If there's one thing you need to know about Bill Barnes, it's that he can bench press 350 lbs. "It's par for the course," you might be saying, "for cartoonists who used to be big wigs at Microsoft." Not so, my friends, not so. Bill is the *only* one you'll find who can do it. And it's an amazing thing to see.

Bill, as you know, is the co-creator of the library comic strip, Unshelved, which we "competed" against in the Coffee Cup Lid Challenge, trying to see who could make the funnier strips out of an unfunny, everyday object. We both loved doing it...and may have a surprise for you in a similar vein in the not-too-distant future.

You may also remember that I'll be exhibiting with the Unshelved guys in Anaheim for the American Library Association super-mega-meetup. I think, if I remember correctly, that I'll also be joining the guys for a bit at the Book Expo America in late May/June. So there's a lot of opportunities to come see all of us (and see Bill's bench-pressing abilities in the months ahead). And don't forget: If you enjoyed today's strip, drop Bill a note to thank him for so kindly entertaining us all!