Bardín the Superrealist cartoonist Max created the story and visuals for Malasombra, a dance piece choreographed and performed by the AuMents Contemporary Dance Company at the at.tension Theater Festival taking place this weekend at Flugplatz Lärz near Neustrelitz, Germany. Info via the Reprodukt blog; hat tip to The Comics Reporter.

UPDATE: Via Twitter Brian Kolm of Atomic Bear Press sent us this video trailer of the piece — boy does it ever look fun, and I love the Raymond Scott-esque music!

The 15th issue of Mome is now available for pre-order. This issue boasts one new beginning (T. Edward Bak's "Wild Man"), two conclusions (Gilbert Shelton's "Last Gig in Shnagrlig" and Tim Hensley's "Wally Gropius"), new work from Dash Shaw, Andrice Arp (who also provides the cover), Sara Edward-Corbett, Conor O'Keefe, Noah Van Sciver, Robert Goodin, and Paul Hornschemeier, PLUS a bound-in minicomic by Spanish master Max! This book is scheduled to be in stock and ready to ship in June and in stores approximately 4 weeks later (subject to change).

On our product detail page we've got a free PDF preview with pages from almost every contributor, plus the full table of contents so you can see exactly what's in the issue. Photo and video previews are still forthcoming -- watch this space.

• The Daily Vanguard gives Ganges #2 by Kevin Huizenga the #1 spot on its Top 10 Graphic Novels and Comics of 2008, a list which also includes Mome Vol. 12, The Education of Hopey Glass by Jaime Hernandez, and Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw

• The Daily Cross Hatch calls Beasts! Book 2 "downright stunning"

• Ward Six looks at The Portable Frank by Jim Woodring

• USA TODAY Pop Candy is excited about the Brian K. Vaughn interview in The Comics Journal #295

• There's a great illustration by Max in this New York Times article about the future of the publishing industry that we're all reading with great interest

• New Robert Crumb comics (via everywhere)

Via The Beat: Spanish artist Max has been awarded the first-ever Premio Nacional del Cómic 2007 (National Comics Award) by the Spanish Ministry of Culture for his book Bardín the Superrealist. This is the second major European comics award received by Bardín, and this one comes with a nice fat €15,000 prize. According to the Spanish Reuters article (as translated by Babelfish), "'the jury considers' Bardín the Superrealist 'a graphically overwhelming work, with an original script and filled with literary, philosophical and cinematographic references,' the ministry in an official notice said." Congratulations, Max!