Dar, volumes 1 and 2, Erika Moen
This will be the first of many entertaining books I bought at ECCC. Gene had recommended her work, and it is indeed delightful diary comics with some nitty gritty talk about sexuality and sex (and even messier, love). The series ends with her moving on to work on fiction, so let’s all look forward to that. Three stars.

Strange tales II.
Just read Kate Beaton’s pieces and she’s great as usual! Four stars.

Nano House : Innovations for Small Dwellings, Phyllis Richardson
9780500342732
Skipped the architecture text, enjoyed the pictures of innovative tiny houses. Three stars.

Planesrunner, Ian McDonald
Overall, a good book. First in a series, excitement, parallel London, math, intrigue, and good cooking. I did have to write an extended screed about the things I didn’t like about it in order to write a positive review. These complaints may be unique to only me, since the reviews are pretty unanimously positive. Someday you may see that screed. Three stars.

Johnny Wander 1
Johnny Wander 2
The deceptively simple and evocative art plus the humor in daily (artistic) life combine to make one of my absolute favorite webcomics. I recommend the collections, though there are some strips from the web that didn’t make it. Four stars.

East Dragon, West Dragon, Robyn Eversole
Have I already mentioned how much I like all of the action going on in Scarry’s Busytown? All of the great detail and more is in Scott C.’s illustrations in this book. Enjoy it on your own or with a kid. Four stars.

Zombie in Love, Kelly S Dipucchio
Another one illustrated by Scott C. This one demands to be read aloud and the moldy hero is delightful. Also: worm pals in bow ties for the big dance. Four stars.

Science Ink, Carl Zimmer
A collection of science tattoos, explanations of the science behind them and why they are important to the person sporting them. Proof that the science field is brimming with intellectual passion. Do read Mary Roach’s foreword and marvel at its rat underpant diagram. Four stars.

Follow Your Art, Roberta Gregory
Gregory knows how to travel (though has more trouble sleeping away from home than I do) and shares stories and some useful info I will be storing away for future trips (apparently I may need to visit the towns in Spain and Sweden she went to). Good stuff. Three stars.

Edible Secrets: A Food Tour of Classified US History,
Mia Partlow & Michael Hoerger
Get your conspiracy theories right, dudes. A for premise and illustrations, F- for checking your data and spelling. Boo.

TigerButtah, Becky and Frank
Good job recreating (on a very small scale) the look and packaging of a Little Golden Book, but the story isn’t anything to be thrilled with. Two stars.

Bigfoot, Pascal Girard
The same cheeks-burning evocation of awkward teenitude that made me love Freaks and Geeks. Ohhhhh. The memories. Three stars.