Scout Comics have imported another interesting full-color comic from Europe: Sengi and Tembo, written and illustrated by Giuseppe Falco. “The African savannah, a windswept expanse of tall grass, a few all-too-rare trees, overwhelming heat… and more than a few hungry predators… Sengi, the little mouse, finds himself alone after the death of his mother and must learn to survive. Tembo, the old elephant, feels that his life is coming to an end. So he decides to leave his herd to try to reach the “Land without beginning,” a mythical place accessible by a secret passage to the west. For a few days, these two disparate lives, that of the pragmatic mouse and the even-tempered elephant, will collide and join paths. Their futures will be changed forever.” Scout has the collected story available in both paper and digital versions… and on VHS??
Graphic Novel
Kitty Come Home
Heartwarming new stuff from Dynamite Entertainment, just in time for the holiday season. “Saved By A Whisker is a new children’s book based on the incredible true story of a cat who lost his family, and the long journey it took to reunite them. Before all of this, Cozmo was just an average cat living with a loving family in New Jersey. On the day his family packed up their belongings and moved to Florida, Cozmo gets separated and accidentally gets left behind. Alone in the outside world for the first time, Cozmo is 900 miles away from everything he knows! This is the whimsical retelling of how the real-life Cozmo went on the journey of his life, making friends, and finally finding his way back to his family!” The story is written by Kristen Rybandt and illustrated by Ken Haeser. Available now, and Dynamite has preview pages up for viewing too.
Humans, Non-Humans, and Strangeness
IDW Publishing has a unique new full-color graphic novel available this month, written and illustrated by Peter and Maria Hoey. “Pushing the boundaries of their dazzling and unique narrative style, Animal Stories weaves together six short stories exploring the mysterious relationships between humans and other animals… A girl who keeps pigeons starts receiving messages from a new bird in her flock. A ship’s crew rescue a dog, only to find far stranger things in the sea around them. A reincarnated cat with criminal intentions, a parrot who leads a revolution, and a squirrel who tempts a woman in a beautiful garden glade… Drawing inspiration from Aesop’s Fables, film noir, and the Old Testament, Peter and Maria Hoey apply their singular and sophisticated visual storytelling to create a new set of modern animal tales for modern times.” Look for it now.
Rise The Pig
Looking to get caught up with Image Comics’ anthropomorphic series Unnatural? Look no further! Image has brought together the first 12 issues in a new hardcover collection, the Unnatural Omnibus. More from Previews: “Leslie J. Blair is a simple pig girl. She loves sushi, and she hates her job. Her world is dominated by a totalitarian government that interferes in the personal lives of its citizens, punishing transgressors for so-called ‘unnatural’ relationships. Leslie dreams of something different for herself, but these dreams are quickly becoming dangerous. And when she wakes up, it feels as if she’s being watched. For the first time, the whole suspenseful erotic fantasy series that made Mirka Andolfo [writer and artist — ye ed-otter] a rising star is collected in a unique hardcover book, featuring loads of bonus content and an all-new cover by Mirka herself.” Coming this January to a comic book seller near you.
Hatching A Plot
Sometimes you really just gotta love the titles of Japanese media creations. Reincarnated As A Dragon Hatchling. You’re going to remember that one, yes? And it perfectly describes this new black & white manga written by Nekoko and Naji and illustrated by Rio. “If you woke up as a sentient egg in some random forest, I bet you’d be confused, too. That’s exactly what happened to me in the oddest turn of events…Being reborn as a little egg has its challenges, but luckily, with all these monsters out to eat me, I’m gaining experience quick. Once I bust out of this shell, a cool new form better await me–that is, if I survive long enough!” And that’s just the first volume. You’ll find even more from Seven Seas.
You Need A Cat About The House
Many of us have found our cats are taking over our lives. Well this young woman has found it beyond the pale in The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today (whew!), a new black & white manga graphic novel written and illustrated by Hitsuji Yamada. “Saku is an ordinary young woman who works long hours and lives alone with her cat, Yukichi. Yukichi, however, is not an ordinary house cat. For one, the temperamental feline towers over Saku and walks around on two legs. Instead of playing with toy mice, he scours supermarket flyers for good deals and keeps the house spotless. With a pet like that, it’s hard to tell who’s taking care of who!” Find out now thanks to Seven Seas.
He’s a Bear, Brother
Have you heard of the singer/songwriter known as Teddy Swims? We hadn’t either — but now it seems he’s made his own comic book. From the publisher: “Get ready to meet the Bear behind the band! In this all-ages graphic novel collaboration between Teddy Swims and Z2 Comics, Swimmy the Bear and his fun-loving friends get an opportunity to take their act from small-time to worldwide, but is a laid-back bunch of critters ready for the pressure that comes with big agents, big deals, and big dreams?” Swimmy and the Valley of the Last Song is written by Teddy Swims and Grace Freud, with art by Fred C. Stresing. Simon & Schuster has it available for order right now.
No, He Doesn’t Like Mushrooms
Another graphic novel for young readers, this time from a writer and illustrator known only as Dav. Magnetic Press describes Beneath The Trees: The Autumn of Mr. Grumpf as being in the spirit of Disney Animation or Don Bluth films. “Winter is fast approaching and all the animals in the forest are in full preparation: storing food and provisions, dining on the last worms with the neighbors, etc… All the animals but one: Grumpy badger Mr Grumpf just can’t finish sweeping the dead leaves off his doorstep with everyone coming by to disturb him! Grumpf!” There’s a preview at the publisher’s web site.
Lost and Found and Furry
Drew Brockington has returned to Little Brown Books with a new graphic novel spun off from their their much-talked-about Catstronauts series. “One very special Saturday, Dad-Cat decides to take Waffles and his sister Pancake to the big city to go to the science museum! While they’re there, the kittens see extraordinary things, like dino-cats, hairballs in 4D, and even the planetarium. But as the kittens learn about constellations and Neil Pawstrong, they get separated from Dad-Cat. Oh no!” Waffles and Pancake Volume 1: Planetary Yum is available now.