Lions, Tigers and Bears
Encyclopedia
This article is about the comic book series. For the song, see Lions, Tigers & Bears
.
Lions, Tigers and Bears is a comic book series from Image Comics
and Hermes Press, created by Mike Bullock
with artwork by Jack Lawrence
, Paul Gutierrez, Michael Metcalf, Mike Wieringo and Bob Pedroza.
The story features the adventures of a young boy named Joey Price who discovers that his stuffed animals can come to life to protect him from The Beasties, monsters who come out of his closet to get him in the middle of the night.
"A child’s instinctual need for the comfort of a stuffed animal is rooted in a reality long forgotten by the adult world. The hidden truth is that these companions have been defending children since the dawn of time. Follow young Joey on the adventure of a lifetime as he travels through the Stuffed Animal Kingdom, a journey that puts the fate of all the world's children in his hands and brings him face to face with his destiny."
Courtney Donlolley. Courtney is the nine year old daughter of Abner Donlolley, maker of the Stuffed Animal Kingdom stuffed animals. As such, she's often the target of Beastie schemes. Courtney and Joey have rapidly become close friends and are often found together.
Ares, the siberian . Ares is the muscle of the Night Pride. His personality is more dynamic than Pallo’s, as he lets his semi-sarcastic sense of humor seep into his dealings. Regardless of his seemingly, less serious outlook, Ares is just as duty bound as Pallo and will stand beside Pallo until the very end, no matter the cost. By the end of volume I, Ares is Joey's new best friend.
Venus, the bengal tiger. Venus is second-in-command of the Night Pride. Her strong will and sense of purpose are tempered by her caring heart and empathic nature. Her affection can be seen when she is with another member of the Pride or one of her many friends in the Stuffed Animal Kingdom. Her strength shines through when dealing with the Beasties or other threats to her charges. Every animal in the Kingdom knows of her kind heart and every Beastie fears her name.
Pallo, the lion. Pallo is the leader of the Night Pride. He is fearless, commanding, decisive and intelligent. His no-nonsense approach to leading the Night Pride has rapidly made him one of the most revered commanders in the Stuffed Animal Militia. His sense of duty is unerring and his dedication to his tasks unyielding.
Minerva, the black leopard. Minerva is the stealth agent of the Pride, spending most of her time gliding through the shadows. This makes her something of a loner; however, she is still an essential member of the Night Pride. While her strength and ferocity are legendary, so too is her compassion and the only thing more renowned is her sarcasm. Don’t fear the shadows when you sleep, for Minerva guards them making sure no Beastie will tread there.
Mumbler. Mumbler is more reserved than Grumble, but has his own sense of mean-ness that he exhibits in his twisted sense of humor. Mumbler derives great pleasure from the discomfort of others, especially Grumble. Mumbler is hard to understand, however, as his giant front teeth muffle his voice terribly, thus making it very hard to figure out what he’s saying.
Grok. Grok is second in command of the Beasties. His terrible temper suits the needs of his boss, Valthraax. The only thing more ferocious than Grok’s anger is his hunger for children.
Valthraax Valthraax is the leader of the Beasties, and some say, a relative of Abner Donlolley who was cursed to walk the Kingdom as Lord of the Beasties. His only desire is to rid the Kingdom of Stuffed Animals so that he can harvest the children of our world for his own selfish appetite.
from February 2005
to May 2005, with each issue selling out in weeks to days to hours. The first printing of the collected edition, released by Alias Enterprises
, sold out of its initial shipment in a matter of hours as well. The Second edition, from Image Comics
sold out in just over a year.
In the summer of 2005, the characters from Lions, Tigers and Bears returned in a 10-part story that ran in the comics section of The Arizona Republic
, the state of Arizona's largest newspaper.
Volume II, also a four-issue mini-series, began in April of 2006
and collected into trade paperback for release in February 2008.
Volume III, was released in late August 2011 by Hermes Press as a full-length graphic novel.
Lions, Tigers and Bears Volume I has been reprinted in Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, French and German.
.
Winner of the 2005 Paper Screen Gem Award for All Ages as presented by WWW.BROKENFRONTIER.COM
In 2009, Paramount optioned the comic series, with a screenplay by Joey Aucoin and Lorenzo di Bonaventura
set to produce. The film will be live action, with "heavy doses" of CGI animation.
Lions, Tigers & Bears
This article is about the song. For the comic book series, see Lions, Tigers and Bears."Lions, Tigers & Bears" is the third single released from American R&B–soul singer Jazmine Sullivan's debut album Fearless. The song impacted radio on November 11, 2008, and was officially released on December...
.
Lions, Tigers and Bears is a comic book series from Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
and Hermes Press, created by Mike Bullock
Mike Bullock
Mike Bullock is an American author and musician born in Washington, DC. Bullock began writing fiction, non-fiction and poetry in the 1980s. He worked professionally in the music and comic book industries since 1986 and is best known as the creator of comic book series Lions, Tigers and Bears from...
with artwork by Jack Lawrence
Jack Lawrence (artist)
Jack Lawrence is a British comics creator. Prior to 2002 he also worked as an animator.-Biography:Lawrence took a General Art and Design BTEC First Diploma at Canterbury Technical College, then went on to the KIAD at Canterbury to study for a BTEC National in the same subject...
, Paul Gutierrez, Michael Metcalf, Mike Wieringo and Bob Pedroza.
The story features the adventures of a young boy named Joey Price who discovers that his stuffed animals can come to life to protect him from The Beasties, monsters who come out of his closet to get him in the middle of the night.
"A child’s instinctual need for the comfort of a stuffed animal is rooted in a reality long forgotten by the adult world. The hidden truth is that these companions have been defending children since the dawn of time. Follow young Joey on the adventure of a lifetime as he travels through the Stuffed Animal Kingdom, a journey that puts the fate of all the world's children in his hands and brings him face to face with his destiny."
Characters
Joey Price. Joey is an eight year old boy who lives with his single mother. Joey is very daring and adventurous, but like most eight year olds, can be easily frightened by the larger world around him. After moving away from the house he grew up in, his Grandmother gives him the boxed Night Pride, a set of four stuffed animals, who will later come to life to protect him from the evil Beasties.Courtney Donlolley. Courtney is the nine year old daughter of Abner Donlolley, maker of the Stuffed Animal Kingdom stuffed animals. As such, she's often the target of Beastie schemes. Courtney and Joey have rapidly become close friends and are often found together.
Ares, the siberian . Ares is the muscle of the Night Pride. His personality is more dynamic than Pallo’s, as he lets his semi-sarcastic sense of humor seep into his dealings. Regardless of his seemingly, less serious outlook, Ares is just as duty bound as Pallo and will stand beside Pallo until the very end, no matter the cost. By the end of volume I, Ares is Joey's new best friend.
Venus, the bengal tiger. Venus is second-in-command of the Night Pride. Her strong will and sense of purpose are tempered by her caring heart and empathic nature. Her affection can be seen when she is with another member of the Pride or one of her many friends in the Stuffed Animal Kingdom. Her strength shines through when dealing with the Beasties or other threats to her charges. Every animal in the Kingdom knows of her kind heart and every Beastie fears her name.
Pallo, the lion. Pallo is the leader of the Night Pride. He is fearless, commanding, decisive and intelligent. His no-nonsense approach to leading the Night Pride has rapidly made him one of the most revered commanders in the Stuffed Animal Militia. His sense of duty is unerring and his dedication to his tasks unyielding.
Minerva, the black leopard. Minerva is the stealth agent of the Pride, spending most of her time gliding through the shadows. This makes her something of a loner; however, she is still an essential member of the Night Pride. While her strength and ferocity are legendary, so too is her compassion and the only thing more renowned is her sarcasm. Don’t fear the shadows when you sleep, for Minerva guards them making sure no Beastie will tread there.
Villains
Grumble. Grumble is the older brother of Mumbler. He gets his name from his temperament, always unhappy, always complaining about this and that. He loves nothing more than to devour small children, but if he’s not doing that, his favorite thing to do is complain.Mumbler. Mumbler is more reserved than Grumble, but has his own sense of mean-ness that he exhibits in his twisted sense of humor. Mumbler derives great pleasure from the discomfort of others, especially Grumble. Mumbler is hard to understand, however, as his giant front teeth muffle his voice terribly, thus making it very hard to figure out what he’s saying.
Grok. Grok is second in command of the Beasties. His terrible temper suits the needs of his boss, Valthraax. The only thing more ferocious than Grok’s anger is his hunger for children.
Valthraax Valthraax is the leader of the Beasties, and some say, a relative of Abner Donlolley who was cursed to walk the Kingdom as Lord of the Beasties. His only desire is to rid the Kingdom of Stuffed Animals so that he can harvest the children of our world for his own selfish appetite.
Publication history
The first volume, a four-issue mini series, was released by Image ComicsImage Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
from February 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
to May 2005, with each issue selling out in weeks to days to hours. The first printing of the collected edition, released by Alias Enterprises
Alias Enterprises
Alias Enterprises is a United States publishing company. Their main divisions are Alias Comics and Cross Culture . Based in San Diego, California, it was founded in January 2005 by Brett Burner and Mike S. Miller...
, sold out of its initial shipment in a matter of hours as well. The Second edition, from Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
sold out in just over a year.
In the summer of 2005, the characters from Lions, Tigers and Bears returned in a 10-part story that ran in the comics section of The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
, the state of Arizona's largest newspaper.
Volume II, also a four-issue mini-series, began in April of 2006
2006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
and collected into trade paperback for release in February 2008.
Volume III, was released in late August 2011 by Hermes Press as a full-length graphic novel.
Lions, Tigers and Bears Volume I has been reprinted in Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, French and German.
Awards
Winner of the 2007 Prix Jeunesse 7-8 ans at the Angoulême International Comics FestivalAngoulême International Comics Festival
The Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
.
Winner of the 2005 Paper Screen Gem Award for All Ages as presented by WWW.BROKENFRONTIER.COM
Film
The comic book series was optioned for film in the fall of 2005 by Union Entertainment for six months, however the company closed their doors before a movie could be undertaken.In 2009, Paramount optioned the comic series, with a screenplay by Joey Aucoin and Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Lorenzo di Bonaventura
-Life and career:He spent the 1990s as an executive at Warner Bros. Pictures, eventually rising to President of Worldwide Production. His production company di Bonaventura Pictures is based at Paramount Pictures. His tenure at Warner Bros. included discovering and shepherding The Matrix into...
set to produce. The film will be live action, with "heavy doses" of CGI animation.
External links
- Runemaster Studios, Inc.
- Image Comics
- Jack Lawrence
- Comprehensive history of Lions, Tigers and Bears
Reviews
- LTBv1 #1 on Broken Frontier
- LTBv1 #1 on The 4th Rail
- http://www.comicsbulletin.com/soapbox/110739653576189.htmLTBv1 #1 on Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
] - LTBv1 #4 on The Comics Nexus
- Series Review on Newsarama
- LTBv1 Trade Paperback on IGN
- http://www.comicsbulletin.com/allages/115804146617473.htmLTBv1 Trade Paperback on Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
] - LTBv2 #1 on Comixtreme
- LTBv2 #4 on Broken Frontier