Previews recently gave us an interview with Matt Wendt, artist and co-creator (along with writer Chad Corrie) of Sons of Ashgard: Ill Met in Elmgard, a new fantasy graphic novel. “Erick Redfur seeks a new life. Exiled from his homeland he craves a fresh start, but has yet to find it. Hopeful of a better fate in Elmgard he soon finds himself embroiled in a series of troubling events that quickly escalate into a near kingdom-wide war. Yet even as he attempts a remedy through fast thinking and the aid of some new companions, he risks jeopardizing his chance for a more peaceful future. But in so doing he will find his redemption along with new hope for the days ahead.” It’s available now from Dark Horse.
Comic Books
Shy Bear and Rowdy Raccoon
Whoa! One we missed from last summer: The Forest Beckons, the first volume in the new Order of the Night Jay series of graphic novels for young readers, created by Jonathan Schnapp. “Frank is perhaps the most un-bear-like bear Camp Jay Bird has ever seen. Actually, he’s probably the ONLY bear Camp Jay Bird has ever seen. And there are tons of bugs, he’s getting picked on, and he can’t seem to earn a single badge! But there’s Ricky, an excitable little raccoon who shares Frank’s love of Mega Bunny comics. But Ricky’s friendship might be more than Frank can handle. After breaking camp rules, getting lost in the woods, and discovering ancient secrets about the long-forgotten Order of the Night Jay, how will Frank explain all this to his dad?” It’s available now everywhere from Penguin Random House and Top Shelf Comix.
Wild, Wild Planet
Recently made a visit to the L.A. Times Festival of Books in Los Angeles (of course), and as usual came across some interesting furry items we want to tell you about. First up is the Red’s Planet series of graphic novels by Eddie Pittman — a Disney animator who worked on films like Emperor’s New Groove and Lilo & Stitch, as well as TV series like Phineas and Ferb. Here’s the run down: “Meet Red, a quirky, headstrong 10-year-old who longs to live in her own perfect paradise far away from her annoying foster family. But when a UFO mistakenly kidnaps her, Red finds herself farther away than she could have possibly imagined—across the galaxy and aboard an enormous spaceship owned by the Aquilari, an ancient creature with a taste for rare and unusual treasures. Before Red can be discovered as a stowaway, the great ship crashes on a small deserted planet, leaving her marooned with a menagerie of misfit aliens. With her newfound friend, a small gray alien named Tawee, Red must find a way to survive the hostile castaways, evade the ravenous wildlife, and contend with Goose, the planet’s grumpy, felinoid custodian. Surely this can’t be the paradise she’s been hoping for.” Three hardcover books are out so far from Amulet.
Getting Started On His Own
Recently at AnaCon (held each year at the Anaheim Main Public Library!) we came across Sebastian Dorn. A self-described “cartoonist with autism”, Sebastian moved to Southern California with his family, with the goal of creating his own comic book. Recently he gave us Turbofox, a new black & white science fiction comic released through Sebastian’s own imprint, Dorn Comics. “A wicked wolf sorcerer named Jacobus Lupus vows to conquer and destroy the planet Foxtopia, where he was banished from a thousand years ago. And so the Fox Squad — consisting of Jet McFox, Tonito, Sparky, and Vicki Vixen — head off into space to stop the villain”. Guess what? There’s even animation now!
Lisa Cheese, What Happened To You??
We got this announcement sent right to us from the source! Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar: Attack of the Snack is a new upcoming graphic novel from Top Shelf, written and illustrated by Kevin Alvir. “In Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar, a sweet unicorn girl from another dimension moves to Earth City hoping to make a name for herself as a folk singer…but her very first open mic is a disaster, leaving her with a bionic arm and an identity crisis. Now she’s starting a crummy office job, her parents back in their home dimension are laying on the guilt trip, and the cool girl at the record store leaves her tongue-tied. But once she’s drawn into a knock-down, drag-out encounter with a gang of hamburger-headed goons from the sinister megacorporation Beef is Burger, Lisa must rally a ragtag band of supernatural hipsters, conspiracy freaks, and burnt-out office coworkers to thwart their diabolical ambitions!” Might all make more sense if you check out the preview pages over at Major Spoilers. Lisa Cheese hits the shelves this September.
Animal Folk Tales from Around the World
Capstone Press recently gave us a new series of full-color graphic novels for young comic readers, featuring folktales from cultures all over the globe. And of course, many of them are furry. For example: The Sky Fox, A Peruvian Graphic Folktale, written by Alberto Rayo and illustrated by Fabiana Faiallo. “What happens to a fox that won’t stop teasing the others animals? Read this Peruvian tale to find out.” Other books in the series include The Magpie’s Tale (Sweden), The Turtle and The Geese (India), and The Tortoise and The Hare (West Africa). Each of the titles features writing and art by folk from the culture in question.
It’s All So Pretty…
Magnetic Press brings us a new graphic novel: Loonicorns, a fantasy from a different angle. “Looniland is a joyful and colorful world populated by mythical and extinct creatures: Unicorns, cyclops, dodos… But behind this facade hides a highly unequal society: From an early age, each inhabitant of Looniland is categorized as ‘beautiful’ or ‘ugly’ according to certain subjective criteria. The life of the ‘beautiful’ is idyllic, while that of the ‘ugly’ is filled with drudgery and danger. But the balance of society will be upturned by the arrival of Penny, an amnesic human child.” Loonicorns is written by Ced, and illustrated by Waltch and Gorobei. No, we don’t know them either! But take a look!
Be A Hero! Wear Your Identity!
At this year’s WonderCon in Anaheim, we had the honor of meeting Knave Murdock and joining them on a panel discussion of LGBTQ-themed furry comics over the decades. Knave is the creator of the comic book TransCat. What’s it about? “TransCat is a transgender superhero who fights evil and doesn’t afraid of anything! Follow TransCat on her adventures as she goes to school, hangs out with friends, goes on dates, and saves the world from the forces of darkness!” All with the help of her magical cat-hat. Visit the official web site to find out all about it — or, look for the paper version where-ever indie comic books are sold.
Real Animal Adventure Tales
We just learned about a new graphic novel series for young readers, from Henry Holt and Company. The Surviving The Wild series is based on actual events with real animals “in the wondrous but hazardous wilds”. First up is Surviving The Wild: Sunny The Shark, by Remy Lai. “Sunny the Shark is a fearsome predator. As the oceanic whitetip shark searches for her next meal, a chatty school of pilot fish trails behind, cleaning her in exchange for food crumbs. But when Sunny mistakes a plastic ring for prey and it gets caught around her fin, she soon struggles to hunt. Will she be able to break free and find food before winter sets in?” It’s available now in hardcover from MacMillan.