The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. This issue contains a career-spanning interview with Mort Walker, the creator of the long-running comic strips Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois, as he talks about a half-century in the funny pages. Plus: French artist Emmanuel Guibert on documenting Alan's War. Also: A gallery of art by pioneering 17th century caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson and a biographical essay by acclaimed Masses cartoonist Art Young. And: Noah Van Sciver conducts a cartoon interview with Frank Stack. Plus: reviews, comics, letters and news. Cover by Mort Walker.

News
Eric Millikin and staff, Journal Datebook (p. 6)

Interviews
Noah Van Sciver, A Cartoon Interview with Frank Stack (p. 21)
R.C. Harvey, The Mort Walker Interview (p. 24)
Matthias Wivel, The Emmanuel Guibert Interview (p. 94)

Reviews
Kent Worcester, "The Best American Comics 2008" and "An Anthology of Graphics Fiction Vol. 2" (p. 125)
Shaenon Garrity, "Black Jack" (p. 129)
Bill Randall, "Slow Storm" (p. 131)
Chris Mautner, "Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles" (p. 134)
Rich Kreiner, "Out of Picture Vols. 1 & 2" (p. 136)
Kristian Williams, "Reich #1-5" (p. 140)
Mini-reviews of "Omega the Unknown", "Comic Book Tattoo", "Fight Or Run #1", "Yesterday's Tomorrows", "Holy Sh*t!: The World's Weirdest Comic Books" and "The Big Skinny" (p. 143)

Essays
Emmanuel Guibert, "Preview: The Photographer" (p. 115)
Art Young, "Thomas Rowlandson Gallery" (p. 150)

Columns
R.C. Harvey, Comicopia: "Born of a Loser" (p. 191)
John A. Lent, Lost in Translation: "The Triumphs and Pitfalls of Kenyan Comics" (p. 197)
Donald Phelps, The Observer: "A Moral Lilliput: The Short Stories of Weldon Kees" (p. 201)
Coming Comics (p. 205)