Fantagraphics Blog Mike Baehr

Stigmata by Lorenzo Mattotti & Claudio Piersanti 192-page black & white 7.25" x 9.25" hardcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-409-2 Ships in: January 2011 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now He lives day to day and hand to mouth, this shambling lug of a man, wrestling with his demons, picking up work where he can, and drinking himself into oblivion. Until one days his palms begin to bleed… These newfound stigmata lose him his job, and he ends up as part of a traveling carnival, where he even finds love. But his past catches up with him — violently so. Has he…

If you want your order shipped within the U.S. to arrive before Christmas via USPS Priority Mail, tomorrow (Tuesday, December 14) is the deadline to get your order in! Orders placed with the Standard shipping option right now will most likely arrive after the holiday. After tomorrow, you'll have until next Monday, Dec. 20, for orders shipped by 2nd Day UPS. We'll post a reminder for that deadline as well. Don't forget to check out our handy Holiday Gift Guide for lots of gift ideas for every interest and budget!

Here's this week's Weissman, plus links to other strips from around the web: — Barack Hussein Obama by Steven Weissman (view at original size): — And elsewhere: Lucky by Gabrielle Bell: Maakies by Tony Millionaire: (Past years' Maakies Christmas decorations here — print, color & hang, as shown here!) Ectiopiary by Hans Rickheit:

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • List: Erich Redson of LA TACO ("Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, California") names their Comic of the Year: "Johnny Ryan is a long-time TACO favorite, but he has really outdone himself this year with the release of Prison Pit Book 2. Pure, unmitigated ultra-violent filth has never been drawn so cleanly. This comic makes an excellent Christmas gift for that special sadist in your life." • List: Tim Hensley's Wally Gropius is one of Blog Flume's Ken Parille's top 3 "Books I Really Liked and Wrote About Twice in 2010" • Review:…

What th'…? I just found out via the great Dan Zettwoch's blog that the new issue of Desert Island's essential broadsheet comics anthology Smoke Signal is out! Above, the stunning cover by Jordan Crane; the full contributors list isn't posted yet but it includes "new work by Charles Burns, Sammy Harkham, Edie Fake, Tim Hensley, Dan Zettwoch, Michael DeForge, Tim Lane, and tons more!" You can pick up a free copy at Desert Island in Brooklyn or buy it online here. Gimme! UPDATE: Gabe from Desert Island points out the full contributor list on Facebook — thanks Gabe!

At his Cats Without Dogs blog, Jason posts another page (before his colorist Hubert has at it) from his in-progress book Athos in America, a short story anthology in the style and format of Low Moon which will be out in about a year. In fact, "yes, it's the return of the two main characters from '&,' one of the stories in Low Moon, this time involved in some kidnapping scheme that naturally goes wrong," writes Jason. Can't wait!

Watch Zack Carlson & Bryan Connolly talk abut Destroy All Movies!!! The Complete Guide to Punks on Film on last night's episode of IFC's The Grid. As for Zack's suggestion on how to acquire the book, we have a two words of advice: "mall cops."

This awesome character drawn by Eli Timberlake looks like he's ready to kick some butt in the Prison Pit! Eli is far too young to read Johnny Ryan's series (or just about anything by Johnny) though — the piece is part of the Kids' Art Show opening tonight at Chapel Hill Comics. Thanks to Chapel Hill Comics' Andrew Neal for passing it along (and coming up with the "Johnny Ryan Jr." sobriquet)!

Our own Kim Thompson was interviewed about our Prince Valiant series this morning by host Patrick Neas on Kansas City's classical station KXTR, who provided us with an MP3 of the session (5.26 MB) to share with you! (Note that the contest mentioned at the end of the interview is over.) (Above: the cover to Volume 3, coming in February/March 2011!)

Several new updates from Paul Hornschemeier at his News and/or Head Lice blog: his cover illustration for Newcity's "Best of Chicago" issue, which features more of his spot illos inside… …an announcement: "Tomorrow night, I'll be at Second City's de Maat Theater for a special, farewell incarnation of The Late Live Show with hosts Joe Kwaczala and C.J. Toledano. […] I'll be reading a piece thus far entitled 'Advice Column Responses to My Inner Monologues at Various Ages.' I can only guarantee that this will include footy pajamas, urine, fake urine, lion tamers, ironic t-shirts, horrible first dates, attempted thievery,…