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Black & White

Usagi Turns 200

Issue #141 of the multi-award-winning black & white comic book Usagi Yojimbo marks a special milestone: It’s the 200th issue over-all of the series created, as always, by Stan Sakai. And to celebrate, Stan has created a special self-contained story for this historic issue, 200 Buddhas. “With a ruthless gang terrorizing his small town, a humble stonecutter receives a vision and sets out to carve two hundred stone figures. Just as he has finished the 199th, a long-eared stranger comes to his door seeking shelter from the rain!” That long-eared stranger, of course, is the warrior rabbit that furry fans love. Usagi Yojimbo #141 hits the stands from Dark Horse Press this October.

image c. 2011 Stan Sakai

Classic Comic Strips Collected

Fantagraphics Books has two new collected editions of famous and historically significant comic strips available. Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse brings together the 1930’s comic strips created by Floyd Gottfredson, newly edited by David Gerstein and Gary Groth. Besides nearly 600 pages of black & white Mickey Mouse adventures, each hardcover volume also features more than 50 pages of supplemental material including behind-the-scenes art, vintage publicity material, and commentary by Disney historians. Volume 1, Race to Death Valley, was released last June, and Volume 2, Trapped on Treasure Island, is coming this October. Then in December, be on the lookout for Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips, Volume 1, “Through the Wild Blue Yonder” (whew!) by the inimitable Walt Kelly, of course. This hardcover edition goes back as far as the 1940’s Pogo strips, and also features a biographical introduction, an extensive glossary by comics historian R. C. Harvey, and a forward by the legendary columnist Jimmy Breslin.

Spanish Cats come to America

Jose Fonollosa is a well-known comic book illustrator in Spain. For the past few year’s he’s also been working on an on-line black & white comic strip known simply as Meow, which follows that adventures of two domestic cats and their harried human companions. Cat fans, you can follow the strip at Mr. Fonollosa’s blogspot site. Meanwhile, Meow is being introduced to English-speaking audiences in a new hardcover collection from Kettledrum publishing, which is coming this August. You can order it at Westfield Comics, among other places.

 

image c. 2011 Jose Fonollosa

 

 

Goblins are Coming

The latest from the endlessly creative mind (and pen, and pencil) of Richard Moore: Gobs. “Gobs are the worst. Just the worst. Don’t think goblins’ll ever move into your neighborhood? Don’t be too sure. After getting kicked out of their favorite pub, this typically vile group builds their own pub…in the hollowed-out body of a dead giant. Lovely, eh? So beware…Gobs are coming.” And they’re coming your way, bi-monthly and in black & white — starting this June, from Antarctic Press.

 

image c. 2011 Richard Moore, Image Comics

Amity Blamity

Now how could you miss a title like that? What is it? A new black & white graphic novel written and illustrated by Mike White, coming this May from Slave Labor Graphics. Here’s the publisher’s press release: “Meet Gretchen & Chester. Gretchen is a shy 4 year old girl and Chester is a talking potbellied pig. They live with Gretchen’s Grandma and listless Uncle Downey in rural America. Mistaking their afternoon activity of playing ‘office’ for entrepreneurial gusto, Downey recruits the duo to assist in his deluded aspirations of running ‘moonshine’. Unbeknownst to the outlandish family and their activities, strange forest critters begin to lurk in the woods nearby, disrupting their quirky daily life and sending them on an adventure to save their degenerate Uncle from a strange genetic mutation!” You read it here folks. Amity Blamity, in softcover this May. Yep.

Brer Warrior Returns

A creative outfit known as Graffiti on the Sun sent us a press release: “Graffiti On The Sun returns with its long-awaited second issue of the comic book series Brer Warrior. Not only does the hopping hot comic series return after a hiatus, it returns at the low price of $1.99. In the second issue of Brer Warrior (the [black & white] comic series that’s loosely based on the folktale character Brer Rabbit with kung-fu packed, sci-fi seasoned, urban twist), Brer returns to his childhood home to restart his kung-fu training. But well his fellow student and former friend Ebunny let him, or will something from his past prevent her from doing so?

Brer Warrior issue 2 can be purchased at Indyplanet. For more info about Brer Warrior and Graffiti on the Sun, check out our main site.”

image c. 2011 Graffiti on the Sun

Goodbye to Fission Chicken

Word is slowly making the rounds that John Patrick Morgan — better known in fandom by his initials as J.P. Morgan — passed away from a heart condition at the end of December at the age of 53. J.P. was a cartoonist and illustrator for many years. His best known creation, the comic book series Fission Chicken, made him a star among the “funny animal” segment of furry fandom. Fission Chicken saw the light of day in funny animal fandom publications like Rowrbrazzle before being picked up by Fantagraphics Books. The Fission Chicken on-line story arc concluded in late December last year — a few days before Mr. Morgan passed away. His web site is still there, along with his Deviant Art site. An official obituary is also on line.

image c. 2011 by Jim Groat (Rabbi Tom)

Rottentail

You have been warned… Here’s the description that comic book writer and creator David Hayes put up on his web site: “April 2011 is the debut of Rottentail. This 60-page graphic novel from Creators Edge Press, written and created by David Hayes, tells the bizarre tale of young Peter Cotton, who grew up in the town of Easter Falls and loves rabbits. Peter’s science project on rabbit breeding is ruined when the school bullies beat up and actually kill his rabbit. Years later, the kindly but still shy Dr. Cotton works steadily, gently with his rabbits to cure human infertility. Unbeknownst to Peter, the military is perverting his work, developing fierce soldiers with strength far exceeding a human of their size, and with Peter’s fertility serum, the ability to breed in the field. Peter discovers the true nature of the experiment and tries to stop it. But in an accident of poetic justice, a bite from an experimental rabbit combines with Peter’s own serum to transform him into the evil Rottentail. This creature heads to Easter Falls to exact revenge for the wrongdoings of his youth and to finally lay claim to the love of his life. His timing could not be better since Easter Falls biggest day of the year is coming up and the entire town will be there to watch the annual Easter Parade.” How could we top that? This black & white graphic novel was written by David Hayes and Kevin Moyers, illustrated by Kurt Belcher and Heinrik Horvath, with pin-up art by Michael Bracco. Look for it this coming March.

Sam and Friends Meet Dracula!

Sam is no ordinary sheep-dog: He has a nose for sniffing out the clues to a mystery. And Jennie is no ordinary girl, because she can read Sam’s thoughts! Together with their friend Beth, the trio seek out the answers to mysterious goings-on in their seemingly-sleepy little town of  Woodford. Their first assignment: Finding out if their weird new neighbor is in fact a vampire! It’s all in the first Sam and Friends Mystery graphic novel, coming this January from writer Mary Labatt and illustrator Jo Rioux. This black & white trade paperback is published by Kids Can Press.