We know we said last week was the official book launch, but then there was this thing called Thanksgiving here in the States, so we took the week off to thanks the natives for sharing and to fatten up for the grueling two week juggernaut that your humble author and artist are about to embark on. Tuesday we’re in Boston – Cambridge to be exact – for two events. The first is at the Million Year Picnic, which BoingBoing once called America’s coolest comic shop. That’s from 4-6. Then you’ll find us at the book store for an obscure local college at 7 for a presentation, Q&A and signing. For more details our events in NYC, Michigan and Austin, Texas this week, check the book tour info on your right.

If you’re in the Bay Area, you’ll have no excuse for not catching us live. We’re doing two signings and an official Left Coast Launch Party at 111 Minna Gallery from 6-9 PM on Saturday. It’s a benefit for our friends at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and it’s sponsored by Last Gasp comics, JahFurry and SMITH. Live music from Miami’s best electro-clash band, Waterford Landing. Click on the image to see all the deets. Our talk at Haight Booksmith will feature my old friend Jesse McKinley, SF Bureau Chief for The New York Times.

In other news, our friends at MySpace Comic Books have graciously devoted their Graphic Novel feature to us for the week. In turn, we agreed to launch the premiere of our new animated trailer. It was animated by our friends at Grand Theft Country. Original score by Waterford Landing. Voiced by actor Gabe McKinley. Check it out here.

Lastly, the great press continues, with new reviews, mentions and features in the this month’s American GQ, the Observer (UK), Forbes.com, Comic Book Resources, New York Press and the Forbidden Planet NYC’s newsletter, Weekly Planet. Jeff Ayers writes, “The best compliment I got reading Shooting War on the train to work this morning was the lady next to be sucking her teeth and muttering under her breath why she had to be subjected to such filth. Guess my morning reading wasn’t laced with enough pics of Bragelina for her. Good.” Nice.

SMITH founder Larry Smith put it best, “Who/what else has been on NPR, Penthouse, Daily Candy, and Newsweek in the same breath?” The answer, as I’m guessing you might have figured out, is our lil’ ol’ comic book. Newsweek’s Matthew Phillips writes in one of the best features so far about the SHOOTING WAR story and everyone involved in making it a success, “For this horrifying vision of the future we can thank journalist Anthony Lappe and graphic artist Dan Goldman, co-authors of Shooting War, (Grand Central Publishing) a stunningly rendered graphic novel that manages to stick a red-hot skewer into the war on terror, Islamic jihad, the mainstream media and the antiestablishment blogosphere in one fell swoop.”
Daily Candy, the shopaholic’s bestfriend, pointed its devoted legions our way, noting, “Alongside commentary on celebrity, terrorism, and the blogerati are snapshots of New York media (New York columns, irreverent Dan Rather quotes, Post headlines). The visuals brilliantly blend digital illustration, photography, painting, and collage. And the book will fit nicely between your copy of The Shadow and Superman #423: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow. Obviously.”

Thanks to everyone who came out last night to our kick-off signing at the soon-to-be defunct Astor Place Barnes & Noble. It was slightly surreal to be sipping a Starbucks ice tea while showing a slide of the book’s opening scene. Also, thanks for everyone who made the after-party at Sutra a roaring success. Pics to come.
In addition to providing the planet with a shiny gift-worthy hardcover book, we are also debuting, as per our readers’ requests, a limited edition Dan Rather “The frequency is courage” tee-shirt. Designed by our friends at Grand Theft Country and ethically-produced by Because Clothing, the shirt feature’s Jimmy’s mentor in action in war-torn Iraq. Mens and womens styles, in all sizes, available for a limited time. Be the first on your block to sport the West Texas wrangler himself. Click the pic to order:

Thanks so much to my old friend Alison Stewart for helping us officially launch the book here in the U.S. this morning. If you missed our glorious American debut, you can stream the segment at www.npr.org/bryantpark now or download it via iTunes later in the day.

Next up is another of my favorite ladies in broadcasting, Rachel Maddow. I’m on tonight at 7:30 PM EST on Air America stations across the country. Go here to listen live. – Anthony

Reports are coming in of SHOOTING WAR sighted in the wild at both bookstores and comic shops (apparently Amazon is already shipping copies as well). To support our Nov. 19th launch date, Anthony and I will be doing two signings, some radio interviews and throwing a kick-ass party, click image to see large and check the Book Tour sidebar for more complete tour info.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the UK book launch at the Institute for Contemporary Art. The event was part of the Comica Festival, hosted by our friend and uber-ally Paul Gravett. Thank you Paul for a great kick-off. In other UK news, Dan and I tapped a segment for Sky News’ Channel Five News which should air sometime this week. We’ll keep you posted. In addition, I’m on sky.com later today. Ironic that the only TV coverage we’re getting here is from a Murdoch-owned network.

New York Magazine’s Culture Vulture blog excerpts the book: “Today on the Comics Page, we’re proud to present an excerpt from Shooting War, an expansion of the acclaimed Webcomic by Anthony Lappé and Dan Goldman. Fierce, shocking, over-the-top, and wickedly smart, the new and improved book will be published later this month by Grand Central Publishing.”

We’re pleased to announce that Shooting War artist Dan Goldman is now officially a charter member of the IJC (International Jewish Conspiracy). That’s right, our friends at Heeb magazine have pegged him as one of their “Heeb 100.” Check it here. Come celebrate with us and the rest of the newly tapped chosen few at the Heeb 100 party in NYC Tuesday night at . Next week, Dan and I hit London to kick off the book’s UK release. Check the book tour page for more info.

We’ve got a glowing full-page review in the “Pet of the Year Round-Up” Issue that hits the stands any day now; just wink at your newsstand clerk and tell him you read it for their comic reviews. Click to magnifisize.

We got our first big UK review in, of all places, the venerable Financial Times. First the Wall Street Journal, now this. What is it about business papers and our book? I don’t know, but I’m not complaining. Here’s a snip:

“[Dan Goldman] employs the computer to the full, overlaying figures on photo backgrounds and manipulating everything with software effects. The result is an eye-frazzling, mind-warping collage, like a sequence of Banksy murals, all aglow with doomy orange hues…The satire is ferocious. At one point a soon-to-be Islamic martyr scoffs junk food, saying, ‘This burger makes me feel sated yet vaguely disgusted with myself. What I imagine it feels like to be an American every day.’ Moments like this, both terrifyingly plausible and plausibly terrifying, abound, as Lappe extrapolates from current events to warn how White House foreign policy may well take us all to hell. Originally free online, this strip deserves its enshrinement between hard covers.”