Snowlands Book 1: When Animals Steal the Spotlight (and the Style)
In February 2026, Scholastic will release Snowlands Book 1: A Blood Moon, a graphic novel that seems like a cross between a National Geographic documentary and a Viking epic. Behind it is Morr Meroz, the brain of Bloop Animation Studios, known for his tutorials that save projects at midnight. This time, he swaps rigs for cursed wolves and leopards with attitude.
It's not a fairy tale: it's Survivor in a furry version with better concept art.
The Fuzziest Antiheroes of Winter
The protagonists are as unlikely as a render without errors:
- Feba: a white wolf accused of bringing bad luck (like that plugin that crashes Maya).
- Usha: a leopard that seems straight out of a Siberian noir film 🐆.
- Batu: a cat whose clumsiness rivals ours when using Substance for the first time.
Art That Looks Like a DreamWorks Behind-the-Scenes
Collin Fogel, in charge of the art, makes every page look like a storyboard for an animated movie. The character silhouettes are so clear that even an indecisive client would approve them. The cool palette with vibrant touches is a masterclass in environment design 🎨.
From Personal Project to Publishing Phenomenon
The most inspiring part is that Meroz self-published this story first. No big studios, just faith in his idea (and probably coffee). Now, Scholastic backs it and they're already planning more installments. Lesson? Sometimes the side project ends up in bookstores... and in half of Hollywood's moodboards.
Study Material for 3D Artists
For those obsessed with ZBrush or Blender, this is visual gold:
- Fur textures in snow (goodbye to generic lions).
- Moonlit lighting for dramatic scenes 🌕.
- Creature topologies that don't look like they came from a free asset.
And if someone recreates Usha in 3D, share the file... preferably before it corrupts like our last-minute saves 😉.