Five long months after it was initially supposed to ship, the third volume of Scott Pilgrim – Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness – finally hits the stands today! For those unfamiliar with this absurdly charming Toronto-created and -based graphic novel series, grok the Wikipedia entry and become acquianted with one of the freshest, funniest and funnest funnybooks on the stands today. Did I mention it’s fun?

When I say I’ve been waiting for volume 3 for a while, I’m not kidding – I first posted about it last October. First it was supposed to be out in December, then January, then “Spring” and now finally May. Newsarama has an interview with creator Bryan Lee-O’Malley where he explains the constant delays (“We had to solicit early due to the bookstore market, and failed to do the math right, basically”) but also mentions some of the real-life Hogtown locales that play host to the events in the new book (“Lee’s Palace is real, Honest Ed’s is real, the Pizza Pizza across the street is real”). Woo Toronto. Comic Book Resources ran a 13-page preview of Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness back in September.

Newsarama also has the whole of the Scott Pilgrim Free Comic Book Day Special if you missed out on a copy a couple weeks ago – an edition which got positive mentions from both Entertainment Weekly and Salt Lake City Weekly.

And for Torontonians who want to celebrate with Lee-O’Malley, head over to Rocco’s Plum Tomato (at Bloor and Bathurst – right by Honest Ed’s and the Pizza Pizza) this Saturday night for a book release party for Scott Pilgrim and Dinosaur Comics’ first tome. It’ll be comic geek-eriffic.

Someone ripped off Jens Lekman’s “Sweet Summernight On Hammer Hill” for a washing machine commercial and that someone is LG. Read about it here and boycot LG washing machines! Via Largehearted Boy. Also read this interview with Jens at Dusted, but don’t boycott them.

Harp has a little info on the new M Ward record Post-War, due out August 22.

Thanks to Prefix for pointing the way to the new Mogwai video for “Travel Is Dangerous”.

Video: Mogwai – “Travel Is Dangerous” (SWF)

The Magnolia Electric Co will be at Lee’s Palace on September 12 as part of their Fall tour. Though the booking agency doesn’t explicitly say so, I’m told that Shearwater should also be on this bill, which would bump it up from a “recommended” to an “absolute must-see”. Venue still TBA but I’m guessing Lee’s.

Popmatters talks to Stephin Merritt about Showtunes but thankfully doesn’t address the ridiculous Song Of The South controversy that’s been swirling around him on the interweb of late. If you’re curious about that – and it’s not really worth the cyber-ink that’s been spilled on it – The New York Times reports on the controversy stirred up at the recent EMP conference and Zoilus has lots more on the matter. Pop (All Love) also has something to say, but it’s more an excuse to talk Britney than anything else.

And to circle round back to comics, IGN is counting down their 25 greatest X-Men moments this week leading up to the release of X-Men 3: The Last Stand on Friday (Via LHB). I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn’t more nervous about this than excited, but I’m sure my inner fanboy will win out over good cinematic judgement in the end and I’ll be there on Friday night.

np – Bedroom Walls / All Good Dreamers Pass This Way