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This great Drew Friedman portrait of Hizzoner Michael Bloomberg might have been cut from tomorrow's NY Observer (full story on Drew's blog) but it will live on in Too Soon?, our collection of Drew's celebrity portraits coming this Summer. 

A few months ago, I was having dinner with a certain cartoonist and his family, we went to a lovely place near the Fantagraphics Bookstore that welcomed kids, and even gave the kids crayons and a coloring book. The kids took to the coloring like gangbusters, and it wasn't until some time had passed that any of the adults looked at what the kids were coloring. It turns out they had discovered a drawing that someone else had already started, of a large mushroom in the forest — the perfect place for a group of elves to have a picnic…

Now available for preview and pre-order: Almost Silent, the new hardcover compilation of Jason's Meow, Baby!, Tell Me Something, You Can't Get There from Here and The Living and the Dead, most of which is heretofore out of print. Humor, monsters, mystery, doomed romance, and zombies, all in various combinations. Download an exclusive 27-page PDF excerpt right here (840 KB — that's 6 pages from each section, plus spacer pages). This book is scheduled to be in stock and ready to ship later this month and in stores roughly the same time (subject to change). View a photo & video…

Now available for preview and pre-order: the newest collection of "Yikes!" strips and stories from Steven Weissman, Chocolate Cheeks. You've thrilled to the serialized pages from this book on our website over the last couple of years; now it can be yours to own. The gang meets icky new characters like Crustache & Lumpy Noodle and faces their scariest adventure yet in the chilling 51-page story "Blue Jay." Download an exclusive 10-page PDF excerpt right here (5.1 MB). This book is scheduled to be in stock and ready to ship later this month and in stores roughly the same time…

"Jay Lynch Hand-Drawn Sketch Card in Every Box!" I like this, yes I do. (Via Jay Lynch at The Beat)

The first Online Commentary & Diversions of the new year might be the longest one ever, so let's get to it: • List/Review/Interview: As part of The Comics Reporter 's unique series of critical discussions on notable comics of the decade, Tom Spurgeon talks to Tucker Stone about Kevin Huizenga's Ganges: "That's the thing about Ganges #3 that makes it a unique comic — it cannot be told in another medium and work. How are you going to write that down, that aspect of Glenn chasing his own thoughts and memories about completely personal, mundane life aspects, without drawing the…

Following up on last week's post about the Usagi Yojimbo plush toy from Dark Horse, our own Jacob Covey alerted me to this series of polystone statues of Usagi characters soon to be available from RokuToys. They have exclusive editions with some nifty features — the interchangeable horn on Gennosuke is a particularly nice touch. Jacob says and I agree, "It's nice to see so much Usagi product getting made lately."

  Seattle's great Northwest Film Forum will be screening the documentary NEW BROW from Jan. 15 thru Jan. 17. View the trailer here. The film features a number of folks close to Fantagraphics' heart, notably Robert Williams and our own Larry Reid. 

January 3, 2010 – SEATTLE, WA. The Georgetown Art Attack welcomes the New Year with a celebration of contemporary art and entertainment on Saturday, January 9 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Please join us to toast one of Seattle’s most colorful and diverse creative communities. Among the presentations on January 9: The 2nd Anniversary of Seattle Uncorked at Georgetown Studios with an array of wines from 18-20 wineries from Family Wineries of Washington, live music by The Pink Torpedoes, and Street Skillet Food dispensing fare outdoors from their vintage Airstream kitchen; An exhibition by Rick Simpson, Ninjagrl Nicole Linde, Kate…