Del Ray Manga has released a new full color “film comic” based on the hit animated TV series The Secret Saturdays from Cartoon Network. Join the Saturdays: A family of explorers and cryptozoologists as they protect the secret artifacts and mysterious monsters of the world from exploitation. On the way making friends with sasquatch, dinosaurs, and many other strange creatures.
Graphic Novel
Steampunk Badger
Grandville is a new full-color steampunk anthropomorphic graphic novel, written and illustrated by Bryan Talbot (The Tale of One Bad Rat, Alice in Sunderland). Created in England, it’s being released in North America by Dark Horse Press (in hardcover) this coming October. Here’s the story: After 200 years of French rule (having lost the war to Napoleon), the Socialist Republic of Britain is now a backwards, backwater land “connected by railway bridge, steam-powered dirigible, and mutual suspicion to France”. When a British diplomat (an otter) is murdered, and the deed made to look like a suicide, fearless detective LeBrock of Scotland Yard (a badger, of course) steps in to solve the case. But doing so will bring him muzzle-to-muzzle with a ruthless murder squad. The brave badger’s quest for answers will take him far and wide through this world of steam-driven hansom cabs, automatons, and flying machines. Want to see a preview? Visit Bryan Talbot’s Grandville site.
Long Tall Kitty
Lark Pien is a name well-known among graphic novel fans, and now she’s released her first hardcover children’s book through Blue Apple Books. Long Tall Kitty tells the story of the titular cat and his friends — including a bee who’s friends with the flowers (at least the nice ones), a mouse who likes ice skating, and a family of aliens who drop in for a night of fun. Yes.
New Comic Title from Blotch!
I think I’ll let Blotch themselves explain this one…
“Across Thin Ice is the first book of the Nordguard Trilogy. In short: It is a fully painted, color graphic novel, with each book coming in around 90 pages. Sofawolf Press will be publishing it and we’re looking at a release date of summer 2010.
The story is set in the north-eastern arctic in the year of 1903 and follows the trail of Pi and her team of sled-dogs. The northland is an untamed and cruel country, ruled by the winter and populated by scattered tribes and half starved strays. But now, at the turn of the 20th century, it is civilization’s last frontier and must be won. In this time of dauntless enterprise, exploration and intrepid spirits, thousands travel north to seek their own manifest destiny in the land of the midnight sun. The Nodguard is an elite company of dogs formed for search, rescue and exploration in the arctic regions of the White Land. Charged with cutting trails, carrying mail and recovering lost travelers, their dangerous job is never done. When a distress call comes over the wire in the late autumn, Pi and the team are called into swift action. With tensions between the three great nations rising in the northland, the team quickly finds themselves in deeper trouble than usual. Traveling in the company of an arrogant military officer and a green field surgeon, pursued by relentless hunters and pushed into the grip of a much larger conspiracy, their survival rides on very thin ice.
Arctic adventure, collies, huskies, Smith & Wessons, snow, caribou, tigers, wolverines, mines, glaciers, walrus, lumberjacks, sleds, canned fish, dynamite, barometers, bears and boars–what more is there! Well, a lot, but you’ll have to check out the Nordguard Website for more: www.nordguard.com.
But wait, want Free Stuff? Well, my friend, don’t fret. The folks at Sofawolf will be giving away, 100% free, no purchase necessary 18×24 posters of the Nordguard promo picture, here! When, you say? At their Sofawolf Dealer’s Island at AnthroCon this July! It’ll be first come, first serve while supplies last, so don’t miss out!”
You heard them! Check out the previews this summer, and look for the first book in 2010. And of course, keep your eyes on Sofawolf Press (www.sofawolf.com) for lots more cool anthropomorphic publications.
Seaweed
Ben Balistreri is an Annie Award nominated character designer and storyboard artist who has worked extensively for Disney, Universal, Nickelodeon, Laika, and Cartoon Network. Now, he’s branched out on his own into comics with the premier of Seaweed, a large-sized full-color hardcover graphic novel series that Ben wrote and illustrated. Take warning: Funny animals or not, is decidedly NOT for kids. The first installment of the series is A Cure for Mildew. Seaweed, a pelican with a VERY well-stocked bill, is the captain of the Salty Sugar. He and his fishy first mate, Poisson, find themselves pressed into the service of Mildew, a dying bat who believes his only hope of survival rests in an ancient book rumored to have been written by the Devil himself! Seaweed #1 is published by Salty Sugar Comics, and includes a large gallery of sketches and development art. Visit www.saltysugar.com to find out more.
Cameron and his Dinosaurs
Cameron and his Dinosaurs is a new full-color digest-sized trade paperback by Scott Christian Sava (script) and Andres Silva Blanco (art), publised by IDW. From Previews: “A mad scientist breaks every law of nature and creates four extinct dinosaurs for a terrorist group called B.U.R.P.S. When the dinosaurs revolt, it’s Cameron’s good fortune to befriend them. But the mad scientist wants those dinosaurs back at any cost! And they’ll wage a war between robots and dinosaurs to get what they want!” You heard it here.
Stone Rabbit Books
Stone Rabbit is the name of a new character (and a new full-color soft-cover graphic novel series for young readers) created, written, and illustrated by Eric Craddock. Stone Rabbit is a bored little bunny living a humdrum existance in the sleepy little town of Happy Glades… until the day when he discovers a Time Portal of Doom under his bathroom rug! In Stone Rabbit Volume 1: B.C. Mambo, our hero finds himself stuck in dinosaur days, trying to find his way back home. In Volume 2: Pirate Palooza, our time-hopping hero runs afoul of the dread pirate Barnacle Bob.
