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For the past week, our own Ron Regé, Jr. has brought his unique psychomagic to SAW, the Sequential Artists Workshop, in Gainesville, Florida. Sadly, the Cartoon Utopia Camp 2013 must come to an end, but before it does, you can spend one last weekend basking in the glow of Ron's artistic vision! Stop by SAW tonight, Friday, March 8th, for a final reception of the comics created this past week in his workshop! From 7:00 to 10:00 PM, you can view the original artwork, and get yourself a copy of the anthology zine. SAW is located at 18 SE 5th…

The first peak of sun of Online Commentaries & Diversions: • Review: Noah Berlatsky on Slate reviews 7 Miles a Second by David Wojnarowicz, James Romberger, and Marguerite Van Cook. "That feared and desired encounter is in part the collision of comics and art—but it's also, and emphatically, the intermingling of queer and straight…7 Miles a Second still represents a road largely avoided…even if 7 Miles a Second never went mainstream, this new edition remains a stirring reminder that everything pushed to the side isn't gone." • Review: Full Page Bleed and Tom Murphy read 7 Miles a Second by…

No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics was announced as a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards in the LGBT Anthology category. Edited by Justin Hall, No Straight Lines showcases major names such as Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, and Ralf Koenig (one of Europe’s most popular cartoonists), as well as high-profile, crossover creators who have dabbled in LGBT artooning, like legendary NYC artist David Wojnarowicz (whose work has now been reprinted in 7 Miles a Second) and media darling and advice columnist Dan Savage. No Straight Lines also spotlights many talented creators who never made it out of the…

Peter Bagge's Other Stuff by Peter Bagge et al. 144-page color/black & white 7.25" x 10.25" softcover • $19.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-622-5 Ships in: April 2013 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now   FREE HATE! Order this book and get a FREE copy of Hate Annual #1! During the 1990s and 2000s, Peter Bagge worked mostly on his "Buddy Bradley" stories in Hate and a series of standalone graphic novels (Apocalypse Nerd), but in-between these major projects this ever-energetic cartoonist also cranked out dozens of shorter stories, which are now finally being collected in this riotously anarchic book. Peter Bagge's Other Stuff includes a few…

Kim Thompson has been my partner at Fantagraphics Books for 35 years. He's contributed vastly and selflessly to this company and to the comics medium and worked closely with countless fine artists over that time. This is a tough announcement to make, but everyone who knows Kim knows he's a fighter and we remain optimistic that he'll get through this and report back to work, where he belongs, doing what he loves. – Gary Groth I'm sure that by now a number of people in the comics field who deal with me on a regular or semi-regular basis have noticed…

Fantagraphics and comiXology continue to roll out the beautiful Jason classics with Werewolves of Montpellier. A faux werewolf-cum-burglar named Sven runs afoul of a real society of werewolves who don't take kindly to the pretender. So while Sven spends his days playing chess and poker with his friends, sketching his way through his picturesque chosen hometown, and coping with romantic dilemmas — both his and those of his best friend, the Breakfast-at-Tiffany’s-obsessed Audrey, who has girl troubles of her own — little does he realize that a genuine threat to his life, and for that matter his humanity, is closing…

Reason to rejoice: the new, expanded and complete Castle Waiting Vol. 2: Definitive Edition by Linda Medley is almost here, and we've got advance copies in the office to prove it. Compiling the 15 issues that came out 2006-2009 and the 3 new issues that came out last year, this new edition finally tells the whole story. (Editor Kim Thompson explains how and why this new edition came to be.) Unexpected visitors, a secret passageway, ladies' undergarments, compelling character backstories, mysteries, laughter, tears, bowling action, a ghost… this story has it all! We won't keep you waiting long for more extensive previews; in the meantime,…

Fantagraphics with comiXology releases Oil and Water the gripping collaboration between Steve Duin and Shannon Wheeler. This devastating look at the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history follows ten Oregonians to the Gulf Coast to gather first-person accounts of the destructive impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In this 144-page graphic novel — written by Steve Duin, a columnist for The Oregonian, and illustrated by Eisner-winning New Yorker cartoonist Shannon Wheeler — readers will tour the shark-pocked beach at Grand Isle with the local head of Homeland Security; step aboard the crabbing boat of a 20-year-old Mississippian who works…

Seattle, if you haven't already heard, you've got another chance to listen up to Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975!  Editor Pat Thomas will be back in town for the first time in over a year on Saturday, March 23rd at the Cinema Salon. Pat will be joined by Ron Johnson, founding member of the Seattle Black Panther Party, and Seattle University professor Gary Perry.  They'll discuss the legacy of the 1965 Watts Riots, the L.A. Rebellion and social justice, reviving a cultural, social, artistic and political framework now lost to memory. This event is part…

This week's comic shop shipment is slated to include the following new titles. Read on to see what comics-blog commentators and web-savvy comic shops are saying about them (more to be added as they appear), check out our previews at the links, and contact your local shop to confirm availability.  Messages in a Bottle: Comic Book Stories by B. Krigstein edited by Greg Sadowski 272-page full-color 8" x 10.5" softcover • $35.00ISBN: 978-1-60699-580-8 "Krigstein treated each assignment as a chance to put theory into practice, and even among EC’s formidable roster of stylists, Krigstein stands out as one for whom the words around…