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Fantasy

There are Dragons Among Us

Sep 24th, 2012
by rodney.
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Here’s something new that hit the shelves this summer: Seraphina, the debut novel by Rachel Hartman. Here’s the description from Amazon: “Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high. Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.” Seraphina is available in hardcover from Random House.

image c. 2012 Random House

New Game from the Geeks

Sep 22nd, 2012
by rodney.
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We found this, once again, thanks to our friends over at CartoonBrew.com: An independent game development crew from Australia known as The League of Geeks have announced their first game, Armello. Described as a “natively-digital card and board game set in a fairy-tale animal kingdom”, it’s scheduled to be released for tablet devices in 2013. In the meantime though,  the League of Geeks collaborated with the Melbourne-based animation house known as 12 Field to create an animated teaser trailer for the game. Check this thing out on Cartoon Brew, or visit the Armello web site to get updates about the game’s development and release.

image c. 2012 League of Geeks

TwoKinds Comes To Print

Sep 20th, 2012
by rodney.
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For the first time on printed paper, Keenspot will soon be releasing TwoKinds as a pair of full-color graphic novels in trade paperback.  This Ursa Major Award-winning on-line comic is written and illustrated by Thom Fischbach. “After waking up without any memory of his past, the lone mage Trace finds himself in the company of Flora, a girl from a bestial species known as the Keidran. Along with a reluctant Basitin warrior named Keith, they journey in search of a place to call their own. But with war between the races brewing, love conflicts with loyalty.” Volume 1 includes a special 5-page epilogue that was not printed on line. Though the release has been pushed back a few times, both Volume 1 and Volume 2 are currently set to hit the shelves this October. You can order them both at the Mile High Comics web site.

image c. 2012 by Thomas Fischbach

The 80’s… They Haunt Us!

Sep 18th, 2012
by rodney.
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On the heels of the announcement that ALF is going to be a movie, word has been making the rounds that Sony Pictures have green-lit a movie adaptation of the 1983 fantasy/crime drama TV series Manimal. In case you haven’t heard of that one: “Manimal followed Dr. Jonathan Chase, a wealthy doctor with a mysterious past, who morphed into animals in order to help the police fight crime”. Winner huh? Well apparently not: The show was cancelled after only 8 episodes aired on NBC. Guess that’s what happens when you go up against Dallas. Anyway, according to The Hollywood Reporter, “Glen A. Larson, one of the most prolific TV producers of the ’80s (Magnum P.I., Knight Rider, Battlestar Galactica), created the show and is attached as a producer on the feature.” The film is likely to be another combination of live action and CGI. Check out the rest of the article here to find out more.

image c. 2012 NBC

 

The Easter Kangaroo…?

Sep 8th, 2012
by rodney.
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In case you haven’t caught wind of it yet, Dreamworks Animation will release their new feature film Rise of the Guardians on November 21st.  And already the character of the Easter Bunny — voiced by Hugh Jackman, and referred to in the story as Bunnymund — is turning quite a few heads in furry fandom. Now the tie-in merchandise is beginning to show up. First out the gate is a new full-color graphic novel from Ben Lichius and Marcelo Ferreira, Rise of the Guardians: The Hidden Truth and Other Stories. It goes like this:  “North. Bunnymund. Sandman. Tooth Fairy. They are the make-believe characters that populate the imagination of children the world over. But young Jamie believes otherwise. They’re all real, and he’s been collecting the ‘evidence’ to prove it! When Jamie’s friend, Toby, comes over to spend the night, he finds Jamie’s ‘Weird Stuff’ scrapbook full of copious notes and samples about unexplained phenomenon, and the talk turns to Jamie’s stories of near-miss encounters. It soon becomes evident, however, that Toby has a pretty amazing story of his own to tell.” Ape Entertainment will release this new trade paperback on October 23rd, and you can pre-order a copy at Barnes & Noble.

image c. 2012 Ape Entertainment

The Return of Inspector LeBrock

Sep 6th, 2012
by rodney.
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Bryan Talbot from the UK has become quite well known among furry fans and comic book fans for his graphic novel series Grandville. Set in an an alternate steampunk universe of talking animals, where Britain is under the rule of France, the series follows the adventures of the deadly badger detective Inspector LeBrock.  Recently, Mr. Talbot announced the upcoming release of the third book in the series, Grandville: Bete Noir. “The baffling murder of a famed Parisian artist in his locked and guarded studio takes the tenacious Detective Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard and his faithful adjunct, Detective Ratzi, into the cutthroat Grandville art scene to track the mysterious assassin. As the body count mounts and events spiral out of control, the investigation points to Toad Hall, where a cabal of industrialists and fat cats plot the overthrow of the French State . . . by use of steam-driven automaton soldiers!”  Dark Horse Press will release Grandville: Bete Noir in hardcover on December 12th. Check out The Fandom Post for a preview.

image c. 2012 by Bryan Talbot

Disney Animation — From the Ground Up

Sep 2nd, 2012
by rodney.
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There’s a new book coming around, simply called A Disney Sketchbook. Edited by Ken Shue, it’s been getting considerable buzz prior to its release. Here’s the publisher’s summary: “The Disney Sketchbook is a glorious, collectible coffee-table book showcasing the rich visual development art by Disney animators over the more than eighty-year history of the Walt Disney Animation Studios (originally Disney Feature Animation). The sketchbook appears as if Disney’s animation artists have passed it among each other through the years, from the early beginnings of the Studios’ work, through the present day. Frequently, current artists have drawn their concepts alongside earlier characters that have influenced their work. In brief but potent text, the current Disney animators will reflect on the inspiration of the artists who have preceded them, going back to the “first generation” of animators who created the Silly Symphonies and early cartoons, to the first Golden Age of Disney animation (Snow White to The Black Cauldron) to the present second Golden Age (The Little Mermaid onwards).” Harper Collins will release A Disney Sketchbook in hardcover on October 9th.

image c. 2012 Harper Collins

Goodbye Gobo

Aug 25th, 2012
by rodney.
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Muppet fans around the world were recently saddened by another loss: Jerry Nelson, who had one of the longest careers of anyone in the world of Jim Henson’s Muppets, passed away on Thursday the 23rd at the age of 78. He was best known by legions of children around the world — including many who are now adults — as the voice and puppeteer of Count von Count, the beloved Sesame Street character who loved to count things as much as he loved to laugh maniacally. He was also the voice of the seldom-seen mammoth-like Mr. Snuffleupagus, Herry Monster, and Robin — Kermit the Frog’s young nephew.  More recently he was the voice and hands behind Floyd Pepper, bass player for The Electric Mayhem on The Muppet Show and subsequent movies. And after that, he brought to life Gobo Fraggle, the leader of the band of colorful characters on Fraggle Rock. So far, there’s no word on how Mr. Nelson’s passing might affect any plans that Jim Henson Productions (or their current owner, the Walt Disney Company) might have for a Fraggle Rock movie. As for Mr. Nelson… as Floyd Pepper might say, Rest in Peace my man.

image c. 2012 Jim Henson Productions

 

Secret of the Stone Frog

Aug 23rd, 2012
by rodney.
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David Nytra is a relative newcomer to the world of fantasy graphic novels. Still The Secret of the Stone Frog, his first work as a writer and illustrator, is drawing a lot of interest from fantasy collectors just prior to its release.  “When Leah and Alan awaken in an enchanted forest, they have only each other and their wits to guide them. In a world of pet bees and giant rabbits, they befriend foppish lions and stone frogs, learning to confront danger as they find both their own independence and the way home. Newcomer David Nytra’s breathtaking pictures break the boundaries of imagination, sending the reader on a wild flight of fantasy while experiencing the most universal of stories: Growing up.” According to the pre-order site at Amazon, Toon Books will publish this hardcover black & white graphic novel in early September.

image c. 2012 Toon Books

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