Fred's stories

Lady: My Life as a Bitch
Fri 2 Nov 2001 - 15:34

Book review by Geraldine Bedell in the UK Guardian Unlimited of "Lady: My Life as a Bitch", by Melvin Burgess; Andersen Press, September 2001, 212 pages, £12.99, ISBN 0-86264-770-3. SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE, Nov. 2001, pgs. 9-10. An excerpt from the book review follows.

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Animated ferret musical in production
Fri 19 Oct 2001 - 13:19

Jerry Beck's CARTOON RESEARCH website reports on "Ferretina", a theatrical animated musical feature in production from the A&A studio in Toronto. Beck says that it looks like it is designed to appeal to Furry fans, but that "this has the smell of impending doom about it". Read more about it on CARTOON RESEARCH.

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Funny animals and anthros listed in The Anime Encyclopedia
Tue 16 Oct 2001 - 14:53

"The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917", by Jonathan Clements & Helen McCarthy contains encyclopedia-type entries on almost all anime movies, TV series, and video titles. This includes all anime with talking animals, alien cat-girls, s-f with bioengineered intelligent animals, and funny animals.

Titanic: The Animated Movie
Mon 15 Oct 2001 - 19:26

Just what the world needs: a theatrical animated musical feature with funny animals about the sinking of the Titanic, in which everybody is rescued and lives happily ever after. I can hardly believe this is legitimate, but if it is a hoax somebody put a lot of work into it. Here is the summary at Jerry Beck's CARTOON RESEARCH website, which has a link to more details:

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Golden winged leopard statue
Sun 30 Sep 2001 - 13:28

It's not anthropomorphic, but click here for a photo of the giant golden "Monument to the Defenders of the Fatherland" statue in Astana, Kazakhstan: a medieval archer standing on the back of a winged leopard, symbolically soaring over the steppes raining arrows down upon the enemies of the fatherland:
Kazakhstan was recently mentioned here in August under "Furries aren't the only ones who risk public scorn..." (I found this while web-searching without luck for a picture of the five-headed eagle of Turkmenistan. Can anyone help with that?)

2001 Furry Recommended Reading/Viewing List Ready
Mon 17 Sep 2001 - 23:10

This is a followup to the "Help Sought for 2001 Furry Reading List" post of 17 August. A 5 page reading/viewing list (first draft) is now available of recommended anthropomorphic titles published/released during 2001 so far. It includes Anthropomorphic Motion Pictures (7), TV Series (1), Novels (15), Short Stories (14), Other Literary Work (3), Comic Books or Strips (10 comic books; 32 comic strips), Fanzines (12), Published Illustrations (12), and Games (1). To request a copy, contact [email protected]. There will be updates; the opinions and participation of other fans are sought so the list will reflect more than just my own tastes.

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Post-terrorists: Furcon travel problems
Thu 13 Sep 2001 - 08:55

I was lucky to make my ConiFur flight reservations on Tuesday, the day of the terrorist attack. I talked with my travel agent again today (Wednesday), and he is advising people to allow 2 1/2 hours to get through the new airport security in effect by mid-October. He also expects all airlines to announce considerable fare increases soon; it's the public who will pay for the increased security. If you plan to fly to ConiFur, MidWest Furfest, FURther Confusion, or anyplace else, it will probably be to your financial advantage to book your tickets as soon as possible. Check with your own travel agents for a second opinion. AMTRAK and Greyhound may see a surge in business.

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Worldcon in Philadelphia; how many Furry fans there?
Thu 23 Aug 2001 - 14:49

Millennium Philcon, the 2001 World S-f Convention, is at the Philadelphia downtown Convention Center from Thursday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 3. Paul Kidd will be there; so will I (Fred Patten). How many other Furfen will be there? Are there any plans yet for a gettogether or party? The Worldcon is very expensive to join at the door, but memberships are not needed for hotel parties at night.

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Help Sought for 2001 Furry Reading list
Fri 17 Aug 2001 - 14:36

This is a spinoff of the ConFurence's new annual Anthropomorphic Awards. I am trying to compile a database of the Furry novels, short stories, fanzines, movies, art, etc. published and released during 2001 that are good enough to be worth nominating for the final ballot at the end of 2001. I am sure that I have not discovered or had time to read and watch everything that is good enough to qualify. I will send my list so far to anyone who wants to compare notes. Recommendations from others are solicited; it would be nice if this database can be built into a general Recommended Reading/Viewing List of all the best Furry fiction and art of 2001. Contact me at: [email protected].

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Parents Turn Into Pigs; New Box-Office Records
Thu 16 Aug 2001 - 13:51

Jerry Beck's Cartoon Research website quotes a "Variety" report that Hayao Miyazaki's newest animated feature, about a young girl whose parents are turned into pigs and who must venture into a bizarre fantasy world to save them, is setting new box records in Japan that far surpass the records set by Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke", Japan's top-grossing film upon its release in 1997. Incidentally, although "Cartoon Research" is about all animation and not just funny animals, there is plenty of news about other funny animal theatrical and TV cartoon projects.

Editor's note: In case it's unclear, the movie concerned is Spirited Away