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Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • List: Jeff Newelt names Leslie Stein's Eye of the Majestic Creature to Heeb Magazine's "Best of 5771: Comics" list, saying "What a treat discovering a new 'voice' that speaks to you as much as longtime favorites." • Interview: Shannon Wheeler talks about Oil and Water in a Q&A with Portland Monthly: "Fishermen couldn’t fish, plants were dying, scientists didn’t know what the effects were, and tourism was crippled. In addition to the environmental damage, there was damage to people’s lives that is profound. We very much wanted to tell the human story."

Oops! Due to an inventory SNAFU the 2005 Special Edition issue of The Comics Journal was mistakenly thought to be sold out and removed from our online catalog. But we still have a bunch of 'em! This oversized (12" x 12") humdinger includes features on masters of manga Hideshi Hino, Suehiro Maruo, Saseo Ono, Osamu Tezuka and Yoshihiro Tsuge;  three great writers on Vaughn Bodé; Bill Blackbeard on Milt Gross; a report from the Montreal comics scene; and a star-studded anthology comics section on the theme of "seduction" with comics from (deep breath): Rick Altergott, Ho Che Anderson, Andrice Arp,…

I took no pictures at APE this year save for the one above, of my pal Dan Shahin in his homemade Rory Root t-shirt (with Root's face comprised of a mosaic of hundreds of comic book covers). If I was to only take one photo, this strikes me as a perfectly appropriate one, as APE always reminds me of Rory, and his memory loomed large over the show for me (I wore my old Comic Relief t-shirt on Saturday in my own small attempt to honor the big guy). This was the first APE I've attended since Rory passed away…

Trina Robbins signing at the Fantagraphics booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2009 I am personally so over-the-moon-excited about this weekend's event, and frankly, you should be, too! We are thrilled to present artist & women's comix "herstorian" Trina Robbins at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery this Saturday, October 8! The reception runs from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, and we'll be debuting our latest exhibit, showcasing The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley's Cartoons from 1913 – 1940. Trina will be leading a slideshow presentation of Brinkley's work that you do not want to miss, and she'll be signing copies…

One man. One-hundred-and-one one-panel cartoons. Our Oil & Water artist Shannon Wheeler presents just that, with an exhibition of his New Yorker artwork opening tonight at PCPA [ 1111 SW Broadway, Portland ]. How perfect is THAT street address?

Comics are taking center stage in America's Heartland this autumn, as the University of Iowa presents the exhibit Graphic Language: The Art and Literature of Comics, which runs through December 11th. This exhibit is truly impressive, featuring original artwork from Carl Barks, Steve Ditko, Hal Foster, and Jack Kirby, as well as Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta, and Milton Caniff. There's gonna be a special section devoted to original work for EC Comics, from artists like Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Johnny Craig, and Bernard Kriegstein. And covering the spectrum, the exhibit also spotlights contemporary cartoonists like Gilbert and Jaime…

Everything Is an Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson by Kevin AveryForeword by Nick ToschesCover illustration by Jeff Wong 512-page 6" x 9" hardcover • $29.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-475-7 Ships in: October 2011 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now What happened to Paul Nelson? In the '60s, he pioneered rock & roll criticism with a first-person style of writing that would later be popularized by the likes of Tom Wolfe and Norman Mailer as "New Journalism." As co-founding editor of The Little Sandy Review and managing editor of Sing Out!, he'd already established himself, to use his friend Bob Dylan's…

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions: • Review: "We cannot commend Love & Rockets to you highly enough… 'Return for Me' will not disappoint…, and I was left speechless for hours…. There’s far more of Maggie in parts three, four and five of 'The Love Bunglers,' and I could begin almost any review of a Jaime Hernandez story with my 'Poor Maggie' refrain. Still, poor Maggie… Then there’s the delightfully mannered dance and duel from Gilbert Hernandez of 'And Then Reality Kicks In.' No one does comics like Gilbert. Sometimes it’s as if he’s never read another comic in his life…

This will be amazing. Join Gary Panter as he presents his latest exhibit at Fredericks & Freiser in New York City. Twenty paintings by Panter will be on display through November 5th, with the opening reception tomorrow night, Thursday, October 6th, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Prepare to have your mind blown. Fredericks & Freiser is located at 536 West 24th Street in NYC.

The new Diamond Previews catalog is out today and in it you'll find our usual 2-page spread (download the PDF) with our releases scheduled to arrive in your local comic shop in December 2011 (give or take — some release dates may have changed since the issue went to press) and a selection of gift book suggestions. We're pleased to offer additional and updated information about these upcoming releases here on our website, to help shops and customers alike make more informed ordering decisions. This month's Featured Item is editor Michel Gagné's Young Romance: The Best of Simon & Kirby's…