Fantagraphics Blog Mike Baehr

It's still the weekend, right? Another volley in the battle of the sexes in this week's Blecky Yuckerella strip by Johnny Ryan… …and the PotUS bonds with our allies in this week's Barack Hussein Obama strip by Steven Weissman.

Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "…[T]he newer crop of contributors [in Mome Vols. 17, 18 & 19 is] a rough and tumble bunch who are bringing some fierce and hard-edged work to the table. …[T]he balance is definitely in favor of the strong stuff, because it is strong stuff — well drawn in a variety of styles, and potentially troubling without cloaking itself in shopworn tropes. … Once again, you're getting your bang for your buck." – Sean T. Collins, Attentiondeficitdisorderly • Review: "And when you’re drawn into the world [of It Was the War of the Trenches] it’s…

Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "In Weathercraft, his first foray into graphic-novel territory, Seattle denizen Jim Woodring employs his repertory troupe of ambiguous, liminal characters — Frank, Manhog, Pupshaw, and Pushpaw — to tell the kind of Pilgrim's Progress tale that David Lynch might have conjured up if he were a cartoonist. … Impermanence, the conundrum of physical senses that guide and ensnare at the same time, the challenge of a rational response to an irrational universe — all this and more await the returning fan or the open-minded acolyte in Woodring's best work yet. And for an artist…

Johnny Ryan takes you to the Planet of the ALFs on the cover of this week's Portland Mercury.

Here's a handy-dandy guide to our Comic-Con 2010 author apprearances and panels which you can download (PDF format), print out and bring with you! You can also pick one up at our booth (#1718 — jot that down on your printout) but this way you can come prepared!

Jason brought our attention to this fan's tattoo based on the cover of The Last Musketeer, by Brazilian tattoo artist Marlon Miná. Nice work!

From filmmaker John Kinhart comes this excellent short video interview with Kim Deitch about The Search for Smilin' Ed.

Jordan Crane is a silkscreening fool in the runup to Comic-Con, just having released two new editions, Flutter to Fly and Leave Taken, on his Reddingk site, following the zombie print from a couple of days ago. Gorgeous as always.

Online Commentary & Diversions: • Plug: "Based on reviews, [Werewolves of Montpellier] sounds really good. The art reminds me of Chris Ware or Chris Onstad, and I’m a fan of deadpan, sardonic humour. Do want!" – Werewolf News • Plug: Joe Gordon of the Forbidden Planet International Blog recommends the works of Jacques Tardi for your Bastille Day reading: "…[W]ith the always fine folks at Fantagraphics translating and publishing Tardi’s work in English several of his works are now easily accessible even to anyone who doesn’t read a word of French. A long-standing interest in the history of World War…

Once more Paul Hornschemeier has a shirt design on shirt.woot, $10 today only, $15 thereafter. To celebrate Paul has put all of the shirts in his own Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop on sale for a limited time. I hope mine arrives in time for Comic-Con.