So here’s a brand new comic book series from Aftershock, with a very straight-forward title: Samurai Doggy. “During the Fourth War of the Sun, a small dog named Doggy experienced an irreparable trauma: His mother was brutally murdered, and his eight brothers, still puppies, were kidnapped by a mysterious man. To save them, Doggy fought bravely against the terrible killer, but all his efforts were in vain, and he was left for dead. What nobody imagined was that a technological vulture scavenging the region for corpses would be the one to rescue the dying dog from death’s scythe. Now, Doggy has become Samurai Doggy, and his only goal is to quench his thirst for revenge.” As told to us by writer Chris Tex and illustrator Santtos, the team behind Blackout.

image c. 2023 Aftershock

The OPB reports that Benjamin Smith, known in the fandom under his fursona name “Polybun”, faces murder and attempted murder charges after he confronted protesters before opening fire into the crowd. Four were injured and one, Brandy Knightly, a sixty year old woman, lost her life in the attack.

Connections to the fandom were fished out by the local Portland community furries as images of the attacker made the rounds. One of the first to report on this to social media was Triss Winters, a furry left-wing activist out of Portland who recalled when Polybun was removed from one of his house parties a decade ago due to him brandishing a knife and threatening to stab someone who took a photo of him at the event.

If you felt fursuit drama Bitter Lake lacked action, or were looking for more of a horror vibe, High Octane Pictures' Lone Wolf may be the pre-Halloween therian fursuit slasher flick for you.

Charlie, a professional cosplayer that specializes in dressing up in Furry Animal costumes decides to go to the biggest Furry Party of the year with her friends, but the party is soon cut short when she realizes that the party’s host, Leon Fowl known as Lone Wolf, is a murderer who enjoys turning people into real life Furry Animals by sewing the "Fursuit" to his victim’s bodies. Charlie and her friends are now in a race for their lives to escape the clutches of this madman before it's too late.

Billed as 'a psycho insane crazy furry dream', Lone Wolf comes in at 82 minutes, is rated 16+, and is to be available on VOD platforms October 5. Fursuiters Gabrielle the Red Panda, Kanna the Oppossum, Charlie the Cheetah, and Valentina Lynx are played by Kennedy Wunderle, Alexandra Dustin, Jane Gardner and Victorya Danylko-Petrovskaya.

Do you read German? I don’t.

I have been occasionally checking to see whether any more of the German murder mysteries featuring animal private detectives have been translated into English. Sadly, all we’ve gotten is three of Akif Pirinçci’s eight hard-boiled cat murder mysteries (Felidae and two of its sequels featuring Francis – you’ve probably seen the German “Felidae” animated feature), and the first of Leonie Swann’s Agatha Christie-like sheep murder mysteries (“Three Bags Full” featuring Miss Maple, the cleverest sheep in Glenkill, maybe in all Ireland, maybe in the world). There have not been any translations of the murder mysteries investigated by dog detectives, pig detectives, goose detectives, parrot detectives, and more. Now it looks like the series by Moritz Matthies starring Ray and Rufus, the meerkat detectives from the Berlin Zoo, has reached its final volume with “Letzte Runde” (“Last Round”) from Fischer Verlag (March 2017, 304 pages).

Well this is perhaps something different… Fables: The Wolf Among Us is a comic book based on a video game based on a comic book. It’s . “Even before the first issue of Fables, there were stories to be told, shadowy avenues to explore, and lives hanging in the balance! Bigby Wolf has seen plenty in his time as Sheriff of Fabletown…but nothing can prepare him for this… It all starts with a simple domestic disturbance. But when Bigby learns that his old nemesis, the Woodsman who has an axe to grind, is part of the scene, things go downhill fast. And how will Bigby and Snow White keep their heads long enough to crack the case when they get caught up in a grisly murder mystery? Vertigo’s first-ever digital-first series, Fables: The Wolf Among Us is a gripping adaptation and expansion of the smash-hit video game from Telltale Games, and an official prequel to Bill Willingham’s bestselling Fables! Written by Fables alum Matthew Sturges (Jack of Fables) and Dave Justus (House of Mystery), with art by Stephen Sadowski (JSA), Shawn McManus (Fables / Fairest), and Travis Moore (JSA All Stars)!” You might also recall that the game was nominated for an Ursa Major Award. The first full-color issue of the comic book series comes to stores this January.

Anomaly Productions have released a new full-color hardcover graphic novel called Shifter. It’s the first in a planned new series. “What if you could soar with the birds – not in a man-made contraption or by using virtual reality, but as an actual bird? What if you could literally be a fly on the wall in a top-secret meeting? What if you could become any animal in the world or, better yet, anybody in the world? What if you could become any creature that has ever existed (and some you never believed could exist)? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Shifter, the latest full-color graphic novel from Anomaly Productions. Shifter is a sci-fi murder mystery with a unique perspective, a pulse-pounding thriller that explores the depths of humanity’s evil and the tremendous powers of the animal kingdom.”  You can find out more, and see more sample pages, at Anomaly’s Shifter page. Written and illustrated by Brian Haberlin (assisted by Brian Holguin), like many Anomaly Productions products Shifter features an available app to download. Aim your smart phone at the page, and animated characters leap out of the book and dance before you.

image c. 2013 Anomaly

Here’s something new that hit the shelves this summer: Seraphina, the debut novel by Rachel Hartman. Here’s the description from Amazon: “Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high. Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.” Seraphina is available in hardcover from Random House.

Actually, Sanctuary is a black & white on-line comic book by Stephen Coughlin, published as part of Slave Labor Graphics on-line comics initiative. It’s a funny animal adventure, but also a murder mystery. “ A research station on a secluded island houses a game reserve/sanctuary where the animals seem to be just a tad smarter than the human researchers observing them. The arrival of a Panda bear threatens to upset the delicate balance of life for everyone involved.” Word is out that Sanctuary will also be released soon on dead trees.  For now, check it out at SLG’s page.

image c. 2012 by Stephen Coughlin

This is becoming unbearable...

A bear has been implicated in the discovery of human remains on a remote logging road in British Columbia. The body has been positively-identified as convicted murderer Rory Nelson Wagner (aged 53, of Kamloops, BC). It is currently unknown what the cause of death was, but the BC Coroner has ruled out suicide.

Hunters first came across the remains after discovering Wagner's abandoned Volkswagen Jetta sedan on the road, and later discovered his buried and partially-consumed body.

On February 25 (2011), the body of 18-year-old Jonathan Dargis, a resident of Zeeland, Michigan, was found buried in a wooded area near the mobile home he shared with his mother. He had died from multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma.

Joshua Hambley (also 18), an aquaintance of Dargis, was subsequently charged with his murder. Police and Ottawa County Prosecutor Ron Frantz allege that the motive was Dargis' alleged sexual assault of Hambley's 19-year-old ex-girlfriend.

The twist? The ex-girlfriend is also a furry, and it's come up in court.

Nathaniel Zeno, 16 (also known as Black Fox) was charged last Wednesday with solicitation to commit murder after Seminole High School staff noticed him making a suspiciously-marked map of the school. [Markos/FNN]

Nathaniel had reportedly been reading from a book about the Columbine massacre and had tried to solicit help from fellow students. Police say he was targeting those with "a history of being cruel or neglectful to animals."

More coverage: Daily Mail - LargoPatch - 10 News/WTSP - 13 News

Matthew Paul Finnigan (26), also known as Starblade Enkai, died 22 September 2010 – apparently after being stabbed in a friend's apartment. The suspect, James Torrey Hill, has plead not guilty to murder and is being held in custody.

Starblade was a controversial figure in fandom, best known for inspiring the "FYIAD" meme.

Update (20 Feb 2011): More news has emerged on the killer, who apparently had a preoccupation with the idea of killing someone, and stabbed Starblade because he was "sick of his life", "sick of school", and "might as well go to jail." [tip: rodox_video]

Missing comic book creator Stephen Perry, writer for popular 1980s animated show ThunderCats, was the victim of a homicide, police in Zephyrhills, Florida report.

Stephen's van was found 11 days ago, along with the remains of an arm. Friends say he went missing earlier this month. His roommates, James and Roxanne Davis, had also disappeared, but were recently arrested on separate probation- and drug-related charges.

Stephen is survived by his past partner Krystal Carroll and their 5-year-old son, Leo.

A man who attempted to murder his friend's parents has been incarcerated indefinitely, for a minimum of three-and-a-half-years; his friend has been placed under medical supervision.

Christopher Monks (Rox-Yin) and Shaun Skarnes (Kira) reportedly met through social networking website Furry 4 Life. The pair were found guilty of conspiracy to murder in July, but Monks - who promised to let Skarnes bite off his penis in return for the deed - was shown to have Asperger Syndrome.

UK law allows for indefinite imprisonment for public protection, subject to future parole.

Christopher Monks and Shaun Skarnes, who have been found guilty with conspiracy to murder

The case, as first reported on back in February, of two furries charged with conspiracy to murder has been picked up again in the last week as the two were put to trial by Preston's Crown Court.

Christopher Monks and Shaun Skarnes, known as Rox Yin and Kyra respectively, have both been charged with two counts of conspiracy to murder.