Bekyoot.com, in their own words, “features one-of-a-kind original designs and character merchandise inspired by life, laughter, and the pursuit of cuteness. There is a story behind every character — a life of whimsy and simplicity sure to set a smile on your face”.Though characters like Fat Cat, The Evil Landlord (a chibi raccoon fem), Pudge the Pug, and Kyoot Bear look like they stepped right out of Japanese culture, Bekyoot is actually based in Houston, Texas. Besides their web site they have an on-line comic strip (Where Cute Things Go) and of course a store full of merchandise featuring their characters.
Furry Art
The Werewolf Calendar returns
We mentioned werewolves, we mentioned calendars… How about the both of them together? The Werewolf Calendar returns for 2011, this time featuring brand-new full-color artwork by the likes of Balaa, Dark Natasha, Goldenwolf, Heather Bruton, H. Kyoht Luterman, Katie Hofgard, Khaosdog, Myenia, Novawuff, Rayndancer, Synnabar, Therese Larsson, and Zowolf. Orders for the calender ($21.00 each in the U.S., $27.00 outside) will open up on September 1st, and remain open until November 12th, 2010. The first 100 orders placed will also include a free bookmark and sticker. At the Werewolf Calendar web site you can see sketches for the 2011 artwork, as well as download computer wall-papers created with the 2010 artwork.
Sketch c. 2010 by Goldenwolf for the 2011 Werewolf Calendar
The Rare Calendar for 2011
Fans of rare (and rarely-drawn) species, to say nothing of good furry art, should definitely take a look at the Rare calendar for 2011 — which is taking orders now through the end of August 2010. Featuring a theme of “Extinction” for 2011, the calendar features 12 original pieces depicting anthropomorphic characters based on animals no longer with us… some recently, some long long ago. Artists for this new calender include Donna Quinn, Ashalind, Swandog, Char Reed, Balaa, Katmomma, Alector Fencer, Katie Hofgard, Bubble Wolf, Sekhmet, Lhune, Nimrais, Qzurr, Caveatscoti, and Heather Bruton. Pre-orders are being taken at the official web site; later, a limited number of leftovers will be sold at upcoming furry fandom conventions.
Now It Can Be Told!
The 2010 Ursa Major Awards, celebrating the best in anthropomorphic art, writing, and other media were presented at FurAffinity United on Sunday, May 30th. 2 the Ranting Gryphon hosted the show and presented the awards. From the Ursa Major Awards web site: “More formally known as the Annual Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Award, the Ursa Major Award is presented annually for excellence in the furry arts. It is intended as Anthropomorphic (a.k.a. Furry) Fandom’s equivalent of the Hugo Award ® presented by the World Science Fiction Society, mystery fandom’s Anthony Award, horror fandom’s Bram Stoker Award, and so forth.” This year more than 1,100 fans from more than a dozen countries world wide took part in nominating and voting for the Ursa Major Awards. The most yet!
And here, now, are the nominees and winners in each of 10 categories.
In the category of Best Anthropomorphic Game, the nominees were:
- Earth Eternal (created by Sparkplay Media)
- G-Force – The Video Game (Developed by Keen Studios, published by Disney Interactive)
- Predation, the Board Game (created by Quentin Long)
- Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time (Developed by Insomniac Games, published by Sony Computer Entertainment)
And the Ursa Major Award went to: Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
In the category of Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration, the nominees were:
- Blotch: Cover for Out of Position by Kyell Gold
- Patrick Farley: “Gaia’s Strange Seedlike Brood” from Thoughtcrime Experiment
- Jailbird: “It’s Beautiful” from “Trading Wishes” by Kevin Frane
- Kenket: Illustration for New Coyote from Anthrozine.com
- Sara Palmer: Cover for Jasmyn by Bernard Doove
And the Ursa Major Award went to: Blotch, for the Out of Position cover.
In the category of Best Anthropomorphic Magazine, the nominees were:
- Anthro
- Heat
- New Fables
- South Fur Lands
- Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe
And the Ursa Major Award went to: Heat
In the category of Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip, the nominees were:
- 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
And the Ursa Major Award went to: Housepets!
In the category of Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story (with continuous story arcs) the nominees were:
- Concession by Immelman
- Furthia High by QuetzaDrake
- Lackadaisy by Tracy J. Butler
- TwoKinds by Tom Fischbach
And the Ursa Major Award went to: Concession
In the Category of Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work, the nominees were:
- Bloom County – The Complete Collection, Volume 1, by Berke Breathed, published by Idea & Design Works
- Draw Furries: How to Create Anthropomorphic and Fantasy Animals, by Lindsay Cibos and Jared Hodges, published by Impact
- The First Book of Lapism, by Phil Geusz, published by Anthro Press
- Who Are The Furries? by Denise Winterman, from BBC News
- X, edited by Kyell Gold, published by Sofawolf Press
And the Ursa Major Award went to: Draw Furries: How to Create Anthropomorphic and Fantasy Animals
In the Category of Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction, the nominees were:
- “Drifting”, by By Kyell Gold, from FurAffinity.net
- “Moonthief”, by Not Tube, from X by Sofawolf Press
- “Stop the World”, by Kyell Gold, from Anthrozine.com
- “Thou Shalt Not Make Wrongful Use of the Name of Thy Lord”, by Whyte Yote, from X by Sofawolf Press
- “Trading Wishes”, by Kevin Frane, from FurAffinity.net
And the Ursa Major Award went to: “Drifting”
In the category of Best Anthropomorphic Novel, the nominees were:
- Bone Crossed, by Patricia Briggs, published by Ace Books
- Cheetah’s Win, by Phil Geusz, published by Anthrozine.com
- Jazmyn, by Bernard Doove, published by CreateSpace
- Out of Position, by Kyell Gold, published by Sofawolf Press
- Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, by David Benidictus, published by Dutton Juvenile
- The Unscratchables, by Cornelius Kane, published by Scribner
And the Ursa Major Award went to: Out of Position
In the category of Best Anthropomorphic Short Subject or Series, the nominees were:
- The Cat Piano (from the People’s Republic of Animation, directed by Eddie White and Ari Gibson)
- Partly Cloudy (from Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation, directed by Peter Sohn)
- The Penguins of Madagascar (produced by Dreamworks Animation for Nickelodeon)
- Prep and Landing (from Walt Disney Pictures Animation, directed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers)
- The Secret Saturdays (produced by Cartoon Network)
And the Ursa Major Award went to: The Penguins of Madagascar
In the Category of Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture, the nominees were:
- Avatar (from 20th Century Fox, directed by James Cameron)
- Fantastic Mr. Fox (from 20th Century Fox, directed by Wes Anderson)
- The Princess and the Frog (from Walt Disney Pictures Animation, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker)
- Up (from Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation, directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson)
- Where the Wild Things Are (from Warner Brothers, Directed by Spike Jonze)
And the Ursa Major Award went to: Avatar
The staff of InFurNation.com wish to extend our congratulations to all of this year’s nominees and winners — as well as all of the fans who took the time to participate in the nominations and voting! Remember to visit the Ursa Major Awards web site to find out more about how to nominate the best in anthropomorphics from 2010 for the 2011 awards.
Finding Artists to Commission
17 Cats is a new web site with one mission: To connect artists with buyers. Here’s how they describe it: “In a nutshell, this site is simply a place for artists to organize and manage commissions. We also provide a place for people to come and see who is available for commissions. What kind of artwork? Anything. Paintings, Sculptures, Woodwork, Sketches, Cartoons, Comics, Manga, Knitting… If you are an artist and create custom works, you are welcome here. Join cost: Free. Yup.” We always like to hear that. More than 100 artists are listed as “open for commissions” on the site, and of course eager art-buyers can use it to discover new artists and new works.
Scratches, Volume 3
The popular artist collective known as Blotch have returned with a new collection CD for 2009. Scratches Volume 3 features over 120 drawn images of male-on-male anthropomorphic erotica, with no less than 100 of them having never seen the light of day on the Internet. It includes pencil sketches, inked drawings, and full-color works, and even two multi-page comics (one color and one black & white). It’s available now (shipping soon) for only $26.00 US, including shipping and handling *ahem*. To find out more about Volume 3 (and Volumes 1 and 2 if you need to catch up), visit the information site here.
Anthro Calendars for 2010
It’s that time of year when next year’s calendars start showing up, in your local bookstore, all over the malls… and on the Internet. Two of particular note for Furry Fans are Rare — The Unusual Anthro Calendar and The Werewolf Calendar, both of them created by a variety of artists. Rare is a collection of full-color artwork featuring anthropomorphic versions of animals that don’t get drawn as often, like pandas, okapi, jaguarundi, and so forth. It features artwork from Ashalind, Qzurr, Alector Fencer, Balaa, Sekhmet, Nimrais, Katie Hofgard, Synnabar, Mondeis, Heather Bruton, Katrine Hagman, and Char Reed. Only 180 copies of the calendar have been made, so make sure to pre-order yours here. Meanwhile, The Werewolf Calendar is, of course, made for you fans of lycanthropic lupines. It features full-color art by Balaa, Dark Natasha, Goldenwolf, Khaosdog, Loba North, Myenia, Rayndancer, Synnabar, Therese Larsson, Thornwolf, Vantid, Zakka, and Zowolf. Like Rare, it’s available for pre-order on-line… and like that calendar, only for a limited time.
The Furry Pin-Up Portfolio
The artist known as Sekhmet has brought together a wealth of furry and fantasy artists to create the new Pin-Up Portfolio, a 56-page softcover coffee-table book of full-color art newly available for order this month. Featuring artists as diverse as Balaa, Dark Natasha, Diana Harlan Stein, Heather Bruton, Michele Light, Kacey Miyagami, Caribou, and many many more, this collection features over 40 full-color illustrations of furry ladies, sexily dressed or tastefully topless… plus 8 pages of sketches and work-in-progress illustrations, as well as information about the artists. Take note that this rare gathering of furry art talent is available only for a short time, and can only be ordered on the Internet. Visit http://pinupportfolio.com/ to find out more about ordering your own copy.
