Emmy award winning animation artist / director Brad Rader celebrates the release of his latest book, the 171 page graphic novel, Fogtown (DC/Vertigo, August 10, 2010) written by Andersen Gabrych.

Paraphrasing the author, Fogtown is a raw, ugly, and explicitly human pulp / noir detective series, set in the ferociously filthy underworld of ‘50s San Francisco. It follows the seamy temptations, damnations, and redemptions of Frank Grissel, P.I., an aging, hard-living, and morally ambiguous detective in the Mike Hammer / Sam Spade tradition… who “just happens” to be a pier-trawling, deeply closeted homosexual.

Drawn in black and white pen and ink, stylistically, the Alaska born artist emulates the comic book artwork of the 1950s with influence of Russ Heath and E.C. Comics artists Jack Davis and Wally Wood.

An Emmy Award winning animation artist and director, Brad Rader has served as storyboard artist on many animated series including The Real Ghostbusters, Alf, Batman, Gargoyles, Stripperella and most recently, King of the Hill. He has directed several series, including HBO’s Spawn, for which he won an Emmy award (1999). He has illustrated the comic books Batman Adventures, and Catwoman (DC Comics); The Mark (Dark Horse Comics); and Tex: The Fine Art of Character Assassination (Atomic Basement).

A graduate of Art Center College of Design (illustration), Mr. Rader returned to his alma mater and to Otis/Parsons to teach storyboarding. His art has been exhibited in galleries in the United States as well as internationally.