Sad news: Mission Local reports that after eight years on Valencia Street, vegan publishing house Little Otsu is closing its doors this December. Run by Jeremy Crown and Yvonne Chen, the lovingly-curated neighborhood shop is a place to grab comics, books, day planners and other adorable knick-knacks.

But fans of their zany, designed-by-friends day planners and journals (all printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks) can still be found in their thriving online store. I religiously use their "Non-Planner Datebook," by Keri Smith and will never go back to boring day planners again.

The lease had always been held by McSweeney's, and the then-unemployed Crown and Chen snagged the spot thanks to a connection at the Believer. The space will be taken over by Scholar Match, an 826 Valencia project that will raise money for students going to college. "We would have loved to stay forever, but we are glad to make way for a worthwhile cause," they wrote on the store's blog.

They decided to close the brick-and-mortar Little Otsu because of the rising costs of retail space on Valencia Street, but they haven't ruled out opening another spot if the opportunity comes along. Goodbye to a true Mission gem.

Photo via Sonya Gallardo on Flickr.com.