The O.C. is gone! A television show which my wife had to originally entrap me into watching … because of the comics angle, natch … hooked me in the biggest way, and like all good television, i'm truly sad to see these characters go. The O.C. certainly had its share of cheese, and it was unapologetic about it, but it also had lots of heart, and in the end that's what matters to me. AND season 3 had a Blankets sighting as well. (Thanks, Ian!) Kudos cast & crew for a good run.

• Allow me now to turn your attention to some more work by the incredible Austrian cartoonist Nicolas Mahler, published by our friends La Pasteque up in Montreal. These four books are either silent or in English (despite them being a mostly French language publisher), so while the titles might be French, the books can be read in their entirety. Désir, Shitty Art Book, Bad Job, and Poèmes. (I couldn't find any large images, unfortunately.)

And as per usual, Mahler proves himself to be an incredible cartoonist, yet sadly unknown in North America. I hope i can change this.

In fact, i'll start right now. Order now, and you can buy both Mahler books published by Top Shelf … Lone Racer and Van Helsing's Night Off, each priced at $13 each) for only $20. That's $6 savings.

• Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery and Georgetown Records Present Filthy Beasts, featuring music by the DT’s and art by Jim Blanchard on March 10.

Saturday, March 10 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, in association with Georgetown Records, host an evening of fine art and raucous rock n roll. Filthy Beasts combines the CD release of the DT’s Filthy Habits recording on the Get Hip label with an exhibition and signing of Jim Blanchard’s Beasts and Priests title on Seattle’s Fantagraphics Books imprint. This festive event is free to the public of all ages. Georgetown Records and Fantagraphics Bookstore are located at 1201 S. Vale. St., at the corner of S. Vale and Airport Way S. in the heart of the Seattle’s historic Georgetown district.

I'm sure you can read more about this event at the excellent Flog! The Fantagraphics blog.

• Here are finished pencils of the Jeffrey Brown cover for our forthcoming Seasonal Sampler book.

• John Weeks, international comics pimp, has a new update. He writes:
Our Books, a local nonprofit focused on Khmer comics, is pleased to announce that a new web comic is online. "Life's Choices" is available in English and Khmer at:

www.lifes-choices-cambodia.net

The story was developed in cooperation with PACT, with support from Danida and USAID. The comic aims to raise awareness about corruption in everyday life and how individuals can respond. Print copies are available via Our Books in Phnom Penh.

• My god, the more i learn about our nefarious government, i sink can only sink my head in my hands. Here, Naomi Klein writes about U.S. psychological torture, which literally drives people insane; and often on untried, unconvicted innocents rounded up and sent to Guantánamo Bay, or any number of illegal prisons around the world. Fucked up and disturbing. This administration will go down as one of the most horrific, regressive, and human rights/civil liberties damaging regimes in the history of the world.

• Marty finally won his Oscar. The Departed won a few, in fact. Good for you, Mr Scorcese.

• O.k. then, right as Staros is getting back from the New York Con, i'm leaving bright and early in tomorrow morning for San Francisco, and WonderCon.

•Â And finally, just because i stumbled onto it on the internet...

Ciao, baby!

Driving northbound on I-5, on my way home from my mom-in-law's, i saw a HUGE bald-eagle just 20 yards off the side of the road, munching on what seemed to be a small lamb. (Deductive reasoning supports this in that this field was in fact, teeming with sheep.) This bird was so big, he must have stood 3' to 4' tall. Wow...

Meanwhile,

• Discovered yet ANOTHER beautiful artsy-fartsy magazine, called Amelia's Magazine. Luscious, tempting production values, great art, and a mind-bending cover and wild comic by UK-based, Brit-pop artist, JIm The Illustrator.

• Martin Ontiveros NEWS:

Group show, Free to a Good Home. Martin writes, "Based on a lot of people's love for kittens and cats, and the fact that there's tons who need help... this show will display great art, and we'll also have cats and kittens in house that you can adopt! Kitten Rescue.org will have a section closed off and maybe you'll go home with a new friend."

Free to a Good Home at GR2, February 17 - March 14. Reception: Saturday, February 17

GR2
2062 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
gr2.net
(310) 445 - 9276

Giant Robot is proud to present Free to a Good Home, a group show at GR2 that will benefit Kitten Rescue, a Los Angeles-based organization that saves kittens and cats from the high-kill shelter system and fosters them until they can find the right homes. Paintings, illustrations, photography, and other pieces will be inspired by-but not limited to-cats. Artists include: Andrice Arp, Robert Bellm, Jeffrey Brown, Martin Cendreda, Austin English, Evah Fan, Susie Ghahremani, Leif Goldberg, Katherine Guillen, Myleen Hollero, Jordin Isip, kozyndan, Le Merde, Justin "Scrappers" Morrison, Munkao, Saelee Oh, Martin Ontiveros, John Pham, Pryor Praczukowski, Aaron Renier, Albert Reyes, Zach Rossman, Brian Rush, Jay Ryan, Souther Salazar, Jeana Sohn, Deth P. Sun, Daria Tessler, Marci Washington, Steve Weissman, Andrew Jeffrey Wright.

"Ten percent of art sales from the show will go toward Kitten Rescue."

Bat-Cat, 5x7 inches, acrylic and ink on board

"Next is Elevation, Limited Addiction Gallery's inaugural show starring everyone on the frickin' map. Opens tomorrow night from 7 to 11pm, 825 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 303-893-4234. Go to www.limitedaddictiongallery.com and see the whole show online."

Gruesome-Groovy, 8X10 inches, acrylic and ink on board. $500

"I have some new prints I'm about to produce. Booskula is 5 colors, apprx. 9X12 inches in size, silkscreened at home by yours truly and comes in Lime, Creamsicle or Blueberry. Of course the colors may vary some since you're lookin' at a computer simulation of the colorways, but it'll be more or less the same. $30 a pop, pick your flavor (and I can work out a discount if you want more than one flavor or all three). If interested, please contact me directly and say 'HEY! I wanna get one!'."

"Last up is my own show at Super 7 in SF. It doesn't open until March 10th, and I will likely be emailing all ya'll about it again soon, but I thought I'd mention it now anyway. Rainbows In The Dark it's called. I'm shooting for at least 20-21 smaller pieces for this show, so it's somewhat affordable. Somewhat. However may I make, it's gonna kick some ass. If you're in the area, please come! March 10th, 7 to 9pm at Super 7, 1628 Post St, San Francisco, CA 415-409-4700."

• Meanwhile, keeping the ass-kicking art train rolling, here's two recent pieces by the always-amazing Ulana Zahajkewycz.

• This weekend while at mom's place, i also read R. Kikuo Johnson's debut graphic novel, Night Fisher, published by Fantagraphics. I'd read and heard some mixed reviews, and was really looking forward to reading this, especially after reading his interview in The Comics Journal months ago. After all, he was taught (in part) by David Mazzucchelli at SVA in New York. Indeed, i do see shades of Mazzucchelli, and also Paul Pope and David Lapham. Needless to say, i was floored by this book. There is a sense of naturalism in both story, storytelling, and dialog that i just did not expect. The subject matter (a realistic, almost mundane plot, gathering personal momentum as it moves forward) was deftly handled, and offered a narrative that you find often in independent film, yet is sadly still lacking in comics. RKJ is one to watch, and i for one can't wait for his next book. Kudos.

• Took a break to watch the new episode on Frontline, the second in a series called News War; superb news journalism looking into government and its difficult relationship with the media, limits of journalistic freedom and its obligations in judicial matters, etc. Compelling programming, if you're at all into learning more about our civil obligation to knowing what's going on in our country and our world … besides that Britney shaved her freaking head. You know, free speech, civil liberties, protection of privacy, and similar silly ideas that directly affect our lives.

Best of all, this second episode casts light on the little-known jailing of blogger Josh Wolf, for his refusal to turn over home-made video-tape to the FBI. This story is mightily important, and the interview is spectacular.

I've long been a fan of Frontline, and can't recommend this program enough.

• From Warren Ellis' Bad Signal:

"Always remember: Valentine's Day is a Christian corruption of a pagan festival involving werewolves, blood and fucking. So wish people a happy Horny Werewolf Day and see what happens. I love you all." … W

• The Isotope comics shop in San Francisco is hosting a premiere for the recently completed Jeffrey Brown documentary DRAWING BETWEEN THE LINES this Friday (Feb 16th) with Chicago film-maker Bruce Parsons. It follows Mister Brown all over the Chicagoland area and also on a cross-country trip to the 2006 Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco. The picture also includes interviews with comic artists Anders Nilsen, Liz Prince and Jamie Dee Galey as well as MOME editor Eric Reynolds.

• Here is Renee French's incredible self-portrait for her upcoming Micrographica.

• Following are three versions of Andy Hartzell's forthcoming Fox, Bunny, Funny. Great stuff.

• Aaron Renier returned home from France, where he traveled with Craig Thompson to the infamous Angouleme; only the Western World's most important comics festival. (Bart Beaty wrote an in-depth report on this year's festival... chock full of background, history, politics, and of course, comics.)

Anyway, Aaron sent this to me, a book-plate he made for the Parisian comic shop, Super Hero. He too writes about his experience in France at his delightful website.

• Also, a new rough for our Anniversary poster, by Ulana Zahajkewycz.

• Finally, i wrote when i got back from Australia, about some beautiful designs a British publisher had done for the Elmore Leonard catalog. Well, a little investigation here in Portland, at two different locations of Powell's Book, has uncovered some gorgeous designs for Mr Leonard's crime novels here in the U.S., by none other than Chip Kidd. I must say, these too are superbly designed. Now i need to clone myself, so i have time to read all of these!

These are the UK editions.

And the US editions.

Yesterday marked the 13th Anniversary since Jack Kirby died. No doubt, considered to be the heart and soul of comics, he most certainly was the King. As it happens, my Mom died on the very same day, also 13 years ago. She was an amazing woman -- her influence shaped my world, and her belief in me helped me become the man i am today.

So here's to Jack and Donna. I love you guys.

(Sadly, i have no photos of Donna digitized. Sorry, Mom. But here's a sweet Kirby piece.)

It seems like i've been saving neat stuff as i stumble across it, then updating every five days to a week. I think this is the most productive i can be on the blog, so i hope it works for any readers who may be out there. Fun things follow.

• Went to the launch party here in Portland on Friday, for Jacob Covey's exquisite illustrated bestiary, aptly titled Beasts!. The show was at Bwana Spoons' fabulous art space / gallery / store Grass Hut, on east Burnside, and it was PACKED. I saw lots of comics peeps there, and was particularly fired up to meet Mr Covey himself. In short order he is quickly making a reputation as one the finest designer /art directors in all of comics. Witness superlative work on Fantagraphics books like Popeye, Dennis The Menace, and Beasts! itself, a flippin' masterpiece of design, perfectly married to its stellar contents. Congrats Jacob and Bwana.

• I love a good magazine. Sorry to read about the demise of The Drama, which i only just discovered with its last issue. Still great stuff coming out from FLAUNT and SWINDLE, two of the most consistently excellent style mags. LOVED the first issue of GEEK magazine (which i think i already wrote about), and just found a new-to-me culture mag called DEATH & TAXES. This last one is similar in tone to the original run of the late great GIANT, and has actually replaced GIANT for me, since it changed hands and went down the toilet after issue 12.

Four more more magazines newly discovered, and well received into the Top Shelf Media Library.
CLUTTER
NUDE
ART PROSTITUTE
MEAN

Bwana Spoons' excellent PENCIL FIGHT is rolling along, with the third issue sporting a superb cover feature about Carson Ellis, hands down one of my favorite contemporary illustrators.

• Feast your eyes on these gorgeous watercolors by Gregory Benton.

• James Kochalka is having a gigantic show of Little Paintings at Giant Robot NY. He's painted 150 paintings for this show, and they're some of his best ever. The opening is Saturday, Feb. 17 from 6:30 to 10:00 pm. Then at midnight, he's having a rock show at Cake Shop, nearby.

•Â Perusing NUDE magazine, i read a review of the film, Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait DVD After discovering this great soccer player only this last year in the World Cup, i was instantly spellbound. I REALLY want to buy this on dvd, but as far as i can tell, it's only available in Region 2 format, when i only have a Region 1 player.

In any case, i asked soccer buff Gregory Benton about this, and while he'd never heard of the film, he did send me this link to a great YouTube vid with Zidane. Then from that i found another one. Superb ballhandler, this man, and so fun to watch.

If anyone knows if this is available in Region 1 format, please let me know.

•Â Recommended. Cartoon Modern. An essential book for designers and stylists. This is one of the most stunning books i've ever seen. Amid Amidi (the maestro behind the excellent magazine Animation Blast!) has pulled out all the stops, and created an amazing book on animators from the fifties who have arguably had more influence on contemporary cartoon art than any other movement in the 20th Century. Lush with illustrations and illuminating history, i will tell you unequivocally, if you enjoy 50s design and art styles, then you will LOVE this book. It's outstanding.

•Â Bruce Parsons directed a fabulous documentary about Jeffrey Brown. I'm told it will be entered into several film festivals. Jeffrey Brown fans, keep your eyes open.

•Â Rob Goodin of Robot Publishing has a revamped website up and running. Check it out!

•Â Wow, one of my favorite political essayists, Molly Ivans, died today. She was only 62 years old. Man, that sucks.

•Â My sister Nicky and i went to see Pan's Labyrinth. Holy mama, achingly beautiful. I really don't know what to say, except see this movie.

•Â So here's some cool new images.

A rough poster design by Ulana Zahajkewycz, for a 10-Year Anniversary poster.

The pencil drawing by Kevin O'Neil, for League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 3.

Our new Diamond Previews catalog ad.

Just because... i LOVE Richard Scary

Pencil sketches for our forthcoming book, Veeps, by Bill Kelter and Wayne Shellabarger. (Art by Wayne.)