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Looking at the trend of furcon cancellations around the world, it is worth noting that this would definitely take a toll on the furry fandom, given that conventions and meets are essentially “cultural centres” for furries to celebrate the fandom. What kind of impacts would this pose to the fandom, and how did the fandom […]

920 London is a new full-color funny animal graphic novel coming soon from Image Comics. “2005, north of London. A doomed romance between two emo kids. More than friends, less than lovers, they’re trying to grow ‘shrooms before the world ends. Send help. Solo graphic novel debut by Remy Boydell (The Pervert), fully painted in watercolor.” It’s due to be released this June.

image c. 2020 Image Comics

Dear Papabear,

I know you probably get this a lot from other furries in/out of the closet, but as a male just learning I am gay, how do I handle the fact I like guys in todays society? How do I deal with the whole "homosexuality is an abomination of God etc?" About a year ago I was baptized as christian, however not sure of my sexuality then. In case you have forgotten, my parents split and I am currently living with dad. I told him I was gay, he was just fine with it, even at one point in an effort to help me with my depression, he suggested getting a boyfriend. (all this was months before codvid-19.)

Mom however is a different story.

Long story short she is very family centered, raised as a Christian. I am pretty sure her opinion on LGBT stuff is she does not think highly of them. One time years ago when I was still questioning, after finding the local LGBT (am I badmouthing my mom as I type this? or is that just my OCD talking? Please answer as a sidenote.) Once I borrowed a book from the local LGBT center and forgot about it in the car. Mom found it and questioned me about it, clearly in a disapproving way. About a week later she told me to read something with her, and it was the bible verse "thou man who laid with a man has committed an abomination." Then she told me if I wanted to be with a guy she will not tolerate it.

So as a Christian, raised with Christian teachings by mom but an accepting dad of my homosexuality, what do I do? How do I accept myself as for who I am, and be happy going forward? Am I obligated to tell my mom? How do I deal with the fear from religion about being gay and it being morally wrong?

Hugs

0.O *realizes the pandamic going around*
*virtual hug*

​Nicholas (age 23)

* * *

Dear Nicholas,

As you know, you're writing to a gay bear, so my answer to your questions is likely slanted. First and foremost is this: the only person who needs to accept you is you. The minute you define your value in life by other people's opinions of you, the minute you seek their approval, you will doom yourself to a life of misery and self-doubt. Whether those people are Christians, family, friends, your parents, coworkers, peers, whatever. It doesn't matter one whit what they think. Most of them are wrong, anyway, being misguided by a judgmental society.

As for Christianity.... In my experience, there are good Christians and bad ones. Good Christians accept and love you for who you are. They recognize that no one, including themselves, is perfect, and only God has the right to judge you. Bad Christians are the ones who use the Bible to defend their hate and prejudice. Stay away from them. The God in whom I personally believe is a loving God, not a God seeking to punish me or hurt me. I do not believe in Hell and eternal damnation. I do not believe that God just wants us to constantly grovel and worship Them. I think of it this way: If I were God and was all-powerful, omnipresent, omniscient.... why would I need to be worshipped by tiny little ant beings? I would not have such a pathetic ego that I would need to be constantly validated for something I already know I am. I would not get my jollies off of hurting people. I would want to be kind to them and try to help them. So if I, a tiny little human being, can feel this way, then God, who is infinitely superior to me in every way, must have all these loving, caring qualities to the infinity power.

So, why do Christians, the Church, parents, etc. try to shame you for being who you are? Simply put, it's a power thing. It is the pathetic desire to control you and your life, and also to make themselves feel holier than thou. Oh, they will SAY they are just trying to help you, but don't believe it. The truth is, by being gay and--God forbid--actually enjoying yourself, you will challenge their worldview, and that makes them uncomfortable because it is easier to just accept what you are told to do rather than to think for yourself.

Religious people who abuse and torment LGBTQIA people for something as unimportant as sexual orientation are doing the opposite of what religion should do, which is to love and help human beings. I could go on for pages and pages as to why the Church disapproves of gay people (most of it has to do with keeping people in line and perpetuating generations of tithing loyalists), but I think you get the point.

You are not your sexuality. That is just one aspect of a well-rounded person. Most people define who they are by what they do for a living and their families. You don't hear straight people introducing themselves like this: "Hi, I'm Bill! I'm a heterosexual architect and married man!" No. So, why should we define ourselves for being gay or bi or whatever? We mostly do this because it is not "the norm." Screw the norm. Norm is boring. Being normal is what has caused so much misery, war, and injustice for millennia.

Do not seek out to be normal. Be you. Be different. Contribute something unique to this world. The world needs unique people like you.

And remember, no matter what: God loves you.

Be a good person. If you do that, you are golden.

Hugs,
Papabear

At a recent convention (remember those??) we came across End/City, a new full color comic series set in a post-apocalyptic world. “Starbuck, a young maned wolf delights in the finding, understanding, and use of leftover human artifacts. His latest find: An entire coffee shop. With the help from his Read Bird partner Wifi, Ketkii the coatimundi, and Cha the rat, he’s going to open up shop to the animals of the town. Let’s end this city.” Written and Illustrated by Keryn Everett; you can check it out over at IndyPlanet.

image c. 2020 by Keryn Everett

Don’t miss the series of stories about animal impersonators.

George Ali as Nana in Peter Pan (1924)

Yesterday’s article revisited the history of animal impersonation for theater. It’s the study of how animals move and behave, for acting with emotion and character. Beautifully crafted costumes were used on live stages before cinema matured, from artists forgotten by time. It’s deep rooted “Paleofurry” inspiration.

Previous stories here looked at British Panto-animal actors, but overlooked other actors in American Vaudeville (which fed talent to Hollywood). An expert covered some of them to round out this history. (Thanks to Trav S.D. who is linked here; a theater director, producer, and author.)

Arthur Lupino as Nana (1904)

George Ali: Critter for Hire, and Arthur Lupino

Trav’s short article adds a little about George Ali, who played the dog in the first filmed version of Peter Pan. But in 1904 the role was played by an actor who I haven’t found much about. There’s just a very short blurb from Encyclopedia Brittanica saying Arthur Lupino was an “incomparable animal impersonator” and chosen personally by Peter Pan playwright JM Barrie.

Fred Woodward: What an Animal

Mules and creatures from Oz. It’s another short mention of how “Animal impersonation was a whole sub-specialty in vaudeville… This was an era when fairy tales were frequently presented on stage for audiences of children and their families, so it’s not as odd as it may seem at first blush.”

Alfred Latell: Animal Impressionist

A substantial story with contribution from the actor’s granddaughter. Latell was “best known as Bonzo the Bull Pup,” and “publicized his long hours of studying the movements of the creatures so that he could get them just so”.

Despite fame for some, the arts aren’t known for enriching every talent who made many people happy: “According to his daughter, he was buried in a pauper’s (unmarked) grave in Park Ridge, Illinois in 1951. After he passed, his widow was so distraught, she threw out anything that reminded her of her husband, including his famous dog suit. Fortunately, the family managed to save some photos including ones in this post which they were nice enough to share. Special thanks to Kimberly Albright.” — That’s so sad, like losing a fursuit and a lot more!

Other sources describe his art and quote him:

“He went to great lengths – rigged up a hind leg, improving his dog movement, and had a special tube made for his mouth which allowed him to appear like he was lapping up milk.  With a string he could raise the fur on the back of the cat suit! He also impersonated birds, ‘The parrot was one of my first bird impersonations, and I found it one of the most difficult of all, because of its crouching posture and the consequent tendency to fall over while walking.  There are nine strings which have to be operated in working the head, bill and wings, and the work is laborious in every sense of the word.” (The Art of Animal Acting, The New York Dramatic Mirror, May 1, 1909.) — Pamela Butler, Pam’s Pictorama

Will Ferry: Another kind of Frog Man.

“Dressed as a frog in dashing evening clothes, he performed his act, which consisted of acrobalance and general amphibian impersonation, against a backdrop painted to resemble a swamp.” The hops and jumps of an acting career had hurdles of American segregation here. He was a person of color born shortly after the Civil War, who toured with minstrel players. I wonder how talent and costuming had to navigate racist limits. Could playing an animal ever conceal skin color? Did animal impersonation (also done by white people) have the same stereotyping faced by POC actors like Stepin Fetchit until barriers came down?

Those stories come from Trav S.D., author of No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous. It’s where to learn about Groucho Marx, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Houdini, Milton Berle, Mae West (and I hope it covers The Three Stooges.)

There must be more animal impersonators to learn about. Another blog covered one named Albert Felino.

(Update): Arthur Hill, “the original Cowardly Lion”, has an entry on Trav’s blog too. Search turns up an interesting history article:

1908 Chicago Cubs mascot. A paleofurry root found while looking up Animal Impersonator Arthur Hill (the original Cowardly Lion) whose understudy wore the suit.https://t.co/lV5zp7sD03
Animal Impersonators: https://t.co/JsjgzTuId7
Sports Mascots + Furries:https://t.co/rdZ38jJVRt pic.twitter.com/e7ZnERi5Bw

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) May 28, 2020

What could a furry do with some of this lost lore, like the idea of string-operated eyes, ears and parts? Drop a comment or tip if you see inspiration from it.

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

It’s May, and in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month we wanted to feature one of our authors with Asian heritage within the Furry Writers’ Guild. We interviewed Allison Thai who has been featured in publications such as Zooscape, Infurno: The Nine Circles of Hell, and ROAR Volume 8. Without further ado, let’s get to the interview.

 

FWG: Tell the guild and our readers a bit about yourself.

Allison: I am the oldest daughter of Vietnam War refugees. My first taste in animal stories came from the Redwall and Warriors series. Though my fursona is a husky, according to Vietnamese myth I’m actually a fairy-dragon hybrid. No, I didn’t make that up. The Vietnamese creation story claims that the Vietnamese people are descended from a dragon lord and a fairy queen—con rồng cháu tiên: children of the dragon, grandchildren of gods. Pretty rad, huh?

FWG: What is your favorite work that you have written?

Allison: “In the Name of Science,” featured in Thurston Howl Publication’s Infurno anthology. It’s historical fiction set in WWII Japan, based on Unit 731 and written in the form of logs from a young ermine surgeon, who gradually becomes disillusioned and disgusted by the work she’s doing. Writing this story let me grapple with the horrifying reality that Japan had conducted covert human experiments upon other Asian groups. Giving this dark piece of our history an anthro twist doesn’t make the inhumanity of it any less.

On a lighter note, I absolutely love how THP went all out with the presentation of this hellish-themed anthology: black pages, white font, interludes to show the fates of characters who’ve committed sins. THP took a step further with my story: using cursive and courier fonts to reflect the alternation between my protagonist’s personal writings and her more objective, detached recordings of atrocities she took part in.

This was certainly no joy ride to write, and I came out disturbed by this story that I had pulled from the darkest, deepest recess of my mind. Still, I’m proud and grateful to have written it. What I hope to achieve with “In the Name of Science” is to raise awareness of an event sometimes known as the Asian Holocaust—not talked about as much as its Western counterpart—and share with the reader what scares me the most: not fictional monstrosities, but how man is capable of being the cruelest creature.

FWG: What do you think makes a good story?

Allison: I need to have characters who are grounded in reality, and a character arc I can resonate with and root for. Readers can suspend their disbelief and accept fantastical things like sentient spaceships, schools of wizardry, superhero societies, talking animals, etc., but if there are no believable, relatable characters, that’s when a reader like me puts down the book. The protagonist doesn’t have to be necessarily likeable, but plausibility and authenticity in the voice, personality, and drive is a must for me. I’m also a sucker for beautiful style, poetic prose, and poignant, succinct turns of phrase.

FWG: How long have you been in the guild, and what changes have you seen with regards to how writing is handled since joining?

Allison: I have been in the guild since 2016. Since then, I’ve learned a lot from being among other furry writers on how to approach worldbuilding and characterization specifically for furry stories. I appreciate that aspect of the guild and the furry writing community very much. Though I’m not entrenched in guild management, nor have I been at the helm of any anthro project, I’ve seen attempts to advocate the recognition and merit of furry literature, from the existence of things like Furry Book Review to the much-needed arrival of Zooscape, a new anthro magazine created and run by Mary E. Lowd. (I have a story there, by the way, a novelette on Arctic foxes in Iceland, and had the most fun writing it!)

As someone who has one foot in the furry writing community, and the other in the genre/SFF/speculative fiction community, I’m seeing the gap between them grow smaller and smaller as, for example, my fellow writers who normally stay behind the spec fic circle begin submitting and publishing their work in Zooscape. I look forward to a future of more overlap among the writing communities, and building enough readership and resources to get furry literature sold and published at professional paying rates.

FWG: What does your Asian Heritage mean to you?

Allison: It’s an important part of me, and will always be a part of me, but my awareness and acknowledgement of it comes and goes like a tidal wave. Sometimes, like when I go about my Americanized daily life, or I’m too occupied with studying or working, I don’t think much of it. Other times, though, thrust it from the periphery to the forefront. Those other times have been, among other things, Lunar New Year, or attending Vietnamese church with my parents, or the surge in anti-Asian sentiment during the coronavirus pandemic.

Being born and raised in Houston, I take it for granted that I had grown up in the largest Vietnamese-American population outside of California. Only when I travel outside of Texas, outside of Houston even, do I become very aware of how scarce Asians are in many other areas. I’m comfortable with my identity and wouldn’t want to trade it for anything else. While my Asian heritage is an important part of me, that’s not all there is to me.

FWG: Do you feel like the issues that affect the outside world affect your writing within the fandom or not?

Allison: COVID-19 is the prevailing issue I’m sure that’s on everyone’s minds lately! So far I haven’t written anything in response to the pandemic. I did, however, write a (non-furry) Russian plague doctor story 2 years before this COVID-19 mess came down. As someone studying to join the medical profession, this issue is close to my heart. The clinical setting, the people who work there, and the kind of work they do are familiar elements that I often return to in my stories. Given my experience of working in the ER, sometimes I wonder what an ER run by animals for animals would look like. Currently I have my sights set on writing a long-ish furry ER story this summer.

FWG: Do you have favorite Asian authors and has their literature affected your writing in the fandom?

Allison: Ken Liu, who’s Chinese-American, and Aliette de Bodard, who’s Vietnamese-French. What I admire most about their work is the incredible range they explore. Ken Liu is a versatile writer whose prose shines in whatever genre and topic he dabbles in. In addition to stories inspired by Vietnamese and Chinese culture, Aliette de Bodard has written Aztec alternative history.

All of that gives me inspiration and courage not to pigeon-hole myself into writing only Asian stories. I know that choice to write only from your background or not is a very, intensely personal and meaningful one for POCs, and there’s no right or wrong in going about it. Again, it’s a choice. But for me? I’d find writing only what I know to be restrictive, and quite frankly, boring. I don’t want to write about Vietnam and Vietnamese characters ALL the time. I wouldn’t enjoy that. I’m a highly curious creature and fascinated by all sorts of things. Norse mythology and Russian history are among those interests. I like that writing gives me the freedom to explore lands, cultures, and stories beyond my own experience. 

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

Allison: I’d probably have to point to the book that most recently made me cry: The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra. No, it’s not furry, not even speculative fiction, but I recommend that writers should have a wide range and balance in their reading, and I recommend this book nonetheless. Lifting words from a review I had written for it a while ago: “Anthony Marra has a way with words and storytelling that frames and captures a vivid, bleak landscape of northern industrial Russia, and paints in a cast of characters whose triumphs and tragedies I resonated with as if they were my own. A myriad of relationships are explored, strengthened, and broken. Brotherhood transcends time, space, and the ruthless oppression of the Soviet Union. Romances spark, ignite, flicker, and fade.

Regardless of your preference for novels or short stories, I believe The Tsar of Love and Techno is the best of both worlds by delivering the poignant snapshots of short stories while interconnecting them to impart the satisfaction of a full-fledged novel. Characters come back in ways you don’t expect and their arcs come in full circle, all revolving around a mysterious, obscure Russian painting. This is definitely a book you’d want to revisit to connect the dots and pick up details you had missed before.”

Tell the guild where it can find you, to follow you and read your works!

I had dug out a neat little den for myself on Twitter as @ThaiSibir. As for my list of published short fiction (many of them in furry anthologies), you can find that on my website: 

FWG: Any last words for our readers and guild members?

Hold on to your love and passion for writing. When the payments and publications have great chances of not coming your way (because, let’s be real here, rejection’s the name of the writing game), what else do you have? To keep at this writing business, remember to have fun and write for yourself first. Everything else comes second.

 

You can find a list of Allison’s published short fiction on her website as well as follow her on Twitter @ThaiSibir. We hope you found this interview exciting and informative! If you have suggestions for future highlights and interviews, please contact our public relations officer here. Until next time: may your words flow like water.

Check out this “fursuit” acting from 1924. That’s George Ali as Nana the Dog in the first silent-movie version of Peter Pan. (Here’s a longer clip).

Disney’s Nana

In 1924, there were no archives for movies, so many were destroyed or disappeared when they stopped making money from screening. The first Peter Pan movie was believed lost, but two copies were found including one at Disney Studios (who must have studied the innovative special effects.) A restoration in 1994 was added to the US National Film Registry. It makes a rare recording of this kind of performing.

George Ali was an Animal Impersonator — much more than just a costumer, but a specialist artist. There must be tons of forgotten lore about this. It was featured in my furry history series about Panto-animals (with beautiful photos, but no videos I could find until now!)

• If there was a Museum of Furry, theatrical “Panto-Animals” would be a major exhibit.
• Panto-animals feedback, history and sources.
• Panto-animals history book reviews by Fred Patten.

What were animal impersonators?

Fred Conquest and Charles Lauri appear in those stories as British Pantomime theater players. Panto had roots as old as Shakespeare — a mash-up of clowning, burlesque, satire, and lower-class popular theater for the masses. It was for live stages, not permanent Youtube-ready media, so the actors may be barely remembered today. They were huge stars in their heyday 100 years ago. Most were known as human characters, but ones like Ali, Conquest, or Lauri won stardom in their own right as animals.

This quote from my first story says why they were more than costumers:

Charles Lauri’s imitations were exceptional for the accuracy with which they reproduced the movements of different animals. When rehearsing for a part, he spent hours watching the animal he would be impersonating… The performances were physically extremely demanding and Lauri had to be an acrobat as well as an actor.

George Ali, World’s Greatest Animal Impersonator explains how they won stardom:

Most reviews singled him out for praise, with many stating how the audience often wished the size of his role could be doubled, as it often saved the show. Everyone seemed to enjoy his enthusiastic and energetic performances, full of emotion and character. This recognition forced producers to prominently feature and highlight Ali in advertisements with second billing… Advertisements at the time noted he received the largest salary ever paid to animal impersonators.

Fursuiters take note about the Nana the Dog suit:

Seidel’s of New York created the costume from Ali’s design and specifications, with the face folded in the style of a taxidermist. Real shaggy dog fur covered Nana’s head, with caracel covering the body and buttoned up inside… From inside the costume, Ali operated the eyes, ears, tail, and mouth through a series of strings enabling him to cock an eye, wiggle his ears, wag his tail, and the like, enabling him to tug viewers’ heart strings as well. Jumping from wistful to joyous celebration to sorrow, Ali’s strong portrayal charmed audiences.

There’s more about the costuming in this review of a modern screening of the silent Peter Pan with live music.

Paleofurries from Britain to America

“Paleofurry” means anything anthropomorphic in history, from fairy tales to Egyptian gods. Maybe there isn’t direct influence, but it’s culturally latent. You can see it skip across time from old theater, which influenced Disney and Golden Age cartoons, to subcultural 1970’s cartoonists, who helped found today’s fandom.

Like furries themselves sometimes, Animal Impersonators’ craft seems overlooked and left for specialty interest. That’s how a furry fan can see it with a thrill of recognition. Want some advanced costuming inspiration? Study it! I even considered doing a book, but my articles about Panto-Animals had most everything I could find by scouring the web. That didn’t promise much present-day activity to explore as a fan. That’s up to professional and academic researchers… and recently, one led me to more info that was overlooked in stories about British Panto.

American Vaudeville actors were the talent for early Hollywood. London stage actors who moved to Vaudeville and movie success included George Ali, and the first huge mass media star, Charlie Chaplin.

These are types of variety theater (also including Burlesque and minstrelry), and Vaudeville is called “America’s only purely indigenous theatrical form.” How is it different from Panto? That’s a question for an expert. Tomorrow’s story links an expert who profiled more American actors that haven’t appeared here.

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

Today, Tempo Talks with Elizabeth Hanna, voice actor in Jim Henson's Dog City, The Raccoons, Babar the Elephant, Little Bear, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Hello Kitty, Care Bears, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, and countless other cartoons and video games. Artist: Slate Dragon https://www.furaffinity.net/user/slate The first 20 users to enter the coupon code "TempoTalks" will get 10% off their order on FurPlanet.com. 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_ 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

Oh dear… Is this much cuteness legal? Well, here it is: The Fox & The Little Tanuki, a new black & white manga by Mi Tagawa. “After 300 years, the gods that imprisoned Senzou the Fox Spirit for his arrogance finally set him free. There is only one condition — he can’t have any of his supernatural abilities back until he successfully helps a tanuki cub named Manpachi become one of their magical assistants. Unfortunately for Senzou, there’s no cheating when it comes to completing his task! The magic beads around his neck make sure he can’t wander too far from his charge or shirk his duties, and so… Senzou the once-great Fox Spirit must now figure out how to be an actually-great babysitter to a mischievous little tanuki or risk being stuck without his powers forever!” It’s out there now in paperback from Tokyo Pop.

image c. 2020 Tokyo Pop

And speaking of monsters… It’s time to switch gears and take a look at something that’s decidedly not for young readers. That would be Creature Girls, a new black & white manga series written and illustrated by Kakeru. “Whether they’re part cat, part horse, or part spider, Daisuke has always been fascinated with the uniquely exotic beauty of monster girls. When he finds himself whisked away to a fantastic world full of all manner of demihuman life, he swiftly gets to work meeting (and analyzing!) as many as he can. There’s really only one logical thing for this stranded scientist to do: He’s going to become the creature girl harem king!!” The full title is Creature Girls: A Hands-On Field Journal In Another World (whew!) and it’s available now from Ghost Ship.

image c. 2020 Ghost Ship Manga

Something unusual we discovered through Previews recently: The Adventures of Byron, written and illustrated by Chris Hamer. “A special one-shot introducing everyone’s new favorite monsters! What happens when ordinary monsters find themselves in life’s, awkward situations? They call their friends for help. The Adventures of Byron is an all-ages story about just that: friends helping friends, even if the odds are stacked against them! Join Byron, Oswald and Paxton – three monsters with different personalities who all rely on each other no matter what hair-brained idea each may have – in their adventures of surviving boredom, creativity and well, many other things!” Get it now from Scout Comics.

image c. 2020 Scout Comics

The podcast version includes a bit of the pre-show, as we kicked off the night with a silly argument about the Eternal Flame Falls. After that it’s a standard combo of roundup and news goodies.

FurCast is sponsored by Twin Tail Creations. Use coupon codes REDWOLF or BLUEFOX to save 15% on silicone products during checkout. Free FurCast Themed Colorations are also available which can be applied as a color choice to your toy purchase.

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Link Roundup:

• Vox: Why Beef is worst for the climate
• Bree Oleson podcast talks to Bad Dragon
• The Fandom | Release Trailer
• Canada’s .ca host is rolling out their own DoH (DNS over HTTPS)
• Podcast shoutout: 2.5 admins
• Podcasting continues to get messed up by Spotify
• TucanBertie are back on Adult Swim
• WordPress company Automattic invests 4.6 million USD in Matrix messaging platform
• Kuva’s connect 4 game for a children’s hospital
• Boozy’s Rant on Face Masks

News:

• 2020 Cicada Plague will Happen this Year in Some Parts of the US
• Former BP Employee Fired for Using Hitler Meme; Wins Case Against BP
• Go Topless Leads to 180 Arrests in Texas

[Live] Eternal Gas Leak

We're back and it's not ALL bad.. We've got furry stuff, more con cancellations, incel terrorism, HCQ still doesn't work to protect you, and more.

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

LINKS Vaporspace Online stream for Doctors Without Borders -  https://www.twitch.tv/vaporspacestl 

HLVRAI -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDUYLDtC5Qw&list=PLglTodSj6fQGbLTtPF_YXVJ6TKSaC3O02 

Telegram chat- https://t.me/joinchat/CGL2Zj9oiYOXkOOhQ-MT9g

Episode 463 - Realms of Despair - We're back and it's not ALL bad.. We've got furry stuff, more con cancellations, incel terrorism, HCQ still doesn't work to protect you, and more. Patreon? https://www.patreon.com/Southpawscast  LINKSVaporspace Online str

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

This week we learn that Taebyn is oh so close to catching his tail.  We have a great chat with Cassidy Civet of Eurovision fame, and discuss upcoming anthropomorphic television. Spend some time with Bearly and Taebyn!

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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 #4 - Cassidy Civet, Tail Saga, and TV

Yesterday’s story: With conventions closed for COVID-19, what happens to furries as a community?

Hello Everyone. Keeping as transparent as possible we have decided to postpone the convention until a later date. While the state reopens, we are postponing SCMC as we have the safety and protection of all in attendees, staff and families at our convention in mind. pic.twitter.com/cx0DusQvoH

— Sin City Murr Con (@SinCityMurrCon) May 18, 2020

Ow My Balls!

The COVID-19 pandemic has postponed Sin City Murr Con. It’s planned to be the furry fandom’s first explicitly adult kink-themed convention.

SCMC also stands out as a con from Corgi Events, who organize GSFC, Aquatifur, DenFur, and PDFC. It’s furry fandom’s first multi-event managing company, with the idea of a paycheck letting the CEO do this full-time. Despite fear that paying someone is the tip of a Bad Dragon-sized capitalist intrusion, advancing a grab-bag of cons could be the foot in the door for the kink one.

This is a hit to fandom expression AND business. Several furries had a group chat about the postponing.

Lux, a furry artist in California, didn’t see such a big issue. She felt like SCMC might not have gone over well due to being “neither part of the kink scene or the local Las Vegas scene. Las Vegas seems like an all right place for a furry convention without the gimmick you know? And a furry track could be slotted into another kink event that happens in Las Vegas, rather than the other way around. Las Vegas hosts adult films expo and sex toy conventions if I’m not mistaken.”

I felt like explicit kink friendliness is a big deal, many furry people ARE kink scene people, and Las Vegas local furries haven’t made the effort for their own con. (They had Elliott’s Live Events, but that was more of a private party.) I saw a bigger issue.

Disneyfication

Hugo The Pink Cat, a Quebec furry artist, agreed. “I’ve made my thoughts clear on the Disneyfication of the fandom in the last decade, and how it feels like there aren’t a lot of places for the kinky side of the fandom to express themselves openly. I’m worried about the increasing pressure to make every furry event family friendly. Cancelation of events that could have catered to the adult side is unfortunate.”

I’d say there are places, but they aren’t all accessible. That can lead to bad exclusion or abusive tendencies. Boundaries are good for safety though. (That’s why there should be more like San Francisco’s Animal Farm party, one of the world’s only openly advertised furry sex parties at a formally licensed club.)

And when furries try to qualify the portion of furries who ARE sexual as "an anomaly" or "a tiny weird subsection" it goes against the sex positivity most furries are in favor of.

— *That pink cat* (@HugoThePinkCat) January 21, 2020

Lux felt that “a lot of backlash about the sexualization of the fandom is either heralded by old school furs who are openly homophobic, or minors who feel left out.”

Hugo replied: “A lot of NEW cons and younger furries are so desperate for approval from outside that they will pretend that their attendees aren’t grown ass adults and will insist on making everything child friendly.” — (And why is our space important?) — “A lot of early event organisers were LGBTQ… A LOT of the “let’s desexify the fandom” is based in LGBTQ phobia. Every single time a finger is pointed at “unacceptable” things, it’s inevitably LGBTQ related in some way.”

Summercat agreed: “It’s just pure ‘coincidence’ that the rise of more LGBT stuff happened with the start of those crusades, yes yes don’t look behind the curtain.” — (But it’s about identity:) — “Furries are no more sexual than any other group, we’re just more open and honest about it. Put a lot of people in one place and sexy times will happen.”

Lux raised more issues: “The knee-jerk response that a lot of normies express is how the furry fandom is some kind of 100% crazy sex thing. Every single convention I’ve ever been to, there’s swinger couples that float around the hotel bars, trying to pick up fursuiters.” — (Furries can be their own worst enemies:) — “There’s also a dedicated hit squad on both Twitter and Tumblr who are dedicated to hunting down murrsuiters like it’s some kind of insane witch hunt.”

Freedom at stake.

Lux: “What I really love about the fandom is that it is about testing your inhibitions. Depending on how deep you go into the furry forest, you’ll find yourself into inflatable pool toys, being engulfed in sentient slime, or walking around a hotel lobby wearing onesie pajamas and holding on to a stuffed animal that you paid $800 for.

It seems like every culture on the planet has major hangups about sex in general. We neglect to educate kids, shame women, deny the existence of LGBTQ folks, etc. I think when the public looks on the furry fandom and sees a group of people dressed as animals, openly embracing each other, and just letting loose, they reflexively think it’s a sex thing because… repressed sexuality is a cork on a champagne bottle filled with all kinds of baggage. Once you come to terms with your own and the fact that a LOT of people in your life won’t get it, then the urge to suppress your own community evaporates.”

Shifting things online empowers corporations to suppress adult content. It was a warning when they purged Tumblr. Now the stakes are rising.

Many furries do NSFW stuff for a living. What if you lose freedom to have it?

In 2018, the #SESTA/#FOSTA law was passed against protest that it would kill expression on the net. Furry dating site Pounced closed and Tumblr tumbled. A thread about it: https://t.co/xLsNN8eAZl

1/

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) December 11, 2018

Time out

The pandemic postpones this fight at cons, but the pressure isn’t off.

Personally I like Mr. Rogers style wholesome cartoon fandom as much as the weirder side. There’s room for different events — it’s not a competition. The freedom to have different events comes from organizing them independently.

As explained in yesterday’s story, this isn’t just about a brief postponement, but a long term rollback and loss of freedom. How easy would it be to recapture?

The kink side is more than just some people’s preference. It might where you find the fandom’s vital signs. Let’s see how it keeps itself alive. Not just online, because communication is supposed to lead to more.

Vice news, March 2020

Probably because you're not following us?

Got a whole thread on media coverage here: https://t.co/hocyZji3Ie

— buttplug.io – Open Source Sex Tech (@buttplugio) May 14, 2020

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

Or at least on a very small scale! Another full-color graphic novel for young readers: Bug Boys, created by Laura Knetzger. “Join two bug friends as they learn about the science of the world around them and the meaning of friendship in this early graphic novel series perfect for fans of Narwhal and Jelly! Rhino-B is a brash, but sweet guy. Stag-B is a calm and scholarly adventurer. Together these two young beetles make up the Bug Boys, best friends who spend their time exploring the world of Bug Village and beyond, as well as their own – sometimes confusing and complicated – thoughts and feelings.” It’s available now in hardcover from Penguin Random House.

image c. 2020 Penguin Random House

Depression of the furry economy.

Real life cons and meets are glue for internet fandom. Closing them will make a ripple effect.

Furry fandom has had decades of rising activity, and it’s between members without depending on corporations. Up to now, their cons bring tens of thousands of people with tens of millions of dollars spent per year around the world. That’s hard to just pause and restart.

It’s tourism/live show business that makes a foundation for other businesses. Take fursuit-making. It has millions a year in activity. Shutdowns and unemployment could make commissioners less eager for fursuits they can’t use in person or afford.

Some makers have long queues for promised work. That can mean holding a lot of deposits (even near an average household’s debt — thousands per suit x dozens of suits.) Imagine the queue stopping. That’s the ripple effect.

Could that kind of problem bankrupt cons? Or are they safe if they can cancel hotel contracts by force majeure? How hard will the hangover be if it takes a year or more to restart? (Reopening too soon can hurt too, without concerted solutions everywhere.)

FYI Furry conventions can't cancel without penalties if lockdowns are lifted. Hotels can easily bill your favorite convention into bankruptcy.

Anti-lockdown protests not only put our events at risk financially, but spreading it could kill your friends.https://t.co/YXfQBSPLJR

— Essential Fox (@chipfoxx) May 19, 2020

Here’s a sobering thought: COVID-19 studies I’ve read suggest it might keep coming in waves for years until there’s a vaccine. But immunity might not persist. Consider if it settles in to stay and lowers world life expectancy until who knows when. (However, get info from science sources, not fan news.)

That could make it uncertain if cons will come back the same way at all. Maybe it’s too soon for judgement, but consider the possibility.

• New York Times – How Pandemics End

Shutdowns might be relatively less bad for con business though, unlike investment that needs returns. If they can cancel without debt, maybe they can stay buffered from the social turbulence of ZIRP (the reason why huge investment capital sloshes around in search of profit, building business that makes no sense.)

But lost reg fees and travel costs hurt, and those who rely on fandom social life or art business have more to worry about.

Fandom without cons? What a BUMMER.

Going all-online is a big change for a fandom known for crowds of colorful costumers at cons. Maybe the big party years will be remembered as a second wave after the 1970s-1990s pre-online fandom. Now it could turn a corner to a third wave.

Meanwhile, too much time on social media can make you stressed, angry, desperate for more, and primed for data mining and advertising. There’s an acronym for “the sinister purpose of tech companies that brought us the platforms we’re hooked on and their effect on us“. It is…

BUMMER (Behaviors of Users Modified and Made into Empires for Rent.)

Losing independent bases can raise this corporate power. What can you do about it? Maybe limit time online, work on tangible creativity, and build crossover outside the fandom.

I'm fairly new to twitter but I suppose after having grown a large following it becomes a lot harder to get away from that type of stuff. Stick to your core roots, whether it be as an art platform or what have you. Keep replies and stuff relevant, everything else is unnecessary

— Verve (@HarmonyXero) May 19, 2020

Finding support.

This is a good time to support artists if you can. Soatok, a furry coder, told me: “I’m going to be commissioning a fursuit soon, but I already wanted one before this stuff.”

There’s lots of fun ways to do suiting online. I’m being an eye candy guest on livestreams for Bawdy Storytelling. The show was live on stage before, so livestreams keep supporting performers who got hit hard by shutdowns.

Oh boy. I'll be a fursuit panelist on the @bawdy livestream, basically just looking fuzzy on the side while dirty stories are told. The last one had 400 watchers. Saturday May 16th at 7 PM PDT/10 PM EST, tickets at https://t.co/rTPnYCLIGp, FB event at https://t.co/oqvzp1ZIJV. https://t.co/oFaLSFtPfR

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) May 16, 2020

Hurt by unemployment? Furries can help other furries. Soatok says: “I’m currently writing a thing that can be summed up as ‘how to get into remote tech work for close to $0 and no prior experience for furries’. This is a public teaser.”

Staying flexible and independent is a way to prepare for a bounce back.

You could even combine fun and a side gig. If anyone wanted to try this, I’ll bet the biggest demand would be from other fans themselves, so it isn’t much more than a little extra option for those already doing such activity.

Some enterprising fursuiters should offer their own services for this.

This Farm Sanctuary Lets You Invite a Furry Animal to Your Next Video Meetinghttps://t.co/RI8LJjhpmq

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) April 26, 2020

It’s happened with small gigs as mascot entertainment or being welcomed on stage at bigger shows. I’ve gotten $50 and meals for being a dancer or just mingling at clubs where I might have done it for fun anyways. Imagine gathering a like minded group to promote that together. It would be an online version of groups that do it for live events. If anyone tries it, send a tip here for an article to help.

• More: Furry artists among top highest-paid Patreon creators, but face threats to their livelihood.

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

Hello, PapaBear,

Two very close friends of mine who have been part of this community fro a good while have recommended me to ask you regarding some pointers for starting out in the furry community, as for myself, I am rather new to the world of anthropomorphic animals and the cool, creative ideas that this will conjure up! As for what I decided to do with this field, my fursona is a friendly and wholesome Sun Bear who likes to fish for salmon in the woods and enjoys honey like most bears tend to do, details aside, my question is this: How do I best present myself appropriately in this community so that I may enjoy myself, let people enjoy me as a person and the character I portray, and to better avoid the more unfriendly and toxic side of this community (because as sad as it is, there are people in this world who tend to be unwelcoming and a bad influence to others.) Not to mention, it's very nice to hear some wisdom from a veteran who would know more about this then I would, who just so happens to be a bear as well!

Many thanks in advance,

Tuftrunk

* * *

Dear Bro Bruin,

There is no one way to become an active part of the furry family. Back during its early years, when it was a few anthro fans meeting at sci-fi conventions and sharing APAs, it definitely WAS an isolated community that only a few people could participate in (e.g., you couldn't get a copy of an APA magazine unless you also contributed to it). Today, anyone can join and participate, whether that is in one of the numerous online outlets (Facebook, FurAffinity, Furry Aminos, Discord, Telegram, etc. etc. etc. etc.) or in person at a furmeet or furcon, there is no end to the many opportunities.

As you become more active, make sure your motivations for getting attention are healthy ones. Many times, furries write to me asking me how they can be popular and get attention in the fandom. In other words, they envy popufurs and want to be like them and to have their existence validated. This is incorrect motivation. Don't fall into that trap, for its jaws will consume you.

Addressing your question, "How do I best present myself appropriately in this community so that I may enjoy myself, let people enjoy me as a person and the character I portray, and to better avoid the more unfriendly and toxic side of this community...," the best way to present yourself is to simply be a good furry. Don't be a douchebag and you will inevitably make friends. Look for communities within the fandom that share your interests (e.g., being a bear, you might like to join my Bear Furries group on Facebook).

As for avoiding the "toxic side" of the family, that is all about the company you keep, and that means being a good judge of character, which is how you avoid toxic people in ANY community, not just the fandom. Obviously, stay away from people like the Nazi furs or others who try to make the fandom something political or exclusionary. Avoid people who try to define what furry is (in their favor) and who try to exclude others because "they aren't real furries." Also, avoid furries who only wish to have a hookup with you. These are the ones who will cause you grief. 

Fortunately, most furries are kind, friendly, fun, and welcoming. This should be about fun and frolic, not about creating drama. Don't create drama, don't participate in drama (often manufactured by trolls desiring attention), and DO hang with people who simply like movies, TV shows, drawing, playing games, and having a good time. Do this and you, too, will have a good time.

Don't worry about your rep. Don't worry who likes you and who doesn't. Furry is all about being your true self. Be yourself and you will find others who want to be with you to share mutual loves and interests.

Welcome to the fandom!

Bear Hugs,
Papabear

繪者: Kit Ray, 作者:Vintage Potato 翻譯:德羅布(經授權)