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Comic Books

Don’t Hide the Appeal!

The comic 2-Land is one of those things where, if you read the description alone, you’d never even know it was furry. And then you see it, as in the picture below! Anyway, here’s that description: “The city of Tuland has been very active lately. There has been a spike in low level crime, political confusion as well as a looming feeling as if there is a puppet master dictating these seemingly petty crimes. On top of all of this the city has a mysterious new hero. No one has seen him. No cameras have caught him in action. And the only witnesses of his presence are the criminals. Will Tuland’s streets return to their once peaceful norm? Is there a so called ‘puppet master’ pulling the strings behind these criminal activities? Will this self-appointed savior of Tuland reveal himself to the people?” The creators, Jay the Teller and Dr. Inx, have their own web site for the comic too, which has a lot more background information.

image c. 2023 2-Land Comics

That’s Some Great Pumpkins

As we noted before, filmmaker John Carpenter’s Storm Kids comic imprint has some good Furry stuff now and then — and Halloween seems to be a favorite time for it. Well here’s a new one we came across thanks to Previews: The Yard Gang Halloween Special. “Lucy the kitten loves Halloween almost as much as her stuffed Woof-Woof or her little brother Yob. But as she and her very eccentric animal family prepare to celebrate their favorite holiday, they discover this is no ordinary Halloween. A full moon is coming, bringing something completely unexpected to the desert ranch where they all live. On this All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy, Yob, and the entire Yard Gang must go in search of their Halloween Spirit!” It’s written by Steve Niles and Monica Richards, illustrated by Sian Mandrake and Kelly Williams, and available now from Storm King.

image c. 2023 Storm King Comics

Anything Can Happen — and It Usually Does

Gustav and Henri is a new graphic novel series for younger readers, written by Andy Matthews and illustrated by Peader Thomas. The first paperback volume is called Space Time Cake! No really. “Gustav is a goofy, optimistic and naively enthusiastic pig. Henri is a grounded, pragmatic and quietly sceptical dog. They are as drawn to each other as they are to the weird and ridiculous. Which is a lot. Whether it’s venturing into space to find a lost shuttlecock, or shrinking to the size of microbes to fight a cold, Gustav and Henri are always up for a madcap adventure, so long as they have each other.” Check out their web site too.

image c. 2023 Red Comet Press

A Prehistoric Classic Returns

That title could be taken several ways, actually! Nervous Rex, written and illustrated by William Van Horn, first hit the stands more than 37 years ago. Van Horn would go on to work for Disney as an animator, but what really put them on the map was taking over the Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comic book lines. Now, It’s Alive Comics have reprinted the original Nervous Rex collection with Van Horn’s original cover. “Mild-mannered tyrannosaur Rexford doesn’t really fit in with the Jurassic age, as he’d rather just eat oatmeal and hang out with his friends. His wife Dearie is always after him to be a more aggressive meat-eater and add to the fossil record.” Take a look at Previews.

image c. 2023 It’s Alive Comics

You Forgot Your Childhood, but…

Another cool thing we’ve been missing all year, but we’re happy to find out about it now. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Invader Comics released the Back To Fairtaylia comic series, written by Jorg Alberts and Roland Heep, with artwork by P.R. Dedelis. “Once upon a time, childhood friends found a magical doorway to Fairtaylia, an enchanted realm full of wizardry and wonder. 20 years later they are a bunch of self-absorbed adults who don’t believe in fairy-tales anymore… until a talking squirrel and a chainsaw-wielding fairy show up on their doorsteps. In a fast-paced quest to save Fairtaylia from an unspeakable evil, the gang has to evade wicked witches, battle orcs and ogres, and break into Cinderella’s castle while suffering through fairy farts, skimpy outfits, and several musical numbers. Good luck with happily ever after…” Issues are available now.

image c. 2023 Invader Comics

He is the Screeching Fingernail on the Chalkboard of Justice

More Disney daring-do from Dynamite Entertainment: The new Negaduck spin-off comic series, written by Jeff Parker and illustrated by Ciro Cangialosi. “He’s the exact opposite of Darkwing Duck in every way… Evil, nefarious, dedicated to stealing lollipops from kids and not helping grandmas across the street! And now, he’s ready to begin a reign of crime and terror the likes of which St. Canard has never seen — except, dang it, all of the other villains are ripping off his ideas! What’s a criminal mastermind to do when the city’s thick with other criminals, stealing his shine? Why, take his villainy on the road, of course!” The first issue hit the shelves this month, with a variety of covers.

image c. 2023 Dynamite Entertainment

Veterans Who Go to the Vet

We’re mostly about anthropomorphic animals around here, obviously, but now and then it’s interesting to find a project about real-life non-humans and their adventures. Such is the case with Four-Fisted Tales: Animals In Combat, a new non-fiction graphic novel by Ben Towle. “In virtually every military conflict in recorded history animals have fought — and often died — alongside their human counterparts. While countless stories of the men and women who’ve served in the trenches, jungles, and deserts of the world’s battlefields have been told, Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat shares the stories of the animals who fought alongside them. From Hannibal’s elephants in ancient Rome to mine-sniffing rats in Vietnam and everything in between, Four-Fisted Tales highlights the real-life contributions of these underappreciated animal warriors. Whether in active combat or simply as companions, these animals served and made their mark on history.” It’s available now from Dead Reckoning.

image c. 2023 Dead Reckoning

C’mon Now… What Did You Expect?

In case you missed it: One of the break-out ‘stars’ of the Loki TV series over on Disney+ was Loki… as an alligator. Yes. Popular enough that now he even has his own comic book! We got this from Previews: “Bow down to the reptile in a helm who has enraptured the Ten Realms…with his cuteness! First Alligator Loki chomped down on Mjolnir, and then he chomped his way into our hearts. Now, the beloved Alligator of Mischief finds – and makes – trouble all across the Marvel Universe in his very own comic! Collecting the hit Infinity Comics series from the Marvel Unlimited app, this one-shot includes a never-before-seen adventure in the life of everyone’s favorite swamp-dwelling scamp!” Wow, we didn’t know that app thing… was a thing. Alligator Loki is on the shelves now!

image c. 2023 Marvel Comics

It’s A Busy World Full Of Sick People

Okay, so it’s called Health and Wealth: A Graphic Guide to the U.S. Healthcare System. The creators at the Center for Cartoon Studies describe it like this: “The goal of this concise and engaging 32-page comic is to provide a baseline understanding of the healthcare system so people can feel a little less intimidated by its complexity and cruelty, and more empowered to advocate for themselves and those they care for. We hope Health and Wealth will generate discussions around healthcare and healthcare reform.” So why should we especially care about it here? Well, because the creators made the decision to illustrate their comic in an obvious homage to the familiar style of author and illustrator Richard Scarry (What Do People Do All Day?).

image c. 2023 Center for Cartoon Studies