Sunday Funny: Some Fairy Tales from Tundra Comics

Some fairy tale comics today from Tundra Comics. The Hansel and Gretel one above is by far my favorite of the three. How about you?

Females Leads Comics Omnibuses Sale Including Fables Universe

There is currently a Females Leads Comics Omnibuses Sale at Amazon with several first titles that are usually in the $12 and up range on sale for $2.99 in ebook format. Two of the titles are from the Fables Universe and I am sharing below:

Fairest Vol. 1: Wide Awake is $2.99.

Description:

New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator Bill Willingham presents a new series starring the female Fables. Balancing horror, humor and adventure in the Fables tradition, Fairest explores the secret histories of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, Snow White, Rose Red and others.

The first 6-issue tale follows the misadventures of Briar Rose immediately after the events of Fables #107(collected in Fables Volume 16: Super Team), in which she was stolen away by the goblin army. Following this first collection, Willingham will serve as a consultant on all story arcs and introduce new writers from other mediums to the Fables mythos.

Fan-favorite artist Phil Jimenez (Wonder Woman, The Invisibles) returns to Vertigo to pencil the opening storyline. Award-winning cover artist Adam Hughes (Wonder Woman, Batgirl) provides covers, starting with a wraparound cover on issue #1 that spotlights the lovely ladies who will star in the series.

Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile (Fables (Graphic Novels)) is also $2.99.

Description:

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.
AWARDS:
YALSA: 2004 annual recommended list of Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
·Willingham, Bill. Animal Farm (Fables series). DC Comics: Vertigo.
·Willingham, Bill. Legends in Exile (Fables series). DC Comics: Vertigo.
YALSA: 2007 Great Graphic Novels for Teens
·Willingham, Bill, Todd Klein, and others. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall. 2006. DC Comics/ Vertigo
As of 2008, Fables has won twelve Eisner Awards.
·Best New Series in 2003
·Best Serialized Story in 2003, 2005 and 2006 (Legends In Exile, March of the Wooden Soldiers and Homelands)
·Best Anthology in 2007 (Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall)
·Best Short Story in 2007 (A Frog’s Eye View, by Bill Willingham and James Jean, in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall)
Hugo Award Nomination 2009:
·Fables: War and Pieces was nominated for the first Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story

While we're here, Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal (Ms. Marvel Series) is also $2.99 which I bought out of curiosity. This title particularly interests me as the rebooting of Ms. Marvel as a sixteen year old Muslim girl living in New Jersey. This is one of Marvel's attempts--considered successful--to provide comics marketed towards a younger female audience without the sexed up, impossible costumes. This was a hot topic a few months ago when What Taking My Daughter to a Comic Book Store Taught Me was published. For me, it's always been a hot topic since I have been visiting comic books stores most of my life, either with my brother or for myself and now for my nephew. Many of those years were with my brother or for some other reason, not for myself, for the reasons addressed in that very article. Not getting further into it here, but I bought this. Out of gratitude. And sent it to my niece's Kindle. Because she isn't interested in comic books, only anime. But it also explains my adoration for Felicity on Arrow, and Arrow in general, since overall they are getting women right on that show and that is the only way The Flash is failing me. And let's not even talk about the movies, but Josh Whedon does it for me. And, yes, Agents of Shield is doing fine, with Agent Carter, too, if only those shows were better overall. I've stuck with them because the hubby is devoted to Marvel Universe and I am devoted to watching tv with him. But two seasons to get to a superhero?

Steampunk Fables by Rod Espinosa: Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and Snow White

Rod Espinosa's Steampunk Fables by Rod Espinosa was released last year and missed my radar until this week. It is a compilation of three comics: Steampunk Cinderella One Shot, Steampunk Snow White, and Steampunk Red Riding Hood.

 

Book description:

Presenting an instant classic from Rod Espinosa, creator of The Courageous Princess and Neotopia, and Antarctic Press's own master of the new-age fairy tale. This collection of timeless tales has been galvanized and refueled to charge full steam ahead with a new angle on these familiar favorites!

Steampunk Cinderella:

In a stately home upon a grand estate lives the lovely Cinderella...slaving away to please her stepmother and stepsisters. She stokes the boiler pressure to meet their needs and answers all their calls through the intercom tubes, all for a few scraps and no gratitude. But with the help of her father's steam-powered inventions, she just might get to meet her prince...

Steampunk Red Riding Hood:

My, Grandma, what a big gears you have! (All the better to grind you with, my dear!) My, grandma, what a big boiler you have! (All the better to cook you with, my dear!) My, grandma, what a big Tesla blaster I've got! (Er...)

Steampunk Snow White:

From the mastermind behind Neotopia and Courageous Princess comes this spectacular steampunk take on a classic fairy tale! In a far-off kingdom, the queen sends her armies of steam-powered juggernauts to successful conquest, all while she and her subordinate lords pass the wartime expenses on to the peasants. Her daughter, Snow White, protests to no avail. The commoners' only hope is the daring raider Lone Fox, but on his latest assault the vigilante is ambushed!

New Print Release: Beauty and The Beast: Act One (Volume 1) by Megan Kearney

Beauty and The Beast: Act One (Megan Kearney's Beauty and The Beast) (Volume 1) by Megan Kearney has been released in print.

If you are not familiar with Kearney's work, she has a web comic series of Beauty and the Beast. I wrote about it originally on the blog at Meagan Kearney's Beauty and the Beast. She has also shared a guest post with us in the past at A BEAUTIFUL BEAST: A Discussion of Panna A Netvor by Megan Kearney which shows her passion for Beauty and the Beast tales. A passion, I share, of course since this is my favorite tale, too.

Well, Act 1 of her Beauty and the Beast has wrapped up and is now available in print for those of us who prefer to read their graphic novels on paper. Or just want to keep a version of this tale for their personal libraries. You can keep up with Act II on her site or visit Kearney's main site at The Quietly to learn more about her. You can see her drawing style by looking inside the book at Amazon or at the comic's home site.

I also have this trailer to share:



Book description:

When her father returns from a journey bearing strange stories and stranger gifts, Beauty takes it upon herself to fulfill his debt to a mysterious creature called only “The Beast”. But neither the soft-spoken Beast or the uncanny Castle where he makes his home are what Beauty expects. Both harbour more secrets than she could have anticipated, and neither will give them up easily...

Bargain Comic Ebooks: Fables Series for 99 Cents Each

Pretty much all of the single issue comics in the Fables Universe are currently 99 cents each on Amazon. Here's the link: Fables Single Issue Comics Sale. Well, the most recent, #133 is $2.99 which I believe is the usual price for all of these.

There's 212 titles, so no, you won't be buying them all. Although that would be cool if you did. I admire that. But it's a way to read some of the series without a big commitment, or to read one of the side series in the universe. Anyway, I'm going to be quiet about it and just let you go explore if you are interested.

By the way, these are best on color ereaders like tablets, but they can also be read in B&W on regular Kindles and other readers because I imagine they are on sale elsewhere, too, but I'm not taking the time to investigate.

I think this is a promotion since many were just released in this format digitally with release dates for this week although the series is long lived now. Although I remember when it launched and that makes me feel old....

(And I just love that cover for Fables 73 above. Awesome.)

The Worn Out Dancing Shoes at Erstwhile Comics

Erstwhile Comics has begun a new fairy tale comic on their site, this time The Worn Out Dancing Shoes, often known better by the title of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. New pages are launching Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until the comic is completed. I know there are many fans of the tale here, so head on over and read and show your support for this great site and work. If you are unfamiliar with Erstwhile (I've posted about them before), many lesser known tales are offered for your comic reading pleasure.

Louisa Roy has met the challenge of giving the sisters personalities in this first page:

Meagan Kearney's Beauty and the Beast

Megan Kearney has launched her new web comic of Beauty and the Beast online.

Here is also the teaser trailer which has been languishing on my blog to do list. (Regular readers would probably want to cry over this list even more than me. And that's just the stuff I copied or wrote down the last several months. Aargh!) But better late than never and since this just launched, I'm not even that late, at least on this one, thank goodness. (Congrats Megan on launching your product. Feels great, right?)

From the site:

Raised with a healthy love of books and storytelling, and an unhealthy love of comics and cartoons, Megan's twin passions led her to earn her BA in visual arts, with an English minor, from the University of Windsor (during which time she also self-published her first comic) and then to Sheridan College, where she earned her BAA Honours in Animation, and produced her fairy-tale inspired short film, Once Upon a Winter Wood.

Megan has been fascinated with the story of Beauty and The Beast since she was a teenager, living in at the edge of the forest in a small town, surrounded by rosebushes. She currently resides in the equally enchanting Toronto, with her fiance and at least one rabbit.

and

The power of the tale [Beauty and the Beast] comes from its evolving meaning. what was born as a story discussing arranged marriage has mutated and grown with each retelling, finding relevance in many social climates. It continues ot change and rearrange itself today. Just as the women of Louis XIV's court spoke of their own lives through fairy tales, this comic is one woman's exploration of what Beauty and The Beast means to her.

The Muppet Snow White

Muppet Snow White (Muppet Graphic Novels) was released a few years ago and is already out of print, but I've not shared it here in my memory so here it is! This was part of a series but only one outright fairy tale was interpreted. Although it wasn't 2012, Snow White was the tale of choice to go along with Peter Pan, Robin Hood and others. The following are some images from David Petersen who did the cover art and a few of the interior images (found on his website) and one page representing the interior work by Shelli Paroline.

And, yes, let me tell you, I think we can find some deep psychological and sociological meanings to Miss Piggy playing both the evil queen and Snow White. What do you think?

Lena Headey Joins the 'Grimm Fairy Tales' Animated Series

 

From Lena Headey Joins the 'Grimm Fairy Tales' Animated Series by iamrogue:

Fairy tales aren't just for scaring the hell out of children. In this post-postmodern age, fairy tales are exactly the type of familiar, malleable properties that audiences expect to see turned on their heads to illuminate new elements of the old stories. While there are current and upcoming movies and television series based on the familiar stories, there's just one animated series, Grimm Fairy Tales, and the project has found its vocal leading lady in Lena Headey.

Grimm Fairy Tales is based on the comic book series that Zenescope Entertainment has published since 2005. Every issue contains a familiar fairy tale being retold by Dr. Sela Mathers, a literature professor whose twisted versions of these stories are pointed cautionary tales. Lena Headey will voice Sela, and will also be a major creative force on the series.

Frequent Metalocalypse and Venture Bros. director Jon Schnepp is directing the entire series, and he's promised that Grimm Fairy Tales will be appropriately violent and unhinged. The idea is to create a Heavy Metal-style anthology with an unapologetic R rated sensibility.

So, no, not one for the kids or family.

There's also a Kickstarter page and here's a video, too.