Creator Spotlight

If you've followed our Signature Series program for any length of time, Tony Fleecs is probably a familiar name.

We've worked with Tony on signed comics, exclusives and Signature Series projects for years, but our biggest ongoing project together has become Feral. We've offered signed sets covering issues #1–5, #6–10, #11–15, #16–20 and #21–25.

Now we're continuing the run with Feral #26–30, signed by Tony Fleecs, available in three different cover sets — and we're adding something special for the collectors who have been with us for the entire ride.

Before we get to that, though, it's worth looking at the career that brought Tony from independent comics to My Little Pony, Stray Dogs, Feral and now major projects for Marvel and DC.

From Indie Comics to My Little Pony

Tony's comic book career started long before Feral.

His early creator-owned work included the autobiographical comic In My Lifetime in 2006, followed by projects including Jeff Steinberg: Champion of Earth. Over the years, his work began appearing across an increasingly diverse range of comics and publishers.

Then came a whole lot of ponies.

Tony became closely associated with IDW's hugely successful My Little Pony comics, working extensively on the franchise as both an artist and writer. He ultimately crossed from comics into animation as well, writing for the Netflix series My Little Pony: Make Your Mark.

During that period Tony also worked on an almost ridiculous variety of well-known properties, including Star Wars, Avengers, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers.

But his creator-owned work would eventually take his career in a very different direction.

Tony Fleecs and Stray Dogs

In 2021, Tony Fleecs and artist Trish Forstner launched Stray Dogs through Image Comics.

The concept was immediately memorable.

The artwork evoked the warmth and familiarity of classic animated animal movies. The story most definitely did not.

Stray Dogs follows Sophie, a dog who finds herself in a strange house surrounded by other dogs, unable to remember how she got there or what happened to her owner. What follows is a dark suspense and horror story hidden beneath an intentionally adorable exterior.

Image Comics described the concept as "Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs."

It worked.

The five-issue series became a breakout book for Fleecs and Forstner and established a formula they would return to a few years later: familiar, expressive animals placed into a world that is considerably more frightening than the artwork initially suggests.

That next world belonged to cats.

Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner and Feral

In 2024, Fleecs and Forstner returned with Feral, joined by artist Tone Rodriguez.

This time we meet Elsie, Lord Fluffy Britches and Patch — three indoor cats who suddenly find themselves trying to survive outdoors during a terrifying rabies-like outbreak.

Without their humans to protect them, getting home means surviving other infected animals while avoiding becoming infected themselves.

What started as another clever inversion of cute animal imagery and horror has grown into an ongoing series, and we've been along for almost the entire journey with our Collector's Paradise Feral Signature Series.

We started with issues #1–5 signed by Tony Fleecs.

Then #6–10.

Then #11–15.

Then #16–20.

And most recently #21–25, which brought the worlds of Feral and Stray Dogs together.

Now we're heading into the next chapter.

Feral #26 Starts a New Story

Feral #26 begins a new story arc and is specifically designed as a jumping-on point for new readers.

Following the events of the previous issue, Elsie finds herself alone in the woods — and the mysterious Spirit Guide has returned.

For longtime readers, it's the beginning of the next chapter. For people who have been curious about Feral but haven't jumped in yet, it's also a particularly good place to start.

And naturally, we're doing another Signature Series.

Feral #26–30 Signed by Tony Fleecs

The new Collector's Paradise Feral #26–30 Signature Series includes all five issues signed by Tony Fleecs.

We're offering the run in three different cover sets:

Cover A Set
Homage Cover B Set
Character Spotlight Cover C Set

[SHOP FERAL #26–30 COVER A SET]

[SHOP FERAL #26–30 HOMAGE COVER B SET]

[SHOP FERAL #26–30 CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT COVER C SET]

But this time we're doing something extra.

Collected All of Our Feral Signature Series? You're Getting a Tony Fleecs Sketch.

We wanted to do something special for the people who have supported this project all the way through.

If you've purchased our Signature Series sets for Feral #1–5, #6–10, #11–15, #16–20 and #21–25, and you continue with #26–30, you are guaranteed a Tony Fleecs sketch.

There's no drawing and no luck involved.

If you've built the complete #1–30 Collector's Paradise Signature Series run, you're getting a sketch.

And if you're just joining us with #26–30, you still have a shot.

Tony has also agreed to provide additional sketches that we'll randomly insert into orders for the new #26–30 sets. So even if this is your first Feral Signature Series purchase, your package could contain an unexpected Tony Fleecs sketch.

Tony Fleecs Beyond Stray Dogs and Feral

What's particularly interesting about Tony's career is that his creator-owned success hasn't pulled him away from mainstream comics.

If anything, the opposite has happened.

Alongside Stray Dogs and Feral, Tony co-created Local Man with Tim Seeley for Image Comics, combining superhero comics with small-town crime noir.

His creator-owned work also includes Uncanny Valley and Time Shopper.

Meanwhile, Tony has moved into increasingly prominent work at Marvel and DC.

For Marvel, he wrote The Thing, sending Ben Grimm on a solo adventure through the Marvel Universe.

At DC, Tony is currently writing Deathstroke: The Terminator, with artist Carmine Di Giandomenico, as part of DC's Next Level line — his first ongoing series for DC.

That's a pretty remarkable path from an autobiographical indie comic to My Little Pony, from My Little Pony to one of the most talked-about animal horror comics in Stray Dogs, and from there to Feral, creator-owned comics and characters like The Thing and Deathstroke.

And he's still making comics about terrifying cats.

Shop Signed Comics by Tony Fleecs

Our relationship with Tony goes well beyond Feral.

The Collector's Paradise Tony Fleecs collection includes available signed comics, Signature Series sets, exclusive variants and other projects from throughout his career, including Feral, Stray Dogs, Local Man, Deathstroke, The Thing, Twig and more.

[SHOP ALL TONY FLEECS SIGNED COMICS & SIGNATURE SERIES]

We'll continue adding new Tony Fleecs projects and Signature Series opportunities as they become available.

About the Collector's Paradise Signature Series

The Collector's Paradise Signature Series gives comic readers and collectors an opportunity to preorder complete runs and sets that are signed directly by the creators.

We've worked with comic book writers and artists across publishers and genres to offer signed comics to collectors both locally through our three Southern California stores and online for customers around the country.

Every Collector's Paradise Signature Series item comes with our Certificate of Authenticity.