In-Fur-Nation

IDW Publishing continues to present some unusual Disney-themed comic book entertainment. Listen, you’re going to notice someone who creates a story called The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, right? Well now writer Tom Angleberger brings us Disney’s Doorways To Danger, a new full-color graphic novel. “Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Uncle Scrooge, and all their friends are contestants on a reality TV game show called Doorways to Danger! As they scramble to be the first to collect the magical keys that lead them to their prizes, their grinning game show host might have plans of his own! And what are Pete and Trudy up to?!” As you can see from the cover by artist Jeff Harvey below, Mr. Angleberger isn’t the only one with a… unique take on well-known Disney characters! Doorways To Danger is available this June in hardcover.

image c. 2021 IDW Publishing

Welcome in the May! And welcome the 2021 Ursa Major Awards for the best in anthropomorphic media from 2020. While there was so much crazy (and let’s face it, sad) going on that year, somehow creative people managed to bring us some fine “talking animal” entertainment — and we love them for it. So here, as nominated and voted on exclusively by you, the Fans, are the winners for the Best in Anthropomorphics from the year 2020:

Best Costume (Fursuit): Zigc the Khajiit, created by Inerri Creatures

Best Web Site: Furaffinity.net

Best Game: Animal Crossing — New Horizons, created by Nintendo

Best Published Illustration: “Cheers” by Lofi

Best Magazine: Pocari Roo (video series)

Best Comic Strip: Housepets! by Rick Griffin

Best Graphic Story: Beastars (Volumes 4 – 8) by Paru Itagaki

Best Non-Fiction: The Fandom — A Furry Documentary, directed by Ash Kreis and Eric Risher

Best Other Literary Work: Difursity — Stories by Furries of Color, edited by Weasel

Best Short Fiction: What Makes A Witch, by Linnea Capps

Best Novel: The City That Barks and Roars, by J.T. Bird

Best Dramatic Short Work: Zoophobia — Bad Luck Jack, directed by Vivienne Medrano

Best Dramatic Series: Beastars (The English Dub), directed by Shinichi Matsumi

Best Motion Picture: Wolfwalkers, directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart

Needless to say, congratulations to everyone — the winners, and all the other nominees. To find out more about the Ursa Major Awards, or if you’d like to volunteer, visit the official web site. And start thinking about what sort of Furry Stuff you like from 2021! The Ursa Major Awards will return next year!

image c. 2021 Cartoon Saloon

Oops! Remember last year, when we mentioned that Netflix was creating a new animated series based on Jeff Lemire’s critically-praised comic Sweet Tooth? Well either the news was incorrect, or else Netflix changed their mind about the format, because they just released a teaser trailer — for the new live action series. “Based on the beloved DC Comic, and Executive Produced by Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr., Sweet Tooth is a post-apocalyptic fairy tale about a hybrid deer-boy and a wandering loner who embark on an extraordinary adventure.” All episodes will begin streaming on July 4th.

image c. 2021 Netflix

We’re learning more about Vivo, Sony Pictures Animation’s first musical. For one thing, they’ve released a teaser trailer — and a plot. “An animated musical adventure that follows Vivo, a one-of-kind kinkajou (voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda), who must find his way from Havana to Miami in order to deliver a song on behalf of his beloved owner and mentor Andres (Juan de Marcos Gonzáles).” Mr. Miranda wrote the original story, and lots of songs for the film as well. It’s directed by Kirk DeMicco (Space Chimps, The Croods) and Brandon Jeffords (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2). One of the producers is none other than Rich Moore (Zootopia). Well-known voices include Gloria Estefan, Michael Rooker, and Zoe Saldana. Vivo is coming soon to Netflix.

image c. 2021 Sony Pictures Animation

Ava DuVernay, director of Selma and A Wrinkle In Time, has a new series in the works — with dragons. Wings of Fire was a novel series, then a graphic novel — and now, a new animated series on its way to Netflix. “Oscar nominee and Emmy Award winner Ava DuVernay has landed her animated family series, Wings of Fire, at Netflix. Based on Tui T. Sutherland’s #1 New York Times and USA Today best-selling book series, the epic fantasy saga will be produced by Warner Bros. Animation… Published by Scholastic, with 14 million copies in print, the Wings of Fire book series tells the story of a bitter war that has raged for generations between the dragon tribes who inhabit the epic world of Pyrrhia. According to prophecy, five young dragons will rise to end the bloodshed and bring peace back to the land. Raised and trained in secret from the time they were hatched, the Dragonets of destiny – Clay, Tsunami, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny – embark on an evolving quest that will bring them face to face with their true selves and the overwhelming scope of this savage war they are destined to bring to an end.” Stay tooned for more news about a planned release date!

image c. 2021 Scholastic, Inc.

IDW Publishing is about to hit quite a milestone in the world of My Little Pony… “This July, IDW invites readers of all ages to enjoy a centennial celebration with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #100, the sensational super-sized anniversary issue full of frolicking fillies and mysterious menace! The monumental 100th issue of Friendship is Magic features the work of longtime, fan-favorite contributors, writer Jeremy Whitley and artists Andy Price and Brenda Hickey, and includes a special back-up story by Katie Cook. Set officially within the Season 10 continuity following the series finale of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic animated series, the story will be a thrill for longtime fans while remaining accessible to new and returning readers. In this landmark issue, Rainbow Dash and her companions Spitfire, Celaeno, Lyra, and Bon Bon find themselves in the Bird Kingdom, where old friendships are tested and a new, enigmatic enemy lurks in the shadows. Together, the ponies will unravel the mystery of the Knights of Harmony!” You herd it here folks.

image c. 2021 IDW Publishing

The movie Rumble has been pushed back to next year (February, according to IMDB), but already you can start ordering the tie-in material. Rumble: The Art and Making of the Movie is coming soon from Titan Publishing, edited by Noela Hueso. “In a world where monster wrestling is a global sport and monsters are superstar athletes, teenage Winnie seeks to follow in her father’s footsteps by becoming a coach and turning a loveable underdog monster into a champion. From Paramount Animation, Rumble is a larger-than-life animated coming of age comedy. With ringside seats to the production, Rumble: The Art and Making of the Movie contains sketches, concept art, storyboards, and final stills. Featuring exclusive commentary from the creative team, plus a foreword written by [actor] Terry Crews, this extraordinary collection of art will give you captivating insights into the creative process.” Look for it at Barnes & Noble.

image c. 2021 Titan Publishing

And one more from Simon & Schuster and the Glass House Graphics people, before we get away from that. Super Turbo is a new full-color graphic novel series written by Edgar Powers. Volume 1 is Super Turbo Saves The Day! “Turbo the hamster is the official classroom pet of Classroom C at Sunnyview Elementary… and he has a top secret identity as Super Turbo, crime-fighting superhero! He can’t believe it when he finds out he’s not the only superpet in town (or in school)! As he meets fellow superpets, such as Angelina the guinea pig (a.k.a. Wonder Pig) and Frank the rabbit (a.k.a. Boss Bunny), he also encounters a super villain: A rat who goes by the name of Whiskerface. Can Turbo and the Superpet Superhero League save the school from Whiskerface and his rat pack?”

image c. 2021 Simon & Schuster

The Annie Awards for 2020 were presented on April 15th — in an on-line virtual ceremony, of course. Presented each year by the International Animated Film Society (ASIFA), the Annie Awards are considered to be the Oscars of animation. Surprising no one, Disney/Pixar’s Soul was the big winner of the night, taking home seven Annies including Best Feature Film. (And hey, it’s got some anthro elements to it as well!). Wolfwalkers did quite well also, taking the award for Best Independent Feature back to Ireland, as well as honors for Production Design, Character Design, Directing, and Voice Acting (for Eva Whittaker as Mebh the wolf-girl). Cartoon Saloon, which created Wolfwalkers, also took home the award for Best Sponsored Production (eg “best commercial”) for their environmental PSA There’s A Monster In My Kitchen. Magic Light Pictures won the Best Special Production award for The Snail and the Whale. Over in the TV awards it was a good night for furry stuff, as Primal won for Best General Audience TV Series, Adventures of Paddington won for Best TV Production For Preschool, and Hilda won for Best TV Production For Children — as well as two other awards. Some single awards of note for furry fans include Looney Tunes for Best Storyboarding, Shooom’s Odyssey for Best TV Production Design, and Amphibia for Best TV Character Design.  All in all it was another good night for furries in the world of animation. Visit the Annie web site to see all the winners.

image c. 2021 Disney/Pixar

Also new from Simon & Schuster, the Pup Detective graphic novels are written by Felix Gumpaw and, once again, illustrated by Glass House Graphics. Volume 1 is called The First Case, sensibly enough. “Puppy PI Rider Woofson thought he was the only detective at Pawston Elementary, but while bringing down a pencil theft ring, he finds out that there are other super sleuths at school. Fortunately (or not!) there’s plenty of pet-ty crime happening at Pawston, so Rider joins forces with the other puppy PIs to form the PI Pack—the best (and only!) detective group at school. Their first case is high stakes because it hits every student in the belly…a lunchtime bandit is stealing the best food from the cafeteria! Will the Pup Detectives bring the noodle nabber to justice, or will the hungry students of Pawston be left to endure Soup Surprise for lunch every day?” Check out the rest of the series as well, in paperback or hardcover.

image c. 2021 Simon & Schuster

Out now from Simon & Schuster, there’s a new graphic novel series for young readers: The Dragon Kingdom of Wrenly, written by Jordan Quinn and illustrated by the team at Glass House Graphics. Volume 1, The Coldfire Curse, goes like this: “As the pampered pet dragon of the Prince of Wrenly, Ruskin has never known life beyond the walls of the palace. Until the day a young dragon from Crestwood comes to the palace to plead for help. An evil curse has been unleashed in Crestwood and threatens to destroy all of Wrenly. Ruskin has a choice to make: Stay safe at home in the palace, or try to help save his kingdom. For Ruskin, there is no choice. He knows he has to try and help if he can.” Several volumes are available now, in hardcover and paperback.

image c. 2021 Simon & Schuster

For those who thought that Furry Art got its start in the 1980’s…  meet T.S. Sullivant, who was doing this when Walt Disney was still in school. Now Fantagraphics Books have compiled many of his well-known black & white cartoons — along with words of appreciation — into a new book called A Cockeyed Menagerie. “Welcome to the cockeyed menagerie of Thomas Starling Sullivant. From the 1880s to the Roaring Twenties, Sullivant conjured up a whimsical world in pen and ink — riotous gag cartoons featuring anthropomorphic animals of all stripes; perennial American ‘types’ like hobos, hayseeds, and urban hucksters; and familiar characters from ancient myths and biblical tales. Imbued with infectious joy, his drawings have inspired generations of artists and countless Disney films.” It’s available now in hardcover.

image c. 2021 Fantagraphics Books

Back when we first talked about  The Chicken Squad book series, we made a silly crack about how one day they might be made into a “chick flick”.  Well… maybe a TV series is a good halfway point? “The Chicken Squad, Disney Junior’s new cg animated comedy adventure hits the airways on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW on Friday May 14. The series, which was inspired by the popular kids’ book series of the same name by Doreen Cronin, follows a trio of young chicken siblings—Coop, Sweetie and Little Boo—and their retired search and rescue dog mentor, Captain Tully. Together, they team up on problem-solving adventures in their backyard to help their animal friends, while modeling what it means to be good community helpers and finding the joy in assisting others.” Animation World Network has more information, and a preview trailer too.

image c. 2021 Disney Junior

Remember when we talked about Rivals of Aether, a very furry video game? Well now Dan Fornace and his creative team are exploring a new medium as they bring us Tales of Aether — Future Imperfect, a full-color comic book series slated to come out later this year. Over on YouTube they have a preview video that introduces a lot of the new characters and situations. Be on the lookout!

image c. 2021 Aether Studios

We’re sorry we didn’t hear about Rudek and the Bear before — but now creator Peter Donahue has a Kickstarter campaign running to get the second collection volume out, and it looks very interesting. “Rudek and the Bear is a webcomic featuring anthropomorphic soldiers and smugglers and their shenanigans along the Polish-Soviet border in 1929… Since Volume I came out, the story and characters have evolved so much. Rudek the fox faces his PTSD from the Polish-Ukrainian War; Masha the bear grapples with the moral consequences of smuggling stolen goods; and Malutki (the big bear) chooses which side he’s on.” The campaign has already reached its initial goal, so stay tuned to find out what stretches get added between now and the finish.

image c. 2021 by Peter Donahue

Interesting story out of Variety (by way of Animation World Network): “Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard is attached to helm a computer-animated adaptation of the beloved 1980s Rankin Bass animated series Thundercats for Warner Bros., from a script Wingard will write with frequent collaborator Simon Barrett (You’re Next, The Guest)… The original series, which aired from 1985 to 1989, was revived for a single season Cartoon Network in 2011, and then again in 2020 under the title Thundercats Roar. But as a feature film, Thundercats has been a tricky project to crack for the studio, which has hired a small parade of screenwriters and producers since at least 2007 to bring a movie to life. The underlying story is at once relatively simple — a team of humanoid cat-people (or cat-like humans) like Lion-O, Panthro, and Cheetara fight the evil wizard Mumm-Ra on the planet of Third Earth — and surprisingly complicated, with a mix of technological space sci-fi and swords-and-sorcery fantasy.” Read the article at Variety for much more on this latest take on our friends from Thundera.

image c. 2021 Cartoon Network

So here we are in April — Let’s talk about rabbits! Specifically The Runaway Bunny. We got this from Animation World Network: “First published in 1942, The Runaway Bunny is one of the many iconic children’s books by famous Goodnight Moon author Margaret Wise Brown; its poetry tells the story of a young bunny anxious to leave home and adventure out into the world beyond his rabbit hole, while also discovering the unending reach of his mother’s protection and love… Amy Schatz, documentary and short film producer and director, has spent the last year working with animator Maciek Albrecht to reimagine the classic 48-page tale into a 25-minute, 2D-animated musical, which premiered yesterday, March 25, on HBO Max.” Read the article to find out more.

image c. 2021 HBO Max

How did we not even know this was being made — let alone that it’s about to come out?? Well, here it is — The sequel to 2016’s Rock Dog, which furry fandom adored… even if the box office wasn’t so kind. Rock Dog 2 is scheduled for release in April, directed by Mark Baldo. “One year after the original Rock Dog: Bodi and his band, True Blue, have become locally famous in the village of Snow Mountain — they even have devoted fans! But when a music mogul named Lang gives them the opportunity to tour with pop sensation, Lil’ Foxy— Bodi and his friends learn that fame comes at a price, and ultimately discover that only by staying true to yourself can you unleash the power of Rock n’ Roll!” ReDefine is one of  the companies that worked on the film, and they have a lot of good info.

image c. Splash Entertainment

… because things are about to get weird-er… Digital Lizards of Doom is a new full-color graphic novel written by Gabriel Valentin and illustrated by Ernie Najera. “In a world where science and sorcery have brought peace to the galaxy, a young warrior’s belief system is shattered when an evil robot and an ancient witch attack his kingdom, forcing him into a quest for justice. As revelations about his world are exposed, Dizzy’s faith is shaken, and he must now make an unlikely alliance with a mysterious ninja and a cyborg cat pirate. Together they’ll search for a fabled weapon that could destroy evil forever and bring the universe into an unending era of peace!” Did we mention that Dizzy is a reptile? And that’s just a hint of how odd this all gets, as the graphic novel itself is written and presented in a unique new geometric manner. Visit their web site and it might all make more sense. Maybe. Oh, and there’s a soundtrack too!

image c. 2021 Clover Press

Look what they’re getting over in Italy! It’s a new 2D animated series designed to teach kids about ocean conservation (while they’re busy being entertained). “Based on an original concept by exec producer Federico Fiecconi (Founder & CEO, Graffiti Creative), AquaTeam-Sea Adventure follows world-famous marine biologist Marysun as she sets out with her friends Otty the Octopus (a whole rap group on eight legs) and teenage diving enthusiast Desy to explore the beautiful Mediterranean sea. As well as befriending dolphins, turtles and other sea creatures, the adventurers discover a deposit of plastic garbage which threatens a pod of sperm whales.” Animation magazine has all the details.

image c. 2021 Graffiti Creative