• Inside baseball: in a must-read slice of industry history from the mid-1980s, former Fantagraphics staffer Dave Olbrich comes clean about the debacle of the Jack Kirby Awards. Be sure to check the comments for official reaction from Kim Thompson
• Cartoon Brew recommends Fuzz & Pluck: Splitsville by Ted Stearn
• Comics – History & Price Guides takes note of Krazy & Ignatz 1931-1932 by George Herriman
• Stella Matutina says Castle Waiting by Linda Medley would "make a great present for the fairy tale-loving feminist in your life"
• Rob Clough reviews Sublife Vol. 1 by John Pham
• Jim Hanley's Universe recommends Percy Gloom by Cathy Malkasian as a Staff Pick
• The Seattle Times includes Beasts! Book 1 and Book 2 in their listing of new local book offerings
An explosion of end-of-year lists:
• USA TODAY Pop Candy places Lilli Carré at #58 on the list of "Top 100 People of 2008"
• Book By Its Cover includes Beasts! Book 2 in their Top 10 of 2008
• Jeff Smith says Popeye Vol. 3: "Let's You and Him Fight!" by E.C. Segar was a favorite of 2008
• Robert Boyd names Jules Feiffer's Explainers and the Hernandez Brothers' Love and Rockets: New Stories #1 two of "The Best Comics of 2008"
• Brian Nicholson places Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw at the top of his list of Best Comics for the year, with Ganges #2 by Kevin Huizenga not far behind
• Dustin Harbin's top 10 "Best Comics of 2008" has Bottomless Belly Button at #2, Popeye Vol. 3 at #4, and Ganges #2 at #7
• Johnny Bacardi puts Love and Rockets: New Stories #1 on his "2008 Personal 10 Best in Comics" list (previously noted, but I forgot the link)
• Mindless Ones names I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets! by Fletcher Hanks a "Top Comic of 2008" (yes, it came out in 2007 but I think they're UK)
• At comiXology, Tucker Stone unveils #30-11 of his "Best Comics of 2008," with Mome Vol. 12, Jessica Farm Vol. 1 by Josh Simmons, Angry Youth Comix Vol. II #14 by Johnny Ryan, and Love and Rockets: New Stories #1 making the list
• GraphicNovelReporter names Bottomless Belly Button one of their "Best Graphic Novels of 2008"
• On the Forbidden Planet International blog, Mike Carey names Things Just Get Away from You by Walt Holcombe ("a strange little masterpiece") and Jessica Farm Vol. 1 ("willfully perverse") as two of his three favorite comics of the year
(Hat tip to Largehearted Boy's diligent compilation of "Best of 2008" Book Lists for a few of these links.)