Go HERE and HERE for more.

Not comics, but kind of fun. Harry Nilsson's demos for Robert Altman and Jules Feiffer's POPEYE movie, over at Bedazzled.

John Kerschbaum is the guest on the new episode of Mike Dawson & Alex Robinson's podcast The Ink Panthers Show -- go here to listen! Not only that, John appears live with Mike & Alex this Sunday at noon at Bergen Street Comics in Brooklyn -- info below. Muffins and mimosas? Ooh la la!

Delphine #4
By Richard Sala

It's here! The horrifying final chapter of the critically acclaimed macabre mini-series by Richard Sala, the gleefully demented creator of Peculia and The Chuckling Whatsit. Lauded by Rue Morgue magazine, among others, Delphine follows a traveler searching for his lost love and encountering a number of frightening obstacles along the way. These include witches, werewolves, bloody murder and a pack of sinister dwarfs (did we mention that this is a twisted re-imagining of "Snow White"?). Despite all this, the traveler persists, staggering onward towards a hair-raising climax and an inevitable confrontation with unspeakable evil!

32-page duotone 8.5" x 11" saddle-stitched softcover with jacket (part of the Ignatz Series) • $7.95
Add to Cart • More Info & Previews

Grotesque #3
By Sergio Ponchione

In the second half of the two-part "Cryptic City" epic, Professor Hackensack continues his battle against the Wicked Barons alongside Inspector Doppiofaccio, the mysterious Lady Puzzle, and an unexpected ally from beyond the grave — with the enigmatic Mr. O'Blique on the sidelines. This amazingly inventive work of surreal fantasy from one of Italy's hottest new talents is proving to be a sleeper hit!

32-page duotone 8.5" x 11" saddle-stitched softcover with jacket (part of the Ignatz Series) • $7.95
Add to Cart • More Info & Previews

Chimera #1
By Lorenzo Mattotti

Long a superstar in his native Italy, Lorenzo Mattotti has made sporadic incursions into the U.S. via appearances in RAW magazine, the classic Fires graphic novel, and the more recent, 2003 Eisner-winning Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adaptation from NBM. (Not to mention regular gigs in The New Yorker.) All of these previous works have showcased his full-color painter style, but Chimera, with its intricate, hyper-expressive swirls of crisp line work, shows that Mattotti's genius is bound by no single technique. A wordless fantasia of birth, death, gods, monsters, and humans, Chimera is the most astonishing visual narrative you'll see all year.

32-page black & white 8.5" x 11" saddle-stitched softcover with jacket (part of the Ignatz Series) • $7.95
Add to Cart • More Info & Previews

Earlier this week, we mentioned the Trina Robbins/Brinkley Girls signing taking place at this weekend's Silent Film Fest in San Francisco. Well, comics fans have another reason to head on down, as the Fest has just announced a Daniel Clowes/Terry Zwigoff signing on Sunday, July 12.

The signing will take place after a screening of the W.C. Fields classic, So'’s Your Old Man at approximately 5:15 pm as part of the San Francisco Silent Film festival (admission is by Festival ticket). Zwigoff will also be introducing the film. See HERE for details.

Go HERE for a link to the complete author festival line up with further info.

Okay, so you already know we're publishing Zak Sally's LIKE A DOG in the early fall, right? (It should debut at SPX). But did you know that this is just the endcap to what's shaping up to be The Summer of Sally?

Sally recorded a record last year entitled Fear Of Song and is finally putting it out in a signed/numbered/handmade edition via his own LA MANO 21 publishing outfit on JULY 22. 

Our good pals at Sub Pop are also releasing a 7" from said record (with an exclusive B-side) on JULY 21; check it out. 

In order to finance the production of his self-release, Sally is selling this original painting he created for Low's 2005 record "The Great Destroyer" (also from SubPop) on ebay:

The reserve is set at exactly the amount it will cost to put out the record.

It's a biggish, 24" x 13" image area (approx), watercolor on banged-up wood. The auction goes live today (July 8), ending July 15. Own a piece of Low history, already! 

So back to this new record. Zak wrote, sang and played everything on it, and recorded it with his old pal Ben Durrant (Andrew Bird, Dosh, Shearwater) at Crazy Beast Studios. 9 songs 37 minutes, and will be released on CD in a signed and limited edition, with all the packaging and such done by hand on the La Mano press. A must have.

There is also probably going to be a video for the single by Phil Harder (Foo Fighters, and... Prince!).

To this end La Mano is setting up an amazing release party and benefit show on JULY 22, hosted by the good folks at Eclipse Records (and therefore ALL AGES and CHEAP) right on University Ave in St. Paul.

Starting at 5:30-ish, you will se performances by these local luminaries:

• JIM AND THE FRENCH VANILLA (Jim from the blind shake's solo venture)
• PAUL METZGER (solo treated guitar unbelievableness)
• SKOAL KODIAK ("sorry everyone else, but the best damn band to come out of minneapolis in a decade solid," says Zak)
• T.O.G.P.T.F.F.S.O.T.W.O.T.E.R.A.T.S.Y.O.A (Three Old Guys Play The First Five Songs Off The Wipers' Over The Edge Record And The Song Youth Of America, featuring Zak Sally, Dale Flattum [Milk Cult, Steel Pole Bath Tub], and double duty from Freddy Votel [Cows, Skoal Kodiak, a million other bands])
• THE SEAWHORES.

Besides that, there will be tables selling ZINES, POSTERS, BOOKS and whatever by a bunch of your favorite local Minneapolis arteests.

It's gonna cost $6, but your $6 also gets you $6 off any La Mano book or poster at the event. Aside from all that, the first hundred or so people in the door will almost certainly get some free thing from the La Mano archives. Oh, and cosplay is encouraged:

How can this not be awesome? 

Remember 2009, The Summer of Sally. 

Happy 7-8-9 day... today's Online Commentary & Diversons update is extra short:

• Review: "...[M]y favorite comics collection of the year so far [is] Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me and Other Astute Observations... Think of [Peter Bagge's] strips as angry but really funny protest songs on paper... Bagge wickedly and wonderfully shows a truly individualistic viewpoint, an actual bullshit detector raging full blast (occasionally to the point of anxiety-induced overload), with ideas and observations both fearlessly marginalist and unabashedly mainstream (like the best rock and roll, in my opinion)... it is HOT and FUN. Just out from Fantagraphics, pick it up now!" - Chris Estey, KEXP

• Review: "Jordan Crane is, to be polite, a bit of a disturbed individual... Not that I'm complaining... The [first] story [in Uptight #3 is] a refinement of past themes that, while not as chilling as usual, still can leave you emotionally drained... The second story is "Freeze Out"... The drawing is immaculate... And just when you think the story is over, it twists right at the end from a gentle children's fable... into something else." - squiggly lines!

... but apparently Robin is not gay. 

Via SLOG. Only two weeks to go until Comicon!

UPDATE: No, actually they are gay. False alarm. Sorry about that!