Chip Kidd is the amazing graphic designer/book cover artist/writer who's managed to turn his triple threat talents into two amazing books, The Cheese Monkeys and it's sequel, The Learners. Both books are about graphic design advertising in the 60's: a precursor to Mad Men, if the whole story was told by Salvatore Romano. And yes, closeted homosexuality runs rampant in the books as well.

But now Kidd has a new book out, on the portrayal of Bruce Wayne overseas. Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan looks amazing and everyone should check it out, post-haste. In case you needed any more urging, here is an interview with Chip, describing his love of all things bat-related.

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Batman wasn't always as butch as Christian Bale and others portray.

Jokes about the hero's relationship with Robin abound, but, as Tyrion Lannister notes, the gay rumors were once no laughing matter:

The accusation that Batman was a homo, as strange as it might sound to our own ears, was taken quite seriously by government and public alike. It wasn't leveled by a marginal nut or crank, but by a world-renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Frederic Wertham.
…
Batman and Robin, Wertham charged, inhabited "a wish dream of two homosexuals living together." They lived in "sumptuous quarters," unencumbered by wives and girlfriends, with only an aged butler for company.
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"Only someone ignorant of the fundamentals of psychiatry and psychopathology of sex can fail to realize the subtle atmosphere of homoeroticism which pervades the adventures," wrote Wertham.

"The Batman type of story may stimulate children to homosexual fantasies."

Oh, please! Even straight Batman could inspire fantasies.

Anyway, as you can guess, a concerted effort to make Batman more manly began - and thus the dark hero we know and lust today…

• The footage may be janky, but the new Batman trailer makes us believers.

• Beware the breast cancer: men whose foremothers had breast cancer may be at greater risk.

• Rhode Island's lesbian divorce heads to the state's Supreme Court.

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Wallpaper's got a bad rap. Long the home decor choice for overzealous grannies and tacky rich people, floor-to-ceiling paper products have nearly become a thing of the past: a throwback to the days of yore.

Luckily there's a new breed of wallpaper creators intent on bringing interior coverings back to the forefront. New York City's Studio Printworks specializes in fine accoutrement, offering the consumer dozens of unique creations.

John Mahoney's just one of the Studio's army of artists, but he's also one of the best. We caught up with Mahoney recently to chat about his definition of home, kimonos, Frank Miller, the Quakers, art and, of course, wallpaper.

See what he has to say for himself - after the jump…

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• Brokeback Mountain may have lost the best picture statuette at the Oscars, but at least it won the big prize at this weekend's Spirit awards. [The Advocate]

• "Don't ask, don't tell" may keep soldiers out of the military, but it can't keep recruiters out of U.S. universities. [Bloomberg]

• From George Clooney’s mouth to God’s Ears: Batman is GAY. [Pink News]

• Gay Cowboys’ in Sydney? We’re there. [CNN]

• You knew the ban on gay priests was stupid, but you didn’t know it would also be a huge waste of money. [The Boston Globe]