2002 Recommended Furry Reading List
This second annual Recommended Furry Reading List has two purposes. Firstly, it is open for all Furry fans to recommend the best anthropomorphic movies, TV series, novels, artwork, games, etc. that they found during 2002. It is for fans who want to know what anthropomorphic movies, TV series, novels, etc. are worth looking for. The List is open to anyone to add to and it will be updated, so if you know of any 2002 Furry movies or comic books or comic strips, etc. that are worth recommending, please send your recommendations through the end of 2002 to:
Fred Patten
11863 West Jefferson Boulevard
Culver City, California 90230-6322
fredpatten[AT]earthlink[DOT]net
Secondly, this List is to be used as a guide when nominations open for the 2002 Ursa Major Awards, which will be presented at ConFurence 2003 in April 2003 for the Best of the calendar year 2002 in the same nine categories on the Recommended List. The List was actually started as a aid to those fans who said, "The Awards sound like a good idea but I don't have the slightest idea what's eligible to be nominated." Read the List and find out what is eligible for the Best of 2002.
The 2002 Recommended Furry Reading List is also posted at: http://home.earthlink.net/~kayshapero/ReadList.htm That website includes links to as many as possible of the recommendated items that have their own entries on the Internet; so if you want to know more about any of them such as the Greg the Bunny TV series or the Sly Cooper video game, you can go right to its site.
For information about the 2001 Recommended Reading List, and the Ursa Major Awards for 2001 presented at ConFurence 2002 in April 2002, including the list of all recommended titles and the Awards winners, please go to the abovementioned website.
Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture
1. Ice Age (20th Century Fox, March 15, 2002)
2. Stuart Little 2 (Columbia Pictures, July 19, 2002)
Best Anthropomorphic TV Series
1. Between the Lions (WGBH Boston and Sirius Thinking, Ltd. for PBS syndication; 2002 new episodes, 3rd season, #56 - #65, September 16 - November 18)
2. Dinotopia (Hallmark Entertainment and MAT I Production for ABC; 3 episode mini-series, May 12 - May 14). Dinotopia: The Series (Hallmark Entertainment and MAT I Production for ABC; scheduled to premiere November 28)
3. Greg the Bunny (Steven Levitan Productions for 20th Century Fox Television; 13 episodes, March 27 - August 25, 2002)
4. Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat (CineGroupe, in association with Children's Television Workshop and IF/X Productions for PBS syndication; 2002 new episodes, #21 (February 13) to #40 (October 5))
Best Anthropomorphic Novel
1. Rescue Ferrets at Sea, by Richard Bach. (The Ferret Chronicles #1) Scribner/Ferret House Press, June 2002.
2. Air Ferrets Aloft, by Richard Bach. (The Ferret Chronicles #2) Scribner/Ferret House Press, June 2002.
3. Writer Ferrets: Chasing the Muse, by Richard Bach. (The Ferret Chronicles #3) Scribner/Ferret House Press, October 2002.
4. You're an Animal, Viskovitz!, by Alessandro Boffa. Translated from the Italian by John Casey, with Maria Sanminiatelli. A. A. Knopf, May 2002.
5. Changespell Legacy, by Doranna Durgin. Baen Books, June 2002.
6. Insect Dreams: The Half Life of Gregor Samsa, by Marc Estrin. Penguin Putnam/BlueHen Books, February 2002.
7. Vampire Voles: A Welkin Weasels Adventure, by Garry Kilworth. Corgi Books, May 2002.
8. Scars: An Ironclaw Novel, by Ted MacKinnon. Sanguine Productions, Ltd., January 2002.
9. Firewing, by Kenneth Oppel. HarperCollins Canada, April 2002.
Best Anthropomorphic Short Story
1. "Six", by Samuel C. Conway, in Anthrolations #5, July 2002.
2. "Milk Run", by Jim Hayden, in Yarf! #65, July 2002.
3. "Fast Break", by Quentin Long & Hallan Mirayas, on the Cubist's Stories website, posted September 17, 2002. (http://transform.to/~cubist/)
4. "Treasure Grows There", by Richard Reid, in Fantastic Furry Stories #3, January 2002.
5. "A Prison of Clouds", by Tim Susman, in Breaking the Ice: Stories from New Tibet, edited by Tim Susman. Sofawolf Press, January 2002.
Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work
1. Breaking the Ice: Stories from New Tibet, edited by Tim Susman. Sofawolf Press, January 2002. (Collection of short stories)
Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book or Strip
Comic Strip
1. 1/0, by Tailsteak (Mason Williams). (Comic strip, Internet, daily, 2002 strips from January through current)
2. The Adventures of Fifine, by Henbe (Normand Bilodeau). (Comic strip, Internet, irregular but about monthly, 2002 strips from February or March through current)
3. A Doemain of Our Own, by Susan M. Parkin. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from January 4 through current)
4. Faux Pas, by Robert & Margaret Carspecken. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from January through current)
5. Freefall, by Mark Stanley. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from January 2 through current)
6. Kevin & Kell, by Bill Holbrook. (Comic strip, Internet, daily, 2002 strips from January 1 through current)
7. Master Zen-Dao Meow: The Spiraling Heart, by Patrick Schaefer & Bret Ward. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from March(?) through current)
8. Ozy and Millie, by David Simpson. (Comic strip, Internet, daily, 2002 strips from January 2 through current)
9. Scrued, by Melissa Jewel. (Comic strip, Internet, irregular, 2002 strips from March 13 through current)
10. SpellShocked, by Benjamin Yackley, Charles Caffrey and Mark Freid. (Comic strip, Internet, semi-monthly, 2002 strips from January through current)
11. The Suburban Jungle, starring Tiffany Tiger, by John Robey. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from January 2 through current)
12. Tales of the Questor, by Ralph E. Hayes, Jr. (Comic strip, Internet, weekly, 2002 strips from January 6 through current)
13. Wild Angels, by G. Raymond Eddy. (Comic strip, Internet, approx. weekly, 2002 strips from August 16 through current)
Comic Book
1. Circles, by Andrew French, Steve Domanski and Scott Fabianek. (Comic book, RABCO Publishing, irregular, 2002 issues starting with #2 (dated Summer 2001 but not released until March 15, 2002))
2. De Cape et de Crocs, by Alain Ayroles & Jean-Luc Masbou. (Comic book, Delcourt, annual, volume 5, Jean sans Lune, published September 13, 2002)
3. Furrlough, by various. (Comic book, Radio Comix, monthly, 2002 issues starting with #113, January)
4. Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai. (Comic book, Dark Horse, monthly, 2002 issues starting with v. III #54, January)
Best Anthropomorphic Fanzine
1. Anthrolations (2002 issues from #5, July, to [#6 due in November?])
2. Fang, Claw & Steel (2002 issues from #12, Winter, to #14, Summer)
3. Fur Visions (2002 issues from #23, January, to #26, October)
4. South Fur Lands (2002 issues from #24, March, to #26, September [#27 due in December?])
5. Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe (2002 issues from #29, March, to #30, August [#31 due in December?])
6. Yarf! (2002 issues from #63, January, to #65, July [#66 out before end of year?])
Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration
1. Bruton, Heather. Cover painting for Furrlough #112, April 2002.
2. Crane, Walter. Cover painting for Sheba v.3 #2, June 2002.
3. Holcomb, Odis. Cover painting for Breaking the Ice: Stories from New Tibet, edited by Tim Susman, January 2002.
4. Melville, Chuck. Cover painting for Wild Kingdom #13, April 2002.
5. Mleynek, Natasha "Dark Natasha". Cover painting for Furrlough #109, January 2002.
6. Smith, Brenden. Cover for South Fur Lands #26, September 2002.
7. Tweddell, Kevin. Cover painting for Vampire Voles: A Welkin Weasels Adventure, by Garry Kilworth, May 2002.
Best Anthropomorphic Game
1. Blinx: The Time Sweeper. Developer: Artoon; Publisher: Microsoft Corp., October 8, 2002.
2. JADECLAW: The Anthropomorphic Fantasy Role-Playing Game! Developer & Publisher: Sanguine Productions, Ltd., January 2002.
3. Kingdom Hearts. Developer: SquareSoft; Publisher: Square Electronic Arts, September 17, 2002.
4. Ratchet and Clank. Developer: Insomniac Games; Publisher: Sony Computer Entertain-ment, scheduled for November 15, 2002.
5. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. Developer: Sucker Punch; Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment, September 24, 2002.
6. Star Fox Adventures. Designer: Rare, Ltd.; Publisher: Nintendo, September 23, 2002.
And we have a controversy which we need fannish feedback to help resolve. There is another Furry item which many fans feel is worth recommending: the Stan Winston Creatures: Realm of the Claw set of six action figures of Furry felinoid warriors, sold exclusively at Toys 'R' Us, released during January and February 2002. What category should they fit in? Should a new category be created just for them? The main complaints that the ConFurence received about the Recommended List and the Ursa Major Awards last year were contradictory: (1) There are too many different items in the same categories which should have their own separate categories, like Best Comic Strip and Best Comic Book; and (2) There are so many different categories it's confusing; they ought to be combined into only four or five categories. What should be done with Realm of the Claw?
Please remember that this Recommended Furry Reading List is separate from the Ursa Major Awards nominations, and that sending in a recommendation to this List is not the same as sending in a nomination for the Awards. There is no limit to the number of recommendations that may be made to the List, while the final ballot for the Awards is limited to the top five nominees in each category. Nominations (up to five in each category) for the 2003 Ursa Major Awards, covering the calendar year from January 1 through December 31, 2002, should be sent in between December 1, 2002 and January 7, 2003, to:
ConFurence Group
(attention: Ursa Major Awards)
P. O. Box 84721
San Diego, California 92138-4721
or e.mail to:
awards@confurence.net
And remember: both the annual Recommended Furry Reading List and the Ursa Major Awards are meant for all Furry fandom. Eligibility is international, not just for what is released in North America and Great Britain. And participation is wanted from fans everywhere, not just ConFurence members. E.mail or snail-mail us if you have any questions, suggestions, complaints, and ideas on how to improve them.
About the author
Fred Patten — read stories — contact (login required)a retired former librarian from North Hollywood, California, interested in general anthropomorphics
Comments
Interesting list, Fred.
Regarding the categories, I think it'd be wise to split "best comic strip" and "best comic book" since they are distinct forms of storytelling -- similar to the way the Dramatic Presentation Hugo Award was split to short- and long-form. Comic strip c95{be considered in the comic strip category. Some work might have to be done to come up with precise definitions, e.g. a strip is published periodically in installments of fewer than (say) 6 panels, with a self-contained gag or beat for each installment. The idea is that something like Gene Catlow is really an online comic book, being published page by page with a continuing story but each page doesn't really stand on its own, whereas Freefall, although it has a continuing storyline, is a strip such as one might find in a newspaper, that can be enjoyed to some extent without having seen the previous installments. (No wonder the categories were combined to start with!)
As for Realm of the Claw, maybe a category for "best mass-produced non-printed product" (figurines, toys, plushies, etc.) or a catch-all category "best thing that doesn't fit in any of the other categories."
The limit on the number of categories is based on the categories of the Ursa Major awards, given out at ConFurence each year. We could continue sub-dividing categories forever, but where would that leave us?
Also, what about strips that are compiled to books? What about anthro comics that are done in one or two pages and are later redrawn into longer stories? There is a blurred line between comic strips and comic books, so there is a single category for both.
--Darrel.
Am reading _Life Of Pi_ and will post review as soon as I am finished.
The third season of Digimon most definitely counts as "furry", and was a completely different continuity from previous seasons (and so could arguably be called "new", at least on this side of the ocean).
It features characters and plot with depth and much development over the course of the series, and it's just plain cool. It's certainly on my "recommended media" list.
I just read this comment. If you definitely recommend Digimon and it had new episodes during 2002, then I will see that it is added to the Recommended List. However, recommendations should be e.mailed directly to me, which is what the e.mail link in the Flayrah.com article is for, to make sure they they are received. Recommendations made as part of comments in Furry discussion groups may not get noticed. -- Fred Patten
Fred Patten
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