Back from the trip to the East Coast and the unscheduled extra night in Dallas. While in the old hometown, stopped by Heroes & Hitters, which I used to frequent in the early 90s — congratulations on 15+ years of being in business.

Off on vacation tomorrow, to the ancestral homeland. To hold you for a week, here's taxidermy. But also art. With squirrels.

Scott McCloud in Albuquerque tomorrow!

To celebrate the Death, Cold As Steel trade paperback going off to the printer: this collection of film noir photos. Would've been handy to have those for reference a couple months ago, but you will get to see Jamie's process in the book. Via Coudal.

"Panel Press’ gritty universe of understated espionage and super-powered beings grows one more impressive-sized notch with this final issue of Death, Cold As Steel." Broken Frontier's review of issue 3. There's a special deal on all three issues — or you can wait for the trade paperback, which will be a few bucks more, but include Jamie's development art.

Seems that yesterday was Embrace Your Geekness Day. Missed it. But in a way . . . .

Dave's Long Box on Sleeper. Listen to the man.

Today, Bond links. First, a novelist not known for his spy thrillers will be penning the new novel. And Adfreak takes a look at the good old days of Bond movie advertising.

Scott McCloud is coming to Albuquerque! As a part of the 50-state tour for Making Comics, author and comics artist Scott McCloud will be giving a presentation on Wednesday, July 18 at 7:00 pm at The Art Center Design College (map). Tickets are $10 ($8 for students), available at the door.

Presented by 7000 BC, North Fourth Art Center, and The Art Center Design College.

7000 BC member — and, as of yesterday, married guy — Paul has some old sci-fi cover-type illustrations he did for the city of Roswell for his day job at the bottom of the Roswell UFO Festival page.

Girls With Slingshots is now available (week-) daily. Gone off my list of comics to check weekly and onto my RSS feed.

Found by Coudal at A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette: "Every library has at least one librarian who is a graphic novel enthusiast. This person will argue vehemently for a new graphic novel collection for your library. Give him a paltry budget to spend each year just to shut him up. It will be money well spent." Offered in honor of MB at Reference, our local proponent of graphic novels in libraries, leaving us for the green.

The Comics Curmudgeon posted about Reynard Noir, which casts Slylock Fox as a tough-guy private eye.

"If you like your hero beat up, stitching himself up after a fight and getting into a car chase, this one is for you." Yes, it is. A review of Death, Cold As Steel #2 added to the bottom of the DCAS/RBS page at Optical Sloth.

The Air Force (and the other armed forces) in comics at Air Force Magazine. Via Raph.

"The story spikes in places, offering brutal and swift action sequences, though there’s a surreal realism at work here – representational, but nonetheless calculated, subdued, ultimately offering a soft-lensed, grim, and quiet world of people who appear authentic due to all lack of dramatic posturing." The Broken Frontier review of Death, Cold As Steel #2. The whole series is complete and now we're preparing the trade for print.