Buenaventura Press was a publisher and distributor for comics, prints, anthologies and

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

s based in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the ...

, run by Alvin Buenaventura.

Publishing history

Buenaventura Press originally specialized in handcrafted fine press prints, producing works for Gary Panter,

Daniel Clowes Daniel Gillespie Clowes (; born April 14, 1961) is an American cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter. Most of Clowes's work first appeared in '' Eightball'', a solo anthology comic book series. An ''Eightball'' issue typic ...

Julie Doucet Julie Doucet (born December 31, 1965)
is a Canadian

Chris Ware Franklin Christenson "Chris" Ware (born December 28, 1967) is an American cartoonist known for his '' Acme Novelty Library'' series (begun 1994) and the graphic novels ''Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth'' (2000), ''Building Stories'' (201 ...

and others, before it extended its operations to publishing works in various book formats. The company closed in January 2010, in many ways because of the costs involved in publishing '' Kramers Ergot'' #7 (which appeared in 2008 at a retail price of $125). In September 2010, Alvin Buenaventura launched a new company, Pigeon Press, publishing books & prints and dealing in original art. Buenaventura committed suicide in February 2016.

Titles published

Comic books

* ''Boy’s Club'' 2 and 3 by Matt Furie (''Boy's Club'' #1 was published by Tim Goodyear's Teenage Dinosaur) * ''Comic Book Holocaust'' and ''Klassic Komix Klub'' by Johnny Ryan * ''Elvis Road by Elvis Studio'' by Helge Reumann & Xavier Robel * ''Hunter and Painter'' by

Tom Gauld Tom Gauld (born 1976) is a Scottish cartoonist and illustrator. His style reflects his self-professed fondness of "deadpan comedy, flat dialogue, things happening offstage and impressive characters". Others note that his work "combines pathos ...

* ''Destined for Dizziness'' and ''The Neighborhood'' by Souther Salazar * ''Yeast Hoist #12: Stop Thinking Start Sleeping Stop Sleeping Start Living'' by Ron Rege Jr. * ''Spaniel Rage'' by Vanessa Davis * ''Injury'' #1, #2 and #3 by Ted May,

Jason Robards Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill, Robards received two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes ...

, and Jeff Wilson

Journals, anthologies and other works

* ''Comic Art Magazine issues 8'' and ''9'' edited by

Todd Hignite Todd Hignite is the author of the books ''In the Studio: Visits with Contemporary Cartoonists'' (Yale University Press, 2006) and ''The Art of Jaime Hernandez/The Secrets of Life and Death'' (Abrams ComicArts, 2010). He is also the founder and edi ...

(2006, 2007) * '' Kramers Ergot 6'' edited by Sammy Harkham (2006) * '' Kramers Ergot 7'' edited by Sammy Harkham (2008) * ''New York Sketches; a portfolio of drawings'' by

Adrian Tomine Adrian Tomine (; born May 31, 1974) is an American cartoonist. He is best known for his ongoing comic book series ''Optic Nerve'' and his illustrations in '' The New Yorker''. Early life Adrian Tomine was born May 31, 1974, in Sacramento, Cal ...

(2004) * ''Private Stash: A Pinup-Girl Portfolio by 20 Cartoonists'' by

Robert Crumb Robert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943) is an American cartoonist and musician who often signs his work R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contem ...

, Jaime Hernandez et al. (2006) * ''Dawn'' by

Phil Elverum Philip Whitman Elverum (; born May 23, 1978) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and visual artist, best known for his musical projects The Microphones and Mount Eerie. Based in Anacortes, Washington, in the mid-2000s he bega ...

(2008) * ''The Complete Jack Survives'' by Jerry Moriarty (2009)

Award nominations

* 2008 Ignatz Award nominee for Outstanding Series: ''Injury #2'' by Ted May, Jason Robards, Jeff Wilson * 2007 Ignatz Award nominee for Outstanding Artist: Vanessa Davis ''Spaniel Rage'' * 2007

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are List of Eisner Award winners, prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Acad ...

nominee for Best Anthology: ''Kramer's Ergot 6''

References

External links

*
Pigeon Press website
* McCulloch, Joe and Chris Mautner
"FEATURES: Alvin Buenaventura, 1976-2016,"
''The Comics Journal'' (FEB 16, 2016). Comic book publishing companies of the United States Companies based in Oakland, California Companies disestablished in 2010 Publishing companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area {{comics-company-stub