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Furry Crowdfunding Week in Review: 9-29-13
A few for the kids cubs–a week in the children’s department
Another slow week in fox-based crowdfunding, only one solidly furry project! I’ll cover Peter Is The Wolf next week. This week, briefly touching on a few visually interesting kid’s projects. Something for dragon lovers, rabbit fans, and bear buffs (the buff bear project wasn’t kid-friendly.) Remember, they have to have a childhood first if the fandom is going to ruin it later.
And then a bunch of other stuff.
Rabbit Ninja
Children’s book. There’s a type of story in kid lit, a “grass is always greener” narrative, a literary style which hit its peak in Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. The theme: Life is suffering, but someone else’s life, obviously wouldn’t be. Now in Alexander… the protagonist is pretty sure that life would be SO much better if he lived in Australia. But we cynics all know that there are problems in Australia. Drop bears, for instance.
But the main character of Jared Taylor Williams’ Rabbit Ninja is pretty sure that life would be a whole lot more awesome if he was a ninja instead of a third-grader. I don’t know how Williams is going to write himself out of that corner, because ninjas pretty much define awesome.
The author/artist has a background pretty firmly grounded in animal nonfiction, with artist credits in a double handful of books, most often about the inner lives of housepets. Rabbit Ninja seems to be his first solo project, but the art style is a confident watercolor, which balances the action of the ninjaverse with the warm, somewhat sock-scented world of a third grade boy. Take a look!
Billy Brown’s Audio Adventures
Radio Dramas. Oh, for the simple life of a Saturday Morning cartoon character, like old-school My Little Pony or Disney’s Wuzzles (anybody else remember “wuzzles?”) when the biggest crisis one faced on any given day was breaking a plate or not knowing whether you were, or weren’t, invited to Daisy’s picnic. Life is clearly more complex for Billy Brown, who has to dig frogs out of rain gutters, rescue flood victims, and take over the local mail route. (Personally, my mail service would be MUCH improved by having a bear take over.) This Kickstarter is for a new set of Billy Brown adventures, a string of 30-45 minute audio dramas played out by professional Broadway actors, lightly educational, silly without being condescending, with a strong focus on problem-solving, imagination, and above all, bears.
Hearing a bear speaking in “Froggish” is going to be the highlight of my week, I can tell already.
According to one reviewer, children’s audio dramas are a “thing” in Germany, where they’re called Hoerspiele (“hear plays”)–not just an actor reading a book, but fully produced audio plays with music, sound effects and a cast. I *do* remember that sort of story from my childhood, but it never really caught on. Apparently, kickstarter Jens Hewerer brought that tradition back from Germany to share with us benighted Statesians.
The Dragon and the Princess
Children’s book. It’s hard to say much about this, the world is not rich with hot tips about The Dragon and the Princess. I do know that TDATP‘s unreasonably-named original poster (and possibly supervillian), Logan Otto Uber, has been involved in webcomics and one swinging alphabet book, both with a cartoony and very “guy” art feel. On the one hand, he’s a kickstarter veteran with two successful projects under his belt. On the other hand, what’s he doing fronting this graceful book about sweet, delicate dragons and a perky princess? Clearly, he woke up on the pink side of the bed one morning.
Artist Mina Sanwald is clearly up to the princess challenge. She probably owns a set of color-coded hennin. And when I made the pink joke, I had no idea how pink Sanwald’s website would turn out to be. Her DeviantArt account is considerably less pink, which is a good thing, I’ve had enough fuschia for one day.
Babble, babble, get to the point. Dragons! TDATP is a charmer, a one-to-ten, ten-to-one story about a happy dragon family, which begins “One dragon egg, about to hatch…(spoiler, there’s 10 of something.) The dragon illustrations are absolutely charming, with graceful curving bodies and winning expressions, and the princess–well, we don’t get a look at her, but she looks dangerously sassy. And my thumbnails don’t do them justice. Even if you don’t have a kid, if you’re a dragon or a dragon lover, this project might be a great Christmas present for someone who does have a hatchling.
Note: Images used above are included to promote the work of crowdfunding artists, and are owned by the original creator.
New ProjectsThe Dragon and the Princess (Children’s Products. Ends: 10/26/2013)
A children’s book combining basic numeric literacy with elegant and graceful line-art dragons (More on The Brothers Uber‘s website)
Billy Brown’s Audio Adventures (Children’s Products. Ends: 10/27/2013)
Children’s audio dramas featuring an amiable and pretty darn cute anthro bear (Seriously, the bear is pretty cute. )
Peter Is the Wolf: Living in the Doghouse (Comics/Graphic Novels. Ends: 11/24/2013)
Web-to-Print of the Peter Is the Wolf webcomic series, manga-style, sometimes NSFW, cute and sexy werewolves.
Long-Term Parking (Film/Animation/Theater. Ends: 10/20/2013)
A bounty hunter who dies and gets mixed up with a dog on his way to heaven. Heavenly comedy ensues. (Read the opening vignet, it’s cute! )
Vicious Plush (Toys. Ends: 11/4/2013)
Angry plush monkeys, serrated stuffed kitties, and a blood-stained teddy bear. Good night, sleep tight!
Unwritten: Echoes of Twilight (Video Games. Ends: 10/28/2013)
Single-player, open world fantasy RPG with some nicely-done werewolves and bear-folk. (Now, I’m not sure the video gaming world is ready for werewolves AND bear-folk in the same game…)
Wolf: A Book, a Dream, a Legacy! (…Meh. Ends: 11/1/2013)
*Sigh* The author overshares a story that LOTS of us dorks can relate to, but passion is not a business plan is not a product… But hey, werewolf novel.
Art
Savage Divination: A Bestial Tarot (Ends: 10/13/2013)
Ambitious full tarot deck loaded with animal imagery by Leptailurus
Sonic and Halo Orchestral Medley (Ends: 10/6/2013)
A modest campaign for orchestral production of a Sonic: The Hedgehog “best of” medley and Halo. Most of goal covers the cost of hiring an orchestra for $2500/hour…
More of Mr Trent’s arrangements on YouTube
Wingboner’s Debut Album (Ends: 10/28/2013)
Crowdfunding for professional studio release of MLP metal band Wingboner’s debut album
Come Find Me: The Journey to Abbey Road (Ends: 11/7/2013)
Foxamoore‘s new album, now well past its goal to record at the Beatle’s “Abbey Road” studio!
Additional stretch goals to get art by Alectorfencer, professional production, more studio time, and a full orchestra!
Rabbit Ninja (Ends: 10/19/2013)
A children’s book about great things: rabbits and ninjas. Oh, and life as a 3rd grader.
Jack and the Cornstalk (Ends: 10/26/2013)
Children’s book with Claymation-esque chickens spoofing “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
Why is Yoda in the publicity shots? Mysterious he is.
The Anteater That Didn’t (Ends: 11/3/2013)
In the spirit of “The Little Prince” and “The Giving Tree,” a delicately French story of anteaters and tea.
Hats and Hoodies by Mermade (Ends: 10/16/2013)
Hats, hoodies, and accessories by Mermade. Check out Her gallery on FA for custom and recent work!
The Complete Adventures of Carl Vol 1 (Ends: 10/5/2013)
The comic misadventures of Carl the Rabbit, brightly colored, heavily referential, and now, in one place.
Last Resort: Bound Edition and Reprint (Ends: 10/6/2013)
Volume 2 of the reality show travails of the world’s fluffiest vampire.
From an anthro-loaded webcomic, worth a tour on its own. Click around, the art style varies a lot.
The Swashbuckling Adventures of Captain Kitty (Ends: 10/19/2013)
Mostly anthro, mostly pirates, and mostly rhyming comic weirdness on the high seas
More on CaptainKittyWorld. Arrr!
The Aviary: When Bird Became Woman (Ends: 10/5/2013)
a 12-gown haut couture collection of dresses inspired by birds, coming this October to San Diego.
The bluejay is pretty amazing.
F3 Con Remixed (Ends: 11/10/2013)
Fundraising for Missouri’s F3 furry con, with an 80s theme this year.
Dogg Park: It’s a Ruff life (Ends: 10/9/2013)
A “scripted reality show” about talking dogs at the dog park.
This may be intentionally bad? If you like pain and humiliation, watch the video. Just watch the video anyway. The jokes just write themselves, and clearly did.
Bronies: The Movie (Ends: 10/10/2013)
A short comedy film (and possibly a webseries) about a young man “coming out” to his co-workers and girlfriend as a brony.
The video’s not bad, this may be funnier than it initially sounds!
Dawgtown (Ends: 10/20/2013)
Animated film, a pit bull’s journey in the underground dog fighting world
The stills and clips are pretty high quality, I’m reminded of “Felidae.” No way to get a DVD though (sad face).
Attack to the Pantry (Ends: 10/13/2013)
Old School Warner Bros cartoon style card game: Scoundrel animals raiding Grandma’s pantry for whatever they can carry away!
Page is mostly in, or originally in, Italian, but the sketchy concept art is fun and universal!
Pewter Ponies: Miniature Ponies for Tabletop Gaming (Ends: 10/17/2013)
On track to unlock at least 30 pony-style minatures for all your tabletop pony gaming needs!
Note: Tabletop pony miniatures is not “pony play.” Glad I corrected that.
Hockey Doggies (Ends: 10/17/2013)
A semi-educational board game putting huskies on the ice.
Sadly, from what our friends at the International Anthropomorphic Research Project tell us, anything at the intersection of “furries” and “sports” is doomed to failure…
March of the Art Dolls (Ends: 10/8/2013)
Ochoan‘s line of art dolls, a variety of expressive and wooly beasts
Dicke Katze and Friends Plush Cats (Ends: 10/9/2013)
Plush cats, very round and very startled.
Mini Plushie Ornaments (Ends: 10/18/2013)
Miniature plush versions of your variously anthro selves
Imagination is the Only Escape (Ends: 10/17/2013)
A child creates an imaginary otherworld to escape the horrors of World War II, accompanied by a fox named Renard. An educational game for children.
Scary and beautiful Alice-in-Wonderlandy graphics and a dark story.
PairofMares Productions (Ends: 10/13/2013)
Small fundraiser for materials for My Little Pony reviews podcast
This may be an “imagine the final product” project, since they’re hoping to get new artwork…still, it’s a cute little dream.
World of Pokemon (Ends: 10/28/2013)
Indiegogo relaunch of the rich and detailed “World of Pokemon” website project
Go Kemono (Ends: 10/19/2013)
Highly-produced real life fursuit/Kemono erotica in DVD and portfolio.
Apparently “straight” is an underrepresented kink : )
The Hyena Sanctuary of North America (Ends: 10/10/2013): Help build a Texas home for the hyenas of the Berkeley hyena program!
The Last Pack (Ends: 10/15/2013): Awareness documentary about the 75 remaining “Lobo” Mexican wolves
Feral (Coming October 1?): Graphic novel, or webcomic (unsure which) about an anthro underground fighting circuit. Strong, expressive artwork!
Terrene Odyssey (Not yet launched): The next evolution of the Terreria Tactics card game, coming soon to a Kickstarter near you!
God-Lights – Personal Interactive Lighting System (Ends: 10/16/2013): Hand-worn multicolored ravey blinky color-changing lights with customization apps. Let the oontz-oontz begin.
Game Cave V1: Fighting Junkies (Ends: 10/17/2013): Prints and comics blending classic video games and unique manga characters in a colorful and flashy parody pack.
Fear Is Keeping Him from Pursuing Job and Educational Opportunities
I’m stuck in my life, I can’t seem to get anywhere, but then again I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing. I’m a 22 year old male who has a decent job, an ok apartment, and some bomb ass friends. I make enough money to live, but not to save. I’m in a relationship that’s grey: don’t want to be together, but can’t live without one another. I wish to further my education, but I’ll be honest with you, I’m not very book smart. I’ve found a hobby that I can go to a trade school for, to improve my skills and turn a hobby into a career, but the problem is that I can’t save to get there, and it’s an out of state school.
I’ve worked with the school director and he said he had a place for me to stay, free of charge, he had a job ready for me when I got there, but I guess the real problem is, I’m scared. To be at a place where I have no contacts, no friends, and I worry about something going wrong when I get there, and I get stranded. No money, no place to live, no friends to help get you. I mean, the list goes on. I’m afraid of my life taking a different path and I don’t make it back to my home state? I have family and little sisters that I would be devastated if I didn’t see. Am I being a wimp? Do I just need to go for it? What are some solutions for saving money?
I need help Papabear.
Foxtek
* * *
Dear Foxtek,
Ah, there it is again: Fear. There’s a reason we have that fear instinct within us. When we lived much more primitive lives, it was a helpful emotion to help us run away from things that wanted to eat us. It got our adrenaline going. There is also a reasonable fear instilled in us (most of us) to keep us from doing things that might kill us, such as walking a tightrope with no safety leash or net across a canyon. That’s why we have fear: to protect us. Some people say that a soldier afraid to face bullets in action is a coward, but I would say that is a reasonable fear, a sensible fear. Also, the bravest person on the planet is one who can say he or she is afraid of getting shot while on duty but goes ahead and faces that danger anyway. They are much braver than the person who has no fear.
But there’s the other kind of fear: the fear of the unknown. This fear, which is only based upon the anticipation of some kind of harm, even when that might not be the case at all, is debilitating, as you have discovered. Such fears indicate, well, I won’t say cowardice, but definitely a lack of chutzpah, gumption, or cajones.
Foxtek, you find yourself in a current place where, while you aren’t making any progress, you are at least comfortable. You have friends and family nearby, so, while not prosperous, you are content enough. Now, if you are happy with that, there is nothing wrong with it, but you indicate you want something more out of life, and that always involves some risk. Anything worth having is worth a bit of work and some risk. Sometimes, you might fall flat on your muzzle, but you will have learned as a person and grown with it. That’s how we develop as people. We take risks.
In your mind, you are conjuring up all these awful “what if” scenarios. What if it doesn’t work out and I am stranded? What if I don’t like my choice and can’t go back to my old place and job? What if what if what if....? That’s no way to live. Also, you can reverse that scenario. What if you stay where you are and you lose your job? What if you stay where you are and your little sisters decide to take opportunities themselves and move away from you? Many things can happen that standing still won’t help you avoid.
And what do you have to gain? A better education, a job you enjoy, and the possibility of making great new friends and possibly even a new love interest! You never know!
Let me give you an example from my own life. I was still working for a company in Michigan back in 2000 and was getting more and more discontented. I didn’t enjoy my work, but staying employed there meant job security and a health plan. But I was growing increasingly miserable. Now, I could have stayed there, but I decided to take a risk and went freelance. It was a little scary at first, because if you suddenly lose your clients you have no safety net, unlike when you lose a corporate job and can get unemployment for a while at least. But, with the help of some moral and financial support from my wife at the time, I was able to do it and I am quite happy not to work for “The Man” anymore.
You are cutting yourself off at the knees because you are imagining the worst-case scenario. Now, it’s okay to think of what can go wrong and make a contingency plan, but don’t run away from what can be a real opportunity for you just because of your fears.
I’m not saying this opportunity is right for you—only you can decide that—but the fact that you have the director on your side and will have a job and place to live tells me that karma is on your side. That’s a great sign. If this is something you really see yourself doing in the future to get more job satisfaction and a better financial payback, then you should do it. Go in with a bad attitude and believing you will fail, and you will likely create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Go in there expecting to succeed, and your optimism will go a long way toward making that happen for you.
As for solutions for saving money, that’s an entirely different letter. But, to be brief, you can cut all unnecessary expenses (entertainment, dining out, buying things you don’t actually need like games or whatever) and set aside a set amount of your income each month. There are many books you can get online to help you in that area.
Good luck, Foxtek, and let me know how it goes for you.
Papabear
I've Just Published My First Furry eBook!
I'm terribly excited to finally have made the jump into publication. I hope I'm not breaking any sub rules (I checked and double-checked the sidebar and didn't see anything to that effect), but I really thought some of you folks might be interested.
The story is about Keereet, a golden eagle with congenitally deformed wings who is forced to jump from a continent in the sky during a coming of age ceremony. He falls to the planet below, and the beasts there haven't seen an Avian in half a century. Beasts like Keereet have been reduced to myth and legend. This first installation of a three-part story focuses on Keereet struggling to survive in a world full of beasts who see him as something between an oddity and a threat.
There's a free sample of the beginning of the book, entitled Grounded, available on Amazon Kindle, or you can buy the whole thing for 99 cents!
submitted by EmilyamI[link] [6 comments]
Trying to get out of my comfort zone. Sergals!
I need practice :3
Hey, since I'm just doing the art part of the fandom, I want to practice A LOT so spam me with your requests and I'll give you a botched but Try-Hard attempt! Still working on the anthro people. Can draw people, can draw animals, put them together? Needs work :/
Edit: put your animal, gender, and any other specific details such as references
Edit 2: I'm practicing the shapes so excuse me if it isn't colored, if I become good enough I will do another post to color them!!!!
Edir 3: sorry to all those who I haven't drawn yet! Got an intense infection (darn bacteria!) and I'll be visiting the hospital but I'll try to keep up on all of you! I promise to try to draw everyone :)
submitted by TheTryHardGirl[link] [79 comments]
Should He Try and Repair an Old Relationship with His BF, or Start Anew with a GF?
Messy Dino Boi
My fA http://www.furaffinity.net/user/dkl/ My skype jay.dkl My email jasonsketches@gmail.com I'm open for commission and thanks for looking at my work!
Not sure why the link isn't working http://i.imgur.com/F442Wjx.jpg
submitted by scathsiorai[link] [comment]
