Upcoming furry comics for September 2011 (Previews only)

Like last month, this month's best item is a big reprint book from Fantagraphics, this time two years of Pogo. Buy it buy it buy it. The Mickey Mouse hardbacks are impressive too.

The diversity of sources continues. This includes some items from Kids Can Press, a Garfield thing from Papercutz, one from Toon Books, and a couple of Dragon Punchers from Top Shelf that I pass over as overjuvie.

PAGE 18
ARCHAIA ENTERTAINMENT LLC (http://www.archaia.com)
JUL110012 Fraggle Rock Halloween 2011 Mini-comic 16pg, color 20 for $4.99
by Jake Myler
'When the sun sets on the Gorg Garden, Fraggle Rock comes alive...with the sights and sounds of ghosts, ghouls and goblins! ... Are you ready to dance your fears away?' This and the following are suggested as more dentally friendly Halloween giveaways.

PAGE 19
BOOM! STUDIOS (http://www.boom-studios.net/)
by Roger Langridge
JUL110013 Snarked! Halloween 2011 Mini-comic 16pg, color 20 for $4.99
A self-contained story of the Walrus and the Carpenter, Langridgized.

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS (http://www.fantagraphicsbooks.com/)
JUL110015 Donald Duck Halloween 2011 Mini-comic 16pg, color 20 for $4.99
by Carl Barks
A Halloween-themed reprint.

VIZ MEDIA (http://www.viz.com/)
JUL110016 Mameshiba: on the Loose! Halloween 2011 Mini-comic 16pg, color 20 for $4.99
by James Turner and Jorge Monlongo
'It's a BEAN! It's a DOG! It's... BOTH?! Meet Mameshiba, the cute little bean dogs with bite! Starring in their first-ever adventures, they rescue friends, explore outer space and offer interesting bits of trivia when you least expect it! Hold on tight -- Mameshiba are on the loose! And don't miss the Mameshiba shorts, by Gemma Correll!' The canine answer to Hello Kitty? Mameshiba don't just lack a mouth, they lack limbs.

PAGE 127
DC COMICS (http://www.dccomics.com/)
JUL110273 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #13 32pg, color $2.99
by Sholly Fisch and Scott Jeralds et al.
'Scooby and the gang help their old pals, The Ghastleys, solve a family mystery sure to creep out your cranium and shiver your spine. Scooby-Dooby BOO!' All the spandex comics are starting out at #1 again, a marketing ploy that tastes slightly of desperation, but apparently the Kids stuff is immune.

JUL110275 LOONEY TUNES #202
by Bill Matheny and various + Dave Santana
'Your favorite bulldog and kitten duo are back for more adorable antics!'

PAGES 145
IDW PUBLISHING (http://www.idwpublishing.com/)
JUL11 0316-7? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ongoing #2 32pg, color $3.99
by Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz and Dan Duncan & Walt Simonson
'The Turtle brothers are separated! With one of their own lost, the Turtles struggle to train, fight, and find their own place in the world. A brand new villain seeks revenge and hints about the Turtles origin are revealed!' Two covers for one of the many IDW comics with 'Ongoing' in the title. Ong oing oing boing.

PAGES 185, 195
IMAGE COMICS (http://www.imagecomics.com/)
JUL110463 Elephantmen vol. 4: Questionable Things sc, oversized, 312pg, color $24.99
by Richard Starkings and four others
Collects Elephantmen #24-30.

JUL110521 Elephantmen #36 40pg, color $3.99
by Richard Starkings and Axel Medellin & Möritat
'Hip's remark "Seems like the Elephantmen are in season," continues to ring true.'

Because I feel like it, I'll quote the description for the indeed nonfurry Skullkickers #11:
'"FIVE FUNERALS AND A BUCKET OF BLOOD," Conclusion-- -roblem with solicitations, right? You have to make people believe in the book, your dependability and tap into their excitement for comics in 50 words or less. It's tough, especially when so much gets hyped to a ludicrous "Nothing will ever be the same" level, leaving them nowhere els-'

PAGE 221
ANDREWS MCMEEL (http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/comics-humor.html)
JUL110794 Our Little Kat King: a Mutts Treasury sc, 11"x9", 256pg, some color $16.99
by Patrick McDonnell
'Showcasing nearly two years worth of color Sunday strips and black-and-white daily strips, Our Little Kat King includes pop-art splash pages that highlight McDonnell's imaginative artwork and distinctive style.'

JUL110795 Reheated Lio: Still Another Lio Collection sc, 8.5"x9", 128pg, some color $12.99
by Mark Tatulli
'40 weeks of color Sunday strips as well as black-and-white daily strips.' This is perhaps my favorite newspaper strip. Lio (with a macron on the 'o') is human, but aside from his father, what he interacts with is mostly his squid, his psychopathic cat, and assorted monsters, insects, and aliens, so I sez it belongs here.

PAGE 222
APE ENTERTAINMENT (http://apecmx.com/)
JUL110798 Kung-Fu Panda #4 (of 6 now) 7"x10", 24pg, color $3.95
by Matt Anderson and CV Design & Aurelio Mazzara
Po's brother Heng challenges him to determine who the true master of kung-fu really is. David Carradine, of course.

PAGE 224
ARCANA STUDIO (http://www.arcanastudio.com) [which now joins Ape in preceding Antarctic Press]
JUL110811 Ultraduck sc, 90pg, color $14.95
by Edgar Delgado and Omar Lozano & Humberto Ramos
'Carlos, a regular duck living in the great city of Featherbay, just got dumped by his girlfriend, his life as a freelance do-it-all is going nowhere and must make some grown up decisions: to get a real job, get his girl back and stop drinking. That is, until he gets super powers and becomes the only duck in the world who can stop a powerful creature who's destroying the city on a vengeful rampage, and an evil weapons manufacturing corporation who want his abilities.'

PAGE 226
ANTARCTIC PRESS (http://www.antarctic-press.com/)
JUL110812 Gold Digger Annual 2011 32pg, color $4.50
by various
The annual fnart collection.

JUL110813 Gold Digger Halloween Special 2011
by Fred Perry and various 32pg, b&w $3.99
Fnart and some actual Perry GD.

PAGE 233
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS (http://www.archiecomics.com/)
JUL110847 Sonic the Hedgehog #22 32pg, color $2.99
by Ian Flynn and Tracy Yardley! & Terry Austin
'The 20th-Anniversary Sonic celebration ends with this blockbuster issue! . . . Will the world ever be the same again?' Of course not, but thank you for asking.

JUL110848 Sonic the Hedgehog Archives vol. 16 sc, 5"x7", 112pg, color $7.95
by various
Collects Sonic The Hedgehog #59-62.

JUL110849 Sonic Universe #32 32pg, color $2.99
by Ian Flynn and Tracy Yardley! & Jim Amash
'Sonic's evil twin is running with the Destructix, and they're fighting for their lives to escape Zone Jail! If the rioting prisoners don't get them, the Zone Cops will! In the mad dash for freedom, who will escape -- and who will be left behind?'

JUL110850 Sonic Universe vol. 1: The Shadow Saga sc, 6"x9", 112pg, color $11.95
by Ian Flynn and Tracy Yardley! & Jim Amash
'Collects the entire "Shadow Saga" storyline from Sonic Universe #1-4 plus exclusive sketches and special features!' Yowza.

PAGES 256, 258
KABOOM! (http://www.boom-studios.net/)
Darkwing Duck #16 and DuckTales #4, plus a couple of nonfurry items.

PAGES 284, 285
FANTAGRAPHICS (http://www.fantagraphicsbooks.com/)
JUL111081 Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse vol. 2: "Trapped on Treasure Island!" 10.25"x8.5", hc, 312pg, partial color $29.99
by Floyd Gottfredson
JUL111081 Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse 1ols. 1 & 2 Collector's Box Set 10.25"x8.5", hc, 624pg, partial color $49.99
by Floyd Gottfredson
'Floyd Gottfredson's classic 1930s Mickey Mouse is back for another round. Mickey's vintage Disney bad guys are here too, with arch-enemy Pegleg Pete joined by the mysterious "Bill Shakespeare" and hypnosis-happy Professors Ecks, Doublex, and Triplex. Restored from Disney's original negatives and proof sheets, "Mickey Mouse: Trapped on Treasure Island" also includes more than 50 pages of supplementary features, rare behind-the-scenes art, vintage publicity material, and commentary by Disney historians. Rediscover the wild, unforgettable personality behind the icon: Floyd Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse!'

JUL111086 Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips vol. 1: "Through the Wild Blue Wonder" 11"x9" hc, 360pg, b&w $39.99
by Walt Kelly
'Our first volume (of 12) collects approximately the first two years of Pogo dailies and, for the first time, full-color Sundays. First created in the 1940's, Pogo blended nonsense language, poetry, and socio-political satire, presaging later strips such as Doonesbury and The Boondocks. Special features in this premiere volume include a biographical introduction, an extensive glossary by comics historian R.C. Harvey and a foreword by legendary columnist Jimmy Breslin.'
Pogo is the greatest comic strip of all time, and I say that with full awareness of Little Nemo, Krazy Kat, Peanuts, Calvin & Hobbes, Doonesbury, The Boondocks, and Marmaduke. If you don't have this material from past reprintings, you have to have it. This is the best buy of the year, no matter what else comes out before 2012. Most extremely highestly recommendedest.

PAGE 297
NBM/EROTICA (http://www.nbmpub.com/)
JUL111177 Sizzle #51 8.5"x11", 48pg, color $5.95
Includes a bit of Omaha the Cat Dancer.

PAGE 308
PICTUREBOX (http://www.pictureboxinc.com/)
JUL111208 1-800-MICE hc, 8"x11", 160pg, b&w $22.95
by Matthew Thurber
'1-800 MICE is an anthropological study of the imaginary city of Volcano Park (where flying mouse couriers have replaced Federal Express), with a soap-opera-styled fractured narrative and a cast of thousands. The story is a cross between Thomas Pynchon, Robert Altman, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and has earned Thurber raves from The Comics Journal, Vice, and The Fader. Thurber's work is sure to delight fans of ambitious comic book narratives, as well as those of screwball comedy and Oz-style fantasy. MATURE THEMES' Googling for more, I find that it's a collection of comics 1-5 (which I'd never heard of) with 64 pages of added material; it's probably not strongly furry, though Groomfiend the creosote-addicted mouse is an important character; and it may be as good as the solicitation says, particularly if you have a good tolerance for weird. See for yourself. Recommended secondhand.

PAGE 308
RADIO COMIX (http://www.radiocomix.com/)
JUL111211 Furrlough #191 48pg, b&w $9.99
'The longest running anthropomorphic anthology continues with an all-new format with 48 big pages and perfect binding! In this issue, "Ebin & May" by fan-fave Christina "smudge" Hanson delivers more delightful medieval romance! Also "Tales of Marga" by Thor Thorvaldson Jr. adds plenty of excitement and comedy fun! Plus, shorts by Phil "Poinko" Gibson, David Goodman, Shon Howell, and more! Cover by fantasy painter Heather Bruton!'