The front cover of 'Newshounds II - Book One: MegaNewsWest', as taken from this strip.

Two furry webcomics have recently published new "Dead tree" compilations of their strips.

Thomas K. Dye has published the first book of strips from Newshounds II entitled "MegaNewsWest" and contains strips dating since when the original series ended with the staff of KPET News having moved to a now larger news company. The book is published by Lulu and costs £10.64, or you can download the book for £5.70.

The other book is the second part of Bill Holbrook's Kevin & Kell treasury, featuring several of his older strips. Following on from his first part of the treasury, "Historic Kevin and Kell", the new book, "The Great Bird Conspiracy" includes strips from previous editions as well as containing a series of never-before-seen extras. Amongst the extras include a teleplay for a proposed 1997 Kevin & Kell television show. The book is published by Moonbase Press and is available from The Bill Holbrook Store at a price of $24.95 (about £16.50).

Holbrook is also preparing to publish his 14th annual collection of strips for July, entitled "Rules of Engagement".

The date of the sequel to Thomas K. Dye's humorously satirical webcomic Newshounds has been announced. Newshounds II will start on 2 July, 2007.^[1]

The new series will continue from where the first Newshounds left off, with KPET manager Lorna Dilbrook taking the post of head news editor of MegaNewsWest, on the condition the her old staff at KPET were also given jobs.

Since Newshounds ended on December 8,^[2] Dye has been running a commentary on old strips, as well as making a spin-off featuring the cubs of Wolfram Blitzen and Rochelle O'Shea, Malcolm and Emma, in a strip called Kid Gloves since January 30.^[3] The last Kid Gloves will be published on June 29, with Newshounds II taking over.^[1]

The original Newshounds ran from November 1997, and was published in seven compilations.

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune discusses online comic strips (yes, we're a bit slow on the uptake; the article ran Feb. 22). Among those mentioned are Kevin and Kell and Newshounds.