A few quick hits of Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Review: "Hornschemeier obviously draws a lot of inspiration from Chris Ware, especially in terms of color scheme and alternating between naturalistic and iconic styles. There's a different level of emotional impact in his comics, however, a certain distance that reminds me more of what Daniel Clowes or Art Spiegelman do in their work. ... All and Sundry is less about the work itself and more about the artist as worker." – Rob Clough

• Review: "...Zak Sally's collection of his Recidivist material and other works [Like a Dog] was positively pugillistic in nature. Of course, the battle Sally was fighting was with himself and his place in the world, both as an artist and a person. ... The extended endnotes written by Sally were one of the most bracing but inspiring pieces of writing I've ever seen by an artist on their own work. It's a statement of purpose not just as an artist, but as a human being." – Rob Clough

• Review: "I recently bought [Sergio Ponchione's] Grotesque #2-3, which contained a two-part story, 'Cryptic City.' ... It’s a noir mystery crushed into a surrealistic adventure, and the two work together excellently under Ponchione’s imagination. ... It’s hard to ignore Ponchione’s gorgeous art in Grotesque #2-3, which is certainly part of their charm. ... At this point, I’m not sure what I’m hoping for more; additional issues of Grotesque, or other works from Ponchione translated into English. (Regardless, I’m running out and buying Grotesque #1 as soon as possible.) This is a beautifully off-kilter comic. Definitely check it out." – Greg McElhatton, Read About Comics

• Analysis: Love & Maggie revisits the Sophia Loren-Luba connection

• Events: Banalization has an MP3 of Paul Hornschemeier reading one of his prose short stories from All and Sundry at Wholly Craft in Columbus OH on his current book tour with Jay Ryan

• Things to see: The new Amazing Facts... and Beyond! with Leon Beyond strip by Kevin Huizenga features one of my favorite jokes from the strip so far

• Things to see: I want Johnny Ryan's latest strip for Vice to keep going for 30 more pages

Congratulations to Sergio Ponchione, whose Fantagraphics/Coconino "Ignatz" series Grotesque won the Gran Guinigi prize for Best Series at the 2009 Lucca Comics & Games festival! See photos of the ceremony and read Sergio's reaction to the award at his blog (translated).

And further congratulations to Daniel Clowes, winner of Best Long Story for the Italian edition of Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, and Robert Crumb, acknowledged as Maestro del Fumetto!

Now available for preview and pre-order following sell-out debuts at SPX and APE: Ganges #3 by Kevin Huizenga. The eagerly-awaited new issue of this Eisner-nominated, critically-adored series (in our deluxe, oversized "Ignatz" format) finds everyman Glenn Ganges dealing with a bout of insomnia and traversing strange mental landscapes. The first three pages can be previewed here. This issue is scheduled to be in stock and ready to ship sometime in the next 2 weeks and in stores approximately 4 weeks after that (subject to change).

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View a photo & video slideshow preview of the book embedded here. Click here if it is not visible, and/or to view it larger in a new window (recommended).

BONUS! Here are two newly-uploaded slideshow previews of this summer's Ignatz releases, Delphine #4 by Richard Sala (open in new window) and Grotesque #3 by Sergio Ponchione (open in new window).

More Online Commentary & Diversions from yesterday, today and last week -- and thus we are caught up:

• Review: Comicdom reviews Tales Designed to Thrizzle Vol. 1 by Michael Kupperman in Greek; Google attempts to translate

• Plug: Certain Fantagraphics employees will be excited to learn that Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh is a fan of Daniel Clowes and Eightball, as revealed in Brian Heater's interview at The Daily Cross Hatch

• Plug: "You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation!, the second and final collection of Fletcher Hanks’ Golden Age superhero and adventure comics work, ...is a bunch more bat-shit insane weirdness and violence. Paired with I  Shall Destroy All Civilized Planets!, You Shall Die will comprise a complete collection of Hanks’ small but potent body of work." - J. Caleb Mozzocco, Newsarama

• Plug: "Collecting the remainder of material (at least that we know of) by early Golden Age artist Fletcher Hanks, [You Shall Die by Your Own] Evil Creation is pretty much a must-buy for anyone who picked up and enjoyed the first volume, I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets." - Chris Mautner, Robot 6

• Plug: "Both books are really good: Sala’s Delphine is the one that will probably get the most attention since he’s the better known cartoonist, but you really should take the time to track down Sergio Ponchione’s Grotesque. It’s a surreal charmer." - Chris Mautner, Robot 6 (same link as above)

• Plug: "I’m always curious as to what other countries get up to, comics-wise, so I’m a bit eager to check out this collection of Danish comics [From Wonderland with Love]. A quick thumb-through suggests a wide swath of styles." - Chris Mautner, Robot 6 (same link as above)

• Profile: Here's that well-traveled New York Times article on Basil Wolverton

Online Commentary & Diversions updates resume next week. Off to Comic-Con tomorrow! I'll be Twittering from the show as much as I can.

• Preview: "Now Jason publishes a collection of his short, sharp works ...called Low Moon, in which his trademark anthropomorphic animals get into all sorts of trouble — including, in the story 'Emily Says Hello,' murder, revenge and sexual domination." - New York Magazine presents an exclusive five-page excerpt from Low Moon

• Review: "All of Jason’s tales in Low Moon play like a black comedy, tragic yet humorous. Maybe it’s his protagonists blank eyed stares or the fact the characters are all cute animals being put through some troubling things that give these outwardly simple and light cartoons a heavy feel. If you’re a comic fan looking for a change of pace from the tired summer/blockbuster/epic/crossover comic events then this one’s for you." - Mishka Bloglin

• Review: "What surprised me the most [about Prince Valiant Vol. 1: 1937-1938]... was... how much [Hal] Foster had brought me to care about these characters... [P]erhaps for the first time ever, we’re able to see just how detailed and elaborate Foster’s art really was... More importantly, though, was how well Foster set up his pages. His layouts draw the reader across the page from one panel to the next, often culminating in a truly impressive final panel... Prince Valiant was good all along. Who knew?" - Greg McElhatton, Read About Comics

• Review: "I mean, holy. Effing. Shit... Was [Fletcher] Hanks insane or otherwise mentally handicapped? Dunno, but as editor Paul Karasik points out in his meaty introduction [to You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation!], this was a man mean enough to kick his 4-year-old son down a flight of stairs... You’ll love how much you hate [these works]; you’ll hate how much you love them." - Rod Lott, Bookgasm

• Review: I don't have time to patch together a coherent quote from the somewhat mangled Google translation of the review of Igort's Baobab series from Weltklasse Serier, but it's a good review

• Plug: "Boy, that Prince Valiant [Vol. 1: 1937-1938] hardcover looked great, didn’t it? The color is just stunning. The stories (what I’ve read so far, at least) are fun as well, with a nice mix of realism and fantasy. I’m looking forward to future volumes, both to see how Hal Foster’s style and Val’s character develop over the years." - Tom Bondurant, Robot 6

• Plug: "From Wonderland With Love: Danish Comics In The Third Millennium... looks pretty excellent. Read it, says I, and I hope I can follow my own orders." - Matthew J. Brady, who also has a few good words for Delphine #4, Grotesque #3 and You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation! 

• Interview: The Invisible Web podcast kicks off a new season by chatting with Fletcher Hanks-ologist Paul Karasik

• Things to see: Cover illustration & design for the Riverfront Times' 2009 Best of St. Louis issue and a New York Times Op-Ed illustration by Tim Lane

• Things to see: The latest batch of sketchbook comics from Anders Nilsen

You can drop big bucks on Fantagraphics this week even if you're not in San Diego to peruse our Comic-Con booth! On this week's shipping list to arrive in comic shops Wednesday:

Delphine #4 by Richard Sala - the chilling conclusion!

Grotesque #3 by Sergio Ponchione - the cult-fave neo-surreal tale continues!

From Wonderland with Love: Danish Comics in the Third Millennium - a bold new anthology! Hey, we've got a downloadable preview to show you now!

Willie & Joe: The WWII Years by Bill Mauldin - re-released with a new lower price!

You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation! by Fletcher Hanks - the second and final volume of Hanks's Golden Age insanity!

As ever, dig our previews at the links above, contact your local shop to confirm availability, and buy buy buy.

As you know, the final issue of Delphine by Richard Sala, #4, and Sergio Ponchione's third issue of Grotesque, have just been released (and will be proudly displayed at this week's Comic-Con). Also just released is a new, second printing of Lorenzo Mattotti's stunning Chimera #1, which has been out of print for many months; if you didn't catch it the first time around, now's your chance.

This coming week Kevin Huizenga will be delivering the hotly-anticipated Ganges #3, featuring insomnia and cops. Expect this one to be released just in time to premiere at SPX in late September, and then show up in stores in late October/early November. Here is a preview!

(click to enlarge)

Next up, likely to be released toward the end of the year, is a double whammy of Niger #3 by Leila Marzocchi (check out the cover of this wild ecological fable), and the fourth and concluding installment of Ponchione's Grotesque (with another standalone story). Then Spring 2010 will, if everything goes well, see the release of the fourth issue of Igort's cartoonist-graphic-novel-a-clef Baobab; the fourth (and concluding) issue of Gabriella Giandelli's hard-to-pronounce magical apartment building story Interiorae; and the third issue of Zak Sally's otherworldly picaresque Sammy the Mouse.

Missing in action at this point, alas, are new issues of the Gipi series Wish You Were Here and Marti 's Calvario Hills, as both cartoonists are focusing on other work at this time, but we're keeping our fingers crossed there will be a new issue of David B.'s Babel sometime in 2010.

Of course, if you've missed picking up any of these issues in the past (including the already concluded three-issue series New Tales of Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez, Reflections by Marco Corona, and Insomnia by Matt Broersma), remember, any comic you haven't read yet is a new comic...

Grotesque #3
By Sergio Ponchione

In the second half of the two-part "Cryptic City" epic, Professor Hackensack continues his battle against the Wicked Barons alongside Inspector Doppiofaccio, the mysterious Lady Puzzle, and an unexpected ally from beyond the grave — with the enigmatic Mr. O'Blique on the sidelines. This amazingly inventive work of surreal fantasy from one of Italy's hottest new talents is proving to be a sleeper hit!

32-page duotone 8.5" x 11" saddle-stitched softcover with jacket (part of the Ignatz Series) • $7.95
Add to Cart • More Info & Previews

The final issue of macabre master (and birthday boy!) Richard Sala's modern-day reimagining of the Snow White story told from the "Prince Charming" point of view, Delphine #4 brings our hero into an inevitable confrontation with unspeakable evil!

Italian artist Sergio Ponchione's series is becoming a cult hit in the U.S., and he returns with the eagerly-awaited Grotesque #3, containing the second half of the wildly surrealistic "Cryptic City" epic.

Both titles, part of our Ignatz Series of deluxe oversized comics, are now available for pre-order! They are scheduled to be in stock and ready to ship any day now and in stores approximately 4 weeks later (subject to change).

Don't miss the preview pages we've posted for each issue -- just click "View More Images" on each product detail page. Photo and video previews are still in the works -- watch this space.

• List: Aron Nels Steinke presents his Top Ten of 2008, including Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw and Ganges #2 by Kevin Huizenga

• List: At Robot 6, Chris Mautner declares Bob Levin's Most Outrageous: The Trials and Trespasses of Dwaine Tinsley and Chester the Molester one of the "five most criminally ignored books of 2008"

• Review: Rob Clough examines Grotesque #2 by Sergio Ponchione

• Review/Things to see: French cartoonist Olive Booger posts her impressions of Bottomless Belly Button (original French; Google translation) with bonus fan art!

• Blurb: Irregular Orbit devotes 9 perfectly-chosen words to Zippy: Connect the Polka Dots by Bill Griffith

• Interview: The Daily Cross Hatch concludes their three-parter with Bob Fingerman

• Interview: The Comics Reporter's Tom Spurgeon found a video file of Jonathan Lethem interviewing Daniel Clowes at the 2005 MoCCA Festival; he can't remember where it came from but he's posted it anyway

• Things to see: Steven Weissman's HLK

• Oddity: "Chris Ware can show Video Games the path to manhood"