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Don’t be like Wolverine. Drink responsibly.

Throughout history, mankind has always found reasons to add booze to everything, under the auspices of somehow making it classier. Eventually, people figured out how to use these seemingly tangential excuses for drink as a means of complementing and enhancing their experiences. Drinking wine? For shame! Wine and cheese? Perhaps a side of delicious red steak? Now we’re talking! Drinking in the morning? Forbidden! Orange juice in your cocktail at brunch? Fantastic and socially acceptable! Even in a recession, when people are cutting corners and forced to find new ways to be frugal – everyone still likes to drink.

The point is, drink pairings are classy. And in a world where comic books are finally seen as “cool,” why not add class it up some more? Comic books are an event, after all. I guess what I’m trying to say is this all just a clever ruse for me to combine two of my biggest passions into one delectable event. Comics and Beer – the perfect combination. But like wine and cheese, the real trick is in finding a brew that will somehow improve upon your comic book affair. One that accentuates the proper tones, and enriches the flavor – a beer that you can experience along with your comic book. A beer that betters your comic book, and a comic book that betters your beer, all at the same time.

Here’s a brief guide to pairing your Comics and Beer:

Captain America: Captain America is, well, American. That’s kind of the point. But not in that corporate, militant, bully nationalism-type way. Cap stands for the American ideal, something that everyone can agree with and get behind, that’s not colored by politics and money. That’s why you’ll want to go for a microbrewed American-style lager or pale ale. Something clean, palatable, and easy to drink, something that everyone can agree on but is still wholly American. I’d personally recommend Brooklyn Lager (after his home turf after all), or Sam Adams Lager, or something similar.

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear is, of course, blind, but the rest of his senses are heightened and more than compensate for this. India Pale Ales (IPA) are flavorful and aromatic, thanks to an abundance of hops (historically added to act as a preservative so that English ales might survive the long trip to India). As a result, they engage the senses more than the average beer, and will encourage you to rely on more than just sight, like Daredevil himself. IPAs are also known for their bitterness, and as anyone who’s ever read a Daredevil comic can attest, bitterness and aguish run rampant in the life of Matt Murdock. The higher alcohol content will make your head spin, much like the conspiracies and ninja smoke that Murdock faces himself. Recommended for the uninitiated: Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Mojo IPA, Harpoon IPA.

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We’re in there someplace. Photo via NY Daily Photo.

As I write this, several Quirk Books employees are busy chatting it up with folks at the New York International Gift Fair.

That’s right, we’re there right now and we’ll stay through February 2nd, meeting and greeting people at booth #7549, 9am to 6pm (except Thursday when the show is only open until noon). We’re showing off some hot-off-the-press Spring 2012 titles and previewing selections from the just announced Fall 2012 list.

And for those of you eager for giveaways and swag (because why else would you come to a convention?), we’ve brought a number of the infamously cute Quirk tote bags with us.

Swing by and make sure you say hi to our fabulous in-house sales duo, Moneka and Mia!

Nothing else is sweeter than cooking dinner for the one you love, especially on Valentine’s Day. This pasta dish is incredibly simple to make, yet superb in all the right ways. You only need a few basic ingredients, a good bottle of wine (or two!), and of course, that special someone to cook for.

I guarantee this dish will make the evening very special.

Muggles Are Our Friends by Kate Moore

I love the look of reimagined World War II propoganda art. Unsure of what they look like? ThinkGeek has an awesome selection of them, with artwork depicting the fictional worlds of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and video games.

Kate Moore, a favorite printmaker of mine known as Blimpcat on Etsy, has created a number of WWII propoganga posters inspired by the universe of Harry Potter. “I like to imagine what it would look like if both sides had their say (rather than just He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s people),” says Kate on the Etsy pages for the prints.

The prints are 11×17″ and “digitally printed on heavy, high-quality glossy cardstock.” She stamps and numbers all of her prints individually, so you know you’re getting something special.

Have a look at some more of the prints after the break, and be sure to visit Kate’s Etsy shop. I own all of her Portal 2 prints, and she does great work.

BlimpCat [Etsy.com]

Happy Birthday, Dawson’s Creek!

Today (January 20th) marks the 14th anniversary of its premiere on The WB. The show introduced the world to the future Mrs. Tom Cruise, a future multiple Academy Award nominee, a future sci-fi fan favorite… and James Van Der Beek.

On this date back in 1998, we met 4 hyper-aware teenagers living in the fictional town of Capeside, MA. Joey, the proverbial girl next-door, climbed through Dawson’s bedroom window looking for comfort and refuge from her depressed family life. Dawson, oblivious to her intentions, daydreamed about being the next Spielberg and pined for Jennifer, the new neighbor. Jennifer, exiled to Capeside for her bad girl behavior, was seeking a fresh start by moving in with her Grams. And, Pacey, always looking to stir the pot, was seducing his high school teacher. Good times.

Over the course of six seasons, Dawson, Joey, Pacey and Jennifer debated life and love with a maturity and vocabulary that showed a wisdom beyond their teenage years. So, what better way to mark this anniversary than to present ‘Creek Wisdom’…

On the evening of Tuesday, January 17th, I gathered at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver to celebrate the release of my debut novel, Taft 2012.

Tattered Cover is a Denver institution as well as being one of the finest booksellers in America, and it was an honor to be their guest. The crowd was amazing–must have been at least a hundred people there, and not even all of them were my family!–and despite my nervousness I was somehow able to keep people from fleeing.

But in all seriousness, I couldn’t have imagined a better book launch. Thanks to everyone who came!