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Witch-Hazel, by her own admission, isn’t very good at being a squirrel. In fact, one might argue that she is downright foolish. When lured into a dark underground labyrinth by an enigmatic snake - with questionable motives - she obliges! Thus begins a quest which sees her solving puzzles, fighting the undead, meeting Gods and fighting monsters as well as ghostly apparitions.Dungeon Solitaire: Labyrinth of Souls is a Tarot-card based roleplaying game, created by Matthew Lowes. ShadowSpinners Press publishes books based on this fantasy universe. Mary E. Lowd, well known and well respected author within the furry fandom, gives this world the talking animal treatment.On entering the snake’s labyrinth, Witch-Hazel is at first claustrophobic and confused. She does, however, press on with her quest and gradually starts to appreciate the deceptive nature of this netherworld that doesn’t always play by the rules. Environmental hazards, high-stakes puzzles, monsters and enemies abound.Not everyone she meets underground is out to kill or deceive her, though. A friendly beaver, an otter (called Fish Breath, no less!) and a bee join her on her quest. The storyline is fairly linear, as is expected of a dungeon crawl style adventure. There are, however, enough surprises to keep it interesting.The reader is teased throughout by the notion that the antagonistic characters know a lot more about the true nature of the netherworld and Witch-Hazel’s quest than they are willing to share. With courage and a fighting spirit neither she (nor the reader) knew she had within her, she manages to unravel - at least part of - the mystery surrounding the Celestial Fragments. She also gets a glimpse of the All Being, the deity who created all Animals in this world.What gives this story its charm are the little details, such as the concept of Nut Gathering Songs that Witch-Hazel sings to herself as she tries to stave off fear and hunger. The animal characters are all fully realized, each having the traits, motives and behaviourisms one would expect. They each have a purpose and each have their own hopes, dreams and aspirations. Some of these are realized; some of these are sadly not. The world of The Snake’s Song is tightly woven and though at times (intentionally) confusing, it all pulls together nicely at the end.Whether you are familiar with the Labyrinth of Souls universe of not, you will find this novella an enjoyable, quick read that provides a glimpse into a well-developed fantasy world that begs further exploration. Highly recommended for lovers of high-fantasy (that crosses into the realm of mythology), those who love talking animal stories and those who enjoy DnD-style exploration and questing.

Here is an intro to the OIAF [1] animation film festival. With that out of the way check out the NSFW version if you dare: https://vimeo.com/295574977 [1] https://www.animationfestival.ca/
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And yet more animation heading to MIPCOM, looking for distribution. From Animation World Network: “Ken Faier’s independent production company, Epic Story Media (ESM), has signed major co-production agreements for two new animated series, Dolph-N-Fince and Haley & The Hero Heart, which both make their international debut at MIPCOM.” So let’s talk about the furrier, or rather, finnier of the two… “Dolph-N-Fince is a co-production with Canadian independent Neptoon Studios, headed by award-winning Todd Kauffman and Mark Thornton (Looped, Grojband, Sidekick) and Paris-based Samka Animation (Jamie’s Got Tentacles, The Marsupilami, The Sisters). Aimed at children aged 5-12, Dolph-N-Fince is a ‘fish out of water’ comedy about dolphin brothers who leave the ocean forever to live on land as guardians of Ocean King’s rebellious teenage daughter. The boys’ over-the-top personalities lead to crazy misadventures that always put Coral in the danger zone. If they blow this, their freedom and dolphin souls are on the line.” Shouldn’t that be cetacean out of water…?

image c. 2018 Epic Story Media

Yeah, I would like to do this to people texting at the movies as well.
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In a dog-eat-dog world, there's little room for a cat with high ambitions, and even less for her feisty, alley cat sister...Welcome to the world of Otters in Space, a future Earth where the pesky humans have wandered off to the stars and their overly loyal canines have remained to build society in their image and wait and wait... and wait for their return. It's not a great place to be a cat, and Kipper and her family know that as well as anyone. So when Kipper's sister decides to change the world and then mysteriously vanishes, there's nothing to do but suspect the worst.Has Petra met with foul play, or has she gone on a wild goose hunt, searching for a way into space and the fabled cat utopia to be found there? Kipper intends to find out, and her own fantasies of the feline paradise drive her straight toward the space elevator and a whole lot of trouble.Otters in Space takes a little while to get to the actual otters, but don't fret. They are there in spades for the second half of the book. It's a fun read and a solid adventure overflowing with furry characters to love, world-building that is unique and delightful, and a simple, sweet narrative that makes the book appropriate for any age.Though I had a few quibbles with Kipper's logic, and occasionally disagreed with her choices, the read was engaging, fun, and full of delightful surprises like Emily the octopus chef, a whole band of otter space pirates, and the very concept of "rivers in the sky." As a first installment in this series, the world was infectious, and Otters in Space is a fantastic hook that will definitely make you seek out the next volume. The ending puzzled me a little, in particular the non sequitur resolution of what actually happened to Petra, but it wasn't enough of an issue to detract from the real fun, which is Kipper's adventure and Lowd's wondrous vision of "otter space." This book will be a solid win for fans of lighter space opera, otters, and just plain fun.

It's been a bit, but we are back to fill you in on what has been going on! We have Kaar standing in for Tal this week Episode 45 - Furry, News, Podcast

The crew join together once more to (maybe) treat your ears! Episode 44 - Furry, News, Podcast, Kaar

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

The Passage series.

Rites of Passage, by John J. Sanders.
Seattle, WA, CreateSpace, September 2016, trade paperback, $11.00 (viii + 257 pages), Kindle $1.99.

City of Passage, by John J. Sanders.
Seattle, WA, CreateSpace, June 2017, trade paperback, $12.00 (v + 277 pages), Kindle $2.99.

Voices of Passage, by John J. Sanders.
Seattle, WA, CreateSpace, September 2017, trade paperback, $14.00 (vii + 326 pages), Kindle $3.99.

The Passage trilogy is set on Earth in the far future when humanity is turning much of it over to evolved AIs and new anthropomorphic animal clans that live like the pre-industrial native Americans.

Rites of Passage begins with the Otokononeko, the clans of the evolved lions and house cats living in the Great Sequoia Forests of West Coast North America. There are several offhand references to the humans, in San Francisco, Fresno, and other West Coast North American cities, but they are mostly offstage (at first).

“She dreamed of the dancing, songs sung, and stories told around the large fire. Dohi Aleutsi told a hilarious story about a young human male whose flying car was eaten by a Giant Sequoia tree. Her father and mother had undoubtedly heard the story before. Her father at one point in the story remarked that the car was still in the tree.” (p. 68)

The opening focus is upon Kaniko of the Otokononeko’s Anitsiskwa clan. The novel relates – or bogs down, for those who are not interested in such detail – the culture of the feline civilization in the Great Sequoia Forests. There are seven clans; the Anitsiskwa, Aniwaya, Anigilahi, Anikawi, Aniwodi, Anisahoni, and Anigalogewi. The symbol of the Anitsiskwa is bird claws; that of the Anikawi is antler-adorned leather vests; and so on. Kaniko’s parents and brothers are described, and the Otokononeko game of Stick and Rabbit is both described and played. It is around page 43 before the plot starts moving. Yet the first 42 pages are not boring. They are well-written and present the feline native civilization and characters’ personalities in great detail.

“She heard his crow calls and stopped her movement to listen to the forest. Jamel called two more times and silence. Her third-born brother, Domic, was much more patient and quiet. He was the kind of cat that would lie in wait for you to walk by before he’d pounce on you. She felt the summer breeze sweep through the trees and the tops swayed making the light in the forest dance. Still she waited for the slightest sound of movement. When she left her first-born brother on the ground, she had moved a little tangent to the point where she had heard his last call. She knew he had already moved, and she predicted he would move toward the inner parts of the arena. There the trees thinned until they opened up completely to form a loose circle around a small glade. Domic had long legs and could move faster when the trees were farther apart. They both knew this, and she knew he needed to get between him and the thinning trees,” (pgs. 18-19)

Kaniko, an Anitsiskwa adolescent (lioness), and her brothers Jamel and Domic are about to undergo their separate Rites of Passage to become Otokononeko adults. Just before the Rites, Kaniko meets Mathias, a wolf-humanoid. The felines have never seen a wolf before. Mathias has been injured in escaping whatever has captured him and his people, and the injury has given him amnesia. The Anitsiskwa decide that Kaniko’s Rite of Passage should be to go, with Mathias and with her two brothers, to find out who or what has “painfully” captured all the wolves and release them. Tomiroc and Sharri, two Otokononeko cousins from the Anikawi clan, join them.

They ask at the humans’ Institute of Synthetic Research in Fresno:

“His [Doctor Quinn] smile came back, and he asked, ‘So what can I do for you, do you need enhancements or modifications?’

A little surprised, Kaniko answered and gestured to Mathias. ‘No. We were hoping you could help us locate our friend’s origins. He has no memory of where he came from, only his name. There are no others like him near our home. His arrival is a mystery, and we thought, Fresno being the closest city, to start our search here.’

He looked at Mathias and back at the lioness that stood in front of him. He asked, ‘Hybrid or gene mod?’

Kaniko shrugged, ‘I… We don’t know. My parents and Mother Lacey thought he might be like us, a new species.’” (p. 124)

They learn that Mathias is a mod-human, a human-modified into a humanoid wolf at the genetic level – so he will breed true. That is an incredibly expensive process, and something that there should be a record of – unless it’s been deliberately hidden:

“Kaniko asked, ‘Why would anyone do this?’

Doctor Quinn answered, ‘That is the million credit question here. There are several fractured pieces of broken links in his DNA. They shouldn’t cause any problems, but it suggests that whatever was being done to him was not completed.’ He looked at the wolf and asked, ‘You’re incredibly strong, aren’t you?’

[…]

‘I think Mathias was purpose built.’

With her eyebrow whiskers raised, she asked, ‘For what?’

He took on a disturbed look and said, ‘It is spoken in some darker circles that the age-old practice of pitting animal against animal for amusement and gambling has taken on a whole new level of animal cruelty. It is reflective of what Lynn Leakey discovered in her own city more than fifteen years ago.’

Kaniko’s eyes widened, ‘You mean forcing children to fight in an arena?’

He nodded.” (p. 147)

Okay, that’s a major spoiler – that these three books aren’t about rescuing a clan of wolves, but about finding who has made a single wolf morph against his will. But that has to be revealed, or this review of the rest of Passages and all of City and Voices is going to be misleading. Also, Kaniko has taken this opportunity to ask Doctor Quinn if she and Mathias are compatible; if their children would be a blend of feline and lupine, or if they would be sterile. Now it looks like their children could be anything from feline and lupine to feline and human.

This takes the plot to about halfway through Rites of Passage. There are the conclusion of Rites, and all of City and Voices to go. There are plenty more surprises in the story. The three Passage novels (covers by Leanne Roach) are a fast-paced, ever-changing drama, with far more characters than the five Otokononeko and the one Ōkaminingen who set out to find Mathias’ origins.

– Fred Patten

• Buy Book 1 on Amazon
• Buy Book 2 on Amazon
• Buy Book 3 on Amazon

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon.  You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward.  They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.

Thanks to our friends at Animation Scoop, we found out about three new animated TV series that Dreamworks Animation is producing for Netflix. And guess what?  All three of them are anthropomorphic! First up is Archibald’s Next Big Thing, coming in 2019. “Inspired by the critically acclaimed children’s book from Tony Hale, Tony Biaggne, and Victor Huckabee, Archibald’s Next Big Thing follows the adventures of Archibald Strutter, a chicken who ‘yes-ands’ his way thru life. Though living in the moment often leads him astray, Archibald always finds his way back home.” Then in 2020 look for this: “Welcome to Gabby’s Dollhouse, the preschool show with a surprise inside! Created and executive produced by Traci Paige Johnson (Blue’s Clues, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) and Jennifer Twomey (Blue’s Clues, Team Umizoomi), Gabby’s Dollhouse is a mixed media series that unboxes a surprise before jumping into a fantastical animated world full of adorable cat characters that live inside Gabby’s dollhouse.” And finally in 2020: “All aboard to DreamWorks Rhyme Time Town, where Daisy the Puppy and Cole the Kitten are ready to guide young children through a colorful and adventurous world filled with nursery rhymes and imaginative play.” Stay tooned!

image c. 2018 Dreamworks Animation

I have no idea what is going on in this Dutch bank commercial but that is a Mayfly so if the bank can help him? Still, wonderful style and ... SQUIRREL! Bonus: Here is an English commercial for ASN with a Money Badger. https://vimeo.com/201635718
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If you visit San Francisco and you like subcultural stuff, try DNA Lounge. They’re an anchor for night life that supports unusually cool shows.

It’s Sunday night and I just got back from being on stage there with Rachel Lark. She invited me because I answered her need for a furry in her music video. Rachel’s show was advertised with stuff like “sex-positive, musical theatre, stand up comedy, politically charged rock”, and that’s not even mentioning the circus performers suspended in mid air! For the low effort of jumping around and wagging my tail, I left with an invite to be in Bawdy Storytelling, another wild happening. I love when furries get welcomed like this, and it shows how much potential there is for fandom to mingle with other crowds.

Furries vs. goths, and furries vs. drag queens are among previous DNA Lounge shows covered here. A lot of credit for a thriving scene is due to DJ Neonbunny, founder of Frolic Party, whose activity brings recognition well outside of fandom. But since furries started flocking to Frolic in 2010, Northern California has been heating up with other crews starting new events too.

Midekai, Buster, Mr. Disk0, and Cosmo Coyote are some of the crew who talked to me about Bass Totem, their furry-led crossover with local rave events. The upcoming one is part of the monthly So Stoked party:

On October 26, Bass Totem is hosting a stage at DNA Lounge. Fursuiting encouraged, bring those positive vibes. <3 Our first Bass Totem took place in Sacramento CA, back in March 2018. It was a fursuit friendly rave party, was 18+ and smack dab in the middle of downtown Sac. We have a lovely recap video from Chatah Spots.

More about Cosmo’s organizing:

Cosmo Coyote has been a staple in the Electronic music scene in Nor Cal since 2013 – having done the opposite of what most fur DJs do. Instead of playing cons, he established connections through the nightlife industry in Nor Cal and threw events for the ravers in the area, showing that what you wear doesn’t matter as much as who you are. He persisted by getting opportunities to play under known electronic music artists such as Lumberjvck, Trollphace, Billy Kenny, Will Clarke, Taiki Nulight, Christopher Lawrence, J Phlip, DJ Dan, and Dubloadz, to name a few. Bass Totem was started for the furry community to bring a fresh element to events. As many fur events are club oriented or just centered on cons, he strives to bring furries and ravers together as communities and show there is nothing to be afraid of.

I asked @mr_disk0: What’s cool about this party? What’s it like partnering with So Stoked, and what do you think of the furry scene in Nor Cal?

This party offers a unique sound coming from artists all across the West Coast, and we showcase different DJ’s every year to keep building on that vibe. We’re blown away that So Stoked gave us this opportunity to team up with them. The furry scene here on NorCal has seen quite a jump in popularity, and we love the way it’s growing. We aim to have fun and create something magical for people to remember for years to come.

All the party details:

Bass Totem is SO STOKED to host the upstairs furr stage at DNA Lounge. This is a collaboration with PLUR Alliance, who will host the main stage downstairs.

DNA Lounge is the winner of over 60 “best of awards” featuring two stages, four dance floors, seven bars and a full-service late-night restaurant.

We are providing a suit lounge to change, and cool off in between shaking your tail. We have safe bin storage available to suiters.

The Bass Totem stage boasts hundreds of dynamic LEDs custom built to morph this venue into a vibrant one of a kind light show!

——–
Get your $15 presale tickets under the SO STOKED event page at:
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2018/10-26.html
——–
FB event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/169198237325115/
——–
MeetUp:
https://www.meetup.com/SFBayAreaFurs/events/255313011/
——–
Join Midekai’s event chat:
https://t.me/joinchat/B7DGUBJzzXhZw4hi6Ivr7A
——–

Doors at 7pm, Bass Totem stage 9pm – 3am

$25 at the door
All ages
Full bar for 21+

–FEATURING–

VYBRANT VIBES
soundcloud.com/vybrantvibes/bebe-rexha-bad-bitch-vybrant-vibes-remix

Midekai
soundcloud.com/mdkai/live-fc2017-saturday-night-freedownload

Raver Lyon
mixcloud.com/liam-tyler

Cosmo Coyote
soundcloud.com/steven-garza-1/oldschool-gangsta-bbq-party

Bvssik
soundcloud.com/bvssikofficial/bvssik-bitch

–Main Stage hosted by So Stoked!–
Eatbrain Tour ft. Jade, State of Mind, & MC Dino
Sc@r
Hartshorn
DJ Destrukshin
DJ Smokie
Pyramidhead
Average Joe

Be sure to invite your furriends!

More photos from their first event in March – credit to Chatah Spots:

Roo and Tugs are joined by the Moms of Furries in this episode where they learn how parents get into the fandom and raise furry children. We've visited the perspective of a child before and now we're looking at the other side of the coin. This is episode is powerful in so many ways, so prepare for maximum feels!





NOW LISTEN!
Show Notes
Special Thanks

Carrie and Joelle - the Moms of Furries!
Miski
Cane McKeyton
Keith
Rose
FarmWolf
Kit
Baldrik

Music

Opening Theme: RetroSpecter – Cloud Fields (RetroSpecter Upbeat Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller– Cloud Fields (Radio Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Potty Break: Mystery Skulls – Ghost. USA: Warner Bros Records, 2011. Used with permission.
Space News Music: Fredrik Miller – Orbit. USA: Bandcamp, 2013. Used with permission. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Fifty Sheds of Grey: Kevin MacLeod - Spy Glass. Licensed under Creative Commons: by Attribution 3.0. Visit Incompetech for more.
Returning from Break: Teardrops in the Rain: Nobou Uematsu from Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Soundtrack. FINAL FANTASY XIV © 2010-2016 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Used per Materials Usage License.
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!)

Patreon Love
The following people have decided this month’s Fur What It’s Worth is worth actual cash! THANK YOU!
 
Artorias Ichisake and Kit and Cody


Rifka, the San Francisco Treat!

Lokimutt and Guardian Lion and Dusky and Katchshi
Plus Tier Supporters

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McRib Tier Supporters

Hachi Shibaru
Lygris S8 Episode 2 – Mom! Mom! Mommy! Mommy! Mum! Mum! Mama! Mama! - Roo and Tugs are joined by the Moms of Furries in this episode where they learn how parents get into the fandom and raise furry children. We've visited the perspective of a child before and no

Patreon: www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow www.draggetshow.com Be sure to check our website for all Things Dragget Show! Podcasts, videos, merch and more! Also, don't forget we stream the D&D sessions Sunday at 7pm Central on YouTube! YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/DraggetShow 208 - Fur Reality LIVE! - Patreon: www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow www.drag…

New from Tokyo Pop we have the first full-color comic follow-up to Nightmare Before Christmas — and just in time for Halloween, too. In Zero’s Journey, “When Jack Skellington’s faithful pet Zero gets lost, the ghost pup must get the help of the residents of Christmas Town to find his way back. With Halloween plans on hold while Jack mounts a search, will they be reunited in time to save both holidays?” Written by D.J. Milky, this new series features art by Kei Ishiyama, Kiyoshi Arai, David Hutchison, and Dan Conner. Check it out.

image c. 2018 TokyoPop

A nice collection of news and discussion.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• FYRE FESTIVAL SCAMMER BILLY MCFARLAND SENTENCED TO 6 YEARS IN PRISON
• Yiff.Life Mastodon Instance
• ANIMALS? ON A PIRATE SHIP?!? Kerfluffle 9: All Paws on Deck!
• Was Tony The Tiger Driven Off Twitter By Unbelievably Horny Furries?
• Zoofonix Podcast

News:

• A wagging finger sticking out of your mobile phone is creepy. Why?
• Passengers all evacuated after woman brings ‘emotional support squirrel’ on plane
• Philadelphia building taken over by tentacles
• ‘Intoxicated’ cockatoo survives crashing into vehicle
• Banksy Painting Self-Destructs Immediately After Being Sold For $1.4 Million
• Fans Raise Thousands For YouTuber After His Lego Collection Was Stolen
• Police seek 1,000-pound hammer sculpture in California

FC-309 Polly Want A Pint - A nice collection of news and discussion.

A nice collection of news and discussion.

Download MP3

Link Roundup:

• FYRE FESTIVAL SCAMMER BILLY MCFARLAND SENTENCED TO 6 YEARS IN PRISON
• Yiff.Life Mastodon Instance
• ANIMALS? ON A PIRATE SHIP?!? Kerfluffle 9: All Paws on Deck!
• Was Tony The Tiger Driven Off Twitter By Unbelievably Horny Furries?
• Zoofonix Podcast

News:

• A wagging finger sticking out of your mobile phone is creepy. Why?
• Passengers all evacuated after woman brings ‘emotional support squirrel’ on plane
• Philadelphia building taken over by tentacles
• ‘Intoxicated’ cockatoo survives crashing into vehicle
• Banksy Painting Self-Destructs Immediately After Being Sold For $1.4 Million
• Fans Raise Thousands For YouTuber After His Lego Collection Was Stolen
• Police seek 1,000-pound hammer sculpture in California

[Live] Polly Want A Pint

Quite frankly, the publisher explains this better than we ever could! “In this hilarious graphic novel, the roles of cats and humans are reversed, putting humanoid felines in charge of tiny, dimwitted little man-pets. Manfried is a stray taken in by Steve Catson, a slacker with a dead-end job and nonexistent love life. Soon Manfried becomes the Garfield to Steve’s Jon Arbuckle: Lazy, selfish, and sometimes maddening in his weird human behavior. Yet the pair depends on each other to get through life’s troubles. When Manfried runs away, Steve musters his meager resources to find his best man-friend and bring him home safe.” Manfried the Man (written by Caitlin Major and illustrated by Kelly Bastow) is out now.

image c. 2018 Quirk Books

So for Friday we have some of that classic French electronic puppet music of Mr Oizo (Quentin Dupieux).
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