In the spirit of all-around marketing, Cartoon Network has just released the new Adventure Time: Jake vs. Me-Mow DVD… which includes your very own Finn Hat, which has become such a popular fashion accessory for ATFJ fans. The DVD (let’s not forget about that) features 16 episodes from all 4 seasons of Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, this time featuring Jake the magical dog taking on Me-Mow the dastardly cat. There’s a commercial for the package on YouTube… which, frankly, is about as strange as the show itself.
Dogs
Dog with a Blog
Admit it: You’re gonna notice a title like that, yes? Dog with a Blog is a new mid-season replacement sitcom series picked up by the Disney Channel. Here’s part of the press release: “In the premiere episode, Bennett [the dad] adopts a shelter dog in the hopes that it will inspire Tyler and Avery [the siblings] to get along and bond over taking care of him. That happens – to some extent – when the kids discover that their seemingly ordinary dog can talk. From that moment on, Tyler and Avery agree on one thing: Stan’s ability to speak must be kept a secret from everyone, even their parents. As the kids learn to work together to keep Stan’s secret safe, they soon find that his canine point of view, whether in the home, in the yard or in the park, helps them navigate their new sibling situation and, ultimately, becomes the tie that binds the family.” The series comes to Disney Channel on Friday, October 12th. Starting on September 18th, regular posts from the talking and Internet-savvy dog himself will be available at SeeStanBlog.com.
Turn into a Newt! It’s Better.
Gud Fit Entertainment is a rather new comic book company which produces colorful comic books and on-line comics with young readers in mind — but everyone is certainly welcome to check them out. Among their current titles is Dorse and Doose, the story of a horse (Dorse) raised by a dog (Doose) trying to find his way living on a farm. More along the traditional comic book line is Super Newts, the story of Cool and Cute: Two super-powered amphibians sworn to protect the inhabitants of Amphibiland from all dangers. Check out the Gud Fit web site to find out more about these and other upcoming projects.
The Curse and The Pug
Here at In-Fur-Nation we’ve covered a lot of pirates, and a lot of werewolves, and a lot of little doggies. Well, how about a little doggy who fights pirates who are werewolves? Welcome to the world of Mike Norton’s The Curse. In 2009 Mr. Norton, creator of Battlepug (which we’ve also covered here) took up the 24-Hour Comic Book Challenge, which yes, challenges comic book creators to bring about a 24-page comic book, from scratch, in 24 hours. The result was The Curse, in which a small but tenacious pet pug helps his master to defeat an evil band of pirates who’s bite turns you into one of their kind! The response to The Curse was so positive that Mr. Norton returned to it and created Parts 2 and 3 in 2010 and 2011 for the same challenge. Now Oni Press has collected all three sections into a single black and white trade paperback, which is available for pre-order and headed to the shelves this October.
Nordguard: The Card Game
The art collective (or pair at least) known as Blotch have a new item connected with their successful comic book/graphic novel series Nordguard. Now it’s the Nordguard Card Game, coming this summer from Sofawolf Press. The game itself was developed by Tempe O’Kun and Nic Wald, and play-testing was directed over the last year by Jeremia Heupel of ThinkTank Games. And the game itself? “You and your friends play as an anthropomorphized sled dog rescue team, overcoming cannibalistic strays and a landscape as capricious as it is lethal. Only your wits and your gear stand between you and certain disaster. Quick-reference instructions provide the rules in minutes, while a scalable difficulty curve provides a challenge for everyone from pups to even the most veteran sled dogs. A randomized map ensures no two missions will ever be the same. Based on the award-winning graphic novel Nordguard: Across Thin Ice, this slim set comes packed with over 120 illustrations by the artists Tess Garman & Teagan Gavet [aka Blotch]. Custom-etched dice and a stamped metal play token fit neatly with the cards in a rugged belt pouch, emblazoned with the Nordguard logo, so you can have the game ready at hand no matter where your adventures take you.” Keep up with the latest on the game at the official web site, www.nordguard.com/about/cardgame.
Doggie of Death
Sometimes, all you need to know is the title: Battlepug. Want more? Okay. Some time ago comic book artist Mike Norton created a t-shirt design of a Conan-type barbarian riding the back of a giant-but-cute doggie, which he titled “Battlepug”. The t-shirt design was such a hit that about one year ago Mr. Norton decided to create a Battlepug web comic, which follows the adventures of a muscular warrior, his battle-pug mount, and an old lunatic as they travel the land, yes, battling with the likes of a giant evil baby seal and a colony of gophers who team up to form a giant mega-gopher. You see it’s all a story a naked lady is telling to her two pet dogs… Well, maybe it’ll make more sense if you read it. Or maybe not. Now word is out that the web comic has done so well that Dark Horse Press will be releasing a collected print version of the first year of Battlepug this coming July.
Black to the Moon
Black to the Moon is a 3D CGI animated feature film from Europe, which recently premiered at the Cartoon Movie event in Lyon, France. Originally known as Blackie & Kanuto, it was directed by Francis Nielsen and produced in France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium (!). Currently it’s looking for distribution in North America. Here’s the storyline according to the Internet Movie Database: “Blacky, a black sheep, is the terror of the farm. And she is obsessed with going to the Moon. Kanuto, the sheepdog, gets tangled up in her plans while failing to hide his love for her. They get swept away in an adventure where they meet an opera-singing cow, a fashion designer wolf, illegal sewing spiders, a weird couple of birds from some famous singing TV reality show contest, and a peculiar pack of dogs, the ‘Pastrinos’, who have a rocket ready to launch. And of course, Pinky, the Godzilla-sized sheep, with a bad attitude of lunar proportions.” Seriously. Maybe it’ll make more sense when you see the English-language trailer on YouTube. But then again, maybe not.
Brave Pets vs. the Undead
Who says there aren’t any original ideas anymore? Even if they involve combining other ideas, still: “In the wake of a zombie apocalypse, a small band of animals, led by a hyper-intelligent Golden Retriever named Rex, and accompanied by a baseball bat-wielding gorilla, begin their cross-country journey in the hope of finding safety…and a home.” It’s Rex: Zombie Killer, a brand new double-thick one-shot comic book that’s coming soon from Big Dog Ink. Written by Rob Anderson and illustrated in full color by Dafu Yu, it’s scheduled for release (escape?) in early April. Check out the Rex: Zombie Killer web site to meet all the characters and find out more about the comic.
Man’s Best Friend
Rebellion/2000AD, the folks who brought you Judge Dredd, now bring you Kingdom: Call of the Wild, a new full-color trade paperback written by Dan Abnett and illustrated by Richard Elson. “Earth, the far-future. With the planet now overrun by gigantic alien insects, mankind is all but extinct. Genetically engineered dog soldier, Gene the Hackman, now protects one of the last remaining human beings, a young girl named Leezee Sower, and the two of them have traveled to the land of Auxtralia, straight into the territory of a new pack!” Look for it this March, or find out more at The Book Depository.