Try before you buy

Except you can't quite buy what you try. . .

From Blog of a Bookslut, notice that you can view the entire first issue of Jessica Abel's La Perdida, which is out of print, but still purchase the rest of the series. Which will probably be eventually collected in trade, yes, but why wait?

Carla Olivares, a young woman with a Mexican father and an Anglo mother--but who grew up entirely Anglo--arrives in Mexico City in search of some sense of her Mexican roots and history. She initially stays with an ex-lover, Harry, and starts to meet new friends, learn Spanish, and see the city.

From the description at Artbabe. Jessica also has a free/sample comic at Artbomb.net, as well as the This American Life comic, Radio: An Illustrated Guide, if you wanted to know more.

Yes, I'm an Artbabe fanboy. But my heart will always belong to Kris Dresen, who asks:

Anyone out there feel like starting 2004 off with a selfless deed? I don't have cable (oh, shut up) and I would really be grateful if someone would find it in his or her heart to tape this for me:

"On Saturday, January 3, at 10:00 pm and Sunday, January 4 at 4:00 pm: Maggie Balistreri on C-SPAN 2's Book TV, reading from The Evasion-English Dictionary and taking questions from the audience."

Please? Someone? Anyone? I'll swap ya the tape for comics or even a sketch. Heck, I'll even pony-up for the cost of the tape. If anyone feels like being a pal, email me!

They took away my free cable, so I cannot help. Anyone? Bueller? Lewis? Randall? Phillips?