The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. Now entering its 29th year, The Comics Journal returns yet again with the comics-related news, reviews and commentary that has made the magazine indispensable. In this issue, longtime contributor Charles Hatfield sits down for a conversation with breakout indie comics superstar Craig Thompson in an interview that runs his early days to Goodbye Chunky Rice to Blankets and beyond! Also, Managing Editor Dirk Deppey talks to the genius behind Flaming Carrot and the Mystery Men, Bob Burden. Burden's fame as an easygoing raconteur and surreal wit gets a workout in this freewheeling trip through a career that spans the last two decades of comic-book cartooning. Ut! Plus, British journalist Paul Slade examines the progression of Herge's internationally renowned Tintin series as it grew from classic strip to universal storytelling genius, in an enlightening essay you're not going to want to miss. Add in a reprint of rare, archival comic strips, insightful and acerbic industry commentary, plus the celebrated news and critical coverage that just won the magazine Great Britain's prestigious Eagle Award for "Favourite Magazine About Comics," and you've got another fine issue of the most essential magazine about comics available today!

News
Newswatch (p. 9)
Interviews
The Craig Thompson Interview (p. 78)
The Bob Burden Interview (p. 120)
Essays
Noah Berlatsky, "Read This and I Own Your Brain" (p. 62)
Paul Slade, "Herge at Sea" (p. 72)
Reviews
John Carnahan, "God's Fan" (p. 41)
Sean T. Collins, "If You're Not Now, You Never Will Be" (p. 44)
"Scenes From and Exhibition" (p. 48)
Daniel Holloway, "Tragic Kingdom" (p. 50)
Robert Edison Sandiford, "Adapting to Victor Hugo" (p. 52)
David A. Berona, "Solitude and Emptiness" (p. 54)
Ian Brill, "Louis and the Technicolor Orwellian Nightmare" (p. 55)
Christopher Allen, "Batman's Shadow" (p. 56)
David Groenewegen, "Animal Clunkers" (p. 58)
Chris Mautner, "Losing Hand" (p. 59)
Bullet Reviews (p. 60)
Columns
Journalista (p. 67)
Fun!Fun!Fun! (p. 69)
Fighting Words (p. 71)
Minimalism (p. 178)
Ctrl-Alt-Delete (p. 182)
Meet the Comics Press (p. 186)
Comicopia (p. 190)
Time Out of Joint (p. 193)
Reprints
Our Gang (p. 140)