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Dreaming of a Furry Life

Jess E. Owen is an author who has written several fantasy novels for young readers. Her series The Summer King Chronicles features a whole new world of gryphon and wolf characters. But now, writing under the name of Jessica Kara, she is taking on a whole new kind of fantasy with her new young adult novel, A Furry Faux Paw. The story goes like this: “Online, MauveCat (a cool, confident, glittering pixie cat) has friends and a whole supportive furry community that appreciates her art. At home, Maeve Stephens has to tiptoe around her hoarder mother’s mood and mess. When her life is at its hardest, Maeve can always slip into Mauve, her fursona, and be ‘the happy one’, the bubbliest, friendliest artist in her community ― it’s even how she made her best friend, Jade. With graduation around the corner, Maeve is ready to put her lonely school days behind her and move on with her life. And while her father hasn’t been home since the divorce, he does offer her a dream come true: an all-expenses paid trip to the regional furry convention. Furlympia will have everything Maeve’s been missing ―  friends, art mentors, and other furries! So when her mother forbids her from going, Maeve decides to sneak out on her own.” And what happens then? Find out when A Furry Faux Paw comes out in hardcover this May.

image c. 2022 Page Street Kids

The Furries Called For Help…

Years ago, author Jane Lindskold wrote The Marks Of Our Brothers, an interesting science fiction novel with some neat anthropomorphic aliens in it. Now, she is moving into the realm of fantasy — and even more anthropomorphics — with her new series called Over Where. From her web site: “The Over Where duology is the tale of how three young adults decide to use a shrine to summon supernatural guidance.  Except, instead of getting what they expected, they summon three monstrous creatures from another world. Wait…   Let me try again… Maybe it’s the story of three women past the first blush of youth (or even older) from our Earth who are summoned to a land where magic is real, and all the people are therianthropic (that is, they have a mixture of human and animal traits).  Everyone, including the three summoners, figure this is a huge mistake but, when the humans learn that the summoners can’t get any other help, they decide to stay. According to a mysterious cryptic verse, the first thing they must do is find the Library of the Sapphire Wind.  There’s just one problem.  The Library was destroyed some twenty-five years before.” Library of the Sapphire Wind and Aurora Borealis Bridge are both available now.

image c. 2022 Simon & Schuster

Swat Kats Return, Finally?

We’ve been hearing for a while now about a campaign by the original creators to rejuvenate the cult animated TV series Swat-Kats. Well now there’s this from Animation World Network: “The 1990’s cult classic animation Swat-Kats is set to make a comeback 28 years after the original series was produced. Show creators Christian and Yvon Tremblay have teamed up with Toonz Media Group to produce a brand-new series of the popular show featuring high-flying anthropomorphic feline fighters. The show is set in the fictional mega metropolis of Megakat City, where the two vigilante heroes fight off evil powers to keep their city from becoming a dystopian world.” Still no word on a release date, but this is a big step forward from the Kickstarter campaign.

image c. 2022 Toonz Media Group

Dog City By Day

Apple recently announced a new furry TV series, and Animation World Network helped spread the word: “Apple TV+ keeps on growing its top slate of kids and family shows with an all-new 3D/CG animated preschool series, Pretzel and the Puppies, premiering Friday, February 11. Based on the beloved canine from the classic book Pretzel by award-winning authors Margret Rey and H.A. Rey, creators of Curious George, the original series features a story about the modern dog family led by stay-at-home dad Pretzel, his five adorable Dachshund puppies, and mom Greta, the mayor of Muttgomery.” The article has more information about the show, and a link to the official trailer.

image c. 2022 Apple TV+

This Cat LITERALLY Walks Through Walls…

Seven Seas Entertainment pretty much says it all here: “Flora moves into a mysterious mansion and finds it inhabited by a strange creature: Creepy Cat! Thus begins her strange and sometimes dangerous life with a feline roommate. This Gothic comedy brings the chuckles…and the chills! Since 2014, Cotton Valent’s hilarious webcomic Meawbin The Creepy Cat has charmed online audiences across the world. Enjoy this full-color graphic novel series for audiences new and old!” Creepy Cat is available now in paperback.

image c. 2022 Seven Seas Entertainment

You Can’t Fight City Howl

Another new and interesting graphic novel for young folk, from Random House: Mayor Good Boy, by Dave Scheidt and Miranda Harmon. “The votes are in and the new mayor is… A dog?! This dog will do more than shake paws. Mayor Good Boy is here to help Greenwood become a town filled with kindness, starting with fetching help for the local zoo. With foes around every corner trying to put a stop to Mayor Good Boy’s campaign of fun, are there cheese snacks and belly rubs in his future? Or will the town suddenly have a flea problem?” Find out now.

image c. 2022 Random House

Those Other Pets Need Love Too

The campaign to legalize ferrets as pets in California (yes that’s a thing) recently let us know about My Name Is Musky, a picture book for young people written by Matty Giuliano and illustrated by Morgan Spicer. It’s rare to find a cute book about pets that actually focuses on ferrets! “Poor Musky! A small white ferret is abandoned and left by the side of the road. Things start to look up, though, when a nice lady named Stephanie shows up and saves the day. It’s off to the cozy, warm animal shelter for this little ferret—but will anyone want to adopt a different kind of furry animal friend?” Check out the official web site too.

image c. 2022 Humane Press

The Rabbit Has Magic

At a recent convention we came across The Secret of the Wind, the first volume in the new graphic novel series Cottons — written by Jim Pascoe and illustrated by Heidi Arnhold. “In Cottons, rabbits and foxes inhabit a world where magic, technology, and art are used as weapons of war… To her neighbors in the Vale of Industry, Bridgebelle is an ordinary rabbit. All day long, she toils at the carrot factory. After a hard day, she returns home to care for her ailing auntie. And whenever she’s out, she’s watchful of the murderous foxes who prey on her kind. But Bridgebelle is not ordinary—she’s a rabbit with talents beyond her own understanding. Using cha, the mysterious fuel that powers her world, she can change everyday objects into thokchas—magical, transforming works of art. Bridgebelle makes thokchas because they’re beautiful. But there are those in her world who want to harness her powers and turn her art into a weapon.” The book is available now in hardcover and paperback from First Second.

image c. 2022 First Second

More Chickens, More Dog

There’s a new article at Animation World Network that was kind enough to let us know about the latest upcoming films from Aardman Animation — courtesy of Netflix, of course. Some highlights: “Netflix and Aardman made two major announcements today, giving us key details on the sequel to Chicken Run, and on a new Wallace & Gromit feature being made by series creator Nick Park. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is the official title of director Sam Fell’s (Flushed Away, ParaNorman) much-anticipated sequel to Chicken Run, which in 2000 became the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time. The new film will hit Netflix exclusively in 2023. Ginger and Rocky, the first film’s plucky protagonists, will be voiced by Thandie Newton and Zachary Levi, respectively… In this chapter of the characters’ saga, Ginger and Rocky have built a peaceful island sanctuary for their flock after escaping the clutches of Tweedy’s farm, and they’ve hatched a little girl named Molly. But back in the human world, their fellow chickens are faced with a new existential threat — forcing the feathered heroes to sacrifice their freedom to bring them to safety.” And there’s more: “Park’s forthcoming film does not yet have a title… In this new installment of the iconic series, ‘Gromit’s concern that Wallace has become over-dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a ‘smart gnome’ that seems to develop a mind of its own. As events spiral out of control, it falls to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!'” We look forward to both!

image c. 2022 Aardman Animation