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Throughout history, there's probably no subject more debated than what comes after death. From the Nirvana and Naraka of Buddhism, to the Elysium and Tartarus of Greek Mythology, passing through the Aztec's Mictlan, and everything in between; multiples texts, religions, and philosophers have all tried to come up with an answer to this question. Chief among these texts is Dante's The Divine Comedy, which tells the poet's journey through the three realms of Christian afterlife (Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory) while accompanied by two spiritual guides: Virgil, a master poet, and Beatrice, his one true love. Dante's work is so influential that it basically ended up becoming the basis of all modern depictions of these realms, and no part of The Divine Comedy is more well known than the first one: Inferno, the chronicle of Dante's journey through Hell, and the inspiration for this book.Infurno is an erotic horror anthology by Thurston Howl Publications, and the first part of The Divine Clawmedy series (oh, the puns!). This anthology tells the story of Kyle and Terry, a gay couple living in Detroit, who end up traveling through the several circles of Hell while accompanied by Atha, a doe and their guide on this realm. Just like its source material, the couple meet several people on their journey and learn what it is they did to deserve being there. However, unlike its source material, they do so by reliving the events which led to their demise and damnation. Unsurprisingly, each of these is one story, each by a different author, and it is these stories which make up the bulk of the anthology.Be warned that, given the themes and subjects of the stories within (bad people going to bad places for doing bad things), this anthology features depictions of such sensitive topics as rape, violence, torture, gore, murder, suicide, self-harm, racism, physical and emotional abuse, among many others.The anthology has a strong start with "Blur" by Weasel, representing Limbo. As expected from the only "innocent" circle of Hell, the protagonist of this tragic story, Ely, a white lab mouse on the run after a life of prostitution, is moreso a victim of circumstances than of his own foil. Weasel's depiction of regret makes it easy to sympathize with our main character, and also heightens the sense of dread as the story goes on until its eventual outcome.The next story, "A New Toy" by Tarl Hoch, shows a more traditional type of horror. Anderson, porn store owner and the protagonist of this story, is a fox who decides to try a new sex toy he bought from a mysterious otter. Described in a way that would make Lovecraft proud, I got a quick smile which promptly faded after finding out how said toy was used. While Hoch manages to hit some good notes on the horror scale, I feel that this story faces a tough competition from other stories further down in the anthology, even when specifically talking about sex and the role it plays in the story, and, maybe it's just me, but there were some parts I had to reread several times to get a clear picture of what was going on.The third circle brings two stories: "Down Among the Damned" by R.S. Pyne, and "Go Nuts for Donuts" by Jensyn Grayves. "Down Among the Damned" stars Ray, a restaurant critic who proudly and boldly embodies everything related to Gluttony, and that means more than just a taste for food. Pyne excelled at making Ray a truly unlikable character and cementing his place in Hell, being the first story to mix both pre- and post-damnation scenes, though the lack of horror and over-reliance on flashbacks could not mesh well with some readers.As for "Go Nuts for Donuts", I have mixed feelings about it. Grayves' story of Mike, a raccoon working at a donuts store who falls for one of his coworkers, is well written on my opinion with a relatable character and situations, but it's also the first story to show one of my issues with the anthology. For starters, Mike feels more like a representative of Sloth than Gluttony, but, more importantly, the raccoon did not really strike me as someone deserving to be condemned to Hell either by his actions or his attitude. Moreover, the story did not fit the erotic bill, with no sex scenes at all, and I'm not really sure if it would count as horror outside of its ending, which does work more with the genre. Perhaps, this is one story that could have fared better until the next installment of the Clawmedy.For the fourth circle we have "The Eyes of Aquana" by Faolan, and "The Cold" by Cedric Bacon. Representing Greed, Faolan's story is that of a master thief trying to steal the eponymous eyes along with his protégé. An entertaining story with a protagonist that does earn his spot in Hell, yet one I feel has the same problem as the previous one of not really feeling like a horror story and, while it does have several sex scenes, I don't think they're enough to make it erotica either. Not a bad story by any means, but maybe one that would feel more at home in a different anthology or even as a stand-alone (I mean it, I'd certainly read a complete novel based just on this world and characters)."The Cold" returns us back to the horror with a simple setup: two dogs, one sack of gold, and a storm forcing them all to be together. Slightly reminding me of Alvin Schwartz's "The Wendigo," Bacon's portrayal of Masterson's decent into madness is a believable pleasure to read, and, while the story can be a little predictable at times, it does manage to hide enough twists to keep the reader on their toes."A Cat in Hell's Chance" by James Hudson and "Je Reviendrai" by Kirisis are the representatives of the fifth circle: Anger. In Hudson's story, we follow Jim, a tabby cat whose life has been constantly haunted by a mouse named Terry. Starting strong with a no-holds-barred in medias res, the story quickly loses its pacing as Jim recounts his many episodes with Terry that led to that moment. On the plus side, Jim's inner monologue and the scenes set in the present can be quite entertaining.On the other hand we have "Je Reviendrai", a Gothic horror story centering on Georgia, a noblewoman concerned with possessions and her public appearances. On its core, Kirisis' story is good and suspenseful with one of those protagonists that you love to hate by design, yet it is held back by the excessive use of flowery language (which does make sense in context given the narrator, time period, and genre). Moreover, while Georgia does show Anger from time to time, I feel like this story would feel more at home in another circle, Greed or Pride quickly coming to mind."Metal Hellth" by Ferric starts what I'd consider to be the better half of the book. The sole representative of Heresy, "Metal Hellth" deals with Justin, a lead singer from a metal band who ends up performing one last performance before a strange group of spectators. Brutal at times yet whimsical at others, Ferric's tone is a huge contrast with the rest of the anthology, though a welcome addition, indeed. This story quickly became my favorite the first time I was going through the anthology, though little did I know that that spot would get quickly taken away by......"In the Name of Science" by Allison Thai, first story of the seventh circle and the crown jewel of this anthology. Representing Violence Against Others, this story chronicles the live experiments done by Sorae, her father, and the team on war prisoners. Thai's cold and clinical tone, coupled with detailed descriptions of gore and the occasional images, really bring this story to life and hit the gross-out and horror with each passing experiment, each one more deranged than the previous one. If you had to pick any one story to read out of this anthology, make sure to make it this one; I'm sure you won't regret it.However, "A Soul Removed" by Stephen Coghlan is more than worthy enough to stand side by side in the same circle as the previous story. Representing Violence Against The Self, "A Soul Removed" details the life of Seers, a god-fearing bull terrier who starts taking religious doctrines too literally for his own good. Unlike "In the Name of Science", which focused more on the gore and revulsion, Coghlan's story focuses more on dread. More specifically, the anxiousness coming from knowing full well what the protagonist is going to do next and the helplessness that it brings you as a reader. Just like the story before it, "A Soul Removed" excels at what it does, making this my favorite circle in the anthology.Representing the eight circle (Fraud), we have "Waiting" by T.J. Minde. This story's about Xander and Page, a gay couple who... actually, there's not much I can say of the plot without spoiling it. It is said that the purpose of art is to evoke emotions, and, under that definition, Minde's really an artist given all the frustration and fury I ended up feeling while reading it. Without going into details, I'd say that the punishment the protagonist got, fitting as it might be, was not enough for what he did; and this story was the first since "Blur" to leave me with a sour taste after reading it (in the good way, so to speak).Finally, for the last circle, we have "Those Delicate Fingers" by Hypetaph and "The Night Betrayed" by Jaden Drackus. In "Those Delicate Fingers" we follow Maverick, a werewolf looking for a way to end his curse. Technically the only non-furry story in the anthology, Hypetaph's depiction of regret and visceral descriptions are initially really welcomed. However, the over-reliance on those strengths coupled with a lack of world/character building hurt what could have easily turned into another favorite.Last, but definitely not least, "The Night Betrayed" follows a couple of assassins tasked with getting rid of one very specific target by an Emperor. Curiously enough, the only story where the narrator (or narrators) is not the one being punished; Shadow and Ra'jarr's plan is quite interesting and intriguing, though a slow pacing can make it feel longer than it really is. While it does include a little gore, I think that this story just like "The Eyes of Aquana" might feel more at home in a fantasy anthology than in this one.Reviewing an anthology with different authors can be difficult, but, as a whole, the anthology, along with its framing story by Thurston Howl and the accompanying art by Drkchaos, fulfills its purpose in an acceptable manner; however, seeing it by its parts, you can see a few cracks appearing here and there. Stories that don't fit or would serve better somewhere else, the difference in quality and style between stories, and the overall cohesiveness of the anthology leave it with high highs and low lows; though that's to be expected when having to deal with so many authors for a single piece of work.If you're looking for a wholesome, feel-good series, this is definitely not the book for you. However, if you're looking for horror, stories of debauchery and comeuppance, or are a fan of the original work, this anthology might be for you. With 10+ authors you're bound to find more than a few stories that make it worth the price, and it'll be a good warm-up for the next part: Purrgatorio (the puns...).

Infurnity(下稱獸無限)為台灣大型的獸迷聚會，
每年舉辦皆吸引國內外眾多毛毛及獸迷們參與。

2020 第六屆獸無限：戲獸台灣的封面
（圖源　獸無限官方臉書專頁）

歷年的獸無限皆會有特定主題，
而第六屆獸無限將於今年10/30～11/1舉辦，
主題為「戲獸台灣」。

近日動畫創作者LATEa*(拉踢)
配合本次獸無限主題發起了大型幻燈影片計劃，
與全台各地的毛毛們合作。
內容是在台灣的各個景點拍攝影片，最終組合成一支「毛遊台灣」的影片。　

2019 第五屆獸無限的毛毛大合照
（圖源　獸無限官方臉書專頁）

獸時報團隊特地採訪了LATEa*，LATEa*本人表示，

「身為一個獸迷毛迷，去年10月首次參加Infurnity，
也是初次參加活動製作了現場過場循環動畫及閉幕式紀念影片；
在活動現場我也認識到海內外很多的獸迷毛毛們。
然而閉幕影片的『戲獸台灣』的2020宣傳預告海報正是契機，
當時就已經開始在思考這項企劃。」 　　

「台灣有很多的毛毛分布在各地，
我希望能藉由這次個人的企劃蒐集大家各式各樣豐富的影片、
讓大家看看台灣各式各樣的山水景點，來向海內外宣傳台灣。」 　　

本次計劃獲得熱烈迴響，各縣市甚至離島地區都有毛毛報名參與。
影片預期未來製作完成後會上傳至YouTube及投稿至大型獸聚。

投稿期限至8/31為止，以下為LATEa*本人發布的召集計畫連結。
https://www.plurk.com/p/nng7xe

Luke is bad at judging warmth. Anyway, huge roundup!

This episode is sponsored by Twin Tail Creations. Use coupon codes REDWOLF or BLUEFOX to save 15% on silicone products during checkout.

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Link Roundup:

• Furpock’s previous hotel in Cromwell closes
  • [Video]
• Midwest Furfest hotel gets a carpet upgrade
• All Gas No Breaks goes to MFF
• BoJack Horseman | Season 6 Final Trailer | Netflix
• “The Howling” to be adapted into a film for Netflix
• College Humor dies
• Furries pull abuser out of car at FC
• More Telegram tweets about furries
• TobyDingo’s twitter video about Australia wild fires
• Australia relief humble bundle
• Furries Raise Over $17,000 For Australian Bushfire Relief
• Fursuit tattooing
• RivaloWolf meets DHGate younger self
• Australia fires: How do we know how many animals have died?
• FURRY NIGHTS – horror movie
• Bestars coming to Netflix on March 13th
• Ash & Ash almost done with Fursonas
• Startup companies have a new weird chair
• GDPR complaints about Grindr
• New JMoF music video
• New HIV infections dropped 73% in the UK
• Scientific calculation on hyper cock hardness
• Aaron carter furry art stealing
• Worst Year Ever podcast goes to MFF
  • Part One: How The Furries Fought The Nazis and Won
  • Part Two: How The Furries Fought The Nazis and Won
• Popular Finnish metal band for children are all dragons

News:

• Scientists Discover Cuddle Fish Can Wear 3D Glasses and Perceive 3D Content
• Vultures Overrun Texas Radio Tower
• 100 Year Old Sex God Retires
• Don’t Climb Into Instrument Cases, Musicians Warn
• Scuba Car YouTube Prankster

[Live] Luke’s Warm

Bandit goes to a furry party in Redlands, hosted by Nathan Wolf! SEE MORE AT: http://www.TheRaccoonsDen.com FACEBOOK: http://www.Facebook.com/TheRaccoonsDen TWITTER: http://www.Twitter.com/TheRaccoonsDen FURAFFINITY: http://www.FurAffinity.net/user/TheRaccoonsDen INSTAGRAM: http://www.Instagram.com/TheRaccoonsDen #TRDs8 #GrayWolvesTavern #FurryParty

This is a review of an advance copy we received! The book will come out March 6th with Goal Publications, so keep your eyes out for it.One-time Coyotl award winning and two-time Leo award winning author Frances Pauli has released a full-length novel in her Serpentia universe: Disbanded. Published by Goal Publications, this novel expands on her free short stories available, "Before The All-Dark" and "Feast or Fast." This story follows the adventure of Sookahr, a snake ready to take his final exam to become an architect of The Burrow where he lives.It also takes a look at a society formed by snakes living alongside rodents in its halls. These snakes have vast territories, trade routes, treaties with other species and wars to potentially be fought. The story weaves into its pages a species-accurate representation of such a life. Proper movements, the way snakes actually taste and see, even the very architecture Sookahr would design is all written into the characters and stories allowing a level of immersion few other novels can provide. Sookahr is able to examine the life that society has provided him when given an opportunity to rise above the status currently afforded to him in his caste. Alongside his Kwirk, his mouse aid, he is given the task of redesigning a military outpost against avian attacks. He has to juggle the pressure of this life changing opportunity against potential feelings for a close friend, and a voice in his head that seems to warm him of things to come.Disbanded is the first in what I hope are many Serpentia novels in the future. I not only want to see more of Sookahr going forth to change his world but potentially learn more about how other species operate in the world. Disbanded was a book I simply couldn’t put down until it was finished. While I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys anthropomorphic literature, even moreso if you want to see the world through the eyes of a serpent. Give this book a read: you won’t regret it!

Continuing from Furry college clubs — a place for artists and animators with dreams and fears.

Fall Fest 2019

Yesterday’s article looked at college clubs for furries being a new movement in a growing fandom. It covered clubs at art and animation schools being a special place for people who haven’t always been in synch with the mainstream. It could involve stigma with jobs, but the upside is pro artists making good ties to fandom, and indie artists finding opportunity.

Georgia’s Savannah College of Art and Design is a top rated school near Furry Weekend Atlanta, and a place to find furry talent. SCADfurs is a club for them you can see on Furaffinity or Twitter. SCAD furs president Bucky is a Sequential Art major, and here’s our Q&A.

This fandom has been nothing but a joy to be a part of

I've made most of the friends I have now since joining, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of this community, Let alone president of @scadfurs!

Thank you all! You guys rock!! #FurryAndProud pic.twitter.com/tJ0fz1Usrt

— A fricken wild dog (@BuckWildDog) November 22, 2019

Can you tell me about the history of the SCAD furs club?

I’m currently the fourth of the presidents to run SCAD furs, behind our founder Chaz (@kinghime_ on twitter), Nick Pina (@stupidsnowfox on twitter), and Katy Mack (@h8nlof on twitter). We have this club here at SCAD to invite like minded furries, and sometimes non furries, to hang out and have fun with other people who have the same interests in the fandom with activities like game days, fandom history days, Art trade days, fursuit building days, and outings like FWA, Parades in Savannah, picnics, etc.

Who are some members to shout out?

We’re lucky to have a great amount of talented artists, fursuit makers and speakers who attend club who were willing to do presentations on different kinds of art forms. Some of the notable fursuit makers, who have created suits of their own are Harley (@harleyhyaena) Iceartz (@iceartz) DutchVali (@dutchvali) and splash (@atomic_splash)!

My VP Nathan, (@GetoutofZeWei) has also been such a fantastic and positive influence on the club, helping present and making sure people feel welcome!

@celestialshibe where they shouldn’t be

What are relations with the school like?

Thankfully, we haven’t had any negative relations! It’s always great to have students and sometimes faculty take an interest in the furries, as one of our professors helps us as a faculty advisor for the club. Every year, the school also holds an event called “fall fest” where student based clubs can set up and show off what they have to offer to new students arriving at SCAD. We, of course show up in fursuits if we have them :3

As well as school wide club events and planning, The SCAD inter club council takes care of what we can’t in regards to reserving a space for the club to meet, and allocating extra funds for club events should we request and need them.

How about relations with other students at the school?

As far as club itself goes, anyone who goes to SCAD and cares to join is welcome at any point! We sometimes have new people show up in the middle of a quarter when current members spread the word to friends or colleagues. As said before, Fall Fest is our best way to talk to and invite new members to the club each year, but it’s always fantastic to see new faces whenever!

What are the typical activities and what’s the coolest thing you ever did?

As mentioned before, we do a bunch of outings like walking around and meeting people at the annual Martin Luther King Day parade here in Savannah, we have our yearly commute up to Atlanta for Furry Weekend Atlanta, and other smaller more casual outings like picnics in the park to zoo trips!

Last year’s VP @coffeekoley at the MLK day parade 2019

Do you have any ideas about furries in the industry… like is it still a thing to keep quiet as much as years ago because of fandom image? Do you know of furries in the industry… and do you think there might be a “furry illuminati” that helps get jobs, like there is at tech corps in Silicon Valley?

Personally, I think being a furry is a fantastic way to get into the industry despite the negative image placed on us in the past. In my experience at SCAD, I’ve never seen more kind hearted, expressive, and creative people than I have here in the fur club, and I have no doubt that those are qualities that the industry looks for in a person, and no doubt that there are people currently in the industry that have started in a similar place.

Even now there are graduates and club attendees that are selling their work at cons, and working as freelance artists, which is as good a way as any to get your name out there, and make a bangin’ portfolio for any passing industries in the process!

As for a furry illuminati, I’m not sure about that one, but I don’t doubt that connections have their perks!

Favorite animation?

We always like to go back to the classic Disney movies like Robin Hood and The Lion King, to show off our “furry gateways” and how we started out in the fandom, but with newer movies featuring anthropomorphic characters and all of the fantastic content creators and animators on other platforms, we’re never short on inspiration.

Tell me a little about the courses and school and what art is coming out of it?

Most of the attendees of the club are either Sequential Art or Animation, and a lot of the professors teaching the courses in those fields allow us to do furry themed animation or comics for art projects. The courses provided here at the school range from the fundamentals of most of, if not all kinds of different art forms ranging from animation, figure drawing, comic art, storyboarding, game design, film, creative writing, and plenty, plenty more to count!

I’m sure other members could have a lot more to say about making art, what the club does, the fandom, and the industry stuff in the introduction article. Hope to hear more from them in comments. The club looks so fun and positive, thanks for doing this!

Group Fursuit photo 2019

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 pays.)

A staple comic, 1998-2000

Furry College Clubs are a new movement

Furscience, the group researching furry fandom data, say the majority of members are around college age. By law, they can only track ages 18+, so this growing subculture may have an army of new lurkers just finding their whiskers and tails.

Looking back, furries at colleges are nothing new (check big furry comics of the 90’s) — but having enough members at the same schools to start official clubs is a new chapter in fandom.

A 2005-era Livejournal-connected list has a few dozen college furries — in the world, not the same place. A 2008 forum topic mentions handfuls finding each other (but more likely at anime clubs.) Then during a watershed time of mainstream media turning from mockery to fascination with the fandom (between MFF 2014 and Zootopia), a USA Today headline says: Growing community of ‘furries’ finds acceptance on campus.

Student newspapers love the topic now. It’s a common reason for alerts about furries in the media. And in big online forums, college location lists get hundreds of responses. Looking into it gives an impression that many are majoring in tech, science, or arts. But one subject stands out the most.

Pro animator dreams

Furry fandom overflows with art talent. And the animation industry is a hoped-for destination for many. For a guiding light, they can look at artists like Joaquin Baldwin (Disney’s Zootopia) joining furries as a popular convention guest.

I wanted to share this touching moment. @Reo_Grayfox was telling me his story, and said those lines while staring straight into his fursuit's eyes. Hearing personal stories like this makes you appreciate the vastly diverse reasons why the furry fandom is essential to so many. pic.twitter.com/fD09Wmv6mf

— Joaquin Baldwin (@joabaldwin) January 22, 2018

For these artists, a feature studio artist job is like aiming to be a pro sports athlete. Many try but few make it. Other paths may lead to TV, graphics and illustration, or freelancing.

Furries doing freelance art commissions have a burgeoning indie niche. But the downside of catering to fandom is being boxed in, by economic challenge or the pull of lucrative adult art: Furry artists among top highest-paid Patreon creators, but face threats to their livelihood.

That’s how the mainstream industry might feel exclusive. It’s hard to tell how much, but furry art in job portfolios can get negative moral judgement. For every Joaquin Baldwin, there could be many staying undercover, like in: Interview with a Secret Furry animator inside a top movie studio.

Dogpatch Press has an interview on file representing a Hollywood studio half staffed by furry artists. It was withheld by fear of affecting jobs, because they were working on a popular kids show and the #MeToo movement was coming out in Hollywood. That leads to a piece of irony.

Ren & Stimpy & Stigma

It’s rumored that in 1998, a hurtful judgement by director John Kricfalusi (Ren and Stimpy) on a young artist led her to launch the Burned Furs manifesto. (A “clean up the fandom” effort tainted by puritanism and homophobia that quickly fizzled out). Kricfalusi later made fun of furries for Adult Swim.

Then in 2018, judgement bounced back. He became a subject of #MeToo allegations by artists. It’s mentioned in my story about visiting his house — A furry look at an abuse story about John Kricfalusi.

Before going pro, John K. went to a certain animation school. A lone furry artist at the school was a friend to me. Many years later, the friend’s untimely death made his family ask about that hidden part of his life. My search for others he knew was met with fear of their identity coming out, even from decades ago.

Tomorrow’s Joaquin Baldwins

Times are changing. There’s that studio full of furries. The fandom is producing loved talents like: How furry animator Jib Kodi found his art.

Furry art is most active with illustration or fursuiting. Full animation is rarer. Outside of schools, it’s an intense medium that’s hard to do full time without studio support. Will it will always be that way? Or could indie production make something like this cult-worthy animated movie? Nova Seed movie review- a rare find of sci fi animation.

“Nova Seed looks like what I imagine could come out of my favorite art subculture some day – something like this is a holy grail of furry art.”

You can get an idea of how much work it takes from this indie animator. He made what looks like a winning show pilot that’s 12 minutes long. It took years and he became a furry in the process.

NEW VIDEO: Boomerang in a Gun Fight

A new Sheriff Hayseed short, and my longest video ever!https://t.co/mRIDrZdYzQ

— Mike (@Piemations) December 21, 2019

These are challenges on the path from college to career. That’s why when college furry clubs are the topic, a club at an animation school stands out from others.

SCAD: a top animation school

Georgia’s Savannah College of Art and Design is rated in the top 4% in the US by Animation Career Review. It has a great reputation with lots of pro artists coming out. It’s also in the neighborhood of Furry Weekend Atlanta, one of the top few fandom conventions.

That’s a great place to look for furry talent and energy. SCADfurs gathers dozens of members who you can find here on Furaffinity or Twitter. Check out an interview with them posting tomorrow: “SCADfurs: These furry animation students will make shows you love one day.”

Art: EnjoiPandas

UPDATE – responses.

Some furries working at animation studios sent private messages as well about how they feel in the industry.

The majority of the industry furries I know are still not public about it, but that balance is shifting, especially among younger artists. The silly stigma is looking dumb, especially after so much positivity coming out, like furries raising over $1M for charities in 2019 alone.

— Joaquin Baldwin @FC (@joabaldwin) January 14, 2020

Wow, you can never predict responses, they have been SO nice. Got tipped about this article just out today. https://t.co/6npkt6sdU7

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) January 15, 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 (it pays.)

You may recall that a couple of years ago we mentioned Bolivar, a graphic novel written and illustrated by Sean Rubin. Still no word on that rumored animated film adaptation, but we did find out the human girl Sybil and her dinosaur friend Bolivar have returned in a sequel book, Bolivar Eats New York. Good grief, all of it?  Well no… “When Sybil learns that Bolivar only likes corned beef sandwiches, she informs him that he’s been missing out on one of the great attributes of New York City and it’s rich communities–delicacies from around the world! Knishes! Falafel! Dim Sum! And it wouldn’t be a story in the Big Apple without pizza . . . Explore the five boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan in this lushly illustrated Discovery Adventure from Eisner-nominated writer and artist Sean Rubin where kids and parents alike search for their favorite foods, and find other sights unique to one of the greatest cities in the world!” Visit the author’s web site and find out more.

image c. 2020 Archaia

Kyell Gold has once again written an update to a certain tiger and fox’s football adventures adventures in the Forester Universe: Titles. Dev and Lee’s adventures first began their adventures in Out of Position back in 2009 with eight books released before Titles covering their adventures, the life of Dev’s teammate Ty, and a collection of short stories covering many characters through the entire series.A quick warning before we continue: this book does contain mature content. I will also be avoiding any major spoilers, but there may be hints at what happens in the book in this review. If you want to miss any of that, skip to the last paragraph where I’ll talk about recommendations for the book. With that in mind, let’s get back to the book itself!This most recent outing takes place a solid chunk of time after Over Time, the first few chapters setting up for a story that takes place closer to the time we’re in now as we read it. As Dev weighs retirement while chasing a championship ring, Lee juggles a new job offer with getting comfortable in a new family dynamic when his father remarries giving him two new stepbrothers. Or as he learns, as a stepbrother and stepsibling. Lee learns that one of them is genderfluid and helps them along their adventures in trying to discover themselves. Seeing a genderfluid character featured so prominently to me was one of the highlights of the novel: I love stories with diverse characters! The book also explores the current political climate we face today through the lens of a new group in the Forester Universe: The Nativists. It’s interesting to see how anti-immigrant sentiments would play out in an anthropomorphic culture and how it relates to what we face today. Dev and Lee both are able to have different perspectives on the problems Nativists cause through their differing lines of work, though both poke plenty of holes into their horrible ideas on what society should be. I have to give a lot of credit to Kyell on how he tackled this subject matter; it was approached well and tactfully covered.Despite the positives, this book isn’t without its flaws. This is one of the shorter books in the series, and you can feel why when reading through the pages. It lacks some of the magnitude of difficult hurdles the couple has faced in previous novels, the happy ending so obvious from the beginning that it leaves little surprise when it happens at the end. Without giving spoilers, the ‘flirty gay bobcat’ teased on the book’s back cover ended up feeling like such a disappointing storyline to me as well in terms of Dev’s growth through the series, feeling out of character after the events in previous novels. With all these criticisms in mind, I sat down to read this book at 9:30 at night, expecting to read a few chapters before bed. Suddenly 3:33 AM and I had finished the final chapter, amazed at how much time had passed. This book may have weak points, but it’s still a wonderful read. It does feel like the story leaves room for one last book at the end, but if it never comes to be, Titles would be a wonderful cap at the end of a well loved series of novels. I absolutely recommend it to anyone that enjoys Kyell Gold’s works and has loved Dev and Lee’s stories thus far.

Recently, there was a lengthy discussion in the FWG Telegram chat wherein various changes to the FWG were proposed. The discussion then moved to the FWG forums, where it continues still (a link will be provided towards the end of this post). The scope of the discourse involved more than can be comfortably summated here, but we will touch on a few of the points raised.

 

• First, we’ll address something that came up multiple times: the idea of the FWG collecting dues. Doing so would allow the FWG to expand its operation. But while many support this idea, I expect there are others who would not. Knowledgeable members have also said that if dues become a factor, it would be important that the FWG establishes itself as a full-fledged legal entity, a status it does not currently enjoy. This would add a new layer of complexity to the guild’s administrative requirements while also demanding additional officers to keep it all running.

 

The current FWG administration sees only two officers managing almost everything, and already stretched thin. Were we to attempt such a major overhaul here on the tail end of our terms, it would result in us quickly finding ourselves in over our heads and unable to proceed. Hence, while we are not opposed to the notion of dues per se, we do not have the capacity to implement them ourselves. That issue will have to be left for the next administration to decide and/or enact. Rather, we should like to set realistic goals that can be met in the remaining weeks of our tenure.

 

• Some of our esteemed members have suggested the creation of additional offices within the administrative structure. We agree that this is a good idea, and propose the immediate establishment of two new positions, with the possibility of more to come. However, because we are approaching the end of our tenure, we will be fielding these officers on something of a “trial basis.” If it goes well, then they may become official positions in the future.

 

The first would be a chief PR (public relations) officer. They would be tasked with representing the guild on social media as well as developing and pursuing promotional strategies. One can imagine this position as a crucial one, so finding a person who’s a good fit for the office is paramount. If you are interested, please contact a guild officer.

 

The second proposed office is for a dedicated “markets manager.” This person is tasked with keeping the markets section of the website up to date. We have already filled this position, everyone please welcome and show your appreciation to WildWeiler!

 

• There has been renewed discussion of member-generated instructional content related to writing. The FWG is always happy to host and help promote this sort of project, whether in the form of blog posts, forum threads, videos or sound clips, singly or as a series. Contributors have all the flexibility in the world at their disposal, so if you have an idea, contact a guild officer and we’ll work out the details together. If you’ve been looking for a way to help the guild, this would be a good way to do it.

 

• This coming April is election season for the FWG. Activity may slow at that time as the current administration prepares to transfer power to the incoming one (we will not seek reelection). So, if you’d like to take a whack at running the FWG, go ahead and start putting together your platform.

 

• The discussion thread mentioned at the beginning can be found here: https://fwg.makyo.io/t/ideas-and-suggestions-for-the-guild-future/2199

 

This was originally going to include a statement regarding the Coyotl Awards, however, that will have to come as its own post. So, look forward to that!

Today we have the honor of chatting with Thabo Meerkat, the host of "Digging Up Positivity". We talk about the differences between regional furry groups, the positive side of the fandom and Thabo's YouTube career. You can find Thabo on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/thabomeerkat And on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/ThaboMeerkat Find us on Twitter: @South-Afrifur, https://twitter.com/southafrifur, on Tumblr, http://south-afrifur.tumblr.com/, and on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/southafrifur Also, for more local news, check out the Zafur forums! http://forum.zafur.co.za/

　　2020總統大選結果出爐，三號候選人蔡英文與賴清德以八百萬高票當選，改寫臺灣正副總統開放直選以來的最高票紀錄。許多圈內的繪師對此結果表示樂觀，甚至開放免費委託名額以祝賀現任總統蔡英文連任第十五任總統。

（刺刺的貼文，資料截圖）

　　第十五屆正副總統選舉於上周六舉行投票。由於受到許多境外勢力的壓迫以及國內政壇的不穩定，許多人選民紛紛呼籲以往投票率較低的年輕族群在這次大選中行使投票權。圈內的許多知名獸也以各式各樣的文字、繪畫等助陣，盼圈內的獸眾能返鄉投票。也因此，這次選舉的投票率突破以往新高，來到了74.9%，而總統蔡英文的得票數也來到了817萬票，超越歷史紀錄。

　　對此，支持總統蔡英文的圈內獸眾紛紛表示祝賀，其中也不乏許多知名的獸繪師。除了發文祝賀外，知名繪師刺刺（Bristle Thurder）、庫尼也在其臉書個人頁面分別開放免費頭像委託，以表示對此結果的樂觀。（2020/1/13，獸時報報導）

Enjoy it, while it lasts.The premise of Furnicate is to build a collection of flash furry erotica. It’s a lofty goal; with many different authors and stories making their way into the anthology, there should be something for everyone. The real challenge in this is that each author must construct a compelling narrative in a short amount of time. For my tastes, I believe that some authors might have benefited from more time as some stories felt flimsy and inconsequential. However, others navigated this challenge with ease, flaunting their literary sexual parts to great effect.“Sex-Furred Stories” by Thurston Howl and KC Alpinus is the embodiment of the challenge of Furnicate, using a mere six words to make a story. It is a collection of pictures painting several erotic situations. There isn’t much form or reason to these stories, simply beating each one into you after the other. While each is strongly sexual in its own right, I would have liked for more organization or structure for the work as a whole. It’s disorienting, and I can’t help but think the work would have been improved with more thought put into the piece rather than just the individual stories. However, these stories do set the tone for the entire collection, preparing the reader for what is to come.“Like Playing a Volkswagen” by TJ Minde depicts a group of friends riding in a bus together. The bus has a special meaning for them, since it’s the bus they ride to their gigs in. The friends are a band, by the way. The Volkswagen bus represents the band’s journey in addition to, as one member puts it, sex with a new partner. The connection was a bit weak for me, and I don’t think I’d ever go to such lengths to turn a crude joke with my friends into something legitimate. But it seemed like the boys accepted it and a new jam began. The story doesn’t have much of a destination, but it got there well enough.Tygacat paints a beautiful picture of an old couple enjoying much more than each other’s company in “Base Desire.” The barely contained desire of a lady raccoon turns into a night of sex. Even though the couple has been through their fair share of engagements, they still get a lot of pleasure out of each other. The reader is easily able to gauge the extent of the couple’s love, and the ensuing pursuit is beautifully coarse. I’m not really used to elderly couples exhibiting their love and need for each other so emphatically; in this way, the story isn’t as believable for me. However, it is still enjoyable and the age of the characters doesn’t detract from the atmosphere at all. If I suspend my own disbelief, their ages may even add to the effect.A mole enjoys a night of sexual pleasure and war-fueled trauma in Mog Moogle’s “Homecoming.” Reality itself is bent as Mog depicts a mole that has just come home from the war. Understandably, Douglass (the mole) finds it difficult to forget the traumatic experiences that appear in the form of flashbacks that blend into a sexual encounter. The result is a wonderfully disorienting merge of two realities. The story is relatable and important; one that needs to be told delicately. The challenge is handled well, and the end result is a rewarding experience. The combination of elements in stream of consciousness doesn’t overwhelm and instead places the reader in a position to better understand the central conflict. To me, it seems like the single best way this story could have been written.When I thought about how DookFiend must have come up with the idea behind “Throwing the Preakness,” I have to admit that I laughed a little. The writing is masterful and the pace starts at a fast clip. Vivid imagery places the reader right in the stall with the stallions. The story is about a horse that threw a prestigious horse race for a breathtaking sexual encounter. So you know it must be a pretty good experience. While I’d like to think about the psychological circumstances that would cause this offer to be agreeable to the horse, I don’t really think that’s the point. I can’t help but think that the entire story was written for the punchline. And it was a pretty good punchline at that. Corny, but good. For me, the ending of the story seemed a little rushed and didn’t have the same strength as the rest of the action. But, like races, stories are sometimes finished before you’re ready for them to be.“Oral Fixation” by Thurston Howl engages both the subject and the reader in a thrilling guessing game involving a tongue and several…surfaces. The scene is set as the subject is bound and deprived of all senses except for the pertinent ones. And then the tasting begins. The imagery and presentation in this story is done masterfully, placing the reader in a similar situation as the subject albeit a little more comfortable. The evaluation process as the surfaces are identified also seems real and methodical. Whoever was bound was much better at this game than I was!Stubs McGee creates a frustratingly realistic VR meeting place for animals of all kinds in “The White Rabbit.” I say frustratingly realistic because of the small ever-present annoyances that seem to interrupt at every possible moment. Whether it be broken servers or incorrectly calibrated equipment, these small reminders of reality don’t do enough to halt the hookup between the titular rabbit and a Doberman. The dialogue is just the right amount of awkward, perfect for the scene. The world that McGee creates seems like it could easily exist in the next 10 years. This story seems similar to Striking Vipers from the Netflix series Black Mirror, except with animals. And less exposition. It is told well all the same and the characters are easy to empathize with.Two carnivores meet in a room and start eating each other. No, that isn’t the start to a joke, it’s “Teeth” by Rechan. In this one, a lioness engages in dangerous play with a wolf. Involving teeth, described in thrilling detail as they come oh so close to tearing their prey apart. The extent to which these partners know exactly what they want with just the smallest signals is depicted in an exceptional fashion. It’s a delicate dance between the two, walking the tightrope between pleasure and severe pain. It is thrilling for the reader as well as the action stretches on, dangling them tantalizingly from the jaws of the story. This one runs its full course, leaving nothing else to be desired.We’ve all been home alone, wishing for the warm embrace of our significant other. Or otter, as it were. “The Third” from Riley Black has one such otter yearning for her mate. She obsessively takes pictures searching for one to elicit a response. After she sends it, the interaction goes in a direction she wasn’t quite expecting as her mate says he was thinking about her having sex with someone else all day. The “third” that was alluded to in the title. The interaction gets harried at this point as the pair presumably indulge in their liquid excitement. I have to say I enjoyed the writing for this one. The phone texts seemed forced at times, but the tension built from waiting for a response was relatable. The surprising change in direction was interesting and put the conversation in an unexpected light. Using the words lutrine and tenrec to describe the characters made me laugh as well. In the end, an enjoyable piece.“The Dare” by Ferric the Bird is pretty to the point. A group of friends tells each other about their sex lives; Lisa the rabbit had the title of “best at oral” and had to defend her title. By signing up for a slot at a local glory hole of course. She doesn’t quite know what to expect but still has her skills to fall back on. The story was alright; it spent a lot of time on the lead-up and made the actual action seem too short. It was moderately detailed and coherent but too straightforward for my tastes. Lisa’s night lasted for far longer than I was able to enjoy this story. While it’s a good thing to leave your audience wanting more, not giving it enough in the first place doesn’t satisfy.“The Precipice” from Russell Rottie is exactly that: a dizzying fall hurtling straight off the cliff of literary sanity. Two lovers are in the middle of an orgy, the goal of which is to get them to levels of arousal they’ve never reached before. Every action in the story is described with fantastic detail and clarity. Special attention was given to the sounds made and the meaning behind them and that painted a vivid picture of the ravages these two underwent. There isn’t much other than action here. The motivation is primal and the pleasure is pure. Rottie keeps the story fast paced and full of motion while keeping the reader from getting too lost. While this one does require more attention to keep up with, it is more than welcome as you’re able to fully enjoy the rollicking narrative.Furnicate’s goal is a difficult one to complete. It requires skillful writers and heavy commitment to making every word count. I believe that many of the authors featured in this anthology succeeded in that. I would have liked for a little more attention given to grammar and spelling as there were a few mistakes that took away from the overall effect; however, most of them are easy fixes. The organization was fine, I think the placement of certain stories was meant to beat you over the head with the fact that this is flash fiction. I think the beginning of this collection could have been much stronger after seeing the stories that were included in it, but the overall quality of the inclusions was satisfying.The variety of environments and situations depicted in this collection make it suitable for most erotica readers. There’s something in this for nearly everyone and, while many of the stories cut the experience short, enough of them should hit the mark to make the read worth it.

From folktales like "Stone Soup" to modern-day anime like Restaurant To Another World, people have been fascinated with stories based around the foods we eat. The Furry Cookbook, edited by Thurston Howl, seeks to explore these concepts through a unique lens only available with anthropomorphic characters. As Thurston puts it himself, “You get to deal with whole new elements: predator-prey dynamics, ethics of cannibalism, vegetarianism, heightened senses, and even food law.” Each of the nine stories in this anthology comes with a unique recipe you can cook yourself at home to fully immerse yourself in the works. These are accompanied by pictures with the ‘hosts’ for the book Destry Roden and Rakedu which add wonderful levity after reading through some of the darker themes within. As a fair warning, these stories can deal with erotic or other adult themes so this book is for those eighteen and older. With this in mind, let’s talk about the stories!The Flower Of CarnageIn this story, Cedric G! Bacon explores the hellscape of a war zone and the effects it can have on those that live in it. Quincy is an aging feline that was able to live through the war, thanks to the help of the shrewd Olga Koch. In a warzone, no one can be picky about what they have to eat but Quincy and Olga both end up consuming what might be considered a delicacy: The Flower Of Carnage. Quincy, now much older, is looking to try this dish with Olga one last time. This story explores some dark themes in a most fascinating fashion, an excellent story to start off the book. My attention was fully held from start to finish, and the ending left me wanting more, the greatest praise for any story!The Greatest Steak"A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach" is a common enough phrase, but does it apply to ladies as well? Alison ‘Cybera’ Cybe writes about a college-aged squirrel named Ricky trying to win the affections of a mouse that frequents the diner where he works. The story is cute enough, if a bit short. The end to this tale is a guaranteed smile however, making it a worthwhile read.The Diner’s ClubWould you eat lab-grown meat? Ever wonder how the sausage is made? Elmer is a lion working for Synth-Pro making lab-grown meats for purchase and consumption. Seeing just how his meal is made every day has made him weary of food, but a fellow lab tech named Victor knows just how to help: an exclusive dining club. Elmer quickly learns that maybe a salad is the better option after an unforgettable meal gets him wrapped up in unbelievable trouble. The idea of lab-grown meat eliminating the need to slaughter animals is a big thing to consider, and Frances Pauli explored it well. The small outro to the story he wrote was also an excellent look into what inspired this great piece of fiction. Bucking The TrendBe they smores of pudgie pies everyone has a favorite campfire meal. "Bucking The Trend" by Madison Keller not only looks at food but talks about being trans through a unique anthro experience which I found very enjoyable. Theo, the main character of the tale, ends up sharing a surprise meal with a stranger around the campfire. Good stories, good food, and good company could lead to something even better. A Slice Of A Non-Invasive Species’ LifeHow can you sustainably supply meat in a world with anthropomorphic carnivores and herbivores living together? Is it okay to let carnivores eat those that have died? What about if some animals aren’t sentient, is it still wrong to eat them as an animal yourself?In this story by Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen, when a deer and his wife invite over a wolf for dinner all these questions and more are on the table, alongside a home-cooked Danish meal. An exchange between the cultures of wolves and deer lays the backdrop for a look into what this kind of world might be like. Even with just a short story, the world is built up wonderfully. It would be interesting to see more stories in a similar setting.SprinklesA brief warning, this story by Al Song does contain rape elements as roleplay. If this is something you are uncomfortable with, this story is not for you. With this in mind, the story makes it very clear that it has a roleplay scene within and has a warning like this before it as well. Both were excellent touches.This story took a sharp turn in the middle I wasn’t expecting. The transition of storytelling style was a bit abrupt, but it led into a creative story. How do you manage to help your partner get into shape when normal personal training methods don’t seem to work? This story is a sexy look at unique ideas to do just that. It’s as enjoyable as the cookie dough recipe at the end (yes, I had to give it a try)!Blind Taste TestThis story by Kevin Miles gets deliciously naughty but does so in a thoughtful way. To anyone that has delved into the world of kinky play or BDSM, they may remember just how intimidating it could all be at first. Amanda is a mouse going through these exact feelings as her girlfriend Carol tries to help her get comfortable and enjoy herself in a most unique way. This story not only talks about proper consent and setting scenes for play but also keeps things saucy and exciting until the climax.Cedar HouseWhat if one day you could suddenly turn into an animal? I know plenty of people would love their new powers! What if however, it wasn’t your choice? Or those with these powers were forced away into havens away from normal society, how would you deal with a loved one suddenly changing and being forced to leave your side?Fenrir Black takes a look at questions like these as Rachel goes to a haven to meet her boyfriend. Her boyfriend has become an anthropomorphic Therian Lion and has been living at Cedar House the past three years. Over a picnic lunch, we learn a lot about the struggles found by Therians in this world and the struggles of trying to date and love someone quarantined from regular society. It’s a touching story filled with strong emotional conflict. This anthology took stories from the serious to sexy and combined them all together for an enjoyable read. It’s always a good sign when you suddenly realize some hours have passed that you missed as you were too enthralled to put a book down. This collection of stories is wonderful for any fan of food in general, but even more so those that like to dig deep into a story and think. The stories presented, even some of the naughtier ones, are done so with nuance providing quandaries worth considering in depth. This is the kind of anthology that sticks with you a while after reading: I would highly recommend it.

Billi Wolf’s Splice: Conditioning promises wild erotica from the very beginning, heady escapes from the characters’ lives in a world that leaves everyone suffering the effects of global warming, and the anthropomorphic dog residents as slaves. This first story in the world of Splices weaves together the lives of two pairs of Splice and human partners, in a tale that begins in a dystopian megacity, followed by fleeing to a spacious Nebraska farm start up. The Splices themselves are genetically modified dogs of varying breeds that can be bought and sold for a variety of tasks, often companions and pleasure partners. They are all human-sized with human intelligence, with very human emotions. German Shepherd Splice Kaleb is markedly different from his fellow canids, and that attracts unwanted attention from the company responsible for his creation. Another Splice joins their little harem, introducing them to the Freedom For Splices (FFS) revolution. Intense action and intrigue builds the world, and brings the heroes face to face with dangers they never imagined, intertwining their lives forever.Honestly, I enjoyed Splice: Conditioning. It felt a little clunky to begin with, but was certainly heavy on the erotica as promised by the author in the foreword. Once it gets rolling, it is an easy, fast-paced read. The characters are all likable with their own flaws and fears. Some of the anatomy is questionable in a couple of the sex scenes, but by no means does it ruin the fun. I will admit that the promise of Weredogs had me confused, as the anthropomorphic dogs in the story are full time furry. I’m wondering if that just means that with further genetic manipulation we’ll see transformation in the future.If you’re looking for a story that openly plays with sexuality, with a smattering of hypnosis and foot fetishes, you’re in for a great time. The plot, when it does happen, is icing on the cake. If you blush easily, I wouldn’t read this one in public, despite the tame title.

The fun continues at GSFC with the fursuit dance competition, parties at IKEA and more! SEE MORE AT: http://www.TheRaccoonsDen.com FACEBOOK: http://www.Facebook.com/TheRaccoonsDen TWITTER: http://www.Twitter.com/TheRaccoonsDen FURAFFINITY: http://www.FurAffinity.net/user/TheRaccoonsDen INSTAGRAM: http://www.Instagram.com/TheRaccoonsDen #TRDs8 #GSFC19 #GSFurCon

Hey Guys, Here is Kaar's political segment for this week. Enjoy and send him all your questions! Kaar Segment - Solo 06 - Sharking the folfiest of ways