As promised, here's an advance look at the new upcoming 12th issue of Linda Medley's Castle Waiting Vol. II, the long-awaited bowling issue! It's in stores now and if all goes well we should have it in stock here on the website next week. Click here if the slideshow doesn't appear above.

Time for a new installment of Steven Weissman's in-progress pages from "Blue Jay," an epic 32-page story from Chocolate Cheeks, the next collection of the Yikes! gang's adventures. In this week's episode: a change of scene. Also, Steven says "I've already redrawn the first panel, but I'll leave it like this for whomever wants to see it this week." Oo, exclusive outtake deleted bonus scene! (Remember, you must be registered and logged in to read.)

My old pal Joe Newton, cartoonist and former Gas Huffer drummer and Stranger art director, just released this new print through Etsy that he and Davin Kuntze created. 

100% of the $20 sale price goes to support the Obama campaign. This is a limited edition letterpress poster, created with 100+ year old woodtype and custom-cast metal type. A real collector's item. The numbered edition is limited to 100 copies, and is printed with oil-based inks on high-quality, heavyweight paper.

Meanwhile, longtime comics editor Pete Friedrich just sent out this image (along with this link):

It should come as no surprise that Fantagraphics is an Obama stronghold. 

The following books are now available for pre-order! Click the cover images for more info about each book. And of course we'll be bringing you previews as the release dates get closer. All are expected to arrive between now and the end of October. For more, see our Upcoming Arrivals page.

(Coincidentally, today is Joe Kubert's 82nd birthday!)

And new editions of these out-of-print books by Jason:

FANTAGRAPHICS AND THE STRAND BOOKSTORE PRESENT:
KIM DEITCH TALKS PICTORAMA AND MORE ON THURSDAY, SEPT. 18

Veteran underground cartoonist Kim Deitch, creator of the acclaimed Fantagraphics collection Shadowland and the Pantheon graphic novels Alias the Cat and Boulevard of Broken Dreams, has recruited his entire cast of siblings to produce a unique, all-new "picto-fiction" pocket book.

Alternating between heavily illustrated near-comics stories and outright prose, Deitch's Pictorama is a testament to the entire Deitch family's amazing yarn-spinning abilities. Join Deitch at the Strand as he gives a power point presentation telling the story of how Deitch's Pictorama came about and showing pictorial highlights, including a dramatic reading of Deitch's story, "The Sunshine Girl," performed by Deitch and artist Pamela Butler. Deitch will also give an exclusive preview of his next graphic novel, to be published in 2009.

Can’t make this event? PRE-ORDER a SIGNED BOOK at strandbooks.com/calendar and WATCH the event LIVE on strandbooks.com/tv.

Listing Information

Who: Kim Deitch
What: Deitch's Pictorama Book Event
When: Thursday, September 18, 7:00PM
Where: The Strand Book Store
828 Broadway @ 12th Street, NYC
(212) 660-6643

For more information about upcoming events at Strand:
www.strandbooks.com/calendar

You know, I see Jacob Covey every day but somehow every time I read an interview with him I learn something new. Reading his comments on the design of Popeye, a project/topic I would have thought we'd exhausted in office talk, is fascinating peek into the thought processes that go into graphic design.

Los Angeles film fans not only get to watch great films at the Silent Movie Theatre, part-owned by Sammy Harkham-- they also get to take home monthly programs with cover art by great cartoonists. (Shown: Harkham, Richard Sala, Josh Simmons.)

Jefferson Machamer is a stand-out in these old pulps. His work looked like nobody else's. The women are decidedly manish and the poses stiff so it's odd that he did pin-up work. I was unfamiliar with Machamer when I was first flipping through the Humorama digests and I couldn't get my head around this guy who seemed, at times, to be drawing Jimbo in drag. (Gary Panter has called him an influence.) Above is what I think must be a later piece, where the forms seem more natural. This one shows well what he did brilliantly: Look at those attacking lines just cutting out the forms. Every drawing screams with the artist's energy.

Just one new title from us scheduled to arrive at comic shops today:

• Castle Waiting Vol. II #12 by Linda Medley

This is a rare instance of a title arriving in stores before we receive it ourselves, so head on down to your local store and snap it up! (Also, we haven't had a chance to upload the preview for this issue yet, but it's coming soon.)

Zak Sally presents two cartoons he submitted unsuccessfully to Nickelodeon magazine.