Tom spotted it first: A new webcomic by Derek Kirk Kim with a new panel added every day. Looks cool so far. Check it out.

For American mainstream comics fans born in the early ’70s, it seems that the answer is a resounding “yes!” This silent issue of G.I. Joe (a series my crowd dismissed as a forgettable toy tie-in comic) by Larry Hama was apparently an important moment in the young lives of future (male?) comics artists of the generation a decade after mine.

I think it was Larry Marder who first directed my attention to this weird phenomenon, but the wise and witty Shaenon Garrity has now penned the definitive write-up (with a cameo by Your Truly in the role of Mary Poppins).

I saw Shaenon and Andrew Farago last week before hopping my flight home from San Francisco, when I realized that my UX Week hotel was just three blocks from the Cartoon Art Museum where Andrew works.

Be sure to check out Shaenon’s own new book collecting the first run of her great new strip Skin Horse.

[thanks to Heidi for the heads-up]

Multiple random plugs (get it? Hanh? HANH?):

One of my favorite This American Life segments: David Rakoff’s heartbreaking “Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace,” Act Three of Episode 389 – Frenemies. If you agree with me that TAL is one of the best shows ever on radio, consider a donation.

Had a surprisingly good time watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Probably helped to be sitting between two kids who were laughing at all the genuinely smart and/or bizarre gags. Way better movie than it needed to be to fill it’s demographic slot.

Whole family is enjoying Glee and rooting for it to get better already.

“Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell” by Das Racist/Wallpaper. Find it. Listen to it. Hate me forever for making you do it.

Now available through BreadPig, with their profits going to Room to Read. And if you need a reminder of why everybody loves this strip, today’s entry ought to do it.

Artists have continued to toy with the Infinite Canvas engine from Microsoft’s Live Labs since we last checked in. In the current “featured”category is “Amhot” by Tam, a cool set of Vignettes worth checking out.

Also of interest, below the fold, is a long list of other recent comics, art projects, and random screwing around which use the engine.

As before, the comics themselves are a mixed bag, using a smattering of navigational models, some of which work better than others, but they point in interesting directions.

I’ll be curious to see what surprises might emerge from the slushpile in the future.

Steve Lieber interviewed by and adapted into comics by Mike Russell (with inks and colors by Bill Mudron). [via Tom]

Whenever Steve Lieber’s name comes up in the comics circles I frequent, someone will always add something about liking Steve, or that Steve is a “good guy.” Happens every time. It’s like how when someone mentions Amy Winehouse, you know that at least one person will lower their head and slowly shake it from side to side.

Haven’t seen the movie yet. Like Will Eisner and many other smart cartoonists before him, Steve doesn’t get too emotionally invested in Hollywood or confuse a movie’s successes or failures with his own. (Will’s attitude was that if they optioned The Spirit every year for the rest of his life and never made a movie he’d be okay with that).

***

In other news, I’m off to San Francisco tomorrow for UXWeek and my lecture Wednesday. Just a quick trip (only 28 hours in transit), then back to making comics.

New Tom Hart comic! Everything is right with the world.

[Thanks to Heidi for the heads-up]

Henry Jenkins is a long-time friend of the comics medium (and many other historically marginalized art forms). Recently he tapped up a list of graphic novel recommendations along the lines of DC’s recent “After Watchmen” campaign, except in this case, it was an “After Zot!” list for a friend who had enjoyed the recent collection. On the assumption that a few of you might benefit from the same list, you can read the full entry here.

Recorded in Barcelona in May.

Note that I don’t always talk that way. When getting translated in real time overseas, I enunciate a bit more and avoid too many exotic terms. Still I guess it adds a bit to the wonky atmosphere.

…is a bit scary sometimes.