Ryan Penagos is the bomb.

I've been loving Jason Rodriguez' blog The Moose in the Closet. Not just because he writes stuff like: "You should buy every book Larry publishes and every book he at some point thought about publishing. It's really that simple." Although, if you were me, what's not to like about that? But, naw, I've been loving it because his posts about his college years are the funniest things I've read in a while. Maybe it's a Beantown thing.

I would like to personally thank NASA for this honor, but I fear they may have named the "spectacular vista" on Mars "Larry's Lookout" for this Larry Young. Still, that allows me reproduce this note:



Man, I got quite a thrill when I got that in the mail, I did. I'm guessing I have MIT grad and Boston-based super-comics-retailer Matt Lehman to thank for that one.

It's safe to go back in the water: www.khepri.com is up off the mat and swinging back harder. Takes more than that to keep ol' Brian Scot Johnson from delivering you the good books. Just got an email from him: "Break my server/site, and I'll... I'll... ah, flip it, I'll put up your Double Image/Trust in Me issue. Front page, under the KH in the logo." So that's official; every single thing I've ever written to be produced for comics is presently available for sale or to be enjoyed on the Internet. As far as I know, Khepri is the only place that has a stock of these never-to-be-reprinted gems, so if you're interested in a horror story that grossed out its own writer, get a Double Image #5 by scrolling down a bit here.

Neil Gorman's excellent comic review podcast Comicology reviews Scurvy Dogs: Rags to Riches. If you listen to the review, Neil mentions that he was attacked by a monkey as a kid, but it's not relevant to the review other than the fact he understands why pirates hate monkeys.

"Holy crap!" I think. "When is a monkey-attack story not relevant?" So I send Neil an email telling him he has to tell this story. "...looks like a little cute Mother Theresa monkey-thing changing channels with the remote control, and everything," Neil says.

The dude from Carbonated Ink talks about the Scurv, too: "It doesn’t feel like I’m jumping onto the bandwagon, but that I’m taking my own wagon and joining the bandwagon convoy: Scurvy Dogs: Rags to Riches is great."

I think somebody stepped on my grave. "Relentless in promotion of his books and brutally honest about everything else..." isn't such a bad way to be viewed by a collegue. Although I will note that while for everyone I've ever met who asks me why I thought doing The Making of Astronauts in Trouble was a good idea in 1999, there're two other folks who want to name their first-borns after me for producing the thing back then. So my usual answer is that I did it for the second set of peeps and not the first. As per usual.

Speaking of not such a bad way to be viewed by a collegue, my good pal Joe Casey shines my shoes in the first part of his interview on CBR ("Larry Young... is the all-powerful purveyor of modern pulp fiction."). And you can dig on some exclusive artwork from the soon-to-be-a-major-motion-picture OGN Full Moon Fever in the second part of his interview.

Apparently we broke www.khepri.com this morning, everybody. Give it a couple hours and hit BSJ again. Sorry, man.



Erin Schadt anoints True Story Swear to God: This One Goes To Eleven as her Pick of the Month: "There were a few top comics in the running for 'Pick of the Month' for March, but between the This is Spinal Tap reference and the excellent nature of the comic itself, I was forced to pick this trade. I recently folded under 'peer blog pressure' (yeah, that’d be Laura’s constant recommendations) and purchased the first trade. What a wonderful series – it’s the most refreshing comic I’ve read in quite some time. Look for a review of the series on this blog soon. In the meantime, order this second trade. Trust me."

We showed up on another "100 Things I Love About Comics" list.

Greg Burgas fills out a Marvel anthology: "Andrew Boyd and Ryan Yount (I'm sorry, I'm still loving Scurvy Dogs) could get some mainstream exposure."

...and it looks like it's that time of the week again. Let's see what's going on at Khepri.com, shall we?

THE TOP 05 GN/TPB/HC OF 2005, WEEK 08 (FEB 20-26)

05. The Goon v3: Heaps of Ruination TPB (Dark Horse)
04. The Couriers v3: The Ballad of Johnny Funwrecker GN (AiT/Planet Lar)
03. Superman/Batman v2: Supergirl HC (DC Comics)
02. JSA v7: Princes of Darkness TPB (DC Comics)
01. Scurvy Dogs v1: Rags to Riches TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)

******

THE TOP 10 GN/TPB/HC OF 2005, FEBRUARY

10. Global Frequency v2: Detonation Radio TPB (DC/Wildstorm)
09. Channel Zero TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)
08. Battle Pope v1 TPB (Funk-O-Tron)
07. Seaguy TPB (DC/Vertigo)
06. Battle Royale v11 GN (TokyoPop)
05. The Walking Dead v1: Days Gone Bye TPB (Image Comics)
04. Scurvy Dogs v1: Rags to Riches TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)
03. Demo: The Twelve Original Scripts TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)
02. The Legend of Grimjack v1 TPB (IDW Publishing)
01. The Couriers v3: The Ballad of Johnny Funwrecker GN (AiT/Planet Lar)


******

THE TOP 10 GN/TPB/HC OF 2005, JAN-FEB COMBINED

10. Channel Zero TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)
09. The Walking Dead v1: Days Gone Bye TPB (Image Comics)
08. Proof of Concept TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)
07. Switchblade Honey GN (AiT/Planet Lar)
06. Catwoman v3: Relentless TPB (DC Comics)
05. The Legend of Grimjack v1 TPB (IDW Publishing)
04. Love Fights v2 TPB (Oni Press)
03. Demo: The Twelve Original Scripts TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)
02. Ex Machina v1: The First Hundred Days TPB (DC/Wildstorm)
01. The Couriers v3: The Ballad of Johnny Funwrecker GN (AiT/Planet Lar)


******

THE TOP 10 GN/TPB/HC OF JAN04-FEB05 (14 MONTHS)

10. Brit #2: Cold Death GN (Image Comics)
09. Battle Pope v2: Mayhem TPB (Funk-O-Tron)
08. Astronauts in Trouble TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)
07. Cloudfall #1 GN (Image Comics)
06. The Couriers GN (AiT/Planet Lar)
05. Battle Pope v1 TPB (Funk-O-Tron)
04. The Couriers v2: Dirtbike Manifesto GN (AiT/Planet Lar)
03. Channel Zero: Jennie One GN (AiT/Planet Lar)
02. The Walking Dead v1: Days Gone Bye TPB (Image Comics)
01. Channel Zero TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)

It's true what I always say, isn't it? Slow and steady wins the race.

"Larry Young is making 2005 very hard on himself as a publisher. Because frankly, he’s going to have to go a long way to put out a better book this year than this collection of the outstandingly funny SCURVY DOGS. This, folks, is what the trade paperback should be."

Our pals at the Isotope have finally succumbed and started their own daily interaction with the space we call "cyber."

Chris Kirby, send me another email adress for you; my answer with the perfect title got bounced back.

A new The Comic Pimp has pics from the Mike Brennan signing, and some hilarious ones at the bottom of the Isotope staff and what they're reading and drinking.

I feel constrained to point out to Johnny B. that it was Ryan who didn't use your quote, so you probably should go ahead and give him that D-. Although this bit sure was nice: "At $12.95, that's less than the individual issues would cost you if you tried to buy them one at a time, plus (and this is good for those of us who have the singles) you get all sorts of extras like an amusing crossover with Vampirella, creator commentaries, a sketchbook, a pin-up gallery, photos, and more. In fact, if you've been thinking about getting this you better do it now before Young realizes that he set his price too low!"