Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "Taking Punk to the Masses: From Nowhere to Nevermind is the latest volume dedicated to the celebration of punk — specifically, in this case, punk music from the Pacific Northwest. But unlike its notable forebears..., it complements its substantive oral history and vivid testimonials with an array of arresting visual artifacts — pivotal punk imagery that includes iconic show posters, electrifying performance photographs and heaps of wild costumes and dilapidated guitars — to tell its rambunctious story.... Paradoxically for a volume dedicated to such a proudly ragged and rough-hewn aesthetic, Taking Punk to the Masses is a beautifully constructed gem. Even more peculiarly for a history lesson wedged between hard covers, it'll make you hear the music that has so spectacularly inflamed your speakers and headphones for three decades." – Jason Diamond, NPR.org

The Diamond PREVIEWSworld website has posted sneak peeks of 3 of our books officially hitting comic shops next Wednesday, June 8!

First, see 10 pages and more from Jim Woodring's Congress of the Animals (note that the sketch pages are not included in the final version of the book and spoil a pretty big reveal in the book)...

Then, check out 4 exclusive pages from Isle of 100,000 Graves by Jason & Fabien Vehlmann...

And finally, take a look at our info-packed promo brochure for Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 1: Race to Death Valley by Floyd Gottfredson (you can also download a PDF of it from us)!

Want. WANT. WantWantWantWantWant.

Are you kidding me?!  One of the few things I love as much as comics is fashion, so a dress featuring a print designed by artist Ray Fenwick is almost too much for me to handle. 

Titled "Toothpick Swarm," this cotton jersey dress from Threadless.com features Fenwick's immediately-identifiable illustration work in a bold tomato-red print. 

And fellas, Fenwick has you covered, too, with the "S.S. Aimless" tee, also available through Threadless.com.  Um... I kinda want this, too.

Of course, if you'd rather read it than wear it, just click here to get your copy of Mascots, if it's not on your bookshelf already. More of Fenwick's energetic work in his signature surrealistic style, and less laundry.

Heroes Con is this weekend, June 3rd through 5th, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC.  And while Fantagraphics won't be there ourselves, a couple of our awesome artists will be in attendance!

Visit Drew Weing in the Artists Alley at Booth 423! According to his Twitter Account, it's your chance to get one of the last few precious copies of the first printing of his acclaimed debut novel Set to Sea.  He'll also have some mini-comics and original art for sale.

Drew's got panels on:

Saturday, June 4th
• 1:30 PM // Designing Comics, Room 203A

Sunday, June 5th
• 2:30 PM // The Web Comics: Solo Shocker, Room 207BCD

And say hello to Roger Langridge, who will also be in the Artists Alley at Booth 518, all the way from London! According to his blog, he will also have some original art, so go check it out!

You can also check out Roger's panels:

Saturday, June 4th
• 12:00 PM // Approaches to Humor, Room 209

Sunday, June 5th
• 11:30 AM // Hammer Time (or more specifically it’s Mjolnir Time), Room 207BCD
•  4:00 PM // Adapting Licensed Properties to Comics, Room 209

Get more details about Drew and Roger's panels at the Heroes Con website!

As the clock strikes midnight, we invite you to join Jim Woodring in the shadows of the sculpture garden...

No, it's not the plot of a Kubrick film; it's Nightshift, a special dusk-to-dawn event at the garden of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN!

This unique event features live music, collaborative drawing, bedtime stories, and even a Busby Berkeley–style sleeping bag choreography!

And at midnight, Jim will be giving a demonstration of the infamous giant pen. Stop by the Walker Cinema room to observe and converse with this artistic genius!

Nightshift begins at 9:00 PM this Saturday, June 4 and runs until 6:00 AM the next morning at the Walker Art Center [1750 Hennepin Ave.]. The event is completely free, and you'd be a lunatic not to go.

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review/Interview: "When Leslie Stein’s Eye of the Majestic Creature is summarized, it sounds too precious and odd for human consumption, like some horrible blend of Ziggy and Zippy. That’s far from the case, however. The first four issues of Eye, now collected in book form by Fantagraphics, never tip over into cutesy treacle or become mired in faux hipsterism. Far from it — there’s a sense of melancholy and awareness that, while never overwhelming the book, grounds it in a recognizable reality. Adopting a simple, rubbery style, Stein manages to create both a likeable, sympathetic main character and maintain a tone of reflected grace. It’s a surprisingly strong and self-assured comic for such a relatively young creator." – Chris Mautner, The Comics Journal

"I try not to consciously draw upon any artist or movement in the creation of my work, I do not want to be derivative of anyone or thing in particular. I’m influenced by almost everything, though. I love music and film and literature and art. I take it all in and try to forget about it, knowing that some of it will come out unconsciously." – Leslie Stein, interviewed by Mautner

• Review/Interview: "With a meandering tone and structure reminiscent of Eddie Campbell's Alec stories, Stein depicts a relatable (but not necessarily realistic) slice of life tale, and the fact that the stranger, more colorful elements of her story — from a female protagonist named Larrybear to anthropomorphic musical instruments to characters drawn as animals — never overwhelm the realistic elements. It's a fun and thoughtful book that has its own tone and rhythm in a way that's a triumph for the talented, young cartoonist." – Alex Dueben, Comic Book Resources

"I think the unfortunate thing with a lot of autobiographical comics is that they're all done by the same kind of people with the same kind of mentality. For me, what would be interesting would be to get an autobiographical comic done by the popular girl in high school. What her comic would be like would be way interesting to me." – Leslie Stein, interviewed by Dueben

It's down to the last couple of days for Zak Sally's Kickstarter project for his self-published, self-printed edition of Sammy the Mouse Vol. 1, collecting the first 3 Ignatz Series issues. The project already met its funding goal a couple of weeks ago but Zak is making one last plea for additional funds so that he can make the book a little fancier, hire some promo help and maybe pay himself a little bit for the printing. And of course it's your last chance to get in on the nifty pledge incentives. If you haven't pledged yet, what are you waiting for?

Residents of San Francisco should head over to the Cartoon Art Museum tonight as they welcome author Monte Schulz! Schulz will talk about growing up with his father, Peanuts artist Charles M. Schulz, and how "Sparky" influenced his own writings. It's sure to be an engaging evening for all!

Following the presentation, Schulz will be signing copies of his latest novel, The Last Rose of Summer.  The Cartoon Art Museum is located at 655 Mission Street in San Francisco.  The event runs from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and is free and open to the public!

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "Stein's cartooning is broad and trippy, and if she occasionally becomes intoxicated with her own gimlet-eyed sensibility, she's never afraid to turn that dark wit on herself. Eye of the Majestic Creature... is ultimately the tale of a young woman rejecting the things that shaped her and attempting to figure out what comes next for her. Thanks to Stein's loose, amiable approach, you'll want to know that, too." – Glen Weldon, NPR Monkey See

• Review: "Readers needing their Peter Bagge and/or Hate fix will always get it, to some degree, in the Hate Annual. Hate Annual #9, however, is one of the better editions, and that’s probably because of what Bagge presents here. 'Heaven' and 'Hell' appeases by giving us a peek at what’s going on in Buddy’s life right now, but we also get a hefty narrative that gives us something akin to the classic madness that was Buddy and Lisa’s life in Seattle." – Leroy Douresseaux, I Reads You

• Plug: Los Angeles magazine spotlights Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 1: Race to Death Valley by Floyd Gottfredson in their monthly "Reading List": "Reacquaint yourself with the real Mickey as Fantagraphics launches its effort to reprint the entire strip by the famous L.A. cartoonist."

• Profile: Brian Hoag of the McCook Daily Gazette has a Memorial Day tribute to Bill Mauldin: "During WWII, Bill Mauldin's cartoons appeared in the military Stars and Stripes newpaper, and showed a sarcastic humor side of war that the combat troops could relate to. Not one to shy away from pointing a finger at the top brass, General Patton tried to get Mauldin censored as George thought the 'humor' wasn't so funny." (Via Mike Lynch)

• Feature: Mint spotlights the work of Lilli Carré

• Feature: Eleanor Davis got the Meathaus spotlight treatment

We're resuming offering some finds from our recent clean-sweep of our attic on eBay. Our current offering: The Voyage of the Ayeguy, a 1980 limited edition set of painting reproductions from renowned sci-fi artist Josh Kirby. Bidding closes on Sunday.