Before the release of Dreamworks Animation’s Mr. Peabody & Sherman movie (which we’ve mentioned recently), IDW is getting in the act by giving us the tie-in Mr. Peabody & Sherman full-color comic book mini-series. The first issue of four with hit comic book stores and the ‘net later this month. The series follows the adventures of the world’s smartest dog and his adopted human son, exploring history on the maiden voyage of Peabody’s marvelous WABAC machine. The comic series is written by Sholly Fisch (who seems to be getting around!) and illustrated by Jorge Monlongo. Previews has an interview with Sholly as well.
Comic Book News
Going to School with Four Hooves
No, it’s not another My Little Pony thing. Seven Seas Entertainment is releasing A Centaur’s Life, a new digest-sized black & white manga series written and illustrated by Kei Murayama. It was previously released in Japan as A Centaur’s Worries. “Being a teenager is never easy… especially for a centaur! Himeno is a sweet, shy girl, who like many teens her age, struggles with the trials and tribulations of attending high school. The difference is she’s a centaur; but she’s not alone. In fact, all of her classmates are supernatural creatures, sporting either horns, wings, tails, halos, or some other unearthly body appendage. Yet despite their fantastical natures, Himeno and her best friends-the dragon-winged Nozomi, and Kyoko with her spiraled horns-are down-to-earth, fun-loving teenagers who grapple with issues of life and love in a mostly normal daily school setting.” So you say! Look for A Centaur’s Life at your local comic book or manga store, starting in November.
The Horse Returns
Neil the Horse was a funny animal comic strip written and illustrated by Katherine Collins, starting in the late 1970’s. Throughout the 1980’s it was one of the most popular funny anthropomorphic comic books going, adored by classic funny animal fans and underground comic aficionados alike. Equally a tribute to old fashioned comic books, classic Hollywood musicals, and children’s books, Neil and his friends largely disappeared after the 1990’s. Now Hermes Press have announced that the dancing equine’s comic book adventures will finally be re-released in Neil the Horse: The Complete Comics Stories. Collecting Neil issues 1 – 15 and featuring a historical essay by Trina Robbins (a comic book legend in her own right), this hardcover collection will ship this coming December — but Amazon is taking orders now.
Barking and Bravery in Battle
Now and then we like to spotlight something involving real-world animals — especially when they’re doing something that, while maybe not anthropomorphic, definitely feels like something you wouldn’t expect animals to do. Dogs of War is a new full-color graphic novel, coming very soon from Graphix Press in softcover and hardcover editions. From Mile High Comics, here’s the blurb: “Dogs of War is a graphic novel that tells the stories of the canine military heroes of World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. This collection of three fictional stories was inspired by historic battles and real military practice, and each story tells the heroic adventures of a soldier and his service dog. Based on the real-life roles of military dogs that served as Red Cross rescuers, messengers, scouts, search-and-rescue teams, sentries, and mascots, Dogs of War captures both the adventure and the devastation brought on by war, as well as the celebrations of life and friendship between boys and their dogs.” Dogs of War was written by Sheila Keenan and illustrated by Nathan Fox.
Silent Dreams Will Haunt You
Here’s another of those “How did we miss this?” kind of things: Some of you might be familiar with the surreal works of Jim Woodring, especially his wordless funny animal comic Frank. Based on his own colorful dreams (and, some would say, rather scary dreams!), Frank follows the adventures of a “generic anthropomorph” (to use the creator’s words) across a surreal landscape known as The Unifactor. Well in 2011, Jim Woodring completed his first graphic novel starring Frank, Congress of the Animals. Frank’s world becomes even stranger, if possible, when he is forced to venture outside of the frightening yet familiar realm of The Unifactor and into the larger world around him. Fantagraphics is again offering this full-color graphic novel in hardcover at Amazon and other sellers. Attention Deficit Disorderly has an extensive review as well — one likely to make your head spin in fact.
Keeping Your Childhood Friends in Line
It seems that not all our imaginary friends have found a safe home like Foster’s. And so it falls upon agents Dave and Terry and the crew of I.M.A.G.I.N.E. to keep things cheery for the world and safe for children. That’s the idea behind Imagine Agents, a new full-color comic book mini-series from Boom! Studios. You see, adults cannot perceive a child’s imaginary friend (referred to as a ‘figment’ in this world), unless they have the special equipment that our trusty agents from I.M.A.G.I.N.E. employ. Check out the preview at Comic Book Resources and it’ll all make a lot more sense. Imagine Agents is written by Brian Joines (Noble Causes) and illustrated by the artist known as Bachan (Justice League). Look for it starting later this month.
Man and Dog, Cheese and Crackers
Unless you live in the UK, you might not be aware that the multi-award-winning Wallace and Gromit animation series has been adapted into a full-colour weekly comic strip. Well it has, and now the folks at Titan Comics have collected the strip series (so far) into a new hardcover book coming out this October. “The strip, which appears daily in The Sun, the UK’s most popular daily newspaper, is read by an audience of 2.3 million readers. The full-colour strip features a self-contained, weekly-continuity that sees our plucky, bald inventor race from one hair-brained invention to the next with gusto, extreme silliness and more puns than you can shake a stick at!” Check out Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Newspaper Comic Strip Collection, Volume 1 at Amazon. The strip features stories from a gaggle of writers, all of it illustrated by Jimmy Hansen and Mychailo Kazybird.
He Blows the Blues
We’ve mentioned the anthropomorphic works of write and artist Renaud Dillies before — things like Bubbles & Gondola and Abelard. Well now he’s back with Betty Blues, a new hardcover graphic novel coming this November from NBM Publishing. “Little Rice Duck has built himself quite the reputation around the West Wood, playing his trumpet in bars with their smoky, sweaty ambience, tequila sunrises, and jazz. But between his trumpet and his flame Betty, things are going astray. Betty is drowning her need of him in expensive champagne, something someone else is more than happy to provide… something he’d much prefer, like her, would just stay chilled.” NBM has more, including a preview.








