• Comic Book Resources concludes their "Best 100 Comics of 2008" countdown: Part III ranks Ganges #2 by Kevin Huizenga at #51 and Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw at #41; Part V has Love and Rockets: New Stories #1 by the Hernandez Brothers at #20

• The KEXP blog lists Town of Mirrors by Robert Pollard as one of "2008's Best Books About Popular Music"

• Derik Badman's "Best Comics of 2008" list includes Bottomless Belly Button as its "Breaking Through in All Sorts of Ways pick"

• In their "Nexus Graphica" column for The SF Site, Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams include the following titles on their "top ten graphic novel or comics-related publications lists": The Number 73304-23-4153-6-96-8 by Thomas Ott, Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko by Blake Bell, and Rebel Visions by Patrick Rosenkranz (Mark's #1)

• J. Caleb Mozzocco's top-ten list of "The Best Comics of 2008" includes Bottomless Belly Button and Jason's The Last Musketeer, with Pocket Full of Rain on the long list

• The Village Voice "Pulp Fictions" column names Bottomless Belly Button and Where Demented Wented: The Art and Comics of Rory Hayes two of "The Best of 2008"

• The OC Weekly counts Love and Rockets: New Stories #1 among "The Year's Best Graphic Books and Novels"

• The Daily Cross Hatch reviews The Lagoon by Lilli Carré

• At Comic Book Resources, Steven Grant looks at Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert by Bill Schelly (about midway through the column)

• USA TODAY Pop Candy names Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw the top comic of 2008, with The Lagoon by Lilli Carré at #6

• Rob Clough has a typically thoughtful review of The Lagoon

• The Miami Herald casts a favorable eye on Strange & Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko by Blake Bell and Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert by Bill Schelly

• Tim O'Shea interviews Ivan Brunetti

• The Daily Cross Hatch presents part 2 of their interview with Kevin Huizenga

• A last-minute Christmas gift from Ellen Forney: free sexy-elf desktop wallpaper!

We linked to this a few days ago, and now we'll go one better and let you listen right here via the widget embedded below: Bill Schelly talks about his book Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert with Bob Andelman on the Mr. Media internet radio program (after the brief commercial message).

• I Love Rob Liefeld reviews The Lagoon by Lilli Carré

• Comic Book Resources' "Comics Should Be Good" places Tales Designed to Thrizzle #4 by Michael Kupperman and Ganges #2 by Kevin Huizenga at the #5 and #4 positions, respectively, on their "Top Ten Comics of 2008"

• They also mention Ellen Forney and Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert by Bill Schelly on a list of "Top Ten Moments of Comic-Related Happiness in 2008"

• Steven Stwalley features Tom Kaczynski and praises Mome

• Bram Meehan puts this year's two major Bill Mauldin releases, our collection Willie & Joe: The WWII Years and Todd DePastino's biography A Life Up Front, in a shared #10 position on his "Top Ten Comics of 2008" (via TCR)

• The Oklahoman, which published Mauldin's early cartoons, looks at Willie & Joe: The WWII Years

• The A.V. Club gives straight As (two As and an A-) to The Compete Peanuts 1969-1970 by Charles M. Schulz, Ghost World: Special Edition by Daniel Clowes, and Sublife Vol. 1 by John Pham

• This 2005 interview with Charles Burns and Chris Ware was found and blogged by Paul Hornschemeier

A couple of interviews for your Friday listening pleasure:

• Inkstuds has an audio chat with Ivan Brunetti

• On his Mr. Media internet radio program, Bob Andelman talks to Joe Kubert biographer (Man of Rock) Bill Schelly

• Mark Evanier calls Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert by Bill Schelly "one of the best books of its kind"

• Inkstuds puts the microphone to John Pham

• Mishka blurbs Beasts! Book 2, calling it "A great gift for yourself or somebody else just as weird"

• A new Jimbo minicomic by Gary Panter? Yes

• du9 interviews Tori Miki (en Français; Google translation - via the Icarus blog)

• 2theadvocate.com reports on David B.'s recent visit to Louisiana (via The Beat)

Happy Halloween!

• Diamond's Previews, er, previews Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert by Bill Schelly

• Pol Culture looks at Bill Schelly's Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert

• Public Radio International's Studio 360 talks to Jessica Abel about the formative influence of Love and Rockets (streaming audio embedded below, or download the MP3)

Fantagraphics titles shipping to comics shops across the U.S.A. this week:

• American Presidents by David Levine
• Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert by Bill Schelly
• Sshhhh! by Jason (New Printing)

Also: other publishers have new stuff coming out from our pals Chris Ware, Gilbert Hernandez and Kevin Huizenga, so this is definitely a good week to hit the shops. As customary, we've got previews of our releases that you can check out at the links above to help maximize your shopping time.

Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert
By Bill Schelly

Joe Kubert’s extraordinary career spans the history of the comic book in America: he began drawing comics in 1938, just as Superman made his debut in Action Comics #1, and continues to be one of the most vital cartoonists working today, writing and drawing both mainstream comic book characters as well as, more recently, graphic novels of his own conception.

Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert provides a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the career of one of the most distinctive, dynamic artists in the history of comics. Bill Schelly’s insightful book covers all facets of Kubert’s creative life: artist, writer, innovator, entrepreneur, and educator. It abounds in heretofore unknown details about Kubert’s life and work, and is rich in colorful anecdotes drawn from numerous interviews the author conducted with Kubert’s colleagues, family and friends. Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert is a full-bodied biography intended to be read and enjoyed by anyone interested in the history of American popular culture.

220-page black & white 6" x 9" softcover • $19.99
Add to Cart • Read More...

Comics Reporter talks to Man of Rock author Bill Schelly.

Poketo talks to Sublife creator John Pham.