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Max Lang and Magic Light Pictures made a name for themselves more than ten years ago with an animated adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s picture book The Gruffalo. (Soon after, we and everyone else were talking about the film!) Well nothing breeds success like success, so now Magic Light is back with a new stop-motion/CGI adaptation of the author’s 2003 book The Snail and the Whale. “The film’s remarkably realistic and vibrant animation begins with a tiny peach-colored snail who longs to journey outside the confines of her seaport-adjacent rock home and see the depths of the sea and vastness of the wide world. Writing a note on her rock in glistening snail slime that she’s looking to hitch a ride around the world, the snail is visited by a large humpback whale who offers her a ride on his tail for the adventure of a lifetime. As the snail and the whale encounter warm beachside sunsets, brisk mountain ranges, rainbow reefs as well as dangerous storms and sinister sharks, the snail has an existential awakening about her place in the world and wonders what her purpose could be as a small creature on such a large planet.” Animation World Network has a whole lot more, including previews and a look behind the scenes.

image c. 2021 Magic Light Pictures

At its core, tennis is simple: two players hitting a ball back and forth across a net. LOVE MATCH: BOOK 3 takes the simple game and puts it under a microscope, detailing Rocky’s on- and off-the-court adventure to become one of the best players in the world. The challenges he faces outside of the game as a result of being an immigrant from Africa give additional flavor to an already vivid story. He’s also one of the few players on the tennis pro tour who is gay. That adds a bit of flair as well. All of the challenges that he encounters make this novel by Kyell Gold compelling. Gold’s detailed descriptions of the action, tennis and otherwise, lead to an excellent page-turner that leaves the reader rifling through the pages from point to point.

The relationships that Rocky has are the focal point of the novel. Exes, best friends, romantic interests, all are presented with their own special flavor. It’s difficult not to like Rocky as a character; he’s doing the best he can to look out for his friends. He tries to do the right thing. Some of the more memorable moments come from Rocky’s late mother through often idiomatic sayings that provide guidance for his current situation. Rocky gets put into many difficult situations, and he always tries to make the right decision, even if it might be hard. Even then, it’s still a priority that he takes care of his friends and family. I couldn’t help but to be happy for when things went well for him.

One of the challenges of writing a book about sports is it can tend to turn formulaic. There are only so many ways to say a point was scored without bogging the reader down with every detail. Gold shines here, portraying action in a fast-paced way that keeps you on your toes without feeling disoriented. Even with singles and doubles tournaments going on concurrently, Gold does well to stay engaging and clear. For someone with clear intimate knowledge of the sport, the task of keeping it understandable to someone that lacks that knowledge is not small but is handled with ease. Even if you’re not familiar with tennis, I’d highly recommend picking up LOVE MATCH: BOOK 3.

Love Match - Book 3 (2013-2015), by Kyell Gold

Hello again everyone! It’s February, so in honor of Black History Month, the FWG wanted to feature interviews with Black authors, publishers, and creators within the furry fandom. Today we’ll be interviewing Christopher Weartherall, known in the fandom as Ryuukiba.

Ryuukiba is a wusky writer living in Denver who has been a part of the furry fandom for eleven years. His love of word building what a society would look like if it were ran by anthropomorphic animals lead him to begin writing stories in his own world called Fauhna following the fuzzy creatures that live there.

With the introductions out of the way, let’s get on with the interview!

FWG: What do you think makes a good story?

Ryuukiba: In order to create a story that is moving and impactful, a writer must find ways to creatively express the dynamic nature of experience. Whether the tale is wholly fantasy, or driven by realism, each story is defined by the novelty and intensity of the experiences of it’s characters.

There are many ways to foster a level of dynamism that makes a story excite and enthrall the reader. Some authors focus on gathering experiences from reality, while others focus on conceiving experiences that transcend it.

FWG: What does Black History mean to you?

Ryuukiba: The history of Black communities is varied and expansive. Around the world there are many microcosms of black experience shaped around different cultures and environments. While the spread of our communities about the world was initially involuntary, a hallmark of black experience is how our people take what we are given and find way to make it our own, to make it better. Throughout history, Black communities have pioneered groundbreaking advances in art, science, and social reform, no matter the adversity we have faced due to discrimination and oppression.

The study and appreciation of black history should be focused around this ability, and not the lamentation of past transgressions. Black history month is a grand opportunity for those outside our communities to acknowledge and embrace the power black people wield. Through this acceptance others can recognize the black community as something more beyond the myriad misconceptions that have been developed over the centuries.

FWG: Do you feel that your Blackness has affected your writing?

Ryuukiba: There are many elements of my experience that influence my writing, such as my status as a furry, and my experience as a member of the LGBT community, but my Blackness is not typically at the forefront of my mind when going through my creative process. I focus instead on cultivating stories that explore different realities from many perspectives, seeking to highlight the diversity of experience and the beauty of individuality.

FWG: Do you feel that issues in the outside world affect your writing in the fandom?

Ryuukiba: Most definitely! Although our experience’s in the fandom distinguish us from the rest of society in a way, a key element of the fandom is finding ways to exploit and reform elements of the outside world to suit our own purposes.

Furthermore, I find it exciting to use my writing as a sounding board to conceptualize how the issues we currently face will affect the times to come. Through the furry lens I can explore modern conflicts from a perspective unlike our own, mirroring it, or warping it to reflect my own idealized future.

FWG: Tell us a bit about your book. What was your favorite moment when writing it?

Ryuukiba: Sheath and Felix is a Novel about two gay floofs who fall in love, only to be unwittingly dragged into a conflict of unfathomable proportions when Sheath learns that he is the son of the creator of the universe and it is his destiny to save all of creation from imminent doom.

I started writing the tale as a series of short stories on DeviantArt in 2011 and over the years the vignettes added up to become a novel. I quite enjoyed the process of worldbuilding for the tale. The extended multiverse I ended up creating around it is filled with fantastical elements such as luminous beings borne from mysterious crystal, an occult society that makes sacrifices to an interdimensional leviathan, and an insane twin deity so powerful it could destroy reality in the blink of an eye. Using these and other elements I plan to intertwine future writings with the tale and its sequels.

FWG: If you could convince everyone to read a single book, what would it be and why?

Ryuukiba: Brave New World, by Adolus Huxely is an intriguing exploration of human motivation. It paints a picture of a world where everyone’s purpose is known from the moment of birth and society has reached a state of near perfect design. Alongside this utopian fantasy exists a world where some cling to the traditions of the past. Either out of personal desire or obligation, these “savages” have little comprehension of the “perfect” world outside their borders, and when one of them is introduced to the brave new utopia it is realized that true contentment may not be found in indulgence, peace, and purpose alone.

FWG: Do you have any projects incoming you’d like to tell people about?

Ryuukiba: I am currently in the process of writing the sequel to Sheath and Felix, in which Sheath continues his journey to discover his true potential and avert near certain doom amidst a civil war that has broken out amongst the people of his world.

In addition to this I am working on worldbuilding for a series called NeoTerra which will focus around the version of earth found in my multiverse. The series will tell the tale of an intergalactic war which happened between the Fauhnans of Fauhna and the Humans of Earth from the perspective of Octavia, a Transfemme professor of History living in the year 12822.

FWG: Any last words for our readers?

Ryuukiba: There are many elements to human experience that are combined in various ways to create each and every individual in existence. For as long as history has been written, we have found reasons to spark enmity over differences small and large. Now, more than ever, it must be emphasized that it is through the shared embodiment of our uniqueness that we can excel most as a civilization. If we continue to distract our minds from discovery and creation with enmity and strife, we will lead ourselves on a path to near certain doom.

Each and every one of us must make room in our experiences to express our own uniqueness and accept the uniqueness of others. through this exchange of our personal gifts we will foster a culture of admiration and acceptance that will lead us into a new era of curiosity and discovery.

We would like to thank Ryuukiba once more for sitting down to chat with us. Readers can learn more about the book by visiting the official Sheath & Felix website. Be sure to visit next week for another Black History Month interview. Until next time, may your words flow like water.

https://static1.e621.net/data/13/e8/13e8401fbc739e1eeadf7b303c2f3532.png

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power features so many progressive values—but it's greatest strength is how normal it makes them all feel. Special thanks to Dralen, Kohaku, and Slate. Merch, Sweet Tees and stuff: http://www.culturallyfd.com https://teespring.com/stores/culturally-fd-merchandise Support Culturally F'd: https://www.patreon.com/culturallyfd Plus a Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/gsz8us7 Listen in on TEMPO TALKS with Tempe O'Kun https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPyIK2c7mK-LpbvfDNqfcSW Check out Tempe O'Kun's books "Sixes Wild" and "Windfall" here: http://furplanet.com/shop/?affillink=YOUTU2907 Here's a playlist of his other Culturally F'd videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPS7tnT4hdJwBI-CeLF8Kb_

It’s nice to see James Kochalka back around — though perhaps in a bit less of an adult vein than the last time we heard from him! Banana Fox #1: The Secret Sour Society is a new full-color graphic novel from Scholastic: “The great detective Banana Fox is called back to duty to find a missing turtle. But the deeper he digs, the more he discovers, and it’s worse than he thought! The Secret Sour Society is back, and they’re mixing up a bunch of trouble. Can Banana Fox and his sidekick, Flashlight, put an end to the Secret Sour Society once and for all?” Find out in hardcover or paperback.

image c. 2021 Scholastic

The Good Furry Award, an award recognising those who made outstanding contributions to the furry fandom, has opened nominations for their third iteration this year. Nominations close at the end of May and winners will be released in June. 好兽奖——2020年奖项提名开始 为了表彰那些为兽圈做出杰出贡献的毛兽而设立的好兽奖Good Furry Award，今年的第三届评选已经开始提名。 提名将截止于5月底，获奖者将在6月公布。

Furry fandom arts award Ursa Major Awards has opened their 2020 awards nominations. Covering various aspects of furry media, literature and arts, there will be 12 awards categories this year, bringing back the Best Anthropomorphic Costume, or Best Fursuit category into the mix. Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic […]

Citing the unpredictability posed by COVID-19, Norwegian furcon Anthro Northern Lights, slated for its first edition in November this year announced closure. This is the second time a furcon has closed its doors due to COVID-19 since US furcon FA:United closure just two months ago. The furcon also says they had “a lot of problems” […]

Although vaccination efforts are well on the way around the world, furcons are still not taking any chances. With that, British convention ConFuzzled, originally scheduled for 28 May, moved into next year, and they say a virtual edition may be planned in its place. That said, our data now shows 16 cancelled, 3 deferred and […]

(Patch:) Welcome to a guest article about a furry podcast that rocks! 

I’m a frequent podcast listener, and almost everything I follow is scripted, not unproduced/free-form. My list has documentary, history, arts & culture, tech, journalism, interview shows, and true crime. Some have playful concepts. Timesuck has history and true crime told by a comedian. Excuse Me, That’s Illegal is a delightful snack instead of a deep dark murder show, with absurd little stories of softcore crime. Radio Rental has creepy true stories that are like the Twilight Zone with a “crytpkeeper” host. 

Most furry podcasts didn’t do it for me by using unproduced style, and rarely in fursona. Then I heard Bearly Furcasting Feat. Taebyn. It’s playful yet produced, with great curation. Every show is a treat because of a different notable guest from the fandom. They have hosted two pettable guests from this site: Summercat and Moi. 

Bearly Furcasting is up for the Ursa Major Award nomination (for the Magazine category, and if you nominate them we all win!) Go nominate NOW, the deadline is February 13. Now here’s Taebyn and Bearly’s own story!

In 2017 Taebyn and Bearly began a collaboration to make entertaining YouTube videos for Taebyn’s channel. Their very first YouTube together was a Storytime with Taebyn where Taebyn read the story Playful Puppies. Story Time With Taebyn #1 – Playful Puppies.

They were pretty successful in putting out content on a regular basis. They produced Storytime videos, Cooking videos, Helpful Hints, Math Vids, Product Reviews, Poetry, Songs/Drumming, and con vids.  Then COVID struck, and they were unable to get together due to the various quarantines. So while video production is on hold for now, they hope to get back to them as well as the podcast once the restrictions are lifted. In January 2020, at Further Confusion, (the last con they attended before the pandemic), they had talked about doing a podcast and so they felt the time was right to get it rolling.

Funny thing is, neither of them had done any podcasting before, and while videography is fairly straight forward, podcasting takes an entirely different skillset.

With all the best intentions in the world, they plunked down the money for hosting and equipment and jumped in the deep end with both paws.  At the time of this writing they have published 40 episodes.  New episodes of the podcast are published every Saturday.

Furry podcasting, it turns out, isn’t that unique. Much like furry YouTube videographers, there are many furry podcasters out there.  Each has their own style, their own spin, and their own niche.  Bearly and Taebyn have talked to several other podcasters and most don’t do a ‘produced’ show like ours.  A ‘produced’ show means it is pre-recorded and the content edited to make it flow and ensure some consistency. Pre-recording allows for moving the audio around if something is forgotten or needs to be added later.

Like many podcasters, episode #1 was short, tinny, and not very polished. When they started they just chatted with each other, talked about their lives, and shared a few jokes, and the episodes were only about 30 minutes long. After a few episodes, they started inviting guests on the show. They thought they would never get any real high power guests, but were gladly mistaken. They have had well known authors, artists, Con chairs, fursuit makers, musicians, entertainers, and more than a few notable furs.  With guests, and all the regular segments, the podcast episodes run between an hour and an hour and a half.

Around episode 5 they decided to give a section to any fur that could log in to chat with them.  It is called; Five Minute Furs for Fun!  It has seen a limited success because they only put the link out on their Fan chat on Telegram: BFFT Chat.  It is open to anyone in the chat, and that chat is open to anyone to join. They invite the readers to join them there.

The format for the show seems to be working for them and they hear good things from those who listen. Taebyn and Bearly are serious punsters and bad joke aficionado’s so they spend a lot of time sharing really bad jokes, and in fact there is a section of the show devoted solely for those jokes.   There are other on-going segments in each episode, such as “Furries in the News” and either a “Storytime” or “Math With Taebyn”. Early episodes saw Bearly asking Taebyn some This or That questions, but over time Bearly ran out of choices, and now will ask Taebyn Trivia Questions.  The format is evolving and it is hard to say what the podcast will sound like a year from now, or even a few weeks from now.  They are constantly coming up with new ideas!

The Podiverse is a strange collective. Podcasts are like the old radio shows of the golden age of radio, there are talk shows, scripted shows, game shows, and variety shows. The only difference is that now all is electronic, and anyone with a computer and a microphone can create content. One person can record themselves for a bit and publish it, and that is the most basic and simple aspect.  Other shows have full blown studio’s actors, and huge budgets, that is the other end of the spectrum. Bearly and Taebyn’s little BFFT podcast falls closer to the basic level, but has grown over the weeks. They now have a staff of two associate editors, a music associate, and a talent director.  BFFT is unique because of it’s format, being furry-centric with lots of notable furs in the fandom, and that Taebyn is on it – he’s quite a crazy puppy.

Every Saturday is a new podcast on all pod platforms and YouTube. If you want to interact with other fans and staff of the podcast, you can join our telegram chat: BFFT Chat https://t.co/3JHnCjm6Bw

— Bearly Furcasting (@furcasting) December 5, 2020

Behind the Mic:

Taebyn is a pup, a mere 4.5 years old, but he was born with an innate sense for math and humor. His timing is impeccable, but his lack of concentration often leaves co-host Bearly trying to corral him into the subject matters.  Taebyn is the epitome of a Friendly Fur and a wonderful ambassador for the Furry Fandom. He is always positive, always friendly, and will hug just about anyone, anyfur, or anything!

Bearly came to the fandom as the valet for Taebyn. After meeting him for the first time it was apparent he needed adult supervision at most events, and while Taebyn’s husband can sometimes do that, Bearly took up the reins and spends time ensuring Taebyn gets things done in a timely manner when at cons and when doing the podcast. Bearly has often joked he was going to run a panel on how to be a Fursuit Valet!

Bearly does most of the behind the scenes work for the podcast including editing, finalizing guests, directing the podcast, and producing the content, he does this with the minimal training in mass media and broadcasting that he learned at the local community access channel in Salem, Oregon, as well as tapping his experience in creating online training content for his full time employment in the Normy World.

Taebyn is, for lack of a better term, the face of the podcast.  He always refers to it as the Pupcast, and the episodes as Pupisodes, even though Bearly has never called it either of those. Many guests come to the show because they love Taebyn and his crazy antics.

barkwags! This week, we chat with the curator of the "Furry Library" SummerCat @Bengaley ! He's also a fur from way back and even attended some PrancingSkilitaire parties! And other big words and jokes and info happen in this pupisode! https://t.co/1sDOR75JpV

— Taebyn (@TaebynPup) January 30, 2021

Notable furs on the show:

All the guests they have had on the show have been marvelous, and they hate to single out any one fur, but they were both surprised at the number of downloads of Episode 8. That was the episode with Paco Panda. They had no idea just how popular he was and the downloads show it! That episode is still being downloaded today and the numbers keep going up, that episode is their most listened to. Paco even drew a picture of Taebyn and Bearly during the interview and that is what is on the banner of their Twitter.

Taebyn points out that all the guests have been great, though one unique moment was in episode #25 when he played Jeopardy with BuckTown Tiger.  BuckTown was a Jeopardy champion, so this was a great experience for Taebyn.  Checking out their WikiFur page, you will see the list of all the notable furs they have had on the show. Chatting with all of them has been an honor and a pleasure, they wouldn’t trade that for anything.

At first the guests were approached because they were well known to Taebyn and Bearly, or because they were fans of the guest.  As time has gone by, they have tried to get a mix of furry contributors that make up the fandom.  Past guests sometimes suggest others to be on the show, while other times they discover notable furs on various media and invite them to be on the podcast. As of this writing they have guest bookings 8 weeks in advance! They are trying to get some of the charities from the various Cons to come on the show and talk about their organizations, however this seems to be harder than getting furs on there.

bark! New pupisode! This time, I interview Patch O'Fur, founder of @DogpatchPress FurryNews! And also, more horrible puns and jokes as always! Join us fur the fun!https://t.co/3EPOyIZsgf

— Taebyn (@TaebynPup) August 29, 2020

To the Future:

Taebyn and Bearly are hoping to start video production soon after the pandemic is over and will continue to do the podcast as well. They really like being contributors to the furry community and love that so many furs find fun and friendship with their podcast.

While doing a podcast is a lot of work: two recording sessions a week, guest bookings, equipment maintenance, editing and all the other adjacent details that go along with it, Bearly and Taebyn wouldn’t give it up for anything!

If you would like to hear the episodes or know what was on every episode you can visit the Bearly Furcasting Wikifur page or their podcast’s website: http://bearlyfurcasting.buzzsprout.com/. The podcast is available on all major podcast platforms or can be downloaded through direct RSS from their webpage.  You can contact them at Bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com, on their Twitter: @Furcasting, or on their telegram at BFFT Chat. Find them on Youtube: Injured Nerves Productions and Taebyn.

Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon. Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)

Welcome back everyone! We hope you’ve all been able to keep safe and get some good writing in. We won’t keep you long with the introductions, let’s get to the point of the newsletter — guild news.

Don’t forget that nominations for the 2020 Cóyotl Awards are now open! Nominations will be open until March 15th at midnight, Pacific time. Make sure to get those nominations in. Not sure what to nominate? The Cóyotl Awards Reading List should give you plenty of good ideas. 

With Black History Month in February, we intend to do our best to feature interviews with Black authors, publishers, and creatives within the fandom. As long as there are no scheduling snafus, we have lined up four amazing people we hope you will enjoy hearing for. In case you missed them, here are our interviews from last year.

• Black History Month Spotlight: Copper Sphynx
• Black History Month Spotlight: PJ Wolf
• Black History Month Spotlight: Jakabe T. Lope

If you have enjoyed posts like these on our blog, you could help us win an award! We qualify for an Ursa Major Award as Best Anthropomorphic Magazine. Nominations are open until February 13th so consider showing the guild some support.

Remember, we now have our Promotion Tip Line to submit to if you have new releases coming out, so don’t hesitate to fill that out so we can feature your book in our next newsletter! Here’s the new release we spotted this month:

• The Vore Studio edited by Joel Kreissman from Bound Tales Press

You can find all of the open markets for furry writing in our Furry Writers’ Market! Currently, these markets are open.

• Beast Volume 1 – Deadline: March 1st 2020
• Shark Week: Ocean Animals – Deadline: April 30th 2020
• Selections of Anthropomorphic Literature: Vol 2 – Deadline: May 15th 2020
• The Fox Spirit Book Of… Love – Deadline: Unlisted
• #ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing

A couple of final things month! First, we would like to congratulate James L. Steel for winning the Furcon Flash Fiction Competition! You can read their story here. We also interviewed Jafan Tafari about their latest book, Spin The Bottle, on the FWG blog. We hope you’ll take the time to give both of these a read!

I wish you all a fantastic February and hope until we meet again, your words flow like water.

– FWG President Linnea “LiteralGrill” Capps

MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!

This week the curator of the Furry Library joins us and we chat about his work to preserve the art and works of furry artists/authors.  Taebyn tries to steal a joke Bearly told on the FC podcast. Can Taebyn tell too may jokes? Why wouldn't the Ursa Major Awards/List accept our podcast? Did anyone write in Taebyn for President on the 2020 ballots? How many men fit in a closet? And what color hat does a blind man wear? Who wrote Einstein's Theory of Relativity? Cyborgs Galore. Taebyn has to use some pretty big words this week too! Come join Taebyn and Bearly as a Habitual Listener and receive your high level perks.

Support the show

Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.

You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com

Bearly Furcasting #40 - SummerCat, Mini Math Facts, Really Bad Jokes

Fuzz, Ajax, and Savrin are back to talk about living under the 2nd week of the Biden presidency. We got more insurrectionists being charged, Austin doing something actually good, GameStop stonks, gamers modding things the wrong way, modders getting a light shone on them and it not looking pretty, and more.

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Southpawscast

LINKS

Deathclaw "sex" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiA3t7c9voU
"Fallout: the Frontier is a God-Awful Fustercluck" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqZPd29NcSQ
"Jewish Space Lasers" - https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/marjorie-taylor-greene-qanon-wildfires-space-laser-rothschild-execute.html

Telegram Fan Chat - https://t.me/joinchat/P2iJgznWiMDBt5xS

Episode 483 - Beardrinkpepsi? - Fuzz, Ajax, and Savrin are back to talk about living under the 2nd week of the Biden presidency. We got more insurrectionists being charged, Austin doing something actually good, GameStop stonks, gamers modding things the w

Gert and the Sacred Stones is a new full-color graphic novel by Marco Rocchi and Francesca Carita, translated and imported by Dark Horse Press. It goes like this: “This timely tale of an endless war between humans and nature follows young orphan Gert, whose land is shrouded in a thick fog hiding ferocious, fantastical animals that besiege her village. Gert sets out to make sure no one else suffers what she has as a result of the war, but to do this she’ll have to do what is forbidden of young women like her: become a warrior. Unfazed, Gert sneaks into the initiation test, beginning an adventure that will prove to be about much more than revenge. Gert’s journey will teach her to accept hard truths, rethink the glorification of war and violence, and prove if she can be the unlikely hero to re-imagine her people’s future.” That story description doesn’t say much about Gert’s anthropomorphic content… but the front cover art sure does! Seems like this is one of those fantastic tales about a human that actually features quite a few not-humans. And we are there for it.

image c. 2021 Dark Horse Press

Continuing on the doggie train… Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman is a cherished book from our childhood for many of us. Well now Dreamworks Animation (along with WildBrain) have created a brand new animated series based on the book, and brought it to Netflix. (Neat trick, given that the book had nothing resembling a plot…) It goes like this: “Go, Dog. Go!  follows 6-year-old Tag Barker on her adventures in the city of Pawston, a fun-loving community of dogs on the go. Tag is a skilled mechanic and loves anything that goes. With her ingenuity and creativity, Tag can go as far as any plan will take her with her best friend Scooch Pooch by her side.” Animation World Network has more information, plus you can check out the official web site from Dreamworks.

image c. 2021 Dreamworks Animation

Danish furry convention Furtastic released updates about their edition this year. With 2020 tickets shifted to this year, only 10 slots will be available as registrations open 1 March. Their new chairman will be Shiro, current event manager at Furtastic, after their previous chairman Terril stepped down last year. Denmark’s daily coronavirus cases are decreasing […]

With COVID-19 continuing to prevail this year, two European furcons cancelled last week: Originally planned for July, German furcon Eurofurence cancelled this year and moved to 2022. New dates will be released soon. German daily coronavirus cases are decreasing – 9,387 new cases reported as of 26 Jan. Further into Europe, Hungarian furcon Fursang, planned […]

DUTY CALLS FOR THE FANDOM! The Ursa Major awards are coming. Every year, furry creators (and mainstream creations) are up for nominations. For 2020’s movies, art, books, news magazines, and more… which ones will the community choose as favorites?

Nominate HERE for the Ursas, but don’t wait until it’s too late! February 13 is the deadline.

• Try here for some works to consider: 2020 RECOMMENDED ANTHROPOMORPHICS LIST.
• Voting comes later. From March 1-31, come back to vote for what gets top nominations.

Furry ancestors spent ages of building temples for these works (well, there’s a website at least). Please support those who you want recognized with pets and praises.

Since 2001, these awards have been run with long hours of work by volunteers. They would appreciate any support you can give to defray costs for a website, making and mailing awards, and more.

The Awards committee could use help! Want to be on it? Leave a comment to be contacted. 

Categories:

• Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture
• Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work
• Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Series
• Best Anthropomorphic Novel
• Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction
• Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work
• Best Anthropomorphic Non-Fiction Work
• Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story
• Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip
• Best Anthropomorphic Magazine
• Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration
• Best Anthropomorphic Game
• Best Anthropomorphic Website
• Best Anthropomorphic Costume (Fursuit)

2021 GOOD FURRY AWARD – Nominate furries HERE.

The Good Furry Award is run by Grubbs Grizzly to recognize furries who make outstanding positive contributions to the fandom. The first one in 2019 went to Tony “Dogbomb” Barrett. In 2020 the award (and a $500 check) went to Ash Coyote (read about her on the site.) Her movie The Fandom: A Furry Documentary is on the Ursa Majors recommended list and got a review here.

Grubbs explains on the nomination page:

The Good Furry Award is about community spirit. This is not an award for who is the best fursuiter or artist or writer. It is not about being the most popular or being the furry who is seen on news broadcasts. It is about furries who do good works to promote and sustain the fandom and who represent the best in furry. Examples might be a person who does extraordinary work as a furcon volunteer, or who runs a charity, or who has done a lot to help furries in need, or who does something to promote a positive image of furries to the mundane world. I’m sure you understand the phrase “community spirit,” so nominate people based on that concept. The same goes for groups of people, organizations, and even businesses that help out furries.

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T. Kingfisher’s “Minor Mage” is a fantasy novella for about a boy and his… armadillo. When an isolated farming village suffers a seemingly endless drought, the villagers feel they have no choice but to send their resident wizard, Oliver, on the dangerous journey to the Rainblade mountains to try and convince the Cloud Herders to bring back the rain. Problem is, Oliver is only twelve years old and, in the words of his smart-aleck armadillo familiar, a very minor mage. Still, the crowd of irate villagers are very persuasive, and so the young wizard and his familiar set out for the mountains and hope for the best. After escaping from a pair of bloodthirsty ghuls posing as farmers, they venture into a possibly haunted forest. There they meet their third traveling companion, a minstrel named Tresbastion who has a talent for making human remains into instruments that shriek the identities of their murderers, and is currently hiding from the last village he got chased out of.

At first, “Minor Mage” seems a fairly straightforward coming-of-age adventure story, but Kingfisher is good at subverting expectations. After it’s mentioned that Oliver’s mother is a retired mercenary you keep expecting her to come and bail out her little boy whenever things start to look hopeless for him, only for him to figure something out himself. From the mobs after both Oliver and Trebastion, you might pick up a bit of a “humans are the real monsters” message, but the mobs both have a central figure leading the rest. The grouchy miller in Oliver’s village, and the mayor Trebastion exposed as a murderer. This makes it more of a nuanced warning against being misled by forceful personalities. Kingfisher notes in the afterword that she considers “Minor Mage” a children’s book, though many editors were turned off by the amount of danger faced by a twelve-year-old. Having read it, I agree with her that the intended audience wouldn’t mind, and frankly compared to the YA novels I read when I was Oliver’s age, it’s really tame. About the most objectionable thing in this book might be Tresbastion’s description of making harps from the ribs and hair of murder victims, and it doesn’t actually show that.

I will note that Oliver isn’t your typical “inept mage”; he’s not incompetent; he just doesn’t know many spells and can’t muster the energy for a spell more powerful than some minor telekinesis or tying someone’s shoelaces together. And given his age and the fact that his mentor died before he could teach him many spells, it’s very understandable. So he’s forced to use the little magic he has creatively. A reminder to work within your own limits rather than striving for the impossible when the chips are down.

Overall, I’d call “Minor Mage” a nice short fantasy adventure that you can read through in a few hours, appropriate for both adults and young adults.

Minor Mage, by T. Kingfisher