Here comes a new hardcover graphic novel for young readers called Birtle and the Purple Turtles. “Everyone is a turtle in Turtletown. So Teeny thinks she must be a turtle, too. But when Teeny sprouts feathers, she begins to wonder… is there a teeny possibility she’s a… Birtle? Tootie loves tag, but the other turtles in Turtletown don’t like to play. That is, until Tootie meets Teeny. Teeny loves tag. They have tons in common! Except one big thing: Teeny may not be a turtle at all. This adorable graphic novel is about being true to yourself, friendship, and most of all, celebrating differences.” It’s written and illustrated by Tara J. Hannon, and it’s available now from Andrews McMeel.

image c. 2024 Andrews McMeel

This year at the annual Lightbox Expo we met the artist Naomi VanDoren. Recently they’ve been branching out as an author, and after successful Kickstarter campaign they’ve released their first illustrated book, called Naiya and the Foxdragon. “Naiya is a young teen who has been hiding from her past and her unkind uncle most of her life until she befriends a foxdragon named Aru. When the last of the magic orbs that once powered their city is depleted, she faces her fears and embarks on an unexpected journey into the heart of the jungle to save her home. Along the way, Naiya discovers her own self-worth as she and her foxdragon friend navigate the treacherous jungle and learn about her own relationship with the world’s magic.” Visit their web site to see more.

image c. 2024 by Naomi VanDoren

While at a local vegan festival, your ever-loving ed-otter met up with author Bill Muir, also known as Sgt. Vegan. During his time in the U.S. military, Sgt. Muir served ably while maintaining a plant-based diet, which is no mean feat in itself. Since then he has become well known as a vegan body builder and nutrition expert. But one little side project bears discussion here: He wrote a children’s book, The Adventures of Sergeant Piggy, which was illustrated by Hayden Fowler. The book details Sergeant Piggy’s travels around the world to meet a variety of animals, while also teaching young readers the value of a plant-based diet and green living. And now it’s available on Amazon too!

image c. 2024 Sgt Vegan Press

Here’s an intro you’re going to notice: “Antifa meets Richard Scarry in this epic fantasy story of a perma-stoned wizard bear’s quest to save their beloved magical island from evil robber baron cults.” What the heck? It’s Soggy Landing, a full-color graphic novel (written by The Brothers McGovern and illustrated by Ian Densford) available now from Oni Press. “Not very long ago, Soggy Landing was an island paradise. Now, it’s a brutal settler city ruled by a group of wealthy, cultists called ‘The 13’ who are immune to a leafy plague ransacking their community. As a battle between the haves and the have-nots comes to a head, a free-spirited wizard bear named Otso and her friend, Slipper, join The Broken Wheel in an uprising against colonial forces controlling the magical island they love.” Find out more over at Simon & Schuster.

image c. 2024 Oni Press

Lucy is a science-based graphic novel by Patrick Norbert, illustrated by Tanino Liberatore (Heavy Metal magazine). “At the end of the 1970s, a discovery changed the face of the world: the almost complete skeleton of a specimen of Australopithecus, the oldest common ancestor of mankind, was unearthed in the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia. But who was this woman named ‘Lucy’ after the Beatles song? In this comic book with a romantic breath, remarkable for its scientific veracity, we follow the timid footsteps of our ancestor in his awakening to consciousness. A journey made of dangers and discoveries, rocked by the starry night where all the mystery of the world is hidden.” Previously available only in French, in 2023 Heavy Metal Entertainment finally released it in English.

image c. 2024 Heavy Metal Entertainment

Interesting graphic novel we stumbled across from Harper Collins Publishing: Saving Chupie by Amparo Ortiz, illustrated by Ronnie Vazquez. “Violeta Rubio only has one goal in mind for her first-ever trip to Puerto Rico: Help Abuelita reopen her beloved restaurant. The only problem is that Violeta’s whole family thinks they can do it without her. Now Violeta doesn’t have anyone to hang out with or anything to do. But when best friend duo Diego and Lorena need help capturing the rumored chupacabra, Violeta sees her chance to change all that. What she isn’t expecting is to run straight into the beast. Only… he isn’t as monstrous as everyone assumes. Sure, he’s got some scales and spikes, big red eyes, and pointy fangs — but he’s totally puppy and loyal to a fault. Violeta must find a way to keep Chupie hidden and convince her newfound friends that he isn’t anything to be scared of.” Check it out now, in hardcover.

image c. 2024 Harper Collins

It always pleases me to say, particularly to furry audiences, that a hiatus was taken for less exciting and dramatic reasons than those they may have cooked up. In this case, I’m glad to return to posting an occasional media review here and there after five years of being between smartphones, plus the additional snag of quite the dry spell in terms of worthy things to write of. (Thanks for holding back on Jackbox, guys.)

Making use of snazzy resources, both analog and digital – remember your local libraries, folks – takes you a long way. It certainly brought these two disparate cat stories back to my attention.

An amazing true story — presented as an anthropomorphic graphic novel. “What happens behind the walls of a police station? What kind of living does a cop make? And how does a culture of racism and violence become entrenched? Valentin Gendrot went undercover in Paris to find the answers — revelations that rocked France and led to a series of investigations, including an internal affairs case on Gendrot himself. Flic is an exposé of a world never before seen by outsiders, an urgent story for our times, powerfully illustrated by the talented Thierry Chavant.” And it’s available now from Scribe Publications.

image c. 2024 Scribe Publications

From Magnetic Press comes My Friend Toby, a wordless graphic novel written and illustrated by Gregory Panaccione. “Toby lives in a small seaside village with his artist friend Marcel. Toby was once a stray, but Marcel took him in, and they’ve been best friends ever since. Only now, Marcel is going through a rough patch. Broken-hearted and unable to pay the bills, their future is uncertain. It is all beyond Toby’s comprehension, but he’s not worried. As long as there are scraps in his bowl and new neighborhood territories to claim, everything will be fine. What more could a carefree dog want out of life? Told largely from Toby’s canine perspective, readers will be treated to a peek between the ears of Man’s Best Friend, dealing with such critical topics as: a) strange cats, b) new neighbors, c) car rides, d) territory disputes, e) thunderstorms, f) being left alone, g) puppy memories, and oh, so much more.” It’s available now in hardcover.

image c. 2024 Magnetic Press

And now for something considerably different, courtesy of IDW and Top Shelf: The Unpetables, a new graphic novel for young folks from Dennis Messner. “Pigmund and Lizárdo are free! They recently “declared independence” from their petting zoo…. and now this pot-bellied pig and iguana are out to See The World. They are The Unpetables — and they’re available for temporary work as ‘freelance pets’. But no matter what gigs the Unpetables may get, they have one very big rule: No More Petting!” You heard it here folks. And, it’s available now in trade paperback from Penguin Random House.

image c. 2024 Top Shelf Productions

Talk about and-now-for-something-completely-different: “Before humanity had successfully traveled the entire globe, it was believed that monsters ruled the oceans just beyond the horizon. “Here there be dragons…” was written on maps to denote the areas people dared not go.That is, until Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the seas, visiting foreign lands and collecting treasure. That’s what history tells us, at least, but history does not have the full tale. Monsters did lurk yonder, living on an island that still doesn’t appear on any map, and among them was the king of them all…Godzilla!” See? Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons collects the 5-issue series (written by Frank Tieri and illustrated by Inaki Miranda) into a single graphic novel. Look for it now from Random House.

image c. 2024 IDW Publishing

Another interesting graphic novel we came across: Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures, written and illustrated by Jason Pamment. “Ember is a tiny boy (literally) all alone in a giant world who longs to fit in. His dream may finally come true when his adopted guardian, Lua, a warmhearted sea turtle, escorts him across the ocean to a school for little creatures on the mysterious Puzzle Island. This hidden place is brimming with fantastical life, and as Ember explores the lush forests and deep caves, he’s filled with wonder and curiosity. There’s only one problem — his new classmates don’t seem at all interested in being his friend.” Check out the sample pages over at Books of Wonder.

image c. 2024 Harper Alley

The Cryptid Kids are off and running with their first graphic novel, The Bawk-Ness Monster, written by Sara Goetter and illustrated by Natalie Riess. “Penny swears that when she was a little girl, a creature called the Bawk-ness Monster — half sea serpent, half chicken — saved her from drowning. Now, years later, she’s about to move away to a new city, and before she goes, she needs the help of her best friends, Luc and K, for a vitally important mission: seeing ‘Bessie’ one more time. But in their quest to find Bessie and give Penny the send-off she deserves, the kids stumble into a whole new problem: Cryptids are being kidnapped by an evil collector, and only Penny, Luc, and K can save them!” Available now in hardcover or paperback, from First Second.

image c. 2024 First Second Books

Another graphic novel for young readers — and cat fans! It’s the Tig and Lily series of books, written and illustrated by Dan Thompson. “What makes a tiger, a tiger? Is it the stripes? The roar? This is something that Lily, the tiger at the local zoo, has never had to worry about — until she meets the fiercest animal of them all… her new roommate. Tig might look like a house cat, might sound like a house cat, but Tig knows he is a Tiger. The competition is on as these two cats figure out what it means to be a Tiger… and a friend.” Find Tiger Trouble and more books in the series over at Penguin Random House.

image c. 2024 Random House Graphic

Somehow we overlooked this one when it was a comic — but now it’s been collected together as a single graphic novel! It’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — The Dog of War, written by Mike Chen and illustrated by Angel Hernandez. “An extremely rare purebred corgi from Earth makes its way aboard Deep Space 9 when Quark cuts a deal to procure it for a high buyer. After all, a Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all! But Latinum the corgi comes with unexpected cargo that shakes Captain Benjamin Sisko to the core: A Borg component discovered by a crew sent to uncover Cardassian technology after the station’s reoccupation.” Check it out over at Penguin Random House.

image c. 2024 IDW