Why aren't there any Japanese astronauts? Have you ever seen a Japanese astronaut? I'll tell you why you haven't seen one. I'll tell you why... because you can't do a Japanese tea ceremony when you're an astronaut. It's those damn fat gloves.

So, there I am, going through all the books people handed me at San Diego, and writing emails to folks to let them know I appreciated getting a look at their stuff. So I check my inbox for a break and I have an email from Shane Bailey from Near Mint Heroes. "What're these two AiT minicomics I just got from Ed Cunard? Can I scan 'em and put them on my site?" "Sure," I say. "Ask me some questions about 'em, and we'll have a little interview, and the minis will be available for posterity."

So here's the interview (Shane's first, and it reads like his hundredth; all the typos are mine), and here's a link to the very first AiT mini (proving my need to hire Charlie Adlard, and reprinted in The Making of Astronauts in Trouble).

Shane also has available starting here the never reprinted issue one point five I did mostly as a lark. Turns out that this is the one that then-Dark Horse editor Phil Amara ended up liking the most. Go figure; the one you do as a goof is the one the bigshots respond to. Just goes to show.

Sean Fahey has a great review of Last of the Independents. Scroll down a bit until you see "From start to finish, Last of the Independents does not let go. Shoot-outs. Car chases. Shoot-outs. Street brawls. Shoot-outs on horseback, and finally shoot-outs. Artist Kieron Dwyer brings an incredible cinematic sensibility to the action sequences here. The visuals are alive and exciting, often times leaving you to say to yourself, “Holy shit that was amazing.” and my personal fave: "Last of the Independents honors the films, novels and television shows of the 1960s and 1970s that it borrows from, but it also stands on it’s own legs – and stands tall. This is just a great piece of crime fiction, and it’s one with real heart. Highest recommendation."

Now, that's a review. Thanks, Sean.

Sequential Tart has updated for August, and features Izzy's San Diego con report where she blows a secret Lee Atchison was trying to keep in hers. My mother would be quite proud of her parental skills by reading that "Larry was in quite the jovial mood, and by introducing certain people to other certain people, he did a great job of acting as a host," while my dad would be proud of his parental skills by reading "Afterwards, we hung around for awhile and got ourselves free drinks courtesy of Larry Young." Everybody knows each other and has drinks on me? My job here is through...

And maybe this is just me, but I think the Tarts were a little sweet on Ian Yarborough that night at the Eisners.

Izzy also reviews Hench, Ursula (another 10 out of 10 for Fabio and Gabriel), and Demo #7 for our edification. Can't hurt to check out the rest of Sequential Tart this month, either. Lots of good stuff there.

...and here's a link to Loose Cannon #27 (from July 13, 2001) in which I explain to everyone that it's not so much that Bonzo has his elbows up and is using the wrong salad fork, it's that there's a chimpanzee at the dinner table. First things first, yeah?