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Science Fiction

A New Dawn for the SWAT Kats?

If you haven’t caught the word, creators Yvon and Christian Tremblay have been running a Kickstarter campaign with the intent of creating the first new SWAT Kats animated TV episodes to be seen in 20 years. Also if you didn’t know: SWAT Kats — The Radical Squadron was one of the most iconic and popular anthropomorphic animated TV series from the early days of organized Furry Fandom. “The series takes place in the fictional metropolis of Megakat City, which is populated entirely by anthropomorphic felines, known as ‘kats’. The titular SWAT Kats are two vigilante pilots who possess a state-of-the-art fighter jet with an array of weaponry. Throughout the series, they face various villains as well as Megakat City’s militarized police force, the Enforcers.” The good news is that with only a few days left for the campaign, the brothers Tremblay have more than surpassed their original goal. They’ve reached enough to animate a 2-minute animation teaser for the new series (SWAT Kats — Revolution), and they’re hoping to make enough to animate a full 22-minute episode. The campaign web site has a video interview with the brothers.

image c. 2015 Tremblay Bros. Studios

image c. 2015 Tremblay Bros. Studios

Planet of the Big Cats

Flesk Publications have a novel way of taking pre-orders for the newly-completed graphic novel Tribes of Kai: A Kickstarter campaign. Here’s what they say: “The Tribes of Kai is a multi-layered graphic novel about honor, integrity and the trappings of war in which extreme circumstances call for unbridled decisions and finding the strength to cope with them. This is a barbaric and primitive world where the survival of the fittest is put to the test. Artist Daren Bader and writer Lance HaunRogue bring this world to life with lush detail and an incredible sense of pace, color and lighting. They introduce the Mantakai (Man of Kai), a race of six-limbed, feline/humanoid, anthropomorphic creatures. The dominance of the five individual tribes of Mantakai are threatened by a highly evolved race of reptilian creatures called the Tobognai. Tribes of Kai is an oversized, full-color hardbound book boasting sixty exciting pages of story and pinups by top creators.” Since the goal of printing the book has long since been met, now they’re adding more goodies as each new goal-level is reached.

image c. 2015 Flesk Publications

image c. 2015 Flesk Publications

Mutants On The March!

This past spring, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe saw the return of one of the famous four’s most-popular and perhaps strangest friends: The Mutanimals, appearing in their own five-issue full-color mini-series by Paul Allor, Andy Kuhn, and Ben Bates. Well now IDW are about to release the series as a Mutanimals trade paperback collection. “Old Hob, Slash, Herman the Hermit Crab, Mondo Gecko, and Pigeon Pete have become a force to be reckoned with. When someone close to the group is kidnapped, the Mutanimals end up on an adventure more wild and dangerous than they could have imagined! What mysteries lurk at…The Null Group?” Look for it on the shelves August 19th, or you can pre-order it over at Things From Another World.

image c. 2015 IDW Publishing

image c. 2015 IDW Publishing

Island of Adventure

Dark Horse Comics have announced a new 5-issue mini-series written and illustrated by Scott Kolins (Flash, Avengers). In Adam.3 we meet Adam, a super-heroic young man who lives with his family on a tropical island. A most unusual island: Animals of nearly every species live there. They all talk, and they’re all Adam’s best friends. Well, that is until a mysterious and evil alien presence crash-lands on the island. It has the power to mutate Adam’s animal friends into very, very bad things. Check out the interview with the creator over at Comics Bulletin. Issue #1 of this new full-color comic arrives later this month.

image c. 2015 Dark Horse Comics

image c. 2015 Dark Horse Comics

Save the Star Mice

Cutter Hays is an author and illustrator best known for the Mouse Knight fantasy adventure series. Well now he’s taken a turn in a more science fiction direction with his new illustrated novel, Quilah Laoshu. Three human souls find themselves torn from Earth and whisked away to an alien world… and tasked with saving the native sentient rodent species from certain destruction. The electronic version of the book is available now for download, and you can keep up with new artwork for the dead-tree version at the Quilah Laoshu web site.

image c. 2015 by Cutter Hays

image c. 2015 by Cutter Hays

Heal the Planet

Recently discovered at San Diego Comic Con: Awake, a new full-color science fiction/fantasy comic series written by Susan Beneville, with art by Brian Hess. “Twelve year-old Regn has the power to wake and heal planets.  But, on her first mission, she lands on Gremon where she discovers an angry planet tearing itself apart, an irresponsible big brother, and a greedy baron who stokes the chaos for his own benefit.  Her power may not be enough when she comes face-to-face with the planet’s consciousness.” That description doesn’t mention that young Regn is helped on her quest by a large talking dog-like “tor” named Operi, as well as a local fox. Awake #1 is due this September from Action Lab.

image c. 2015 Action Lab Comics

image c. 2015 Action Lab Comics

A Feline Detective. In Space.

Leon is the creation of author Pati Nagle, first appearing in her science fiction novel Pet Noir from Book View Cafe (check it out over at Amazon). Now Kymera Press have adapted Pet Noir as a full-color comic book series with art by by Anna G, Laurie Foster, and Liezl Buenaventura. “Feline investigator Leon has opposable thumbs, the ability to talk, and is possibly the most dangerous cat in the galaxy. Indentured to the Security department of Gamma Station until he’s worked off the cost of his ‘creation’, Leon alternates between harassing his human partner and roommate Devin and fighting sleazy criminals, yet he still finds time to flirt with the lovely Leila, an exotic Burmese. Will he win her heart, and more importantly, will he win his freedom?” The first issue is available now.

image c. 2015 Book View Cafe

image c. 2015 Book View Cafe

The Monkey’s With The Band

More Oni Press, more anthropomorphic strangeness. “Liz, Bodey, Maude, and Justine’s band, Odd Schnozz and the Odd Squad, are sure to win this year’s Battle of the Bands. But when a talking chimp, who claims to be a scientist from the mysterious organization B.L.A.N.K., interrupts their practice session, the band’s got a whole new set of problems. Now B.L.A.N.K. agents are closing in, determined to recapture the escaped chimp before he becomes a liability. Jeffrey Burandt (Americans UK), Dennis Culver (Edison Rex), and Ramon Villalobos (Young Avengers) bring you this thrilling tale of cyborg animals and punk rock teenagers.” After being serialized as an on-line comic, the Odd Schnozz and the Odd Squad graphic novel is coming this June as a full color trade paperback. Find out more at Oni’s official page on-line.

image c. 2015 Oni Press

image c. 2015 Oni Press

All This For A Six-Pack…

On the shelves now at your local comic shop (and of course available on-line as well) look for issue #5 of Guardians Team-Up. As in Guardians of the Galaxy, you bet. When Cosmo the psychic space-dog absconds with a six-pack of Rocket Raccoon’s favorite brew, the shortest and loudest Guardian takes off in hot pursuit — and ends up running into the re-united Pet Avengers. Just in time too, as the Pet Avengers find themselves locked in a battle with the newly-formed Pets of Evil Masters and their self-styled leader, Vulture Von Doom! Super-powered animals abound! This issue was written by Andy Lanning and Andy Schmidt, illustrated by Gustavo Duarte and Marcelo Maiolo, with a painted cover by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado.

image c. 2015 Marvel Comics

image c. 2015 Marvel Comics