InFurNation Rotating Header Image

Fantasy

Can I Be A Counselor?

Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp. Now isn’t that a title that’s gonna catch your eye? Okay, true, it slipped by us, but we’re glad to let you know about now while it’s still available. “As an aspiring cartoonist, Zelda has always dreamed of attending an art summer camp, and this year she finally gets to go! But when she arrives to Make It Summer Camp, she’s horrified to see the easels and sketchboards have been replaced with dodgeball and calisthenics. The camp is under new, suspicious management that’s turned it into an extreme sports nightmare. Determined to salvage her summer, Zelda escapes to a secluded corner of the island. Here she can finally draw in peace. At least until she stumbles into a portal to a fantastic world: Welcome to Monster Island, Zelda! There she makes a connection with baby kaiju Minilla and discovers the beauty of these legendary creatures. However, all is not well on Monster Island. Great evils are stirring and if Zelda can’t protect their home, the kaiju will unleash their wrath on the world.” This graphic novel (available in hardcover and softcover) is written by Rosie Knight, with illustration by Oliver Ono.

image c. 2025 IDW Publishing

Pip Pip Pachyderms

Recently, we told you about a new Image Comic arriving from the mind of Rick Remender. Well, looking further into the future, Image has let us know about The Terrific Teacups, a new graphic novel based on bedtime stories that Mr. Remender told to his kids. “During another mundane, grey day in London Jungle, siblings Dennis and Dade discover that the world was once a bright and cheerful place, and that the heroes of their favorite book, The Terrific Teacups, were more than merely works of fiction, they were the pachyderm pair that kept the city safe from the selfish and oppressive creatures who now rule it. The daring siblings must find a way to bring their heroes back and restore beauty and color to a world that has forgotten it.” With illustration by Farel Dalrymple, this new hardcover book is due out next year in January.

image c. 2025 Image Comics

Proud Were-Beasts

In honor of Pride Month, IDW Comics have released Monster High Pride 2025, an annual special issue of their popular Monster High series. Featuring two teenage love stories — one of them decidedly more “furry” it seems… “First, we all know and love the fiercest and most fashionable ghoulfriends: Clawdeen Wolf and Toralei Stripe, A.K.A. Toradeen. But how did they go from hisses to kisses? It’s simple math, really. Clawculus + a common enemy + forced proximity = the perfect love story. Nothing screams romance quite like math camp.” We’ll take your word for it. And it’s on the shelves now. Happy Pride!

image c. 2025 IDW Comics

The Secret is Out

The things we stumble across on the Internet — when we’re looking for something else. The Secret Kingdom is a 2023 family fantasy film from Australia, written and directed by Matt Drummond. “Hidden beneath their bedroom floor lies a land of enchantment, which must be protected from an ancient enemy — the evil Shroud. As they embark on their quest to unite five mystical treasures and save the Kingdom, Peter and Verity must face epic challenges that will test their bravery to the limit.” Doesn’t sound like much, but take a look at the trailer (and the poster!) and you’ll see what caught our interest. True, it’s clearly plotted and written for the younger set, but how often do you get anthropomorphic armadillos? It’s available on YouTube and other platforms too.

image c. 2025 Little Monster Productions

You Want A Shard? Here!

More discoveries from this year’s Festival of Books at USC: A new fantasy novel by Daniel Fliederbaum, Smash the World’s Shell. “When a mysterious ring suddenly appears on reclusive teenager Ellen’s bookshelf, she is granted the power to travel miles away from everything she’s ever known. There she meets Shard, a friendly dragon who offers to help Ellen grow her stunted-since-birth magic. Although it seems too good to be true, Ellen accepts, sure she can conquer her self-hatred by becoming an accomplished magician. Little does she know, her magical voyages have raised the suspicions of those who would destroy her… Young and lonely, Shard is determined to find his first friend in Ellen. But befriending a creature as detested as a human could spell banishment from his tribe — or worse. As the bond between them grows, they will have to face their deepest fears. If they can’t, their friendship is doomed … along with any chance they have of saving both their kinds from annihilation.” It’s available now in paperback. Find out more at Water Dragon Publishing.

image c. 2025 Water Dragon Publishing

Big Story, Little Bunnies

Looking for something else, we stumbled upon this: The Green Ember series of fantasy novels (with a light Christian theme), written by S.D. Smith. “Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world. Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend. Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?” Several books have followed in the series, but here is where you get started.

image c. 2025 Story Warren Books

The Ursa Major Award Winners for 2024!

The winners for the 2024 were presented at Furry Weekend Atlanta 2025 by Rowedahelicon, one of the newest members of the Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association (ALAA). This year’s recipients, as chosen by furry fans like you from around the world, included:

Best Anthropomorphic Music: Monarch of Monsters, by Vylet Pony

Best Anthropomorphic Web Site: FurAffinity.net

Best Anthropomorphic Game: Webfishing, developed and published by Lame Developer

Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration: Adventurers and Explorers, by Royz

Best Anthropomorphic Magazine: Dogpatch Press, edited by Patch Packrat (We came in 3rd!)

Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip: Foxes in Love, by Toivo Kaartinen

Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story: Swords and Sausages, by Jan

Best Anthropomorphic Non-Fiction Work: Celebrating 85 Years of Conventions, by Con History

Best Anthropomorphic General Literary Work: Swords and Sausages — Volume 2, by Jan

Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction: Monarch  of Monsters, by Vylet Pony

Best Anthropomorphic Novel: The Varcross Key, by Aeron Dusk

Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work: Bun Hunting — Overture, directed by Piti Yindee

Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Series: Beastars — Season 3, directed by Shinichi Matsumi

Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture: The Wild Robot

The ALAA congratulate all the winners, all the nominees, and all of you who took the time to nominate and vote! Makes sure to do so again in early 2026! Visit www.ursamajorawards.org to find out more about the awards.

image c. 2025 ALAA

A Fist to Break the Rule

More kung fu fighting from WonderCon! Last year brought us a new comic, Animal Warriors of the Kingdom, written by Jason Bienvenu and illustrated by Utuma Prastha. “The Great Houses of the Animal Kingdom are in shambles. A tyrannical ruler has all but consolidated his complete control over the land and sea. With the impending fall of the last resistance stronghold, the flame of hope is almost extinguished. One last beacon of light is all that remains of the once robust resistance-a young ape named Pale, whose quest to mend the fractured trust between the great animal houses will be tested as he seeks to neutralize, Emperor Kah Lee!” The big news? This year the creative team were introducing a brand new line of tie-in action figures from Spero Toys.

image c. 2025 Spero Toys

Oceans Apart. But Then…

More cool stuff from WonderCon. This one we’ve heard was upcoming, but we’ve been waiting for the official release. And here it is! Littoral Magic is a new fantasy novel by Aaron Mason and Leslie Ann Moore — the first in the All Oceans Aglow series. “For Ayana Outerbridge, a biracial fourteen-year-old girl, summer vacations on the evergreen Pacific Northwest coastline had once been a time of play and relaxation. But now her father is dead, and all that was bright is now dark. Until one day she finds a strange and startlingly beautiful seashell… Just offshore, the river otter Sleek has broken the Law. He has entered the forbidden Garden to retrieve a mind-elevating gift for his true love Gloss, headstrong daughter of the sea otter king. His trespass threatens to push both tribes closer to all-out war. But will Gloss follow her heart or the rules of her kin? The fates of Ayana, Sleek, and Gloss will soon converge — and when they do, the all oceans will shine with an otherworldly light.” Find it now over at Barnes & Noble.

image c. 2025 Norton Place Publishing