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Hardcover Books

But Do They Surf?

A new collection of questionable biology, courtesy of Toon Books. What else can you say about A Goofy Guide To Penguins? “How can you tell penguins apart? By the color of their mittens, of course! But do penguins really play hide-and-seek, carry pink umbrellas, and shower on the backs of whales? In this wild guide, twin brothers Jean-Luc Coudray and Philippe Coudray (Philippe is beloved for the bestselling Benjamin Bear series) bring us all the less-than-true truths and not-so-factual facts about the South Pole’s silliest birds.” We introduced you to Benjamin Bear previously. Now you can order this new hardcover book directly from the publisher, as well as other fine book outlets.

image c. 2016 Toon Books

image c. 2016 Toon Books

Tiger Burning Bright

You might have heard before, but here’s a reminder about Klaw, a popular full-color comic written by Antoine Ozanam and illustrated by animation and gaming-design legend Joël Jurion. “Teenager Angel Tomassini has been hiding a dark and scary secret: when threatened he involuntarily turns into a violent and vicious were-tiger. He doesn’t know why, how, or what to do, because when he transforms, he loses control and people end up badly hurt. As if this isn’t enough for a kid to deal with, Angel is slowly learning his father is one of the biggest organized crime leaders in the city. And there are more were-animals like Angel and different creatures too. The high school changes Angel Tomassini experiences are unlike anything his peers can identify with!” Now Magnetic Press have released Klaw for the first time in North America, now as a hardcover graphic novel. Check out the preview pages and more.

image c. 2016 Magnetic Press

image c. 2016 Magnetic Press

A Man, a Bird, and a Cat Walk Into a City…

Sounds like a set-up for a bad joke, we know. In 1978 comic book legend Moebius (artist) and avant-garde cinema legend Alexandro Jodorowsky first collaborated on a black & white comic called Eyes of the Cat. “In a desolate dreamscape world, a man, a bird, and a cat interact in a unique apocalyptic yet poetic fashion… Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius, creators of the Sci-Fi classic The Incal, initially teamed up on this 1978 gem, where words and images alternate in mesmerizing fashion.” Now Humanoids (that’s the publisher!) have released a new edition of the original graphic novel, once again printed on yellow paper like the much-sought-after first edition. Check out the web site for more.

image c. 2016 Humanoids

image c. 2016 Humanoids

Hippo in a Hat

First Second Books have a new full-color graphic novel for young readers: It’s called Hippopotamister, written and illustrated by John Patrick Green. According to a review over at GeekDad,Hippopotamister is the tale of (you guessed it) a hippo and his friend, Red Panda. Tired of living in the rundown city zoo, they run away and seek jobs in the human world, where Hippo must become ‘Hippopotamister’ to get by. Hippo excels at each job, but Red Panda keeps getting them fired. Longing for his home, Hippo goes back to the zoo and discovers he can return the place to its former glory using his newfound skills. But can he do it without his friend Red Panda?” The article includes several sample pages from this hardcover book.

image c. 2016 by John Patrick Green

image c. 2016 by John Green

Cats Dream of Electric Dogs

You gotta notice a story with an introduction like this: “Catland Empire is a graphic novel melding of a Phillip K. Dick story with a Saturday morning cartoon.” That’s how Drawn & Quarterly describe this new hardcover graphic novel by pop artist Keith Jones. “There will exist a future world where ‘human beings have become empty husks stripped of all memory when it comes to things like how to have fun and play games,’ or so says Mr. Space to his associate Mr. Time. The solution? Get the cats to teach humans how to have fun again. This is all the Cat People do with their lives. They are the fun and game masters. What follows is a tangled web of psychedelic science fiction blending anti-consumerism politics and intergalactic liaisons between cats and dogs, bitter enemies kept secret from each other to avoid a planetary race war.” Look for this new book to hit the shelves in early June.

image c. 2016 Drawn & Quarterly

image c. 2016 Drawn & Quarterly

To Nowhere In Particular

Over the years there have been many, many illustrated editions of Kenneth Grahame’s seminal anthropomorphic work, The Wind in the Willows. Now IDW Publishing have brought forth a new edition — this time, illustrated by an artist who is himself well-known in the world of anthropomorphics. “Experience the timeless story of Toad, Rat, Mole, and Badger in a beautiful new hardcover designed and illustrated by New York Times Bestselling author and Eisner Award-winning creator David Petersen (Mouse Guard). Painstakingly illustrated over three years, this special edition features both color and pen and ink illustrations throughout and Petersen will be hand-signing each copy of the 1st printing.” Find out more over at IDW’s web site, and look for this new hardcover edition galloping your way this coming October.

image c. 2016 IDW Publishing

image c. 2016 IDW Publishing

She Built A Brick… Mouse…

No better way to explain Mouse Guard: The Art of Bricks than this article over at Comics Alliance: “Last year at Emerald City Comic Con, toy brick artisan Alice Finch and her incredibly detail-oriented team put together an awe-inspiring display of David Petersen’s Mouse Guard dioramas built entirely out of toy bricks. At the time, we referred to it as one of the standouts of ECCC, and now Archaia is releasing a full-color hardcover packed with photos of the team’s incredible work. Finch, a member of the Seattle-based toy brick builder club ArchLUG, has already drawn acclaim for her recreations of Hogwarts and Rivendell alongside fellow ArchLUG member David Frank, but her team’s work on these Mouse Guard dioramas are a cut above.”

image c. 2016 Archaia

image c. 2016 Archaia

The Sunny State Gets Schooled

You’d be hard-pressed to think of more famous “ancient world” anthropomorphic stories than the fables of Aesop. Needless to say, they’ve had numerous illustrated presentations over the centuries! Well here’s a very recent take with a particular spin to it: Doug Hansen is a California native and an art instructor at California State University at Fresno. In his spare time he created a new hardcover illustrated book called Aesop in California. “Guess who just arrived in California? Aesop! Here among the plants, animals, and places of the Golden State, his timeless fables from ancient Greece take on a new vitality and immediacy. From blackberry-munching grizzlies to Hollywood house mice, this is a book to delight the eye, stimulate the imagination, and teach us some very important lessons.” Find out more about the book and the artist at the publisher’s web site. (Hot tip: He also created a book called Mother Goose in California!)

image c. 2016 Heyday Books

image c. 2016 Heyday Books

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