Archaia Entertainment (not to be confused with Arcana Studio, which we were talking about recently) is bringing out two limited-edition comic books of interest in the near future. Fraggle Rock #1 is the first of a four-issue full-color miniseries based on the original Jim Henson TV series (of course). Not adaptations of the TV episodes, this comic (starting up in April) will present brand-new adventures of Gobo, Red, Mokey, Boober, Wembly, and all their friends in their underground world. In the future, Archaia will be teaming up with Jim Henson Studios to produce new comic books based on The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, also. Meanwhile, closer to home, we have the preview comic for Berona’s Hundred Year War. The full-color graphic novel by Jesse Labbe and Anthony Coffey is forthcoming, but for now we have this 40-page preview. The Ele-Alta and the Cropones are two races of cute, furry, cuddly creatures… locked in an ages-old war of death and destruction with each other. Can anything break them out of the cycle of war?
Fantasy
Fafnir the Dragon
Aracana Studio describe their new full-color graphic novel, Fafnir the Dragon, like this: “Mightier than a god, dumber than a rock. While searching for his stolen treasure, history’s greatest dragon is hurled into an apocalyptic future where he and talk-show host Jon Stewart must battle hordes of slavering mutants, prevent the assassination of Barack Obama, and save earth from an Al-Qaeda super-virus!” Do tell. Based on a popular web comic by Thormond Skald and Asta Gunn, this new graphic novel (also described as “South Park meets Jurassic Park“) goes on sale this April. You can find out more about it at Aracana’s web site.
New Comics for Kids from Ape
Ape Entertainment is presenting Kizoic, a new line of full-color young reader comic book titles coming this year. And, luckily, several of those titles have notably furry themes. Two of those titles come direct from Dreamworks Animation: Shrek Forever After — The Prequel, coming this April, and The Penguins of Madagascar, shipping in June. Shrek, of course, is based on the upcoming fourth Shrek feature film. In this new comic by Scott Shaw and Drew Rausch, the villainous Rumpelstiltskin tries time and again to get the best of Shrek, Donkey, Puss-in-Boots, and their friends. Meanwhile, keep your eyes out for Scratch 9, featuring the adventures of a little who can access all 8 of his past and future lives — including the one where he was a saber-toothed tiger!
The Legend of the Guardians
The animation team that brought us Happy Feet (which, we’re told, did rather well…) returns this fall with The Legend of the Guardians. This CGI film, directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) is based on the first three books of the 15-book series The Guardians of Ga’Hoole by Kathryn Lasky. The subject is owls. Specifically a starry-eyed young owl named Soren (Jim Sturgess of Across the Universe). Soren is obsessed with stories about the legendary Guardians of Ga’Hoole, armored owls who protect the weak and innocent against evil. Soren dreams of meeting them, and even of possibly becoming one. And he may well have to, when he discovers that an evil queen owl (Helen Mirren of The Queen (!)) is kidnapping young owls and brain-washing them for her own personal army. The film comes to theaters this September, but you can follow the film’s development and see a trailer at the Internet Movie Database.
Soren and family. Image c. 2010, Animal Logic
The Last Unicorn Comic Book
It’s been 25 years since Peter S. Beagle’s beloved fantasy The Last Unicorn was made into a successful and iconic 2D animated film by Rankin-Bass. Now, IDW Publishing presents a brand new Last Unicorn six-part comic book mini-series coming out this April. It’s been adapted by Peter B. Gillis and illustrated in full color Renae De Liz and Ray Dillion. In case you don’t know it: A beautiful unicorn finds that her kind have disappeared, and that she might very well be the last. In her quest to find her kindred, she is captured by a freakish carnival… where she learns of a terrible monster known as the Red Bull, who has be scouring the land, capturing unicorns…
Dragons Need Their Help…
Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb (in hardcover, from Eos) begins the new Rain Wilds Chronicles — set in the same world as Hobb’s Realm of the Elderling series. In this new book, humans celebrate as dragons are once again born in the city of Cassarick. But something is wrong… This is from the Publisher’s Weekly: “Here be dragons—but debilitated, deformed, damaged dragons, hatched too soon, sick and starving, into a world that has mostly forgotten them. The first of Hobb’s Rain Wild Chronicles, an absorbing extension of her Liveship and Tawny Man trilogies, introduces 15 young dragons who struggle to survive with the grudging help of mutant Rain Wilders. Eventually driven out by the Traders Council, the hatchlings decide to seek Kelsingra, their ancient home. Caught up by the dragons’ plight and longing to escape unhappy families and the stifling Rain Wild culture, self-taught dragon scholar Alise Kincannon and teenage tree-dwelling mutant Thymara volunteer to accompany them on the quest, with the help of magnetic liveship captain Leftrin and a host of colorful characters. Hobb’s meticulously realized fantasy tale is a welcome addition to contemporary dragon lore.” It’s on the shelves now.
The Return of 2D Animation…?
Well, maybe not, but there was definitely a loud, collective sigh of relief being breathed over at Walt Disney Animation Studios when their newest 2D animated feature The Princess and the Frog not only did well during its first weekend of full release, but was actually #1 at the box office in North America. Now true, making just over $25 million on your opening weekend is not exactly earth-shattering by Hollywood standards, but it should be pointed out that $25 million broke the record for animated films premiering in December — and the film didn’t even premier on Christmas weekend, when animated films traditionally top, so many are expecting the film to do even better in the next few weekends. The tie-in machine is in full “swing” also, of course: Clips from the film and behind-the-scenes shorts are all over YouTube, and live singing and dancing shows can be found on board the Mark Twain riverboat at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The film even has its own Facebook page, if you’d like to join up and become an “official fan”.
From the Magical Land of Dragon Riders
Fans of Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance series of books (Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr), as well as fans of fantasy with talking dragons, might want to find Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia, available now in hardcover from Knopf Books for Young Readers. This illustrated book was created by Christopher Paolini himself, with ample assistance from the creators of the bestselling books Dragonology, Egyptology, Piratelogy, and so forth. “From elves, dwarves, Urgals, humans, and dragons, to the natural landscape and the magic it contains, Eragon himself offers the reader an unsurpassed tour. This oversized, full-color book provides 15 spreads chock full of spectacular artwork, engaging novelty elements, and fascinating insights into Eragon’s home.” While you’re at it, you might also check out The Ultimate Unauthorized Eragon Guide: The Hidden Facts Behind the World of Alagaesia (whew, what a title!) by Lois H. Gresh, available in paperback from St. Martin’s Griffin Press.
The Dragon Book
Happy Friday the 13th! The last one for 2009, in fact…
New for the holidays is The Dragon Book, edited by Jack Dan and Gardner Dozois and published in hardcover by Ace. This is from the publisher’s notes on Amazon.com: “Whether portrayed as fire-breathing reptilian beasts at war with humanity or as noble creatures capable of speech and mystically bonded to the warriors who ride them, dragons have been found in nearly every culture’s mythology. In modern times, they can be found far from their medieval settings in locales as mundane as suburbia or as barren as post-apocalyptic landscapes-and in The Dragon Book, today’s greatest fantasists reignite the fire with legendary tales that will consume readers’ imaginations. With original stories by New York Times bestselling authors Jonathan Stroud, Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, Diana Gabaldon, Tamora Pierce, Harry Turtledove, Sean Williams, and Tad Williams as well as tales by Naomi Novik, Peter Beagle, Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple, Cecelia Holland, Kage Baker, Samuel Sykes, Diana Wynne Jones, Mary Rosenblum, Tanith Lee, Andy Duncan, and Bruce Coville.” It’s on the shelves now.
