Whoa! One we missed from last summer: The Forest Beckons, the first volume in the new Order of the Night Jay series of graphic novels for young readers, created by Jonathan Schnapp. “Frank is perhaps the most un-bear-like bear Camp Jay Bird has ever seen. Actually, he’s probably the ONLY bear Camp Jay Bird has ever seen. And there are tons of bugs, he’s getting picked on, and he can’t seem to earn a single badge! But there’s Ricky, an excitable little raccoon who shares Frank’s love of Mega Bunny comics. But Ricky’s friendship might be more than Frank can handle. After breaking camp rules, getting lost in the woods, and discovering ancient secrets about the long-forgotten Order of the Night Jay, how will Frank explain all this to his dad?” It’s available now everywhere from Penguin Random House and Top Shelf Comix.
Trade Paperback
Animal Folk Tales from Around the World
Capstone Press recently gave us a new series of full-color graphic novels for young comic readers, featuring folktales from cultures all over the globe. And of course, many of them are furry. For example: The Sky Fox, A Peruvian Graphic Folktale, written by Alberto Rayo and illustrated by Fabiana Faiallo. “What happens to a fox that won’t stop teasing the others animals? Read this Peruvian tale to find out.” Other books in the series include The Magpie’s Tale (Sweden), The Turtle and The Geese (India), and The Tortoise and The Hare (West Africa). Each of the titles features writing and art by folk from the culture in question.
It’s All So Pretty…
Magnetic Press brings us a new graphic novel: Loonicorns, a fantasy from a different angle. “Looniland is a joyful and colorful world populated by mythical and extinct creatures: Unicorns, cyclops, dodos… But behind this facade hides a highly unequal society: From an early age, each inhabitant of Looniland is categorized as ‘beautiful’ or ‘ugly’ according to certain subjective criteria. The life of the ‘beautiful’ is idyllic, while that of the ‘ugly’ is filled with drudgery and danger. But the balance of society will be upturned by the arrival of Penny, an amnesic human child.” Loonicorns is written by Ced, and illustrated by Waltch and Gorobei. No, we don’t know them either! But take a look!
Another Dynamite Rabbit Returns
Bunnicula, a horror/comedy novel for young readers by Deborah Howe and James Howe, has been a fan favorite for decades. It was even an animated cartoon series. Now, Atheneum Books has brought us Bunnicula — The Graphic Novel. It’s adapted by original author James Howe, with the help of Andrew Donkin and illustrations by Stephen Gilpin. “Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household — a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits… and fangs! Could this innocent-seeming rabbit actually be a vampire?” Find out now, before it’s too late!
More Pug for your Pay
A long, long time ago, we told you about Pug Davis, a very very strange science fiction on-line comic written and illustrated by a talented young creator. Well, in the years since then that person, Rebecca Sugar, has become known for creating this cartoon called Steven Universe… you’ve probably heard of it. And now, Albatross Funny Books and Dark Horse Press have teamed up to bring us the Pug Davis Trade Paperback, collecting the on-line comics in a single book. “Pug Davis is a curmudgeonly astronaut in the vein of Buck Rodgers via John Wayne. He also happens to have the head of a Pug. Reluctantly teamed with his sensitive partner, Blouse, he fights aliens in space so we don’t have to fight them here.” It’s available now from Dark Horse Press.
Lauren the Lapine Librarian
We got this directly from the creator themselves! “Smallbug Press is proud to announce the release of the Lauren Ipsum book by Charles Brubaker. The 130-page black-and-white paperback contains over 200 Lauren Ipsum comic strips, as well as a bonus story The Flying Catfish. The comic stars a rabbit named Lauren, who works as a professional librarian and part-time writer. Along with Dewey DeSmall (a fox) and Gutenberg (a cat), she runs a library in the all-animal city of St. Paws… Lauren Ipsum first appeared online on October 31, 2022, and has since gained a dedicated following. The Weakley County Press started running the strip on November 15th of the same year. Lauren Ipsum is available for purchase through Amazon worldwide. Signed copies can be purchased directly from the creator at laurenbook.smallbugstudio.com.” You can also find the latest on-line comic strips there as well.
What A Big Katana You Have!
Sticking with Source Point Press, here’s how you put a new spin on an old fairy tale: Little Red Ronin, written by Garrett Gunn and illustrated by Kit Wallis. “A terrible beast has haunted the citizens of Poletown for decades. Although the monster hasn’t been seen in years, disappearances and gruesome killings still plague the townsfolk. Determined to clear her family name, Red hunts The Great Wolf in hopes of exonerating her grandmother, who lives in exile for spreading terrifying propaganda.” Once again the issues have been gathered together into a single trade paperback, available now from Simon & Schuster.
Caged Like Animals
Now and then we like to point out something that might not be all that “furry” itself, but that features some interesting furry characters prominently. Things like: Utramax, a comic book miniseries written by Doug Wood and illustrated by Michael Pickard. “A lowly henchman has done the impossible and killed the world’s most famous super hero. Now locked up in a prison for supervillains, he hopes no one will uncover his secret… and find out he is actually a snitch for the feds.” Why do we care? Well, one of the super-villains our “hero” encounters in prison is a big, burly canine known simply as The Dog. And he’s scary. Point Source Press have gathered all four issues of Ultramax into one trade paperback.
Bop That Bug!
New from Cat-Head Comics: “Bughouse is cartoonist Steve Lafler’s graphic novel about the life of a jazz band of the same name, set in an ‘insect noir’ Manhattan of the early fifties. Tenor saxophone maestro, Jimmy Watts, leads his talented band of bugs from the swing era into the uncharted maelstrom of Bop. And as he and his band mates claw their way to the top of the jazz world, they must fight the temptation to be consumed by addiction to a substance known as ‘bug juice’.” Now the man himself has released From The Top: The Complete Bughouse, available hardcover and softcover editions.