Blog - Banana Tail

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November 11, 2020
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Comic veteran Mark McKenna delivers a fun children’s book about overcoming bullying, friendship, and of course, a Banana-tailed monkey.

Comic’s Veteran Mark McKenna is no stranger to the industry, as we learned last March when we got to speak with Mark about his upcoming Banana Tail picturebook. A long-time comic book veteran of 35 years, Mark has worked on over 600 different comics published in both Marvel and DC. But in the past few years, Mark has taken to crowdfunding his own Indie productions. 

This newest release, aptly titled Banana Tail and the Checkerboard Jungle is the third book in Mark’s Banana Tail series. Artful stories about an adorable Banana-tailed monkey, his friends, and their adventures on Oops-N-Ouch island. In this little bananas bonanza, we get to hear the origin story of how Banana Tail met one of his best friends, the black-and-white plaid Zebra, Tic Tac. All in 33 wonderful pages, penciled in by Guardian’s of The Galaxy artist, Kevin West, and gloriously colored by artist Kate Finnegan.

Now, as someone who reads many children’s books (as I often read to my three-year-old nephew), I must admit The Checkerboard Jungle delivers eye candy on every page. It’s great for children, as it has plenty of pictures, scenescapes, and animals for them to check out, and in this one, also features a surprisingly large amount of action. Something which Mark’s art executes rather well on. Likewise, the book is also very colorful, with snapping attention to its jungle scenery, which makes it both vibrantly pop and stand out. 

As a recounted adventure story, The Checkerboard Jungle sees Banana Tail enter some unfamiliar territory, as he consistently has to avoid two meanie jungle bullies, Snap the Alligator, and Snare the Snake. In the process, Banana Tail meets Tic Tac the Zebra, who aids him on his quest to find a way to return back to his home to the Monkeekee tree. All while meeting a series of different animals along the way. It’s an easy read for children of all ages and a fun story about friendship, with a nice little payoff towards the end. 

You can purchase a copy of Banana Tail here.


August 5, 2020
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Banana Tail is a fun-loving story about a mischievous monkey and his friends aimed at ages preschool to six-years-old. The fun-loving Banana Tail and his lovable friends will have kids asking for more.

Written by Mark McKenna with art by Kevin West and Mark McKenna, Banana Tail tells the story of a young monkey who can’t get enough bananas and one day finds his tail to be yellow, much like that of his favorite food.

Along for the ride are his good friends Tic Tac, a checkered skin zebra and Reena the mood color changing rhinoceros. Eventually, you also meet Snare, a near-sighted snake that hangs out with his angry partner in crime, Snap the alligator.

In the latest story, Banana Tail and The Checkerboard Jungle, we learn how Banana Tail met his good friend Tic Tac while on the run from Snare and Snap. It’s a fun page-turner and comes in at a humble 33 pages.

Mark McKenna is no stranger to the creative world. He’s a 35 year veteran of the comic book industry with titles such as BatmanWolverineIron ManThe Incredible Hulk, and most recently Star Wars under his belt. His creator-owned series Banana Tail and Friends is a labor of love that he created when his daughter was four years old and he had just introduced a son into the world.

Banana Tail and The Checkerboard Jungle is the fourth story in the Banana Tail series being preceded by BOOnana Tail Halloween special, released in 2014. Other Banana Tail stories include Banana Tail’s Tales and Activities and Banana Tail’s Colorful Adventure.

Banana Tail and The Checkerboard Jungle is currently on Indiegogo and for a modest $5 pledge, you can get your own digital copy. Pledges go up from there and include prints, sketches by Mark himself, and copies of Mark’s other creator-owned project Combat Jacks.

For more information on Banana Tail including some fun merchandise, check out BananaTail.com.

Disclaimer: GeekMom was given a review copy of this title.


July 17, 2020
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Do you Remember when I told you about Banana Tails by Mark McKenna? I just got to read the upcoming issue and I really like it! Here’s my sneak peek at why you should totally support it in its last two days on Kickstarter.

If you don’t know what Banana Tail is, it’s a series about a monkey and his friends. Artist and writer Mark McKenna created it with his dad in the late 1990s. His dad passed away a while back, but Mark has continued their story and made it into a beloved children’s book series. The third book in the Banana Tail series focuses on Tic Tac, the plaid zebra, and the first time he met Banana Tail! Along the way they have to escape bullies and end up making some sea lion friends as well.

My opinion about the comic is that it’s a really good kids’ book. I’m pretty sure that anyone under 12 would really love it. It’s a nice and easy read, there are lots of pictures to understand the story, and it isn’t that advanced or long of a read. This would be a good book for parents to read to their young kids and for beginning readers to read by themselves.

Another great thing about it is the art by Kevin West, who drew Guardians of the Galaxy(!) and Mark McKenna and the coloring by Kate Finnegan. Mark really is an amazing artist and one of my favorites – I have a bunch of different sketch covers by him on my wall. I’m even getting another one from him as one of the Kickstarter rewards for supporting this book. Mark has been a pro for a long time and can draw anything – from really creepy things to heroes to fun things like Banana Tail and his friends. Not a lot of people can do it all, but Mark and his team sure can!

This series has really grown from a father-son comic to a huge story that lots of people enjoy. Now, it’s about to end on Kickstarter – just 1 and a half days left! I would really like it if you supported the comic. So, don’t wait!

Courtesy of CarlComix – https://carlscomix.com/banana-tail-leaps-into-his-next-adventure-a-review-of-the-new-kids-book-by-mark-mckenna/


November 12, 2016
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Veteran creator Mark McKenna has published a couple of delightful “Banana Tail” children’s book over the years, and now gives his creation, a monkey with a banana for a tail, a true comic book treatment in the form of “Boonana Tail Halloween Special.” This anthology consists of five new stories featuring his character and his cast of friends all with mild and innocently spooky themes