Fantagraphics Blog Mike Baehr

Jim Flora doyen Irwin Chusid writes: "JimFlora.com is offering an open edition fine art print entitled Night-Sky Moonswinger. The image of an overalls-clad boy on a rope swing strung from the moon originally appeared on the back dust jacket of Pishtosh Bullwash and Wimple, Flora's 12th children's book, published in 1972 by Atheneum." As a lad I would have liked having this on my wall. Click on for more details and purchasing info.

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "Love and Rocktober" continues with Sean T. Collins at Attentiondeficitdisorderly: "…[T]he comics in Penny Century look less dense and read that way, too. Maggie and Hopey seem to have settled down, somewhat — no longer careening from adventure to adventure or disaster to disaster, still involved in the lives and schemes of their eccentric friends but no longer completely swept up by them, still romantically (or at least sexually) entangled with one another but not to the all-or-nothing extremes of the past." • Review: "Released at last, Blake Bell's biography [Fire & Water]…

The Late Live Show – Ep 102 – Paul Hornschemeier & David McMillin from The Late Live Show on Vimeo. As Paul (who has returned to the online world from a short hiatus after such real-life activities as getting married and moving… whatever, dude) describes it on his blog, "…you can hear me discuss the origins of my comics as a cum-rag, debate the muse of gay mummies, and perform rather poorly in a game of 'Win, Lose, or Draw.' I take the stage around the twenty minute mark, but roughly half the references I make are about bits from…

We nearly missed these photos of Dash Shaw taken by Seth Kushner (who shot the portraits of Gahan Wilson featured on 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons for us) for L'Uomo Vogue last summer. Oo la la! (Thanks to our own Jacob Covey for the tip.)

• Review: "I like the part where he knocks his eyeball out." – Grace & Cate Miner (ages 7 & 5 respectively) review Set to Sea by Drew Weing [YouTube link] (On his blog, Drew notes: "I don’t actually endorse Set to Sea as a book suitable for kids, but this is an adorable/hilarious/surprisingly sophisticated take.")

A major exhibit by past and present faculty and alumni of the School of Visual arts, "Ink Plots: The Tradition of the Graphic Novel at SVA" is on now in the school's Visual Arts Gallery and will have an opening reception tomorrow evening 5:30-7:00 PM to be followed by a benefit cocktail party. On November 4 at 7 PM, participating artist Dash Shaw presents a Distinguished Alumnus Lecture at the SVA Theatre. More info on all events at the links.

The Exquisite Book is a new exquisite-corpse art book from Chronicle, and Lilli Carré, Paul Hornschemeier and Anders Nilsen will be among the contributing artists signing the book at Quimby's in Chicago on November 5th. (Via Paul's News and Head Lice blog.) Other contributors from the Fantagraphics family include Jordan Crane, Ray Fenwick, and Esther Pearl Watson, plus a bunch of people who appeared in our Beasts! books and other anthologies. Below, a nice photo of the accordion fold-out from contributing artist (and personal pal) Susie Ghahremani (who will be at the San Francisco signing at Rare Device tomorrow night):

We have no new books arriving in comic shops this week, but we do have a couple of things scheduled to make a return appearance, so check with your local shop and grab them if you missed them the first time: Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me by Peter Bagge The Comics Journal #299 (the Someday Funnies issue)

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "This debut graphic novel [The Sanctuary] ambitiously imagines the purposes of prehistoric art within the context of an imagined precivilization. Most strikingly, his tale is expressed entirely through the actions of his characters — their dialogue is written in an invented, phonetic language. […] Neal’s dark pen work suggests texture, detail, and light effectively, and shoulders the burden of his almost-wordless storytelling. Despite some occasionally unclear moments, the broad sweep of the book’s action and ideas unmistakably raises thoughtful questions, marking Neal as an artist to watch." – Publishers Weekly • Review: "A…

Thanks to our pals at Atomic Books in Baltimore for this photo of Stephen Dixon reading from his new collection What Is All This? to a packed house at their fine establishment last week. Click the image for a better view.