InFurNation Rotating Header Image

Comic Books

The Little Ones Shall Inherit The Earth

Late in 2014 there appeared a new full-color very anthropomorphic comic called Squarriors, written by Ash Maczko and illustrated by Ashley Witter. “In a post-human world, two tribes of animals find themselves on the brink of war. Will they survive and find peace, or follow humanity into extinction?” For reasons not clear, humanity has vanished and been replaced by various forest animals, lead by the squirrels… and engaged in deadly, very bloody battles over territory. Now that the first 4-issue story arch has been completed, later this month publisher Devil’s Due is releasing them all together as a single trade paperback. Take a look at their web site — but be warned: When we say bloody, we mean it.

image c. 2015 Devil's Due

image c. 2015 Devil’s Due

Children’s Stories Can Be Deadly

In case you missed it, Paul Jenkin’s Fiction Squad comic book mini-series was a continuation of his Fablewood concept: A place where all fairy tales and bedtime stories live side by side. Now Boom! Studios have collected the entire 6-issue series in a new Fiction Squad trade paperback. “Fablewood is a pretty dangerous place, but no area is more dangerous than the City of Rimes, deep in the heart of the Children’s Realm. After transferring in from the Realm of Mystery, a failed detective from an unfinished prose novel, Frankie Mack, is about to uncover a conspiracy that could unmake storytelling itself. After Humpty Dumpty is pushed to crack and Jack (of Jack and Jill) goes AWOL, Frankie and his partner, Simple Simon, are put on the case.” With full color illustrations by Ramon Bachs, the book is 160 pages and it’s coming very soon. Take a look over at the Boom! web site. Anthropomorphic animals (and many other things!) abound.

image c. 2015 Boom! Studios

image c. 2015 Boom! Studios

Is There More to Life Than Killing?

Teagan Gavet is likely better known in furry fandom as the artist Black Teagan — and perhaps known best as one-half of the award-winning art collective known as Blotch. Now she has created a brand new full-color anthropomorphic graphic novel of her own, Oren’s Forge, and she plans to put installments up on line starting soon. “The bizarre rumor of a sanctuary free from predation has reached many animals, and not just those considered as prey. Two pine martens, Rask and Quannaq, follow the tales to the lake that lay in the shadow of mountain. While they have the long teeth of a flesh-eater, they know the constant fear of greater hunters who consider them only meat. Convinced that there is more to this life than a mere transition into death, they go on toward the unknown, unsure if they will find welcome or ruin.” Visit the official web site for updates, and look for Oren’s Forge on line starting November 16th.

image c. 2015 by Teagan Gavet

image c. 2015 by Teagan Gavet

And This Cat Complains

Salem Hyde is a black & white fantasy comic series written and illustrated by Frank Cammuso — which he’s published in 5 collections since 2013. Here’s the description of the first volume, The Misadventures of Salem Hyde, Book One: Spelling Trouble: “Salem Hyde just isn’t like other kids. For one thing, she’s stubborn, independent, and impulsive. For another, she’s a witch. Salem acts first and thinks later—which means most of her thinking involves coming up with excuses! Good thing she’s been assigned an animal companion, Lord Percival J. Whamsford III. This over-anxious cat doesn’t like Salem calling him ‘Whammy,’ and Salem doesn’t like listening to his long-winded explanations as to why she shouldn’t do something . . . like enter the class spelling bee.” Of course he’ll try to explain to her they mean something different by “spelling”. Good luck! Check out the first book (available in hardcover and paperback) over at Barnes & Noble, then follow the links to find the rest. They’re published by Amulet Books.

image c. 2015 Amulet Books

image c. 2015 Amulet Books

This Cat Doesn’t Like You

Few Internet phenomena have grown so huge as the droopy-faced feline known as Grumpy Cat. She is literally everywhere.  Well now, Dynamite Entertainment have brought us what is perhaps inevitable: Grumpy Cat has her own full-color comic book series. “Dynamite proudly presents The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat #1, featuring The World’s Grumpiest Cat and her brother, Pokey! With her ever-present pout and sassy disposition, Grumpy Cat has won the hearts of people everywhere. Grumpy Cat is the perfect combination of unbearable cuteness, instant fan appeal, and established multimedia presence. If you love the memes, the videos, and that irresistible scowl, then get ready for the wildly fun antics of Grumpy Cat and Pokey in Dynamite’s all-new, all-sensational Grumpy Cat comics!” With artwork by Steve Uy and Ken Haeser, and stories by a small army of writers, the first issue is available now. Check out the preview over at Comic Book Resources. Meow.

image c. 2015 Dynamite Entertainment

image c. 2015 Dynamite Ent.

Little Kitty Gets Bigger

In case it slipped beneath your radar, Chi’s Sweet Home is a manga series created by Kanata Konami in 2004. “Chi is a mischievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large park meadow, where she is rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The little kitty is then quickly and quietly whisked away into the warm and inviting Yamada apartment…where pets are strictly not permitted.” Vertical Comics licensed the manga for translation and distribution in the west. Now, they’ve released the first large-format collection in trade paperback. “Vertical’s most popular comic of all time, Chi’s Sweet Home, is now available in a larger format with brand new content! Hot on the heels of a new DVD release and the summer 2015 conclusion of its thirteen-year serialization, Chi’s Sweet Home gets a new deluxe release for new readers to dive into. The Complete Chi’s Sweet Home collects three volumes of this full-color all-ages adventure of Japan’s favorite kitten heroine – Chi! This new edition also features a brand new comic from Konami Kanata’s latest series in Japan – FukuFuku: Kitty Tales! This new release will feature new craft extras and a new story from the author.” Check it out over at Comic Book Realm.

image c. 2015 Vertical Comics

image c. 2015 Vertical Comics

This Will Go Down On Your Permanent Record

Well now, this is something different: A “making of” book for a graphic novel. And in tune with the season as well. “High school can be tough enough as it is, but things get even more complicated when you’ve been bitten by a werewolf! Bestselling YA author Cornelia Funke (Inkheart) teams up with comic book artist and character designer extraordinaire Francisco Herrera and former Disney Animator and film Director Raul Garcia (The Missing Lynx) to create a wild and furry world where werewolves are real and hiding in plain view, even in high school! This lavishly illustrated sketch book documents the creative process of transforming Funke’s best-selling Young Werewolf into a brand new, exciting graphic novel series. Hundreds of sketches and color studies show the process of fleshing out the characters of the book as we discover the story of Matt, Lisa, and the incredible odds they have to face to battle an old Hollywood curse.” Bitten: The Full Moon Book is coming soon (in limited quantities) from Magnetic Press. Find out more over at Nerds Unchained.

image c. 2015 Magnetic Press

image c. 2015 Magnetic Press

It is the East… and Juliet is a Bear

The animals of the Stratford Zoo return with another secret production in The Stratford Zoo Midnight Review Presents: Romeo & Juliet. “The Stratford Zoo looks like a normal zoo . . . until the gates shut at night. That’s when the animals come out of their cages to stage elaborate performances of Shakespeare’s greatest works. They might not be the most accomplished thespians, but they’ve got what counts: Heart. Also fangs, feathers, scales, and tails. Ian Lendler’s hilarious tale of after-hours animal stagecraft is perfectly paired with the adorable, accessible artwork of Zack Giallongo (Broxo, Ewoks) in this side-splitting companion to their graphic novel The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth.” Which we also reviewed, of course. Check out the extensive preview over at publisher MacMillan’s page. Later this month it’s available in hardcover and softcover editions.

image c. 2015 MacMillan Publishing

image c. 2015 MacMillan Publishing

Scary Stuff from Spain

Cartoon Brew recently uploaded the current trailer for Psychonauts, a new 2D animated feature from director Alberto Vazquez. “Based on a comic of the same name by Vazquez, Psychonauts follows two teenagers — Birdboy and Dinki — who decide to escape an island that has been devastated by ecological catastrophe. The hand-drawn film, made in Flash and Photoshop, is co-directed by Pedro Rivero, with whom Vazquez made a related short film five years ago called Birdboy. The new feature was produced by Zircozine and Basque Films, and co-produced by Abrakam Studio and La Competencia. No American distribution has been set yet, but more details about the film can be found at PsiconautasMovie.com.” Birdboy is dead… and possessed by demons…

image c. Zircozine/Basque Films

image c. Zircozine/Basque Films