Is this it for Online Commentary & Diversions today? I guess so:
• Review: "Jacques Boyreau’s book [Portable Grindhouse: The Lost Art of the VHS Box] pays tribute to… imperfection. Not only is its cover — well, the cover of the book’s slipcase, at least, designed to look like a videocassette — but the photos inside showcase boxes in far from mint condition… All of this helped take me back to my VHS days, but it’s mostly the garish art that did it — lurid snatches of visual salesmanship, many of which have been burned in the back of my mind for 25 years. … If you own only one art book featuring a back-cover illustration of Don 'The Dragon' Wilson, make it this one. And be sure to rewind, or I’ll have to charge a dollar to your account." – Rod Lott, Bookgasm
• List: Looking at where we stand on Sandy Bilus's Best Comics of 2009 Meta-List (compiling all the year-end best-of lists) at I Love Rob Liefeld, we've got 2 in the top 20, 6 in the top 50, and 12 in the top 100 — not too shabby
• Plug: Prestigious design blog The Book Cover Archive features Jacob Covey's cover design for What Is All This? by Stephen Dixon
• Things to see: Kevin Huizenga's "Postcard from Fielder" part 7
• Things to see: Richard Sala digs up some art from the vault
• Reviewer: For The Wall Street Journal, Alexander Theroux looks at the novel The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova