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Vote for the Ursa Major Awards!

Once again, it’s time for you the fans to vote for the best that anthropomorphics have to offer with the annual Ursa Major Awards. From the web site: “More formally known as the Annual Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Awards, the Ursa Major Awards are presented annually for excellence in the furry arts. They are intended as Anthropomorphic (a.k.a. Furry) Fandom’s equivalent of the Hugo Awards presented by the World Science Fiction Society, mystery fandom’s Anthony Awards, horror fandom’s Bram Stoker Awards, and so forth.” For 2009, the nominees in 10 categories include:

Best Motion Picture - Live-action or animated feature-length movies.
*	"Avatar"
*	"Fantastic Mr Fox"
*	"The Princess and the Frog"
*	"Up"
*	"Where the Wild Things Are"

Best Dramatic Short Work or Series - TV series or one-shots, advertisements or short videos.
*	"The Cat Piano"
*	"Partly Cloudy"
*	"The Penguins of Madagascar"
*	"Prep and Landing"
*	"The Secret Saturdays"

Best Novel - Written works of 40,000 words or more. Serialized novels qualify only for the year that the final chapter is published.
*	"Bone Crossed" by Patricia Briggs
*	"Cheetah's Win" by Phil Geusz
*	"Jazmyn" by Bernard Doove
*	"Out of Position" by Kyell Gold
*	"Return to the Hundred Acre Wood" by David Benedictus
*	"The Unscratchables" by Cornelius Kane

Best Short Fiction - Stories less than 40,000 words, poetry, and other short written works.
*	"Drifting" by Kyell Gold
*	"Moonthief" by Not Tube
*	"Stop the World" by Kyell Gold
*	"Thou Shalt Not Make Wrongful Use Of The Name Of Thy Lord" by Whyte Yote
*	"Trading Wishes" by Kevin Frane

Best Other Literary Work - Story collections, comic collections, graphic novels, non-fiction works, and convention program books.
*	"Bloom County - The Complete Library, Volume 1" by Berke Breathed
*	"Draw Furries: How to Create Anthropomorphic and Fantasy Animals" by Lindsay Cibos and Jared Hodges
*	"The First Book of Lapism" by Phil Geusz
*	"Who Are The Furries?" by Denise Winterman
*	"X" edited by Kyell Gold

Best Graphic Story - Includes comic books and serialized online stories.
*	"Concession" by Immelman
*	"Furthia High" by QuetzaDrake
*	"Jack" by David Hopkins
*	"Lackadaisy" by Tracy J. Butler
*	"Twokinds" by Tom Fischbach

Best Comic Strip - Newspaper-style strips, including those with ongoing arcs.
*	"Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures" by Amber M. Williams
*	"Doc Rat" by Jenner
*	"Freefall" by Mark Stanley
*	"Housepets!" by Rick Griffin
*	"Kevin and Kell" by Bill Holbrook

Best Magazine - Professional magazines, amateur zines, fanzines, and internet-only magazines.
*	"ANTHRO" edited by Quentin Long
*	"Heat" published by Sofawolf
*	"New Fables" edited by Tim Susman
*	"South Fur Lands" edited by Bernard Doove
*	"Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe" edited by Gene Breshears

Best Published Illustration - Illustrations for books, magazines, convention program books, cover art for such, coffee table portfolios.
*	"Gaia's Strange Seedlike Brood (Homage to Lynn Margulis)" by Patrick Farley
*	"It's Beautiful" by Jailbird
*	"Jazmyn" by Sara Palmer
*	"New Coyote" by Kenket
*	"Out of Position" by Blotch

Best Game - Computer or console games, role-playing games, board games.
*	"Earth Eternal"
*	"G-Force: The Video Game"
*	"Predation: The Board Game"
*	"Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time"
 
Voting is open now, and will close on April 18th -- with the 
awards to be presented in early summer. Visit the Ursa Major 
Awards web site to find out more about the nominees -- or, 
more importantly, to vote! Make your voice heard!

Donald Duck… Secret Agent?

Once again, the folks at Boom! Kids take things in a whole new direction…  Donald Duck and Friends Volume 1: Double Duck is a new trade paperback (also available in hardcover) that collects the recent issues of this comic book series… featuring everyone’s favorite cranky duck as a top-flight secret agent, out to save the world from a madman bent on melting the world’s polar ice caps! The story is by Fausto Vitaliano and Marco Bosco, with various folks contributing the full-color art. The books are scheduled to come out in early May.

c. 2010, Boom! Studios. Not the final art... but oooo!

c. 2010, Boom! Studios. Not the final art... but oooo!

“Up” takes it, but…

The International Animated Film Society (ASIFA) presented the 37th annual Annie Awards  on Saturday, February 6th. The presentation was held at UCLA’s Royce Hall, and none other than William Shatner was the host.

As many had been expecting, Disney/Pixar’s Up took the honors for Best Animated Feature Film, as well as a Best Director win for co-director Pete Docter. But what was notable about the evening was that, unlike last year’s Kung Fu Panda sweep, no one film or TV show ran away with a multitude of awards. By sheer numbers, three items emerged victorious for winning three awards each: Coraline (Best Feature Character Design, Best Feature Production Design, Best Feature Music), Prep & Landing (Best TV Character Design, Best TV Production Design, Best TV Production), and The Princess and the Frog (Best Effects Animation, Best Feature Character Animation (Eric Goldberg for Lou the Alligator), and Best Feature Voice Acting (Jen Cody for Charlotte). The Penguins of Madagscar won two awards, Best TV Directing and Best TV Production for Children. Another 10 items won a single award each, including one for Fantastic Mr. Fox (for Best Writing in a Feature). In other words, the awards were spread around quite a bit!

Besides the regular awards, the evening also included several special awards and honors. Bruce Timm, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Tim Burton each received the Winsor McCay Award for Lifetime Achievement in Animation. The June Foray Award for “Benevolent Impact” on Animation went to long-time animator and union activist Tom Sito. William T. Reeves of Pixar won the Ub Iwerks Award for Technical Achievement (he practically invented particle systems animation), while Martin Meunier and Brian McLean were given Special Achievement Awards for creating a new fabrication process used in making the film Coraline. Also, moving tributes were held for the late Roy E. Disney and Wayne Allwine (the voice of Mickey Mouse). A complete listing of the Awards and pictures from the ceremony will be up soon at the Annie Awards web site.

Goodbye Roy

Sadder news today from the world of Disney…

Roy E. Disney has died, at the age 0f 79, after a long battle with stomach cancer. The nephew of Walt Disney himself, Roy E. was the son of Walt’s brother Roy O. Disney, who was famous as being the financial brains behind many of Walt’s craziest ideas — like, animated feature films and theme parks. Roy E. spent almost all of his adult life working for his uncle and father’s company, in many different capacities. In the 1950’s and 1960’s he worked as a writer on famous short films in the True Life Adventures series, like The Living Desert and The Vanishing Prairie, as well as the TV series Zorro. (It seems appropriate that, most recently, Roy was involved in the creation of the Disney Earth series of documentaries.) In many circles though, what Roy E. became best known for was his staunch defense of the Disney company’s reputation as an animation powerhouse and pioneer. In the 1980’s, when Roy was a Disney board member and he felt that the animation quality was drifting (The Black Cauldron, anyone?), Roy lead a revolt among the stockholders that lead to the ouster of Disney chairman Ron Miller (who was married to Walt’s daughter Diane). This lead to Michael Eisner taking on the leadership of the Disney company, and soon enough lead to an animation renaissance that would produce such hits as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. Twenty years later, when Pixar was booting Disney’s traditional butt at the box office regularly, Roy again lead a stockholder revolt that lead to Michael Eisner being stripped of many of his powers at the company. Roy was a loud promoter of traditional 2D animation, even when it didn’t always make financial sense. Fantasia 2000 owes a large part of its existence to Roy’s efforts while he was head of Walt Disney Feature Animation. That film may not have broken records at the box office, but many fans of traditional animation celebrated Roy for seeing that it got made and released. At more than one public appearance, Roy was given a standing ovation by adoring animation fans. Your humble ed-otter can attest to being among them. So thank you, Roy. And blessed be.

The Return of 2D Animation…?

Well, maybe not, but there was definitely a loud, collective sigh of relief being breathed over at Walt Disney Animation Studios when their newest 2D animated feature The Princess and the Frog not only did well during its first weekend of full release, but was actually #1 at the box office in North America. Now true, making just over $25 million on your opening weekend is not exactly earth-shattering by Hollywood standards, but it should be pointed out that $25 million broke the record for animated films premiering in December — and the film didn’t even premier on Christmas weekend, when animated films traditionally top, so many are expecting the film to do even better in the next few weekends. The tie-in machine is in full “swing” also, of course: Clips from the film and behind-the-scenes shorts are all over YouTube, and live singing and dancing shows can be found on board the Mark Twain riverboat at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The film even has its own Facebook page, if you’d like to join up and become an “official fan”.

Awards Season Kicks Off

The International Animated Film Society (ASIFA) announced the nominees for the 37th annual Annie Awards, presented every year to the best in animated feature films, TV shows, commercials, short films, and more. Walt Disney Animation Studios dominated the nominees 2009 with 17, including eight for the traditional 2D film The Princess and the Frog. That film was nominated for Best Animated Feature, as well as earning individual nominations for animated effects, character animation, production design, and voice acting. Joining Princess in the Best Animated Feature category are Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Secret of Kells, and Up. Notice: Six nominees instead of the usual five.  There’s a lot to choose from this year! Check out all of the 2009 Annie Awards nominees at the Annie Awards web site.

Did you also notice that all of the Best Feature nominees have anthropomorphic animals in either lead or supporting roles?  There’s a lot to choose from for furry fans this year too! Especially when one looks further and finds numerous nominations for the Penguins of Madagascar TV series and Merry Madagascar special (both from Dreamworks Animation, of course), plus nominations for Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas, Open Season 2, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Wonder Pets, Ponyo, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Monsters vs. Aliens, and more.

With that many to chose from this year, it’s time for furry fans around the world to get serious thinking about The Ursa Major Awards for 2009, too. Remember, this is the Peoples’ Choice awards for furry fandom! Visit the Ursa Major Awards web site to add items to the Recommended Reading and Viewing List, things that furry fans might want to remember and keep in mind when they’re getting ready to nominate — which, by the way, will begin in January of 2010!

The Booming of Boom!

Every time we turn around, Boom! Studios has more interesting new product for furry fans.  Following in the steps of The Muppet Robin Hood comes The Muppet King Arthur, telling the tale of the ancient king as only Kermit the Frog and his friends can — in full color, every month. It’s brought to you by Paul Benjamin, Patrick Storck, and David Alvarez. You should also check out Wizards of Mickey, yet another break-out full-color comic book series that started in the pages of Mickey Mouse and Friends. When Mickey Mouse, the sorcerer’s apprentice, loses a valuable magic talisman, he must assemble a team of fellow magic-learners to retrieve it from evil hands. But when your allies are Donald Duck and Goofy, what chance have you got? Find out! While you’re at it, look for Wizards of Mickey Volume 1: Mouse Magic in hardcover. It collects the original four-part series in one full-color book. Wizards of Mickey comes to us from Stefano Ambrosio and Lorenzo Pastrovicchio.

Coming to Save Your Tail Feathers!

This January, Boom! Studios  brings us the new Disney’s Hero Squad full-color comic, from the minds of  writer Riccardo Secchi and artist Stefano Turconi. From the pages of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories: Super Goof! The Duck Avenger! Eega Beeva! The Red Bat! And more — see Disney’s mightiest heroes in their own comic book title. Wonder where all this came from? Then make sure to check out the Disney’s Hero Squad Volume 1: Save The World hardcover collection. The greatest superheroes in the Disney universe come together when the world’s greatest super-villain sets his sights on Scrooge McDuck’s entire fortune!

Squirrel!

Furry fans all know that the real break-out star of Disney-Pixar’s summer smash film, Up, was Dug the dog. For heaven’s sake, he’s got his own Facebook page! Now Dug and his pack of servant dogs, all fitted with their high-tech talking collars, find themselves starring in Dug’s Special Mission, a new CGI short film that will accompany Up on the new DVD and Blue-Ray release. Directed by Ronnie Del Carmen (who worked in the story department on Up), this new short tells the story of what happened right before Dug met Carl Fredricksen and intrepid explorer Russell… when Dug, on his birthday, is wishing for a new master who would be less cruel and maniacal than the one he had before.  Dug himself, of course, is voiced again by Up co-director Bob Peterson. The new DVD/Blue-Ray will be available November 10th.

Dug, dog.  He just met you, and already he loves you.

Dug, dog. He just met you, and already he loves you.