Fantagraphics Blog

Online Commentary & Diversions, now with images… what am I, nuts?? At least it's a short one: • Review: "If sound effects like 'SNEEZEBLOOD!!' or prayer fights make you laugh, Chocolate Cheeks by Steven Weissman is definitely up your alley. More than that, Weissman’s fantastic art is worth giving this collection a look even if you haven’t read previous 'Yikes' books." (Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars) – Chad Nevett, Comic Book Resources • Plug: "If you are feeling nostalgic for the days of scanning shelves full of well worn VHS tapes at your local video store, I recommend Portable…

No, not Monkees… monkeys! Michael Kupperman tweeted: New Yorkers! This should be fun: http://tinyurl.com/ykmssp9 I'll be reading my brand new "Jungle Princess" story… What it is: a monkey-themed installment of the live comedy-variety show "Kevin Geeks Out" at 92YTribeca in NYC and it's tonight! More info here.

Lookit (& clickit): • Part 6 of Steven Weissman's "This Already Happened" at What Things Do • Mike Loveland takes an interesting approach to Jason's Pocket Full of Rain on the Covered blog • Buongiorno, Marco Corona • The Perils of Overexuberance, a mid-1990s painting by Jim Flora

Shorty Online Commentary & Diversions: • Interview: Paul Hornschemeier reports on his blog: "I sat down with Brandon Wetherbee of the You, Me, Them, Everybody podcast to skip across topics such as mystery novels, crayons, Curt Swan, Robert Crumb, District 9, sock garters, Pixar, syndicated cartoons, Spider-Man, touring with bands, and facial moisturizer. A good time was had by all in a tiny room." • Profile: Portuguese blog Mania dos Quadradinhos looks at the Fantagraphics work of Roger Langridge (autotranslation)

Mark Kalesniko has started a new art blog where so far he's been posting watercolor sketches of stylish girls such as this. Hopefully we'll be seeing glimpses of his new Fantagraphics graphic novel Freeway (scheduled for Summer 2010 release), and of course we'll point you toward future updates in our "Things to see" posts.

Apropos of the release of Almost Silent, we've created a Facebook page for Jason for fans to follow along with the latest updates about his books. For now the page will be focused primarily on Jason's U.S. releases, though we'd be more than happy to have his European publishers involved as well (if any of them are reading this). Join on up! Jason on Facebook And don't forget about our Facebook pages for Peter Bagge, the Hernandez Bros., Ted Stearn's Fuzz & Pluck, and, of course, Fantagraphics.

Mome Vol. 18 – Spring 2010 by various artists; edited by Eric Reynolds 128-page color/b&w 7" x 9" softcover • $14.99ISBN: 978-1-60699-303-3 Ships in: March 2010 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now The multiple Harvey and Eisner Award nominee returns for its fifth year. With this issue, the series has now featured over 2000 pages of comics in its four and half years of existence (2109, to be exact), which may be a record for an English-language alternative comics anthology. This issue's cover is by Nate Neal, who delivers "The Neurotic Nexus of Creation," a 15-page explication of the creative…

Oh my lord! Thanks Derek!

Your daily dose of eyeball kicks: • Holy smokes, this Dave Cooper painting, titled February, is part of the group show The Devil Made Me Do It curated by Industrial Squid at WWA Gallery in Culver City • I like the composition of this drawing of Helvella lacunosa in a cemetary by Debbie Drechsler   • Some Pim & Francie fan art by YouTube user Danny2113182   • Artwork by Sergio Ponchione is used in the stage set for the performance for which this video is the trailer; Sergio's blog post also includes a small newspaper spot illustration he did •…