Comic Con International is literally just around the corner and no one’s got time for long-winded intros. Let’s get right to it:

Scott Pilgrim: Adam Sternbergh writes about Michael Cera, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and ties it all in to his fancrush on Alpha Flight. Yes, you read that right. It all takes place in The Walrus, the Canadian magazine of, oh yeah, you read that right, too. Canada has a magazine.

Captain Action: He’s not a “doll,” he’s an “action figure,” and he’s back in action courtesy of Beau Smith and Eduardo Baretto in the upcoming Captain Action Winter Special from Moonstone. Beau talks about the issue with First Comics News.

Dick Tracy: The plainclothes detective’s self-titled comic strip may soon go the way of Little Orphan Annie, but at least there’s a website devoted to his work. And it’s packed with goodies for Tracy fans to enjoy, including some never-before-published material by Max Allan Collins and Joe Staton. Click fast because the site is referred to as a “limited time tribute website.”

Al Plastino: Keller at DC Comics 40 Years Ago takes a look at Superboy #168 which leads into a bigger discussion of the work of Al Plastino, the answer to the world’s best trivia question.

Watchmen Heroclix: Mike Sterling likes his set.

Bond, James Bond: The Illustrated 007 blog is a site to bookmark if you love the various illustrated incarnations of Bond. Here are some pre-production color sketches by Stephen Grimes for Thunderball, done in 1959 when producers were shopping around for money.

Jonathan Ross: He may be forsaking TV to do other things, like write some comic books, but at least one person won’t miss him. “It is one of the great and endlessly repeated mistakes of TV commissioning to think that just because someone is funny or talkative, they deserve their own chat show.” Ouch.

Real Names: Do you know the real name of Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons? He’s got one. How about Peppermint Patty’s real name? Yup, she’s got one too. Check them – and many others – out at Mental Floss.

Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: I’d buy every issue of a Nick Fury comic that looked like this.

Archie: Robot Archie has nothing to do with Riverdale Archie and fortunately Steve Holland explains it all.

Robert Silverberg: Are the days of the full-time novelist numbered? Well, that’s a question floating around the internets the last week or so. Award-winning sf author and editor Silverberg lets everyone know how it was when he first started out, 55 years ago.
[Link courtesy of John Scalzi]

Fonts: Some lucky fellow happens to love Comic Sans and hate the rest of us. 2010 is really my year!

Mel Gibson: What if the angry Mad Max star was actually the writer of Ziggy? When Falls The Coliseum knows just what that would look like.

If you’re going to the con, I’ll see you there. I’ll be the guy trying to get to Artist’s Alley without getting trampled by the Pokemon cosplayers and Twi-hards looking for the excitement of last year’s convention.

[Artwork: publicity shot for Scott Pilgrim]