New Releases by Mark Tatulli

Perfect for fans of Captain Underpants and Dog Man, this second book in the hilarious middle grade graphic novel series eXpets follows the super-team as they try to thwart a conniving kitty’s dastardly plan. When Professor Foozypinz looks out his enormo’scope at the moon, the last thing he expects to see is a ginormous evil…kitten?! And yikes, she’s ready to wreak havoc on Earth and is heading straight for New Jersey! This definitely looks like a job for the eXpets! Mr. Turtle quickly calls in Ginormous Gerbil, Wonder Guppy, Laser-Eye Kitty, and Stanky Dog. The pets are on the case, but it turns out the only way to save the day is to get KittyKahKah’s evil collar away from her—and for that they need to team up with the expert on evil collars, a.k.a. their nemesis the Skunk! (Well, that sure stinks!). Just when Stanky Dog and Laser-Eye Kitty think they’ve got Skunk all figured out, he ends up double crossing them. Now the eXpets are divided, and time is ticking as KittyKahKah gets ever closer to Jersey City. Can the super-critters unite in time to save the day?

Perfect for fans of Captain Underpants and Dog Man, this first book in a hilarious new middle grade graphic novel series follows a stinky dog reluctantly recruited by a team of super-pets to rescue missing kittens! Bosco the dog loves being a house pet, loves his comfy dog bed and nice big house and, of course, his favorite toy kitty. So when two burglars break in, Bosco defends his home with all his might, which includes releasing some well-timed—and near supersonic—stink that repels the would-be thieves. With his foes in retreat, Bosco thinks it’s all over…until a robot descends from the sky. The flying robot delivers Bosco to the city and tells him that, due to his unusual “abilities,” he’s been chosen to become one of the eXpets, a team of superheroes with extraordinary abilities who team up to solve problems of all sizes. Bosco would be joining a turtle mastermind, a laser-eyed kitty, Wonder-Guppy, and Ginormous Gerbil. The mission? Rescuing the world’s kittens, who have all gone mysteriously missing. Bosco isn’t sure he’s all that extraordinary and certainly doesn’t enjoy tasks with a lot of pressure. But…how can he turn his back on kittens?! Can the ragtag group move past getting off on the wrong paw to track down the catnapped cuties and save the day?

A boy's imagination is unleashed in Lio's Astonishing Tales: From the Haunted Crypt of Unknown Horrors. The 2009 National Cartoonists Award for Best Newspaper Comic Strip, Lio is unique in its pantomime content and drawing style. This treasury includes creator commentary and origins of Lio. It's slightly dark and terribly funny. Lio, the main character, a young boy with an imagination that has no limit, explores everything kid. From bumps in the night to things hiding under the bed, readers get an inside look at different shades of humor but always come out the other end unscathed and laughing. " Lio is brilliant!" -- Dallas Morning News

A full-color graphic novel about growing up, growing apart, and monster hunting, perfect for fans of Real Friends and All's Faire in Middle School. Andrew and Russ are best friends obsessed with finding the legendary Jersey Devil that supposedly lives in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, right in their own backyards. They're even making a movie about their desperate search for any sign of the mythical creature. But when Russ starts spending less time on their movie, and more time with artsy, first-chair violinist Tara, Andrew feels the cracks in their friendship begin to form. Suddenly, all of Andrew's favorite things are too babyish for Russ, and Andrew is left trying to figure out where he belongs without his best friend by his side. Then a rash of Jersey Devil sightings excite their small town, and the boys are thrown back together on a fevered hunt. Can Andrew and Russ put aside their differences for one last chance to find the monster of their dreams, or will the break in their friendship be too big to mend?

New from syndicated comic strip artist Mark Tatulli comes a full-color middle grade graphic memoir that centers on Mark's own experience in the summer after seventh grade.

New from syndicated comic strip artist Mark Tatulli comes a full-color middle grade graphic memoir that centers on Mark's own experience in the summer after seventh grade. As a middle schooler, Mark finds himself on the smaller side of the physical spectrum--being short AND skinny has really wreaked havoc on his confidence. So to end his bullying woes and get the girl--or at least the confidence to talk to the girl--he starts to explore bulking up by way of the miracle cures in the backs of his comics. But his obsession with beefing up is soon derailed by a new obsession: Star Wars, the hottest thing to hit the summer of 1977. As he explores his creative outlets as well as his cures to body image woes, Mark sets out to make his own stamp on the film that he loves. Mark Tatulli's graphic memoir debut is a humorous and heartfelt take on body-image, finding a creative outlet, and spending a summer in the 70's.

Enfin! Le grand jour est enfin arrivé! Depuis longtemps, Desmond attend avec impatience la sortie annuelle de son école. Cette année, l’école visitera le grand parc d’attraction! L’objectif de Desmond est de faire un tour de la montage russe la plus terrifiante: La montagne aux monstres!

A spaceship lands in a small town throwing everyone into a panic.

A young boy named Henry embarks on a normal, average day at school, but his daily activities are hopelessly disrupted by his overactive imagination. Breakfast turns into a fantastical adventure through his cereal box, and his classroom becomes a whirlwind of flying books. Along the way, an off-screen voice scolds him to "Stop daydreaming!" In a fun and unexpected twist, it turns out that Henry and his adventures were part of a young girl's imagination all along. Exuberant and innovative, this debut picture book by comic strip creator Mark Tatulli is a celebration of imagination and the power of daydreaming.

When we last saw Desmond Pucket, he was fresh from rescuing a bus full of monsters from the now defunct amusement park ride The Mountain Full of Monsters. But in all the chaos of the monster rescue, Desmond never stopped to think what he was going to do with all of these scary props. But if there's one thing Desmond always has, it's ideas for making monster magic! Join Desmond and his posse of pranksters as they create their greatest show yet: The Cloverfield Junior High Carnival of Horrors!

Desmond Pucket is back, and this time he has a posse. Desmond has been waiting his whole life for this day. It is the sixth-grade field trip to Crab Shell Pier, home to the world's most awesomely fantastic ride, and Desmond has one goal: convince Tina Schimsky to ride it with him. But once inside the amusement park, Desmond finds that executing his master plan will be no simple feat. Accompanied by his best friend Ricky, Desmond must outwit both the tyrannical Mr. Needles and his nefarious mortal enemy Scott Selzer, along with anyone---or anything---else in the way. The race is on to reach Mountain Full of Monsters and win the girl of his dreams . . . Can Desmond do it?

"Tatulli's entry into the comics/fiction--hybrid market is one of the best…The target audience will snap this up and beg for more." ---Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This is full of ghoulish fun, and fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid probably won't want to miss it." ---School Library Journal "Desmond Pucket neatly fills a gap for our readers---it's a step more sophisticated than Diary of a Wimpy Kid but appeals to that reader. It's also so great to have a Halloween/monster/scary stuff series to offer boys that is not Goosebumps." ---Rebecca Waesch, Children's Product Manager, Joseph-Beth Booksellers Meet Desmond Pucket---professor of frightology and master of monsters. Someday Desmond will be famous for his special effects wizardry, but for now he's just trying to make it through sixth grade at Cloverfield Memorial Junior High, which means he needs to stay one step ahead of the school's disciplinary officer, Mr. Needles. The only problem is Desmond just can't stop pulling pranks---like the time he attached a shrieking rubber goblin to the toilet seat in the teachers' bathroom. Mrs. Rubin screamed so loudly her wig flew off! Or the time he put giant motorized worms into the mashed potatoes in the cafeteria. Or the time Desmond and his best friend, Ricky, arranged for a three-headed ghost to crash his sister's slumber party. Rachel still hasn't forgiven him. And now Desmond has to stay prank-free for the rest of the year, or he won't be able to go on the class trip to Crab Shell Pier, home of the Mountain Full of Monsters ride! It's going to be tough, but Desmond has to try. This book includes a section of "Desmond's Notes": instructions for making monster magic (think scary noises, or fake blood) at home!

A curious young scientist and comic book fan, Lio is the defender of the defenseless and the inventor of a legion of zombie bunnies. Lio is joined in his day-to-day exploits by his exasperated father, a pet snake named Frank, various imaginary robots, and creepy, crawly monsters.

The world of Lio is filled with the extraordinaryNmonsters under the bed, wild reptile pets, robot inventions, weird scienceNbut it's all commonplace for this most uncommon young man. Now, in this collection edited specially for kids, Lio is available to his most dedicated fans.

"... Mark Tatulli's Lio isn't just a charmingly macabre strip about a creepy little boy who dabbles in the occult; it's also a daily demonstration of how a skilled artist can express sometimes complicated comedic ideas without any dialogue. . . ."— A.V. Club, The Onion Lio is a small boy with a penchant for befriending squids, monsters, and aliens. He's a curious scientist, a comic-book fan, defender of the defenseless, and creator of an army of zombie bunnies. All without saying a word. Zombies Need Love Too is Lio's fifth book with AMP.

Emmy award-winning artist Mark Tatulli’s comic strip, Lio, is dark, twisted, visually stunning and totally irresistible. Distinguished by Variety as "a fast riser," Mark Tatulli's morbidly mirthful comic strip Lio proves that happiness is indeed a modified Snuggie for you and your favorite eight-armed cephalopod. Reheated Lio, the fourth Lio cartoon collection, includes 40 weeks of color Sunday strips as well as black-and-white daily strips. Drawn in the style of cartooning greats Gahan Wilson, Charles Addams, and 19th-century satirist A. J. Volck, Lio is a pantomime strip that tells its story without any dialogue or cartoon captions. Fans of Lio recognize the spiky-haired ghostly pale youngster as a curious scientist, a comic-book fan, the defender of the defenseless, and the creator of a legion of zombie bunnies, flanked by his creepy coterie of friends, including giant squid Ishmael and the scythe-carrying grim reaper. Inside Reheated Lio, readers learn how Mr. Sneaky's Jokes and Gags can make archery practice more fun, along with the many uses of spiders--including their essential roles in Girl Scout cookie procurement and as a quality pizza condiment. Cozy up to your favorite Snuggied cephalopod with Reheated Lio.

LIO is brilliant! In this post-Calvin and Hobbes and post-Far Side world, this is the brass ring for cool!" --Dallas Morning News * LI O is a pantomime strip featuring a curious young boy whose daydreams embark from reality destined for the dark chasm where wit and sarcasm collide. Drawn in the age-old style of pantomime strips, LIO offers a decidedly new and edgy twist to the wordless comic format. That's right, LIO is so crafty it doesn't need word balloons, dialogue boxes, or clever captions. Mark Tatulli's cartoon also employs a unique drawing style influenced by cartooning greats Gahan Wilson, Charles Addams, and 19th-century satirist A. J. Volck. * In describing his strip, Tatulli explains he was eager "to bring something truly different to the comics pages . . . something to appeal to all ages, drawn in pictures only. To tell a story without text, while updating the pantomime concept with a modern audience in mind." * The result is a mind-bendingly humorous and astute journey into the darkly detailed world of young LiO--where a spit wad can put a school bus out of commission faster than a spider can hamper the efforts of the U.S. Postal Service.

Through the age-old style of pantomime strips, Tatulli's Liō offers a decidedly new and edgy twist to the wordless comic format. That's right—Liō is so crafty it doesn't need word balloons, dialogue boxes, or copious captions. Employing a unique drawing style influenced by cartooning greats Gahan Wilson, Charles Addams, and 19th-century satirist A. J. Volck, Tatulli's cartoon creation is completely nonsyllabic but dramatic nonetheless, and was awarded as 2009's Best Newspaper Comic Strip by the National Cartoonists Society. The result of Tatulli's creativity is a mind-bending, comical, and astute journey into the darkly detailed world of spiky-haired Liō, a curious young scientist and comic book fan whose daydreams embark from the dark chasm where wit and sarcasm collide. Defender of the defenseless and the inventor of a legion of zombie bunnies, Liō is joined in his day-to-day exploits by his exasperated and sleep-deprived father, a pet snake named Frank, a squid named Ishmael, and various imaginary robots and creepy, crawly monsters. Within this humorously macabre framework of sarcasm, parody, and high jinx, sidesplitting laughter abounds—all without so much as a word.

This strip offers a fresh outlook and appeals to everyone . . . LIO is a comic strip that's edgy, funny, visually stunning, and truly different." -- Daily Cartoonist With a feature film in the works from producer David Kirschner ( Child's Play, An American Tail), LIO deftly melds the macabre with its brand of dark humor. Having been distinguished by Variety as "a fast riser," Mark Tatulli's morbidly mirthful pantomime comic strip, LIO, is humorously astute and just slightly askew in its perception of the world. Centered around an odd, ghostly-pale child named LIO, and his creepy coterie of friends, including a giant squid named Ishmael and a scythe-carrying grim reaper, LIO; is influenced by cartooning greats Gahan Wilson, Charles Addams, and 19th-century satirist A. J. Volck.

Heart is a precocious girl whose adorably energetic presence attracts everyone around her. She loves dressing up, playing with her Karlie and Ben dolls, and dreaming of the day she can finally get her ears pierced. Her best friend, Kat, shares her pal's hopes and dreams-and believes she'll someday marry Leonardo DiCaprio. Heart's mom, an overworked and underappreciated single mother, showers her girl with love, but resolutely resists Heart's attempts to find her a man. Mrs. Angelini rounds out the cast as the matriarch who takes care of Heart while Mom's at work.This first Heart of the City book collects strips from the cartoon's first successful year, a debut that attracted legions of loyal fans. Created by Mark Tatulli, Heart of the City has a gentle presence, exemplifying the sweet and sassy realities of modern, urban child-rearing.