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Cats

More Cats in More Countries

The Ollie & Moon Show is a new 2D animated TV series, based on a popular children’s book series by Diane Kredensor, “…an Emmy Award-winning artist, director and producer whose credits include Pinky and the Brain and Clifford the Big Red Dog, among others.” [So says Variety]. “In the series, two animated cats travel around the world. teaching viewers about the joy of unlikely friendships and global citizenship… The series will use art that blends live-action with 2D designs.” Ollie is a young cat who likes to plan and schedule his far-flung trips around the world.  Moon… likes to bounce off the walls. Somehow these two get along well enough to travel together and learn as they do. The series has been picked up by NBC’s Sprout Network for broadcast starting in 2017.

image c. 2015 Cottonwood Media

image c. 2015 Cottonwood Media

An Indoor Cat Goes Outside

Another MIPCON discovery: Nature Cat, a new 2D animated TV series produced by Spiffy Pictures. “Nature Cat follows Fred, a house cat who dreams of exploring the great outdoors. In each episode, once his family leaves for the day, Fred transforms into Nature Cat, ‘backyard explorer extraordinaire.’ Nature Cat can’t wait to get outside for a day of backyard nature excursions and bravery, but there’s one problem: He’s still a house cat with no instincts for nature. Like many of today’s kids, Nature Cat is eager and enthusiastic about outside activities, but is at times intimidated by them. With the help of his animal friends, Nature Cat embarks on action-packed adventures that include exciting missions full of nature investigation, aha discovery moments and humor, all while inspiring children to go outside and ‘play the show.’ Through Nature Cat co-creators and brothers David Rudman (Sesame Street, The Muppets) and Adam Rudman (Tom & Jerry, Sesame Street, Cyberchase) have teamed up to inspire viewers to get outdoors and develop connections with the natural world.” Good news, everyone! Nature Cat has been picked up for distribution by PBS Kids. They have an interactive web site for the show.

image c. 2015 Spiffy Pictures

image c. 2015 Spiffy Pictures

The Horror of Kitties

Junji Ito is a well-known creator of horror manga in Japan, celebrated for his intricate black & white artwork. Now he’s done something… different. Autobiographical.  But with a twist. It seems that Mr. Ito invited his fiancee’ to move in with him.  Wonderful.  Unfortunately… with her comes her two pet cats. A strange white cat named Yon (whose white fur features a skull-like pattern on the back) and Mu (a fluffy and fun-loving country cat). Mr. Ito is a bit put out by this development — especially since he’s a dog person! Now he’s detailed his frequent attempts (and frequent failures) to bond with these new feline housemates in a new manga, Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu. More recently, Kondansha Comics have translated the manga series and released them together in a single graphic novel. In black & white, of course! Find out more at Amazon.

image c. 2015 Kodansha Comics

image c. 2015 Kodansha Comics

It’s A Catastrophe!

[We are so, so sorry for that one…] Earlier this year you may recall we mentioned an upcoming animated feature called Blazing Samurai. Well now thanks to Cartoon Brew we have a lot more information about it! “Arriving stateside August 4, 2017, from AMC Entertainment and Regal Entertainment’s Open Road Films, Blazing Samurai stars Michael Cera, Samuel L. Jackson, Ricky Gervais, George Takei, Gabriel Iglesias, Aasif Mandvi, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Tsing Loh, Mel B., Heavenly Joy Jerkins, and Mel Brooks himself as a madcap array of cats and dogs comedically battling for samurai supremacy not in the Wild West but the faraway Japanese East. Co-directed by Alvin and the Chipmunks and Garfield animation supervisor Chris Bailey and veteran Disney animator Mark Koetsier, Blazing Samurai also features art direction from New Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show and Steven Universe’s Kevin Dart. Toronto, Canada-based CG animation and visual effects shop Arc Productions (Gnomeo & Juliet) is the lead animation house.” What’s more, Lion King / Mr. Peabody & Sherman director Rob Minkoff is on board as one of the producers. Quite a lot of big names attached to this project!

image c. 2015 Open Road Films

image c. 2015 Open Road Films

And This Cat Complains

Salem Hyde is a black & white fantasy comic series written and illustrated by Frank Cammuso — which he’s published in 5 collections since 2013. Here’s the description of the first volume, The Misadventures of Salem Hyde, Book One: Spelling Trouble: “Salem Hyde just isn’t like other kids. For one thing, she’s stubborn, independent, and impulsive. For another, she’s a witch. Salem acts first and thinks later—which means most of her thinking involves coming up with excuses! Good thing she’s been assigned an animal companion, Lord Percival J. Whamsford III. This over-anxious cat doesn’t like Salem calling him ‘Whammy,’ and Salem doesn’t like listening to his long-winded explanations as to why she shouldn’t do something . . . like enter the class spelling bee.” Of course he’ll try to explain to her they mean something different by “spelling”. Good luck! Check out the first book (available in hardcover and paperback) over at Barnes & Noble, then follow the links to find the rest. They’re published by Amulet Books.

image c. 2015 Amulet Books

image c. 2015 Amulet Books

This Cat Doesn’t Like You

Few Internet phenomena have grown so huge as the droopy-faced feline known as Grumpy Cat. She is literally everywhere.  Well now, Dynamite Entertainment have brought us what is perhaps inevitable: Grumpy Cat has her own full-color comic book series. “Dynamite proudly presents The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat #1, featuring The World’s Grumpiest Cat and her brother, Pokey! With her ever-present pout and sassy disposition, Grumpy Cat has won the hearts of people everywhere. Grumpy Cat is the perfect combination of unbearable cuteness, instant fan appeal, and established multimedia presence. If you love the memes, the videos, and that irresistible scowl, then get ready for the wildly fun antics of Grumpy Cat and Pokey in Dynamite’s all-new, all-sensational Grumpy Cat comics!” With artwork by Steve Uy and Ken Haeser, and stories by a small army of writers, the first issue is available now. Check out the preview over at Comic Book Resources. Meow.

image c. 2015 Dynamite Entertainment

image c. 2015 Dynamite Ent.

Little Kitty Gets Bigger

In case it slipped beneath your radar, Chi’s Sweet Home is a manga series created by Kanata Konami in 2004. “Chi is a mischievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large park meadow, where she is rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The little kitty is then quickly and quietly whisked away into the warm and inviting Yamada apartment…where pets are strictly not permitted.” Vertical Comics licensed the manga for translation and distribution in the west. Now, they’ve released the first large-format collection in trade paperback. “Vertical’s most popular comic of all time, Chi’s Sweet Home, is now available in a larger format with brand new content! Hot on the heels of a new DVD release and the summer 2015 conclusion of its thirteen-year serialization, Chi’s Sweet Home gets a new deluxe release for new readers to dive into. The Complete Chi’s Sweet Home collects three volumes of this full-color all-ages adventure of Japan’s favorite kitten heroine – Chi! This new edition also features a brand new comic from Konami Kanata’s latest series in Japan – FukuFuku: Kitty Tales! This new release will feature new craft extras and a new story from the author.” Check it out over at Comic Book Realm.

image c. 2015 Vertical Comics

image c. 2015 Vertical Comics

Dogs and Cats, Living Together — In the Old West

Dog Town is a new black & white science fiction/western comic written and illustrated by Brent Otey. “Our story starts when the town rabbit gets kidnapped in the middle of a cat raid. Then an overly positive pig gets involved, not to mention a big, bad wolf. Before long there is a whole heap of trouble for the sheriff of this dog town to sort out. But then again, no one ever said it would be easy to keep the law in a world devastated by a cataclysm that has left the earth charred, mankind dead, and a group of tree-worshiping woodland creatures in charge.” Got all that? Published by K.O. Comix, Dog Town is available at Lulu.com. You can check out their update blog too.

image c. 2015 K.O. Comix

image c. 2015 K.O. Comix

My Dad is a Dog and a Snake is my Friend

The new black & white graphic novel Family Pets (published by Zenescope Entertainment) was recently reviewed at the University of Washington’s daily newspaper web site, of all places. “After her parents’ death, 16-year-old Thomasina has been wishing for something exciting to happen in her ordinary, lonely life. One morning, she wakes up to find her foster family has turned into pet animals, and her pet snake Sebastian has transformed into a man. With the help of her wizard friend Smitty, Thomasina and Sebastian embark on a magical journey to the wizard world to find a way to reverse the spell placed on the family.Family Pets was written by Pat Shand, with illustration by Sarah Dill.

image c. 2015 Zenescope

image c. 2015 Zenescope