Your Guide to the World of Furry Fandom
Once again, from out of nowhere, this one. We’ll let Image Comics explain it: “Journey into the thrilling world of international espionage as one of Britain’s most covert MI-6 divisions, The Nest, recruits a brand-new secret agent to their team: SPY SEAL! An exciting new comic series-reminiscent of The Adventures of Tintin and Usagi Yojimbo.” Spy Seal is written and illustrated by Rich Tommaso (She Wolf) and the first full-color issue is available now.
image c. 2017 Image Comics
Cameron Ferweda is a young author who wrote (and published!) his first book for young readers at the age of 10. Now in his teen years, he has continued to write The Great Adventures of Rocky Raccoon in three more books (so far), all of them skillfully illustrated by his dad, Michael Ferweda. According to the Rocky web site, “The Great Adventures of Rocky Raccoon is a series of spellbinding story tales of the two most unlikely of friends. Rocky and his sidekick, Buff [a frog], run into trouble at every turn of the page. Encountering pirates, monsters, and an evil duo, Rocky and Buff outwit them all. In this [first] tale, The Fight for Fang, Rocky becomes lost in a terrible storm and finds himself face to face with his worst nightmare – Fang!” The stories are also at Amazon.
image c. 2017 Zinger Digital
Some new discoveries from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books… including some things that maybe Man Was Not Meant To Know! We met author Steve Hammond, who introduced us to his new science fiction saga Rise of the Penguins. “The War of the Species has begun. An ancient race of penguin has reemerged. From this race a powerful leader declares himself Overlord and unites the penguin clans of the world. His goal: to drive the human presence away from Antarctica and to exact revenge for the atrocities of the past against penguinkind. Through shadowy alliances and manipulation the Overlord launches a full scale war against the humans. The Overlord’s tactics are ruthless even against penguins under his command. Those who don’t conform to the Overlord’s ideals are pressed into obedience or worse. In the midst of bloody conflict against the humans a small Chinstrap penguin, Lavour, begins to see the folly of war and questions the motives of the Overlord. But can one penguin bring an end to the bloodshed and change their course of the war and restore peace?” No less than six books in the series are available now from Rockhopper Books, and a seventh volume is on the way soon. Visit the author’s web site to keep up to date. And remember to treat birds nicely!
image c. 2017 Rockhopper Books
And no, we’re not talking about Kong of Skull Island either. Cartoon Brew has an article about a new animated film in development called Kensuke’s Kingdom. “Based on the bestselling novel by War Horse author Michael Morpurgo and adapted for the screen by screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce (Hilary and Jackie, Welcome to Sarajevo, The Railway Man), Kensuke’s Kingdom follows the story of a young boy who washes up on a tropical island overseen by a mysterious Japanese soldier named Kensuke, who lives there with a family of orangutans as his companions.” Directed by animation veterans Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry, the film combines a variety of 2D techniques for a rather unique overall look. No word yet on any plans for international distribution, but the Cartoon Brew article includes a proof-of-concept short film the directors have been showing around lately. It gives you a good idea what the film might look like.
image c. 2017 Lupus Films
The premier of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun passed us by, but we managed to catch it in time for issue # 2 (of 5). “MULP is an anthropomorphic comic book, a Pulp adventure set in a world of mice, [written] by Matt Gibbs and [illustrated by] Sara Dunkerton. The Sceptre of the Sun follows the exploits of Jack Redpath and Vicky Jones as they attempt to unravel a mystery surrounding an ancient stone tablet unearthed during an archaeological excavation in Egypt. This tablet is the first marker on an adventure that sees them racing around the world in search of a legendary treasure. Joined by their friends Cornelius Field, Prof. Walter Harvest-Scott, and Elisabeth Harvest-Scott, together they must prevent a powerful artifact falling into unscrupulous paws.” Published by Improper Books in full color, you can see a preview over at Matt Gibbs’ web site.
image c. 2016 Improper Books
Squarely in the “It’s about time!” department: Warner Brothers Home Video has announced the release of Road Rovers: The Complete Series on DVD later this month. “Meet ‘Cano-sapien’ the next, heroic step in the evolution of man’s best friend! After the evil General Parvo unleashes Professor Shepherd’s inventions upon the world, mutating dogs into monsters, Professor Shepherd recruits an international team of canines and transdogmafies’ them into super-heroic, humanoid crime-fighters.” That description barely scratches the surface of just how completely odd this popular anthropomorphic cartoon series from the 90’s could get. So head on over to the Warner Brothers web site and check it out. And remember: Don’t be weird boy!
image c. 2015 Warner Brothers Home Video
“He goes by ‘Panda’, but NO ONE, not even me, knows his true name. I am just one of the many CIA agents that follow him along on his adventures. He’s either saving the world.. or destroying it!” So goes the introduction to Panda & Me, an original art “adventure series” created by artist Sandra Fremgen. After working for years in the gift industry as an illustrator and designer, Sandra decided to create something for herself. And you can see the results (and also buy them as prints) at the official Panda & Me web site. Sign up for her newsletter and she’ll even send you an original sketch.
image c. 2014 by Sandra Fremgen
If you haven’t already, now’s a good time to get caught up with Knightingail, a full-color fantasy comic book series created and written by Wayne Gardiner. Illustrated by several fantasy artists (currently, Mell Joy San Juan), it tells the story of a fae princess named Knightingail who discovers she not only has the power to heal by magick… but she is also destined to battle a great evil creeping in upon her forest. Along the way she’ll meet and interact with heroes and villains of many species — many of them decidedly anthropomorphic. Having finished the first series (The Legend Begins), Mr. Gardiner and his crew have now launched into the second 6-issue story arch, Shadow Divisions. The first issue is out this month from Big Dog Ink. To see more of what we’re talking about, check out the preview trailer that’s up on YouTube.
image c. 2013 Big Dog Ink
Butch Hartman is a busy busy man. The creator of the hit Nickelodeon shows The Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom has yet another 2D animation show called T.U.F.F. Puppy, premiering this September on Saturday mornings. According to Animation Magazine, the show “…follows the adventures of the enthusiastic Dudley Puppy who is recruited to work for the mysterious Turbo Underground Fighting Force (T.U.F.F.) along with the sophisticated Kitty Katswell (think a feline version of Emma Peel!).” Our heroes find themselves in a constant battle with the master super-villain known as Verminious Snaptrap.
image c. 2010 Nickelodeon
