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It's not on the official Diamond Comics Distributors shipping list for this week, but many sources (including but not limited to, um, our own publicity department) are reporting that The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century A.D. by Dash Shaw is also arriving in comic shops this week. We usually recommend checking with your local shop to confirm availability, but especially so in this case.

On his blog, Josh Simmons drops a teaser of "The White Rhinoceros," his new comic (written by fellow provocateur Shaun Partridge) which begins serialization in the Summer 2010 issue of Mome. It's gonna be wild stuff, you can bet your hiney on that.

  Gahan Wilson was on WNYC's Leonard Lopate show today, promoting GAHAN WILSON: 50 YEARS OF PLAYBOY cartoons. The show is archived here. There's even a slideshow! 

Arriving at comic shops in the nick of time for your holiday gift-giving, something for just about every interest and budget: Conceptual Realism: In the Service of the Hypothetical by Robert Williams (Softcover Ed.) — 88 oversized pages of new artwork and writing from the lowbrow master. The Definitive Prince Valiant Companion (Softcover Ed.) — everything we said last week when the hardcover edition came out still applies! Gahan Wilson: Fifty Years of Playboy Cartoons (Collectors Edition) — just when you thought this collection couldn't get more deluxe! Includes an exclusive signed glow-in-the-dark letterpress print and a nifty box of…

Online Commentary & Diversions for you: • List: FEARnet names Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 1 one of the Top 9 Comic Books and Graphic Novels of '09: "Shunning the spotlight of fans and the press, the artist has chosen instead to let his books speak for themselves. They continue to speak loudly, and with a weird grace lacking in much of his contemporaries' work." • List/Review: "Druggy noir vividly told, [The] Red Monkey [Double Happiness Book] is like watching Jim Rockford take a monster bong-hit before getting bashed in the jaw by some muscle of a rich…

Stuck with another ugly sweater, useless gadget, or awful CD this year? We know. Santa sucks! Get yourself the gifts you really want this weekend at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery's storewide sale. At least 20% off on every item in stock! Two days only — Saturday and Sunday, December 26 & 27. Hundreds of titles by your favorite artists and a big batch of brand new books. 2009 was a banner year for Fantagraphics Books. Don't miss this chance to catch up on the graphics action. For all you procrastinating shoppers, Fantagraphics Bookstore is open this week 11:30 to 8:00…

The Creative Community: Monte Schulz from The Santa Barbara Channels on Vimeo. Author Monte Schulz talks with host David Starkey about writing his newest book This Side of Jordan and his experiences with publishing a series of books. Join host David Starkey for a one on one interview with author Monte Schulz on this edition of The Creative Community. Taped on 12.16.09

At the risk of making Nate Neal uneasy, reluctant self-promoter that he is, we'd like to point out that he's made three collections of his work available as downloadable comics — each is well over 50 pages for just $3.99.  There's a collection of his Mome stories to date (pictured), a collection of his stories from the Hoax anthology, and a collection of his work predating that. More info and links to purchase and preview the collections can all be found here.

Online Commentary & Diversions are not slowing down, no sir: • List: New York Magazine's Dan Kois names You'll Never Know, Book 1: A Good and Decent Man by C. Tyler one of the ten Best Comics of 2009 • List: The Daily Cross Hatch posts "The Best Damned Comics of the Decade Chosen by the Artists" — among the wide-ranging choices are I Killed Adolf Hitler by Jason, The Three Paradoxes by Paul Hornschemeier, Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde by Joe Sacco, The Complete Peanuts 1952-1953 (which doesn't exist, but 1950-1952 and 1953-1954 do), Ghost World and Eightball #22…

Join a bunch of Mome contributors for a party celebrating the release of the 17th volume of the anthology at Bergen Street Comics. Flyer by Derek Van Gieson. More details TBA.