in the first decade of the new century, Gary Groth - President of Fantagraphics, began a new series as the Editor and Publisher of The Comics Journal. 

Fantagraphics would begin publishing Special Issues of The Comics Journal separately from the monthly magazine of the same name.

These books came out approximately once a year and unlike the magazine were in full color in a square bound format.

For each Special Issue Gary devised a theme for a cartoon section. He would then contact approximately fifty or so international cartoonists and ask them if they wanted to participate.

Some cartoonists I know declined because they didn't want to work with someone else's ideas.
I don't mind working in this fashion if the someone else's ideas are good. Gary's ideas were.

Besides which, he allowed the cartoonists to have a wide open approach to the concept he was suggesting.  I did five of these stories for five Special Issues.

The theme for this special section was "Cartoonists On Cartooning".

Here is my two page story: Fop