NBM brings a few of its fine cartoonists to the fray this weekend:

NBM Publishing is bringing some of its top writers and artists to the New York Comic Con. Meet them and see their new and upcoming work at the NBM-Papercutz booth (#1917).

Among the stars at the booth:
• TED RALL (SILK ROAD TO RUIN, GENERALISSIMO EL BUSHO), showing pages from his next book, THE YEAR OF LOVING DANGEROUSLY
• DAVID AXE (the award-winning WAR FIX), with the forthcoming LOVE AND TERROR
• PHIL YEH (the fun geography comic DINOSAURS ACROSS AMERICA)
• STEPHANIE McMILLAN (ATTITUDE: The New Subversive Political Cartoonists), creator of the strip MINIMUM SECURITY

NBM’s sister company, the kids’ comics publisher Papercutz, proudly presents:
• STEFAN PETRUCHA, writer of NANCY DREW
• SCOTT LOBDELL, writer of THE HARDY BOYS

More big media love for the comics! Newsweek gushes over Papercutz’s revamped Classic line:

Along with Lincoln Logs and chemistry sets, Classics Illustrated was part of that goofy but well-intentioned trend in the mid-20th century that sought both to educate and entertain America’s youth. Each issue contained a retelling of a well-known novel, supplied facts about the author and also included—I am not making this up—a biography of a scientist or inventor and the stirring tale of a brave dog. There were also issues on science and history and fairy tales. If that sounds dreadful—it wasn’t. I should know. That was where I first discovered just how good stories could be.

Now bound in hardcovers, and selling for $15—a hundred times the original cover price—the new Classics Illustrated books don’t closely resemble their predecessors, whose style was generally uniform, more or less like Prince Valiant in the funny papers. (Note to purists: if it’s the old versions you hanker for, they’re still being published by Jack Lake Productions.) The new series will use a different artist with every book, and the styles will vary radically. If the first two, “Great Expectations” and “The Wind in the Willows,” are any indication, Papercutz, the company now licensing the brand, has set very high standards for its new series.

NBM is putting up a weekly art blog by Lewis Trondheim to promote his upcomingbook LITTLE NOTHINGS:

LITTLE NOTHINGS Vol.1: The Curse of the Umbrella

The great talent behind the new generation in Europe, the Dungeon series, A.L.I.E.E.E.N. and Mr. O, pours his heart out in funny snippets of everyday life. His paranoia, little annoyances, big annoyances, chase of rainbows, love of comics, travel impressions from around the world, dealing with kids, being a kid: it’s all about life as we know it. A collection from his comics blog that expands his palette with full color painting, one can only be awed at Trondheim’s uncanny sense of observation and relate to all his experiences closely. Another touch of genius by one of today’s best and most influential comic artists.
6×9, 128pp., full color trade pb. with flaps, $14.95, ISBN 978-1-56163-523-8