We’ll admit it: We don’t recall this artist. But maybe we should learn more! And now we can, thanks to The Sergio Toppi Gallery: Bestiary. “This collection of artwork from European comics master Sergio Toppi focuses on illustrations of beasts both real and imaginary, presented in Toppi’s inimitable pen-and-ink style. Sergio Toppi’s work has been hailed as an influence by such artistic masters as Sean Gordon Murphy and Walter Simonson.” Magnetic Press has preview pages for this hardcover edition. [And with that, we wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Blessed Solstice Season!]
Books and Trade Paperbacks
A School for Dragons?
At a recent convention we met self-published fantasy author Amy Wolf. We’ll let her describe A School For Dragons, the first book in her Cavernis series: “Mattie Sharp was never special–except when it came to getting in trouble. Then, she was exceptional. So when she falls into a portal and winds up in dragon-filled Cavernis, imagine her surprise when she discovers she’s the heir to a magical prophesy and must train to be the hero she never thought she could be. Though Mattie has always been a top student, studying at a school for dragons puts even her to the test! Join Mattie and her crew of new friends as they learn not just how to survive in the world of dragons, but to save it as well.” Ms. Wolf has many other fantasy titles for sale as well, and not all of them feature talking dragons. But some of them sure do!
Darkness in the City of Fur… and Scales
At Midwest FurFest we met Stacy Bender. She’s a science fiction and fantasy author based in Cincinnati, Ohio. As you can see from her Amazon page, many of her works have a degree of anthropomorphism to them… But what she’s especially known for is the Poached Parody series of furry noir novels (written under the name P.C. Hatter), featuring hard-boiled detectives Lucius Anoraq (wolf), Kaiser Wrench (tiger), and Lizard Fifth (guess!). Most of her works are available in paperback, kindle, and even audio book form, from Byrnas Books.
After We Flew The Coop
Once again Drawn & Quarterly bring us something interesting: Birds of Maine, a new graphic novel written and illustrated by Michael DeForge. “Long after the demise of humankind, birds roam freely around the Moon complete with fruitful trees, sophisticated fungal networks, and an enviable socialist order. The universal worm feeds all, there are no weekends, and economics is as fantastical a study as unicorn psychology. No concept of money or wealth plagues the thoughts of these free-minded birds. Instead, there are angsty teens who form bands to show off their best bird song and other youngsters who yearn to become clothing designers even though clothes are only necessary during war. (The truly honorable professions for most birds are historian or librarian.) These birds are free to crush on hot pelicans and live their best lives… until a crash-landed human from Earth threatens to change everything.” Available now in hardcover. [And with that, we’ll see you after Midwest Fur Fest!]
Bop That Bug!
New from Cat-Head Comics: “Bughouse is cartoonist Steve Lafler’s graphic novel about the life of a jazz band of the same name, set in an ‘insect noir’ Manhattan of the early fifties. Tenor saxophone maestro, Jimmy Watts, leads his talented band of bugs from the swing era into the uncharted maelstrom of Bop. And as he and his band mates claw their way to the top of the jazz world, they must fight the temptation to be consumed by addiction to a substance known as ‘bug juice’.” Now the man himself has released From The Top: The Complete Bughouse, available hardcover and softcover editions.
Horn of Plenty
[Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones!] Nobody’s Child is a new full-color graphic novel created by Massimo Rosi. “In an unspecified time in the future, it is discovered that within a special breed of albino rhinoceros there is a genetic code that holds the properties to regenerate man, that can cure all diseases, even those very serious. As a result, in a short period of time this albino rhino becomes nearly extinct, leaving just one: Sabium. Enter Bakari, a boy dealing with his own devastation, who now decides to dedicate his life to protecting this rhino.” It’s available now in paperback from Simon & Schuster.
Celebrate the Ducks
Just in time for holiday wish lists, Disney and Dark Horse Comics bring us the Deluxe Edition of The Art of DuckTales, edited by Ken Plume. “Scrooge McDuck and nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie are back in the 2017 remake of the classic series from Disney Television Animation, DuckTales! Now, find out about the making of DuckTales and read stories from the developers and cast covering every episode from all three seasons! The deluxe edition of the Art of DuckTales gives you all the content of the standard edition along with a slipcase that houses a gold-gilded version the book, an exclusive DuckTales Guidebook that contains expanded versions of the interviews with the crew and cast, and a finely-crafted replica of Scrooge’s Number One Dime!” Start wishing.
One Cool Cat Who Rocks
Well here’s a description that’s going to catch a few furry fans’ attention: “Meet Joe Gomez. He’s got high school on lock – good grades, a cool band, and girls digging his vibe. But just when he’s got the world figured out, he goes and turns into a saber-toothed tiger. A shape-shifting nature spirit known as a Chimera, to be specific. Now Joe needs every single one of his new powers to help save the human race – whether he wants to or not.” That’s the idea behind Urban Animal, a new graphic novel by Justin Jordan and John Amor, published by Rocketship. Volume one is available now in paperback from Simon & Schuster.
Find the Fox in Flight
There’s a new graphic novel out called Fox Fires, written and illustrated by Emilia Ojala. “Fox Fires is a fantasy-adventure that is inspired by Finnish folklore. ‘Fox Fires’ refers to the Northern Lights… The Fox Fires are a gate between this world and the land of the dead – it allows souls to visit their loved ones. But suddenly, the Fox Fires disappear. Our main character, a young raccoon dog named Raate, heads north to find what’s happened to Repo, the fire fox whose burning fur is said to make the Fox Fires appear in the sky. On her journey, Raate meets all kinds of interesting creatures, and also new friends.” The first volume is available in hardcover from Simon & Schuster.