Bleeding Cool reports that this piece by Mark Bodé, titled Tag Dis, was stolen from a San Francisco art gallery. If you come across it, please notify the proper authorities. (I just picked up an issue of his Miami Mice comic last weekend!)

Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "Kelso’s work radiates a warmth, poetry, sympathy, and simultaneously earthy and otherworldly essence that few comics creators have brought to the table with such quiet confidence and grace. The closest comic in recent memory to match Artichoke Tales, both in breadth and depth, is Jeff Smith’s Bone. [Grade] A" – The A.V. Club

• Review: "...Fantagraphics’ hardcover edition of The Book of Mr. Natural feels like the perfect introduction to R. Crumb’s most enduring creation—and to the sexual peccadilloes that occasionally get both character and creator in hot water. ... It’s fascinating stuff, and should be mandatory reading for anyone who squirmed through Terry Zwigoff’s excellent Crumb documentary—or for anyone looking to get their danders up at Crumb’s allegedly misogynistic tendencies. [Grade] A-" – The A.V. Club

• Review: "[Editor Eric] Reynolds has done an amazing job of balancing serials with a variety of single-page strips and one-shots. Expanding Mome to include translations from international cartooning stars, short works from established cartoonists and left-field contributions from illustrators not known in the comics world have kept things interesting on an issue-to-issue basis. The eccentricity of Reynolds’ taste as an editor has been another major factor in preventing Mome from getting into a rut. ...[T]his issue of Mome is a fine overall read, and the first half is especially spectacular." – Rob Clough, The Comics Journal

• Review: "Percy Gloom is a moving, engaging, enlightening book. It’s exactly the sort of comic readers should be demanding – thoughtful and intelligent, a beautifully drawn narrative that unfolds its layers over the course of multiple readings. Cathy Malkasian’s produced two winning graphic novels, and she’s clearly a talent that deserves a far wider readership." – Michael C. Lorah, Newsarama

• Profile: For The New York Times, Reyhan Harmanci reports on how Mark Bodé is carrying on his late father Vaughn's legacy: "Vaughn Bodé created a world in his comics that Mark has fleshed out, making oil and spray paint paintings from his father’s cartoon panels and unfinished sketches. The younger Mr. Bodé perfected his father’s signature pieces: the ever-slouching Cheech Wizard, the science-fiction-inflected planet full of lizards, the cartoonishly lewd 'Bodé broads.' As Mark Bodé, 47, who is based in Daly City said, 'I am mortal and he is immortal, and the two of us work well together.'"

Cartoonist Mark Bodé talks about his cartoonist dad, underground icon Vaughn Bodé, in this video for WalrusTV (the video content arm of streetwear purveyors Upper Playground).

Link trail: Journalista ← Mike Lynch ← WalrusTV

Mark Bode forwarded us this message from a fellow friend of S. Clay Wilson, Dave Hodtwalker:

Hi everyone. This holiday brings a little sad news from an old friend of mine, underground cartoonist S. Clay Wilson of ZAP Comix, The Checkered DEMON, Capt. Pissgums and his Perverted Pirates, Star Eyed Stella and all your favorite demented ungerground comix characters. Steve either fell or was attacked about 2 months ago and suffered a very serious brain injury. He's having trouble recovering and the bills are mounting. Fortunately a good samaritan called it in when they found him and after a long stay at S.F. General, he is now in rehab. He will need a lot of therapy and recovery time in the next few months. We will be holding a Benefit for him in conjunction with the Bistro, (Thanks Vic) and Father's Amp Repair. There will be the regular jam featuring Kenny Gross, Andrew G., Vic and Whitt Vicena, Roger Lind, and yours truly. Steve and I go way back to Lincoln Nebraska many years ago and I'd like to help get him back on the drawing board again as I'm sure you all would. I hope you can all come by. There'll be a little food, lots of music, great beers at the B of course (just a couple blocks from BART if you didn't know so you can avoid the local gendarmes), and we'll have representatives from his publishers who have graciously agreed to donate some of Steve's books for sale at a discount. We'll also have a raffle at the end of the evening with signed posters, beverages from the Celebrator donated by Tom Dalldorf and possibly a special guitar created by Andrew G. (S. type.) For you musicians there will be free amplifier service coupons from Father's Amp Repair. Please come down Sunday December 28th for this benefit to help Steve get back on his feet. You won't be dissappointed in the music, the beverages, the comix or the holiday atmosphere at the Bistro. 1001 B. St. Hayward CA.
Thanks
Dave

(Click for larger image)

A message from Mark Bode:

Hello out there, just a note to people who may want a Bode tattoo and live or are visiting in Europe I will be tattooing at Evil From The Needle, 232 Camden High street in London, on the dates above.

I will be tattooing by appointment only so you must call ahead of time.

Thanks!

Mark Bode

On Saturday, May 17th, Overkill Shop in Berlin presents "Cheech Wizard goes to Berlin" with artwork by Vaughn Bodé, featuring an appearance by Mark Bodé and celebrating the launch of a limited-edition Bodé sneaker from Puma. The sneakers look pretty sweet (especially riding a Peter Bagge-designed Manik skateboard, I bet), though for me personally they take 3rd place to the Gary Panter-designed Simpsons Vans and Jim Woodring's custom-designed Chucks.