InFurNation Rotating Header Image

Funny Animal

Raccoon of Righteousness

We found a new (to us!) comic series from Dark Horse, one that claims to be “Hellboy meets Redwall“. William of Newbury was created by Michael Avon Oeming, who previously brought us the well-known Mice Templar series. Here’s what Dark Horse says: “Loosely based on real events in 12th century England during what was known as ‘The Anarchy’. A time where the country was beset with plague, civil war, and demons. William of Newbury is a neurotic monk, fearful of the earthly world, but confident and unwavering in the face of true evil. He fights the dead to restore peace, but his brother is intent on stopping him, fearing for his soul. Newbury is dark, yet quaint, deadly yet cute. Follow him as he negotiates with thieves, evades his brother and the church, and battles the undead and evil spirits.” Issues 1 through 4 are now together in a trade paperback.

image c. 2026 Dark Horse Comics

The Ocean is Fluid

Another graphic novel series for young folks, with a welcome message of self-acceptance. That’s the Shark Princess series, written and illustrated by Nidhi Chanani.Meet Kitana—a Shark Princess and the first of her kind. Her allergy-ridden best friend Mack wants to be one too, but he worries that his sharp teeth and big sneezes make him too dangerous to be a princess. With Kitana’s help, Mack realizes his unique shine. When Mack puts on his crown for the first time, these Shark Princesses are ready to explore the ocean and embark on a fintastic adventure! Nidhi Chanani’s signature artwork brings this underwater series to life in a spunky tale about friendship and redefining who and what a princess can be.” Shark Princess and its sequels are available from Penguin Random House.

image c. 2026 Penguin Random House

Elementary, My Dear Truffles

Meet two pets with very different views on life in The Great Puptective, the first in a graphic novel series written and illustrated by Alina Tysoe. “Truffles the cat is the only pet in the house and reigns in peace and quiet, only exerting himself to find the best place to take a nice, long nap — preferably in a spot of warm sunshine. Then Poppy the puppy bursts onto the scene. Poppy is loud, enthusiastic, excitable, and — worst of all — a puptective! She’s got an eye for crime and a nose to solve all mysteries that come her way… even though she’s not completely sure what a mystery is. Truffles cannot let this intrusion stand. Poppy won’t be able to continue disrupting his precious me-time if she’s shipped to the North Pole! But could this irrepressible new companion be just what this grumpy cat needs?” This and more adventures are available from Simon & Schuster.

image c. 2026 Simon & Schuster

Toothy Trouble

Found this over at Animation World Network: “Nickelodeon has set a February 23 U.S. debut for the animated preschool series Mr. Crocodile. The show is based on the French children’s book Monsieur Crocodile a Beaucoup Faim (Mister Crocodile is Very Hungry) by Joann Sfar, published by Gallimard…  The series follows the toothy, loveable Mr. Crocodile and his best friend Daisy as he cheerfully navigates life with comical misunderstandings. In the premiere episode ‘Lucky Croc / Sleepover Croc,’ Daisy and Mr. Crocodile search for a lucky item to help them win a bike raffle. Then, Mr. Crocodile can’t fall asleep at his first sleepover until the whole family pitches in to help.” There’s a link to the series trailer too.

image c. 2026 Nickelodeon

Bearing Witness

The great and mighty Katherine Applegate (author of The One and Only Ivan — and many more furry books) returns with a new fantasy called Pocket Bear, illustrated by Charles Santoso. We’ll let the publisher explain: “Thimble-born from tip to toe, Pocket Bear remembers every moment of his ‘becoming: The glimmering needle, the silken thread, the tender hands as each careful stitch brought him closer to himself. Born during the throes of WWI, he was designed to fit into the pocket of a soldier’s jacket, eyes sewn a bit higher than normal so that he always gazed upward. That way, glancing at his pocket, a soldier would see an endearing token of love from someone back home, and, hopefully, a good luck charm. Now, over a century later, Pocket serves as unofficial mayor of Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, where stuffed toy animals are refurbished and given a fresh opportunity to be loved. He and his best feline friend Zephyrina, known far and wide as ‘The Cat Burglar’, have seen it all, and then some. An unforgettable tale of bravery, loyalty, and kindness, Pocket Bear reminds us all that love comes in many forms (sometimes filled with fluff), and that second chances are always possible.” Published last year, this new book is available in hardcover from MacMillan Publishers. (Happy New Year, y’all!)

image c. 2026 MacMillan Publishers

The Left Kidney of the Caribbean

Honestly, we couldn’t think of a better description than what the creators gave us! At Lightbox Expo we ran into the crew from Abyssmal Entertainment — the folks who gave is Isla Monstro. It’s an independent animated sci-fi/comedy directed by Steven Shea.When loser Duke, who has screwed up every hair-brained scheme he’s ever come up with, accidentally falls off a cruise ship and wakes up on a mysteriously abandoned, top secret government island, he discovers that it’s overrun with mutants and monsters from a failed 1980s DARPA ‘super soldier’ project to stop the 2nd Cold War. He soon comes up with the incredible idea of turning the island into a world class getaway resort, utilizing the creatures as it’s staff, much to the dismay of the United States government”. And hey look: The mutants all seem to be anthropomorphic sea creatures! You can find the teaser trailer up on YouTube, as well as a how-we-made-it video.

image c. 2025 Abyssmal Entertainment

Down from the North and Up to the Sky

Here’s a new animated film we’ve been hearing about for a while, but now we finally have a release date (and a new trailer) for Charlie the Wonderdog from Icon Creative Studios in Canada. “This heartfelt animated film follows Charlie the Wonderdog (voiced by Owen Wilson), a beloved family dog; after discovering his superpowers, he sets out to fulfill his destiny and protect the people he loves  — only to learn that real heroism comes from courage, kindness, and believing in yourself.” Look for it in theaters on January 16th of next year.

image c. 2025 Viva Kids

Astro-Animals

More from MIPCOM: Centauri 5 is a new animated “space comedy” for kids, currently in production at Unicorn Entertainment and China Bridge. “The series follows the adventures of Titan, a Samoyed laboratory dog who was sent on a mission into deep space. After completing his mission, Titan refused to return to Earth and instead launched Centauri 5, a group of heroic former lab animals committed to helping other vulnerable creatures throughout the universe. Titan also wants to find his father, Roman, who was also sent into space years before but never returned. He is supported by Sophie, a fierce and brilliant wildcat scientist; Limbo, a good-natured sloth who’s an expert in AI; Bitsy, a young red panda who is an empath and can feel what others feel; and Drake, a robot who was discarded due to various design flaws which have turned him into a Luddite who believes technology is highly overrated!” Unfortunately we’ll have to wait until 2027 to see the results of all this creativity.

image c. 2025 China Bridge

And They Can Talk To Her

Good news for Sixteen South, an independent animation studio in Northern Ireland: Their CGI mystery/comedy series The Retrievers won the MIP-Junior Pitch competition this year, something that major international distributors of course pay attention to. Here’s the rundown of the show: “The series is about an extraordinary girl and her loyal dog as they tackle the most strange crimes in the city of Paris with an unusual bunch of stray animals. On her 11th birthday, she discovered she had the ability to understand and talk to animals, and that includes her police dog, Otis. This blew her mind because it would be really useful for Otis. There have been so many crimes in the city of Paris that have been going unsolved and now the dog thinks, finally, he can communicate with a human being and this might be the key to unlocking some of them.” Now we’ll see where they get to take it from here. (And oh yes: Happy Halloween!)

image c. 2025 Sixteen South