2003 Ursa Major Awards

The 2003 Ursa Major Awards ceremony was held on Saturday, June 5, 2004, at the Chimo Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario during the festivities of C-ACE 2004. It was the first ceremony to be held after the demise of ConFurence, the first to be organized by the ALAA rather than the now-defunct ConFurence Group, the first to allow for public participation in both nomination and voting, and the first (and, as of 2010, only) ceremony to be held outside of United States territory.

Process
The initial version of the 2003 Anthropomorphic Recommended Reading/Viewing List was published by Patten on July 1, 2003, with the fifth and final revision being published on Friday, January 16, 2004.

The nominations process was publicly available to all Internet users from February 1 to March 15, 2004; for the first time, nominations could be sent through an online form at the Ursa Major Awards website, as well as by postage mail or email to Fred Patten. The voting process, held from April 2 to April 20, was, for the first time, made available for public participation, with over 300 ballots being printed and mailed to participants at a number of conventions.

Ceremony
The ceremony, hosted by Jeff Novotny, featured a number of guests on hand to receive their awards:


 * Fred Patten received the award for Best Other Literary Work for "Best in Show", which he co-edited.
 * Gene Breshears received the award for best Anthropomorphic Fanzine for Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe, of which he was the editor.
 * Stan Sakai received the award for best Anthropomorphic Comic Book for his work Usagi Yojimbo

The awards were designed by Heather Bruton; the design has since been used for later iterations of the awards ceremonies.

Nominations
Winners are nominated in bold. Other works listed in the final 2003 Anthropomorphic Recommended Reading/Viewing List are listed in subsections.

Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture

 * 1) Brother Bear (Disney, November 1, 2003)
 * 2) Finding Nemo (Disney/Pixar, May 30, 2003)
 * 3) Jungle Emperor Leo [English-language release] (Media Blasters, October 28, 2003)
 * 4) 101 Dalmations II: Patch's London Adventure (Disney, January 21, 2003)
 * 5) Stitch! The Movie (Disney, August 23, 2003)

Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Series

 * 1) Between the Lions (WGBH Boston and Sirius Thinking, Ltd. for PBS syndication; 2003 new episodes, 4th season, #66 - #70, September 15 - September 19)
 * 2) Gary the Rat (Grammnet Productions for TNN/Spike TV; 2003 episodes, Season One, #1 (June 26) through #13 (Dec. 11)
 * 3) Lilo & Stitch: The Series (Walt Disney Television Animation for ABC Kids TV, 2003 episodes, 1st season, #1 (September 20) - #27 (December 29) [#28 shown out of sequence on December 12])
 * 4) Silverwing (Bardel Entertainment for Teletoon; 2003 episodes, Season One, #1 (September 6) through #13 (December 14)
 * 5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2003] (4Kids Entertainment Inc./Dong Woo Animation Co., Ltd. for 4Kids' FoxBox Saturday morning block on the FoxKids network; 2003 episodes, Season One, #1 (February 8) - #26 (November 1), Season Two, #27 (November 8) - #31 (December 6)

Best Anthropomorphic Novel

 * 1) Between Darkness and Light, by Lisanne Norman. (DAW Books, January 2003)
 * 2) Callahan's Con, by Spider Robinson. (Tom Doherty Associates/Tor Books, July 2003)
 * 3) Cerulean Sins: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel, by Laurell K. Hamilton. (Berkeley Publishing Group, April 2003)
 * 4) The Iron Star, by Brock Hoagland. (Shanda Fantasy Arts, July 2003)
 * 5) Long Hot Summoning, by Tanya Huff. (DAW Books, May 2003)

Other works listed in the ARR/VL for Novels

 * Brown, Rita Mae, with Brown, Sneaky Pie. The Tail of the Tip-Off. Illustrated by Michael Gellatly. (Bantam Books, March 2003)
 * Crocker, Carter. The Tale of the Swamp Rat. (Philomel Books, September 2003)
 * Hunter, Erin. Warriors: Into the Wild. (HarperCollinsPublishers, January 2003)
 * Hunter, Erin. Warriors: Fire and Ice. (HarperCollinsPublishers, June 2003)
 * Lasky, Kathryn. Guardians of Ga'hoole: The Capture. (Scholastic, Inc., June 2003)
 * Murphy, Shirley Rousseau. Cat Seeing Double; A Joe Grey Mystery. (HarperCollinsPub- lishers, January 2003)

Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction

 * 1) "Doggy Love", by Scott Bradfield, in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 2003.
 * 2) "In the Line of Duty", by M. C. A. Hogarth, in Anthrolations #7, November 2003.
 * 3) "Kiss and Tell", by Gene Breshears, in Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe #32, March 2003.
 * 4) "Law and Justice", by Michael H. Payne, in Black Gate: Adventures in Fantasy Literature #5, Spring 2003.
 * 5) "Riding the Lady", by Charles P. A. Melville, in Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe #33, July 2003.

Other works listed in the ARR/VL for Short Fiction

 * "A Man's Touch", by Phil Geusz, in TSAT (Transformation Stories, Art, Talk) #26, February-March 2003. (http://tsat.transform.to/stories/mans.touch.html)
 * "Pelton", by Phil Geusz, in TSAT (Transformation Stories, Art, Talk) #31, December 2003- January 2004. (http://tsat.transform.to/stories/pelton.html)

Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work

 * 1) Arctic Nation, by Juan Diaz Canales (story) & Juanjo Guarnido (art). (Blacksad vol. 2) (Dargaud, March 2003; graphic art novel)
 * 2) The Art of "Herbie", by Herbie. (Sofawolf Press, July 2003; art book)
 * 3) Best in Show: Fifteen Years of Outstanding Furry Fiction, edited by Fred Patten. (Sofawolf Press, July 2003; short story anthology)
 * 4) Blacksad, by Juan Diaz Canales (story) & Juanjo Guarnido (art) [English translation]. (Blacksad vol. 1) (iBooks, December 2003; graphic art novel)
 * 5) Carrots and Sticks, by Bill Holbrook. (Kevin & Kell vol. 8). (Plan Nine Publishing, August 2003; comic strip collection)
 * 6) Faux Pas: Book 1, by Robert & Margaret Carspecken. (Plan Nine Publishing, November 2003; comic strip collection)
 * 7) Moreau Omnibus: Forests of the Night, Emperors of the Twilight, Specters of the Dawn, by S. Andrew Swann. (DAW Books, August 2003; collection of three novels)

Other works listed in the ARR/VL for Other Literary Works

 * Friends of a Feather: One of Life's Little Fables, by Bill Cosby, illustrated by Erika Cosby. (HarperEntertainment, May 2003; children's picture book)
 * Mutant, Texas: Tales of Sheriff Ida Red, by Paul Dini (story) and J. Bone (art). (Oni Press, April 2003; comic book collection)
 * We All Came Out to Mantra, by Thomas K. Dye. (Newshounds vol. 4) (Plan Nine Publishing, March 2003; comic strip collection)
 * The Courageous Princess: Masterpiece Edition, by Rod Espinosa. (Antarctic Press, July 2003; comic book collection)
 * Cigarro & Cerveja: Round 1, by Tony Esteves. (Tony Esteves, July 2003; comic strip collection)
 * Dandy & Company: Out of the Doghouse, by Derrick Fish. (Big Pond Comics, June 2003; comic strip collection)
 * The Towers of Numar, by Michel Gagne. (Gagne International Press, June 2003; children's picture book)
 * Half Human, Half Animal: Tales of Werewolves and Related Creatures, by Jamie Hall. (1stBooks Library, July 2003; survey of shapeshifters of all species from mythology to modern popular culture)
 * The RHJunior 2003 Super CD, by Ralph Hayes, Jr. (RHJunior Productions, May 2003; CD collection of Internet comic strips)
 * Herobear and the Kid: The Inheritance, by Mike Kunkel. (Astonish Comics, March 2003; comic book collection)
 * I'm a Manatee, by John Lithgow, illustrated by Ard Hoyt. (Simon & Schuster Childrens Book Publishers, September 2003; children's picture book)
 * Dinosailors, by Deb Lund, illustrated by Howard Fine. (Harcourt Children's Books, September 2003; children's picture book)
 * Who's Got Game? The Lion or the Mouse?, by Toni & Slade Morrison, illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre. (Scribner, September 2003; children's picture book)
 * The Firebringer Trilogy, by Meredith Ann Pierce. (Science Fiction Book Club, May 2003; collection of Birth of the Firebringer, Dark Moon and The Son of Summer Stars)
 * The Perfect Crime, by Fara Shimbo. (Shimbo's Klysadel.net website, December 2003; text/graphic art novel) (http://klysadel.net/klysadel/perfectcrime/Page0.html)
 * Vincent et Van Gogh, by Gradimir Smudja. (Delcourt, January 24, 2003; graphic novel)
 * L'accelerateur Atomique, by Lewis Trondheim. (Les formidables aventures de Lapinot, vol. 9) (Dargaud, January 2003; graphic art novel)
 * Fables: Animal Farm, by Bill Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (penciller) & Steve Leialoha (inker). (Vertigo/DC Comics, July 2003; comic book collection)

Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book

 * 1) Circles, by Andrew French, Steve Domanski and Scott Fabianek. (Rabbit Valley Artists Cooperative Association, irregular, 2003 issues include #4 (dated Winter 2001 but published July 11, 2003)
 * 2) Extinctioners, by Shawntae L. Howard. (Shanda Fantasy Arts, irregular, 2003 issues include #12, January)
 * 3) Furrlough, by various. (Radio Comix, monthly, 2003 issues from #121, January to #131, November)
 * 4) Genus: Male, by Mike Vega, Daria McGrain, John Barrett & Terrie Smith. (Sin Factory, annual, 2003 issues include #2, January 2003)
 * 5) Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai. (Dark Horse, monthly, 2003 issues from v. III #63, January to #71, November)

Other works listed in the ARR/VL for Comic Books

 * The Adventures of Mia, by Enrico Casarosa. (Monkeysuit Press, irregular, 2003 issues include #1, published July/distributed November)
 * Animal Farm in Fables, by Bill Willingham (story), Mark Buckingham (pencils) & Steve Leialoha (inks). (DC Comics/Vertigo, five-issue story arc in Fables #6-#10, monthly, 2003 issues include Animal Farm, Part 4 - Fables #9, March 2003 to Part 5 - Fables #10, April 2003)
 * Bureau of Mana Investigation, by Smudge (Christina Hanson) & Ed Garcia (#6); Smudge, Baron Engel & Richard Decker (#7-#8). (Radio Comix, bi-monthly, 2003 issues from #6, January to #8, May [final])
 * David and Goliath, by Jay Ju (story) & Leonel Castellani & Daniel Griffo (art). (Image Comics, bi-monthly, 2003 issues include #1, September, to #2, December)
 * FurNation (FurNation Multimedia, 2003 issues: #3, undated [February] to #4 [July])
 * Le' Menagerie, by Bernyce W. Talley. (Nubian Queen Comics, irregular, 2003 issues include #1, January)
 * The Sandman Presents: Bast, by Caitlin R. Kiernan (story) & Joe Bennett (art). (DC Comics/Vertigo, 3-issue limited series, #1/March 2003 - #3/May 2003)
 * Tea Club, by "PMBQ" (Phuong-Mai Bui-Quang). (Icarus Publishing, bi-monthly, 2003 issues from #3, February to #5, August)
 * Things To Do In a Retirement Home Trailer Park When You're 29 and Unemployed..., by Aneurin Wright. (Welsh El Dorado Press, irregular, 2003 issues include #1, July)

Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip

 * 1) Freefall, by Mark Stanley. (Internet, tri-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 31)
 * 2) Jack, by David Hopkins. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 (#297) to December 31 (#453))
 * 3) Kevin & Kell, by Bill Holbrook. (Internet, daily, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 31)
 * 4) Ozy and Millie, by David Craig Simpson. (Internet, daily, 2003 strips from January 1 to August 23; reprints with extensive new commentary from August 25 to December 31)
 * 5) Unicornography, by Tanamin! (Internet, weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 to August 3)
 * 6) Vinci & Arty, by Candy Lewin. (Internet, weekly, 2003 strips from February 21 to December 29)

Other works listed in the ARR/VL for Comic Strips

 * 1/0, by Tailsteak (Mason Williams). (Internet, daily, 2003 strips from January 1 to May 26)
 * Carried by the Wind, by Brent Bowser. (Internet, approx. twice weekly, 2003 strips from January 3 [#64] to December 29 [#140])
 * Code Name: Hunter, by Gyrfalcon & Darc Klooster. (Internet, approx. twice weekly, 2003 strips from August 23 [case cover] to December 31 [#20])
 * Commander Kitty, by Scotty Arsenault. (Internet, approx. four-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 27)
 * Dandy & Company, by Derrick Fish. (Internet, daily, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 31)
 * A Doemain of Our Own, by Susan M. Parkin. (Internet, tri-weekly, 2003 strips from January 2 to December 31)
 * Faux Pas, by Robert & Margaret Carspecken. (Internet, tri-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 31)
 * High Treason, by Laelia & Kern. (Internet, semi-monthly, 2003 strips from February 1 [cover] to December 26 [#41])
 * Master Zen-Dao Meow: The Spiraling Heart, by Patrick Schaefer & Bret Ward. (Internet, tri-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 [#116] to July 13)
 * Newshounds, by Thomas K. Dye. (Internet, daily, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 31)
 * Nip and Tuck, by Ralph E. Hayes, Jr. (Internet, semi-weekly, 2003 strips from January 2 to December 30)
 * Norm & Cory, by Andrew Kaiko. (Internet, irregular, 2003 strips from May 1 to December 29)
 * Rainbow's End, by Katie Popp. (Internet, weekly, 2003 strips from February 7 to March 27)
 * Room for One More, by Brittany Greatbear. (Internet, thrice-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 29; artist from August 1, Oren Otter)
 * Scrued, by Melissa Jewell. (Internet, irregular, 2003 strips from January 2 to September 5)
 * SpellShocked, by Benjamin Yackley, Charles Caffrey and Mark Freid. (Internet, semi- monthly, 2003 strips from January 1 [#49] to April 1 [#54]; from April 28 [#1] weekly by Yackley alone to August 4 [#10])
 * The Suburban Jungle, starring Tiffany Tiger, by John Robey. (Internet, tri-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 26)
 * Tales of the Questor, by Ralph E. Hayes, Jr. (Internet, weekly, 2003 strips from January 5 to December 31)
 * Terebinth, by Michael H. Payne. (Magazine: Yarf!, irregular, 2003 issues from #66, January, to #69, September. Also the Internet, tri- or semi-weekly, 2003 issues are reprints to #104 and original from #105 [November 25] to #117 [December 29])
 * Under the Lemon Tree, by Ralph E. Hayes, Jr. (Internet, semi-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 31)
 * Wild Angels, by G. Raymond Eddy. (Internet, approx. weekly, 2003 strips from January 3 to November 27)
 * The World of Vicki Fox, by Laura Howell & Michael Russell; and Shelley Pleger (#60+). (Internet, semi-monthly, 2003 strips from January 12 [#58] to January 26 [#59]; April 13 [#60] to December 28 [#77])

Best Anthropomorphic Fanzine

 * 1) Anthrolations (2003 issues include #7, November)
 * 2) Fur Visions (2003 issues from #27, January, to #29, July)
 * 3) Huzzah! (2003 issues from #49, February, to #50, May [final])
 * 4) South Fur Lands (2003 issues from #28, March, to #31, December)
 * 5) Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe (2003 issues from #32, March, to #34, November)
 * 6) Yarf! (2003 issues from #66, January, to #69, September)

Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration

 * 1) Cover of Best in Show: Fifteen Years of Outstanding Furry Fiction (by Fred Patten), by Ursula Vernon. Sofawolf Press, July 2003.
 * 2) "Busker at Pike Place Market", interior illustration by C. D. (Bluesman) Woodbury, in Conifur Northwest 2003 Program Book, September 2003, page 41.
 * 3) Cover of Genus #62, October 2003, by Yamaneko-ya.
 * 4) "Husky in Buddhist Robes", interior illustration by Sky Rigdon, in North American Fur #11, January 2003.
 * 5) Cover of The Iron Star (by Brock Hoagland), by Terrie Smith. Shanda Fantasy Arts, July 2003.
 * 6) Cover of South Fur Lands #30, September 2003, by Peta Hewitt.

Other works listed in the ARR/VL for Published Illustrations

 * Dillon, Leo & Diane. Cover painting for The Tale of the Swamp Rat, by Carter Crocker. Philomel Books, September 2003.
 * Doove, Bernard. Cover painting for South Fur Lands #29, June 2003.
 * Hewitt, Peta. Cover painting for South Fur Lands #28, March 2003.
 * Howell, Troy. Cover painting for Firewing, by Kenneth Oppel. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, February 2003 (U.S. edition).
 * Maltzman, Kacey. Cover painting for Fur Visions #27, January 2003.
 * Meyer, Susan. Cover painting for Furrlough #130, October 2003.

Best Anthropomorphic Game

 * 1) Impossible Creatures. (Developer: Relic Entertainment, Inc.; Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios, January 7, 2003)
 * 2) Jak II. (Developer: Naughty Dog, Inc.; Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc., October 14, 2003)
 * 3) Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando. (Developer: Insomniac Games, Inc.; Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc., November 11, 2003)
 * 4) Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo. (Developer: Frontier Developments, Ltd.; Publisher: BAM! Entertainment Inc., Oct 8, 2003)
 * 5) Whiplash. (Developer: Crystal Dynamics; Publisher: Eidos Interactive, Ltd., November 18, 2003)

Other works listed in the ARR/VL for Games

 * Fox Jones: The Treasures of El Dorado. (Developer & Publisher: Evis-Games, May 25, 2003; Version 1.1, August 31, 2003)