by Roger Cruz

Brazilian comic book artist Roger Cruz shares a watercolor painting of what should be a confrontation of epic proportions — Homer Simpson vs. Peter Griffin. It may not be Hulk vs. Thor, but if there’s food involved, watch out.

Welcome once again to Shelf Porn! This week’s shelves were submitted by Richard John Marcej, a toymaker who shares his collection of some of his creations (as well as his comics and other stuff).

If you’d like to contribute to Shelf Porn, it’s easy — just send your photos and write-up to jkparkin@yahoo.com.

And now here is Richard …

*****

I’m a working artist/illustrator/graphic designer and cartoonist and in my career have worked in animation, greeting cards, comic books, candy & bubble gum and toy industries.

Having worked with toys so much (Hasbro in the 1980′s and currently K’NEX) it’s no mystery that I’d have a lot of toys in my house. Along with the toys I have framed posters and artwork and a ton of books.

I’ll lead you through my house and through my various rooms and set ups (among my collections are the collectible figures, “Army Ants” that I designed while at Hasbro in 1987).

• When you walk in my home, you immediately see these framed posters in my foyer (Original Steranko FOOM poster, Spider-Man 2 and John Byrne Fantastic Four posters)

• Then walking up the stairs to my living room you see framed The Simpsons cast, Moebius Thing and Alex Ross Fantastic Four #1 posters.

• In my living room next to my TV is my DVD shelves which include the complete Blade Runner DVD set (in briefcase) and the complete Planet Of The Apes DVD set in Ape head. The shelves are backed by framed Blade Runner and The Incredibles movie posters.

• Also in my living room is this book case full of toys, featuring…

• Miscellaneous toys include the Army Ants figures I designed while working at Hasbro.

• Various Superhero figures.

• Two original Kenner “Raiders of the Lost Ark” sets with figures.

• A myriad of Dick Tracy figures that came out along with the movie.

• Down the hall from my living room, in two bedrooms, I have bookshelves filled with comic book and comic strip related book collections (along with some more toys)

• Now my 3rd bedroom though is an official toy room. I have various different toys inside, but about a decade ago The Simpsons products kept growing and growing until it got completely out of control!

• Just about any type of Simpsons product can be found in here.

• All the shelves are filled.

• And the walls are filled too.

• I still have a bunch of unopened toys and empty shelves that need filled. Now if I only had the time…

• It’s difficult to give you the full effect of standing in this room just with pictures. This old TV stand sits in the center of the room. It’s filled with Simpsons related publications and holds the Main Street playset with even more Simpsons figures.

• I have more stuff downs stairs in my Family Room/Art Studio. First, are some more toys atop CD & Tape racks with framed artwork above.

• This original Barbie cover art I received from good friend and artist Anna Maria Cool.

• Here’s an original Chester Gould Dick Tracy strip I bought several years ago

• Another original piece of art, a Thor page, from another good friend, Ron Frenz.

• Within this room, flanking my TV are this FF movie Thing figure and Opus and Bill the Cat from Bloom County (and for you Monty Python fans, yes, it’s a penguin on a television set).

• On the left side of my fireplace is this signed Speed Racer poster piece and the original 1979 Kenner Alien figure on the mantle.

• On the right side of the fireplace are a slew of Toy Story figures (including an original Buzz Lightyear figure) and atop the shelving below are a bunch of Thing figures.

• On a far wall is this framed signed (by Garth Ennis) Preacher poster.

• I have some built in shelves in this room and on the middle row (above my vinyl record collection and below some collected beer cans) I have these Star Wars (circa Phantom Menace) cup topper figures.

• And the Pepsi Star Wars cans that came out at the same time.

• And finally, even my computer can’t escape the clutches of my toy collection!

Via

Dragon Puncher

• The big news of the week is that Top Shelf has not only completely updated and streamlined their Web site, but has also unveiled a whole heckuva lot of new projects for the fall, 2011 and beyond, including new books by Jeff Lemire, Nate Powell, James Kochalka and Chris Eliopoulos. All in all it looks like an interesting line-up, containing a solid mix of all-ages and more adult-oriented material.

• Top Shelf isn’t the only one doing the Web site shuffle. Both Savage Critics and All About Comics have moved/updated their blogs,

• IcV2 offers some more information on Vertical’s plans to publish Osamu Tezuka’s Ayako in the fall.

• Tokyopop is planning to publish Neko Ramen, four-koma (or comic strip) about a cat that runs a noodle shop, and they’re posting sample strips to get folks all hot and bothered.. Look for it in stores in June.

• SLG will publish the debut graphic novel by one Diana Thung, titled Captain Long Ears. Check out our preview from earlier this year here.

• Here’s what the cover to the Essential Superman Encyclopedia will look like.

• And here’s what the cover to the next Zippy the Pinhead collection will look like.

• Author and Jim Flora devotee Irwin Chusid reveals that he may have a new Flora book in the works.

• Ben Catmull posts a panel from the upcoming second issue of Monster Parade. Man, I really liked that first issue. Can’t wait for the next one.

• Nat Gertler reveals that he’s working on a Peanuts Treasury book for Little, Brown.

• Can’t find a copy of last year’s Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror done by the Kramer’s Ergot crowd? Here you go.

• Finally, it looks like Josh Cotter is starting another one of those experimental journal/comics projects. This one seems to be called March Hare.

Art in Time

Art book publisher Abrams jumped into the comics world with both feet last year with their new ComicsArts imprint. What do they have lined up for 2010? Poking around their Web site, I was able to figure out their plans, both via the imprint and their children’s line. They’ve slowed down their output a little but still have a rather impressive array of titles coming out. Fer instance:

March

Meanwhile by Jason Shiga. Shiga’s quirky, “choose-your-own-adventure” mini-comic from a couple of years ago gets an updated, full-color treatment courtesy of Abrams’ children’s imprint, Amulet. It looks like they’re pushing this book pretty hard. Good for Shiga. He deserves the break. 80 pages, $15.95.

Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis

April

The Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis, edited by Bill Morrison. Introduction by Matt Groening. Originally published in pamphlet form (sorry, floppy form) via Bongo, this 208-page book collects the epic saga involving two of Groening’s cartoon projects that do not involve one-eared rabbits meeting up and getting into trouble. Should sell like hotcakes. $24.95.

Wacky Packages: New, New, New by the Topps Company. Edited by Jay Lynch. A sequel to the 2008 homage to those satirical stickers of yesteryear, this book collects some of the rare and hard to find collections from the 70s, with art by folks like Kim Deitch and Bill Griffith. 224 pages, $19.95.

The Art of Jaime Hernandez by Todd Hignite. Introduction by Alison Bechdel. Originally planned for 2009 I believe, this ode to the Locas creator features a treasure trove of sketches, illustrations and previously unseen work. 224 pages, $40.

May

Art in Time: Unknown Comic Book Adventures 1940-1980 by Dan Nadel. Is there a more hotly anticipated book than Mssr. Nadel’s sequel to his groundbreaking Art Out of Time collection? Well, possibly, but this is still a pretty exciting release nevertheless. H.G Peter, Harry Lucey, John Stanley, Jesse Marsh and Bill Everett are just a few of the golden and silver age artists feted in this chunky, 304-page book. $40.

Is it possible to make devil horns with a four-fingered hand? I guess we’ll find out when The Simpsons/Futurama/Life in Hell creator Matt Groening curates this May’s All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival in Minehead, England. The lineup, hand-selected by Groening himself in the usual ATP curated-festival fashion, includes such avant-rock notables as Iggy & the Stooges, Coco Rosie, Built to Spill, Panda Bear, Deerhunter, Daniel Johnston, the Residents, Boredoms, the Raincoats, Amadou and Mariam, and Shonen Knife.

This isn’t the first time ATP and Groening have hooked up: The animation and alt-weekly legend (and one-time music critic) also ran a 2003 festival in California that boasted performances from the Stooges, Sonic Youth, Spoon, the Shins, !!!, the Mars Volta, Mission of Burma, Modest Mouse and Cat Power. (You can buy a CD compilation from that show here.) He’s a hip dude, is what I’m saying.

(Via Pitchfork)

The article doesn’t appear to be online at the paper’s website, but the Associated Press reports the article praised the show’s “philosophical leanings as well as its stinging and often irreverent take on religion.”

“Religion, from the snore-evoking sermons of the Rev. Lovejoy to Homer’s face-to-face talks with God, appears so frequently on the show that it could be possible to come up with a ‘Simpsonian’ theology,” the article said. No doubt they were talking about segments like this:

Simpsons 20th anniversary poster

The Hollywood Reporter shares this ginormous poster that Fox released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Simpsons, featuring everyone from Radioactive Man to Maggie’s nemesis, the kid with one eyebrow. You can find the full-size version here.

(I should add, I have no idea if Alan Moore, Stan Lee or any of the other comic folks who have appeared on the show are really there or not; I started to get a headache from looking it for so long and had to stop looking. So let me know if you find them!)

Where's Nelson Muntz when you need him?

TMZ ruined a lot of people’s mornings today by revealing that The Simpsons‘ blue-haired matriarch Marge will appear on the cover of the November issue of Playboy. “Sexy cartoon lingerie” will feature in her non-nude pictorial, or whatever you’d call it, inside. That sound you heard is your childhood dying.

Link via Topless Robot, whose reaction–”I’m going to get a large glass of scotch now. I’m not sure whether I’m going to drink it or pour it in my eyes, but if a f*cking jet engine falls out of the sky on to me on the way, I won’t mind”–is typical of many Simpsons fans. (Go grab a copy of the awesome new Treehouse of Horror issue to cleanse the palate, gang.)

Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe

Well bust my buttons, if it isn’t time for another round of What Are You Reading, where we talk about all the comics, books and other reading matter we’re currently engrossed in. Our guest this week is High Moon co-creator and writer David Gallaher, who’s been blogging with us at Robot 6 all this past week.

David has quite a list of titles to pour over, so let’s get to it. Click on the link below to get started.

Spider-Man 2099

Tom Bondurant: I’ve been re-reading Spider-Man 2099, but now I have a strange compulsion to pick up “Hush”….

So far I’ve gotten through the first twelve issues of Spider-Man 2099, all of which which were written by Peter David, pencilled by Rick Leonardi, and inked by Al Williamson. For a book designed to launch an entire imprint, build a new Marvel future, and piggyback on the considerable goodwill of Marvel’s best-known character, it stands on its own quite well. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel like Spider-Man, because there’s enough humor and swashbuckling to make Miguel O’Hara a credible Spider-successor. It’s a handsome package too, with Williamson’s inks complementing Leonardi’s pencils nicely. David also juggles a growing cast efficiently, for example using villains like Venture and the 2099 Vulture for world-building. He’s just introduced the Net Prophet on the last issue of #12, and I know the NP is supposed to be a familiar Marvel character, but I can’t remember who — and don’t tell me, I want to see if I can figure it out!

Man, I’m writing about Donna Troy a lot these days! I even watched bits of “Cougar Town” (during “Glee’s” commercial breaks) to test my theory about her and Courteney Cox. Anyway, Blackest Night: Titans #2 is probably the most tasteless superhero comic I’ve read in a while, as well as one of the more ridiculous. Written by J.T. Krul and drawn by Ed Benes (with some inks from Scott Williams), its centerpiece is Donna’s confrontation with the Black Lantern versions of her late husband and infant son (who were killed off-panel over ten years ago). What’s tasteless is having baby Robbie half-decomposed. What’s ridiculously over-the-top is having baby Robbie fly around attacking Donna. Sure it’s horrific, and sure that’s the point, but baby Robbie didn’t have to look so … dead. (In fact, Black Lantern Jade looked pretty healthy.) Blackest Night can get along fine without a dead baby, so it could have either made Robbie look more presentable, or hidden him in the shadows with his condition implied. It’s too bad, because as it happens, Benes’ work here is some of his best. It’s moody and scary when it needs to be, and dynamic where appropriate. Terra’s hinder still gets some undue attention, but at this point that’s to be expected.

Finally, I did like this week’s Justice League of America 80-Page Giant, a clever riff on the venerable JLA format which finds our heroes paired up and cast randomly through time. It’s by a veritable horde of writers and artists, so some chapters come off better than others. Basically, each pair of Leaguers teams up with a classic DC character from the particular time period. I liked Green Arrow and Firestorm teaming up with the Bride to fight Ra’s Al Ghul in World War II, as well as Steel and Wonder Woman as pirates fighting Starro. Sadly, I get the feeling that these kinds of stories only get done in these special-format issues because they’re too “retro” and throwbacky for the cool kids who read the regular JLA book. That’s a
shame, because (as I get tired of saying) the regular JLA book could use a little structure, retro though it may be.

Batman and the Outsiders

Tim O’Shea: I bought/read/own the original Batman and the Outsiders when they were published back in the early 1980s. But I still could not resist the urge to snag a used Showcase edition that collects the first 19 issues of the series (plus a few crossovers here and there). Why? Because it’s nice to see Jim Aparo’s art in pure black and white. For me, I think Aparo will always be my favorite Batman artist. Also, this was an era in Batman comics where the tragic bastard actually smiled once and a rare while.

Chris Mautner: WW Norton was kind enough to send me a copy of Crumb’s Genesis adaptation. I only got it in the mail yesterday, so I haven’t had much of a chance to delve into it yet. It looks beautiful though. I hope to have a proper review of the book up soon.

I spent most of the past week or so reading an advance copy of I Will Not Write an Uncensored, Unauthorized History of the Simpsons by John Ortved. As the title so coyly suggests, it’s a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the popular animated show, and apparently there was a lot more bad blood amongst the creators and writers than one would initially imagine. The book is especially harsh towards producer James L. Brooks, who comes off as selfish and cruel at times, and Matt Groening, whose contribution to the show seems to have started and stopped with those initial Tracy Ullman shorts. It’s one of those “oral history” type books, and Groening and a few significant others don’t really contribute directly to Ortved’s history (apart from the occasional old magazine interview). Still, for Simpsons fans, those of us that still have fond memories of the show anyway, it’s probably a must read. It should be out in stores in a week or so.

Matt Maxwell: FANTASTIC FOUR VISIONARIES: JOHN BYRNE v.1
Someone reminded me of these in a twitter conversation recently and I was inspired to revisit these.  While they’re not written in a fashion that we’re used to today, they’re as good as I remembered them.  And it’s pretty amazing to know that John Byrne not only pencilled these stories, but wrote them and inked them, all on a monthly schedule like clockwork.  The stories themselves don’t show it, either.  They’re all engaging, and remarkably solid and dense.  Most of them are actually one-shots, where everything is wrapped up in 22 pages, which makes for a satisfying read.  Sure, by our standards, they’re overwritten, but they’re filled with imagination as well.  It may not be the Lee/Kirby FF, but it is an entertaining read nonetheless.

BLOOM COUNTY ARCHIVES v.1
I couldn’t resist, as this was one of three comics I was able to follow from beginning to end.  And as Berkeley Breathed was right there signing them at the IDW booth, I took the opportunity and ran with it.  Though i suppose this is cheating, as it’s “What I’m About to Read”, not really what I’m reading.  Just yet anyways.

Domo

Brigid Alverson: I had pretty low expectations for Domo: The Manga. I never found the character very appealing — he’s one-dimensional and lacks the quirkiness of a lot of Japanese cartoon mascots. But Tokyopop played this one pretty well. Domo is the mascot for Japan’s NHK network and stars in a series of 30-second animated shorts there. Writer Clint Bickham chose a similar format for the book, with a series of very short stories, every one of which could be summed up as: Domo finds something cool and gets carried away, to the annoyance of his friends. The storytelling is almost wordless, which means the art has to be very good, and it is; Tokyopop picked some veteran global manga artists to illustrate the book. There’s not much depth to it, but it’s simple, bright, and funny, very good for what it is—a kids’ book.

I wish I could find Meg Cabot and Jinky Coronado’s Avalon High manga trilogy as likable. The problem with this set, the latest volume of which just came out, is that the manga are based on a set of prose novels with a fairly complicated back story (American teenagers are reincarnations of King Arthur and his court), so the whole first volume is recap. Coronado’s drawing style is a bit heavy-handed — her figures all seem very solid and fleshy—which also weighs the books down a bit.

Red Plains, on the other hand, is a comic for grownups. It’s a western, something I don’t see a lot of, and the first story arc is about ranchers vs. settlers, a classic theme. I really enjoy Noel Tuazon’s loose, brushy inking style in the first arc, Range War, and I like Larry Watts’s tighter work in the later arcs as well. I’m still getting a feel for the story, and Tuazon’s art is so loose that it’s hard to tell the characters apart, but Caryn Tate’s solid, spare writing is keeping me hooked.

New Warriors Classic, Vol. 1

David Gallaher: On the print side of things, I’ve spent most of the last three weeks reading all of the back issues from The Official Handbook of The Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition. I’ve always been a Marvel handbook junkie and I love having the opportunity to go back and re-visit all of these characters. Among my favorites, of course, are the old BOOK OF THE DEAD volumes. As much as I like reading the newer Marvel handbooks, for my money, these are still the best

Besides refreshing my old Marvel Lore, I’ve been really enjoying the trade of NEW WARRIORS CLASSIC Vol 1 – and I can’t wait for VOL 2! Almost twenty years later, Fabian Nicieza’s writing is still crisp as ever and Mark Bagley’s pencils are dynamic, interesting, and engaging.

Speaking of the New Warriors, NOVA always tops my reading list. Several folks have often cited that Nova is a rip-off of GREEN LANTERN, but that’s not a connection I tend to make [as I see far more of Doc Smith's LENSMAN in NOVA]. Richard Rider is simply one guy trying to do his best with the situation life has handed him. Over the course of the last ten years, Nova has gone from being a a bit of a joke – to being one of Marvel’s stellar heroes. Abnett and Lanning are doing amazing things with this book. Pick up a copy of the series – and I think you’ll agree. [Also, as a totally geeky aside, if my calculations are correct, NOVA will be approaching his 100th cumulative issue in about 17 more issues - which is around the time of his 35th anniversary as a character!]

Webcomics-wise, I’ve found myself really enjoying Cameron Stewart’s award-winning series Sin Titulo. It’s a moody, semi-autobiographical thriller — and Cameron’s storytelling is really at its peak here. And if you aren’t familiar with any of the other comics on Transmission X, you are really missing out on some extremely well-crafted comics!

Also, I following the work of my peers on Zuda. This week, in particular, I’ve found myself reading or re-reading Ilias Kyriazis’ MELODY, Andy Belanger’s BOTTLE OF AWESOME, and Kevin Colden’s I RULE THE NIGHT.

And, finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how Brad Guigar’s EVIL INC. series always manages to keep me entertained.

Zettwoch's Simpsons cover

Hey kids, didya like that recent Simpsons Treehouse of Horror issue? You know, the one featuring folks like Kevin Huizenga, Dan Zettwoch and Jeffrey Brown? Well, now you can own a piece of it, as editor Sammy Harkham is selling off the original artwork. I blew all my spending cash at SPX last weekend, but perhaps you might have a couple extra hundred lying in your sofa somwhere. (found via Comics Comics)

DC's Paul Levitz and Guinness’ Craig Glenday

Longest Running Sitcom and Longest Running Animated TV Series – With over 443 episodes, The Simpsons is the longest running sitcom (by episode count) and longest running animated series. During its 20th season (2008-09), The Simpsons finally overtook the 435 episodes of former record holder The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-66).

Best-selling Comic (single edition) – Spider-Man No.1, first published in August 1990, is the Best-selling Comic (single edition). With an initial print run of 2.35 million, the record-breaking edition was sold with a variety of differently colored covers and several reprints were ordered to keep up with high public demand.

Longest Continuosly Published Comic Book – The longest running comic book is Detective Comics, which has been printed continuously by DC Comics in the USA since Issue #1 in March 1937. The comic introduced the character of Batman in Issue #27 in May 1939.

Most Successful Sci-fi TV Show – Doctor Who, the longest running sci-fi television show, is now the Most Successful Sci-fi Show on Television. Based on the length of the show’s run and international sales data, the series about the adventures of the iconic Time Lord was presented with the new record at Comic-Con 2009 International.

Most Digital Effects in a TV Series – Farscape employed about 25 computer artists to create between 40 and 50 effects shot per episode. The effects team had just seven days to work on each episode, at a rate of 22 episodes per year.

Largest Gathering of Zombies – The record largest gathering of zombies was achieved by 3,894 participants in the ‘Red White and Dead Zombie Party’ in association with Night Zero on July 3, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. Ryan Reiter, Artistic Director for Freemont Outdoor Cinema Events.

Picture via The Source

Comic-Con

The 2009 San Diego Comic-Con kicks off with preview night on Wednesday, July 22 and runs through Sunday, July 26. If you are a publisher, creator, retailer or any other kind of exhibitor who would like to let folks know about any special plans you have for the show (panels, signing schedules, exclusives, debuts, etc.) drop me an email and I’ll run it here.

Organizations | The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Things From Another World have teamed up to create a set of limited edition cards by various comic creators that will be handed out by various publishers, the CBLDF and TFAW. The original artwork for the cards will be auctioned off at the con, with proceeds going to the fund. Contributors include Mike Mignola, Phil Hester, Eric Powell, Gabriel Bá, Fábio Moon, Steve Lieber and many more.

Panels | Although the official programming schedule hasn’t been released yet, a few companies have started sharing their panels via press releases and such. Thursday at the con brings a panel on Disney animator Walt Stanchfield, who is profiled in a new book called Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes.

Also, FOX TV has released their schedule. They’ll have panels dedicated to the Simpsons, Family Guy, The Cleveland Show (a Family Guy spinoff), 24, Futurama and Bones. They’ll also have Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku on hand to introduce a never before seen episode of Dollhouse. And they’ll have a panel dedicated to their new show Glee, where they’ll show another episode. You can watch the first one on Hulu; it is hilarious.

Interestingly enough, the release doesn’t mention Fringe, but there will be a panel with several members of the cast.

Violence & Piggybacks

Creators | Ryan Ottley will sell his sketchbook — Violence & Piggybacks — at the show.

Retailers | ComicsPRO, the comic retailer’s association, will host several panels aimed at retailers — as well as potential retailers — on the Friday of the con.

Scalping | Over at Bleeding Cool, Rich Johnston posts about scalpers selling San Diego passes for $400-600 on eBay.

False Hope | Laura Hudson fact checks the recent Penthouse article on how to hook up at comic conventions.

Eisners | I mentioned this in yesterday’s Slash Print, but just in case you missed it … Uclick, which has brought titles like Bone and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the iPhone, announced that they’ve released an Eisner Award iPhone application, available now for free on iTunes. The application will update with icons indicating the winners in each category shortly after the voting results are announced on Friday, July 24.

Toys | Underground Toys has released images of their Dr. Who Comic-Con exclusive action figures.

Video games | Joystiq highlights all the video game companies who will be at the con.

Bad Milhouse

Jeffrey Brown, one of several creators contributing to Bongo’s Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror comic this year, shares some rough sketches of the first page of his story here and here. His story, “Bad Milhouse,” features Bart’s best friend in a story inspired by the TV movie Bad Ronald.

©2009 Bongo Entertainment, Inc. The Simpsons © & ™Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

I somehow missed this in Tucker Stone’s report from MoCCA last week, but luckily Heidi over at the Beat caught it — Stone spoke with John Kerschbaum about his future projects, and the creator revealed that he’s working on this year’s Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror book for Bongo Comics.

Kerschbaum isn’t the only one working on the book, though; as you can see below in the solicitation copy that Bongo was kind enough to send us, they’ve recruited a Murderer’s Row of creators, including Jeffrey Brown, Kevin Huizenga, Matthew Thurber and many more, and it’s edited by Sammy Harkham of Kramers Ergot fame:

Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror #15
Edited by Sammy Harkham
$4.99
48 pages/standard format/color/humor
UPC: 01511 (7-98342-02851-5)

Guest edited by Sammy Harkham, the award-winning creator of the popular Kramers Ergot anthology, this year’s issue is a jam-packed with some of the most idiosyncratic (and weirdest) takes on “The Simpsons” universe ever. Among Halloween-inspired short strips by such visionary cartoonists as Jordan Crane (Uptight), C.F. (Powr Mastrs), Will Sweeney (Tales from Greenfuzz), Tim Hensley (MOME), and John Kerschbaum (Petey & Pussy), are four featured tales of inspired Simpsons lunacy: heralded artists Kevin Huizenga (Ganges, Or Else) and Matthew Thurber (1-800 Mice, Kramers Ergot) collaborate on a weird and wild story equal parts Lovecraftian eco-horror and Philip K. Dick identity comedy. Jeffrey Brown (Incredible Change-Bots, Clumsy) does a creepy and suitably pathetic story featuring Milhouse in a “Bad Ronald”-inspired tale of murder and crawl space living. Harkham and Ted May (INJURY) pull out all the stops for a tragic monster tale of unrequited love, bad karaoke, and body snatching at Moe’s Bar. Ben Jones (Paper Rad) does the comic of his life with an epic tale of how bootleg candy being sold at the Kwik-E-Mart rapidly spirals out of control into an Invasion of The Body Snatchers-like nightmare of a Springfield filled with cheap bootleg versions of familiar characters. And nobody does squishy, sweaty, and gross like up and coming cartoonist Jon Vermilyea (MOME), who outdoes himself with “C.H.U.M.M.,” a C.H.U.D.-inspired parody featuring everybody’s favorite senior citizen, Hans Moleman!

With a cover by Dan Zettwoch, Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror #15 is like nothing you’ve ever seen, and is sure to be one of the most talked about comics of the year by alternative comic readers and Simpsons fans of all ages!

This goes on my “must buy” list.

Simpsons stamps

As I noted earlier this week, the United States Post Office unveiled five stamps featuring The Simpsons yesterday. The stamps will be available to purchase on May 7.

Related products and information on a contest can be found at the USPS’s Simpsons site.

Stamps designed by Dave McKean

Fans in the United Kingdom and the United States both have something to look forward to in the mail later this year. First, the Royal Mail will introduce new stamps (pictured above) designed by Dave McKean featuring assorted mythical beasts. In addition, if you buy a presentation pack, the stamps will include a short story by Neil Gaiman. The stamps are due June 16.

And for those of us on this side of the ocean … later this week the United States Post office will unveil the designs for stamps featuring the five main Simpsons characters — Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. No word on when the stamps will actually hit stores, but I’m sure they’ll announce that on April 9 as well.

Check out the full list of nominees in the press release after the jump.

*****

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2009 JOE SHUSTER AWARDS

Toronto, Canada — April 2, 2009. From coast to coast, Canada is home to many of the comic book industry’s top talents. The JOE SHUSTER AWARDS are a way of recognizing and celebrating the achievements of these Canadian creators – past, present and future. Since their establishment in 2004, the JOE SHUSTER CANADIAN COMIC BOOK CREATOR AWARDS have been Canada’s national awards program for recognizing the outstanding achievements of Canadian comic book creators, publishers and retailers. The awards are named after pioneering Toronto-born artist Joe Shuster who, along with writer Jerry Siegel, created the iconic super-powered hero, Superman.

Between January and March 2009, the Nominees were selected from master lists of eligible works originally published in English and/or French in 2008. Canadian citizens living at home or abroad, as well as permanent residents were eligible for consideration. Now that the list of nominees has been finalized, nominated creators will have their work reviewed by a jury, who will ultimately decide the winners. Winners will be announced at a public ceremony in Toronto on June 27th, 2009.

JOE SHUSTER AWARDS 2009 NOMINEES for Work Published in 2008

Artist/Dessinateur

• Marc Delafontaine – Les Nombrils, Tome 3 : Les liens de l’amitié (Dupuis)
• Dale Eaglesham – Justice Society of America #12, 14-15, 18-22 (DC Comics)
• David Finch – Ultimatum #1-2 (Marvel Comics)
• Karl Kerschl & Serge LaPointe – Teen Titans: Year One #1-6 (DC Comics)
• Jacques Lamontagne – Les Druides, Tome 4 : La Ronde des Géants (Soleil Productions)
• Steve McNiven – Amazing Spider-Man #546-548, Wolverine #66-70 (Marvel Comics)
• Steve Rolston – Emiko Superstar (DC/Minx), “Familiar” – House of Mystery #4 (DC/Vertigo), You Ain’t No Dancer #3 (New Reliable Press)
• Stephen Sadowski – Avengers/Invaders #1-7 (Marvel Comics/Dynamite Entertainment), Superpowers #0 (Dynamite Entertainment), Jack the Lantern: Ghosts #2 (Castle Rain Entertainment)

Cartoonist/Créateur

• Grégoire Bouchard – Vers les Mondes Lointains (Paquet)
• Darwyn Cooke – “Chapter X: The Greater Good” Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1, The Spirit #12 (DC Comics)
• Francis Descharnais – Burquette (Les 400 coups)
• Jean-Paul Eid – Des tondeuses et des hommes (La Pastèque)
• Michel Gagne – “The Saga of Rex” Chapter 4 – Flight Vol. 5 (Ballantyne Books)
• Faith Erin Hicks – The War at Ellsmere (Slave Labor Graphics)
• Jeff Lemire – Essex County Vol. 3: The Country Nurse (Top Shelf)
• Seth – “Thoreau MacDonald” Kramer’s Ergot 7 (Buenaventura Press)
• Dave Sim – Glamourpuss #1-4, Judenhaas (Aardvark-Vanaheim)

Colourist/Dessinateur Couleur

• Jean-Francois Beaulieu – G.I. Joe: America’s Elite 31-36, Voltron: A Legend Forged 1 (Devil’s Due), Marvel Zombies 3 #1-3, Wonderful Wizard of OZ #1, X-Men: Divided We Stand #1, X-Men Legacy #215 (Marvel Comics)
• Blond – Team 14 #1 (Digital Webbing), Freshman: Summer Vacation Special #1, Magdalena/Daredevil #1, True Blood: The Great Revelation NN, Witchblade: Takeru Manga #11-12 (image/Top Cow), Ultimate Fantastic Four #50-59 (Marvel Comics), Beyond Wonderland #4, Grimm Fairy Tales 2008 Annual (Zenoscope)
• Chris Chuckry – Brave and the Bold #17-18, Countdown to Mystery #4-8, Simon Dark #4-7, Two Face: Year One #1-2 (DC Comics), Air 1-5 (DC/Vertigo), G.I. Joe #0 (Devil’s Due), Comic Book Tattoo (image), Amazing Spider-Man #546, 565-567, newuniversal: Shockfront #1-2, The Twelve #1-8 (Marvel Comics)
• Maryse Dubuc – Les Nombrils, Tome 3 : Les liens de l’amitié (Dupuis)
• Nathan Fairbairn – Fear Agent 21 (Dark Horse), Pilot Season: The Core #1 (image/Top Cow), Civil War: House of M #3, Guardians of the Galaxy #1-3, Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? NN, Wolverine: Origins #31, X-Men: Divided We Stand #2, X-Men: Kingbreaker #1, X-Men Legacy #217, X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1, 3, Young Avengers Presents #1 (Marvel Comics), Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #3 (Oni Press)
• Lovern Kindzierski – Sandman: The Dream Hunters #1-2 (DC Comics), The Worlds of Dungeons & Dragons #1-2Coraline (HarperCollins), Giant-Size Incredible Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics) (Devil’s Due),
• François Lapierre – “Gédéon et la bête du lac” Contes et légendes du Québec (Glénat Québec), Magasin général 4 (Casterman)
• Dave McCaig – Star Wars: Dark Times #11-12 (Dark Horse), Action Comics #861-863, Final Crisis: Rogue’s Revenge #1-3. Joker’s Asylum: The Penguin #1, JSA Classified #35-37 (DC Comics), Family Dynamic #1-2 House of Mystery #4, Northlanders #2-8, 11-2 (DC/Vertigo), Broken Trinity: Angelus #1, First Born: Aftermath #1, Pilot Season: The Core #1 (image/Top Cow), Fantastic Four Cosmic Size Special #1, Secret Invasion X-Men #1-4, Ultimate Iron Man II #3-5 (Marvel Comics), Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #2 (Oni Press) (DC/Johnny DC),

Writer/Écrivain

• Ian Boothby – Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror #14, Bongo Comics Free-For-All 2008, Futurama #35-39, Simpsons Comics #136, 141, 148, Simpsons Summer Shindig #1, Simpsons Super Spectacular #7 (Bongo Comics)
• Cecil Castellucci – Janes in Love (DC/Minx)
• Darwyn Cooke – “Dragster Riot starring Robin the Boy Wonder”, “Wonder Woman and Black Canary” Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1, Superman Confidential 11 (DC Comics)
• Maryse Dubuc – Les Nombrils, Tome 3 : Les liens de l’amitié (Dupuis)
• Ray Fawkes – The Apocalipstix (Oni Press)
• François Lapierre – “Gédéon et la bête du lac” Contes et légendes du Québec (Glénat Québec)
• Mariko Tamaki – Emiko Superstar (DC/Minx), Skim (Groundwood Books)
• J. Torres – The Family Dynamic #1-3, Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #11, 13, 17-19, Teen Titans Go! #51-55 (DC/Johnny DC), Wonder Girl #5-6 (DC Comics)

Cover/Couverture

• Adrian Alphona – Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season Two #1 Variant (Marvel Comics)
• Darwyn Cooke – The Spirit #12 (DC Comics)
• Marc Delafontaine – Les Nombrils, Tome 3 : Les liens de l’amitié (Dupuis)
• Dale Eaglesham – Justice Society of America #14 Variant (DC Comics)
• David Finch -Amazing Spider-Man #572 Variant (Marvel Comics)
• Philippe Girard – Les Ravins (Mécanique Générale)
• Niko Henrichon – Hostile Tome 1 (Dupuis)
• Steve McNiven – Kick-Ass #1 Variant (Marvel Comics)
• Dean Motter – Mister X: The Condemned #1 (Dark Horse)
• David Sim – Glamourpuss #4 Zombie Variant (Aardvark-Vanaheim)

Webcomics/Bandes Dessinées Web

• Kate Beaton – Hark! A Vagrant
• Michael Cho – Papercut
• Lar De Souza & Ryan Sohmer – Least I Could Do / Looking for Group
• Kathryn & Stuart Immonen – Moving Pictures
• Karl Kerschl – The Abominable Charles Christopher
• Gisele Lagace – Menage A 3
• Ramón K. Pérez– Kukuburi / Butternut Squash (w/Robert Coughler)
• Cameron Stewart – Sin Titulo

Publisher/Éditeur

• Aardvark-Vanaheim
• Arcana Studio
• Conundrum Press
• Drawn & Quarterly
• La Pastèque
• Les 400 Coups/Mécanique Générale
• Red 5 Comics
• Udon Entertainment

Artist, Cartoonist, Colourist & Writer Nominees selected by: Jay Bardyla (Happy Harbor Comics), Éric Bouchard (Librarie Monet), Laurent Boutin (Librarie Planète BD), Ty Buttars (blogger and collector), Martin Dubé (Librarie Fichtre!), Rachelle Goguen (Strange Adventures, Living Between Wednesdays), Francis Hervieux (journalist and collector), Jonathan Kuehlein (The Toronto Star), Robin McConnell (Inkstuds podcast), Shawna Roe (Happy Harbor Comics) and the Vincent Massey College Comic Book Club (Montreal) under the direction of Mr. Steven Bakos. Coordinators: Kevin A. Boyd (English publications) and Francis Hervieux (French publications).

Cover Nominees selected by Éric Bouchard (Librarie Monet), Laurent Boutin (Librarie Planète BD), Kevin A. Boyd, Martin Dubé (Librarie Fichtre!), Peter Fisico (All New Comics), Robert Haines, Francis Hervieux (journalist and collector), Jason Truong and James Waley. Additional input provided by Ty Buttars (blogger and collector), and Rachelle Goguen (Strange Adventures, Living Between Wednesdays). Coordinators: Kevin A. Boyd (English publications) and Francis Hervieux (French publications).

Webcomics Nominees selected by the CCBCAA Executive. Coordinators: Kevin A. Boyd and Scott Townsend.

Publisher Nominees selected by Éric Bouchard (Librarie Monet), Laurent Boutin (Librarie Planète BD), Kevin A. Boyd, Allison Covey, Martin Dubé (Librarie Fichtre!), Peter Fisico (All New Comics), Francis Hervieux (journalist and collector), Jason Truong and James Waley. Coordinators: Kevin A. Boyd (English publications) and Francis Hervieux (French publications).

Comics for Kids / Bandes Dessinées pour Enfants

Nominees will be announced in early May 2009.

Gene Day Award for Canadian Self-Publishers / Le Prix Gene Day pour Éditeurs Direct Canadian de Bandes Dessinées

Submissions from self-publishers will be accepted until May 18, 2009. Please visit http://joeshusterawards.com/2009-awards-sat-june-27/gene-day-award-for-canadian-self-publishers/ for full details. The winner of the Gene Day Award also receives a $500 Bursary.

The Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer /Le Prix Harry Kremer pour Détaillant Exceptionnel Canadien de Bandes Dessinées

Nominations from retailers and the general public will be accepted until May 18, 2009.

Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame / Temple de la renommée Créateur Canadien de Bandes Dessinées

Four inductees will be announced in early May 2009.

Congratulations to all of the nominees and all of the eligible creators for another memorable year of great comics, both in print and online!

About Joe Shuster (1914 – 1992)
With the permission of his estate, the Joe Shuster Awards are named in honor of the great artist, JOE SHUSTER (1914-1992), whose clear, dynamic style and inventive visual flourishes set the standard for graphic storytelling during the infancy of the North American comic book industry. It was Superman, a co-creation of Shuster and Siegel, which electrified the industry 71 years ago and, almost overnight, transformed comic books into an enormous pop-cultural phenomenon that endures to this day.

About The Joe Shuster Awards
The Joe Shuster Awards are Canada’s first national achievement awards for Canadians working on comic books, graphic novels and webcomics and the only awards without restrictions on language, content and/or genre. The Joe Shuster Awards honour the people who create comics, publish comics and sell comics. Creator nominees are nominated for their BODY OF WORK during the previous calendar year, not just for one specific work (except for cover art).

The Hall of Fame, Harry Kremer Retailer Award and the new Gene Day Award for self-publishers are selected by individual committees after a review and discussion of eligible and/or submitted candidates. Four Hall of Fame candidates will be initiated into the Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame in 2009. Aside from the retailer and self-publisher award committee, active creators can only act as advisors so as not to influence a bias in any of the creative awards categories.

The Joe Shuster Awards are run by the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association (CCBCAA), a not-for-profit organization that relies on sponsorship, eBay and convention sales of art donations, prints and memorabilia as well as private donations. 2009 sponsors include: Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), Sipps Publishing, Diamond Distributors, Quebecor World, and comicspriceguide.com and all of the artists that donated pieces to last year’s Visions of an Icon: Superman art show and sale.

For more information please contact info@joeshusterawards.com or visit www.joeshusterawards.com