Here's something to do in the doldrums while everyone but you is at SDCC: Vote on the new Bazooka Joe gang for the 21st century. They've pretty much got a token character for every taste on that page, but I don't see the new Joe design. The rumor is that they're going to turn his ball cap around. Hopefully, they won't let him rap anymore, for mercy's sake.

Despite the grisly stories you may have heard, Topps claims that Bazooka Joe's eye patch is purely a style choice. Binocular vision must have been really uncool in the '40s. (Of course, they also claim that he was named after a musical instrument from the '30s, not the WWII weapon that was contemporary to his birth.)

Update: The new Joe is in the upper left corner of the page, snuck into the site header and already pushin' product.

Comic 212 reports that Scott McCloud has made a deal for another book. This one to be titled "Making Comics."

Paul Taylor of Wapsi Square draws today's PvP. Taylor is a fantastic artist and Kurtz notes that he and Taylor will be working on a project together soon.

InkSwell, Jeff Cioletti's new documentary on the indie comic book scene, will premiere at San Diego Comic-Con on Sunday, July 25, 2004 at 11:30 a.m. in room 4 of the San Diego Convention Center. InkSwell probes some of the creative minds responsible for indie comic books' subversive edge. It features interviews with Evan Dorkin (Milk and Cheese, Dork), Bob Burden (Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men) and James Kochalka (Monkey vs. Robot), and captures the conception, creation, publication and promotion of an issue of Gabagool, by its writer and artist, Chris Radtke and Mike Dawson.

Also appearing in the Film is the NY/NJ based Small Press Team, CrazeeComics. While at the Empire Fan Fest, last April, Jeff Cioletti and his team approached the new Company interested in their view of the Indy market. Creator's Samuel Vera and Jorge Medina discuss their goals and vision for CrazeeComics.

Jeff will present a Q&A following the screening. Promotional artwork by Mike Dawson.

Hey all,

Over at www.gutterflycomix.com we have been trying to dip our feet into the pool of online gaming. Right now we have an online games section that is basically a listing of cool online games (many based in Flash) from all over the net we dig. There are a couple that are virtual reality, interactive chat room type environment games that I think will play a huge part in the future of the internet and virtual reality simulators.

Does anyone here have any experience in obtaining a following of gamers at your online comics site using this method or is it futile to try? Just wondering. So far we have had mixed results. We want to, in the near future, create our own flash based games revolving around our own characters from our online comics as well, but baby steps I guess.

Anyway, thanks for reading and if you have a particular game you think we may dig let us know. I am always up for cool games.