Drew Friedman looks in his crystal ball to Minnesota circa 2039 for The New Republic. Click through for full liver-spotted glory (and Drew's commentary).

All last week and this week we're bringing you a sneak peek at our Fall 2009 - Winter 2010 schedule of releases! Today's excerpt from our latest book distributor's catalog includes The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century A.D., a collection of short stories by Dash Shaw; the second volume of John Pham's Sublife; and the expanded deluxe reissue King: The Special Edition by Ho Che Anderson. (Note that all the info in this catalog is subject to change along the way to the books' release, including release dates, prices, cover art, book specs, etc.) Click here to download the PDF!

Erstwhile Fantagraphics staffer Jen Ralston returned to the fold for the weekend, with a slice of real estate for her adorable stuffed felt creatures.

Zuniga took a page from the Ajax Wood book of shades-wearing con badassery.

More pretty, pretty books & comics. Sadly I failed to get a photo of Dame Darcy when she was at our table, especially since she was resplendent and colorful in a fancy turquoise dress.

So, this year's Stumptown Comics Fest was a-hoppin' on Saturday when I was there. Stumptown has cemented a place in my heart as my favorite comics show. Personal highlights this year:

1: Meeting and talking to T. Edward Bak, who showed me his gorgeous original pages for the story which begins serialization in the next issue of Mome. He's doing the pages in a sketchbook and they'll actually be printed larger than actual size. He also told me about the grant he received [correction!] has applied for (hope I didn't just jinx it!) to adapt the story into an online educational resource and introduced me to his intern (!) -- go man go!

2. Finding a lot of really talented young cartoonists I hadn't heard of before, meeting some whom I'd heard of but hadn't seen much of their work, buying stuff from them. I do most of my comics shopping at cons, so I went a little splurge-happy. I found some pretty exciting and interesting stuff and can't wait to start digging into my haul.

3. More shopping at such fine concerns as Little Otsu (new Lilli Carré book!) and the ever-reliable Sparkplug (several excellent-looking comics and, finally, the Renee French t-shirt I've been wanting for years but they never had in my size until now).

4. It's always nice to see those familiar con faces and say howdy. Comics people are good people.

5. 14 awesome new Yodas in the Yoda sketchbook (not scanned yet). I saw Douglas Wolk's sketchbook making the rounds too, and I can't wait for him to post his scans.

I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting. Many thanks to the Stumptown organizers and volunteers for putting on a swell show. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Spotted by Kim Thompson, here's an item currently being offered on Amazon for $2,608.78 in worn, "acceptable" condition. What kind of rarity could demand such a price? A rare Golden Age comic? Squint below, or just click for a full-size version. Vendor names have been obscured to protect the guilty.

While I'm at it, here's something else amusing I spotted last week:

Cops confiscate contraband Crumb comics! Are they just now auctioning off the assets of a head shop they busted 40 years ago? (Note: I was too wary of scams & spam to actually click the link; go to that URL at your own risk. If you do investigate, though, please leave a comment letting us know if you find out what the story is.)

Normally I just link these in the "daily links" post, but this entry from Robert Goodin on the Covered blog, "covering" Carl Barks, is my favorite so far. Did Rob start that blog just so that he could eventually post this and pwn all the other contributors? (Did I really just say "pwn" on Flog?) Only kidding, but I do love it so. Rob also has a delightful short story in the upcoming Vol. 15 of Mome to look forward to.

All-Clowes edition!

• Review: "I found the main characters relatable enough that when more or less out of nowhere... the sci fi/psuedo-super hero elements kick in, it's a shock to the system that threw me but that I also cared about. In not that many pages, Clowes had got me invested in these kids, so no matter how bizarro the next act was, I was in for a pound... There really is some smart stuff said in the course of this narrative about human nature, growing up and power..." - Ben Morse, The Cool Kids Table, on Eightball #23 by Daniel Clowes (via Sean T. Collins)

• Hooray for Hollywood: In an interview with Comingsoon.net, Michel Gondry says the Daniel Clowes-scripted animated movie Gondry's co-directing with his son is still moving forward (via The Beat)

Presented this week for your enjoyment:

Blecky has a recipe for awesomeness in this week's Blecky Yuckerella strip by Johnny Ryan...

That unknown menace is still menacing in this week's installment of Steven Weissman's in-progress pages from "Blue Jay," an epic 50-page story from Chocolate Cheeks, the next collection of the Yikes! gang's adventures....

And more mismanaged girlfriends, hangovers and snark in our current 5-day chunk of Martin Kellerman's hilarious Swedish smash-hit Rocky, updated Monday-Friday!

All this week and next week we're bringing you a sneak peek at our Fall 2009 - Winter 2010 schedule of releases! Today's excerpt from our latest book distributor's catalog includes Portable Grindhouse: The Lost Art of the VHS Box Vol. 1; a re-release of Willie & Joe: The WWII Years; The Definitive Prince Valiant Companion by Brian M. Kane; and Basil Wolverton's Culture Corner. (Note that all the info in this catalog is subject to change along the way to the books' release, including release dates, prices, cover art, book specs, etc.) Click here to download the PDF!

Brian Heater at The Daily Cross Hatch has complete, must-see coverage of Tuesday's Humbug event with (L to R above) Arnold Roth, moderator Gary Groth and Al Jaffee at the Strand Bookstore in NYC, including full audio of the talk, video clips, and more photos. Thanks Brian, and great job!