Precocious Curmudgeon

We all knew it was inevitable, didn't we? Mike Sterling, amiable master of ceremonies at Progressive Ruin, is sponsoring a Swamp Thing contest. Mike knows no peer in Swamp Thing fandom, and he's celebrating by giving away a copy of Swamp Thing: Bad Seed, which collects the first six issues of the current Vertigo ongoing. And even if you aren't a Swamp Thing fan, Bad Seed is written by Andy Diggle, so how can you go wrong? (Okay, now I'm having visions of Swamp Thing vs. Rhoda Penmark, and I can't say I hate it.) (Deadline: 12/31. I had this wrong yesterday, because I'm an idiot. Sorry, Mike!)

On the contest reminder front, you still have time to jump on the Owly Love Train by sending Johanna Draper Carlson a cute picture of an owl. More details are available at Johanna's splendid blog, Cognitive Dissonance. I just bought the first volume of Owly, and it's an absolute treat. This is the kind of all-ages book that should become a classic. (Deadline: 12/24.)

And you still have a chance to squeeze some extra bucks out of Dave Carter at Yet Another Comics Blog. He's putting his money where his mouth is, offering to match 10 first-time $25-donations to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. (Deadline: 12/24.)

Nothing puts me in the holiday spirit like ambulatory plant matter, adorable owls, and protecting the First Amendment.