The late Ward Kimball, Chuck Jones and Tex Avery have a showdown with the notoriously mean-spirited Alan Smithee in this week’s edition of Directorama. According to the artist Peet Gelderblom, “Directorama is a weekly webcomic that chronicles the afterlife of a pantheon of legendary directors duking it out for artistic supremacy. Their heavenly mission: To inspire filmmakers carrying the torch back on Earth. The strip was inspired by the near simultaneous deaths of cinematic masters Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni in the Summer of 2007.”

The Harvey Comics art exhibit, From Richie Rich to Wendy which began it’s tour last summer in San Francisco, is now in New York City at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. The exhibit will run through April 18th and is well worth a visit. The Villager just published a story (which quotes yours truly) about Harvey and the art show in this week’s edition. MoCCA is located at 594 Broadway at Houston St., in suite #401. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday, 12 noon through 5pm. Here is a video report on the exhibit from local New York News channel NY1.

PictureBox, a fine Brooklyn-based book publisher who I’m currently working with, is holding a sale on nearly every item on their website. The sale lasts through February 8 and there’s some real bargains to be had. For example, their huge two-volume 688-page retrospective of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse production designer Gary Panter, which was published last year at $95, is currently only $30 through their website. Overspray: Riding High with the Kings of California Airbrush Art is a beautifully-produced look at West Coast airbrush culture in the 1970s and shows how it entered the mainstream advertising and film through artists like Peter Lloyd who created airbrush art for Tron. That book which retails at $50 is available for only $20. Also, pick up Paper Rad and Michel Gondry books for $7, Mark Newgarden’s Cheap Laffs for $6, and lots of quality art/indie comics at fire sale prices. Every order also ships with a FREE copy of Paper Rad’s DVD Problem Solvers.

Animator Sherm Cohen has posted an illustrated tribute to cartoonist/storyman/cartoon director Dan Gordon (Popeye, SuperKatt, The Flintstones) on his Cartoon Snap blog. Cohen’s article first appeared in The Comics Journal last July. He’s added images and video to his online version. Worth a visit!

Kat lovers unite - you’re about to be hit with a brick! Craig Yoe has just started a website devoted to cartoonist George Herriman.

It’s a treasure trove of all things Krazy including separate blogs filled with Herriman comic strips, rareties, animation, news and more! Go there now!

(In the archival photo above: producer Charles Mintz, unknown, Miss Krazy Kat, animators Ben Harrison and Manny Gould)

Wanna meet three comic art legends? The YIVO Institute in New York will be presenting one-on-one interviews with three comic book innovators.

Al Jaffee, Jules Feffier and Harvey Pekar will be interviewed by comics writer and critic Danny Fingeroth. YIVO’s Comics and the American Jewish Dream series kicks off Wenesday January 21st at 7:00 pm with The MAD, MAD, MAD (Jewish) World of AL JAFFEE. The series continues with Jules Feffier on Tuesday, February 3, at 7:00 P.M. and Harvey Pekar on Tuesday, February 17, 7:00 P.M. The YIVO Institute For Jewish Research is at 15 West 16th Street, in Manhattan. Admission $25 / YIVO members: $18 / students: $12. For tickets call 212-868-4444 or visit smarttix.com.

A few nice collections of holiday-themed cartoon artwork to keep you entertained during the cold weather…

Beautiful drawings by “Walt Disney Staff” illustrating a short story by Pearl S. Buck that appeared in a 1956 issue of Family Circle.

Illustrations from Jingle Bells, a Little Golden Book by the great J.P. Miller.

An incredible collection of Disney Studio holiday cards from the 1930s-’50s.

Delightful and humorous holiday imagery from the early-20th century published in Life magazine.

Holiday comic art including some great Frosty comics, as well as the creepy Littlest Snowman cover above.

In case you missed it - Today’s Lio comic strip by Mark Tatulli.