Fantagraphics Blog Mike Baehr

This sketchbook portrait of Carl Barks by Paul Hornschemeier is the most recent entry on Paul's sketch blog The Daily Forlorn. [Follow our Tumblr blog for lots more Things to See every day.]

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Scene: At Examiner.com, Christian Lipski reports from the Oil and Water book release with Steve Duin, Shannon Wheeler, Mike Rosen and Tom Orzechowski at Bridge City Comics in Portland last Wednesday: "Wheeler described the give-and-take nature of his meetings with Duin, during which they would talk about the best way to illustrate the author's script. 'I'd push for certain things, and Steve would push back,' said the artist. 'Sometimes he'd want something more subtle and I'd think it would need to be more over-the-top, or the other way around. We had good discussions.'"   True…

Our weekly strips from Kupperman & Weissman, plus links to other strips from around the web: — Up All Night by Michael Kupperman (view at original size): Barack Hussein Obama by Steven Weissman (view at original size): And elsewhere: The All-New Cartoon Boy Adventure Hour by John Kerschbaum at ACT-I-VATE: Amazing Facts… and Beyond! with Leon Beyond by Kevin Huizenga: Forming by Jesse Moynihan: Humblug by Arnold Roth (2 new strips this week): Maakies by Tony Millionaire: Les Petits Riens by Lewis Trondheim (scroll up and down at the link for additional updates): What's in the Backpack by Victor Kerlow:

Bid on this original art by Stephen DeStefano for the cover of a Dutch Mickey Mouse comic — proceeds go to benefit Suz Strick, who suffers from endometriosis. (You can see some more of Stephen's Mickey artwork in the back matter of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 2: Trapped on Treasure Island.)

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "Picking up immediately following the events of the first Fantagraphics collection, The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec Vol. 2 continues the unusual escapades of the novelist title character…. Though the concepts and action propel the tale, the droll heroine with her asides and astute observations drives these fantastic comics. After a second attempt on her life almost succeeds, Blanc-Sec stands among a train wreckage and declares 'I am being taunted!' Tardi frequently breaks down the fourth wall to a humorous effect and his magnificent color art recalls the best of Hergé's TinTin stories."…

Shannon Wheeler has re-donned the comic-reporter hat he wore for Oil and Water, sketching scenes and people from Occupy Wall Street, posted by Cartoon Movement in their "Occupy Sketchbook" feature along with drawings by Occupy Oakland arrestee Susie Cagle and Occupy Chicago participant Sharon Rosenzweig. By the way, folks at Occupy Seattle can check out a few Fantagraphics titles in the occupation's library. [Follow our Tumblr blog for lots more Things to See every day.]  

(not final cover) We're gearing up for the release of Kolor Klimax: Nordic Comics Now, our anthology of current Scandinavian comics edited by Matthias Wivel under the aegis of Nordicomics and scheduled for publication in March 2012. There was a "sneak release" party tonight in Copenhagen — you can learn more about that AND see a preview of the book at Matthias's The Metabunker blog. Dr. Bart Beaty examines an advance copy at The Comics Reporter today, saying: "Seemingly inspired by the size and shape of Kramers Ergot — and sharing some of the same graphic tendencies on the inside…

Wilfred Santiago's graphic biography 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente has received a big ol' brand of approval from the Texas Library Association, having been named to the 2012 Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List, a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the TLA's Young Adult Round Table. They recommend the book for grades 6-12, so pick it up for your favorite teen or tween today!

We received a note from Art Spiegelman yesterday with the following to say about The Man Who Grew His Beard by Olivier Schrauwen, which we're excited to share with Art's permission: "Olivier Schrauwen is extraordinary. I'm halfway through his book, savoring its mysteries, and inspired — [he's] the most original cartoonist I've fallen onto since Ware or Katchor." Now that's some praise. If you haven't already looked at the book, check out our previews for a glimpse at what Art is talking about.