And the comics keep getting stranger… “You know the story: An infant escapes the destruction of its home planet and is deposited on Earth to be raised by Earthly parents. A goddess from a lost city defends truth. A Tyrannosaurus rex dons the visage of a bat to strike fear into evildoers’ hearts. This heroic trinity, alongside a league of other super-powered dinosaurs, join forces to save a prehistoric Earth from the sinister machinations of Darkseid. Wait…what? Okay, maybe you don’t know the story. So join us and bear witness to a brand-new-yet older than time-adventure and experience the Justice League as you have never seen them before!” Yep, and this comes straight from DC Comics too. Issues of Jurassic League are on the shelves now.
September, 2022:
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like…
We know, we know, we haven’t even reached October yet… But now’s when we start getting announcements about new Christmas specials and programming. Like this, from Animation World Network: “Reindeer in Here, a one-hour animated holiday special, is based on the children’s book of the same name, written by Adam Reed (Archer, Sealab 2021)… It seems Reed has perfected the art of writing for children as well as crafting edgy adult animated humor… Reindeer in Here follows Blizzard (Blizz), a young reindeer from the North Pole, who (similar to Rudolph), is different: He has one antler that is smaller than the other. However, his unique feature doesn’t stop him and his misfit friends from saving Christmas, creating a family tradition, and showing Santa how his inventions can improve Christmas.” So when and where is this headed? “Reindeer in Here will premiere on CBS November 29, 2022 following the network’s traditional showing of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the 1964 classic.” Oh.
The Fox of the Case
More recent news from Animation World Network: “King Features Syndicate announced development of a new animated film inspired by interactive children’s comic strip, Slylock Fox… The film will follow the Sherlock-Holmes-esque detective Slylock Fox and his devoted sidekick, Max Mouse, as they match wits against a cast of eccentric villains. Evan Daugherty, writer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Divergent, and Snow White and the Huntsman, has signed on to write and produce the film, with art direction provided by Chromosphere design and animation studio… The popular interactive comic strip Slylock Fox teaches young readers about interesting topics, encouraging them to use facts, logic, attention to visual detail, lateral thinking, and other cognitive thinking skills to solve fun, puzzling mysteries.” You may recall that King Features recently gave us The Cuphead Show!, which has been streaming on Netflix.
Monster of Monsters
Okay, so we missed this the first time — but now the first five issues are collected together. Bigfoot Frankenstein Volume 1: Colossus of Destiny is a new graphic novel written by Mark Bertolini and illustrated by Vernon Smith. “When the great-great-great (many greats)-grandson of the original Dr. Frankenstein stumbles across the remains of the last tribe of Sasquatches, he uses his family’s patented formula for creating life and brings forth Bigfoot Frankenstein! Compelled to seek the evil clan of rednecks who slaughtered his people, Big Frank and his creator, Jude, hit the road on a hilarious quest for justice, vengeance, and… love?” You heard it here folks. It’s available now in trade paperback from Action Lab Entertainment.
Birds Rising in the East
Look, we can’t make this stuff up. (We’d make more money if we could!) Disney Manga: Donald Duck Visits Japan! by Meru Okano. Here’s the description from Tokyo Pop: “Donald Duck works for the American furniture business, ‘Duck Furnishings’. It’s been two months since he and his employees, José Carioca and Panchito Pistoles, were reassigned to the Asian Culture and Distribution Department, and the phone hasn’t rung even once. Just as they’re starting to wonder why they were transferred in the first place, the CEO suddenly orders them to travel to Japan! The three Caballeros must learn all they can about Japanese customs, entertainment, culture, food, and clothing before they return to New York City. Assuming they don’t get into too much trouble first!”
Oop! Ack!
Well, bad on us for having no idea this was even on the table! But here it is, right from Animation World Network: “Emmy Award winner Tim Long (The Simpsons) has been signed to write, executive produce, and showrun Fox’s Bloom County, an animated series based on the acclaimed comic strip of the same name, created and written by Berkeley Breathed, who will also executive produce.” In case you need a reminder: “The comic Bloom County evolved from Breathed’s first published comic strip, The Academia Waltz, which originally appeared in The Daily Texan, the student newspaper at the University of Texas. This work led The Washington Post to recruit Breathed for a nationally syndicated strip; Bloom County debuted in 1980, appearing in more than 1,200 newspapers worldwide until its end in 1989.” No word yet on a release date.
Feline Funnies
And speaking of Magnetic Press, here’s another one they recently brought us from Europe: Cats Cats Cats! by Stephane LaPuss (!) and Philippe Larbier. “Do they like us? Do they hate us? Who knows, but they’ll make you howl with laughter! Each feline in this book of silent comic antics may have its own personality, but any cat-lover will recognize these always-adorable but often-frustrating quirks, each with a touch of madness!” Available now in paperback.
Where Do Unicorns Go?
The description of The World of Yaxin: Day of the Unicorn sounds so simple… “On an island between dream and reality, a young faun named Gabriel is fascinated by the extraordinary new creatures called unicorns. ‘A magical thing born of nature,’ he muses… What mystery surrounds their birth? What place, what function do these mythical animals occupy in this imaginary world?” This hardly scratches the surface of how respected and sought-after this largely wordless book of illustration has become. Now, it’s finally released in North America thanks to Magnetic Press. Creator Manuel Arenas is well-known as an artist for Disney Animation, having worked on films like Zootopia and Big Hero 6.
Bringing Adventure Back From The Brink
We love that tag! So much that we stole it! The Extincts: Quest for the Unicorn Horn is a new hardcover graphic novel. “A team of genetically-enhanced extinct animals embark on top-secret missions around the world in this new graphic novel series. Meet Scratch, Martie, Lug, and Quito, members of a secret organization called R.O.A.R., or the Rescue Ops Acquisition Rangers. When their boss, Dr. Z, finally calls on them for their first big mission, the team heads to Siberia to retrieve an ancient unicorn horn from the thawing permafrost. Scratch is thrilled at the chance to prove his worth to Dr. Z — but as soon as they land, the team runs into a mysterious enemy determined to take them down. With exciting missions, plenty of humor, and an environmental angle, this series starter from New York Times bestselling illustrator Scott Magoon is an action-packed adventure from start to finish.” The publisher has a lot more information.