If you’ve enjoyed Jared K. Burks’ regular column on minifigure customizing in BrickJournal magazine, and his first book for Lego® fans, you can learn more of his secrets in Minifigure Customization2: Why Live in the Box?

Jared’s new sequel takes an advanced look at the hobby, introducing more complex techniques to alter the lovable Lego® minifigure, and building on the techniques introduced in the first book. It features tutorials on virtual customization; designing decals and advanced decal application; custom part modification and creation, including 3-D printing; advanced painting techniques; lighting figures with LEDs or EL wire; tips on minifigure displays; and digital photography tips to capture your custom figures in the best light. Essential tools used to create custom figures are identified and updated, and it even includes a Gallery of custom minifigures from top customizers, where they share their favorite tips and tricks. Why live in the box? Populate your world with any alien, superhero, historical, action, horror, or science-fiction figure you can “Just Imagine!”

It’s NOW SHIPPING (at 15% off) at this link!

And through December 15, Jared’s original book, Minifigure Customization: Populate Your World!, is available at 40% during our current book sale. Here’s that link!

The new issue of ALTER EGO (#122, now shipping from TwoMorrows, and in stores next Wednesday), is a tribute to the late, great Comics Buyer’s Guide, offering CBG‘s founders and past contributors a chance to pay their respects to the long-running news/adzine.

When I heard CBG had been cancelled back in January, even though I hadn’t been a regular subscriber for many years, I felt a real painful twinge; not just because of its place as my main source of comics news as a kid, but because of the way it went out. Just one issue shy of #1700, Krause Publications cancelled it with no advance notice to its contributors, so they didn’t have a chance to produce a final issue.

So I got on the phone to Roy Thomas, with the idea of, “Why don’t WE do the ‘final” issue of CBG as a special Alter Ego tribute issue, and round up all the past and present contributors and columnists to give it a proper farewell?” Roy was hesitant at first, since his mag generally covers comics from the Golden Age up till about 1972, and after all, The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom (or TBG as it was originally known) didn’t even start publication till 1971, and hit its heyday well after Roy’s self-imposed 1972 cutoff for AE coverage. But Alter Ego‘s so focused on paying respect to the roots of comics fandom, that it didn’t take much effort to persuade Roy that it made sense to be part of AE.

Roy rounded up almost all of the columnists I remember from my days reading TBG/CBG, including Mark Evanier, Tony Isabella, Peter David, Fred Hembeck, John Lustig, plus founder Alan Light and his second-in-command Murray Bishoff, as well as Maggie Thompson and Brent Frankenhoff, who were all delighted to have a chance to give it a proper send-off.

If you, like me, grew up ordering comics through ads in TBG, and getting your comics news in CBG, I guarantee you will love this issue. My thanks go out to everyone who was a part of it, and to all those great CBG contributors who made it such a great read for over 40 years.

To kick off the holiday season, TwoMorrows is extending its 40% OFF BOOK SALE for two extra weeks! And when you order the discounted print edition, you get the digital edition FREE where available. This includes:

• Our groundbreaking American Comic Book Chronicles history series

• The Modern Masters line of artist biographies

• Our acclaimed Companion books, on fan-favorite series and characters

• How-To books on comics creation

• LEGO titles, and more!

But these huge savings absolutely end in two weeks!

(Sale ends at midnight EST on December 15, 2013, and does not include magazines, subscriptions, digital editions, new releases, or upcoming items.)

NOTE: As expected, we are currently backlogged with sale orders placed over the Thanksgiving holiday, and are working overtime to get all the in-house orders mailed this week, before shipping any new orders that come in. If delivery before Christmas is critical to you, be sure to choose expedited shipping (Priority Mail or Priority Mail International) and place your order immediately.The longer you wait to order, the less likely you’ll receive it by December 24th—thanks for your understanding, and Happy Holidays from TwoMorrows!

Didja see the Auburn/Alabama game this weekend? Just the most amazing football game I’ve ever seen. My wife Pam and I are both Auburn graduates (Class of ’86), but even after living through the Bo Jackson and Cam Newton years, I’ve never seen anything like it.

My hat’s off to ‘Bama for another great year for their program, but after all the trash talk I’ve been hearing from friends who are Alabama fans the last few weeks, I’m SOOOO glad the Tiger pulled that one out (and in such spectacular last-second fashion). Can’t wait for the SEC Championship game, and whatever BCS bowl game Auburn’s headed for.