Pet Noir Release Party December 5, 2006

The Cartoon Art Museum and Manic D Press are pleased to celebrate the release of "Pet Noir: An Anthology of Strange But True Pet Crime Stories."

This special event is free and open to the public.

Approximately 124 million dogs and cats live in U..S. households‹nearly one pet for every two Americans. It's official -- we love our pets -- but like every love affair, our relationship with our four-legged friends has a dark side.

Pet Noir: An Anthology of Strange but True Pet Crime Stories
Edited by Shannon O¹Leary, published by Manic D Press

The notorious San Francisco deadly dog mauling. The infamous Petaluma cat lady. The heartbreaking saga of Leo the Bichon-Frisé's untimely demise at the hands of a savage road-raging lunatic.

Yes, these stories all made headlines around the world, and now Pet Noir: An Anthology of Strange but True Pet Crime Stories explores what happens when our affairs with animals become dangerous liaisons.

Conceived and edited by Shannon O'Leary, and drawn by today¹s finest comic book artists, this innovative, compassionate illustrated anthology sheds fur on some of the most peculiar animal offenses in recent headlines and examines our individual relationships with animals in true stories of oddly humorous and heartbreaking personal pet crimes.

This entertaining, informative comics collection grabs traditional noir storytelling by the tail to take the reader on a vivid ride that exposes America's obsession with true crime (note the popularity of TV shows like Animal Cop: San Francisco) in a darkly comedic approach while raising awareness about critical animal welfare issues. Pet Noir will grab the attention of true-crime fans, pet lovers, animal advocates, vegans, and graphic-novel aficionados.

A portion of the profits from the sales of Pet Noir will be donated to the Animal Legal Defense Fund (www.aldf.org), which protects and advances the interests of animals through the legal system.

Featured Pet Noir artists include Andy Ristaino (The Babysitter), Lev Yilmaz (Tales of Mere Existence), Trevor Alixopolous (Mine Tonight), Eric Saxby, John Isaacson (DIY Silkscreening), August Bournique, Ben Claassen III, Bitter Pie, Fly (PEOPs), Fred Einaudi, Lark Pien (Orchid), Eric Koepfle (Fortune's Bitch), Melanie Lewis (PS Comics), Mary Fleener (Life of the Party), Damien Jay, Jen Feinberg (Little Scrowlie), Joan Reilly (Hi-Horse), MariNaomi (Estrus), N8 Van Dyke (Heavy Metal), Paul Musso, Peter Conrad (Attempted Not Known, Lou¹s Garage), and Ric Carrasquillo.

"Pet Noir is fantastic! The writing is clever, the artwork original, and the stories proving the old adage that the truth is way stranger than fiction. I loved it!" -- Jane Wiedlin, the Go-Go's

³Shannon O'Leary and the artists behind Pet Noir bring gentle life to the often-strange intersections of animal cruelty, our criminal justice system, and the roles played by the media and our own cultural conditioning in responding to crimes involving animals." -- Lisa Franzetta, ALDF

About the Publisher: Manic D Press is an award-winning publishing company based in San Francisco, specializing in literature, art, and popular culture. With more than 80 titles in print, Manic D Press books are distributed throughout the US by Consortium.

128 pages, 7 x 9 trade paperback, ISBN 1-933149-11-6, $13.95
MEDIA CONTACT: Jennifer Joseph, 415-648-8288
[email protected]

Official Website: http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Noir-Anthology-Strange-Stories/