2015 ALAA Hall of Fame Inductees

By Fred Patten: The Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association announced the 2015 inductees to the ALAA Hall of Fame at Midwest FurFest 2015 in Chicago on December 4-6. They are —

  • Hayao Miyazaki (person)
  • Walt Kelly (person)

The ALAA Hall of Fame Award was instituted in 2012 to “honor people who were crucial to the formation of furry fandom as what it is today” but it can go to a writer, artist, a favorite character, book, movie, TV series – anything that would make most people say, “Oh, yeah, sure — how could we have overlooked him, or her, or it?”

Hayao Miyazaki has created many fine animated TV series and features, including working on Animal Treasure Island, designing Famous Detective Holmes/Sherlock Hound, and creating the title character of Porco Rosso. Walt Kelly, of course, created Pogo Possum and his whole cast of Okeefenokee Swamp friends and enemies.

In 2012 the first selections to the Hall of Fame were Walt Disney, Bugs Bunny, and Richard Adams’ Watership Down. In 2013 the inductees were Animal Farm by George Orwell, Pride of Chanur by C. J. Cherryh, and the 1973 animated movie Robin Hood from Walt Disney Studios.  In 2014 they were Carl Barks, the novel Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White, and Osamu Tezuka.

The ALAA also presents the Ursa Major Awards and compiles an annual Recommended Anthropomorphics List.

Midwest FurFest 2015 had 5,606 attendees and donated $62,020.71 to Save-A-Vet.org, a military and law-enforcement working dog rescue and support organization. The charity auction included a bidding war up to $5,500 for a Blackhawks team-signed charity hockey stick.

Update 12/11/2015: Correction by Fred Patten. Removed Alan Dean Foster from the list of inductees. He was a runner-up.

2014 ALAA Hall of Fame Inductees

The Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association announced the 2014 inductees to the ALAA Hall of Fame at Rainfurrest in Seattle on September 27. They are —

  • Carl Barks (person)
  • Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (novel)
  • Osamu Tezuka (person)

The ALAA Hall of Fame Award was instituted in 2012 to “honor people who were crucial to the formation of furry fandom as what it is today” but it can go to a writer, artist, a favorite character, book, movie, TV series – anything that would make most people say, “Oh, yeah, sure — how could we have overlooked him, or her, or it?”

Carl Barks is best known for his Donald Duck comics and as the creator of Scrooge McDuck. Charlotte’s Web is a parable about mortality in the form of a spider and her efforts to save a pig from the dinner table. Osamu Tezuka is the “father of manga” and the “godfather of anime” whose creations include Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion.

In 2012 the first selections to the Hall of Fame were Walt Disney, Bugs Bunny, and Richard Adams’ Watership Down. In 2013 the inductees were Animal Farm by George Orwell, Pride of Chanur by C. J. Cherryh, and the 1973 animated movie Robin Hood from Walt Disney Studios.

The ALAA also presents the Ursa Major Awards and compiles an annual Recommended Anthropomorphics List.