In-Fur-Nation

Looking further ahead with Animation World Network. News from Annecy 2021: “Disney Channel has ordered Kiff, a nutty animated buddy-comedy series from South African creators and executive producers Lucy Heavens (Space Chickens in Space) and Nic Smal (Caillou), set to debut in 2023… The series follows Kiff, an optimistic squirrel whose best intentions often lead to complete chaos, and her best friend Barry, a sweet and mellow bunny. Set in the bustling mountains, where animals and magical creatures live together in harmony, the series features the duo, who take the town by storm with their endless adventures and zest for life.” So we’ll see you in a couple years then!

image c. 2021 Disney Channel

We’re learning more about Centaurworld, the very colorful and very very strange new animated series created for Netflix by Megan Nicole Dong ( How to Train Your Dragon 2). Animation World Network describes it like this: “Centaurworld follows a war horse who is transported from her embattled world to a strange land inhabited by silly, singing centaurs of all species, shapes, and sizes. Desperate to return home, she befriends a group of these magical creatures and embarks on a journey that will test her more than any battle she’s ever faced before.” Trust us, that barely scratches the surface of just how odd this beastie is. Check out the trailer on YouTube, or experience the series itself on July 30th.

image c. 2021 Netflix

And more stuff for young folks, this time from the First Second imprint at MacMillan: Kitty Sweet Tooth, a full-color graphic novel written by Abby Denson and illustrated by Utomaru. “There’s just one thing Kitty Sweet Tooth loves more than going to movies, and that’s eating delicious desserts. Now that Pop-Pop’s movie theater has fallen on hard times, Kitty decides that only dessert can keep it from closing its doors. With a coat of paint, a tasty new menu, and a lot of hard work, Kitty and her friends transform this ramshackle theater into the Taste-O-Rama, a combination movie house restaurant. At the Taste-O-Rama, special film screenings are paired with custom-made dishes. But when you have a mad scientist and a witch working in the kitchen, recipes can go awry! On opening night, the theater is flooded with magical jelly that grows out of control. How can Kitty Sweet Tooth and her friends save the day?” The MacMillan web site has a preview and a trailer video.

image c. 2021 First Second

More interesting news from Animation World Network: “Netflix has announced their newest preschool series, Ridley Jones, created and executive produced by Peabody, Emmy, and Humanitas Prize-winning children’s television screenwriter and producer Chris Nee, known for creating the popular kids’ series Doc McStuffins and Vamperina. Nee is heralding in a new era of preschool TV that is steeped in representation, diversity, and inclusivity, continuing her mission to change the way we look at media for kids. Her newest series features a strong female lead character and re-occurring LGBTQIA+ characters like Fred the non-binary bison (the first reoccurring non-binary character in a preschool series). The CG animated series follows six-year-old Ridley who, alongside her mother and grandmother, is a protector of the museum she calls home. Keeping the exhibits safe takes a real hero, especially when the lights go out and the exhibits — from Egyptian mummies to stampeding elephants — come to life! Throughout her many adventures, Ridley finds that being a good protector, and leader, is about finding common ground and respecting others, no matter what our differences might be.” Like all of Chris Nee’s series, this new one abounds with anthropomorphic buddy characters, including a dinosaur, a chimp astronaut, a dodo, and the aforementioned bison. The series premieres on Netflix on July 13, but there are preview episodes are up on YouTube already.

image c. 2021 Netflix

We’re also learning more about Luck, the new CGI animated feature that’s coming from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Animation. It was previously announced that Jane Fonda would be in the cast, and now it turns out Whoopi Goldberg is lending her voice too. According to Animation World Network: “Goldberg will provide the voice for ‘The Captain’, the tough-as-nails Head of Security for the Land of Good Luck,” while Fonda “…will voice ‘The Dragon’, the exuberant CEO of Good Luck and undisputed luckiest ancient being in all the land.” They go on to say this: “Directed by Peggy Holmes (Secret of the Wings, The Pirate Fairy) and written by Kiel Murray (Cars, Cars 3), Luck centers around the unluckiest girl in the world, who after stumbling upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck, must join together with magical creatures to uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.” The article goes on to detail several other animated projects that Skydance have in the works.  Luck is scheduled for release by Apple TV+ in February of 2022.

image c. 2021 Skydance Animation

My but it seems like Dwayne Johnson is busy with a lot of animation projects lately! Now the latest we’ve heard about is the DC League of Super-Pets feature film. DC just released a new teaser trailer, and there’s an article up on Collider: “The cast of animated family film DC League of Super-Pets just got a serious injection of star power with the announcement that Kevin Hart, Keanu Reeves, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Kate McKinnon, Natasha Lyonne, and Diego Luna have all boarded the ensemble via a fun teaser video starring Krypto the Super Dog in all his animated glory.” The latter voiced by Mr. Johnson, of course. The film will be un-leashed in 2022 — by Warner Brothers, naturally!

image c. 2021 DC Comics

Spreading the word: The artist known as Barasaurus (David Alcántara Rubio) has a new Kickstarter campaign running for his book 151, a collection of Painted Pokemon Portraits (whew!). “151 is an unofficial Pokémon artbook re-visiting the 1st Gen, with redesigns inspired by folklore, video games, the Internet, and pop culture.” The Kickstarter for this hardcover collection is on ’till the end of June.

image c. 2021 by Barasaurus

Another popular web comic gets put together on dead trees for you! This time it’s Living With Mochi. “When architect-turned-cartoonist Gemma Gené first met her pet pug, Mochi, she felt as if time stopped. This dramatic moment and her adoring relationship with the rambunctious pug led her to begin chronicling her adventures with Mochi in a series of incredibly cute web comics that have gained a social media following of half a million loyal readers. The comics chronicle Mochi’s life from puppyhood to adulthood, featuring Mochi’s unrequited dog friendships, his jealousy of his two dog-brothers, and his love of food. Readers and dog parents will love this humorous tale of a sincerely loyal friendship between one grumpy pug and his adoring owner.” Full color, it’s available now in paperback from Andrews McMeel.

image c. 2021 Andrews McMeel

Don’t look now, but Stan Sakai’s world has gone pear-shaped — almost literally! It’s time for Chibi-Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis, a new full-color graphic novel premiering this month from IDW. “Stan Sakai’s beloved rabbit samurai has won countless fans over his 35 year history, thanks to a clever blend of thrilling action, heartwarming characters, and realistic portrayal of Japanese culture. Chibi-Usagi brings these fun and thoughtful stories to middle-grade readers as a original graphic novel packed with adorable art and captivating energy. While fishing for freshwater eels, Chibi-Usagi, Tomoe, and Gen rescue a Dogu, a clay creature from Japan’s prehistory. The Dogu’s village has been enslaved by the Salamander King and his Heebie-Chibi minions and are forced to work in their mines. Chibi-Usagi and his friends must rescue the Dogu people and eliminate the threat of the Salamander King forever in this feature-length story of adventure, humor, and slippery eels.” It’s written by creator Stan Sakai, of course, with art and more writing by Julie Fujii Sakai. In trade paperback.

image c. 2021 IDW Publishing

Animation Magazine let us know about a new animated TV series called Housebroken, which just premiered on Fox. Housebroken is “…a new animated series which centers on Honey (Lisa Kudrow), a standard poodle who runs group therapy sessions to help animals from her neighborhood manage neuroses brought on by their owners and each other. The show’s super hip voice cast includes Nat Faxon as a sloppy St. Bernard, Will Forte as a sex-positive tortoise, Sharon Horgan as an aging Persian cat, Jason Mantzoukas as a street-smart cat, Sam Richardson as a co-dependent cat, Tony Hale as a sweater-wearing terrier with OCD, and Clea DuVall as a know-it-all corgi.” There’s more information still gathering on Wikipedia, too. Woof.

image c. 2021 Fox

Okay, here’s something that snuck up on on us: Stitch and the Samurai, a new Disney spinoff manga written and illustrated by Hiroto Wada. “While fleeing the Galactic Federation, Stitch’s spaceship malfunctions and he makes an emergency landing… not in Hawaii, but in sengoku-era Japan! Discovered by the brutal warlord Lord Yamato and his clan, Stitch’s incomparable cuteness is no match for the battle-weary samurai, who decides to bring the ‘blue tanuki’ home with him. Will Stitch’s love of chaos turn into a formidable advantage for the samurai’s influence? Or will his cute and fluffy form disarm the noble lord’s stern façade?” In other words, is the noble lord a stupid-head? Find out now at TokyoPop.

image c. 2021 TokyoPop

No North is a brand new web comic that’s just getting started. It’s written and illustrated by the animator Raquel Simoso, also known as Skailla. There’s a preview video over on YouTube, along with several of Skailla’s other projects. No North is Old West adventure, mystery, and magic — with dogs! “Inspired by classic animal fables, traditionally animated movies, and every old west adventure you can imagine, this story came to life with the support of fans from around the world.” Take a look over at the official web site.

image c. 2021 by Raquel Simoso

Nearly three years ago we told you about Solo: Survivors of Chaos, the premier graphic novel from award-winning cartoonist Oscar Martin (Tom & Jerry comics). Well this summer, Mr. Martin returns with Solo Volume 2! “Warner Bros Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Oscar Martin, creates a unique dystopian world of chaos, where every day is a fight to survive. In a future ravaged by nuclear wars, the Earth has given birth to an array of new mutated species, which have grown and repopulated the land. But this new world is far from peaceful, and life in it is often short and brutal…” Find out more when Solo Volume 2 hits the shelves this June, in hardcover from Titan Comics.

image c. 2021 Titan Comics

The creator of Bird & Squirrel and Gabby & Gator is back with a new graphic novel for young readers — with a sense of adventure! “The Super-Secret Spy Service’s mission is to keep the world safe from maniacal villains. And Agent 9 is one of its best operatives. Although Nine always manages to complete the mission, there is occasionally some collateral damage (like the priceless Pigasso painting that was destroyed while foiling an art heist). So Agent 9 is now on probation. But when bumbling supervillain King Crab manages to overtake S4 headquarters, there is no one else to turn to. Nine — along with a robotic partner named FiN — is all that stands between King Crab and his diabolical plans to melt the polar ice caps and build a massive water park.” Agent 9 Volume 1: Flood-A-Geddon by James Burks is available now from Penguin. Appropriate!

image c. 2021 Penguin Random House

Renegade Games and Oni Press present Aggretsuko: Work/Rage Balance, a new card game based on the popular and award-winning anime series. “Aggretsuko is a fast-playing card game for 3-6 players, where each player takes the role of a mild-mannered office worker trying to get through their work each day. If a worker becomes frustrated, they can RAGE to let out their inner heavy-metal rock star. RAGING will provide some much-needed relief from the daily grind, but it may have consequences later on.” Interestingly, the game is illustrated by Brenda Hickey, well-known for her work on the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic comic series. Board Game Geek have a review of the new game.

image c. 2021 Renegade Games

Cartoon Brew pointed us at something we had not heard of. Thanks! “Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow, a family-oriented animated thriller from Spain, has entered production… Set in a world where humans and insects co-exist, the story unfolds on a seaplane journey from Shanghai to San Francisco in the 1930s. It centers on the spider detective Inspector Sun and his nemesis the Red Locust, paying homage to the detective stories of Agatha Christie and the fictional Charlie Chan. The script, by Rocco Pucillo, won the prestigious students-only Samuel Goldwyn Award in 2013. The film is a co-production from The Thinklab Media and Gordon Box. It is directed by Julio Soto Gúrpide, who helmed the Goya-nominated 2017 feature Deep.” Currently Inspector Sun is set for release in the summer of 2022. We’ll certainly find out.

image c. 2021 Thinklab Media

We’re quoting this one direct from the source — because they say it so well. “Deep in the library is a book that tells of giants and elves, woffs and deer foxes, and all manner of creatures from the Wilderness to the center of Trolberg. Those who wish to learn will glean all the knowledge they need from Hilda’s own copy of this fascinating compendium of beasts and spirits… For fans of Netflix’s hit animated Hilda series, this gorgeous guide to creatures from tiny to giant will keep young adventurers spellbound, with a behind-the-scenes bestiary that teaches Hilda fans everything they’ll want to know about the fauna of Trolberg, featuring trivia and brand new art!” Written by Emily Hibbs and illustrated by Jason Chan, Hilda’s Book of Beasts and Spirits is available now in hardcover.

image c. 2021 Flying Eye Books

Mad Cave Studios (home of Battlecats, as you may recall) has a new science fiction comic book series we just discovered, They Fell From The Sky. The summary for issue #2 explains it pretty well: “What do you do when you find a crash landed alien in the woods? Well, if you are Tommy Murphy you take it to the vet. After getting discharged, the newly named furry creature, Orion, is ready to discover all of the luxuries this small town has to offer. Can Tommy keep him in check, or is he reaching for the stars?” Issues are available now, written by Liezl Buenaventura, with art by Xavier Tárrega and DJ Chavis.

image c. 2021 Mad Cave Studios

Boy, here’s something we haven’t heard from in a while: The Wolf In Underpants series of graphic novels by Wilfrid Lupano and Mayana Itoiz. The latest one is The Wolf In Underpants: At Full Speed. “It’s race day in the forest—but someone has ruined the posters for the big event! When other animals ask the Wolf to investigate, he discovers a chickadee with a chip on its shoulder. After learning why the little bird feels left out, the Wolf hatches a plan to launch it to victory . . . A plan that just might involve the Wolf’s trademark striped undies.” Got that? The whole series is available now from Lerner Publishing and Graphic Universe.

image c. 2021 Lerner Publishing Group

Have you noticed that people who create stuff for young readers love to name characters after food?  Well here we go again… Blue, Barry & Pancakes is a new hardcover graphic novel from First Second. It’s written and illustrated by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson, creators of the animated TV series Rocket Monkeys for Nickelodeon. “One day, when the gang goes to the beach, Barry and Pancakes lose Blue’s beloved beach ball. They come up with a plan to get it back, but things go way off course. Now, these pals will have to go inside a giant whale’s stomach, crash a pool party on an alien spaceship, and survive Duckzilla’s volcanic birthday bash if they ever hope to see Blue’s beach ball again!” Got that? The bunny, frog, and snake are available now.

image c. 2021 First Second