blog: things you should check out

Here is some press coverage about my upcoming book, Beards of our Forefathers: an article at Publishers Weekly, another at some other site, and the official Dark Horse press release.

Also, to answer some readers’ questions about the book: I’m encouraging Amazon pre-orders now, but I will also have signed copies available for purchase directly from my store once it comes out in the summer. Anyone who buys the book via Amazon or their local bookstore will also be able to, if they like, send me their copy for signature/personalization.

While I’m posting articles, here’s another (very favorable) review of a short story I had featured in Pseudopod recently. The mention of my story, “Fever,” is near the bottom of the page.

The long-awaited How to Make Webcomics book from the Halfpixel guys is finally out! I got my copy yesterday and it’s a chunky brick o’ love: equally pressed, condensed wood pulp AND pressed, condensed comics brilliance. It’s available from Dave, Kris, Brad, or Scott, and since they split the profits you can just pick the dude closest to you: L.A., Texas, Philly or Cairo.

If you like to laugh, and you’re not put off by buckets and buckets of profanity, check out the “David Blaine: Street Magic” videos here. These guys are actors at the Groundlings theater — watch all three Blaine spoofs in order for maximal hilarity.

If you don’t get what they’re spoofing, here’s a real David Blaine video. CAUTION DOUCHE AHEAD

What if Hollywood was run by the comic industry, instead of by movies? If Marvel and DC were the big guns instead of Fox, Paramount and the like, and if starry-eyed youngsters moved to the city to audition for issues instead of episodes? Such is the world of Kevin McShane’s Toupydoops. It’s a great premise that Kevin pulls off pitch-perfectly, with clean artwork and sharp wit. Check it out!

Kate Beaton is a comic artist with a beautifully breezy pen style that communicates gesture and expression as well as any comic I’ve seen recently. All of her comics are really endearing, but I particularly love her wonderfully witty series about historical figures such as Benedict Arnold and Genghis Khan. Kate I dig it please keep it up.