Fantagraphics is one of the most notable success stories in the world of alternative comics. Founded in 1976 by publishers Gary Groth and Mike Catron, legendary editor Kim Thompson joined in 1977 and was responsible for pulling the company out of bankruptcy by donating his inheritance to the company.
Despite its early troubles, the company has survived to this day as a beacon of insight in the comics world. Its foremost publication is The Comics Journal, started in 1976. The monthly magazine treats comics as a fine art form and has garnered its share of controversy over the years, whether by knocking popular superhero titles or creating a definitive list of the top 100 comics.
Since 1982, Fantagraphics has also been publishing its own comics. Many of these have become critically acclaimed, and one (Daniel Clowes’s Ghost World) has been turned into a movie. Others have showed their popularity by their long-running nature. 15 issues of Chris Ware’s Acme Novelty Library were published between 1993 and 2001, after which the series has been self-published. Love and Rockets by the Hernandez Brothers ran for 50 issues between 1982 and 1996, and ushered in a new generation of comic book fans who saw them as a new form of literature.
In 2003, Fantagraphics was almost forced into bankruptcy when one of its distributors, Seven Hills Distribution, went out of business. However, fans helped bring the company back from the brink by an increased number of orders, especially of the new line of hardcover collections of classic strips like Peanuts and Popeye. In 2006, Fantagraphics opened an official store in Seattle, making it even easier for fans to find their distinctive products. Despite whatever obstacles it faces in the future, you can be sure Fantagraphics will be able to weather the storm.