While browsing Mailbox Books today I stumbled across an interesting link on the front page. RABCO Publishing (who now runs MB), in conjuction with Shanda Fantasy Arts and "other comic professionals" have posted a notice calling for a boycott of the new "Josie and the Pussycats" movie currently in theaters. Reasons cited are primarily related to alleged abuse by Archive Comics and Universal Studios of the comic's creator in regards to fair compensation and credit for his 50 years of work.

Fans of JD Calderon and Daphne Lage's Tall Tails comic, serialized monthly in Furrlough, can now congregate and share their thoughts at http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/clubtalltails.

Sanctioned by the comic's creators, the fan club is a new home for fans of Tall Tails to congregate, share their thoughts, get news, post fan art, and otherwise participate in the comic we enjoy.

From Email on TAFF list:

Pass this info on to the newsgroups.

Furnation will be getting a new SDSL connection in approximately 3-4
weeks and will come back on line as soon as possible thereafter. Nexxus
moved to a new part of town and it's taken a while for the DSL people to
get up to speed in the area, but he's on their list to get a hookup by
the end of May. Once the first line is in and clear, he will decide if
he can afford a second or third one again

Sci Fi Wire is reporting that the Cordwainer Smith Foundation has announced "...the establishment of the Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award, an annual literary award for forgotten SF classics, named after the SF writer. The award will honor a science fiction or fantasy writer whose work deserves renewed attention or rediscovery and whose work displays unusual originality and embodies the spirit of Cordwainer Smith's fiction..."

On April 28, 2001, the winners of the 2000 Nebula Awards were announced, with Greg Bear's Darwin's Radio taking the award for Best Novel. You can find the complete list at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America website

Bronzebear Media Distribution, one of the succesors to the old Mailbox Books (not the 'new' Mailbox Books at this website) is shutting down. The reasons listed are a variety, mostly relating to the proprietor wanting to concentrate on his education, and his annoyance at fandom politics.

From Tyger Cowboy on alt.fan.furry: "We are pleased to announce that the Mephit Fur Meet 2001 information is now available! The website has basic information on it and online registration will be available soon. If you have any questions you can email any of the staff noted in the enclosed info.



This year's Meet will be held August 30th - September 3rd, 2001 in Memphis, Tennessee."

The down time of FurNation got me thinking about the stability of furry servers.

Millenium Philcon (the 59th World Science Fiction Convention) has announced the finalists for the 2001 Hugo awards. The Hugo Award, also known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award, is given annually by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). The Hugo Award is sponsored by WSFS, administered by the committee of the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) held that year, and determined by nominations from and a popular vote of the membership of WSFS. In general, a Hugo Award given in a particular year is for work that appeared in the previous calendar year.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) has announced free author signings throughout the country this weekend in conjunction with the annual Nebula Award Banquet.

Probably more appropriate to a topic we don't have (movie news?), here's an article from the LA Times about the future of animated features. It has an interesting flavor because it was written in November, so it's both timely enough to point out the future and dated enough to see if the predictions are coming true.

There has been plenty of bad reports on Furries and Fursuiters, but for once, a reporter from the Omaha World-Herald appears to have gotten it right with an interview with their local fur, SnapE Tiger. This positive article not only shows the positive side to furrydom, but doesn't seem to get bogged down in the tabloid sensationalism.

Confurence 12. I decided I might as well write up my impressions of it.Overall, I wasn't too disappointed at the con. It could've been better, but it was enjoyable.Specifics first, then more general observations.

A very Watership Downish sort of book form what I can tell so far. I'll try and do a book review once I am done. Found it at MediaPlay this week and it is available on Amazon

The 24th Northwest Science Fiction Convention (NorWesCon) was a lot of fun. The annual Tai-Pan furry party was also a success. This is my 15th year in a row to attend this Seattle-Tacoma area convention, and among the group I usually room-share with are a couple of people who have been attending this con for twenty years, so I am a teeny bit biased.