VENTURA COUNTY WEEKEND : Sci-Fi Writer, Cartoonist Will Meet the Public : Ray Bradbury will sign his books, and Sergio Aragones plans to discuss his drawings.

Famous names from the disparate worlds of science fiction and cartooning, Ray Bradbury and Sergio Aragones, will meet the public this week.

Bradbury, the renowned science fiction writer, will sign his books from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Phantom Bookshop, 451 E. Main St., Ventura.

Aragones, famous for his cartoon art in the margins of Mad magazine and as the creator of original comic books, will discuss his work at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Ojai Table of Contents, 208 E. Ojai Ave. Aragones, who lives in Ojai, will offer a bilingual presentation if there are Spanish speakers in the audience.

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Ruth Heller, author of dozens of books, among them “Many Luscious Lollipops,” “The Reason for a Flower” and “The Hebrew Alphabet,” will be at Adventures for Kids, 3457 Telegraph Road, Ventura, at 3 p.m. Friday to meet with her young fans and sign books.

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All this week Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., Ventura, will welcome autographing authors and host holiday celebrations featuring displays of books and foods in observance of Christmas, Hanukkah and the African American holiday Kwanzaa.

At 7 p.m. Friday, Debbie Emmons will read stories from “A Visit From Santa’s Helper.” At 1 p.m. Saturday, Kim Carlson will sign her book “Beyond My Wildest Dreams,” in which she tells of encounters with alien beings. At 1 p.m. Sunday, Janine Pourroy will sign her latest book “Behind the Scenes at ER” and share insights on what happens on the set of a highly rated television show. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, poets Gary Robertson and Lonnie Warman will read from “A Cowboy Christmas.” At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Beverly Peterson will tell stories from “A Carol for Christmas.”

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Authors Paul Bishop (“Kill Me Again”) and Richard Barre (“The Innocents”) will sign their original Christmas stories and give them away to the first 50 people who attend the holiday party beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday at Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

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Children’s librarian Patty Schafer will tell stories and serve holiday treats at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Camarillo Library, 3100 Ponderosa Drive.

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Author Query: If you’ve ever been romantically dumped via a Dear Jane or Dear John letter that you have saved, Bill Barr would like to include a copy of the letter in a book he’s compiling. He will pay for all material used. For details contact Dumped, P.O. Box, 2566, Toluca Lake, 91610.

UP THE COAST

Alternative Venue Ensemble returns to the Earthling Bookshop, 1137 State St., Santa Barbara, to perform “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Tune in to KQSB 990-AM between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday to hear and talk with noted Santa Barbara writers Noah benShea and Rilla B. Underwood. BenShea, whose small books about Jacob the Baker have become bestsellers, will describe the years of research that culminated in “The Word,” a huge book containing 3,000 years of Jewish wisdom.

Artist and photographer Underwood has just published “All That Hums,” the poetry of her son Ray Underwood, in memory of his life as an actor, singer and lyricist.