Your Guide to the World of Furry Fandom
Scales and Tales is a brand-new paperback anthology of short stories about, you guessed it, dragons. Not to be confused with Scales & Tales (a benefit anthology which we discussed here before), this one is edited by Cathryn Uber and Logan Uber. “What happens when there’s a dragon at summer camp? Do dragons ever get lonely? If dragons were endangered, would you work to keep them safe?” Find the answers to these and many other questions over at Barnes & Noble.
image c. 2026 Brothers Uber
New-ish author we discovered at WorldCon this year: Martin Cahill. Their new book is called Audition for the Fox. “Nesi is desperate to earn the patronage of one of the Ninety-Nine Pillars of Heaven. As a child with godly blood in her, if she cannot earn a divine chaperone, she will never be allowed to leave her temple home. But with ninety-six failed auditions and few options left, Nesi makes a risky prayer to T’sidaan, the Fox of Tricks. In folk tales, the Fox is a lovable prankster. But despite their humor and charm, T’sidaan, and their audition, is no joke. They throw Nesi back in time three hundred years, when her homeland is occupied by the brutal Wolfhounds of Zemin. Now, Nesi must learn a trickster’s guile to snatch a fortress from the disgraced and exiled 100th Pillar: The Wolf of the Hunt.” Find out more over at Tachyon Publications.
image c. 2026 Tachyon Publications
Recently we came across Thorn the Unicorn, a fantasy graphic novel series for young readers, written by Josh Oaktree (of Oak Tree Comics) and illustrated by A. D’Amico. Here’s the story in a nutshell: “When best friends Jack and Rosie discover an injured unicorn in the Fayre Woods, they risk their lives to come to her aid. Ruthless Lord Aldred and his guard of hunters are desperate to capture the elusive unicorn — anything to find a cure for the mysterious disease that plagues the land of Faerie. Can Jack and Rosie keep Thorn the unicorn safe, or will the Kingdom of the Seven Tapestries continue unraveling until there is no magic left to protect?” Now the tale has been gathered together in paperback.
image c. 2026 Oak Tree Comics
Another graphic novel we found at QCon is Dogs On Dates, written and illustrated by Luke Healy. We’ll let him explain it: “Bernie — a confident, chill, and world-wise gay, trans, short Seth Rogen type — is fresh from telling his college advisor that he’s dropping out of art school. Absentmindedly, he walks into a plate glass window, bashing his face. Before he can even formulate gratitude for the window not breaking… Brad — a sweet-natured, kindhearted romantic, who is not cool, but nice, which is actually better — arrives at the school for a gig to teach students about the merits of caring for the environment. Dressed as an earth mascot, “Earthy,” he walks into the glass from the other side. But this time, it smashes. In totality. With Bernie and Brad off to the hospital together, is this the gay dog meet-cute we’ve all been searching for? Of course, dating is never so simple. Hilariousness and awkwardness ensue as our two love dogs face misadventures, mishaps, and missteps… but also flowers, pasta, sandwiches, and maybe even love.” And you can follow along, in paperback from Drawn & Quarterly.
image c. 2026 Drawn & Quarterly
Recently discovered at QCon: Plain Jane and the Mermaid, a new-ish graphic novel by Eisner Award winner Vera Brosgol. “Jane is incredibly plain. Everyone says so: Her parents, the villagers, and her horrible cousin who kicks her out of her own house. Determined to get some semblance of independence, Jane prepares to propose to the princely Peter. It’s a good plan! Or it would’ve been, if he wasn’t kidnapped by a mermaid. Jane must venture underwater to rescue her maybe-fiancé. But the depths of the ocean hold beautiful mysteries and dangerous creatures. What good can a plain Jane do? Drawn into an unexpected bond, Jane must navigate a shifting reality where magic and danger intertwine, and where every choice carries weight. As she moves between two worlds, she begins to question what she truly wants—and what she’s willing to risk to find it.” Did we mention the talking seal? We should. Plain Jane is available in paperback from First Second. There’s a detailed review over at Comics Beat, too.
image c. 2026 First Second
Even small fannish conventions can lead to some interesting finds. We visited AnaCon, an annual one-day event sponsored by the Anaheim Central Library in Southern California — and there we came across Dark and Zarus, a new fantasy novel by Lauren Cipollo and Matt Conant. “Dark, a feline wanderer haunted by the fall of her clan, has lost everything: her home, her people, and her place among humankind. Zarus, an exiled demon burdened with forbidden powers, carries the final message of a mysterious order. Each is hunted by the same enemy: The Frayed, an army of psychic undead that has spread across the kingdom like a plague… and drawn to Grasmere, the last stronghold of humanity, where the long-lost phoenix god Reku slumbers. To have any hope against the storm, Dark and Zarus must work together to unlock the ancient mysteries of the phoenix and root out the mysterious force behind the Frayed. But trust is hard to come by, and in a world unraveling under the shadow of the Frayed, a single doubt could doom them all.” Check it out in paperback at Barnes & Noble.
image c. 2026 Staten House
Check out The Froggy Library, a new full-color graphic novel written and illustrated by Julie Fiveash. “Anura is a young frog spending the summer back home with their grandmother. With some…er…gentle prodding from Grandma, they get a job working at the local library. It’s about 11 minutes in when they’re tasked with a big project: Create an archive that captures what makes Soggy Stump so special. What the heck even is an archive?! And so begins a summer full of fry bread, weaving, zines, community gardens, manga, and (maybe) an answer to the question of: How do we preserve the knowledge, wisdom, and memories of the ones we love?” This semi-autobiographical story is a celebration of indigenous communities, gender fluidity, and of course libraries.
image c. 2026 Levine Querido
Goat Magic is a “new fairy tale” graphic novel, written and illustrated by cartoonist Kate Wheeler. In the Kingdom of Capeya there lived a goat-herder named Trill. She had a unique, magical ability to communicate with the herd under her care. But she was bored with her life, as what she really wanted was to be a wizard and work some real magic. Also in the Kingdom lived Princess Alya, heir to the throne. What she really wanted was to be anything other than a princess. But then an assassination attempt leaves Alya with a terrible curse: Every sunrise, she transforms into a black goat. Running off to hide in the countryside, Alya discovers that Trill’s magical gift might just be the thing that could break the evil spell. Want to know more? Visit Oni Press and find out!
image c. 2026 Oni Press
Found recently at a convention: Can I Pet Your Werewolf is a 2017 collection of black & white short comics, edited by Kel McDonald and Molly Muldoon. “A different take on those who get fluffy under a full moon. This is a collection of goofy, cute, and sweet werewolf stories.” There’s more than a little queer spin on several of the stories here too! Visit Kel’s web site to find out more.
image c. 2026 by Melanie Ujimori