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Graphic Novel

Dog and Squirrel Are Friends

We’ve mentioned Magnetic Press before: The international distributors of the Love series of wordless wildlife graphic novels scripted by Frederic Brremaud and illustrated by Federico Bertolucci. Well now the same creative team have a new series of full-color hardcover graphic novels for young readers called Little Tails, and once again Magnetic Press has brought them to us here in North America. Here’s what the publisher says: “Chipper and Squizzo are a precocious puppy and squirrel who love to explore new and exciting environments, flying their cardboard box airplane to wondrous worlds full of fascinating animals and creatures.  In each volume of this fun, educational series, they tour a different location, encountering the real-world animals found there in beautiful illustration and fun cartoon strip antics! In each volume of Little Tails Chipper & Squizzo set out on a journey to explore new and interesting environments full of fascinating animals and curious creatures.  The first volume in the series is Little Tails In The Forest, which finds Chipper & Squizzo venturing into a lush forest to visit Squizzo’s family. On their journey, the two animal pals discover and discuss a fantastic variety of bugs, birds, bears, & more!  The second volume, Little Tails In The Jungle, takes them around the world to the jungles of South America, Africa, and Asia, where they encounter tigers, elephants, snakes, and sloths!”

image c. 2016 Magnetic Press

image c. 2016 Magnetic Press

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Somebody Hug This Cat

From the Koyama Press web site we learn that “Steve Wolfhard… draws comics like Cat Rackham and Turtie Needs Work and works as a storyboard artist on the Emmy Award-winning animated television series Adventure Time.” Turns out that Cat Rackham has quite a following of its own. Not bad for “a deeply depressed cat”. Now Koyama brings us the new Cat Rackham full-color graphic novel. “The existential dread associated with getting out of bed terrifies Cat Rackham to his cat core. However, despite his efforts, he seems to consistently find himself dewclaw deep in trouble, often deeply strange trouble.” It’s available now in hardcover — featuring a poem by Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward.

image c. 2016 Koyama Press

image c. 2016 Koyama Press

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Creatures In The Out

Quirk’s Quest: Into The Outlands is a new full-color graphic novel for young readers from First Second. Here’s what the publishers have to say: “Setting out to explore the remote Outlands of Crutonia are the brave and multifarious crew of the H.M.S. Gwaniimander, under the command of Captain Quenterindy Quirk—a leader whose confidence exceeds his competence by several lengths of his own bushy tail. Quirk’s voyage of discovery is quickly plunged into disaster and mystery, as the expedition encounters carnivorous giants, an unstable sorceress, and a valley of indestructible creatures. With the crew decimated, the ship destroyed, and a malign force plotting worse fortune, can Quirk and his compatriots hold together their royal mission? Vividly illustrated and starring a cunningly designed cast of characters, Into the Outlands is a tale of adventure in a fully-imagined fantasy world ripe for exploration. This first graphic novel of Quirk’s Quest includes an illustrated roster of the important characters, a guide to the intrepid Sxervian Frog Brigade, and mission map of the Outlands.” Written by Robert Christie and illustrated by Deborah Lang (in a style that is very reminiscent of Fraggle Rock), this new trade paperback is available now.

image c. 2016 First Second

image c. 2016 First Second

Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night…

In Fox’s Forest is a new hardcover graphic novel published by Fantagraphics. According to them, here’s how it goes: “After a successful hunt with his mate, a male fox is captured by the ‘two leggers’ and thrust into captivity. There, he faces dangers more insidious than the simple eat-or-be-eaten laws of the forest: Complacency, fear of the unknown, pack mentality, and loss of identity. Fox’s struggle to remain unbroken and return to his home and his love makes this standalone graphic novel an all-ages fable in the tradition of Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Gorgeously rendered in a classic pen and ink style, the drawing is reminiscent of the Golden Age of children’s book illustration, and its delicacy is in contrast to the characters’ (a friendly blue jay, a philosophical chimp, and a gas-lighting dog) streetwise patter. Created by underground cartoonist and fine artist Guy Colwell (Inner City Romance), this instant classic is a metaphor for incarceration, and a meditation on masculinity.” And it’s on the shelves now.

image c. 2016 Fantagraphics

image c. 2016 Fantagraphics

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Zap! Pow! Bang! Graze!

Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy. Look, a title like that’s gonna grab your attention, and you know it. Here’s what they say about this new full-color graphic novel, over at AMP! Comics For Kids: “Batman and Robin meet Rocky and Bullwinkle. The forest is full of danger . . .  but help is here. Meet Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy, improbable pals who use their powers—laser vision and an unrelenting sense of optimism—to fight the forces of evil. Join the dynamic duo as they battle aliens, a mutant fish-bear, a cyborg porcupine, and a mechanical squirrel, learning along the way that looking on the bright side might be just as powerful as shooting a laser.  Get ready for hilarious, action-packed, laser-powered adventures written and drawn by Doug Savage, creator of the popular comic Savage Chickens.” It’s available and on the shelves now.

image c. 2016 Andrews_McMeel

image c. 2016 Andrews-McMeel

A 10-Year Old Classic Returns

Here’s one we definitely missed the first time around, but now it’s back thanks to the folks at IDW: “Finally, Spiral-Bound is coming back in print! With an ensemble cast straight from a box of Animal Crackers, this delightful tale of ambition, morality, and self-discovery is an all-ages classic. Drawn in a decidedly beautiful fashion, reminiscent of Richard Scary and Lewis Trondheim, Aaron Renier gives us a fully-realized and compellingly adventurous narrative, at once both achingly naive and profoundly worldly. This tightly crafted graphic novel is the real deal, and will charm your socks off.” Here’s a little bit more about the plot, courtesy of Booklist: “In this [black & white] graphic novel about the young animal characters who live in the Town, Turnip the elephant is using the summer to find his artistic voice through sculpture, his friend Stucky the dog is building a submarine, and Ana the rabbit is working on the town’s underground newspaper. Their stories all wind around the town’s deep, dark secret about the monster that lives in the pond.” Got all that?

image c. 2016 IDW Publishing

image c. 2016 IDW Publishing

The Frog Always Rings Twice

More new stuff from Dark Horse Press: “Dark Horse Comics announces Tree Mail, a forthcoming all-ages graphic novel from the New York Times best-selling The Stuff of Legend creators Mike Raicht and Brian Smith. Rudy—a determined, optimistic frog—hopes to overcome the odds and land his dream job delivering mail to the other animals on Popomoko Island!” This full-color trade paperback hits the shelves in early November. Dark Horse also has an interview with the creators on their main web site.

image c. 2016 Dark Horse Comics

image c. 2016 Dark Horse Press

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Little Birdie, Big Bear

Put this in the “offered again” category (since we apparently missed it the first time!). Renaud Dillies, creator of Bubbles & Gondola and Betty Blues (both of which we’ve reviewed before) returns with a new full-color graphic novel in hardcover. This time, his subject is a young bird named Abelard. “To lure pretty Emily, Abelard sees only one solution: to catch the moon for her! So off he goes to America, the country which invented flying machines. Armed with his banjo and his proverb-sharing hat, he launches out on the country roads, meets Gypsies, then Gaston, a grumpy bear with whom he will share a good bit of his way! With this funny animal road-movie where the absurd becomes poetry, Regis Hautiere and Renaud Dillies offer us another small jewel.” Once again, brought to us by the folks at NBM. Find out more over at Blog Critics.

image c. 2016 Abelard

image c. 2016 NBM

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Part Boy, Part Dragon, Part Chuck Jones, Part Pixar

Humanoids is a well-known publisher of hardcover graphic novels in Europe. Now they have brought Brussli: Way of the Dragon Boy to North America. “Beak-faced Brussli is bullied by the village children. Curious about his true origins, the dauntless ‘Dragon Boy’ sets off on a quest of adventure and discovery. What he finds, however, turns his world upside down and puts him face-to-face with a unique cast of fantastical fairies, talking rabbits, wily wolves, battle-hardened nuns, demonic beings, and much much more, in this hysterical and heartwarming comedy adventure. ” It’s written by Jean-Louis Fonteneau and illustrated in full color by J. Etienne. Over at Doom Rocket they have a much more detailed preview to look at.

image c. 2016 Humanoids

image c. 2016 Humanoids