In-Fur-Nation
Wow, You’re Different Too?!
Here comes a new hardcover graphic novel for young readers called Birtle and the Purple Turtles. “Everyone is a turtle in Turtletown. So Teeny thinks she must be a turtle, too. But when Teeny sprouts feathers, she begins to wonder… is there a teeny possibility she’s a… Birtle? Tootie loves tag, but the other turtles in Turtletown don’t like to play. That is, until Tootie meets Teeny. Teeny loves tag. They have tons in common! Except one big thing: Teeny may not be a turtle at all. This adorable graphic novel is about being true to yourself, friendship, and most of all, celebrating differences.” It’s written and illustrated by Tara J. Hannon, and it’s available now from Andrews McMeel.
We Want What They’re Having
Look, sometimes we can’t explain things, we can only tell you that things exist. Things like the Acid Chimp vs. Business Dog one-shot from Ahoy Comics. “Business Dog controls the wealth of nations! Acid Chimp has been abducted by crooks who want him to kill the canine trillionaire with corrosive acid! And why wouldn’t he? Splashing acid is the only thing that Acid Chimp enjoys!” Okay, we’ll try to fill you in about what’s going on here… Business Dog is a character from a popular indie comic called Billionaire Island, while Acid Chimp is from a popular indie comic called My Bad. The creators of each met up and decided it would be fun to set their two weird characters against each other. And so writers Mark Russell and Bryce Ingman enlisted the help of artists Peter Krause and Steve Pugh, and here’s what we get. Major Spoilers has a review that helps it all make more sense… maybe. We can’t make promises.
What You May Find
This year at the annual Lightbox Expo we met the artist Naomi VanDoren. Recently they’ve been branching out as an author, and after successful Kickstarter campaign they’ve released their first illustrated book, called Naiya and the Foxdragon. “Naiya is a young teen who has been hiding from her past and her unkind uncle most of her life until she befriends a foxdragon named Aru. When the last of the magic orbs that once powered their city is depleted, she faces her fears and embarks on an unexpected journey into the heart of the jungle to save her home. Along the way, Naiya discovers her own self-worth as she and her foxdragon friend navigate the treacherous jungle and learn about her own relationship with the world’s magic.” Visit their web site to see more.
Sergeant Piggy is Plant-Based
While at a local vegan festival, your ever-loving ed-otter met up with author Bill Muir, also known as Sgt. Vegan. During his time in the U.S. military, Sgt. Muir served ably while maintaining a plant-based diet, which is no mean feat in itself. Since then he has become well known as a vegan body builder and nutrition expert. But one little side project bears discussion here: He wrote a children’s book, The Adventures of Sergeant Piggy, which was illustrated by Hayden Fowler. The book details Sergeant Piggy’s travels around the world to meet a variety of animals, while also teaching young readers the value of a plant-based diet and green living. And now it’s available on Amazon too!
This Comic Should Not Be Left Behind… Or Forgotten
Turns out the re-invention of Disney properties continued this year with the new Lilo & Stitch comic from Dynamite — the first continuing comic for them in English, actually. “Life seems to have calmed down for Experiment 626 and his new family on Earth – at least until evil aliens come hunting for everyone’s favorite blue-furred troublemaker. The kicker? They’re using giant robots that are powered by Stitch’s own DNA! Will Lilo’s beloved pet be able to take on these villains and lead them away from his adopted planet and loved ones? And even if he succeeds, will he be able to find his way back home?” It’s written by Greg Pak, illustrated by Giulia Giacomino, and issues are still on the shelves.
Felines, Assemble!
Super-heroes and kitties come together in the Marvel Meow collection from earlier this year. “The cats of the Marvel mythos will claw their way to comic shops… Marvel Meow #1 collects Nao Fuji’s hit Marvel Unlimited Infinity Comic and features brand-new covers and an exclusive new Marvel Meow story. The series spotlights adorable interactions between the cats of the Marvel Universe and your favorite heroes and villains. These delightful adventures are perfect for all ages and are sure to delight Marvel fans, cat lovers, and everyone in between! Marvel’s most fearsome – and furriest – heroes are here to save the day and beg for treats in the process! Follow Chewie, Liho, Alpine and the rest of the Avengers’ feline friends as they cause a few cat-tastrophes…and maybe vanquish some villains in the process! Whether it’s crashing Captain Marvel’s apartment or defeating Doc Ock, you can always count on these cats for some cute chaos!” And you can find them here, with a variety of covers of course.
The Bear and the Bong
Here’s an intro you’re going to notice: “Antifa meets Richard Scarry in this epic fantasy story of a perma-stoned wizard bear’s quest to save their beloved magical island from evil robber baron cults.” What the heck? It’s Soggy Landing, a full-color graphic novel (written by The Brothers McGovern and illustrated by Ian Densford) available now from Oni Press. “Not very long ago, Soggy Landing was an island paradise. Now, it’s a brutal settler city ruled by a group of wealthy, cultists called ‘The 13’ who are immune to a leafy plague ransacking their community. As a battle between the haves and the have-nots comes to a head, a free-spirited wizard bear named Otso and her friend, Slipper, join The Broken Wheel in an uprising against colonial forces controlling the magical island they love.” Find out more over at Simon & Schuster.
Furries That We Were
Lucy is a science-based graphic novel by Patrick Norbert, illustrated by Tanino Liberatore (Heavy Metal magazine). “At the end of the 1970s, a discovery changed the face of the world: the almost complete skeleton of a specimen of Australopithecus, the oldest common ancestor of mankind, was unearthed in the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia. But who was this woman named ‘Lucy’ after the Beatles song? In this comic book with a romantic breath, remarkable for its scientific veracity, we follow the timid footsteps of our ancestor in his awakening to consciousness. A journey made of dangers and discoveries, rocked by the starry night where all the mystery of the world is hidden.” Previously available only in French, in 2023 Heavy Metal Entertainment finally released it in English.
The Girl and the Goat-Sucker
Interesting graphic novel we stumbled across from Harper Collins Publishing: Saving Chupie by Amparo Ortiz, illustrated by Ronnie Vazquez. “Violeta Rubio only has one goal in mind for her first-ever trip to Puerto Rico: Help Abuelita reopen her beloved restaurant. The only problem is that Violeta’s whole family thinks they can do it without her. Now Violeta doesn’t have anyone to hang out with or anything to do. But when best friend duo Diego and Lorena need help capturing the rumored chupacabra, Violeta sees her chance to change all that. What she isn’t expecting is to run straight into the beast. Only… he isn’t as monstrous as everyone assumes. Sure, he’s got some scales and spikes, big red eyes, and pointy fangs — but he’s totally puppy and loyal to a fault. Violeta must find a way to keep Chupie hidden and convince her newfound friends that he isn’t anything to be scared of.” Check it out now, in hardcover.
Deck the Halls and Bar the Doors!
We know, we know — too early to talk about Christmas stuff. But maybe a perfect time to talk about monster comics! Especially when they’re monstrous cats. “Grumpy Cat: The Grumpus and Other Horrible Holiday Tales is a collection of stories featuring everyone’s favorite feline sourpuss that will help keep you in the grumpy spirit all throughout the most joyous season of the year!” The title story is a spoof on everyone’s favorite Christmas monster, the Krampus. Other titles in the collection include “Grumpy the Snow-Cat”, “Grumpy Cat vs. Merry Martians”, and “You’re a Mean One, Ms. Grumpy”. Created by a whole slew of writers and artists, it’s all put together by Ablaze Comics.
Watch Out For This Chick
That’s actually a rather lame gag way to introduce a comic miniseries we missed, but now it’s out as a collected trade paperback. The Sacrificers, written by Rick Remender and illustrated by Max Fiumara and Dave McCaig, is a dystopian science fiction story featuring, among many other strange things, a group of bird-like aliens. “Tomorrow is a harmonious paradise thanks to five families who make everything perfect… for the price of one child per household. Now, as that bill comes due, a son expected to give everything for a family that never loved him, and an affluent daughter determined to destroy utopia, must unite to end one generation’s unnaturally protracted reign.” Look for it from Simon & Schuster.
Dogged Determination
Cliff Bleszinski (known to many as CliffyB) is a legend in the world of video game design: Among his best-known titles are Jazz Jackrabbit and Unreal. Well just last year, CliffyB decided to hook up with Alex de Campi (Archie vs. Predator) to bring us Scrapper, a science fiction miniseries comic illustrated by Sandy Jarrell. “Blade Runner-style action mixes with big emotions as stray dog Scrapper and his buddy Tank fight for justice against the totalitarian forces of a post-apocalyptic domed city. But when the fight comes to his home, Scrapper will face losing what’s most important to him-and gain a terrifying truth in the process.” Issues 1 – 6 are still available from Image Comics.
They Just Move In One Day…
Tender yaoi for feline fans, courtesy of Dento Hayane. “Matoi Souta is an overworked office worker tired of his life. Then, on his way home from a long day of work one day, he decides to watch a traditional Japanese play. But something strange happens. He could have sworn he saw one of the actors has cat ears. It turns out that the man is actually a bakeneko — a shapeshifting cat from Japanese folklore. And then, the cat speaks: ‘From now on, you will be my mate’.” The Cat Proposed is available now from Tokyo Pop.
Cat vs. Dog, Of Course
We’ve covered Good Boy from Source Point Press before… but how about one of Good Boy Flint’s most dangerous adversaries? Well it turns out last year Source Point gave that very feline her own moment to shine with the Bad Girl Premium Ash Can. “From the pages of Good Boy, Bad Girl follows an excommunicated mercenary who is pulled back into service for one reason: Kill Flint Sparx.” It’s still available, written by Garrett Gunn and illustrated by Kit Wallis.
Watching the Watchers
An amazing true story — presented as an anthropomorphic graphic novel. “What happens behind the walls of a police station? What kind of living does a cop make? And how does a culture of racism and violence become entrenched? Valentin Gendrot went undercover in Paris to find the answers — revelations that rocked France and led to a series of investigations, including an internal affairs case on Gendrot himself. Flic is an exposé of a world never before seen by outsiders, an urgent story for our times, powerfully illustrated by the talented Thierry Chavant.” And it’s available now from Scribe Publications.
She and HER Canines
Utterly out-of-nowhere department. Thanks to friends we stumbled upon Nightbitch, an upcoming horror-comedy starring Amy Adams (Enchanted, Arrival), based on a 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder. Adams stars as a suburban mom not only struggling with raising her young son, but also wrestling with resentment over having to give up her previous life as an artist. Oh, and at night, she’s turning into a domestic dog. Yes. The film is directed by Marielle Heller, and it’s coming to theaters on December 6th. Check out the first trailer — but be warned, it does have some naughty words!
Me and My Canine
From Magnetic Press comes My Friend Toby, a wordless graphic novel written and illustrated by Gregory Panaccione. “Toby lives in a small seaside village with his artist friend Marcel. Toby was once a stray, but Marcel took him in, and they’ve been best friends ever since. Only now, Marcel is going through a rough patch. Broken-hearted and unable to pay the bills, their future is uncertain. It is all beyond Toby’s comprehension, but he’s not worried. As long as there are scraps in his bowl and new neighborhood territories to claim, everything will be fine. What more could a carefree dog want out of life? Told largely from Toby’s canine perspective, readers will be treated to a peek between the ears of Man’s Best Friend, dealing with such critical topics as: a) strange cats, b) new neighbors, c) car rides, d) territory disputes, e) thunderstorms, f) being left alone, g) puppy memories, and oh, so much more.” It’s available now in hardcover.
No Touchy!
And now for something considerably different, courtesy of IDW and Top Shelf: The Unpetables, a new graphic novel for young folks from Dennis Messner. “Pigmund and Lizárdo are free! They recently “declared independence” from their petting zoo…. and now this pot-bellied pig and iguana are out to See The World. They are The Unpetables — and they’re available for temporary work as ‘freelance pets’. But no matter what gigs the Unpetables may get, they have one very big rule: No More Petting!” You heard it here folks. And, it’s available now in trade paperback from Penguin Random House.
What Ho, Ye Kaiju!
Talk about and-now-for-something-completely-different: “Before humanity had successfully traveled the entire globe, it was believed that monsters ruled the oceans just beyond the horizon. “Here there be dragons…” was written on maps to denote the areas people dared not go.That is, until Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the seas, visiting foreign lands and collecting treasure. That’s what history tells us, at least, but history does not have the full tale. Monsters did lurk yonder, living on an island that still doesn’t appear on any map, and among them was the king of them all…Godzilla!” See? Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons collects the 5-issue series (written by Frank Tieri and illustrated by Inaki Miranda) into a single graphic novel. Look for it now from Random House.
Friendship Is Weird
Another interesting graphic novel we came across: Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures, written and illustrated by Jason Pamment. “Ember is a tiny boy (literally) all alone in a giant world who longs to fit in. His dream may finally come true when his adopted guardian, Lua, a warmhearted sea turtle, escorts him across the ocean to a school for little creatures on the mysterious Puzzle Island. This hidden place is brimming with fantastical life, and as Ember explores the lush forests and deep caves, he’s filled with wonder and curiosity. There’s only one problem — his new classmates don’t seem at all interested in being his friend.” Check out the sample pages over at Books of Wonder.