2002 Recommended Furry Reading List - 1st Update

2002 Recommended Furry Reading List - 1st Update

The 2002 Recommended Furry Reading List was first posted on November 1st. This is the first update, adding most of the new recommendations sent in. (There are problems with some of them; see below.) There were complaints that the 2001 Recommended List got confusing with too many separate updates, so this year all the additions are being added to the same List. The next update will be posted on December 1st, which is also when nominations open for the 2002 Ursa Major Awards.

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, 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. Balto II: Wolf Quest (Universal Cartoon Studios, February 19, 2002)
2. The Country Bears (Disney, July 26, 2002)
3. Ice Age (20th Century Fox, March 15, 2002)
4. Lilo & Stitch (Disney, June 21, 2002)
5. Snow Dogs (Disney, January 18, 2002)
6. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (DreamWorks SKG, May 24, 2002)
7. Spirited Away (Disney, September 20, 2002)
8. Stuart Little 2 (Columbia Pictures, July 19, 2002)
9. The Wild Thornberrys Movie (Paramount Pictures, December 20, 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. Digimon: Digital Monsters (Saban Entertainment/Toei Animation Company for the FoxKids/UPN network; 2002 new episodes, last part of Season 3 through first part of Series 4, #130 - ? [latest is #163], February 9 - [October 28])
3. 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)
4. Greg the Bunny (Steven Levitan Productions for 20th Century Fox Television; 13 episodes, March 27 - August 25, 2002)
5. Inuyasha (The Ocean Group, in association with Viz Communications, for The Cartoon Network/Adult Swim; 2002 new episodes, Season 1, #1 (August 31) through #10 (November 2))
6. Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat (CinéGroupe, in association with Children's Television Workshop and IF/X Productions for PBS syndication; 2002 new episodes, #21 (February 13) to #40 (October 5))
7. Tokyo Pig (Miramax Television, in association with SME Visual Works, Inc., for ABC Family Channel; 2002 new episodes, Season 1, #1 (September 14) through #8 (November 2))
8. The Wild Thornberrys (Klasky Csupo, Inc., for Nickelodeon; 2002 new episodes, Season 4, #82 (February 16) to #91 (postponed to just before movie's release))

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. Trans. 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. Elvenborn, by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey. Tor Books, August 2002.
10. 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. The Alley Cat's Meow, by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Jon Goodell. Harcourt, Inc., October 2002. (Children's picture book)
2. The Founding of the Commonwealth, by Alan Dean Foster. Science Fiction Book Club, February 2002. (Collection of three novels)
3. A Search for Meaning: The Story of Rex, by Michel Gagné. Gagné International Press, May 2002. (Children's picture book)
4. Howard the Duck (Volume 2), by Steve Gerber (story), Phil Winslade & Glenn Fabry w/Garry Leach (art). Marvel Comics, September 2002. (Comic book collection)
5. Tank Vixens: Divine Collection, by Paul Kidd (story) & Mike Sagara (art). United Publications, October 2002. (Comic book collection)
6. Micawber, by John Lithgow, illustrated by C. F. Payne. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Children, October 2002. (Children's picture book)
7. Ozy and Millie IV: Authentic Banana Dye, by David Simpson. Plan Nine Publishing, November 2001. (Comic strip collection)
8. 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. CoyoteVille, by Steven Graziano. (Comic strip, Internet, daily, 2002 strips from January 1 through current)
4. A Doemain of Our Own, by Susan M. Parkin. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from January 4 through current)
5. Faux Pas, by Robert & Margaret Carspecken. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from January through current)
6. Freefall, by Mark Stanley. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from January 2 through current)
7. Kevin & Kell, by Bill Holbrook. (Comic strip, Internet, daily, 2002 strips from January 1 through current)
8. Master Zen-Dao Meow: The Spiraling Heart, by Patrick Schaefer & Bret Ward. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from March(?) through current)
9. Ozy and Millie, by David Simpson. (Comic strip, Internet, daily, 2002 strips from January 2 through current)
10. Scrued, by Melissa Jewel. (Comic strip, Internet, irregular, 2002 strips from March 13 through current)
11. SpellShocked, by Benjamin Yackley, Charles Caffrey and Mark Freid. (Comic strip, Internet, semi-monthly, 2002 strips from January through current)
12. The Suburban Jungle, starring Tiffany Tiger, by John Robey. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2002 strips from January 2 through current)
13. Tales of the Questor, by Ralph E. Hayes, Jr. (Comic strip, Internet, weekly, 2002 strips from January 6 through current)
14. Wild Angels, by G. Raymond Eddy. (Comic strip, Internet, approx. weekly, 2002 strips from August 16 through current)
15. The World of Vicki Fox, by Laura Howell & Michael Russell. (Comic strip, Internet, semi-monthly, 2002 strips from January 6 (#38) through current)

Comic Book

1. Bureau of Mana Investigation, by Smudge (Christina Hanson) & Ed Garcia. (Comic book, Radio Comix, bi-monthly, 2002 issues starting with #1, January)
2. 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))
3. De Cape et de Crocs, by Alain Ayroles & Jean-Luc Masbou. (Comic book, Delcourt, annual, volume 5, Jean sans Lune, published September 13, 2002)
4. Furrlough, by various. (Comic book, Radio Comix, monthly, 2002 issues starting with #113, January)
5. Howard the Duck (Volume 2), by Steve Gerber (story), Phil Winslade & Glenn Fabry w/Garry Leach (art). (Comic book, MAX (Marvel) Comics, monthly, 2002 issues #1 (March) through #6 (August))
6. Mutant, Texas: Tales of Sheriff Ida Red, by Paul Dini (story) and J. Bone (art). (Comic book, Oni Press, bi-monthly, 2002 issues starting with #1, May)
7. My Monkey's Name is Jennifer, by Ken Knudtsen. (Comic book, Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics, bi-monthly, 2002 issues starting with #1, March)
8. Stan Winston's Realm of the Claw, by Francis Takenaga (story), Gabriel Rearte (#1-#2) & Liam M. Sharp (#3) (art). (Comic book published combined with Stan Winston's Mutant Earth, Image Comics, bi-monthly, 2002 issues starting with #1, April)
9. ThunderCats, by J. Scott Campbell (#0), Ford Lytle Gilmore (#0-#5) (story), Ed McGuinness & Jason Martin (art). (Comic book, DC Comics/WildStorm, monthly, 2002 issues starting with #0, October)
10. 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. Huzzah! (2002 issues start with #45, February)
5. South Fur Lands (2002 issues from #24, March, to #26, September [#27 due in December])
6. Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe (2002 issues from #29, March, to #30, August [#31 due in December])
7. 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 Anubis: Dark Desire #1, June 2002.
2. Bruton, Heather. Cover painting for Furrlough #112, April 2002.
3. Crane, Walter. Cover painting for Sheba v.3 #2, June 2002.
4. "Dr. Comet". Cover painting for Hit the Beach (2002) #9, July 2002.
5. Goodwin, Chris. Cover painting for Circles #2, Summer 2001 [March 2002].
6. Holcomb, Odis. Cover painting for Breaking the Ice: Stories from New Tibet, edited by Tim Susman, January 2002.
7. Melville, Chuck. Cover painting for Wild Kingdom #13, April 2002.
8. Mleynek, Natasha "Dark Natasha". Cover of Furrlough #109, January 2002.
9. Smith, Brenden. Cover of South Fur Lands #26, September 2002.
10. 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 Entertainment, 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.
7. Tank Vixens: The Card Game, by Paul Kidd & Mike Sagara. United Publications, November 2002.

Problems: We received some recommendations of titles that were published before 2002 (for example, The Sight, by David Clement-Davies, a Furry horror novel about a supernatural battle between Good and Evil wolves, was first published in Britain in 2001), or in the wrong categories (A Search for Meaning, by Michel Gagne, a hardcover children's picture book, was recommended as a comic book), or that were too vague to be listed. We have corrected errors where we could get the proper information, but in several cases we have written back to request more information and not yet gotten a reply.

We could also use more general feedback to find out whether fans think that we should change some of our guidelines. For example, we felt it was logical that novels should be eligible during their year of first publication whether in America, Australia or in Britain, considering the ease today of ordering books internationally via the Internet. This means, citing The Sight, that a novel published in Britain in 2001 is not eligible when a U.S. edition is published during 2002. Do fans think that this should be changed to allow eligibility in both years? What if a new edition of an old work contains new material? Artist Frank Kelly Freas is preparing illustrations for a new edition of George Orwell's 1945 Animal Farm to be published in 2003. Should that edition qualify for a 2003 Best Novel? Or should the illustra-tions alone qualify for Best Published Illustration?

We need further fannish feedback to help resolve whether there should be a category for Furry Sculptures/Toys/3-D Art. Many fans feel that 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, is worth recommending. What category should they fit in? Should a new category be created for them? It has been pointed out that there are other items worth recommending that would fit into such a category, such as the Toy Vault line of plush Monty Python dolls released during 2002: The Rabbit With Big Pointy Teeth, The Bloody Rabbit With Big Pointy Teeth, and The Beast of Argghhh (all from Monty Python and the Holy Grail) and The Live Parrot (from the Monty Python TV "Dead Parrot" sketch). The problem here is that the main complaints the ConFurence received 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 is confusing; they ought to be combined into only four or five. So should a new category be created for action figures & plushies? Should they be crammed into the Published Illustration category? Or should they be ignored on the grounds that there are already too many categories?

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:
[email protected]

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.