Your Guide to the World of Furry Fandom
Here’s a short graphic novel we just stumbled across: Life Is An Open Door, a full-color one-shot by Mason Mendoza, with art by Alonso Molina-Gonzales. “Have you ever worked in a cramped office, looked at the exit door, and felt that urge to get up from your desk and make a break for it? Al, the working class Dalmatian, channels his animal impulses in this fun comic book short story about giving into instinct and going remote.” Check out the preview pages.
image c. 2025 Critical Entertainment
We’re learning more about Hoppers, the upcoming Pixar Studios feature for 2026. It’s written and directed by Daniel Chong, the creator of We Bare Bears. The official Pixar press release goes like this: “What if you could talk to animals and understand what they’re saying? In Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film Hoppers, scientists have discovered how to ‘hop’ human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals! The adventure introduces Mabel, an animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use the technology, uncovering mysteries within the animal world that are beyond anything she could have imagined.” Hoppers is set to hit theaters in March of 2026. Want to see some early footage? Check out the report from last year’s D23 Expo (and look for the Zootopia cosplay!)
image c. 2025 Pixar Studios
If you’re not big on collecting exclusive toys, you might not be familiar with the Be@rbrick series of collectible anthro-bear figurines, created by the MediCom Toy Company of Japan. Well now, they’ve stepped things up even further by teaming with Dreamworks Animation to bring us the new Be@rbrick CGI series, which premiered on Apple TV+ this month. According to Animation World Network, “Be@rbrick follows Jasmine Finch and her bandmates as they pursue their dreams and inspire others to do the same. But it won’t be easy to do when living in a world where everyone’s role is chosen for them and where the painted-on look you receive when you graduate from high school determines who you’ll be for the rest of your life. Jasmine realizes that in order for her world to change, she and her friends will have to make it happen themselves.” More interesting stuff: “Meghan McCarthy (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Centaurworld) serves as developer, showrunner, executive producer, and writer. Alex Almaguer (TrollsTopia) is the supervising producer, with Taylor Orci (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts) serving as story editor, and Athena Hofmann (Amateur) serving as line producer. Timbaland serves as executive music producer.” That’s a serious line-up of experienced talent for a new show. Check out the article over at Billboard, which includes an interview with Ms. McCarthy and an exclusive trailer.
image c. 2025 Dreamworks Animation
The simple summary for Ai Shimizu’s new manga Breakfast With My Two-Tailed Cat goes like this: “A talking supernatural cat rescues a man from loneliness as they enjoy a peaceful country life and delicious food.” Okay. A little more detail, please? “Souichiro’s wife’s wanted to retire to the countryside, but soon after they achieve this dream, she dies. So he won’t be left alone, their pet cat Nii turns into a talking nekomata, a two-tailed yokai cat. Together they share a heartwarming slow life, cooking and eating delicious food surrounded by nature. Enjoy freshly baked bread, handmade jam, fluffy omelets, and seasonal vegetables with the members of this unusual household.” Better! And it’s available from Seven Seas.
image c. 2025 Seven Seas Entertainment
It’s nowhere near Halloween, but let us introduce you to the star of the Olivia Wolf series of graphic novels, written and illustrated by Jose Fragoso. The first book is called Olivia Wolf and the Moldy Sandwich. “It seems like just another ordinary day in Monstrocity, where monsters and humans live peacefully side by side. But when a teacher goes missing at school, it’s up to Olivia, a brave werewolf girl, together with her friends Bela the vampire, Fred the fly, Sam the invisible man, and Elliot the human, to save the day! Where could Professor Swamp be? And could Fred the fly’s missing moldy cheese sandwich have anything to do with his disappearance?” Look for it over at NubeOcho.
image c. 2025 NubeOcho
Here’s an origin story for a group known as The Fluffle: Three bad bunny crime lords. “This story starts, as stories often do, with a tragedy. Three bunnies are left without their mother when she goes off to Brazil to learn jiujitsu. The bunnies, Flop, Biggie, and Boingie, learn some hard truths about life pretty quick: Squirrels will take over your cozy nest as soon as you leave and refuse to give it back, dogs are to be avoided at all costs, and raccoons will believe anything you tell them. With quick thinking, ingenuity, and maybe a little bit of raccoon manipulation, these three buns will take on all comers to be the rulers of the park. Will they win? Well, this is an origin story . . .” Buns Gone Bad is the first book in the Fluffle Bunnies series of graphic novels for young readers, written by Anna Humphrey and illustrated by Irma Kniivila. Look for it in hardcover from Penguin Random House. (Oh, and the sequel is called Big City Buns.)
Image c. 2025 Penguin Random House
Michael Sweater is a name that’s turned up more than once around here, both as a writer and and artist. Now he’s giving us a special one-shot fantasy adventure comic for young readers called Puppy Knight: Den of Deception, written by him and illustrated by Josue Cruz. “There’s no knight braver than Sparky Muttson! (Except maybe his enthusiastic and very cute apprentice, Pugsly.) They’re ready for their first adventure together, and luckily, a kind old farmer is conveniently ready to show them the way to a cathedral full of treasure. While this quest might not turn out exactly how they expected, Sparky and Pugsly have the chops to make it through—no bones about it!” Look for it now from Silver Sprocket. (We’ll see you folks after Further Confusion!)
image c. 2025 Silver Sprocket
Here’s the publisher’s notes on the new comic series Squish and Squash: “Squish and Squash are two young cadets trying to make it into the Intergalactic Search and Rescue Squad. In order to become rescuers, they must pass the difficult ‘Save the Gimblemans’ simulation test. It’s not going to be easy, especially with tough Captain Twomey breathing down their necks. Breaking the rules and saving the crew from a burning galactic cruise ship lands our two cadets in trouble. The duo are given one last chance to pass the test or be thrown out of the academy for good. Our adventurous heroes must find new and imaginative ways to earn their patch and become bona-fide rescuers!” For some reason though, they neglected to mention that Squish and Squash are an elephant and a pussycat! Issues of Squish and Squash (by Niall O’Rourke and Mike Hartigan) are available now from Keenspot Entertainment.
image c. 2025 Keenspot Entertainment
Where did this come from? Well, Canada, actually. We just got lucky and came across it! Northern Tails is a new puppet series from the Yukon that’s coming soon to YouTube. The makers describe it as “… a wildlife ‘mocumentary’ web series that is serious (and seriously silly) about nature. With a cast of spirited puppets, engaging storylines and snackable science, each 12-minute episode explores how animals in the boreal forest interact with each other, their environment, humans and the wider world. It’s original ‘edutainment’ that makes us see how we can all be better neighbours.” Did you know that the boreal forest is larger in square miles than the Amazon? We didn’t either…! Find out more at their web site, or head on over to their YouTube Channel.
image c. 2024 Little Brown Bird Entertainment
