The things you can make into a manga… Shibanban Super Cute Doggies is written and illustrated by Yasuteru Ogoshi. “A full-color book for the popular Shiba Inu characters appearing in LINE stickers and stationery! Meet Aka, Kuro, Cha, Shiro, the Roly-Poly Pups, and the rest of this colorful cast of adorable Shiba Inu dogs! Whether they’re venturing out into stormy weather in a raincoat, lazing at the beach, napping in a cozy dog bed, or eagerly eyeing dinner someone left out on the table, their fun (and sometimes mischievous) antics are sure to put a smile on your face.” Available now from Seven Seas.
Trade Paperback
Eldritch and Endearing
Sometimes we can’t believe the stuff we get to write about here… Things like The Adventures of Cthulhu Jr. and Friends, a new “all ages” graphic novel from Source Point Press. “A wannabe supervillain has to capture the son of Cthulhu (who just happened to move in across the street for the summer) in order to be admitted into the League of E.V.I.L. Hilarity, hijinks, and, yes, even a little (all-ages appropriate) horror ensues as the ‘dastardly’ villain starts to realize that perhaps his priorities are misaligned… unlike the stars, which are entering their proper alignment for the return of The Great Evil One!” Told you. It’s available now, written by Dirk Manning, with art by Scoot McMahon and Sean Burres. Oh, and there’s a Cthulhu Jr. plushie available too!
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.
Make Him Huff and Puff
More interesting manga from Seven Seas, this one with a notable yaoi bent: Why Don’t You Eat Me, My Dear Wolf? by Ao Koishikawa. [What a title!] “Taro is sent to the forest alone. He’s a sacrifice for the monstrous wolf, Uru. Upon seeing him, Uru declares Taro too small and too thin. The wolf feeds him, clothes him, and cares for him. Time passes and Taro finds himself wanting to be devoured by this giant wolf who gives him nothing but affection.” Poor thing.
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.
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.
Dig It All Over Again
The celebrated and multi-award-winning creator Ursula Vernon first came to most people’s attention through her black & white web comic called Digger. Now, a decade later, Grim Oak Press gives us Digger Unearthed: The Complete Tenth Anniversary Collection. “Digger Unearthed is the story of a shrewd, sensible wombat engineer named Digger-of-unnecessarily-convoluted-tunnels, who finds herself stranded in a fantasy world that is far from logical. Thrust into the middle of a puzzling and often perilous situation involving gods, demons, destiny, and redemption, she finds her way based on a pragmatic honesty and the sincere belief in doing the right thing… To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Digger Unearthed offers the complete web comic collection in a single volume that can be fully enjoyed by young adult readers, yet also contains layers of sophistication that become deeper and more meaningful with age and experience.” Which we have. It’s available now in both paperback and hardcover.
It’s Scaaaaaary In There!
People are saying some good things about Skull Cat and the Curious Castle, the debut graphic novel by Norman Shurtliff. “Even though the castle is an eerie place, full of dark secrets, Scully the cat is excited to start his new job and prove himself to be a great gardener. But wait a minute… what happened to all his co-workers? Were they devoured by bloodthirsty vampires? Spooked by a love-struck ghost? Pranked by a comic-reading goblin? Enchanted by a sleepy sorcerer? Will Scully have to become the hero and uncover the truth behind Le Dark Chateau? He never signed up for this!!” You can see what happens to him now, full-color, in trade paperback from Top Shelf Productions.
A Girl and Her Dog
(Forgive us, Harlan!) The official description of Doomsday With My Dog pretty much says it all: “A single teenage girl journeys through the crumbling ruins of civilization — the last human on Earth, exploring the concrete jungle that has outlived mankind. Keeping her company is woman’s best friend — the ever-adorable and quick-witted Shiba Inu Haru, who is ready to stick with her through thick and thin! With such a pleasant conversation partner to keep the post-apocalyptic doldrums at bay, the end of the world might not be so bad after all!” Created by Yu Isihara, this black & white manga is out now from Yen Press.