Sheldonista Garrett W. adds to our photos of “Sheldon Towns Around the World”. Here’s Sheldon, Missouri. And just in case you missed it, a close-crop shot of the population. Clearly, towns called Sheldon are universally mega-cities:

Thanks, Garrett!

Sheldonista Toby R. from the UK was driving through “sunny” Derbyshire (his words), and spotted this sign. And in the middle of a busy, busy intersection filled with thousands of cars/people (my words), he pulled over and snapped this shot to share with you all.

Thanks, Toby!

For all those Sheldonistas coming out to Long Beach Comic-Con October 2-4, here’s the o-fficial Sheldon guide. Click HERE for the full-size, printable file, or click the image below.

I wanted to take a second to encourage you to go see “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”. Not only because it’s a fantastic movie, but because my friends Chris and Phil wrote and directed it as their first feature. Their first full-length feature. Their first animated, full-length feature. Their first animated, full-length feature in 3-D.

(I write it that way because each one of those is a massive challenge in-and-of-itself, and these guys tackled them all in one project.)

I’ve never seen anyone work longer or harder on a single creative project…just shy of six years. Six years of long nights and continuous re-writes and editing rooms and voice casting and co-ordinating over 500 people and studio hassles and all the rest. I remember talking with Chris when he first took the job and thinking “Wow, it won’t be out until 2009! That feels like decades away.” Such is the nature of animated film…but these guys’ enthusiasm was unflagging throughout.

The good news is, it looks like it’s going to be the #1 movie this weekend at the box office, which makes me so, so happy for them. They deserve every success that comes their way…they are immensely talented and hard-workin’ dudes.

So go see it!

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First, the long-term good news: I’ve begun sketching out ideas for a second website to host the “Saturday Sci-Fi Strip”. If I’m going to commit to doing this strip for the long haul, it needs its own site. ESPECIALLY for reasons of archive navigation.

But…

Sites take a while, so in the meantime, you can find the links to all the Sci-Fi strips here, on the Sheldon Fan page on Facebook. (And thanks to Sheldon reader Brian P. for putting that together! Kind of you!)

Heads up for Southern Californians: I’m happy to announce that “Sheldon” and I will be special guests at the first annual Long Beach Comic-Con, Oct 2-4, at the Long Beach Convention Center.

I’m really rooting for this convention, as LA needs a great comics show…and this looks like it could be it. Already, the guest list includes cartoonists like Berke Breathed of “Bloom County”, the cartoonist who’s perhaps most responsible for me wanting to be a cartoonist. And he NEVER does these things, so I’m super excited. There’s tons of other great guests, too, from Stan Lee to Jim Lee…so it’s gonna be awesome.

I’ll be at corner booth #149, right up front, and will have all the Sheldon books, prints, and miscellany, as well as any Original Art you’d like me to bring for the discounted convention price. I’ll be givin’ out free sketches all three days of the show.

Head over to the site and pick up your tickets now. This is a show we should all get behind.

You know, no doubt, of my extraordinary love for the British biscuit, Hobnobs (Which are now sold in the U.S., I’m happy to say! Although my cardiologist is less happy about it.)

Anyway, kind Sheldon reader Jonathan C. sent in this note related to Hobnobs. You have to check out the cream-puff (ha!) news article he mentions:

I wanted to start off by saying that your comic is amazing. Actually, when my girlfriend was going through chemo, I’d send her strips here and there to cheer her up, so thank you for making such amazing work that could bring a little cheer to someone going through something so rough.

Anyways, onto business. I saw this article the other day and I immediately thought of your love of Hobnobs.

Could your beloved snack be a ruthless thug in disguise?

It could indeed, Jonathan! 🙂

On a separate note: Let’s hear it for “Metro” newspapers, bringing you the cutting, hard-charging news you demand.

Sheldon reader Leslie P. sent in a fun little bit of fan art that I thought I’d share. She says “It all started when it came to mind that an anteater could probably give Flaco a run for his money with its long tongue and all. And then it took on a life of its own.”

Nice work, Leslie!

(And for a larger version, click here.

Sheldonista Severin P. sent in a photo too fantastic not to share. Note that he’s flashin’ not only the Living Dangerously (With Saturated Fats), but the Mind of a Ninja/Body of a Manatee shirt (…which actually go pretty well together, Severin! I never put that together.)

And hey, open invite! If you ever have a good Sheldon-related pic you want to send my way, please do! Send ’em to [email protected].

Sheldonista Bethany L. sent in this awesome story:

Hey Dave,

I just had to pass this story on to you, as it turns out your comic is directly linked to my son’s first full sentence!

Last Thursday morning as I was getting my 19 month old son ready for the day, he said, clear as a bell, “I see a duck!” For the life of me I couldn’t figure out where he saw this duck, since we were staying in a small, open-air rustic cabin at a camp on Catalina at the time. We hadn’t seen any ducks for days, although we had seen several deer, a couple woodpeckers, a fox, and a few fish. So I asked him, “where do you see the duck? I don’t see a duck.” And he replied “shirt, Mama!” I looked down, and sure enough, I was wearing my “Lucky Duck” t-shirt, and there was Arthur. I then proceeded to educate him that this was no ordinary duck, but Arthur, and he now can identify Arthur, Sheldon, and Flaco. Still working on the other characters…but hopefully by the time he’s 2 we’ll have another Sheldon fan!

That has me beaming, Bethany! Thank you for sending that story in!