Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Fantagraphics | Tagged: Agent, graphic novel, Santiago Cohen, Secrets of a Lost Diary, ya

Fantagraphics Buys Rights To Santiago Cohen's Secrets Of A Lost Diary

Secrets of a Lost Diary is a YA graphic novel by Mexican-American artist Santiago Cohen, coming out frm Fantagraphics Unbound. .

Published Thu, 28 Dec 2023 07:58:09 -0600

by Rich Johnston

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Secrets of a Lost Diary, a YA graphic novel by Mexican-American artist Santiago Cohen, is a story of two diaries that touches on the impact of dementia in a family, historical trauma and the Holocaust, LGBTQIA+ in two generations, and immigration.

Gary Groth at Fantagraphics Underground Press has acquired Secrets of a Lost Diary and publication is scheduled for September 2024. Santiago Cohen's agent Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary did the deal for world English rights.

Santiago Cohen, celebrating his 70th birthday next year, is a cartoonist, animator, illustrator, and fine artist based in New Jersey. He studied Communications Design at Metropolitan University in Mexico with a Master of Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute.

In 2016, Cohen drew the Latino graphic novel Angelitos written by Ilan Stavans, animated episodes of Troubles the Cat for The Cartoon Network and Children's Television Network ad illustrated children's books for a wide-ranging of publishing companies. He also designed the original Comedy Central logo. His graphic novel The Fifth Name received a grant from Peter Laird's Xeric Foundation and in 2014, he finished his Exvida Project, made of 1150 oil paintings telling his life in an ex-voto style. He designed the original Comedy Central logo and has been the artistic director of the Day of the Dead Parade for the Jersey City since 2014.

Fantagraphics was founded in 1976 by Gary Groth and Michael Catron in Maryland, taking over adzine The Nostalgia Journal, and renaming it The Comics Journal. Kim Thompson joined the company in 1977, using his inheritance to keep the company afloat and became a co-owner. After moving location a number of times, it has stayed in Seattle since 1989. Beginning in 1979, Fantagraphics began publishing comics, best known for comcis including Love and Rockets, Acme Novelty Library, Eightball, and Hate.

Fantagraphics states that "Fantagraphics Underground is our small-run imprint for a rarefied readership. FU means uncensored expression, author ownership, and work that can only be published outside the mainstream. This is a return to our roots—publishing books that are innovative, quirky, idiosyncratic, oddball, experimental, or downright crazy."

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