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Let’s Get Ready To Purrumble…!

He’s in L.A. County, we’re in the O.C., so of course we meet up at WonderCon this year — and made sure to pick up his comic book, Super Lucha Cats! Interestingly, we came across this in a local newspaper: “When vampires, demons, and all manner of things that go bump in the night threaten the town, who will be there to save it? The Super Lucha Cats will. Created by 33-year-old Bell Gardens native Javier Solorzano, Super Lucha Cats is a brand-new comic inspired by Latin folklore, a love of lucha libre, and a couple of feline friends. It follows the adventures of Coco, Pizza, Nopalito, and Fresa; four cats adopted off the street by a retired luchadora who – with the help of a magical lucha mask – raised and trained the four siblings to piledrive the forces of evil.” Check out the interview from our local NPR radio station too.

image c. 2022 Media Noche Comics

Detective Dog

More from this year’s WonderCon! Lori Weiner works with a variety of animal rescue organizations. In her spare time, she’s a novelist who has created the series Dino Vicelli: Private Eye, featuring a sleuth-y greyhound. “Dino Vicelli is a world-famous detective dog who has successfully nosed and snooped his way to the top. A resident of the Barkingham Pet Hotel California, he lives in the executive luxury suite and, as a private detective, snoops on all the other dogs during the day.” Find out more at the official web site, and check out Dino Vicelli: Private Eye in a World of Evils at Barnes & Noble.

image c. 2022 Dorrance Publishing

Sun and Sand Down Under

Another item we’ve missed, brought to our attention by Animation World Network. Time to catch up! “Cheeky Little Media has announced that ABC Kids has greenlit a second season of the popular Australian 3D animated TV series, Kangaroo Beach. The second season will offer more beach-based fun adventures with the four cadets: Pounce, Frizzy, Neville, and Gemma, and continue to explore new water safety themes for preschoolers and their families… Key partners for the Season 2 include ABC, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF), and Surf Life Saving Australia. ACTF will also distribute the series while Cheeky Little Commercial continues as the global brand manager. New consumer products for the franchise include a book series, kids’ swimwear and clothing, bedding, and toys.” As ever, merchandising!

image c. 2022 Cheeky Little Media

A Mind is a Terrible Thing

Seems like this has been out for a while, but it passed beneath our radar: Slow City Blues from Image Comics. “The story is focused on Detective John Loris, who gets trapped inside his imagination after accidentally killing a little girl in the line of duty. After trying to take his own life, John instead ends up in Slow City, a construct of his mind’s eye, a place where anything and everything is possible, except a way out… John Loris is both revered and reviled as The Creator, but in Slow City, even God is just another slob. So, he does the only thing he knows how: Be a cop. But times are changing and the wheels in his mind are in motion. And now, John and his partner, a six foot six, smart-ass skunk, must solve a double homicide and bring the killer to justice before a gang war between the Gorillas of the Devil’s Backbone and the Dragons of the Midnight Syndicate destroy Slow City.” To find out more, check out the Image press release.

image c. 2022 Image Comics

Werewolf Domesticus?

Recently visiting WonderCon we came across WereWoofs, a new YA graphic novel by screenwriter Joelle Sellner and illustrator Val Wise.In the small Midwestern town of Howlett, navigating high school is tough enough. But when a group of friends are inexplicably turned into weredogs, adapting to their new powers proves to be even tougher. This leads to an unlikely friendship with loner Mara, a werewolf whose father has mysteriously vanished. As the high schoolers team up to solve the disappearance, friendships are tested, and secrets are revealed as the Werewoofs prove themselves in an explosive showdown against a dangerous wolfpack and their vicious alpha.” It’s available now from New Paradigm. Check out the review over at Cemetery Dance.

image c. 2022 New Paradigm Studios

Another Web Is Woven

A post on Twitter guided us to this interesting news from Deadline: “Luke Matheny, who writes on, directs, and exec produces Apple TV+’s Ghostwriter, has signed up to serve as head writer and exec producer on HBO Max’s remake of Charlotte’s Web. The animated mini-series, which comes from Sesame Workshop, is set to start production next month and will air on HBO Max and Cartoon Network in 2024.” In case you need a reminder: “Charlotte’s Web tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur’s life is in danger, Charlotte weaves messages in her web praising Wilbur in order to drum up public support and persuade the farmer to let him live. The adaptation is the latest remake of E.B. White’s classic; an animated feature was produced by Hanna-Barbera in 1973, and Nickelodeon and Paramount rebooted it again when Dakota Fanning and Julia Roberts teamed up for a 2006 movie.” So is this new version 2D or 3D?

image c. 2022 Sesame Workshop

That Gryphon’s Turning Green!

More interesting new animated series on the horizon, according to Animation World Network: “Nickelodeon has announced the addition of HexVet to their 2023 preschool lineup. The new animated series is based on the eponymous BOOM! Studios graphic novels by Sam Davies. The CG and 2D-hybrid adventure-comedy follows unlikely best friends Nan and Clarion as they navigate life’s weird and wacky challenges, while apprenticing to be magical veterinarians for fantastical creatures… As HexVets in training, Nan and Clarion are ready to tackle medical maladies in beasts magical or mundane, find their familiars, and earn their wands and pointy hats — all while dodging covens of animal smugglers and dragons with heartburn. Under the tutelage of the talented Dr. Talon, these young HexVets in training will learn how to cure any animal, from a pygmy phoenix with bird flu to a unicorn with a broken horn.” Interesting to note: The series was developed by Nicole Dubuc, well-known among fans of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Look for HexVet to arrive in 2023.

image c. 2022 Nickelodeon

Do We Finally Get The Bunny?

For a long time, we’ve been talking about an animated TV series based on the award-winning comic series Usagi Yojimbo. For years. Nay, for decades! Well now, according to Netflix, it’s about to become a reality — and soon! “First announced in July 2020, the adaptation of Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo is coming to Netflix in April 2022 — specifically on April 28th, 2022… Candie Langdale and Doug Langdale are serving as the showrunners for the series. They’re best known for their work on Netflix’s Maya and the Three, [as well as] working on DreamWorks projects Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.” Now as to the plot: “Usagi is a young rabbit who doesn’t want much from life – just to be history’s greatest Samurai. When he comes to the futuristic city of Neo Edo to seek his destiny, he accidentally unleashes dozens of the bizarre, ancient monsters known as Yokai. Now, along with his new friends Chizu, Gen, and Kitsune, he must clean up the mess he’s made.” Stan Sakai himself is proudly involved with every step of the production.

image c. 2022 Gaumont Televison

Seuss Your Old Man

Word came out recently from Animation World Network that even more animation based on the stories of Dr. Seuss are in the works. “Netflix and Dr. Seuss Enterprises are teaming up to bring some of the most iconic and beloved stories and characters of the Dr. Seuss world to life with five new animated preschool series and specials. The projects are inspired by stories like Horton Hears a Who!; The Sneetches; One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; and Wacky Wednesday; [along with] characters like Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose. Executive producer Dustin Ferrer (Esme & Roy, Shimmer & Shine, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) will serve as showrunner across all five, with additional showrunners revealed in the coming weeks. The announcement expands the partnership between Netflix and Dr. Seuss Enterprises following the launch of the critically acclaimed animated series Green Eggs and Ham in 2019, which will have its anticipated second season premiere April 8, 2022.” The various shows are a mixed bag of 2D and 3D animation. The article has more details!

image c. 2022 Netflix