Yet more stuff to watch upcoming from Boom! Studios: First off, welcome the return of the Duck Knight! Darkwing Duck returns, after many requests sent in to Boom! In this new full-color comic series is (written by Ian Brill and drawn by James Silvani) the terror that flaps in the night has been missing for more than a year… But when a nefarious evil plan threatens the city of St. Canard, it might be time to get dangerous again! Find out more in June. Also this summer, Boom! is presenting the graphic novel adaptation of Tim Burton’s oh-so-popular Alice in Wonderland film. The movie comes to DVD in August, but the graphic novel (adapted by Alessandro Ferrari and illustrated by Massimiliano Narcisco) comes this June, both in softcover and a limited-edition hardcover that includes a stitched-in cloth bookmark.
Funny Animal
More Classic Funny Animals
Felix the Cat is, of course, one of the classic funny animals from both comic strips and early animation. Now IDW is collecting together the former in Felix the Cat: The Great Comic Book Tails (coming in hardcover this June). Felix’s original artist, Otto Messmer, wrote and drew the bulk of Felix comic strips and comic book stories for Dell and Harvey during comic books’ “Golden Age”. Now IDW presents more than 200 pages of full-color comics, showcasing the magical cat’s journeys on his flying carpet to surreal lands, past times, and Toy Land. Comic historian Craig Yoe edited the collection and wrote the behind-the-scenes introduction.
Coming Soon: The Belfry Boys
The Belfry Boys is a new full-color independent comic book title created by Richard Gaines. He’s self-publishing it, and he’ll be releasing it soon according to the press release on his Deviant Art site. You can see a bigger preview here and here on IndyPlanet. What is it? Belfry Boys is a full-color funny animal comic about “Three goofy bats who bumble through life and cause mayhem wherever they end up. Their adversaries, the Noo-noo Heads, are annoying creatures that try to pass as funny cartoon characters but with ugly humanoid heads.”
Image c. 2010 Richard Gaines
Spider Pig, Spider Pig…
And here YOU all thought Homer Simpson invented Spider Pig! Well, the folks at Marvel Comics have decided to clear things up (?) with the release of The Spider Ham 25th Anniversary Special. Here’s the press-release for this upcoming full-color one-shot: “Written by Tom Defalco and Tom Peyer; penciled by Jacob Chabot, Agnes Garbowska, and Adam Dekraker; cover by Joe Jusko. When J. Jonah Jackal, Mary Crane, and Pete’s beloved Aunt May are kidnapped on his 25th birthday, Spider-Ham must battle Doctor Octopuss and the Swinester Six! Six-to-one odds? Don’t get your tail in a bunch — when the slop’s on, this pig throws down — and Tom DeFalco & Jacob Chabot (X-Babies) are there to bring it to you. Then, take a look into the many possible fates of Spider-Ham as the Assistant Watcher answer the questions you never really thought about in Marvel: Why Not? – a six page Spider-Ham Extravaganza by Tom Peyer (Amazing Spider-Man) and Agnes Garbowska (Girl Comics). Finally, in the not too distant future, Swiney-Girl, the daughter of Spider-Ham, returns to face down Crayfin’s Last Bunt! by Tom Defalco and Adam DeKraker (Marvel Zombies: Evil Evolution)”. You read it here, people. Look for all the fun coming your way in June.
The Greatest Looney Tunes?
No less than animation historian Jerry Beck has assembled The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons, coming this June in hardcover from Insight Editions. How? He polled thousands of animation fans, historians, and animators to gather their thoughts and favorites… and here are the results. From the press release: “Evaluated on their comedic brilliance, innovative animation, historical significance, and creative merit, cartoon historian Jerry Beck and the Cartoon Brew team of animation experts reveal the amusing anecdotes and secret origins behind such classics as What’s Opera, Doc?, One Froggy Evening, and Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century. Featuring more than 300 pieces of original art from private collectors and the Warner Bros. archives, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons settles the debate on the best of the best, and poses a new question: Is your favorite one of the greatest?” The introduction was written by movie critic (and famous animation fan) Leonard Maltin.
B. B. Wolf and the 3 LP’s
Rich Koslowski (creator of the Ursa Major-nominated graphic novel Three Fingers) has returned with writer J.D. Arnold to bring us B.B. Wolf and the 3 Lp’s, a new black & white hardcover graphic novel coming this May from Top Shelf. Here’s the press release from Amazon.com: “B.B.’s life seemed simple: farmer and family man by day, blues musician by night, and a drinker of fine spirits at any hour. But his fragile world comes crashing down when the LPs decide to take his land by any means possible. When all is lost, B.B. lashes out, setting into motion acts of revenge that only a big bad wolf could unleash. Set in the Mississippi Delta of the 1920s, B.B. Wolf & the 3 LP’s is a classic story of racism, murder, revenge, and music, all wrapped up in the clever re-telling of a timeless fairy tale.”
When Everyone (Literally) Was Doing Funny Animals!
How’s this for a long title: The Golden Collection of Klassic Krazy Kool Kids Komics. Whew! Here’s the publisher’s notes: “The first collection of its kind, this huge, luxurious volume lovingly collects the brilliant kids’ comics that such luminaries as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Walt Kelly, Dr. Seuss, Syd Hoff, Jules Feiffer, George Carlson, John Stanley, Dan deCarlo, Sheldon Mayer, Carl Barks, and myriad other brilliant geniuses created during the heyday of kids comics in the 1940s, ’50s, and beyond. Astute comic book fans and their eager kids alike will love the funny and beautiful full-color stories of slap-stick superheroes, fantastic fairy tales, and awesome anthropomorphic animals.” We definitely want to check out the awesome anthropomorphic animals! Especially with a group like that creating them! This new hardcover full-color collection was edited by Craig Yoe, and it features an introduction by children’s author Mo Willems. It’s coming out from Idea & Design Works at the end of April.
The Stuff of Legend
Love that title! Here’s part of the description from the publisher, Del Rey: “When a child is taken by the fearsome Boogeyman, his loyal toys (including The General, Max the bear, Percy the pig, and others) must rally to stage a daring rescue operation.” This trade paperback graphic novel was written by Mike Raicht and Brian Smith, and illustrated in black & white by Charles Paul Wilson III. It comes to stores this April.
Stuff of Legend cover, c. Del Rey Publishing
Coming Soon from Archaia
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?
