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Funny Animal

White Cat vs. Big Bugs

Now check this out over at Kids Can Press: “Fluffy Vandermere, the cat sergeant in charge of P.U.R.S.T. (Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel), works tirelessly to protect the world from alien (aka bug) domination. It’s a big job. “The whole planet is Fluffy’s space station. All the people in the world are his humans. And every space pet out there is his responsibility.” Now, suddenly and without warning, Fluffy discovers P.U.R.S.T. headquarters, the most secure building in the world, is under attack by an angry swarm of insects, and they’re armed with every cat’s worst nightmare — spray bottles! Warding off this level of terrifying invasion will require cunning, skill, ingenuity and the ability to move quickly. Fluffy’s been out of the field and at his desk job for quite some time now — is he up to this massive challenge? You bet he is!” Fluffy Strikes Back is the creation of writer and artist Ashley Spires. This new full-color graphic novel for intermediate readers is a spin-off from her successful Binky adventure series. It’s available in trade paperback and hardcover editions.

image c. 2016 Kids Can Press

image c. 2016 Kids Can Press

In Our Next Thrilling Adventure…

The premier of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun passed us by, but we managed to catch it in time for issue # 2 (of 5). “MULP is an anthropomorphic comic book, a Pulp adventure set in a world of mice, [written] by Matt Gibbs and [illustrated by] Sara Dunkerton. The Sceptre of the Sun follows the exploits of Jack Redpath and Vicky Jones as they attempt to unravel a mystery surrounding an ancient stone tablet unearthed during an archaeological excavation in Egypt. This tablet is the first marker on an adventure that sees them racing around the world in search of a legendary treasure. Joined by their friends Cornelius Field, Prof. Walter Harvest-Scott, and Elisabeth Harvest-Scott, together they must prevent a powerful artifact falling into unscrupulous paws.” Published by Improper Books in full color, you can see a preview over at Matt Gibbs’ web site.

image c. 2016 Improper Books

image c. 2016 Improper Books

She Followed Them… Everywhere!

Yes, still, it’s sometimes best to just let the creators explain their own work. So, here’s the tag for new graphic novel Little Dee and the Penguin: “When Little Dee meets a motley crew of animals deep in the forest, she knows she’s found the perfect set of new friends. Between the bossy vulture, the slightly dim dog, the nurturing bear, and the happy-go-lucky penguin, this mismatched group of big personalities doesn’t always get along—but they’re a family.  And they’re on the run. A pair of hungry polar bears are after the penguin, and the rest of the team are determined to protect her. They’re not interested in adopting a tiny human. But Dee loves them—especially Ted the bear—and she won’t let them go. Instead, she hops on their getaway plane and joins them on an around-the-world adventure.” Written and illustrated by Christopher Baldwin, it’s based on his continuing web comic of the same name. And now it’s available in full-color from Dial Books, coming this April in hardcover and trade paperback.

image c. 2016 Dial Press

image c. 2016 Dial Press

A Questionable Storyteller?

Rocket Raccoon (even with Groot in tow) might not seem the most likely candidate for a young readers’ novel. But that’s just what Tom Angleberger brings us in his new hardcover book, Rocket and Groot: Stranded on Planet Strip Mall. “After battling deadly space piranhas in Sector 7 of the Cosmos, Rocket and Groot crash-land on a planet made up of strip malls, maniacal robots bent on customer service, and killer toilets – yes, killer toilets! Told through the eyes of Rocket, Rocket and Groot will feature simple black-and-white drawing throughout, as Rocket uses a space stylus to express his adventures, visually, while Veronica, their space recording companion, lays out the adventure in text! Granted, the drawings are done by a space raccoon with a bad attitude, but what would happen if he gave Groot a shot to draw an adventure they had been on? What would we get? We’ll find out in the final chapter!” You have been warned. The book is available now from Marvel Press.

image c. 2016 Marvel Press

image c. 2016 Marvel Press

Kitten? Stray No More!

Konami Kanata is well-known for her full-color manga series Fuku Fuku, dramatizing the adventures of her adopted stray kitten of the same name. Now Vertical Comics have brought together several adventures in a new graphic novel, Fuku Fuku: Kitten Tales. “From the author of the New York Times manga best seller Chi’s Sweet Home comes a delightful series of vignettes in the life of a kitten and her doting owner. To a young kitten, even the most mundane things appear fresh and exciting (and sometimes unpleasant or scary). Join FukuFuku on her journey and rediscover the world from a tiny cat’s point of view.” Visit the Vertical web site to see a preview.

image c. 2016 Vertical Comics

image c. 2016 Vertical Comics

The Mickey Mysteries

Papercutz (home, once again, of Geronimo Stilton and family) have a new series of three Disney Graphic Novels coming to bookshelves later this month. Volume 1 is based on the world of Disney’s Planes (which is based on the world of Pixar’s Cars, of course). Volume 3 is called Minnie and Daisy: Best Friends Forever, which probably speaks for itself. Most unusual perhaps is Volume 2, entitled X-Mickey. “It’s a supernatural Disney adventure as Mickey Mouse meets Pipwolf, a werewolf who bears more than a passing resemblance to Goofy! X-Mickey is a fun Disney series that introduces everyone’s favorite mouse to another dimension full of spooks, ghosts, goblins and more. Accompanied by Pipwolf and an albino mouse named Manny, Mickey must do everything he can to keep Mouseton safe and keep these creatures locked up where they belong.”

image c. 2016 Papercutz

image c. 2016 Papercutz

Try Everything: From Movies To Comics

As of this writing, Disney Animation’s Zootopia remains number one at the box office in the USA and several other countries, breaking records left and right for an animated film — Disney or otherwise. Now Joe Books (no, we don’t know who they are either) bring Zootopia to their Cinestory series of comic book adaptation. Telling the story of plucky bunny cop Judy Hopps and “articulate” fox Nick Wilde in the all-mammal city of Zootopia, using full-color stills from the movie in comic form. Diamond Distributors have more information about it.

image c. 2016 Joe Books, Inc.

image c. 2016 Joe Books, Inc.

We Wish You Wouldn’t Imagine That

Creature Entertainment (home of Bubba the Redneck Werewolf) has a new full-color comic book mini-series called Tommy: Cereal Killer. “What can you do when you find out your imaginary friend, who happens to also to be your pet rabbit, is a serial killer, and you’re the only one who knows? Oh, and you’re seven years-old… and nobody believes you? That’s Tommy’s reality – but now he means to change it! In the premiere issue of this 4-part mini-series, we are introduced to the cast of Tommy’s world, including the joyless Principal Crabtree, his woozy mother Sharon, and his ‘pet’ rabbit Jack, a mean-spirited and relentless taskmaster who is ruining the boy’s life while trying to ‘fix’ it.” Written by John Ulloa and Al Bondiga, with art by Juan Navarro, the first issue of Tommy is on the shelves now — and at Creature’s web site.

image c. 2016 Creature Entertainment

image c. 2016 Creature Entertainment

Meanwhile, He Followed HER Home…

Another animator, another graphic novel: Bob Scott is well-known for having worked on projects as wide-ranging as Warner Brothers Bugs Bunny cartoons to Pixar films like The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Meanwhile, he’s been writing and illustrating an on-line comic strip, Molly and the Bear. “It can be tough on a family when someone new has moved in, especially if it’s a 900-pound scaredy-bear so terrified of wilderness life that he’s fled to the burbs. Fortunately Bear was found by Molly, a fearlessly optimistic 11-year-old can-doer who has taken him firmly in hand, devoted to seeing her hirsute BFF cope with modern life. Molly’s Mom is happy with the new sibling — Bear’s an excellent conversationalist and loves her homemade cookies. But Dad is having a harder time, his role as center of the universe now shared with an ursine behemoth who, unfortunately, adores him.” Now Cameron & Company have released the first collection of full-color Molly and the Bear comics in hardcover. It’s available over at Barnes & Noble.

image c. 2016 Cameron & Company

image c. 2016 Cameron & Company