Less serious stuff, for younger readers (mostly). It’s the Bigfoot and Nessie series of hardcover graphic novels, written by Chelsea M. Campbell and illustrated by Laura Knetzger. Volume one is The Art of Getting Noticed. “Meet Bigfoot and Nessie! Yes, that Bigfoot and Nessie. Only…Well, things are a little complicated right now. Bigfoot is having trouble fitting in with his family. He can never quite manage to get himself into the picture, much to the disappointment of his mom, dad, and sister, who always want to be in the spotlight. When he meets Nessie, who’s equally desperate to get away from the cameras, he begins to ask himself the ultimate question: What’s the price of fame after all?” Volume two, The Haunting of Loch Ness Castle, is also available now from Penguin.
Comic Books
Not Like Us… but Like Us
Cartoonist and illustrator Jed McGowan has created their first graphic novel, My Life Among Humans. “A nameless alien data compiler comes to Earth to study humans, setting up shop on the outskirts of a small desert community in North America. Working under forced labor, it must watch humans in complete secrecy while sending regular reports to its manager back home. Using spore-like technology to read the minds of his hosts, the alien quickly takes a special interest in Will, one of his early subjects. That interest proves to be a problem when the alien is accidentally revealed to Will’s family and it takes desperate measures to save its own life.” Check it out now from Oni Press.
Don’t Incite One
Creator Mac Smith has been getting attention in circles both furry and non-furry for their on-line comic Scurry. Various in-print compilations have been offered over the years, but now Image Comics have brought us the most complete collection yet with the Scurry Graphic Novel. “Enter a world where humanity is gone and only animals have survived. Wix, a brave scout from a colony of house mice, must embark on a perilous journey into parts unknown, where he’ll face dangerous threats, fantastic new creatures, and a destiny he never expected.” It’s available now in trade paperback.
Feline is Family
The first sentence of the description for this new manga series probably sums it up better than we ever could: “After losing his mother at a young age, Nekota is taken in by family friends… who happen to be a couple of human-sized walking, talking cats. Not only do his new parents have paws, tails, and furry pointed ears, but now he also has an adorable little sister, Neneko-chan! As a high schooler, he’s integrated well into their household, and his precocious adoptive sister has fully accepted him as her big brother. Whether she’s showing him things she brought home from elementary school, purrsistently asking him to play with her mouse toy, or waking him up at the same early hour every morning for breakfast, life with this charming feline family is never dull!” My Sister, The Cat by Senko is available now from Seven Seas Entertainment.
The Syndi-Cat
Here’s a rather unique manga we came across. You can tell just by the title: Ex-Yakuza and Stray Kitten, written and illustrated by Riddle Kamimura. “After being abandoned in the cold rain, tiny kitten Sabu should have been grateful to find a new home. But when he’s rescued by Jin, whose every atom screams ‘yakuza’, Sabu suspects he’s out of the frying pan and into the fire! Yet Jin’s scarred hands and face hide a sweet man beneath… a man who pampers kitties with baths and bottle-feedings!” Several volumes are available from Seven Seas.
Wiggle Away the Day
Graphic novels that help teach language skills to the youngest of readers? Of course you’re going to use anthropomorphics for that! Check out Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends, written and illustrated by Kaz Windness. “Worm and Caterpillar are friends—best friends. Worm loves how they are just alike, but Caterpillar has a feeling there is a big change coming. Then Caterpillar disappears for a while and comes back as Butterfly. Will Butterfly and Worm still be friends?” Well, you can find out now from Simon & Schuster.
Do You Trust Your Cats?
The strange folks over at Silver Sprocket have a strange series of one-shot comics called Everything Sucks. One of the most recent is Everything Sucks: All Cats Go To Hell!, written and illustrated by Michael Sweater (creator of Please Keep Warm). “Everyone loves cats, but Noah knows the truth: They’re maliciously smart, can’t be trusted, and may actually understand how deadbolts work. Honestly, he really shouldn’t be left alone with them. Michael Sweater combines ‘90s animation nostalgia, sitcom antics, and a seasoning of stoner comedy in this hilarious new comic.” Which is available now, by the way.
A Heavy Load To Bear
We can’t say it better than the publishers did: “Bear, Staffan Gnosspelius’s debut book, is a gorgeous visual meditation on depression. In this deeply affecting, wordless picture book for adults, a bear is maddeningly afflicted with a cone that covers his head and that he is unable to take off. He furiously stomps and yells and tears at the cone, he implores the skies and fate for relief, he is drawn to dark and wild and scary places. The depths of his sadness feel like a defeat. It’s a battle he wages until he’s mentally and physically exhausted. Then, one day, Bear hears notes of music, the humming of a friendly hare. The hare hovers nearby, concerned, sometimes driven away by Bear’s frustration and anger, more often staying close and gently offering support.” This full-color graphic novel is available in hardcover from Seven Stories Press.
Familiar Sources
Okay, there’s no getting around it: The new Guardians of Horsa graphic novel series feels like My Little Pony meets Pixar’s Elemental. But see what you think: “Welcome to the realm of Horsa, a world of magic, wild horses, and danger. The four elemental herds of Horsa live in uncertain peace, which is to say: stay out of each other’s way and all will be fine. But when signs of a mysterious prophecy about a yearling with untold magical powers appear, four young horses from each herd are called to action. Now these elemental enemies must work together to solve the prophecy, find the yearling, and restore balance to Horsa.” Multiple volumes are available now in trade paperback, written by Roan Black and illustrated by the Glass House Graphics team.