By Emmanuel Guibert, author of the forthcoming book Alan’s War from First Second Books. Should be out any week now. If you’re as dumb as I am, you’ll scratch your head for most of it, but then the end makes it all worth it.

Guibert also did the art for The Professor’s Daughter, written by Joann Sfar.

Wuxtry! Wuxtry! We have a limited number of free passes to a sneak preview of ROLE MODELS, which is a rated R movie, so be forewarned, family blog. The screening is scheduled for Wednesday, October 29 at 7.30pm, and each pass admits TWO people. Bonus! So come get your pass, then be sure and pick up your new comics this Wednesday before heading over to the theatre nice and early–they give out many more passes than there are seats, those tricksters.

Yo all my peeps! Now up on our increasingly massive (over 1100 photos now) Flickr photo site is a photo report on Friday’s AWESOME appearance in our store by Harvey Pekar (American Splendor) and Alison Bechdel (Fun Home). There’s plenty of description over there, but here are a few highlights to read before you click here to go to Flickr:

1) Harvey Pekar and Alison Bechdel are both very nice, personable, and fascinating people.

2) Alison very patiently answered a list of questions that our Discussion Group leader Andy Mansell sent me for her (he couldn’t make it because of a last minute work thing, to his utter chagrin). She was floored by some of the questions, but answered them all with consideration and enthusiasm. I think I have a little crush on Alison Bechdel now, which is problematic AT BEST.

3) The ImaginOn is a cool place.

Okay! Now go look at the pictures!

If you’re like me, then you might NOT have read this past Sunday’s Charlotte Observer, which apparently featured a front-page article on tomorrow’s appearance by Harvey Pekar and Alison Bechdel. Okay, so the article is focused somewhat more squarely on their lecture at the ImaginOn, BUT, we get a little mention as well. If you’ve already covered your bird-cage bottom with Sunday’s paper, never fear: the Internet is here to help you. See you tomorrow, first here at 4 for the FREE book-signing, then at the ImaginOn for the lecture. While our event is free, we are helping sell tickets to the ImaginOn lecture ($15), which you can get in the store no problem!

Last week we asked you to write in with the comics creators you’d most like to see as guests at next year’s HeroesCon. And boy, did you. After careful consideration, some heated debate, and a lot of behind the scenes dealmaking, we have chosen to bail out the big Wall Street banks a winner.

While there were a number of GREAT suggestions (including great ones by the Galvans, “Schmakt”, and “Eric”, not to mention pretty much everybody else), we’ve decided the best one was by “Lyle”–this is what he wrote:

“All right, I;ll be honest, my pick for Heroes COn ’09 is a selfish one. Very selfish.

I would LOVE if John Romita Sr. would attend. I’ve long loved this man’s artwork, and I would kill to meet him….

….but that’s not why I want him to attend Heroes Con.

He is a legend, a MASTER of the pencil, and has drawn some of the most legendary arcs in Marvel history…

…but that’s still not why I want him to attend Heroes Con.

I want him to attend because I have a book I want to get signed. The book is “The Death of the Stacys” Hardcover. I got this for my daughter, Gwen, before she was born. It is already signed by Stan Lee (thanks STAN!!), and I would love to see it signed by John Romita…I’d even throw in for a head sketch. This book is going to be put up for her, and, one day, she can see this book, and see that two comic greats signed this book just for her.

I know it’s sappy, but that’s my pick, and that is the reason why.”

GREAT request, Lyle, and apparently one that pretty much everyone is behind on one level or another. Both of the Romitas (Sr. and Jr.) have been guests in the past, but I think the last time might have been in 96 or so, which would have been my very first HeroesCon as a member of the staff! Jeez, I’ve been working here too long! It’s hard to find a Spidey fan bigger than Shelton, and I know he’s constantly bugging those guys to come back, but we’ll see if we can get the stars to align for you next summer, Lyle!

In the meantime, you are the proud future owner of a 3-disc DVD! If you’re in the Charlotte area, you can drop by the store and pick it up; otherwise, drop me an e-mail through my little blog idea (there’ll be an e-mail link there–if I type it in here my junk mail will double overnight), and we’ll work out some shipping arrangements.

And thanks to everyone for voting! We love to hear from you guys on ANYTHING, so don’t be shy about posting here on the blog!

Okay! I’m back from SPX–I posted a photo report over on my personal blog, which you are free to enjoy if you like. But I can save you some time: it was great! SPX is pretty fun if you’re into indie comics. If you’re not, you might as well quit reading and go about with your business!

The bad thing about driving to SPX is that it takes forever and wastes the best part of 2 days. But the good thing is that there’s room in the car to bring back a bunch of new stuff for the store, which I did. I’ll be adding these items to the New Releases page, but just so you know, the following items are either BRAND NEW (they have an * in front of them) or back in stock after a long time. I only got one or two of most of the books, and 2 or 3 of the minis, so jump on these badboys if you want them–they won’t last long!

*CHRISTINA & CHARLES GN $10.00
*DANNY DUTCH AND THE KING OF THE ALIENS $2.00
*DAYBREAK GN VOL 3 $10.00
*ESCHEW #1 $4.00
*FART PARTY TP $13.95
*FIGHT OR RUN #1 $3.95
*FINE TOOTH COMICS $4.00
*FLEEP $6.00
*HOT BREATH OF WAR TP $13.00
*INKWEED TP $16.00
*NATURAL WORLD $4.00
*POCKET PARTY $3.00
*TINDERBOX $10.00
*VICE PRESIDENT SHIPPING & DISTRIBUTION OFFICE MACHINES COMPANY $2.00
*WINDY CORNER MAGAZINE #2 $10.00
CRICKETS #2 $4.95
DOGS AND WATER HC $19.95
MOOMIN VOL 1 HC $19.95
OPTIC NERVE #9-11 $3.95 each
OR ELSE #2 $5.95
WHAT IT IS HC $24.95

We received TWO free copies of the new unrated 3-disc edition of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” on DVD. Shawn has taken one of them, which leaves one for you, if you think you can handle it (NOTE: If you are below the age of 18, you cannot handle it, at least in the eyes of the law, which is plenty for us. Don’t even try; thank you).

Here’s what to do: between now and next Friday at noon, tell us in the comments section below who YOU would most like to see as a guest at next year’s Heroes Convention! We’d REALLY like to hear about people who haven’t been here in a while or ever. Tell us who you’d like to see and WHY, and be creative! Also, be clean: this is a family blog, so don’t be rude (thanks in advance). We’ll pick the best entry and give you the DVD free! If you’re from out of town, we’ll charge you some shipping probably, but it won’t be too bad.

Okay let’s hear it!

Man, our boss Shelton Drum is fighting the national economic crisis virtually by himself, by driving all over the country doing conventions. Last week he went to the Baltimore Comicon, which he was seriously glowing about upon his return. Apparently they really knocked the ball out of the park this year, so congratulations to our buddy Marc Nathan and his staff for putting on such a great convention.

But not happy with one super-long drive in a week, Shelton’s going for round two this weekend when he travels to the Mid-Ohio Con, going on Saturday and Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. He’s bringing his new super-stock that good ole Seth has been working night and day to put together over the last few weeks. Apparently it sold like crazy in Baltimore, so congratulations to Seth and Shelton on that one. This is so far a highly congratulatory blog post, and I suspect more congratulations are in the offing. Anyway, if you’re planning on being at the Mid-Ohio Con this weekend, be sure and stop by the Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find booth and slap high-fives with Shelton!

But if it’s indie comics that floats your boat, it may be MY supple, largely uncalloused hand you’ll be high-fiving. I’ll be driving up to Bethesda, Maryland tomorrow (along with our buddy and frequent HeroesCon guest J. Chris Campbell) for this year’s Small Press Expo. This is one of my favorite shows of the year, if not THE favorite: it’s really fun, totally laid back, and has a chummy vibe very similar to our own famously chummy vibe.

And even more exciting this year: not only will I be appearing in my recurring role as Creative Director for the store and convention, pimping HeroesCon and selling tickets and small press tables, BUT I’ll for the first time ever be appearing as a guest! I’ll have copies of my brand-new (literally, I was working on the cover during my lunch break) minicomic DHARBIN #1, as well as a limited edition print I did. I would link to something showing these items, but said link does not exist. Hey, I’ve been busy. But come slap my hand at SPX: I’ll be at the AdHouse Books booth with Chris Pitzer, Josh Cotter, and Jim Rugg!

Okay! So congratulations to Shelton and I for being road warriors, although I whine about all the driving a lot more than he does, so maybe more congratulations to him. And if you’re in Columbus or the D.C. area this weekend, come say hi to one or both of us!

I should have had these up over the weekend, although I must share blame with Diamond, who have been getting us our invoice pretty late lately, as they move their offices. But if you were waiting, the wait is over, yo!

Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find owner Shelton Drum will be taking his homespun North Carolina version of the aloha spirit to the Baltimore Comicon this weekend, a 2-day show run by our buddy Marc Nathan, and is about as close as you can get to the top, quality-wise. I can only think of one little ole convention I’d rate higher, but maybe I’m biased.

Shelton is bringing enough stuff to start his own minicon, though–from $1 and $2 stocks, to a huge, brand-new, never touched stock of recent hot books that people are going to go bananas over. And, due to the hard work of our own Seth Peagler, everything’s in perfect A-B-C order, so browsers will have an easy time finding what they’re looking for. Not only that, but Shelton will also have a big stock of Silver Age available, plus will be selling HeroesCon 09 booths, small press tables, and of course tickets!

All this in the middle of the Baltimore Comicon, going on this Saturday and Sunday at the Baltimore Convention Center. For more info check out their snazzy website. And be sure to drop by the Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find booth and tell Shelton hey!

And for those of us unable to drive up to Baltimore this weekend, there’s always our next installment of the Heroes Discussion Group, coming up this Monday, September 29. We’ll be discussing Notes For A War Story by Gipi, which is super great. If you haven’t read it yet, we have a couple of copies left in stock, and you can get 10% off of them by mentioning the Heroes Discussion Group discount. See you there!