"Cat vs Human: Another Dose Of Catnip" Book Giveaway!

Cat vs Human: Another Dose of Catnip

Yasmine Surovec is on a rock 'n' kitty roll! In September, she followed up the release of her first Cat Vs Human book (based on the popular webcomic of the same name), with her debut children's book, "I See Kitty."



Now, the prolific feline illustrator is back on bookshelves again, with her second collection of comics, the appropriately titled, "Cat vs Human: Another Dose of Catnip." The adorably hilarious book includes 140 comics from her blog plus 21 new, never-before-seen comics created exclusively for the book!



"Cat vs Human: Another Dose of Catnip" is available now on Amazon and at fine bookstores near you!

Enter To Win!



Yasmine has generously offered one lucky Catsparella reader the chance to win a copy of her new book!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name and some way for me to contact you if you win (email, link back to your blog or profile, Twitter, etc.) The winner be will chosen in a random drawing next Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 5:00PM EST. This giveaway is open to everyone, so our international friends can participate too! One entry per person, please. 

Good luck, and be sure to visit the Cat Versus Human website and like CvsH on Facebook for updates on all of Yasmine's latest comics and kitty related projects!

If you have trouble leaving a comment, please email me at catsparella@gmail.com.

[Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering!]

"Cat vs Human: Another Dose Of Catnip" Book Giveaway!

Meet The Pusspins!

Meet the Pusspins!

Have you met the Pusspins? I was recently introduced to the adorable sextuplet, illustrated by the extremely talented Reg Silva.


Watchudoing?

The Pusspins (from the Filipino term “puspin,” a politically-correct word for "pusakal" (street cat), are a group of six insanely adorable felines and their equally crazy and cute kitty antics. The kitties each have their own personalities, but share an affinity for fishies, naps, playtime, catnip, and of course, Caturday! 









Reg was inspired by her own puspins at home: Sushi, a tricolor domestic shorthair, and Tiger, a brown mackerel tabby. They’re joined by other cats which were created from her imagination or were based on real cats that roam around her neighborhood. 


Sushi

She tells me, "Sushi adopted me when when my family and I moved to a new house-- Sushi was already there, as a kitten who was regularly fed by the construction workers."


Tiger and Midnight

"Tiger (pictured with my plush cat, Midnight, also the basis of the Pusspins version), on the other hand, was given to me as a kitten by a friend. I got both cats late last year. I'm a first-time cat owner (but long time cat lover) and since owning cats, I've found cats showing up more regularly in my work as an illustrator."


Super Cat

The Pusspins, who have only been around for about a month, started out as lazy doodles in Reg's sketchbook of Tiger, Sushi, and some cat essentials like litter boxes and cat toys. Today, there are over a dozen adorable illustrations, including fan art dedicated to some of my favs like cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy, and the internet's own Lil Bub!


Jackson Galaxy


Lil Bub

Silva, a freelance illustrator whose bright, fun, and playful work has appeared on toys, games, and books throughout the world, doesn't have any items featuring the kitties for sale just yet (darn!), but if Pusspins catch on, look out for a whole line of merch in the future. If you can't wait to get your cute kitty fix, she also recently released a pair of desktop wallpapers that you can download for free on her site.


Sushi Cat!

Follow the Pusspins latest adventures on their website, Facebook Fan Page, Tumblr, or on Instagram at @pusspins. When these super cuties take over the world, remember that you saw them here first! :)

Meet The Pusspins!

Simon's Cat In "Mirror, Mirror"

Mirror, Mirror - Simon's Cat

One of my favorite parts of the Simon's Cat videos are the hilariously realistic sound effects. Those licks, purrs, and mreowwws, are all put on full display in his latest romp, where the wily feline finds himself at odds with his own reflection.

Simon's Cat In "Mirror, Mirror"

Doctor Cat Kickstarter Brings The Feline Physician To Print

Fans of Sarah Sobole's popular Doctor Cat webcomic will be excited to learn that her first book is on its way! Sobole's Kickstarter to produce the first ever Doctor Cat books has already exceeded its goal, with 11 days still left to go. 



Doctor Cat, who has been "operating Fridays" since 2011, is an adorable and often hilarious glimpse into the life of a cat who somehow managed to obtain a medical license. He (she?) performs surgeries, delivers babies, and even takes time out of his busy schedule to answer fan mail (Q: Since hygiene is so important in hospitals, don't you think you should be wearing pants? A: Haha, that's ridiculous! Who's ever heard of a cat wearing pants?!)



The purpose of the Kickstarter is to produce a 72-page full color book featuring the first Doctor Cat story, and a 6-page bonus about Lawyer Cat teaching Doctor Cat how to play golf. 



There will also be a second, shorter book ("Doctor Cat's Day Off"), that includes four pages of bonus comics starring Lawyer Cat and Human Nurse. 



Donation levels range from $6 for a PDF file of each book, to $500 for the chance to appear as a background character in an upcoming comic.

With the original $8,500 goal safely behind her, Sobole recently added some "stretch goals" to encourage folks to pledge. When she hit $9,000, contributors were promised stickers shipped with every physical order, and after recently clearing the $12k mark, Sarah unveiled some super cool prints and posters (like Chat Docteur, above) available to those who contribute in the $15, $40, and $60 range.

Want more Doctor Cat? Catch up on all of the medical marvel's adventures here, follow him on Facebook, and visit the Doctor Cat shop to stock up on shirts, buttons, stickers and even a Doctor Cat plush!

The Doctor Cat Kickstarter campaign officially comes to a close on Sunday, July 21.

Doctor Cat Kickstarter Brings The Feline Physician To Print

Make-Up Tutorial By Lottie Pencheon

Make-up Tutorial by Lottie Pencheon

Feeling frustrated by hard to follow make-up tutorials that only make you feel worse about yourself (and your eyeliner applying skills)? Check out UK-based illustrator Lottie Pencheon's hilariously adorable cat comic about mastering the purrfect beauty routine. You can follow her on Tumblr here.

Make-Up Tutorial By Lottie Pencheon

Simon's Cat in "Screen Grab"

Simon's Cat - Screen Grab

Just days ahead of the U.S. release of Simon Tofield's third book, "Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos" (check out Charlie's review from earlier this week here), Simon's Cat and kitten have teamed up for their latest clip, to face their most confounding foe yet: a TV!

In the battle of cats vs television, kitties win every time.

Simon's Cat in "Screen Grab"

Charlie's Bookshelf: "Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos"

Charlie was anxious to check out our advanced copy of "Kitten Chaos"!

Simon Tofield created the original Simon's Cat video, "Cat Man Do," in 2008, when he was teaching himself to use animation software. 

In the five years since then, Tofield has gone on to release dozens of other "Simon's Cat" videos, which have drawn over 280 million eyeballs to date. When you think about it, that's an especially impressive feat, considering that each short clip is simply illustrated in black and white, with no text or dialogue, except for Tofield himself, who provides the cat's signature "Meow." The English animator, who was once told to quit drawing and get a "proper job," now has his own design team, and a growing empire, which includes books, calenders, t-shirts, cat beds, and more. 



His third book, "Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos," will be released in paperback and digital format in the U.S. by Akashic Books on April 16. The spirit of the animated cartoons is evident in the book of illustrations, which just like the films, uses images to tell stories, without any words needed.


Simon's Cat in Double Trouble

"Kitten Chaos" expands on the storyline (as seen in shorts like "Double Trouble") of Simon bringing his new kitten home, and the immediate conflict it causes with Simon's Cat. Throughout the course of the book, the two cats fight, play tricks on each other, and generally cause mayhem, in a way that will be hilariously recognizable to anyone who has ever had to contend with two pets who don't get along.


Charlie tries his paw at the drawing tutorial.

The U.S. edition includes bonuses such as a sheet of color stickers, along with directions on how to draw all of the characters, including Simon, his cat, the kitten, a mouse, a hedgehog, a rabbit, and more.  


Stickers!!

Some interesting things I learned from the background info I received: Simon Tofield actually has four cats, named Jess, Maisie, Hugh, and Teddy. He draws on inspiration from all of them when illustrating the cartoon, however Hugh is the one considered to be "Simon's Cat." Another interesting fact? While Simon's Cat is portrayed as a plump white puss, Hugh is actually a black kitty! As Tofield told The Guardian back in July, "It had to be white to make the graphics work."

"Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos" is available for pre-order now through Amazon, and will be in bookstores everywhere on April 16. To learn more about Simon's Cat, visit the website at SimonsCat.com.



Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book to review, but all opinions expressed in this post are mine (and Charlie's). 

Charlie's Bookshelf: "Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos"

Review: Two Cats Magazine: The First Magazine For Cats, By Cats

Two paws up for Two Cats Magazine!

Longtime readers may know that I'm a huge fan of Hey Pais, the internet's only journal comics written by a cat. Paisley is a 9-year-old girl kitty who lives in Chicago with her humans (who she affectionately refers to as "The Girl" and "The Guy"), along with a three-year-old white cat named Boo Radley, who they adopted last year.

Pais did me the honor of being one of my first celebrity cat interviews back in 2010, and gave me some insights on being a formerly (semi) feral cat, and what inspired her to start a comic about the real and make-believe adventures that make up her day-to-day in her life.

Cats-in-Chief: Boo Radley hogs the bed as Paisley looks on

More recently, Pais and Boo Radley decided to take on the challenge of creating Two Cats Magazine, the first magazine for cats, by cats. She's kind of like the feline version of Anna Wintour - just with less coffee, and more catnip (plus when she wears fur, it's totally ethical!). Pais and The Girl graciously sent me a copy of the magazine to check out, and I have to say, this ain't your mama's Cat Fancy.

Catnip mice (available from the Hey Pais Etsy shop) catching up on all of the latest celebrity cat news

As soon as it arrived, Two Cats Magazine had me buzzing with excitement before I even turned to the first page. The inaugural issue is handsomely bound, and features letters to the editor (Sample query: "My girl and guy keep talking about how they want to get another cat or something called a puppy. Should I be worried?"), an expose of what's really going inside the utility closet, a fashion editorial including looks from "Forever 2" and "Urban Mousefitters," a recipe for catnip treats, parody advertisements, an exclusive interview with Charlene Butterbean of the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee ("For an indoor cat, I lead a very interesting life"), and much, much more!

I really enjoyed reading the book, and appreciated the clever writing and illustrations, all done from a humorous cat's perspective. It's also easy to admire all of the time and hard work that went into creating the 52 page magazine, that was completely lettered and drawn by hand (er..I mean paw, right??).

If you'd like to pick up a copy of Two Cats Magazine (and I certainly hope you do!), it's available from the Hey Pais website for purchase in print and digital editions, suitable for your iPad or e-reader. In addition, I also recommend following @heypais and @radleycat on Twitter to keep up with all of their latest comics and daily musings on all things cat!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Two Cats Magazine to review, but all thoughts, opinions, and construction paper cat paws contained in this post are my own.

Review: Two Cats Magazine: The First Magazine For Cats, By Cats

The Perils Of Acquiring Kitty Kisses

If you follow me on Tumblr, you may have seen me reblog this comic by Madéleine Flores that purrfectly illustrates the plight of the over-affectionate cat owner.

As a self-professed cat kiss addict, I too aim my kisses towards the sweet smelling spot right on top of their heads. Sometimes they go for it, and let me indulge in a round of superfluous smooches, while other times I'm reminded with a polite paw that the kissing booth is closed!

Via Madeleine is here

The Perils Of Acquiring Kitty Kisses

Simon's Cat Can't Have Nice Things In "Shelf Life"

Simon's Cat in 'Shelf Life'

Have you ever heard the saying, "I can't have nice things. I have cats"?

Glass figurines, flowers, and drapes are just a few of the things many cat lovers have to sacrifice for the love of their clumsy felines, who can swiftly take down a mantle's worth of valuables in one fell (tail) swoop.

Despite her girth, my cat Priscilla is able to deftly navigate a cluttered nightstand, but Charlie is more like Simon's Cat - a bull in a china shop, "accidentally" knocking over anything that's unfortunate enough to be in his path. Luckily, neither have broken anything too valuable, but they're both awfully good at "artfully" rearranging anything they feel is out of place.

What is the worst thing your cat has ever broken or destroyed (but you forgave them anyway because they were so cute)?

Simon's Cat Can't Have Nice Things In "Shelf Life"

Stylish Kitty Lovers Wear Cat Vs Human

Yasmine Surovec, the insanely talented illustrator behind the popular Cat Vs Human comic, recently released a line of must have tees and totes for the fashion conscious cat lover. Whether you're looking to express your cat lady pride, or show off your sense of humor about some quirkier kitty habits, Surovec has the purrfect piece that's just right for you.

Head on over to the Cat Vs Human store to shop the entire kitty collection, that comes in a plethora of colors in both men's and women's sizes - minus the cat lady shirt, natch!

Cat Ladies Unite!

Bow Tie and Tabby

Litter Box Slumber and Puffy Calico

Stylish Kitty Lovers Wear Cat Vs Human

I Want You To Meet My Cats

"Darling, I think we've reached the next stage in our relationship...I want you to meet my cats."

Hey, Kim Kardashian didn't like Kris Humphries' dogs, and we all know how that turned out.

Via Gemma Correll / Facebook

I Want You To Meet My Cats

Cat Versus Human Book Giveaway!

Unless you're living under a cat poop covered rock, you're aware of Cat Versus Human, the insanely awesome and popular slice of life (with cats) comic by San Francisco Bay Area artist, Yasmine Surovec.

Through her always sweet, and sometimes sarcastic comics, cat lovers everywhere now have a visual representation of what it means to be a modern day cat lady person, and a means of commiserating and rejoicing over the quirks of our beloved felines. I can't tell you how many times I've read one of her strips and thought, "That's me!" or "My cat does that too!"

Being such a huge fan, I'm excited to report that you can now get your CvH fix in one handy place, as the strip has been turned into a book, featuring 100, many never before published comics. Cat Vs Human is now available on Amazon, or you can march your cat hair covered self down to a fine bookstore near you, to pick up a copy today!

Enter To Win!

Yasmine has generously offered one lucky Catsparella reader the chance to win a copy of the Cat Vs Human Book of their very own!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name and some way for me to contact you if you win (email, link back to your blog or profile, Twitter, etc.).

The winner be will chosen in a random drawing next Monday, October 24th at 5:00PM EST. This giveaway is open to everyone, so our international friends can participate, too! One entry per person, please.

Good luck, and be sure to check out Cat Versus Human's website, Facebook, and Twitter to keep up with all of the latest comic updates!

(If you have trouble entering a comment, please email me at catsparella@gmail.com.)

[Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering!]

Cat Versus Human Book Giveaway!

Meow Mix: All The Latest Cat News You Can Use

Cat Treadmills: The ultimate kitty workout. - BuzzFeed

Food Network star Paula Deen inexplicably appeared in this picture, and a new meme was born. This gif of her riding a flying kitty is my favorite so far. - Cybergata

In case you haven't heard, cats with thumbs are taking over the world. (Thanks, Khizra!)

Bertrum Thumbcat, star of the Cravendale Milk commercial, has been extremely busy on Facebook and Twitter this week, making origami, using chopsticks, and working on his plan for Total Feline Domination. He's also teamed up with Jimmy, the infamous polydactyl cat for a new site called Ask Oracle Cat. Enter your burning inquiry, and Jimmy will let you know your fate with a thumbs up, or an ominous paws down. Enjoy! There goes the rest of your afternoon!

Maru tried out some new hairstyles, and looks surprisingly good as a redhead!

Sachie from the fantastic My Himalayan Cat Goma blog tried cat poo beer! Read all about her experience, and see her cat Goma's reaction here.

ModernCat is holding a giveaway for this sweet RedTango CupcakeKitty prize package! Here's all the details on how to enter! Good luck!

Meow Mix: All The Latest Cat News You Can Use

Countdown To The A(cat)emy Awards!

Just because Oscar statuettes are only given out to human actors, it doesn't mean feline thespians can't get in on the action. Here's a quick rundown of all the kitty related Academy Awards news you need to know before the big show on Sunday night!

This Saturday in Eatontown, NJ, participating groups with Best Friends Network Charities will "rock the aCATdemy Awards, an exclusive and star-studded celebration that will spotlight over 200 adoptable VIP cats and kittens!"

More from the official press release:

"This red-carpet event will honor up-for-adoption feline celebrities and recognize superstar adopters with Oscar statuettes.

In preparation for this day of high fashion, select celeb kitties will receive the full-makeover treatment: fur styling, claw pedicures, glitzy glamour wear and all-around primping. These four-pawed Hollywood stars will then be chauffeured to the event in a luxurious limo to make their grand entrance.

In addition to being awarded aCATemy awards, adopters will receive free cat food and litter, and a new family photo taken by a professional photographer and other goodies."

To help promote the event, Liberty Humane Society created these cat-centric movie posters featuring some of their adoptable feline stars. I've included just a few, but be sure to check out the rest, and find out more about the event by clicking here!

***

The Kitten's Speech (Click image to enlarge)

Next up, premiere feline webcomic artisan Paisley the Cat has been presenting "Hey Pais Best Picture Nominee Theatre" on her site, with comics such as The Kitten's Speech, Black Mouse, The Kitten's All Right, 127 Minutes, Winter's Bowl, The Biter, Mouse Story, Kittenception, True Litter, and The Social Petwork.

She's also having a fun contest, where if you pre-order the "Hey Pais Best Picture Nominee Theatre" mini-comic book for six bucks, you'll also get to guess which movie will win best picture. If you're right, she'll refund your money and you'll get the book for free!

***

You probably already know that the American Humane Association recognizes films by giving them the “No Animals Were Harmed” certification, but did you also know they annually award "Pawscar" Awards too? Well, they do, and this year the lone feline winner was in the category of "Best Villian."

KHOU.com reports:

"Forget Hannibal Lecter and Darth Vader. For a portrait of pure evil, look no further than the diabolical villain Kitty Galore in “Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore.” Although Kitty Galore herself was created by computer-generated imagery (CGI), props and special effects, she was real enough to give you nightmares for weeks after seeing the movie. Don’t be fooled though — this project was a mixture of CGI and live action and, therefore, called for American Humane Association’s Certified Animal Safety Representatives to ensure the safety and well-being of all the animals involved."

***

And finally, let's not forget to send good wishes to real life animal loving Best Actor and Actress nominees like:

source

Natalie Portman for Black Swan

source

Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network

source

And James Franco for 127 Hours (Seen here recovering from his laser cats attack earlier this week.)

Countdown To The A(cat)emy Awards!