The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. Marvel Monsters and Monkey Kings make mayhem in this issue! Gary Groth interviews cartoonist Roger Langridge, creator of a rogues gallery of characters such as Fred the Clown, Art d'Ecco, and Knuckles the Malevolent Nun. The New Zealand native will also talk about his collaborative work, such as his recent turn as the artist for Marvel's Fin Fang Foom. Also interviewed is Xeric-winner Gene Yang, whose young-adult graphic novel, American Born Chinese, was recently nominated for a National Book Award. Plus: from the turn of the 19th century, Frederick Burr Opper's comic strip Happy Hooligan -- one of the inspirations for Chaplin's Little Tramp -- is examined, complete with approximately 30 Sunday strips reproduced in full-color! Cover by Roger Langridge.

Letters
Blood & Thunder (p. 19)
News
Greg Stump and staff, Journal Datebook (p. 23)
Interviews
Gary Groth, The Roger Langridge Interview (p. 30)
Kristy Valenti, The Gene Yang interview (p. 117)
Reviews
Leonard Rifas, "The System of Comics" (p. 99)
Bill Randall, "Educational System" (p. 101)
Kent Worcester, "Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 2007" (p. 103)
Chris Mautner, "Stop Forgetting to Remember" (p. 105)
Noah Berlatsky, "Graphic Classics: Lovecraft" (p. 107)
Mack White, "New Texas History Movies" (p. 111)
Chris Mautner, "Unpopular Culture" (p. 113)
Mini-reviews of "Or Else #4", "Numb", "Tale of Genji" and "Dream Corridor Vol. 2" (p. 115)
Essays
Jared Gardner, Frederick Burr Opper's Happy Hooligan (p. 133)
Columns
Tom Crippen, The Post-Human Review: "Notes on the Suicide of a Superhero Reader: A Story" (p. 161)
R.C. Harvey, Comicopia: "Manga Now and Manga Then" (p. 167)
Bill Randall, "Warren Craghead" (p. 175)
Tim O'Neil, Ctrl-Alt-Delete: "Die Hipster Scum" (p. 178)
Donald Phelps, "Clueless, Cross Country" (p. 181)
John Lent,Lost in Translation: "Asia's Reinvention of Comics" (p. 184)
Kenneth Smith, Time Out of Joint: "The Crypto-Revolution of Our Age: XX. Power Versus Reality" (p. 192)
Coming Comics (p. 200)
Tags
Greg Stump, Gary Groth, Roger Langridge, Kristy Valenti, Gene Yang, Leonard Rifas, Bill Randall, Kent Worcester, Chris Mautner, Noah Berlatsky, Mack White, H.P. Lovecraft, Jared Gardner, Frederick Burr Opper, Happy Hooligan, Tom Crippen, R.C. Harvey, Tim O'Neil, Donald Phelps, John A. Lent, Kenneth Smith