Family Style Ceases New Publications

After 10 years of publishing zines, mini-comics, and books, Family Style will cease publishing new projects. This decision comes in the wake of my (François Vigneault) acceptance of a new position as the Art Director of Study Group Comics, as well as my continuing work as the Editor at Scout Books. The news broke on The Comics Reporter, and they have some lengthy quotes from me regarding the thinking behind the decision:

"After ten years, I've decided to cease publishing new work under the Family Style banner for the foreseeable future. I've felt for a while now that Family Style had been suffering due to neglect on my part; after two years of being a part of Press Gang -- along with Floating World Comics and Study Group Comics -- I was starting to feel that I wasn't keeping up with my partners Jason [Leivian] and Zack, who have both had tons of great stuff come out in that time... Object 10, Study Group Magazine, It Will All Hurt, DIY Magic, and much more. The only comic I have published in that time is the first issue of my own series, Titan, which had in fact started out (and continues) as a webcomic on Zack's site, studygroupcomics.com. I was finding it harder and harder to pull together the cash to publish new books, and even though Family Style has usually been a profitable venture, it could be a financial strain. 

"Perhaps more importantly, I don't know if there is much need for Family Style as a publishing house any longer... We are living in a great period of small and micro-publishers, folks like Uncivilized Books, Retrofit, Oily, etc -- not to mention Floating World and Study Group! A lot of the creators I would want to work with are already being published, often at several publishers at once. We are really living in a great time for micro-publishers and indie cartoonists. 

"The main thing that I feel I can add is my personal taste and editorial/design skills, and happily I have some fantastic outlets for that: I am the Editor at Scout Books, and I will now be working with Zack Soto and the rest of the the team at Study Group Comics as the new Art Director. I'm really excited by the opportunity to contribute to Study Group's already super-impressive lineup of creators and publications... I've already gotten the chance to design Sam Alden's first graphic novella, Haunter, and I'm currently working with Zack and Milo George on the design of the upcoming Study Group #3D. I'm also planning to republish some of the Family Style back catalog, such as stories fromELFWORLD, as part of studygroupcomics.com, as well as seeking out new creators for the website in collaboration with Zack and his website co-editor Shanna Matuszak. 

"In practical terms, I will still be fulfilling any orders placed at www.family-style.com, but I won't be publishing any new work under the Family Style banner. I am proud to say my forthcoming Titan #2 will be published by Study Group Comics. I have some unpublished short stories that were scheduled to run in ELFWORLD #4, and I am hoping that some of these will be able to find a home of the studygroupcomics.com website as well, though of course I have to discuss that with the creators."

I am super proud to have run Family Style for a decade, from its origins as a collective zine to publishing the work of some of the best cartoonists in the business. I am super excited to continue my work at Study Group Comics and Scout Books. Thanks to everyone for their years of support!

Titan #1: The Reviews Are In!

Some recent reviews for François Vigneault's new comic, Titan #1:

"Vigneault's really cleaned up a lot of the rough edges in his art (I credit that in part to those excellent bird minicomics he likes to draw) and has added a layer of style that makes this a smooth but still highly personal read. The format, design and every aspect of production make this a beautiful comic to look at. Fans of 'hard' sci-fi will enjoy the way that certain details regarding life on Titan play out sociologically and in terms of technology, especially in the way that technology has the potential to completely erase a way of life."

—Rob Clough, High-Low Comics

"There’s no false utopia presented in Vigneault’s future world, merely an aspirational sci-fi narrative that allows us to reflect back on our own social issues through the lens of this re-contextualization process. Vigneault’s lines dance between a sort of Herge influenced European classicism, complete with ligne-claire coifs of hair, and the full-bodied beady sweat style of many modern alt cartoonists, running the erratic lineage from Robert Crumb to Charles Burns to Noah Van Sciver."

—Justin Giampaoli, Thirteen Minutes, Grade A Rating

"François Vigneault has created a multifaceted, fully dimensional universe in these opening two chapters of a six-part series. Any science fiction fan can quickly find themselves comfortable in the setting of this tension-filled moon. But the setting on the moon feels unfamiliar because it's so specific, so unique to Vigneault's imagination and so full-fledged in its vision."

—Jason Sacks, The Comics Bulletin, 3.5/5 Rating

You can order Titan #1 right now; all orders will be signed by the artist and will receive some fun bonus goodies!

Titan Part 03: Hard Headed Woman will be starting up on the Study Group Comics site soon, and a new issue of Titan should be out before the end of the year.

Titan #1: $4.95

Titan #1 Available Now!

Family Style is delighted to present the first full-length comic from François Vigneault in over five years, Titan #1! Wowza!



Titan is the story of MNGR João da Silva, a music-loving productivity expert sent from Earth to the moon of Titan, where he finds himself embroiled in the dangerous tensions between the geneticaly-engineered Titan workers and their Terran management, a situation that threatens to boil over at a moment's notice. Is the union representative Phoebe Mackintosh a friend, a foe, or something else entirely? With mysteries and danger lurking at every turn, João must rely on his intellect and his powerful "i" device to protect himself and maybe even turn a profit. The start of a six-issue sci-fi epic that combines action and adventure with a deep look at the best and the worst aspects of human nature.



Titan #1 collects Part 01: Far, Far Away and Part 02: 99 Problems, both of which can be seen on the Study Group Comics website. The print edition features lush, two-color printing on newsprint interiors, and a fully-painted color cover. The entire book has been re-edited, re-designed, and re-lettered for this new edition.



You can order Titan #1 right now; all orders will be signed by the artist and will receive some fun bonus goodies!

Titan Part 03: Hard Headed Woman will be starting up on the Study Group Comics site soon, and a new issue of Titan should be out before the end of the year.

Titan #1: $4.95

Notable Jonas

Jonas' comics for Papercutter #14, “The Most Gripping Mind-Exploding Triumphantly Electric of our Time,” published by Tugboat Press, was selected by the editors of Best American Comics as a Notable Title of the previous year! We totally agree! If you haven't bought this comic yet, you could do worse for yourself than to swing on over to Buy Olympia for a copy!

Jonas Madden-Connor at the Cartoon Art Museum

Resident Family Style auteur Jonas Madden-Connor is being honored with the Small Press Spotlight at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco! Pages from his stories in Ochre Ellipse, Papercutter, and Digestate will all be shown. Jonas had the pleasure of being feted during the APE festival alongside the opening of the Los Bros. Hernandez 30-year retrospective, a wonderful coincidence considering the lasting influence of Love and Rockets on Jonas' own comics career. All in all, this is a wonderful chance to visit the Museum and check out the work of Jonas, Los Bros, and many more fantastic creators!

Small Press Spotlight on Jonas Madden-Connor • 10/13/12–1/13/13 • CAM • 655 Mission Street, San Francisco

Family Style and the rest of the Press Gang crew (Study Group Comic Books + Floating World Comics) will be out in force at this weekend's Alternative Press Expo in lovely San Francisco! Come by and say hi to François Vigneault, Jonas Madden-Connor, Zack Soto, Jason Leivian, and more, and pick up the latest Press Gang comics, from ELFWORLD to Study Group Magazine to DIY Magic and more... We'll also have a flotilla of Scout Books Good Ink titles, including the brand new Cocktail Hour series, with art by Trevor Alixopulos, Anna Hurley, and Tuesday Bassen! 

APE

SATURDAY
October 13
11am - 7pm

SUNDAY
October 14
11am - 6pm

The Concourse
635 8th Street
San Francisco

SFZF This Weekend!

This weekend, swing by the SF County Fair BLDG for the 11th annual San Francisco Zine Fest!

Family Style and Press Gang will be represented by the indomitable Jonas Madden Connor, who has a new NSFW zine, "Jelly Fish Boner," debuting at the show!