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Science Fiction

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

The Man is a Mollusc (Okay, Crustacean…)

This may have passed beneath your radar: It’s a new dark comedy dystopian film called The Lobster, and it’s the first English-language film by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos. It’s been winning rave reviews and lots of awards on the art-film circuit. Here’s the summary from Wikipedia: “According to the rules of the City, single people are taken to the Hotel where they are given 45 days to find a partner. Those who fail are turned into an animal of their choice and released into the forest. The guests attend dances and watch propaganda extolling the virtues of partnership. They can extend their stay by hunting escapees, the Loners, with tranquilizer guns in the woods. After his wife leaves him for another man, David arrives at the Hotel with his brother, who has been turned into a dog.” David, by the way, is played by Colin Farrell. This may or may not all make more sense when you go to see it. The Lobster has been doing very well in platform release, and it’s likely to expand to more theaters soon.

image c. 2016 Element Pictures.

image c. 2016 Element Pictures

Man. And Bear. Both Bare.

Okay, this is decidedly adult-oriented! There’s this comic called The Corporeals, “a web-comic featuring the pre-historical, often homosexual, always science-fictional citizens of Bakersfield, Earth”. Really. Here’s how creator Dave Quantic and artist Bill Ferenc describe it: “Howdy! My name’s Manny! I live with my husbear in prehistoric times. We’re members of an alien race from Jupiter called The Corporeals. Our leader, Kaa’laa brought us to Earth and created bodies for us so that we could experience physical pleasures like sex and cheese fries. Yummy! Bear and I live together in our cave. We have a great group of friends I can’t wait to introduce you to.  Like Jane and Eve, our lesbirific neighbors and Uni the Unicorn. He’s so silly.” So, check out their web site if you’re curious.

image c. 2016 by Quantic & Ferenc

image c. 2016 by Quantic & Ferenc

He’s An Alien, But He’s Different

Wrench is a new full-color comic series in development, created and written by JB Potter and illustrated by Jake Slingland. “The Iludi race have developed their planet Groc down to the very last inch to make one giant city. When daredevil mechanic Mala damages his antennae, he develops something rare on his world: A conscience.” You can keep up with the creative team’s progress over on the official Wreck Tumblr page.

image c. 2016 by Jake Slingland

image c. 2016 by Jake Slingland

Boom! Meow. FFT FFT!

Cathair Apocalypse:A post-apocalyptic drama where humans are extinct and cats have risen to rule the wasteland left behind by their former masters.” That’s the description from the creators of this new full-color comic book series — which combines photo-realistic GGI backgrounds and props with actual photos of the creators’ cats! It’s up on line at Taptastic, plus the creators have their own web site where you can purchase the first collection (By Cutlass Or Corsage) as well as t-shirt and other goodies.  Not made out of cat hair, thankfully!

image c. 2016 Cathair Apocalypse

image c. 2016 Cathair Apocalypse

No More is Need for Sad-Mad

Over at Animation Scoop they have word about a new TV series adapted from Dreamworks Animation’s successful (some might say keester-saving) movie Home. “Developed by Ryan Crego (Sanjay and Craig, Shrek Forever After) and Thurop Van Orman (The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack), and executive produced by Ryan Crego, DreamWorks Animation’s Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh, an all-new Netflix Original Series, answers the question: What happens after a misfit alien conquers Earth, befriends an adventurous teen girl named Tip and together they save the day? Picking up where the hit 2015 animated film left off and building upon their enduring friendship, this animated buddy comedy follows fearless Tip and overenthusiastic alien Oh, as they navigate the combined human and alien culture they live in, finding adventure everywhere they go… The first season will be available exclusively to Netflix members in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the Nordics, Benelux, and France beginning July 29.” Heard it here did you.

image c. 2016 Dreamworks Animation

image c. 2016 Dreamworks Animation

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

When Logos Come To Life

Here’s what they say: “For five years, readers have looked at the Action Lab Entertainment logo and wondered, “Who is that dog with the jet pack?” Wonder no more! The story you never thought would be told is now an ongoing monthly title as Action Lab: Dog of Wonder comes to comic book shelves everywhere! With art by the Princeless: Raven, The Pirate Princess team of Rosy Higgins and Ted Brandt and a story by Stray co-creator Vito Delsante and newcomer Scott Fogg, this is the title for young and old alike!” We see the pitch now: “It’s a dog! With a jet pack!” See the variant covers and several sample pages over at First Comics News.

image c. 2016 Action Lab

image c. 2016 Action Lab

Thank You, Masked… Man?

In case you haven’t been keeping up with Marvel’s Guardian’s of the Galaxy (as in the comics) lately… Last year Peter Quill gave up his duties as Star Lord to become the Emperor of Spartax. Leaving the Guardians in the paws of… none other than fan favorite furry, Rocket Raccoon! So Rocket assembled a team that included not only his old buddy Groot and his new-buddy Drax but also (among others) Kitty Pryde of the X-Men and none other than Ben Grimm, the Thing from Fantastic 4! Just in time too, as dangerous new threats have swung into this part of the galaxy… and some old friends may not be trustworthy.  Big shock. Now Marvel Comics has assembled Volume 1 (i.e. issues 1 thru 5) of Guardians of the Galaxy: New Order into a full-color hardcover collection, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Valerio Schiti. Take a look over at Goodreads.

image c. 2016 Marvel Comics

image c. 2016 Marvel Comics