You are viewing [info]rifkafox's journal

Letters From Rifka
My Daily Log or What Did I do Today
Recent Entries 
Welcome
I'm sure this is just another blog to skim during the day or night, but hey it's my life!

Enjoy!
4th-Jun-2012 03:20 pm - Monday on the way home…
Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

CaliFur was an amazing event -again.  We didn’t have time to get dressed up in our critter suits, which was the only regret of the convention. Sales were strong on all titles, the new  Dragon’s Hoard titles did well as did QuickDip. Both are available at http://www.rabbitvalley.com.

Over the drive home the fox processed the orders over the drive home while the bunnies in the front did bunny things.

Tomorrow things go back to normal…

Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

Yesterday at CaliFur, where the Bunny and Fox of Rabbit Valley® Comics currently are sitting, the winners of the 2011 Ursa Major Awards for the Best Anthropomorphic Literature and Art were announced.

Here are the winners, in order of announcement, Rabbit Valley’s pics underlined:

Best Motion Picture (Live-action or animated feature-length movies)
Kung Fu Panda 2 (Directed by Jennifer Yuh)
Puss in Boots (Directed by Chris Miller)
Rango (Directed by Gore Verbinski) – Rabbit Valley Favorite
Rio (Directed by Carlos Saldanha)
Bitter Lake (Directed by Shay)

Best Dramatic Series or Short Work (TV series or one-shots, advertisements or short videos)
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Directed by James Wootton)
ThunderCats (Directed by Michael Jelenic, Todd Casey, Tab Murphy, and others)
Regular Show (Directed by Benton Conor, Calvin Wong, Kat Morris, Sean Szeles, J. G. Quintel, Minty Lewis, and others)
Simon’s Cat (Directed by Simon Tofield)
Mongrels (Directed by Adam Millar, Jon Brown, Daniel Peak) – Rabbit Valley Favorite

Best Novel (Written works of 40,000 words or more)
Isolation Play, by Kyell Gold
Red Sails in the Fallout, by Paul Kidd
Death Drop, by Sean Allen
Black Dogs, Part 2, by Ursula Vernon
Smiley and the Hero, by Ryan Campbell – Rabbit Valley Favorite

Best Short Fiction (Stories less than 40,000 words)
How to Get Through the Day, by Kyell Gold
Argo, by Rick Griffin
Let’s Play Musical Chairs, by K. M. Hirosaki – Rabbit Valley Favorite
Where the Heart Is, by Mary E. Lowd
A Safety Weasel Christmas, by Gene Breshears
Shreddy and the Zomb-Dogs, by Mary E. Lowd
Fetching Asteroids, by Mary E. Lowd

Best Other Literary Work
Nordguard, Book One, by Tess Garman & Teagan Gavet
Fur-Piled #5, by Leo Magna
In the Doghouse of Justice, by Kyell Gold
Dragon’s Hoard #1, by Various (Rabbit Valley) – Rabbit Valley Favorite
Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe, Omnibus 1, by various (Tai-Pan Literary & Arts Project)

Best Graphic Story (Includes comic books and serialized online stories)
Furthia High, by QuetzaDrake
Red Lantern, by Rukis and Alector Fencor
Lackadaisy, by Tracy J. Butler
Fur-Piled, by Leo Magna
Endtown, by Aaron Neathery

Best Comic Strip
Housepets!, by Rick Griffin
Ballerina Mafia, by Immelmann
Faux Pas, by Robert & Margaret Carspecken – Rabbit Valley Favorite
Doc Rat, by Jenner
Sandra and Woo, by Powree and Oliver Knörzer

Best Magazine
Flayrah
Anthro
South Fur Lands
Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe - Rabbit Valley Favorite
Allasso

Best Website
Equestria Daily
WikiFur
Fur Affinity – Rabbit Valley Favorite
Inkbunny
Furry Writers’ Guild

Best Published Illustration
Blotch, cover of Nordguard, Book One
Blotch, cover of Isolation Play
Jason Chan, cover of Red Sails in the Fallout
Sara Palmer, cover of Weasel Presents
Rosenthal, “FBA 2012 season opener” painting
C. D. Woodbury, cover of Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe #48 – Rabbit Valley Favorite

Best Game (Rabbit Valley Would Have Voted for the Furry Basketball Association)
Pokemon: Black and White
Star Fox 64 3D
O-kamiden
Sonic Generations
Solatorobo: Red the Hunter

The ALAA’s Choice Award
Red Lantern, by Rukis & Alector Fencor.

Congratulations to all the participants.

Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

One of the best parts of being a dealer at CaliFur is that the dealer’s room staff provides breakfast to all the dealer’s on Saturday and Sunday. Sure, it’s a buffet breakfast, but it’s a warm fuzzy for us dealers – and makes me a very happy fox!

The rest of the day we worked the ebb and flow of the dealer’s room traffic selling books – a few titles sold out; we are down to the last copy on many others.

Overall the convention has been very entertaining, no drama for us.

Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

Happy Saturday Friends and Fans of Rabbit Valley® Comics;

Our summer sale has come to a close. We want to thank you all for taking advantage of our 15% off sale. Speaking of sales, we’re now sold out of Sabrina Online Compilation for now. We’ll have more later this summer.

Top Ten Shipped Items for May 2012:

Rank Title & Link Price
1 Buy It By The Box (Donate to Rabbit Valley) – 9 x 12 x 2 inch box of stuff $12.50
2 Sabrina Online A Decade in Black and White Sold Out
3 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 2 $25.00
4 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 1 $12.99
5 Genus Male Issue #11 $6.99
6 Red Lantern Book One: Crimson Divine $29.95
7 Dragon’s Hoard Presents: Runt Issue #1 $8.99
8 School Daze $7.99
9 Bitter Lake $20.00
10 Circles Issue #6 $6.00

 

CaliFur Update:
Our first two days of CaliFur 2012 have been amazing so far. The new books are doing very well! They are currently for sale on our site here.

The event that The BunnyNextDoor threw was amazing!

Anyway time to sell!

Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

Well, it’s actually not the end of day one, it’s really just the start of the convention. Yesterday, day zero as some people call it, we loaded up the BunnyMan’s truck with all the books, bar, and other convention supplies and drove out to our printers to pick up ten boxes of new books!

That’s right, here at CaliFur we are releasing two new titles QuickDip, available at the Rabbit Valley tables, and Dragon’s Hoard Presents NomNoms. If you’re here at the convention, come check them out. We’re pleased as punch with these new titles. If you are not at CaliFur you can place a pre-order for these books on our site by visiting Rabbit Valley® Comics, links to the products are on the main page.

It was a short trip from the printer to Irvine. We unloaded the truck into the room, grabbed a bite to eat at Mizuki and relaxed for a while before talking the books into the dealer’s room and getting our badges!

In the evening we had a very productive and entertaining dinner with 2 the Ranting Gryphon – good stuff coming soon and Huepow (DJ Ear). We briefly bumped into IsaacCoyote on our way out to dinner… After food was drinks and lively conversation until eleven and sleepy time.

All in all a good zero day.

Today we’re in the process of getting ready to head down to the table to set up our display, have some coffee, and get the ball rolling!

31st-May-2012 11:25 am - Shipping Closed for CaliFur
Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

As it says on the Rabbit Valley® Comics home page, we are closed for shipping until Tuesday, June 5th while we’re at CaliFur. We’ll be getting back into the valley Monday afternoon and will pick, pack, and get all the orders placed over the weekend ready to ship out first thing Tuesday morning. We’ll also be shipping our newest titles Dragon’s Hoard Presents NomNoms and QuickDip by FastTrack. Both of these titles are full color, QuickDip is magazine sized and Dragon’s Hoard Presents NomNoms is standard comic sized.

If you’re going to the convention this weekend be sure to stop by our table and say hello. Feel free to introduce yourself, we like meeting new people . We always enjoy a good conversation and if you’ve stopped by our tables in the past, please don’t be upset if we do not recall you right away or your prior purchase, we attend many of conventions, meeting many people.

We also have another new book coming out in the next week or two.

We wish everyone safe travels wherever life may lead you.

31st-May-2012 09:39 am - Thursday's Thoughts
Fender Fox Wearing Bunny
Well, we're on our way to CaliFur!

Today has been busy as all get out! So far I've worked for my clients, gone for a morning walk, loaded the truck with help from bunnies, and did some more work for clients.

Happy Fox!
Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

Sorry that to all the visitors over the last 24 hours, I forgot to include links to the new titles – or put them on the home page. This has been corrected. For those that missed them the links are below:

Dragon’s Hoard Presents NomNoms – $18.00

QuickDip – $25.00

Thanks for your patience!

Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

This title is available for pre-order. Orders for this title will ship on June 5, 2012.

28th-May-2012 01:03 pm - Happy Memorial Day
Rabbit Valley
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

Happy Memorial Day to all our friends, family, and customers;

White I am not with my family today celebrating and remembering the sacrifices of our veteran friends and relations I’m with them in spirit Thanks to my youngest brother (who purchased my second generation iPad) I was able to spend some time at the family get together via video. It was good to see my Mother as well as other members of the family again, even if only on the computer screen. I gave Mom a tour of the house, chatted with my brother about work, and was even able to bark at the family dog. All in all it reminded me that, besides my friends and loving husband, there are people who care about me.

Today has been a day of bored busy. Sure I packed up all the weekend orders, cleaned house, played musical cars – but it’s all routine. I’m really looking forward to CaliFur this weekend! We’ll have all our books, a selection of books from FurPlanet, Sofawolf Press, and many others as well as BuckTown Tiger! We’ll also have DVDs by 2 Gryphon – if they arrive in time.

Anyway, time to get out of the office for a few hours.

Rabbit Valley® Comics Summer Sale
It’s Las Vegas and it’s hot. To help pass these days of ninety degree weather, we’re offering 15% off all orders of $100.00 or more on in stock merchandise. Anything in stock, even if it is already discounted.  Simply use the coupon code Summer2012 during the check out process between now and the end of May to receive your discount.

We’ve got books from lots of different creative outlets in the Furry Fandom and will have even more later in June. Sofawolf Press and FurPlanet are releasing a whole bunch of new titles for the world’s largest furry convention next month. We’ll be getting those titles shortly after the convention and will sure to add them to the site as soon as they arrive. We thank our loyal customers for their patience and contented patronage.

We like to think of Rabbit Valley® Comics as like a big virtual dealer’s room with titles from many of the creative outlets in the fandom including 2 the Ranting GryphonAnthropomorphic DreamsBad Dog BooksBucktown TigerDreamfield ComicsClub Strips & CocktailsFurplanetJarlidium PressRadio ComixRingtail CafeSofawolf PressTales of the Tai Pan UniverseUsagi Yojimbo ComicsYARF!, and many more. We also have a wide collection of prints from many artists in the fandom. If you can’t find it in our store, let us know via email, comment on our blog, message on twitter, or any other social network where we have an account.

27th-May-2012 05:48 pm - Sunday's Thoughts
Fox-Content
I think I just hit the wrong button…

Anyway, today was a day of getting things done around the house that started with laundry, putting away dishes, cleaning up the office, polishing the furniture, picking and packing the overnight orders, washed the windows in the limousine, Armoralled the interior of the limousine, cleaned the garage, sorted the inventory for CaliFur…yeah it's been a busy day…but a productive day.

Tomorrow it's back to the standard work week...
27th-May-2012 05:41 pm(no subject)
Fox-Derp

Summer Sale:

It’s Las Vegas and it’s hot. To help pass these days of ninety degree weather, we’re offering 15% off all orders of $100.00 or more on in stock merchandise. Anything in stock, even if it is already discounted.  Simply use the coupon code Summer2012 during the check out process between now and the end of May to receive your discount.


We’ve got books from lots of different creative outlets in the Furry Fandom and will have even more later in June. Sofawolf Press and FurPlanet are releasing a whole bunch of new titles for the world’s largest furry convention next month. We’ll be getting those titles shortly after the convention and will sure to add them to the site as soon as they arrive. We thank our loyal customers for their patience and contented patronage.


We like to think of Rabbit Valley® Comics as like a big virtual dealer’s room with titles from many of the creative outlets in the fandom including 2 the Ranting GryphonAnthropomorphic DreamsBad Dog BooksBucktown TigerDreamfield ComicsClub Strips & CocktailsFurplanetJarlidium PressRadio ComixRingtail CafeSofawolf PressTales of the Tai Pan UniverseUsagi Yojimbo ComicsYARF!, and many more. We also have a wide collection of prints from many artists in the fandom. If you can’t find it in our store, let us know via email, comment on our blog, message on twitter, or any other social network where we have an account.


CaliFur Plans:

Rabbit Valley is going to CaliFur – but you knew that. The store will be closed for shipping on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of June (the 1st through the 4th) with normal daily order processing and shipping resuming on Tuesday.


If you’re going to CaliFur and would like to come to our Customer Appreciation events going on during the convention, drop us a message and we’ll get the details to you. We’re doing a customer cocktail reception room party Friday night, and possibly something Thursday night during the con.


Speaking of the convention, we’re bring over 200 different titles with us to the convention for your shopping pleasure. We’ll have the most recent releases from 2 the Ranting GryphonAnthropomorphic DreamsBucktown TigerClub Strips & CocktailsFurplanetJarlidium PressRadio ComixRingtail CafeSofawolf PressTales of the Tai Pan UniverseUsagi Yojimbo ComicsYARF! as well as our own Spooo Presents Series, Circles, Associated Student Bodies, Books by Dark Zel and Tredain, Dragons Hoard, Fast Boyz Delivery Service, books by Grace Ogawa, Instinct Disorder, Books by Jeremy Bernal, Concealment by Ookami Kemono, Rocketship Rodents, and Webz Magazine and many more.

RabbitValley-Overworked
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

Happy Saturday Friends and Fans of Rabbit Valley® Comics!

I’m going to keep it short this morning as we know many of you are celebrating the long holiday weekend. In this issue we have our Top Ten items for the month of May, the ongoing summer sale, and our CaliFur plans. We will be closed for shipping on Monday in observation of the Memorial Day Holiday in the United States. The website will still be open and accepting orders.

Top Ten Shipped Items in May:

Rank Title & Link Price
1 Buy It By The Box (Donate to Rabbit Valley) – 9 x 12 x 2 inch box of stuff $12.50
2 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 1 $12.99
3 Sabrina Online A Decade in Black and White $23.95
4 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 2 $25.00
5 Circles Issue #6 $6.00
6 Circles Issue #7 $6.00
7 Circles Issue #8 $6.00
8 Red Lantern Book One: Crimson Divine $29.95
9 Genus Male Issue #11 $5.99
10 Circles Issue #5 $5.00

Summer Sale:
It’s Las Vegas and it’s hot. To help pass these days of ninety degree weather, we’re offering 15% off all orders of $100.00 or more on in stock merchandise. Anything in stock, even if it is already discounted.  Simply use the coupon code Summer2012 during the check out process between now and the end of May to receive your discount.

We’ve got books from lots of different creative outlets in the Furry Fandom and will have even more later in June. Sofawolf Press and FurPlanet are releasing a whole bunch of new titles for the world’s largest furry convention next month. We’ll be getting those titles shortly after the convention and will sure to add them to the site as soon as they arrive. We thank our loyal customers for their patience and contented patronage.

We like to think of Rabbit Valley® Comics as like a big virtual dealer’s room with titles from many of the creative outlets in the fandom including 2 the Ranting GryphonAnthropomorphic DreamsBad Dog BooksBucktown TigerDreamfield ComicsClub Strips & CocktailsFurplanetJarlidium PressRadio ComixRingtail CafeSofawolf PressTales of the Tai Pan UniverseUsagi Yojimbo ComicsYARF!, and many more. We also have a wide collection of prints from many artists in the fandom. If you can’t find it in our store, let us know via email, comment on our blog, message on twitter, or any other social network where we have an account.

CaliFur Plans:
Rabbit Valley is going to CaliFur – but you knew that. The store will be closed for shipping on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of June (the 1st through the 4th) with normal daily order processing and shipping resuming on Tuesday.

If you’re going to CaliFur and would like to come to our Customer Appreciation events going on during the convention, drop us a message and we’ll get the details to you. We’re doing a customer cocktail reception room party Friday night, and possibly something Thursday night during the con.

Speaking of the convention, we’re bring over 200 different titles with us to the convention for your shopping pleasure. We’ll have the most recent releases from 2 the Ranting GryphonAnthropomorphic DreamsBucktown TigerClub Strips & CocktailsFurplanetJarlidium PressRadio ComixRingtail CafeSofawolf PressTales of the Tai Pan UniverseUsagi Yojimbo ComicsYARF! as well as our own Spooo Presents Series, Circles, Associated Student Bodies, Books by Dark Zel and Tredain, Dragons Hoard, Fast Boyz Delivery Service, books by Grace Ogawa, Instinct Disorder, Books by Jeremy Bernal, Concealment by Ookami Kemono, Rocketship Rodents, and Webz Magazine and many more.

Well, I guess that’s about it for this week.

 

Best wishes,

Customer Service

25th-May-2012 11:31 pm - Friday's Thoughts
ICON - Cool
It's been a rather busy day, but a relaxed busy.

I worked for my clients in the morning, picked and packed orders, paid bills, and cut salary and royalty checks.

After a short walk (my walking partner was out late last night and, understandably, skipped this morning's walk) I snuggled up to my bunny for a fox-nap.

Once awakened we had coffee over the news, ran some errands, and did some light house cleaning before heading over to the Bunny Next Door for Bad Movie Night. The food was amazing, the desert - cookies, and the conversation and liquor both sharp and witty.

We had some minor issues with the internet which prompted some action on our part - but it's behind handled.

All in all a very good day.
RabbitValley-Overworked
Happy Wednesday - and it is a good one!

I am very pleased as punch to report that my root canal of yesterday was a complete success. No more pain in my jaw, teeth, head, and neck. As soon as the Novocain was administered all the pain went away, and even after the numbing agent wore off I was left pretty much pain free. The only thing left to do on that front is to have the ceramic cap replaced at my regular dentist's office next week before CaliFur (he had sent me to a specialist due to the complexity of the root system).

Rabbit Valley® Comics orders have been processed, packed, and will be shipping out in a few hours. We're working on new books today as well as getting the inventory ready for CaliFur. It's going to be awesome!

Other than that, today is a usual busy day here at Rabbit Valley Industries! There's lots of new books coming-out from a variety of sources this summer, we'll be sure to have them after their release at Anthrocon.
21st-May-2012 06:02 pm - Monday's Thoughts
ICON - Sick
Well, the day started off well enough, but my allergies but me really hard. My morning walk with the bunny next door was brutal. The work day went quickly enough. I was able to get all my projects done and run all the errands of the day before going to the dentist to have my toothache checked.

What is it with people today? Within a span of five minutes I was almost hit by a convertible driven by an old man in a parking lot. I was laden down with forty pounds of ordes and walking into the post office. Instead of stopping, he tried to drive around me. Seriously dude, it's a parking lot, I was more than in the crosswalk...even other people yelled at the old man to stop. then on my way out of the post I was almost hit head on as a minivan came full speed the wrong way down the one way exit! After checking the box at the UPS store I was almost hit again by some impatient twat trying to steal a parking spot.

At the dentist I learned that the restoration I had last year needs to be tapped for a root canal. It will be replaced free of charge, and the root canal is covered by health insurance. So tomorrow afternoon I'll have the drilling and later in the week the restoration. Apparently there was some bacteria trapped under the ceramic restoration, this is the cause of my pain, and it needs to be fixed as the damage is irreversible if left alone too long.

Back at the Hop Inn, after picking up my pain killers, I did some light house and yard work before a shower and calling it a day.
20th-May-2012 04:53 pm - Podcast Update!
ICON - Working
Live From the Hop Inn Episode 414 is now available from all the usual places including iTunes and http://podcast.rabbitvalley.com
Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

New Items:
We’ve added some new items to the store this month and wanted to share them with you, again.

Mature Readers:
By Sword and Star – $13.95
Sabrina Online A Decade in Black and White – $23.95
The Species of Blessing Avenue – $9.95

General Readers:
Confectionaries Issue 1 – $4.99

Adult Readers:
Will of the Alpha – $19.95

Summer Sale:
It’s Las Vegas and it’s hot. To help pass these days of ninety degree weather, we’re offering 15% off all orders of $100.00 ore more of in stock merchandise. Anything in stock, even if it is already discounted (see previous journal entries).  Simply use the coupon code Summer2012 during the check out process between now and the end of may to receive your discount.

Top Ten Shipped Items:

Rank Title & Link Price
1 Buy It By The Box (Donate to Rabbit Valley) – 9 x 12 x 2 inch box of stuff $12.50
2 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 1 $12.99
3 Sabrina Online A Decade in Black and White $23.95
4 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 2 $25.00
5 Bitter Lake $19.95
6 Genus Male Issue #11 $5.99
7 Circles Issue #6 $5.00
8 Circles Issue #7 $6.00
9 Circles Issue #8 $6.00
10 Red Lantern Book One: Crimson Divine (On Order) $29.95

Rabbit Valley Mascot Art Page:
Over the years we’ve collected a lot of art of our characters and it’s time to share some of that. Over the next weeks we’ll be putting some of that art up on our site at http://www.rabbitvalley.com/sales/art.html. Right now it has our character art from RedWolf, Quel, Kaput, Shiuk, Spunky, and Marci. We’ll be adding more RedWolf and Quel pieces as well many others this coming week, so look for update notices here.

Link: http://www.rabbitvalley.com/sales/art.html

CaliFur:
Our next big event is CaliFur! We’ll have a large selection of inventory at the convention and are planning a customer reception room party on Friday night. If you’re going to the convention and would like an invitation to the party, please drop us an email RSVP to customer service@rabbitvalley.com with the number of people in your group so we can plan ahead.

If you can’t make it to CaliFur next month, remember Rabbit Valley® Comics is like a big virtual dealer’s room with titles from many of the creative outlets in the fandom including 2 the Ranting GryphonAnthropomorphic DreamsBad Dog BooksBucktown TigerDreamfield ComicsClub Strips & CocktailsFurplanetJarlidium PressRadio ComixRingtail CafeSofawolf PressTales of the Tai Pan UniverseUsagi Yojimbo ComicsYARF!, and many more. We also have a wide collection of prints from many artists in the fandom. If you can’t find it in our store, let us know via email, comment on our blog, message on twitter, or any other social network where we have an account.

Thanks for reading!

 

Until next week,

Rabbit Valley Customer Service

17th-May-2012 07:25 am - Rabbit Valley Critter Art
Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

Happy Thursday,

Over the years we’ve collected a lot of art of our characters and it’s time to share some of that. Over the next weeks we’ll be putting some of that art up on our site at http://www.rabbitvalley.com/sales/art.html.

We will be sure to post a new blog entry letting you know when the page has been updated. Right now it has our character art from Shiuk, Spunky, and Marci. We’ll be adding RedWolf, Quel, and many others so look for update notices here.

http://www.rabbitvalley.com/sales/art.html

Enjoy!

16th-May-2012 08:34 pm - Wednesday - Hump Day
Fox-Magic
And with the last set of orders being packed to ship out tomorrow, I'm over the hump!

I'm still working on that daunting newsletter project - this has gone on way to long, hopefully the meeting tomorrow will get me the rest of the information to take care of the rest of the writing.

Tomorrow is also my day of meetings - lots of meetings - but that's OK. I like meetings, sorta.

In addition to picking, packing and shipping orders I've been putting together our supplier orders for CaliFur in two weeks. We should have plenty of the newest titles available for everyone who will be at the con to review and hopefully purchase.

My fuzzy brain has yet to really digest much of May, time seems to be moving at an accelerated rate.

I have to call my dentist in the morning, this toothache isn't getting any better - but it might not be a toothache at all, it could bust be a mouth sore. I can't tell the difference, time to put that health insurance to work.

Anyway time to relax!
Fox-Derp
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

New Items This Month:
We’re back from PawFur and have added a few new items to the store, enjoy!

General Readers:
Confectionaries Issue 1 – $4.99
http://www.rabbitvalley.com/item_8468_1334___Confectionaries-Issue-1.html

Mature Readers:
By Sword and Star – $13.95
http://www.rabbitvalley.com/item_8466_1334___By-Sword-and-Star.html

Sabrina Online A Decade in Black and White – $23.95
http://www.rabbitvalley.com/item_8470_1334___Sabrina-Online-A-Decade-in-Black-and-White.html

The Species of Blessing Avenue – $9.95
http://www.rabbitvalley.com/item_8469_1334___The-Species-of-Blessing-Avenue.html

Adult Readers:
Will of the Alpha – $19.95
http://www.rabbitvalley.com/item_8467_1334___Will-of-the-Alpha.html

14th-May-2012 11:50 am - Monday's Thoughts
Fox-Derp
Happy Monday!

We’re heading back to Las Vegas after spending the weekend in Reno. It’s only about a seven-hour drive, including stops for gas – I don’t know why we have not visited the city before now. (Speaking of driving, Bunny and I have driven about seven hours per day four days in the past week. That’s a lot of time in a vehicle.)

PawFur was an amazing first year event. Everything was held in one large room with sections for dealers, gaming, general hanging out, a main stage, and a headless lounge. Again, everything was held in one large room – this is the success of PawFur in my opinion. At any given time anyone attending the convention could see everyone else (except those in the headless lounge) in the room. Not since my first Anthrocon have I been able to say that I was able to speak to everyone at the convention. There is a real community feel to PawFur.

Sales were stronger than anticipated, which is just another reason we will be going back next year!

PawFur ranks as one of the best First Year conventions that I’ve attended since I started going to furry events and conventions in 1996/97, including FurFright, FA: United, Antheria, and a few others.

Many thanks to the staff of PawFur – you did an amazing job.

As promised, here is the link for GraveYard Greg's new book:
The Species of Blessing Avenue - $9.95

Enjoy!
13th-May-2012 10:43 pm - Sunday's Thoughts
Sandy-Black Hat-GENERAL
Happy Sunday from Reno!

In a few short hours we'll be packing up the truck and heading back to Las Vegas.

PawFur was simply amazing. We got to meet a lot of new people, spend time with Whiteyote and his partner, and harass GraveYard Greg all day. Shuik and his crew put on a pretty awesome event.

Sales were stronger than expected - and that made Rabbit Valley® Comics very happy.

We even picked up the unsold copies of The Species of Blessing Avenue - we'll have those up on the site sometime tomorrow morning as Greg said he wanted to see it up there ASAP.

Anyway, time to get back to the party!
ICON - Party
From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

Happy Saturday,

We are in Reno, Nevada for the one day PawFur Event this weekend, but wanted to take some time to let you know the happenings back at Rabbit Valley® Comics. This blog includes our top ten shipped items this week (the volume surprised me), our summer sale, and some other small odds and ends.

Top Shipped Items List:

Rank Title & Link Price
1 2 the Ranting Gryphon – DVD05 – Apocalypse of Cute $20.00
2 Waterways $19.95
3 Genus Male Issue #11 $6.99
4 Fast Boyz Delivery Service Issue 1 $7.50
5 Xfrmations Unlimited Issue #2 $4.00
6 Xfrmations Unlimited Issue #1 $4.00
7 Xfrmations Unlimited Issue #3 $4.00
8 Circles Issue #6 $6.00
9 Circles Issue #7 $6.00
10 Circles Issue #8 $6.00

Summer Sale:

…and there are no less than six furry-fan hosted conventions and events this month. If you can’t be at any of them why not get that convention feel by picking up some books at Rabbit Valley® Comics, our store is like a big virtual dealer’s room as we titles from many of the creative outlets in the fandom including 2 the Ranting GryphonAnthropomorphic DreamsBad Dog BooksBucktown TigerDreamfield ComicsClub Strips & CocktailsFurplanetJarlidium PressRadio ComixRingtail CafeSofawolf PressTales of the Tai Pan UniverseUsagi Yojimbo ComicsYARF!, and many more. We also have a wide collection of prints from many artists in the fandom.

To help with your purchasing we’re offering 15% off all orders of $100.00 ore more of in stock merchandise. Anything in stock, even if it is already discounted (see previous journal entries).

Simply use the coupon code Summer2012 during the check out process between now and the end of may to receive your discount.

That’s about it, but the bunnies are starting to wake up and that means that it’s time to get this show on the road.

The Fox

11th-May-2012 09:27 pm - Friday's Thoughts
Fox-Derp
I must but nuts!

We're getting ready to drive out to PawFur in a few hours, after only having arrived home just over 25 hours ago from a road trip. The only difference, this one is for fun!

We're bringing a wide selection of books with us, hopefully they sell well.

It's a one day event, but I hear the Reno Fur scene is pretty substantial so one never can tell.

Looking forward to being there!
10th-May-2012 09:23 am - Bark…Gay Marriage… My Husband...
ICON - Exclaim
I love my husband very much, and he makes me proud every day.

By now everyone has heard that the Vice President and President of the United States of America have come out in support of marriage equality when it comes to same sex couples.

It's all over the news.

It was all over the news this morning in Medera, California as my loving husband and I enjoyed our Holiday Inn breakfast in the breakfast room here at the Holiday Inn.

There was a Christian Youth Group also in the room. Every time the reporter on CNN would bring up the President's recent support they would talk out against equal rights. This happened for the better part of half an hour.

When CNN showed a view point that disagreed with the President, as news stations do to balance the coverage, one of the youths, a young black man, gave a very vocal 'yeah' and raised his arm to the television screen.

We kept our mouths shut and enjoyed our coffee and breakfast…

And here is one of the many reasons I love my Bunny. As we filled our cups for the last time and headed out he interrupted the group with a few things to ponder…and this is not exact as I was not all with it during the outcry (Part of me was on the defensive, the other was just too proud.)
  • The next time you Christians want to get vocal about denying rights to humans, look around the room to see who's there. *points to Fox* That's my husband.
  • The next time you show support for someone who is against gay marriage, which is your right as an American, try not to give a Hitler Salute to the television, it sends the wrong message.
  • You're a Christian Youth Ministry Group, what you did here reflects on your religion as a whole.
  • And as a final reminder, less than 600 years ago the Roman Catholic Church wanted nothing to do with marriages, they were a State / Crown issue. *See Documentary on Marriage on The HIstory Channel

    Yeah - I love my bunny.
  • Fox-Derp
    From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

    OK, this might get a little long, but there is a discount on all orders over $100 of in stock merchandise fro now until the end of May… so slog through it!

    It’s 86 Degrees Outside…

    …and in New England that would mean it’s summer and time for cook-outs, heading to the beaches, flying kites out by the sea, and all sorts of early summer activities. My favorite was to go out to the park with a stack of comics and a good book so I could soak up some sun and entertain my brain!

    It’s May…

    …and there are no less than six furry-fan hosted conventions and events this month. If you can’t be at any of them why not get that convention feel by picking up some books at Rabbit Valley, our store is like a big virtual dealer’s room as we titles from many of the creative outlets in the fandom including 2 the Ranting GryphonAnthropomorphic DreamsBad Dog BooksBucktown TigerDreamfield ComicsClub Strips & CocktailsFurplanetJarlidium PressRadio ComixRingtail CafeSofawolf PressTales of the Tai Pan UniverseUsagi Yojimbo ComicsYARF!, and many more. We also have a wide collection of prints from many artists in the fandom.

    To help with your purchasing we’re offering 15% off all orders of $100.00 ore more of in stock merchandise. Anything in stock, even if it is already discounted (see previous journal entries).

    Simply use the coupon code Summer2012 during the check out process between now and the end of may to receive your discount.

    While we won’t be at all the conventions in May, we will be at the following conventions through the end of June:

    • PawFur 2012 - Reno, NV – May 12-13, 2012
    • Califur - Irvine, CA - June 1-3, 2012
    • What the Fur - Montreal, Quebec, Canada - June 1-3, 2012 (By Potoroo)
    • Anthrocon - Pittsburgh, PA - June 14-17, 2012

    We will also be at many conventions this fall, for a complete list visit our conventions and events page.

    If you’re not going to any cons this summer, or if you are and want to save a little money, enjoy the Summer2012 discount!

     

    7th-May-2012 07:18 pm - Busy Week!
    Fox-Wink
    It's been a right busy week here at the Hop Inn!

    Today and yesterday were big days for the day clients as I've been overseeing a client's booth at the AAGIWA Show here in Las Vegas. It's been a huge event with representatives from all sections of the US Department of Agriculture, the Canadian Grain Commission, and some key industries such as agribusiness and railroad fleets (CSX / BN). This has kept me pretty busy!

    I'm also writing that company newsletter for my other day client. It's coming along okay. More more importantly I've been weeding out bugs in their new CRM package, the one that was installed just about three years ago… Birthday Time!

    Rabbit Valley orders continue to go out the door daily (except Sundays) and we've added several new items to the store including those listed below:
    New Titles:
    By Sword and Star - $13.95
  • http://www.rabbitvalley.com/item_8466_1334___By-Sword-and-Star.html
  • Confectionaries Issue 1 - $4.99
  • Will of the Alpha - $19.95

    I also submitted the information necessary to get quotes for private health insurance and renewal of the business insurance to cover our assets! Happy Fox indeed as this was a goal that I had set for next year, but it looks like I might be able to accomplish it early!

    I've been meeting TheBunnyNextDoor five days per week to walk each morning. The walks have really helped with my exercise and diet program. Today I weighed in right where I was when I plateaued before putting on some weight over trips and my brother's vacation. I think the added exercise as well as portion control will get me to where I want to be in time for RMFC.

    For the most part everything else is just activities as usual. The housework gets done each day (dishes several times daily, vacuuming three times weekly, laundry on Wednesday and Saturdays, etc…). We continue to have our neighbor over for dinner at least once a week - though this week will be tight because of the trade show in town. And we're still fairly active in our fur group!

    Oh - and we've updated the podcast page - http://podcast.rabbitvalley.com/ - sometime before the end of the month, once we've caught up on all the historical episodes, we'll update the iTunes Feed with the new web address, but for all the listeners who want to relive those early episodes, here is your chance!

    Latest Episode, 413 is up too! (Missing LInk - KM Hirocloset - http://rikoshi.livejournal.com/731821.html)

    Episode 414 should be released later this week!

    * * *

    I think that's about it for the big things going on these past few weeks.

    We've got PawFur this coming weekend…

    Until later,

    I love my Bunny!
  • 6th-May-2012 10:10 pm - Busy Sunday.
    Fox-Derp
    Yeah...
    5th-May-2012 11:12 pm - Live From the Hop Inn Episode 413
    Fox-Derp
    From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

    Live From the Hop Inn Episode #413 is now available!

    http://podcast.rabbitvalley.com/HoppInnPodcast/podcasts/live-from-the-hop-inn-episode-413/

    Enjoy!

    5th-May-2012 09:16 am - Rabbit Valley Comics Weekly Update
    Fox-Derp
    From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

    Greetings Friends and Fans of Rabbit Valley® Comics,

    It’s a lovely day here in sunny Las Vegas and we wish you could be here to enjoy the weather with us, but it’s not all about catching some rays, there is work to do!

    In this issue of our weekly email you’ll read about our Top Ten Shipped items for the last week, the two new items added to the store, and our upcoming PawFur plans.

    Top Ten Shipped Items:

    This week we’ve seen a renewed interest in prints with several people all ordering the same items. It’s been a while, and it’s quite refreshing. Over the last six months Scappo, Shiuk, Kaput, and many other artists have updated their Rabbit Valley® Comics print catalogues with some of their newest pieces. Give them a sniff!

    Rank Title and Link Sale Price
    1 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 2 $25.00
    2 Green Fairy $19.99
    3 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 1 $12.99
    4 Bitter Lake (Yeah, it’s pretty awesome!) $19.95
    5 School Daze $7.95
    6 Genus Male Issue #6 $6.95
    7 Heat Issue #1 $8.00
    8 Fennec Yiff $8.00
    9 Anubis Erect $8.00
    10 Bully Beef $8.00
    New Items:

    Prince Tiran of Silverglen may be heir to the throne of all Asteria, but he’s always felt more at home among the villagers, no matter how many lectures he gets from his father.

    But when the elk-lord Roden slaughters the royal family and claims the throne for himself, only Tiran is left to avenge their deaths and take his place as the rightful king.

    His journey will lead him from the shadowed heart of his forest home into the treetops with the squirrel-clan of the Drays, across the western plains, and among the mysterious and deadly wolves of the Northern Reach.

    With his allies’ help, Tiran must become the king his people need him to be – or risk fulfilling an ancient prophecy that will spell the end of Asteria itself.

    Will of the Alpha - Anthology – $19.95

    What’s your pleasure? Or do you prefer pain? Everyone has a wild side.

    Everyone has their kinks, and this is your chance to indulge them. Will of the Alpha is an exploration into the darker side of the bedroom, and each of these stories takes you a step farther down that shadowy road. The authors start out gentle. A leather collar, a little bondage, some light flogging… but they won’t hold back for long and they brought a lot of toys with them. Handcuffs too. Each story in the book is a little darker than the last and at some point you may have to stop.

    But you won’t want to.

    Will of the Alpha is an anthology for an adult audience only and includes stories and poems by Kandrel, Ashe, Ianus J Wolf, Mangi, Sparf, Rechan, Elijah Lapso, Tarl “Voice” Hoch, Nathan Cowan, Whyte Yoté, and H.A. Kirsch. Each story is illustrated by Dbull with a cover by Kadath.

    PawFur:

    As many of you know we’re heading out to Reno next weekend for PawFur. If you’re in the Reno area and are free Saturday evening we shall be hosting a cocktail reception just down the street from the convention hotel. Please email customer service@rabbitvalley.com if you are interested in attending the event. There will be alcohol served so proper ID is required, this is an over 21 event.

    PawFuris a one day event being held by the Northern Nevada Furry Community at the Grand Sierra Resort, Nevada Foyer on the Arcade Level on Sunday, May 13, 2012. Admission is only $5.00 according to their website.

    Sales:

    Our spring cleaning is going pretty well, but there are still plenty of books for sale at discounted prices including:

    Line Title Sale Price
    1 Resisting Arrest $14.95
    2 Otters in Space $7.45
    3 Piggy Moto All Star Boar Band $14.95
    4 Smiley and the Hero $9.95
    5 El Burrito de los Muertos $15.00
    6 The Hero $7.45
    7 Everybody Loves Luther $15.00
    • Spooo Presents Color Special is being sold for $15.00 instead of $30.
    • Spooo Presents Titles 1-16 are on sale, $5.00 titles are now $3.50 and $6.00 titles are now $5.00
    • Buy multiple issues of select Circles titles and receive 10% off those titles.
    Thanks for reading!
    Kind regards,
    Rabbit Valley Customer Service
    4th-May-2012 11:28 pm - Good day
    Fox-Derp
    Enough said.
    3rd-May-2012 06:41 am - Inventory Update
    Fox-Derp
    Inventory Update:
    We've received inventory from our supplies and are happy to announce that Red Lantern, Green Fairy, Cruelty, Nordguard, Genus Male 11, and may others are back in stock!

    Furplanet Titles - http://www.rabbitvalley.com/department_5579_0_0.html

    Radio Comix Titles - http://www.rabbitvalley.com/department_1489_0_0.html

    SofaWolf Titles - http://www.rabbitvalley.com/department_2419_0_0.html
    2nd-May-2012 03:00 pm - Wednesday's Thoughts
    Fox-Derp
    Orders were picked, packed, and shipped.

    Inventory from three suppliers has arrived - it will be on the site tomorrow!

    A book has been laid out, just need to get the artwork in place and get the cover ready.

    Day tasks were all done!

    Happy Fox is Happy!
    1st-May-2012 05:27 pm - Tuesday's Thoughts
    Fox-Derp
    Scheduling Issues Suck… Oh well. I'll do it on my own this time.

    I'll be Madera, CA on the 17th of May if anyone is free and wants to hang out for lunch. I won't have a lot of time as I have to hustle back to Vegas for an event in the evening.

    Work projects went well today. All orders were picked, packed, and shipped for the store; the pending orders will ship out tomorrow!

    May is off to a good start - and we have a convention in the middle of the month. Not to mention the additional contract laboratory work!

    Of course May means hot weather and there is no disappoint here. Time for short and trimmed legs…

    I've been walking for between 30 and 60 minutes a day for the last three days. Tomorrow morning I might be joined by a white rabbit… we shall see.

    Anyway, time to get dressed and assemble - I've got tickets direct from Marvel for the pre-screen of the Avengers tonight. I've not done a movie premier in a very long time.

    Read you all tomorrow!
    Fox-Derp
    From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

    We want to announce that By Sword and Star – By Renee Carter Hall is now available for sale at the Rabbit Valley® Comic Shop!

    Prince Tiran of Silverglen may be heir to the throne of all Asteria, but he’s always felt more at home among the villagers, no matter how many lectures he gets from his father.

    But when the elk-lord Roden slaughters the royal family and claims the throne for himself, only Tiran is left to avenge their deaths and take his place as the rightful king.

    His journey will lead him from the shadowed heart of his forest home into the treetops with the squirrel-clan of the Drays, across the western plains, and among the mysterious and deadly wolves of the Northern Reach.

    With his allies’ help, Tiran must become the king his people need him to be – or risk fulfilling an ancient prophecy that will spell the end of Asteria itself.

    Cover artwork by Sara Miles.

    Supplies are limited so get yours today!

    30th-Apr-2012 06:37 am - Exercise Plan
    Fox-Baseball
    Yesterday I decided that I'm going to change up my routine a little by added an exercise session to my schedule five days a week for between 30 and 60 minutes.

    Sunday was a light three mile aslk over 60 minutes.
    Monday was a brisk two mile walk over 30 minutes.

    I'll be randomizing the days of the week that I go walking, two on, one off, two on, one off, etc…

    Let's see if this helps be brake that plateau in my exercise plan.

    It's sorta like having a high school gym class again - where I'm the only student and the coach is myself (and my computer).

    More to follow.
    29th-Apr-2012 05:15 pm - Sunday's Thoughts
    Fox-Baseball
    Been a busy day!

    Woke up with my bunny (snuggling in the morning is always lots of fun) for coffee and breakfast. He went off to work and I did some projects around the home office for my clients as well as some light store work before lunch.

    I took a nice walk (got to get back into shape for RMFC) for an hour and then updated my exercise application. This time the fox get serious! Back in 2005 when I was walking an hour a day five days a week I was in the best shape of my life. Time to get back to it. Might add the sit-up a day challenge to my routine…might not.

    After lunch I picked, packed, and got all the weekend orders ready to ship. Tomorrow I'll process the overnight orders (I see you there) and drop everyone off at the post and UPS offices.

    After a shower and short nap I did some house cleaning and now am about to depart for the weekly over twenty-one fur meet.

    All in all a very good day so far.
    28th-Apr-2012 08:00 am - Rabbit Valley® Comics Weekly Update
    Fox-Derp
    From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

    Happy Saturday Friends and Fans,

    In this issue we are going to write about our top ten shipped items for the month of April, ongoing seasonal sales, upcoming conventions, and any other bits of information that comes to the mind of the author.

    Top Ten Shipped Items for the Month of April:

    This month we’re excited to see that our Dragon’s Hoard titles continue to take spots on the charts as well as Prince of Naves our first novel length book. We also have some awesome titles by SofaWolf Press in the line up.

    Rank Title and Link Price
    1 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 2 $25.00
    2 Red Lantern Book One: Crimson Divine $29.95
    3 Green Fairy $29.95
    4 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 1 $12.99
    5 Dragon’s Hoard Presents: Runt Issue #1 $8.99
    6 The Prince of Knaves $20.00
    7 The Royal Tail Issue #1 $7.50
    8 Creampie 01 $15.00
    9 Fast Boyz Delivery Service Issue 1 $7.50
    10 Genus Male Issue #11 $5.99

    Upcoming Conventions:

    As it shows on our conventions and events page our next fabulous location will be Reno, Nevada for PawFur. PawFur is slated to be a one day event held at the Grand Sierra Resort in the Ansari Business Building room 201. The schedule of events is jam-packed with almost every hour of the day scripted. This will be the first scripted furry convention that we attend, and we are really looking forward to the show. If you’re going to be in the greater Reno area you should consider checking out the event, admission at the door is only going to be $5.00 to get in (see here for complete details).

    After PawFur we’ll be packing up and rolling out for CaliFur - which should be mad fun all around.

    We’ll have plenty of inventory of our books as well as books from these awesome suppliers:

    Sales:

    Our spring cleaning is going pretty well, but there are still plenty of books for sale at discounted prices including:

    Line Title Sale Price
    1 Resisting Arrest $14.95
    2 Otters in Space $7.45
    3 Piggy Moto All Star Boar Band $14.95
    4 Smiley and the Hero $9.95
    5 El Burrito de los Muertos $15.00
    6 The Hero $7.45
    7 Everybody Loves Luther $15.00

    Spooo Presents Color Special is being sold for $15.00 instead of $30.

    Spooo Presents Titles 1-16 are on sale, $5.00 titles are now $3.50 and $6.00 titles are now $5.00

    Buy multiple issues of select Circles titles and receive 10% off those titles.

    We’ll also price match any title we sell, within reason.

    Well, that’s about it for this week!

    Happy Shopping

    27th-Apr-2012 09:57 pm - Friday's Thoughts
    Sandy-Red-Hat-Thought
    Orders did not go out today and for that I am sorry. Today was my brother's last day of vacation before flying home so we spent the day doing stuff after I finished my client projects and other necessary work tasks.

    We took the limo out on a ride running such fun errands as dropping off knives to be sharpened and the quest for new sneakers for my bunny - a failed quest. We stopped for lunch then Restaurant Depot before heading home so I could take care of a DB issue while Bunny and Pat went to pick up the knives.

    We enjoyed a lazy afternoon for a few hours before cooking up a mad pot of fried rice for Game Night with the BunnyNextDoor.

    It went over very well.

    Until we got a phone call telling us that our friend Deb from my first out of college job had lost her battle with cancer. It is sad, but at least now she is no longer in pain.

    In other news my new glasses and jewelry showed up today!
    25th-Apr-2012 06:48 pm - Wednesday's Thoughts
    Sandy-Black Hat-GENERAL
    Why is it that guests use my decorative colored towels instead of the white towels I provide?
    Anyway, I've been slowly moving all my internet stuff off MobileMe / .Mac in the wake of the iCloud transition. For those who have bookmarks to my various sites, they have changed. Here are the new URLs.

    For those who are new to my blog, I've a bunch of site out there - check out my cooking blog!
    Today's been a busy day of getting things done for the clients and the store. Orders have shipped out - and that makes me happy.

    My brother is visiting and we're having a good time when I am not on the clock.

    BunnyMan has been visiting, and we love that - though it cuts into both our writing time - but that's OK we'll hit it running next week.

    Anyway, bunny is cooking dinner so I need to go oversee...
    24th-Apr-2012 10:45 pm - Awesome Day
    Fox-Coaster
    Today was good.

    Worked in the morning.

    Ran errands while meeting bunny for lunch.

    Got my new iPad.

    Picked up my free tickets to the Avengers for owning a comic store. Pre screening May 1st!

    Drinks and trivia as well as dinner to cap the night.



    Happy fox
    23rd-Apr-2012 06:10 pm - Monday's Thoughts
    Fox-Convention
    It was a busy day back in the office after a fun filled weekend with my visiting brother.

    Orders shipped out today!

    And I've some good news from our distributors.

    I do love my life.
    22nd-Apr-2012 09:31 pm - Sunday's Thoughts
    Fender Fox Wearing Bunny
    Bark - Good day!

    Yeah, good day…
    Fox-Derp
    From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

    Because my brother is in town, keeping the report light this week. More to come tomorrow and Monday!

    Top Shipped Items:

    Rank Title Price
    1 Red Lantern Book One: Crimson Divine $29.95
    2 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 2 $25.00
    3 Green Fairy $19.95
    4 Fast Boyz Delivery Service Issue 1 $7.50
    5 Dragon’s Hoard Issue 1 $12.99
    6 Creampie 01 $15.00
    7 Dragon’s Hoard Presents: Runt Issue #1 $8.99
    8 Spooo Presents Issue #9 – Mark Wulfgar Presents The Legacy of Celune’s Werewolves and Souls of the Past Episode 2 $5.00
    9 Spooo Presents Issue #22 – LIfe in the Co-Op Episode 4 $6.00
    10 The Royal Tail Issue #1 $7.50

    We’ve gotten caught up on all the orders save for two waiting on ink for the printer. Remember Rabbit Valley® Comics, your source for all things furry. In addition to our own books, we have a selection of books from these fine suppliers:

    Happy Shopping!

    19th-Apr-2012 07:40 pm - Thursday's Thoughts
    Sandy-Black Hat-GENERAL
    It's been a busy couple of days here at Rabbit Valley since our return from Furry Connection North.

    Rabbit Valley: All but three of the orders have been picked, packed, and shipped. One of the orders is waiting on the coffee to outgas so I can ship it tomorrow, the other two are waiting on prints and back ordered items to return to inventory from our suppliers. This makes me very happy.

    Our next big thing for the publishing arm of the business is PawFur in Reno mid-May.

    Prior to that we've been contracted to facilitate the setup and oversee booth operations at the AAGIWA event here in Las Vegas. I've been working with this client for the last eight years regarding this particular show, so it's pretty much a done deal. The only thing I'm debating is getting a suite at the Monte Carlo for the duration of the event to host meetings and customer receptions.

    We're still waiting for our client to provide the lateral flow strips to complete the GIPSA Validation, that should also arrive sometime next month.

    Working around these projects will be lots and lots of picking and packing orders, as well as planning for CaliFur in June.

    We're also getting all the ducks in a row for the fall convention season. It looks like we're all set for RMFC, FA: United, and Gaylaxicon. Our agents are all set for Eurofurence, MFM, Rainfurrest, and Furfright.

    Looks like the second half of the year is going to be just as busy as the first!

    House Stuff: My brother is coming to town this Saturday. So I've been getting things ready for his visit, cleaning house, washing the closer door mirrors, ensuring that the bathrooms are clean, vacuuming - you know all the stuff I do every week.

    One of the big projects I did around the house today was to tear apart the dryer and clean all the lint traps and ducts. The appliances were installed in 2009 and I firmly believe that the prior renters never cleaned the trap at all. After a good cleaning of all the pipework the dry cycle actually finished in under an hour. Imagine that!

    I also picked up our fresh roasted coffee this morning. I also threw a belt on the car, apparently it had come loose and kinda fell off. Well, a quick stop at Pep Boys for a new belt. Installation was simple.

    Reflections:
    Do you recall your first date?
    My very first date was in high school. I as tricked into it by a classmate. I was a sophomore, she was a junior. It was supposed to be a pizza party, it turned into a double date. I didn't quite understand that I was being set up and that the evening was a date until later. Nothing happened. This high school relationship lasted until I started my freshman year of college.

    My first gay date was in 1997 on the 19th of December. We went to see Titanic after a lovely dinner. I caught Mononucleosis form our make-out session. To this day Titanic still does things to me emotionally. We never did anything else together - just that one lovely date.

    My first date with my bunny was actually more of a third wheel… but that's another story.

    And I just got some awesome news!
    18th-Apr-2012 07:02 pm - Wednesday's Thoughts
    Fox-Derp
    Bark!

    Yeah, I think it's that time of day.

    Anyone out in LiveJournal Land ever install an aftermarket cruise control?

    And why are they eating the cake firsts…

    Cake? Yes, we have that.

    Anyway I think it's shower time.
    17th-Apr-2012 12:14 am - Bark
    Fox-Derp
    Overall today was was a good day.

    We went to the Ford Museme before flying home. The first leg of the journey was uneventful, and we managed to watch some TV on the iPad.

    The second leg was a little frustrating as I didn't have an opportunity to plug my computer in between flights due to a miscommunication and some very slow wings - I wasn't even hungry.

    Not to mention the small kid sized seats.

    But we are almost on the ground.
    Fox-Derp
    From the Rabbit Valley® Comics Official Blog

    Review:

    The Prince of Knaves is a fantastically-written, fast paced classic adventure story interwoven with a touching, heartfelt (and sometimes explicitly described) homosexual romance. Such would be the shortest way to describe this book. But for the casual reader, this description suffices. If you enjoy fun, fast adventure stories, and you don’t mind the homosexual romance, don’t miss this book.

    The prose is not poetic or flowery. It does not exhibit any try-hard mannerisms that so many new authors try to employ. It flows. There is a rhythm to the words that changes along with the pacing, and what a joy it is to read. Part of that comes form Alflor’s ability to judge how much the reader needs to know. I have previously seen this in past stories of his. There is never too much description, but there is always enough to paint a clear and vivid picture. It is fair to say that (if you like the subject matter) you will never be bored with this book. The pace is quick and the story never drags. There are 406 pages, but I didn’t once stop to check how many pages I read. If you want a well-written furry book, this is a prime example.

    The world Alflor creates is an intriguing blend of Medieval Europe, Scandinavia and a touch of furry. There is no fantasy there. If we lived in a world of anthropomorphic animals, I would even label this historical fiction. Concerning the furry aspect, this is such a book where the fact that the characters are upright-walking, talking animals is paid absolutely no mind. They just are. As such, the narrative never feels like it is trying to convince the reader of the furriness of these characters. One may occasionally wag a tail or fold their ears, but they act very human for the most part. (There *is* one scene which uses the animal traits of the characters in a very clever way, but I will not spoil it.)

    The story is one of Prince Natier. He begins the book living a life of privilege at the royal palace in Llyra. Prince Natier is painted as fairly lazy and hedonistic, but he isn’t always like this. When the sun goes down, he takes on the persona of Rivard and sneaks out of the palace. This side of the fox is much less self-absorbed and much friendlier. As the book’s back cover says, “he goes to brothels, helps a local gang of thieves pull off robberies, and gets drunk off his tail on mead.” But this double lifestyle is interrupted when one of the servants makes an attempt on the prince’s life. Natier flees the palace and hides out at the local shipyard only to learn that he has been framed for another attempted murder, that of King Rasdil.

    Pursued by authorities, Rivard must discover what truly happened at the palace and find his missing father. If he can’t get Rasdil to testify on his behalf, he is doomed to live a life on the lam.

    There is much more to this book, including a second part that shifts things into a nautical adventure mode akin to Castaways of the Flying Dutchman. There are pirates, smugglers and plenty of battles on the high seas.

    The characters Alflor creates are uncannily real. They have their merits and flaws. Not one is perfect. And they all have a reason behind what they do. This drives plot in a very realistic manner. The characters never do things just because the author needs to get the story from point A to point B. You can see them grow and mature through their experiences.

    I honestly cannot praise this book enough for the sheer amount of material it blends together. You want romance? You got it. Adventure? Absolutely. Mystery, heist? Coming right up. And let’s not forget the humor. It is also a fascinating character study of the main protagonist. He is unsure at the start, caught between living a life of self-absorbance at the palace and a life of adventure on the streets. By the end of the book, Rivard will have do decide just who he really is.

    The negative points to this book are very small. Mostly typos. I noticed about 15. They aren’t very jarring, especially since the book is so smoothly-written, but I wish this book had been proofread better. There are also several mysteries which are never explained. I will hold off on calling that a criticism, however, until the series is complete.

    If you spent your childhood reading books like Robinson Crusoe, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Treasure Island, and so on, this book will absolutely and without doubt be a welcome addition to your collection. It is fast, exciting and it never forgets to be fun. I patiently await Mr. Aalto’s next novel.

     

    Thank you for a wonderful read.
    Yours sincerely,

    Ryan Blackbear
    ryan.blackbear@aol.com

    This page was loaded Jun 5th 2012, 2:23 am GMT.