The artist known as Kamui (apparently also known as Flossalot) has put together a collection of text t-shirts that announce to the world which non-human animal you identify with — by their scientific names. “Kiss Me, I’m Vulpes Vulpes” means red foxes, for instance. The “Linnaean Tees” collection includes a very wide list of species, and if your favorite isn’t there, the creator also offers to do custom one-offs. They’re all available as t-shirts or hoodies, in a wide variety of sizes and colors. You’ll find the collection at Red Bubble.
Zee Best of Pepe Le Pew
Thanks to the folks at Cartoon Brew and TV on DVD, we now know that the next release in Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes Super Stars series will be Pepe Le Pew: Zee Best of Zee Best. In spite of what this single-DVD collection’s box cover says, it actually contains 17 cartoons: All 15 of Chuck Jones’ Pepe cartoons, a one-off directed by Art Davis (Odor of the Day), and one Tweety Bird cartoon (Dog Pounded, directed by Friz Freleng) in which Pepe makes a cameo appearance. Everyone’s favorite romantic skunk with zee accent of LOVE comes to DVD on December 27th.
image c. 2011 Warner Brothers
Epic Mickey’s Epic Graphic Novel
Who knew that the Ursa Major Award-winning video game Epic Mickey was also a comic book? My, it’s everywhere! Well, for those of us who wound up surprised as we are, Disney Press will be releasing the Disney: Epic Mickey graphic novel this October, in both hardcover and softcover editions. It collects all of the full-color Epic Mickey comic adventures, written by the famous comic book author Peter David and illustrated by Fabio Celoni and Paolo Mottura. In it you’ll be introduced to the magical realm of Wasteland and its inhabitants, including Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Gus the Gremlin, and the animatronic Donald, Daisy, and Goofy.
image c. 2011 Disney Press
Think Like A Pack
Science fiction fandom has been buzzing with the news that Vernor Vinge has finally written a sequel to his trail-blazing, award-winning 1991 novel A Fire Upon the Deep. In that book, we were introduced (among many other star-spanning concepts) to Tines World, a planet with dog-like inhabitants, where humans have taken root. The natives of this world are “intelligent” only in combination: Named “individuals” are actually small packs. Now, after 20 years, we return to Tines World with the new novel The Children of the Sky, coming this October from Tor Books. Here’s the publisher’s description from Amazon: “Ten years have passed on Tines World, where Ravna Bergnsdot and a number of human children ended up after a disaster that nearly obliterated humankind throughout the galaxy. Ravna and the pack animals for which the planet is named have survived a war, and Ravna has saved more than one hundred children who were in cold-sleep aboard the vessel that brought them. While there is peace among the Tines, there are those among them—and among the humans—who seek power…and no matter the cost, these malcontents are determined to overturn the fledgling civilization that has taken root since the humans landed.”
More Stories from The Storyteller
The Storyteller was a popular fantasy TV series in the late 1980’s, created by Jim Henson and the Muppet Creature Shop. It featured John Hurt in the role of the Storyteller, simultaneously telling fantastic tales to his muppet dog (voiced by Brian Henson) and we the audience. Now, Archaia Entertainment brings us a brand-new Storyteller graphic novel in hardcover. It features new stories and artwork from numerous talented folk. Here’s a write-up from Comics Beat: “The Storyteller anthology will be edited by Nate Cosby, formerly of Marvel, with contributions by Roger Langridge, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, Jeff Parker, Paul Tobin, Colleen Coover, Francesco Francavilla, Brian Clevinger, Tom Fowler, Marjorie Liu, Evan Shaner, Jennifer Meyer, Katie Cook, Chris Eliopoulos, Ron Marz, Jim McCann and Janet Lee — and an unpublished story by the late Anthony Minghella [who helped the late Jim Henson create the original series].” Look for it in September.
image c. 2011 Archaia Entertainment
Ultraduck Arrives
For years we’ve been seeing sample art from the Ultraduck project showing up at San Diego Comic Con and other fannish events. Now, it seems, Arcana Studios will finally be publishing the new Ultraduck graphic novel this October. It’s written by Edgar Delgado, with full-color art by Omar Lozano and Humberto Ramos. Here’s the basic description from Amazon: “Carlos, a regular duck living in the great city of Featherbay, just got dumped by his girlfriend, his life as a freelance do-it-all is going nowhere, and he must make some grown up decisions: to get a real job, get his girl back, and stop drinking. That is, until he gets super powers and becomes the only duck in the world who can stop a powerful creature who’s destroying the city on a vengeful rampage, and an evil weapons manufacturing corporation who wants his abilities.” Just how “anthro” is this project? Check out the promo art!
image c. 2011, Art by Delgado, Lozano, Ramos
Mighty Hedgehogs not named Sonic
The Six Crowns is a brand-new anthropomorphic fantasy novel series. It’s written by Allan Jones, illustrated by Gary Chalk, and published by Greenwillow Books. (In the UK, the series is known as Sundered Lands.) The first book in the series, Trundle’s Quest, introduces us to a humble yet ultimately heroic hedgehog. Here’s the publisher’s description from Amazon: “Trundle doesn’t think he’s an adventurer. He’s a lamplighter. He likes everything safe and cozy, and that’s the way things are in his peaceful part of the Sundered Lands. Until Esmeralda barrels through his door. Esmeralda, a princess with a knack for magic and for finding trouble, is convinced that Trundle is the only one who can help her find the six crowns. Lost and scattered long ago, the crowns could unite the Sundered Lands once again. But not if the pirates find them first. Suddenly, Trundle is on the run. He becomes a stowaway, a drifter, a thief’s accomplice, and a swordsman.Trundle may find that he is a true hero, after all . . . and that this is only the beginning of an epic journey.” Mr. Jones and Mr. Chalk also have a web site dedicated to the series.
image c. 2011 Greenwillow Books
The Big Bad Wolf — or IS he…?
After literally years of struggling to find a publisher for their full-color graphic novel, writer Paul Jenkins and artists Humberto Ramos and Leonardo Olea decided to publish Fairy Quest: Outlaws themselves — and the result premiered at San Diego Comic Con this year. In the land of Fablewood, all the world’s favorite fairy tale characters re-live their famous stories over and over again, like puppets on a string. Then one day, Little Red and Mr. Woof decide they’ve grown tired of being enemies and decide to become friends — a little act of rebellion that turns all of Fablewood onto its ear, and brands these new friends as dangerous outlaws. The web site Comic Book Resources has an interview with Humberto Ramos talking about the Fairy Quest project up on line. It’s envisioned as a four-book series.
image c. 2011 Humberto Ramos
Teen Wolf: The Comic
Admit it: At times it almost seems backwards to have a comic book based on a movie or TV series these days (as opposed to vice versa). But, here we go again: Image comics presents Teen Wolf: Bite Me, a full-color 3-issue mini-series based on the new Teen Wolf TV series on MTV. In case you need a re-cap, Scott McCall is a high-school athlete with a beautiful girlfriend and a future that’s looking up — until the night when he’s bitten by a werewolf. Now he not only has to deal with his frequent transformations, but also the fact that his girlfriend’s father is head of a local posse that has taken it upon themselves to hunt down and kill werewolves. In this new mini-series (written by David Tischman and illustrated by Stephen Mooney), Scott must deal with the new discovery that his “condition” may be incurable. Look for it this September.
