Tracy Butler’s popular web comic Lackadaisy (a frequent Ursa Major Award nominee and winner of the Web Cartoonists’ Choice Award — twice) has finally been released on dead trees by 4th Dimension Entertainment. The Lackadaisy Volume 1 graphic novel (in softcover) tells the story of the Prohibition-era speakeasy known as Lackadaisy, and characters like “a rum-running violinist named Rocky and a police academy dropout nicknamed Freckle”. Oh by the way, those characters (and all the rest) happen to be anthropomorphic cats. That little fact, not to mention Ms. Butler’s attention to detail and sepia-toned artwork, have sealed the popularity of this comic in and out of Furry Fandom.
Books and Trade Paperbacks
Jason does Werewolves
The enigmatic Norwegian funny-animal cartoonist known only as Jason returns with a brand-new softcover graphic novel, coming (in full color) in July from Fantagraphics Books. Werewolves of Montpellier tells the story of Sven, an aimless artist who finds himself in Montpellier, France, after a failed romance. By day he plays chess and poker, sketches his new hometown, and bemoans the state of his life. By night… he dresses up as a werewolf and raids other peoples’ homes! Of course, one thing he hasn’t taken into account is the society of real werewolves who live in Montpellier…! The press release describes it as “… a lycanthropic thriller, a romantic comedy, and an existential drama… basically, your typical Jason book”.
Boom-ing Business
Yet more stuff to watch upcoming from Boom! Studios: First off, welcome the return of the Duck Knight! Darkwing Duck returns, after many requests sent in to Boom! In this new full-color comic series is (written by Ian Brill and drawn by James Silvani) the terror that flaps in the night has been missing for more than a year… But when a nefarious evil plan threatens the city of St. Canard, it might be time to get dangerous again! Find out more in June. Also this summer, Boom! is presenting the graphic novel adaptation of Tim Burton’s oh-so-popular Alice in Wonderland film. The movie comes to DVD in August, but the graphic novel (adapted by Alessandro Ferrari and illustrated by Massimiliano Narcisco) comes this June, both in softcover and a limited-edition hardcover that includes a stitched-in cloth bookmark.
More Classic Funny Animals
Felix the Cat is, of course, one of the classic funny animals from both comic strips and early animation. Now IDW is collecting together the former in Felix the Cat: The Great Comic Book Tails (coming in hardcover this June). Felix’s original artist, Otto Messmer, wrote and drew the bulk of Felix comic strips and comic book stories for Dell and Harvey during comic books’ “Golden Age”. Now IDW presents more than 200 pages of full-color comics, showcasing the magical cat’s journeys on his flying carpet to surreal lands, past times, and Toy Land. Comic historian Craig Yoe edited the collection and wrote the behind-the-scenes introduction.
The Greatest Looney Tunes?
No less than animation historian Jerry Beck has assembled The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons, coming this June in hardcover from Insight Editions. How? He polled thousands of animation fans, historians, and animators to gather their thoughts and favorites… and here are the results. From the press release: “Evaluated on their comedic brilliance, innovative animation, historical significance, and creative merit, cartoon historian Jerry Beck and the Cartoon Brew team of animation experts reveal the amusing anecdotes and secret origins behind such classics as What’s Opera, Doc?, One Froggy Evening, and Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century. Featuring more than 300 pieces of original art from private collectors and the Warner Bros. archives, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons settles the debate on the best of the best, and poses a new question: Is your favorite one of the greatest?” The introduction was written by movie critic (and famous animation fan) Leonard Maltin.
B. B. Wolf and the 3 LP’s
Rich Koslowski (creator of the Ursa Major-nominated graphic novel Three Fingers) has returned with writer J.D. Arnold to bring us B.B. Wolf and the 3 Lp’s, a new black & white hardcover graphic novel coming this May from Top Shelf. Here’s the press release from Amazon.com: “B.B.’s life seemed simple: farmer and family man by day, blues musician by night, and a drinker of fine spirits at any hour. But his fragile world comes crashing down when the LPs decide to take his land by any means possible. When all is lost, B.B. lashes out, setting into motion acts of revenge that only a big bad wolf could unleash. Set in the Mississippi Delta of the 1920s, B.B. Wolf & the 3 LP’s is a classic story of racism, murder, revenge, and music, all wrapped up in the clever re-telling of a timeless fairy tale.”
Andreas Deja’s Animal Sketchbook
Andreas Deja is a very well-known animator who has worked for Disney animation for 30 years now. He’s known for animating characters like Gaston from Beauty & the Beast and Lilo from Lilo and Stitch, but furry fans probably know him best as the lead animator of Scar in The Lion King. Now Andreas has taken his particular affinity for drawing and animating animals (which he said Lion King was his first opportunity to do as much as he likes to!) and collected together some of his best sketch work into A Different Stripe: Andreas Deja’s Animal Sketchbook (in soft-cover, from Stuart Ng Books). In it he not only discusses his methods of drawing animals (both realistic and anthropomorphic) but also the advice and guidance he received over the years from such animators and teachers as Ken Hultgren and Marc Davis.
Captain Long Ears
New from Amaze Ink and Slave Labor Graphics: 8-year-old Michael has lost his father in a terrible accident. Though his mother is consumed by her grief, Michael insists on keeping a birthday tradition: Putting on his rabbit/spaceman costume and going to the local theme park as Captain Long Ears. If his mother won’t go, then Michael will simply go there with his imaginary friend, a purple gorilla named Jam. Trouble ensues, however, when Captain Long Ears and Jam take it upon themselves to rescue the theme park’s prize elephant… whether it wants to be rescued or not. This new black & white graphic novel was written and illustrated by Diana Thung. Look for it in May.
When Everyone (Literally) Was Doing Funny Animals!
How’s this for a long title: The Golden Collection of Klassic Krazy Kool Kids Komics. Whew! Here’s the publisher’s notes: “The first collection of its kind, this huge, luxurious volume lovingly collects the brilliant kids’ comics that such luminaries as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Walt Kelly, Dr. Seuss, Syd Hoff, Jules Feiffer, George Carlson, John Stanley, Dan deCarlo, Sheldon Mayer, Carl Barks, and myriad other brilliant geniuses created during the heyday of kids comics in the 1940s, ’50s, and beyond. Astute comic book fans and their eager kids alike will love the funny and beautiful full-color stories of slap-stick superheroes, fantastic fairy tales, and awesome anthropomorphic animals.” We definitely want to check out the awesome anthropomorphic animals! Especially with a group like that creating them! This new hardcover full-color collection was edited by Craig Yoe, and it features an introduction by children’s author Mo Willems. It’s coming out from Idea & Design Works at the end of April.
