Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "I read this volume over two nights, and it spoiled both evenings in the best way. It is grotesque and nihilistic, punctuated by moments of thrashing violence. ... Attempts at humor are only steeped in gallows. ... There is a pulse drumming in [King of the Flies Vol. 1:] Hallorave. By the time the second volume arrives in November (just in time for the holidays, kids!), it might very well morph into a low buzzing." – Alex Carr, Omnivoracious (Amazon)

• Links: Love & Maggie brings us another "Monster-Sized" Love and Rockets link roundup, this time focused on recent events

• Scene: Charles W. Hatfield of Thought Balloonists reports from the Gary Panter lecture and exhibit opening at Pasadena City College back on March 15, with copious photos

Steve Brodner just announced some exciting news:

"Tonight marks our first contribution to Need to Know, PBS’ new Friday night newsmagazine.  We are doing short films which combine narrative, live art and animation. This week we contemplate Hamid Karzai. 8:30 tonight in the East (check locals) and 6PM on Sunday."

Only about 12 hours left for EVERY issue of The Comics Journal to be on sale! All available issues through #287 are HALF OFF and #288-300 are 1/3 OFF! Plus, all Comics Journal Library books and Comics Journal Special Editions are also HALF OFF! Time's a-ticking away so get those orders in while you can.

Billy Hazelnuts and the Crazy Bird
by Tony Millionaire

104-page black & white 6.5" x 9" hardcover • $19.99
ISBN: 978-1-56097-917-3

Ships in: June 2010 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now

Billy Hazelnuts is back for the first time since his acclaimed 2006 Eisner Award-winning debut. Life has settled back to normal in the old house. Becky and her mom are getting used to having Billy around, as he performs various household chores, utilizing his amazing strength. Nothing could be better, aside from a jumpy relationship with the cat. Until one day Billy hears screeching in the back yard and runs out to find a very large owl attacking his housemate. “I hate that cat, but it’s OUR CAT!” yells Billy, and chases the owl off.

Billy soon discovers that the owl he has just scared off has left an egg in his nest. When the egg hatches, it’s up to Billy to reunite the baby owl with his mother, and the two head off into the deep, deep woods in search of her. The resulting adventure is a crazy potion of all-ages fun, humor, thrills and chills like only Tony Millionaire is capable of.

Download an EXCLUSIVE 11-page PDF excerpt (1.1 MB).

Video & Photo Slideshow Preview (view in new window):

Bonus Savings: Order Billy Hazelnuts (Vol. 1) + Billy Hazelnuts and the Crazy Bird together for a discounted price of $31.99 (a savings of about 8 bucks)! Order now and we'll ship you both books when Crazy Bird arrives in our warehouse.

Daily clips & strips — click for improved/additional viewing at the sources:

• Tim Hensley celebrates the release of Wally Gropius with what seems to be a new and/or previously unseen Wally drawing

• This week's "I, Anonymous" spot by Steven Weissman

• "Riverside" is a new lithograph by John Hankiewicz

• Look closely at "Magnolia" (above) and "Oak," two Eleanor Davis pieces for Tree Show VI at GRSF

• Michael Kupperman artwork in the Lady Gaga anthology fanzine Prison for Bitches (which also includes Johnny Ryan)

• "The Tiger & The Princess of Hearts" is Jim Blanchard's piece in the tiger-themed group show Tiger Tiger Burning Bright opening at Roq la Rue gallery in Seattle tomorrow night

• Noah Van Sciver's animated music video for Lust-Cats of the Gutters

• A portrait of "Lexie Super-Dog" by Josh Simmons on his & Wendy Chin's Quackers blog

• It's, like, a rock made out of trussed-up hair, or something, by Renee French

• It's Paul Hornschemeier's new weekly t-shirt design for his Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop

• Joost Swarte covers The New Yorker (via The Beat)

• Your daily deluge of Derek Van Gieson: "Abstraction House," a "Devil Doll" outtake, and supervillain record-shopping habits

Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "It's a closely observed story — specific in its details but broadly recognizable from the lives of a million young men — in an expressive, inky style... Night Fisher [is] an excellent naturalistic story of these young men in this closely examined place." – Andrew Wheeler, The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.

• Panel: Inkstuds host Robin McConnell presents an audio recording of the TCAF spotlight panel with Dash Shaw and Paul Pope which he moderated

• Birthday: Matt Thorn, editor of our upcoming manga line, wishes Moto Hagio a happy birthday

The Best Show on WFMU host Tom Scharpling welcomed Tales Designed to Thrizzle creator Michael Kupperman as a guest on May 4 (along with Dave Willis and Dana Snyder of Aqua Teen Hunger Force), and the audio is now archived for your listening pleasure here.

Here's a treat for Krazy Kat fans, Dave Alvin fans, and especially people in the Venn diagram overlap: the previously unheard Dave Alvin instrumental "Krazy and Ignatz" is available to stream or download as part of a free Yep Roc Records digital sampler.

Jim Woodring just dropped by the office to drop off the first 36 pages of his in-progress follow-up to Weathercraft, titled Congress of the Animals. We don't have a release date set for it but I'm guessing it will probably be about a year from now. Click the photos for bigger images.