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Roo and Tugs are joined by none other than Koru! Yes, Koru comes back to discuss the roommate world and how who you live with can (and also might not) impact happiness. Do you choose furry roommates or non-furry? The questions and impacts are varied and deep. NOW LISTEN!
Show Notes
Special Thanks

Koru, our guest.
Shane
August
Miski (ident and email)

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Music

Opening Theme: Jupiter Dog – Cloud Fields (Technology Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2019. ©2011-2019 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
First Break: Fine Line - Geographer, Unknown. Creative Commons, 2019
Space News Music: Fredrik Miller – Orbit. USA: Bandcamp, 2013. Used with permission. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Patreon: The Tudor Consort, Inflammatus. Online: Free Music Archive, Creative Commons, 2010
Second Break - Ghost, Mystery Skulls, USA: Warner Bros Records, 2011. Used with permission.
Closing Theme: RetroSpecter – Cloud Fields (RetroSpecter Chill Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Chill Out Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!) S8 Episode 16 – Six Walls - Roo and Tugs are joined by none other than Koru! Yes, Koru comes back to discuss the roommate world and how who you live with can (and also might not) impact happiness. Do you choose furry roommates or non-furry?

After waiting for what seems like forever the Rocko's Modern Life film is finally hitting on Netflix on August 9.  I do find it amazing a a bit cool this Nick stuff is hitting Netflix instead of Nick.  While not exactly furry (Does moose count?) we also get the new Invader Zim special also on Netflix. https://youtu.be/QChx0aMglS0
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It has come to our attention that an old misconception regarding the Furry Writers’ Guild is still prevalent in the furry writing community at large, that being the belief that only full FWG members may use FWG spaces and resources. We would like to quell that misconception now.

To be clear: FWG SPACES ARE OPEN TO ALL FURRY WRITERS, REGARDLESS OF MEMBERSHIP STATUS.

The main difference between a member and a non-member (or “future member” as we call them) is that only full members have the privilege to nominate and vote in the Coyotl Awards. When it comes to using the various FWG-branded spaces, there is no difference between members and non-members whatsoever. So long as a person is a furry writer of good conduct, they are welcome to use our chats and resources as much as they desire.

If anyone should make a claim to the contrary, please take a moment to correct them, or direct them to this statement.

 

Thank you,

 

The FWG Staff

Boom! Studios recently collected two different comic book series of furry note (both of which we’ve talked about before!) into trade paperbacks. Ruinworld: Eye For An Eye brings together issues 1 through 5 of this funny animal fantasy series by Derek Laufman. “Join Pogo and Rex as they set out on a quest to hunt for valuable artifacts and magical weapons across the land. Along with plenty of not-always faithful companions, our heroes must battle dangerous tribes of Toadies, survive giant stone Golems, and stop a catastrophic world-ending disaster, all while evading a cunning gang of thieves as they race towards the biggest treasure of all time.” And then there’s Midas, a truly strange 8-issue science fiction series by Ryan North, Braden Lamb, and Shelli Paroline. “Space captain Joey, navigator Fatima, and scientist (and dinosaur) Cooper are headed to Earth—a planet completely sectioned off, abandoned, and covered in gold—and are confronted by the most powerful weapon in the universe: Some ancient dead guy’s body?! Now they gotta keep King Midas’s body from being dropped on planets across the universe, and figure out exactly what to do with a gross dead dude with one truly ridiculous superpower.” Yes, and a talking dinosaur too. Both collections are available now.

image c. 2019 Boom! Studios

I am so ready for the rest of this season!
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Nice official animated video by Zachary Wong [1] for Imagine Dragons here. Kids are cruel and really that "Freak" is adorable and needed a hug. [1] http://www.zacharyleewong.com
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Minnie really does pay attention when she sings.
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Akela is a novel set at the intersection of societies, but the world Goodridge has created feels much, much larger than even this. The Animorphs—even more so than the Aborigines and First Peoples—have developed an intimate relationship with the land we’ve colonised and claimed as our own. They have seen civilizations come and go, and their songs will forever remind them of the transient nature of life.The California Consortium follows the narrative that Animorphs should be domesticated for the survival of modern man. This is alarmingly reminiscent of the Aboriginal Integration policies applied in Australia, not too long ago. This and other issues provoke thought without resorting to excessive violence or sentimentality. Intentions are blurred, and one cannot help but wonder. Akela feels relevant to our world—even without the presence of Animorphs.An overarching theme is the resilience of native peoples to find their own way of survival and integration—at their own pace and on their own terms—to the toxic world we have created around them.The only criticism of this piece is that readers who want to dive right into the action might find the pace in the first half of the book a bit slow. There is a lot of necessary world-building and character exploration. It is, however, done in an interesting manner so it is never boring, and the investment is worth it in the end.Whereas “The White Crusade” left me wanting, Goodridge is right back on form with this offering. Akela is an amazing book and comes highly recommended. The world is larger than life, the characters are relatable and the issues it raises are topical without being preachy. It is a world that begs further exploration. *****

Check out Anthrocon in glorious well shot 4K.
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(Patch:) Hi Meru! thanks for the cool art – the site is starting to commission regular new banners and feature the artists. There’s a particular interest in lesser-seen artists from the world outside of American fandom. The last featured artist was Ligoni from Mexico. Want to share your social media links?

(Meru Tenshi:) Hello there. I’m Meru Tenshi, nice to meet you!  Regarding on my social links. I’m very active on my Twitter (@MeruTenshiArt) and Facebook (Meru Tenshi). I have a Furaffinity account (Meru-Tenshi) but it’s pretty outdated. For now, I’m prioritizing other stuff until I can update it.

Can I ask where you live, and a profile about yourself and what you do?

I live in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines, and I’m 22 years old.

I’m a wolf-tiger hybrid (A Wiger,) pronounced as a “Wayger”. About my fursona:
He mostly resembles me in real life being all funny and serious at the same time.
Meru has two brothers.
-Rouka Tenshi is his big brother.
-Koushiro Tenshi is his younger brother.

I started drawing when I was in Grade 2 where I drew Pokemon a lot. In my high school days, I started watching anime and “Bleach” was my favorite anime series. This anime was the reason why I discovered the furry fandom.

My favorite anime character from Bleach was actually a furry creature named “Komamura Sajin” and I was such a big fan of him back in my high school days. Whenever I browsed him on Google, I kept seeing fanart of him as well, being involved with different furry characters from Deviantart and Furaffinity. This made me curious and eventually, when I was 17, I discovered the fandom and become a furry artist!

Do you do furry things in real life, like going to meets and cons, or just online?

In my school days, I had never been to furmeets. I just kept posting my art on FB and my social life mostly ran through online. But last year, I graduated as an IT (Information Technology) graduate and become free. That’s when I started being active with the fandom where I post art and join furmeets more often.

FurryPinas 2019 was my first fur con I got involved and it was very awesome. I met a lot of cool furries and fursuiters who were very kind and nice.

What kind of art do you do, and what’s your favorite thing about making art?

Talking about my art life, I’m a Furry Digital Artist with sort of a Kemono style. And I love drawing furries because I really see them being awesome and badass and it makes me all excited whenever I draw them. I can pretty much draw anything but I mostly draw furries all my life.

My favorite thing about making art is drawing furries involving their stories made by their respective owners. It’s such an honor for me to make a story of an OC, even just a little part of it, bringing their imaginary life to reality through my art.

Also, my motto as an artist is “Art takes time.” I’ve been living with this after I graduated from college. It’s short but wholesome.

I love how this fandom brings people around the world together who might have no other reason to meet. Can I ask, how does it feel to be you, besides just a furry online? What’s going on in your life?

Regarding my current life, my work is making commissions as a furry artist after I lost my job last December. I feel discouraged to be honest, and get stressed about how am I supposed to help my family with our current financial state. We’re not rich to be honest, we’re just living life with hard work, and without it we’ll starve. But the furry community gave me hope and I would like to thank all of my friends, supporters and commissioners for supporting me whenever I’m in a financial crisis, I could cry to be honest hahaha.

As of now, I’m still drawing commissions and about to get a new job soon after I pass my civil examinations in August, hopefully.
And I’m SINGLE XD, just saying wahaha.

My inspiration is my family because I’m a family-centered guy and I love my mom so much for being there for me no matter what, along with my big sister and big brother.

Thanks Meru, and I hope a lot more people check out your art and help you have success with everything.

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.

The LAPD Juvenile Division, based solely on their website, handles cases involving the exploitation or harm of children. pic.twitter.com/8FIGyAVlVo

— Boozy Badger (@BoozyBadger) July 16, 2019

In regards to Mr. Llamas, the Los Angeles County Superior Court updated their online docket yesterday to show Mr. Llamas has pled "not guilty" to two counts of California Penal Code 311.11(a), relating to the possession of pornography of persons under the age of 18.

— Boozy Badger (@BoozyBadger) July 19, 2019

A problematic record.

Growly, a long time Southern California furry fan (named Daniel Llamas in many public sources), was arrested on 7/10/2019.

(An update link was added to a section about him in a previous broadly-related article: R.C. Fox arrested for child pornography, furries question fandom connections.)

Little is open about what happened so far besides charges. It’s a little unusual to give a headline to an arrest, and people are presumed innocent in court. Summarizing Growly’s history is also hard to do with calm about laws and policies and incentive to rehabilitate. But there’s a lot of background making it worth sharing.

The main points start with a sex offense record from 2001, shared with another offender. Then in 2009, Growly was banned from FurAffinity following inappropriate messaging with a person claimed to be a minor (which left some facts murky, such as their identity.) Growly’s statement about it was posted to Wikifur.

The 2001 conviction led to serving over two years in jail, completing parole, and working to re-enter the furry fandom. A very active presence at events included volunteering as staff or running panels.

That background happened before I was active in fandom.  I didn’t know who he was when he chanced to ask me to pose for a photo at one of the first few cons I went to. It was taken by a furry known for thousands of similar photos.

It helps to have context to avoid chasing clout with out of context photos. At BLFC 2014 a stranger asked me to pose for a sec. Sadly I'm not psychic, but I didnt do cons pre-2012 and wasn't in fandom when he got in trouble. I think @LostWolf321 took the one of thousands like it. pic.twitter.com/iEOU0T05c8

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) July 17, 2019

Misinformation and knee-jerk reactions

If you look into attacks about a photo with a stranger at a con — you can see how calm understanding gets trashed by misinformation, panic, and malice with no intention to solve problems.

A decade after Growly finished parole, a conviction 18 years ago began to raise more, not less outrage (perhaps fed by a boom in new young members). While blunt criticisms rose on social media, it could frustrate a quieter section of event organizers.

There were concerns about rehab. How does that happen if people won’t let it? There were objections that attacking Growly’s attendance at 18+ adult events with no kids had nothing to do with safety for kids. There were opinions that PG-rated panels in full view of everyone had oversight. There were claims that his volunteering involved buying favor, but people who wanted him gone weren’t taking his place while getting volunteer’s work. The more aggressive it was, the more it was called bullying or clout-chasing — which had merit when alt-furries made him a stalking-horse to snipe at con hotels. (That’s pointless because hotels don’t care to interfere on behalf of non-customers, according to secure info I was tipped about Growly and Anthrocon.)

Why is this hard for cons?

On the other hand, objections about convention policies being too lax — and erring on the side of careful process instead of safety — have a compelling case following this new arrest.

Which leaves a standout question: why don’t cons err on the side of safety, and ban anyone with an offense?

I’m not a lawyer or con staff, but I can reveal a part in this. I didn’t take credit to avoid feeding trolls. In December 2018, Fur Con made the first con policy that I know of specifically banning people with a history of pedophilia or sexual violence. It came from a report I sent about a related issue (confirmed in secure info kept on file — because people get doxed and threatened for acting, at the same time as harassed for not visibly acting, as I’ve experienced while secure action happens behind the scenes.)

We have clarified and updated our Code of Conduct regarding membership eligibility and conditions. The new text appears under the "Membership" heading on https://t.co/eheSwKvsuA, and will be in effect for FC2019. Please contact chairman@furcon.org with any concerns.

— Further Confusion (@furcon) December 18, 2018

Their wording:

“AAE and FurCon do not permit membership or attendance by any individual who is a convicted sex offender, or appears on any federal or state sex offender registry. In addition, AAE and FurCon reserve the right, at the board’s discretion, to deny membership or attendance to anyone with a documented history of sexual violence, including inappropriate conduct towards minors.”

Personally, I support cons that refuse to be shouted down by angry mobs, where individuals can ban other individuals. That’s how you get:

1. Religious/moral zealots taking illegitimate power to police spaces for consenting adults.
2. Trolls weaponizing “think of the children” concerns to ruin events altogether, like Califur.

I’m all for working for a calm, organized, platform-level change in policy instead, like Fur Con did.

Unfortunately, corruption can happen and sometimes management won’t care.

That’s another topic, so I’ll leave the last word to informed sources. This issue can be a Catch-22 for cons by their nature. Being volunteer-based and run on a shoestring means lack of resources to do better, under threat of fatal liability. Con-goers have fun times and low costs because of the way things run. To ask for better, save callouts for last, and volunteer and pay them first.

But the real questions are a lot tougher to answer: Is that guy really dangerous, or is he just really unpopular?

You don't want your con to become like that TV show where the audience can vote anyone off the island.

It's a suuuuuper delicate questions.

— he/him/himbeere (@cheetah_spotty) July 16, 2019

So cons have to go all or nothing. Which is why FC and TFF’s wording is basically “if you’re on the sex offender registry.”

They’re not making a judgement call there. It’s already been decided by a judge, however imperfect that system is.

— FuzzWolf (@FuzzWolf) July 16, 2019

I’m not making that assumption, the law is. The registry is highly flawed, but that’s not a liability cons can afford to take. They could be sued out of existence.

— FuzzWolf (@FuzzWolf) July 16, 2019

The choice cons have is either ban 100% of people on the SOR or 0%. That’s the only choice. Anything between those two extremes burdens the con with the legal concept of “duty of care” which puts them in a ton of legal liability. Might be different over there though.

— FuzzWolf (@FuzzWolf) July 16, 2019

Cosmo, a UK furry and con staffer, says:

“I think it’d be worth adding some context to Cheetah’s commentary. That conversation between him and Pepper strikes me as two sides of a coin – rehabilitation vs. punishment.

It makes even more sense when you factor in that, say, calling the police in a European city and asking “is <name> on the Sex Offenders Register” will likely get you a stern “I’m not telling you for legal reasons”.

In an EU member state, you’re not likely to find out about a furry engaging in crime unless it was serious enough to get printed in the newspapers.

And he’s very right about “a system where sending a nude pic to your 17yo partner” – UK has had that exact issue, and it’s entirely possible that someone who was 16-18 could have been convicted of a CP offence for sending a nude selfie to their then-partner of a similar age.

It doesn’t seem terribly fair to punish someone for their entire life for a stupid mistake they made as a kid.”

Whatever the story is with Growly this time, a lot of people can feel like they saw it coming. It will surely be part of any discussion to come, and perhaps organizers won’t be quite so forgiving again.

Shared by Joe Bear

UPDATE:

I get a lot of news tips. Here's one that just came that follows the recent story about Growly — https://t.co/wb2pbg6hov — someone mailed a letter to Growly to ask for more info and got his response. pic.twitter.com/Pb4Z4Gu79L

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) August 11, 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.

Okay, how did we miss this one? Disney Hamlet, Starring Donald Duck, a new full-color graphic novel written by Giorgio Salati and illustrated by Paolo De Lorenzi. “The ghost of a betrayed king appoints Prince Ducklet to restore peace to his kingdom in this adaptation of the classic tragic play by William Shakespeare. Huey, Dewey and Louie, along with Uncle Scrooge, head on a road trip to Denmark, passing by the famous landmark–the phantom castle of Ducksinore! The triplets recall the story of Ducklet, written by the celebrated playwright William Duckspeare. Scrooge’s interest is piqued and the story of tragedy, betrayal, and corruption unfolds.”  Published by Dark Horse Books in trade paperback, it’s available now from Penguin Random House.

image c. 2019 Dark Horse Books

Pretty Gay Prey (PGP) is an encryption program that provides cryptographic privacy and authentication for data communication. So that’s what the kids are calling it these days.

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Link Roundup:

• Cats Trailer
• Av writes a Latex For Beginners article
• 33 Confirmed Dead After Fire At Kyoto Animation, Suspected Arsonist In Custody [Updated]
• @FurryCons: Cons This Weekend
• ChipFox’s 2017 Con Attendance Projection Graph
• Anthrocon Fursuit Dance Comp Premieres Sunday

News:

• Shoe Ad causes a unique “converse” in the Furry Fandom
• Wasps now Making Super Nests
• Police Warn Citizens to not overdose on Wasp Spray
• Area 51 Meme has caused a Huge increase in Alien Porn Creation and Searches
• Five guys arrested for fighting at Five Guys restaurant in Florida
• Man Goes Under Knife to Become Parrot
• Jersey Devils Mascot Crashes through Window

[Live] Pretty Gay Prey

Kaar fills in for us this week! Enjoy his topic, it's quite a whopper Kaar Segment - Solo 05 - Sharking it folflike!

I am ready for a HDM series! My worry with this trailer is the daemons are not talking but that could be just the way they are cutting the trailer. Please don't screw this up!
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It's going down on Saturday at the @AnthroconDances so catch me all week during @anthrocon in the mean time check out my mixcloud and other links. Preview Set coming soon!

Special thanks to @TimeSuppression for making the poster. pic.twitter.com/YpqspZQm7R

— DJ UltraPup (@DJUltraPup) June 24, 2019

(Patch:) It sounds like you had a blast at Anthrocon! I wanted to ask you about your first time DJing a big con. What’s your story and how did you end up there? Was it your first furry con, or just first time on stage at one?

(DJ UltraPup:) I’m a member of the pup community and I have been for quite some time. I am also however a member of the furry community, and one of my big goals is to try and bridge the divide between furries and pups. When a friend of mine suggested I apply to DJ at Anthrocon, I thought why not. I’m well known in the DC area as a circuit DJ and I have 3 club residencies, so I applied, and sure enough they picked me to play Saturday night at 11pm. AC was my first major con. I had gone to FurTheMore earlier this year just to check it out, but this was my first time DJing a furcon, and it won’t be my last.

Congrats for that. Are you newer to furries? How did DJing at AC compare to your usual gigs?

Thank you, this is actually a funny question when I look back on it. For the longest time I’ve been furry adjacent. A lot of my ex’s were furries, so I’ve always been familiar with the fandom. I went to my first con earlier this year for one day at Furthemore, and that was really cool. It was there that one of my friends suggested I apply for AC.

I come from the pup community, and after my gig at AC, the furry community has embraced me and welcomed me in as one of their own, and more or less adopted me. So now I’m happy to say I’m officially part of the fandom. I even have a partial fursuit now.

I’ve been very lucky to have been given the chance to play so many gigs and venues all around the east coast and the D.C area. For me, having residencies in D.C means I get to do what I love for a living. That being said, playing AC was one of the coolest events I think I’ve ever been a part of. The stage was amazing. The crew was incredible. My fellow DJ’s were awesome, and went out of their way to support me DJing in a pup hood and making me feel welcome.

As for the actual event part, I can’t put into words what it’s like looking out on the dance floor from the stage, and seeing the stage packed with furries and the floor packed with furries, all in fursuit jumping and dancing to your music. It’s impossible to put into words, it’s just something I’ll never forget.

The moment I broke @AnthroconDances and @anthrocon went crazy. Also the moment I introduced myself to the fandom and they welcomed me in. #Anthrocon2019 #Anthrocon #AC2019 pic.twitter.com/VBb164GITJ

— DJ UltraPup (@DJUltraPup) July 8, 2019

Will you DJ more furry cons now? 

I will DJ more cons. As a matter of fact, I have confirmed one or two more at least, and will apply for a few other large ones. I’ll be at IFC, WPAFW, and Furrydelphia. I also applied for MFF.

Do you organize events yourself? And how would you say this compares to more mainstream event or music business? It seems to me that there’s few people getting paid for the effort, and more of a sense of doing it for the love of it.

As for my own events, I’m working with another DJ in the community named Pilot to launch a joint event for puppies and furries that will run once a month in D.C.

Being a DJ by trade for work, I’ve played both mainstream club events and cons and everything in between. I would definitely say that those who DJ the furry cons are doing it for love for the community, or love for music. I applied for AC out of love for the music and the puppies and furries. I knew I wasn’t going to get paid but I wanted to DJ in my pup hood and try to bridge some of the divide between them. Watching the amount of effort that my fellow DJ’s put in was amazing, to see the passion we all had for what we do, and you could clearly see it in the product that was presented.

The many sides of Ultra that you will see at @anthrocon and @AnthroconDances pic.twitter.com/T5qdvTKPWp

— DJ UltraPup (@DJUltraPup) June 26, 2019

The coolest part of getting to DJ @anthrocon and @AnthroconDances this week has been the massive outpouring of support I've been shown by the community. I can't wait to make history with you all tonight. No matter what always be you #Anthrocon2019 pic.twitter.com/Nb1IWCAvDV

— DJ UltraPup (@DJUltraPup) July 6, 2019

I didn't mean to break @anthrocon my bad sorry @AnthroconDances next time I will just play an hour of sandstorm special thanks to everyone who came to the dance/rave! #Anthrocon2019 #Anthrocon #AC2019 pic.twitter.com/wua4fgv8pu

— DJ UltraPup (@DJUltraPup) July 15, 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.

Non-human adventures on a far-0ff planet. Sounds right up our alley. Glint is a new full-color graphic novel series for middle readers, written by Samuel Sattin and illustrated by Ian McGinty (Adventure Time). “On tiny Mora ― hurtling through space trying to find a star bright enough to sustain its fading life―everyone must do their part to keep the planet alive. Workers work. Leaders lead. Fighters fight. But Loon Ozoa, confined to the life of a pit worker but born with the heart and passion of a warrior, dreams of enlisting in the Temple of Sacred Defense and fighting the monstrous Feeders that threaten his people’s existence. When his friend Val Mol, second in command of the Rightful Blade, promises Loon a place in his ranks, Loon hopes to finally serve a higher purpose. But his hoverhog-riding, glint-slinging, mine-master grandma and her motley crew―the Cloud Raiders―are none too pleased about Loon trading in his drill rig for a shift sword. Determined to serve Mora, Val and Loon’s place in the military soon gets them lurched right into the murky waters of a conspiracy, one that holds dark secrets at the hands of their supreme regent. Will Val and Loon remain loyal to their commander, or will the secrets they uncover change everything they thought they knew about the purpose of their fight and fate of their planet?” The Hollywood Reporter actually did a write-up on this one. Glint Book One: The Cloud Raiders came out earlier this year from Lion Forge, and more volumes are on the way.

[Side note: We at InFurNation would like to extend our thoughts, prayers, and a good share of tears to the staff of Kyoto Animation — those who lost their lives and those who did not. Bright Blessings in this time of tragedy.]

image c. 2019 Lion Forge

I will imagine the fandom will be unpacking this trailer like mad as this film dips hard into the uncanny furry valley Ok,I didn't expect this look and am not sure how I feel about it.
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Sold here - https://www.amazon.com/I-Was-Gay-Teenage-Zombie-ebook/dp/B07T97YMQWFront Tagline: Talk about a hickey.Back Tagline: Boooyyyssss[Editor's note: Since this is not one of our usual Furry Book Reviewers, we left this unedited. We still wanted to showcase this review (by a furry) of a book (by a furry author) all the same.]This review is a take on the talented and humorous work of http://www.bloggerbeware.comBrief Synopsis: Jay, a fifteen-year-old boy who lives in a town a drive away from Victoria station. Which from what I can gather looking at a map I can only determine is East of London and is probably as specific as saying West of Sydney which could be something like Lidcombe or Richmond. Anyway, Jay has a bad case of Corey Harts only known song I wear my Sunglasses at Night and Daryl Hall & Oates, Maneater. He’s the Z-word, a zombie.He got bit down under the pier in Florida getting mad pash-rash from this hottie that sounded like he could have appeared in Gone Home, except well Dragonforce hadn’t formed until 1999, so maybe not. Unless he was a time travelling gay zombie, but I don’t think he is.It’s been a few months since the ‘incident’ and Jay’s finding some normalcy in his new body and routing. Lots of makeup to bring the life back to his pale dead skin and stashes and stashes of meat to quench his HUNGER FOR FLESH! *electric guitar strings* Which is played petty cute and fun. Though in a neat foreshadowing event he eats a live rat which is in comparison, harrowing.The story is told through his writings in his diary that recently received from his Dad over Christmas as an outlet for his unmentionable secrets, both the gay and the z-word. This is kind of cool as it plays into his family’s financial situation.I won’t spoil the rest, but we go through the school year. Jay gets a boyfriend, the quiet, sexy hottie who wears a leather jacket, plays basketball in skins and who only recently came to school and now has the lead role at the upcoming school play. Sadly, he doesn’t turn out to be a werewolf, sorry. He might still smell like one if that’s any condolence.We also have some cool and deep perspective on the relationships of those around Jay, his parents and their struggles in a low, single income with the Father out of a job. His friend CC, their philosophy teachers infidelity divorce and depression, and Mr. and Mrs. Price, theirs was a quiet shock and extremely well done.But the Twist is:Wales. We go there, and it has one of those beaches you stand on stare out to sea lamenting your dead husband, except its Jay half dead-undead wondering how he got to Wales.Apparently, it is proper English humour to speak disparagingly or contempt of it. Also, can I point out the NHS hospital staff not catching on to Jay being dead, or undead. He has no heartbeat, let alone his eyes and skin. How deep does this go? The Platonic Boy-Girl Relationship:Jay and CC. In a really good way, like they’ll still be friends even after Uni and when Archer breaks it off because a detachable penis is not his idea of an open relationship, or it could be weed. Like a certain black fox and otter gay furry power couple that are certainly NOT TOGETHER, YOU CAN’T STOP ME I WON’T GO QUIETLY. FIGHT ME YOU FIENDS!Questionable Parenting:Jay’s Mom, for not bringing up the conversation, again of the cooler full of raw meat she had found under her son’s bed. Like I understand an even tenser conversation interrupted it but come on. Meat is expensive, my mum would at the very least think it’s been nicked!Questionable Teaching:The coach for not noticing Jay snapped off an arm or let alone was cradling it. Yeah shower that dislocated elbow away!Mid 10’s cultural references:Jay plays an exciting round of Call-of-Duty. Ghosts came out in 2013, so presumptuously, Jay must have been playing last years COD, Black Ops 2.Alison Cybe shows they are down with the kids:Jay knows all about the Alt-Right manipulative Facebook campaigns and rightly calls out his mothers sharing of Britain’s First propaganda.Memorable Cliff-hanger Chapter Ending:Chapter April/May. “I’m going to ask Archer if I can bite them him.”Opens with Jay watching Archer play basketball and decides against it and that it would ruin his basketball career.Great Prose Alert: “It turns out that what I thought were plates and dishes hitting against the wall during their arguments weren’t plates or dishes at all! It was her.”Conclusion:I read I was a Gay Teen Teenage Zombie in a single sitting (aside from stopping to go to work) which in my opinion is the best praise you can say about a book. It’s great, there’s a lot of things to love and the uniqueness in it’s exposing of uncomfortable topics, like domestic abuse, bad parenting, relationships and straight up racism in a way that doesn’t spotlight or focus sharply, but says ‘hey this is a part of growing up these days and shapes us and we need to acknowledge it and stand up to it too.’Go buy I was a Gay Teenage Zombie - https://www.amazon.com/I-Was-Gay-Teenage-Zombie-ebook/dp/B07T97YMQW

War has followed society since its formation, either a function of civilization or an unfortunate side-effect. The Dogs of War anthologies explore the effect of war on anthropomorphic populations and cover a diverse variety of theaters both historical and original. The Aftermath is volume two in the collection, and like its predecessor, it delivers a lovely cross section of sweeping war stories and very personal war experiences. "Dog, Extended" (Cairyn) opens the collection, a lovely, brilliantly written, and heartbreaking piece about sacrifice and duty. The protagonist is a dog who has been given a level of uplifting via technology, and this is easily my favorite story of the lot. It’s just beautiful. "Remembrance" (Alice "Huskyteer" Dryden): Another beautifully written piece about anthros in the trenches of WWI. The alt history is well portrayed, and the story is touching and engaging. The animal soldiers’ experiences as outcasts among their own men are both harsh and beautiful. "Scars" (Televassi): Epic fantasy fans will love this one. It’s very well written, if a little slow for my tastes. The omniscient point of view pulled me out here and there as did the jumping of the timeline, but it was a well told story that follows a young fawn on his rise to power. A sweeping fantasy saga feel, which is hard to do in a short story."The Surface Tension" (Dwale): Another very well written story, though not as anthro-centric as some. I felt like the cloning and the exosuits were more central to the story than the animal element, but they were still incredibly cool. This one had interesting concepts and a sweet, sexy ending that was ambiguous in a way that I loved and very much suited the story. "My Brother’s Shadow" (M.R. Anglin): Felt like it was less about war than some of the other stories. It focused on the family dynamic of the main character who does eventually get into the action, hunting for terrorists and preventing a rebellion. It was a little slow to get going but turned out to be a very sweet story that surprised me in the end. "Close to Us" (MikasiWolf) is a story about friends from two different cultures who get caught in the middle of their people’s conflict. The point of view was a bit squishy as we were not always fully embedded in any one character, and the story is definitely a little exposition heavy, being told in places instead of shown. The overall sentiment is really beautiful but fell flat for me because of the distance the reader is kept from the characters by not having a solid point of view. "Lime Tiger" (Slip-Wolf): This one was not just well written; it was gorgeous. I couldn’t stop reading from page one. The protagonist is an ex-soldier who has a history full of secrets you’ll never see coming. "Lime Tiger" really showcases how hard it is to integrate back into ordinary life after the atrocities of war, and it alone is worth picking up this anthology. "Umbra’s Legion: The Destruction of Ismara" (Geoff Galt): This one is part of a pair of stories each told from different sides of the same conflict. I loved the idea of showcasing both sides but felt that the second story was the stronger of the two. In "Umbra’s Legion," there are places where multiple characters' dialogues are mixed up all in one paragraph which makes the story confusing. It is, however, action packed and full of really cool tech with a great ending."Umbra’s Legion: Charon’s Obol" (Adam Baker): In this installment, the Canids are the good guys, and our previous ape heroes become the villain. The two stories paired together make a cool contrast, and despite some tense issues, I liked the second one a great deal. It switches occasionally from past to present tense but is a much tighter story and has a fabulous ending and more impact."The Call" (Lord Ikari): This one has an excellent opening and is well-written. I never could tell for certain what species the protag was, as he isn’t really described. Though he leads a group of “mostly mice,” there are also humans and other species about. In places the story relies a little too much on telling instead of showing the action. And there is very little description of characters or their enemies, who is what species, etc. It really got the feeling of war across at the beginning but lapsed into “telling” and summing up the action toward the end. "Every Horse Will Do His Duty" (Thurston Howl): This is a tight and well-written short about a horse soldier in a naval battle, surrounded by human officers and soldiers who are biased against him. The details of naval warfare are super cool and feel very accurate. It’s a well-executed and fully engaging piece. "Matched Up" (K. Hubschmid): A story about a soldier at odds with their own species. I felt like "Matched Up" suffered a little from lack of description both of the characters and the setting. It felt like a lot of the action was floating and made it hard to visualize, in particular the opening scene. I was confused a lot about the world and setting as things were not clearly defined, but the prose itself is well written and action packed. It seemed as if the author was being intentionally ambiguous, but it didn’t quite work for me. "The Son of Goulon Stumptail" (NightEyes Dayspring): This one had some great characters. The writing was a little clunky in places, but the story was very engaging. It has a fantasy epic feel and a good message, but the end felt somewhat anti-climactic. I liked the wolves versus deer angle and the not-so-clear-cut good and bad sides a great deal. "Nobel" (Thomas "Faux" Steele): The story has a good voice and a great gritty sci-fi feel. There is an immediacy to the action that makes it an exciting, beautiful read. Another one with a protagonist that has a veiled past and a few fun surprises in store for them. "Trial by Error" (Jaden Drackus): This one follows a river otter stationed in the pacific theater. His “Sea Bees battalion” is tasked with building a runway for some fancy and mysterious new planes. It’s a fun, well-executed story with strong characters, but in the end, it felt a lot like a few chapters from a bigger novel rather than a stand-alone story. A fun romp, and if there is more novel, I’d be ready to keep reading. "The Night the Stars Fell" (KC Alpinus): This one has an opening that is sort of horrific, and it’s definitely not for the squeamish. The tale has a colorful and authentic feeling and showcases a culture that feels alive and visceral. It is also brutal, well-written and nicely told. I enjoyed the alt history use of a region that is not explored very often. "Tears of the Sea" (MikasiWolf): This is a creation myth and as such felt a little omniscient and distant. The tense use at the beginning was awkward, but it smoothed out quickly. The tale has a nice mythic quality but, as a story in its own right, was not super engaging. It felt more like an explanation for building a world that other stories might take place in. "The Pack" (Argyron): Levi Leopard is learning how to be a part of a team. The author never really explains what the goal is or who the two sides are, and at times it seems like the heroes have more time to act than the bad guys, as they do six actions and the bad guys just barely have time to turn around and get killed. Or they sneak into a room full of the enemy and are not seen. So, I had some believability issues and there were also a few minor grammatical errors. The ending didn’t really feel like an ending. It was more like the story just stopped in media res. I think it might be destined to be a solid chapter in a larger work, but it did a good job of exploring the main character and his development. "Going Home" (Miles Reaver): This is a story about a fox tank soldier whose vehicle has broken down. When they can’t fix it, the tank team takes off on foot through enemy territory. The prose is a little clunky, but there’s good tension and lots of conflict. I felt like the protagonist didn’t really seem like a soldier, but that might have been because he was usually confined to a tank. The characters made some decisions that I found odd, like forgetting to use their weapons, not looking for tracks or even trying to track their man who runs off and shouting when they were trying to hide from the enemy. It never really clarifies where Grig goes when he runs off, or why the fox is always tripping over his own tail. The writing itself had some tense issues and kept switching to Past Perfect tense in odd places. The story’s ending was solid, but I’m not sure it made a lot of sense or followed naturally based on the action before it. Dogs of War: Aftermath is a solid collection of diverse war stories and a worthwhile read. The highlights for me were: "Lime Tiger," "The Night the Stars Fell,"" Remembrance," and "Dog, Extended," but all the pieces are worthy of inclusion and fit well together to make a cohesive and powerful anthology.