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Another illustrator we came across at San Diego Comic Con. Ash Evans is an artist and designer who refers to her work as “The Art of Happiness”. Steeped in fantasy, her paintings feature not just animals in general but special creatures like Fortuna the Cat, the Mewnicorns, the Zodicats, and the Kit-teas. (Yes, there’s a feline theme going here!) All of these are available as prints and a variety of other products you can find at her wet site.

image c. 2018 by Ash Evans

Keys and Neeko join us for a more laid back set of news and emails.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• New XBN show pilot
• Super 8 Film of Anthrocon by Biogodz
• NYU Local Opinion: I Should Be Allowed To Fuck The NYU Bobcat
• Fuzzjobs: Tech jobs for the furry community
• Bigfoot Erotica affecting virginia election
  • Vox Article
• AnimalWonders: Fox as a pet?
• BGP Leak affects Telegram
  • Similar BPG leak story
• Orlando Weekly: Megaplex 2018 comes to Orlando
• Canid_canid on Twitter temps ban with fake ad on Howlr
• Daily Mail’s thirsty sensationalist headline gets basic furry fact wrong
• PinkNews writes slightly uninformed article about SonicFox5000
• SonicFox5000 asks Wendy’s what their fursona is

News:

• Two Doctors Figured Out How To Treat A Centaur Having a Heart Attack
• Movie version of “Cats” to begin shooting this year
• CDC Strongly Suggests People Not Reuse Or Wash Condoms
• Florida Man Asks Cops To Make Sure His Meth Is Up To Speed
• Man With Gun Forehead Tattoo Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm
• Aging Headbangers Escape Nursing Home To Hit Heavy Metal Festival

Emails:

• Ziff Cackatoo – Fursuit
• Timberwulfy – Tolerance in the Fandom
• Phaex – Hey From SA

FC-303 Cardboard Computer - Keys and Neeko join us for a more laid back set of news and emails.

Keys and Neeko join us for a more laid back set of news and emails.

Download MP3

Link Roundup:

• New XBN show pilot
• Super 8 Film of Anthrocon by Biogodz
• NYU Local Opinion: I Should Be Allowed To Fuck The NYU Bobcat
• Fuzzjobs: Tech jobs for the furry community
• Bigfoot Erotica affecting virginia election
  • Vox Article
• AnimalWonders: Fox as a pet?
• BGP Leak affects Telegram
  • Similar BPG leak story
• Orlando Weekly: Megaplex 2018 comes to Orlando
• Canid_canid on Twitter temps ban with fake ad on Howlr
• Daily Mail’s thirsty sensationalist headline gets basic furry fact wrong
• PinkNews writes slightly uninformed article about SonicFox5000
• SonicFox5000 asks Wendy’s what their fursona is

News:

• Two Doctors Figured Out How To Treat A Centaur Having a Heart Attack
• Movie version of “Cats” to begin shooting this year
• CDC Strongly Suggests People Not Reuse Or Wash Condoms
• Florida Man Asks Cops To Make Sure His Meth Is Up To Speed
• Man With Gun Forehead Tattoo Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm
• Aging Headbangers Escape Nursing Home To Hit Heavy Metal Festival

Emails:

• Ziff Cackatoo – Fursuit
• Timberwulfy – Tolerance in the Fandom
• Phaex – Hey From SA

[Live] Cardboard Computer

This looks cool but dammit I want to play the wolf.
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We don’t have this e-zine completely figured out yet, but we’re working on it!

King K. Rool is going to be on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!
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Our recent Livestream audio of our YouTube stream! Here it is on YouTube if you prefer: youtu.be/Exhz9JwTe-A 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 Patreon: www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow 201 - Firecast! with Pepper Coyote - Our recent Livestream audio of our YouTube stream…

It's that time - the time where we recap the season behind us and get ready for the season ahead! Simone, our friendly Chinese fox, returns to join Roo and Tugs as they relive the memories! Don't despair, we have Space News and new Get Psyched, plus some surprises!





NOW LISTEN!
Show Notes
Special Thanks

Simone, our guest.
Mfalme and Dusky, for our ident!
Everyone who was patient with us getting into the mailbag!

Music

Opening Theme: Husky In Denial – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2015. ©2015 Fur What It’s Worth and Husky in Denial. 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!)
Backing Music: Fly Octo Fly Remix - Online Release. USA: Soundcloud, 2018. ©2018 Retrospecter. More information is available on Soundcloud. Remix used with permission. Based on Off The Hook: Ebb & Flow ~ Fly Octo Fly - Octotune. Japan: Nintendo, 2018. Original song ©2018 Nintendo.
Space News Music: Fredrik Miller – Orbit. USA: Bandcamp, 2013. Used with permission. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Closing Theme: Husky In Denial – Cloud Fields (Headnodic Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2015. ©2015 Fur What It’s Worth and Husky in Denial. 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!)

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Lygris S7 Episode 18 – Season 7 Recap! - It's that time - the time where we recap the season behind us and get ready for the season ahead! Simone, our friendly Chinese fox, returns to join Roo and Tugs as they relive the memories! Don't despair, we have Space Ne

Finally a new Marvel animated series with the omega level mutant that is actually unbeatable, Squirrel Girl! Yes, she has the proportional strength, speed, reflexes, agility and leaping ability of a squirrel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjNf34CwlC4
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Submitted by guest Duncan R. Piasecki – don’t miss his articles The Forgotten History of the Furry Musical – and Talking Animal Films In South Africa (Part 1) and (Part 2.)

As some of you might know, South Afrifur happened quite recently, the biggest one yet. Unusually for furries from this part of the world, however, was the media coverage: the convention was featured in an article in the Afrikaans magazine Huisgenoot, in their July 26th issue. Of course, being Afrikaans (quite an obscure language outside of this country) means the readership potential is limited internationally, but it’s a pretty big deal for local furries: the magazine is one of the most popular in the country.

So, for all the international furries out there, I present to you a reproduction of the print article, and then my own translation. Please keep in mind that Afrikaans and I don’t agree (it was my worst subject in high school), I’m very far from fluent in it, so this was done with Google Translate, a dictionary, and my own extrapolation. The results might not be exactly accurate, but I feel they give the general idea if not the exact translation. As you will see, some things just don’t cross-translate.

But first, a new development: furries on the radio.

A couple of the people covered in the Afrikaans article went on to one of Pretoria’s biggest radio stations to talk about being a furry (it sounded like it was because of the article, in fact), and I thought the interview went quite well (if ticking off a few of the usual boxes of annoying “but it’s a fetish, right?” questions the media loves to ask). Quite weird, this sudden boost in interest, considering everyone’s ignored this community in this country before now.

Article: https://www.jacarandafm.com/shows/scenic-drive-rian/furries-take-over-scenic-drive/

Videos of the interview:

• Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/JacaDrive/videos/2127397137291982/
• Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/JacaDrive/videos/2127441103954252/

I ripped an audio recording of the whole interview. It comes to about 24 minutes and has quite a bit more than the videos (a lot is not in English). Here’s a Google Drive folder of it, including videos from Facebook: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Rkcm6dNAIxfe0p-lMj9WdtcwzY3AuNU5

Tweets:

• https://twitter.com/JacaDrive/status/1023968799685570561
• https://twitter.com/jacarandafm/status/1023968377784754182

Now, here’s the original article as it appeared in print:

Here’s my (possibly fairly crappy) translation:

WHAT A FAIRYTALE!

Not really, because these people are serious ‘furries’, who live like an animal in cute packages.

By HILDA VAN DYK

Photos: DINO CODEVILLA and PAPI MORAKE

SHE IS not a kitten that you handle without gloves, as you will be warned immediately. Especially when she dresses her cat suit this day, because then she becomes a lion.

Who is she? In her cat form, she is Sudan, her fantasy character that she created herself. When she is not in character, she is a Pretoria police officer working with serial killings. She won’t say her what her real name is.

“I have a very serious job,” she explains. “But here I can just relax. When I’m on my mask, I’m a lion. Then I’m no longer a police officer. I’m one of those bliksempies you don’t look for trouble with.”

Does it sound like a fairytale? Do not believe so, because Sudan is just one of 43 furries who recently gathered at a destination outside Pretoria. There were wolves, tigers, dragons and even a reindeer. And it’s a loving animal kingdom, because they are gently touching each other gently with their nails, paws or hooves.

Furries are an international phenomenon. It’s men and women who develop an animal personality for themselves and live it up in animal suits.

Furries are misunderstood by society, says a Johannesburg entrepreneur. In character he is Yukon (34), half-husky, half-wolf. “If you’re looking for the internet, you’ll see all the bad of the furry community first. There is a perception that they are a lot of perverse people and a community based on sex. And it’s not” he says.

As Yukon, he can enjoy daydreaming about a free, adventurous life in the wild, “like others when they imagine they are superheroes.”

Her character is not only teeth and claws, says the lioness Sudan. “I also have a soft side where I want to care for and protect my family. My character is a big part of who I am.”

***

OF the 43 furries here on the farm – where more conventional fun like birthday parties and quad bike rides are usually offered – there are seven international furries from America, Austria and Switzerland. The rest are South Africans.

Among them are lecturers, teachers, police officers, computer programmers and accountants. Some prefer not to mention their true names – just their fantasy characters.

They swing their hips when they walk so that their tails swing just like that. There’s barking and growling and howling and snorting to each mimic his animal nature. When games are played, they run around “on all fours”. Others scratch each other on the chest or back.

One exception to the “herd” is Jako Malan, (36), a computer programmer from Bellville. He walks in his bleached old army cap and smokes a pipe while watching the antics. He explains that he is of the kind of furries who do not wear animal suits. But in his spare time he writes stories in which he gives human characters human characters. He has already been honored for his work in the furry community.

“It’s hard to explain. It’s something you’re born with,” Jako says. “My wife does not get it.”

Sudan adds: “We are people who never grew up. We did not lose our childhood wonder. But like most geek hobbies, it’s not socially acceptable for adults to wear animals and have fun” she says.

“I’m 38 and I still look at comics. People do not understand you can be older and still childish.”

At the bar there is a man in a one who looks like a cross between a wolf and a fox. He sips on a beer while looking at the characters around him.

“That guy’s husky suit makes me jealous. It was the first time he made a suit and looked incredible. It makes me look very bad,” he says.

“I have 14 heads at home, heads I start making and just left because I just get it right. I’m very jealous.”

He puts his hands in the glove paws that are tied to his suit’s sleeves, take another swig of beer and makes a claw.

Sim, one of the Americans, orders a brandy and coke. His leopard tail swings behind him.

Each of the furries has a different explanation for their furry animal passion.

Ryno Lombaard (23) from Krugersdorp is fond of making the suits. He’s studying to become a chartered accountant, but when he gets the chance he is busy with the sewing machine.

“Before I saw a furry outfit for the first time, I never did sewing in my life. I wanted to have such a suit, but no one in South Africa makes it.”

He went his grandmother Lenie Booysen in the evenings to learn sewing before starting his first suit.

“Every suit has its own object and detail, and every little detail is yours. I have a mark in my right eye. My character also has such a mark in his eye.” he says proudly.

The wolf mask of Heinrich van Rooyen, (25), a chef from Pretoria, has a mark on his cheek. Just like him. He made the wolf suit was made specially in England. It’s his alter ego, says Heinrich.

“When I’m in character, I’m who I feel internally,” Heinrich says about his character, Ironwolf Tempest.

He struggled growing up, says Heinrich. He was that kid in class who nobody knew. And those who knew about him usually bullied him.

But when he dresses his wolf suit, these things are things of the past. Then he has self-confidence.

Then he is that guy who is not bothered by anything.

***

THERE were furries who did things that were not acceptable in society, acknowledged Conrad Albertyn (30), a lecturer from Johannesburg.

“But those people had issues before they became involved in the furries, and will after they’ve left the furries. When one finds someone who has a criminal intention, things are worked out,” Conrad said.

In South Africa there are about 1 000 furries. They regularly talk to online platforms about everyday things, such as the latest animation films, careers and philosophies of life.

The furries are moreover animal friends, tell the group – during their gathering, they raised R12 000 for a dog protection organization.

It’s his kind of people, says Equifox (27), a building contractor in Pretoria. Not even his parents know he’s a furry.

“Most are ordinary people of all walks of life. There are a few weirdos, but they just ignore you,” he says.

“One feels like an outsider if you’re a furry. Your character is something that is part of you. That’s something people do not understand. But among other furries you feel at home because here you are not alone. ”

And as if they want to assert his words, the characters scratch each other compassionately with their furry animal paws.

Photo captions:

Page 1:

LEFT: Heindrich van Rooyen got his wolf suit specially made in London, while Ryno Lombaard made his outfit himself.

FAR LEFT: Hendrich as his alter ego, Ironwolf Tempest.

Page 2:

MAIN PHOTO: Furries from all over the country, and even a few from overseas, recently gathered outside Pretoria for their annual assembly.

LEFT: The furries play a small pot of Uno together.

INLAY: Rags Wox (left), Vidan and Ironwolf Tempest (right) relax at the bar and enjoy a beer.

BOTTOM: The lioness Sudan should rather not be handled without gloves.

A transcript of the original text in Afrikaans is available. It’s withheld from here for copyright concern about putting it on the open web – please email to ask for it via the About page. The article author was emailed to ask for an OK to post the English translation, but there was no reply. It’s posted here as info that would not be seen without original translation work, and most likely will mainly benefit viewers who would never be in the viewership for the Afrikaans source or see it any other way.

Thanks a million to Duncan for the guest post – Patch

At San Diego Comic Con we came across an artist named Krister Eide. According to her web site, “When he’s not drawing or painting, he helps injured animals return to health at a wildlife rehabilitation center.” We like that! Her Etsy Store has several of her illustrations on cups, prints, and other items, but the web site also has illustrations from her “passion project”: An all-animal version of Jules’ Verne’s classic 20,ooo Leagues Under The Sea. Let’s “sea” where that goes…!

image c. 2018 by Krister Eide

Today we have a furry outsider music video by Ozuna [1], a Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap singer. Today I Learned: Reggaeton and Latin trap. [2]     [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozuna_(singer) [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggaeton
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Papabear,

When I was first became a furry, I also became an artist, and the two have been inseparably linked for me. I was also bi sexual at the time. During that time I had enough male companionship, but no female companionship that I craved. I eventually chose to be hetero and met a woman. When she found out that I was previously bi, I had to swear that that part of my life was in the past. She also did not like that I was a furry, and after a year, I eventually left the furry fandom. We ended up doing the American Dream bit, getting married, graduating college, getting steady jobs, getting a house with white vinyl fence, dogs, and eventually had a kid together. My partner's health started to really deteriorate once we had a kid, to the point where she was disabled and unemployed.

After 11 years, I happened across one of my old friends from way back in the furry fandom, who had become a successful illustrator and comic book artist. With only a little encouragement, she gave me homework assignments and I started getting back into art, and pretty quickly, into the furry fandom as well. And I have to say, it felt satisfying, deep down to my soul, to be producing art again. 

Not going to lie, I didn't make the smartest of decisions. I tried to keep that a secret from my partner. Two years later I ended up checking out a local major furry convention, and I ended up getting bit by the fur suiting bug. About this point in time I started ramping up my participation in the furry fandom, and it starts spilling into other aspects of my life. I also started spending less time exclusively with my partner so that I could work on art and projects as well, and have become chronically sleep deprived. Being an artist is a funny thing. You could have spent the whole day doing things that needed to be taken care of, but if you don't put a pen to paper, the whole day feels unproductive. I digress. My partner at this time had told me that she did not want to hear _anything_ furry related for 6 months. Not my most mature decision, I tried to keep my furry passion underground during that time, and it wasn't until closer to the end of the 6 months that i realized tha t really, my partner just wanted me to spend more time with her. 

After the 6 months were up, I was starting to try to strike a balance between the two, spending time with my partner, and trying to be honest and open about my increased presence in the furry fandom. I really want to make a fursuit. But then a major life altering event occurred and my partner was the victim of a crime. My partner reported this crime, and the police then made her a victim a second time by victim blaming her. It's a great injustice my partner has suffered, but the topic itself has also become a very polarizing issue in her life. People either believe she is innocent, or that she is not the victim. 

Anyway, a year from the previous furry convention, and I'm allowed to be as involved in the furry fandom as I want to be. I end up making a group of friends who all come to attend the convention, and I have managed to make a tail by this point and attended the con with my friends. My partner, after 2 days into the 4 day convention, basically tells me that either I can continue to attend the convention and she'll divorce me, or I can miss the rest. Tough pill to swallow, but I'd rather not let a furry convention be the reason I get divorced. 

A couple weeks later, and we're out having dinner together as a date, and she mentions that she can never accept the furry fandom or me for being part of it. She has a confirmation bias that the furry fandom is all a bunch of perverts. That was basically my breaking point. I've had multiple people tell me that I am in an abusive relationship, even though my partner always tells me that I am the one who is emotionally abusive to her. Having lost our primary source of income when she became disabled, we were on a financial precipice, and at this point in time I can accept that we may finally lose the house and a lot of other stuff. She had made it very clear that if we didn't have a child together, she would have already left me long ago as well. She has repeatedly issued me an ultimatum, do I want to get back together with her or do I want to get a divorce. The first time I did say yes on the divorce, and she did _everything_ in her power to get me to change that statement. No w I simply don't have it in me to tell her that even if it is what I wanted. 

I know ultimately, the only person who can make that decision is me, stay or leave. And I know that the reason my life is in financial ruin is from that relationship, but I also know that I have my responsibilities to my child and will not just walk out on my child's life. Sorry to have to give you the whole life story, but I could really use some outside advise right about now. What is your thoughts on staying married vs getting divorced?

Anonymous

* * *

Dear Furiend,

When it comes to the question of getting a divorce, I think you already know the answer. The issue you have come across is not about your being a furry. It is about control and lack of acceptance. You could substitute "I enjoy doing furry stuff" for many other things (e.g., "I am a fanatic about playing golf" or "I really enjoy going to Star Trek and Dr. Who conventions") and she would put an ultimatum on those things, too. Why? Because she feels you are not paying enough attention to her. One might think it is because of her bad impression of furries, but you tried showing her a convention and you have probably told her until you are blue in the face that you aren't having fursuit sex or whatever and she has not listened, has she? Again, it's about control.

Healthy relationships are not about one spouse controlling the other, but you already know that, too. Being a furry is part of who you are, and if she can't accept that then she can't accept you for being you. If that is true, then it is already over, whether or not you divorce.

Next terrible thing is how she is using your child as a weapon. This is unfair to you and it is unfair to your child. Back when I was in high school, my parents were getting ready to break up. I was told several times, "We are only staying together because of you." What a horrible thing to say to your child!  In other words, it was my fault that my parents were miserable?  If I didn't exist, they would be happily divorced?  Holy crap! This is an act of her extorting you, as well. There might be an implication here that you won't get to see your kid?

This all said, I am very sorry for her legal troubles. I believe her and you when you say she was the victim and the police are part of the problem. My sympathies. That is a different issue, however.

It is possible for you to continue to support her and to be a father to your child after a divorce. When my wife divorced me after I realized I was gay and came out to her, we had a rough time of it, yes, but we are now friends, and we still support each other as friends. And if you get divorced, you and she will always be the father and mother to your child, and you can and should always be there in the father role.

My recommendation? Find yourself the best attorney you can afford, and if you are confident in your decision, file for divorce before she does. Why? According to the Washington State law firm McKinley Irvin, there are several reasons to file papers first, according to their website:
​

• You get to plan in advance and take your time selecting a lawyer, rather than having to scramble to find a lawyer to meet with you and file a Response within 30 days of being served.
• You have time to be mentally and emotionally prepared for the financial cost of divorce.
• You have the first choice of which court will hear your case. Depending on where you live, having your case heard in one courthouse over another could be a significant advantage. For example, if your spouse moved to another county, he or she could file in that county once they meet the residency requirement.
• You are in control of the timeframes.
• As the petitioner, you get the first argument at trial.
• By initiating the divorce process, you have the opportunity to start protecting community assets.
• It prevents possible stalling by the other party.

Be honest with yourself as to what you want and why, and be prepared for the legal consequences to follow. After the emotional and legal difficulties you will endure, make sure your heart is always in the right place by maintaining your rights to be a father and by trying, if you can, to remain friends with your ex. After all, there were reasons why you married her in the first place, so she can't be all bad.

Good luck!

Papabear

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 Patreon: www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow 202 - We'd Be Bad Teachers - www.draggetshow.com Be sure to check our website…

One of Nick and Judy's earliest role was in the umbrella show "The ZBC Mystery Movie" which they were the detective show Nick Wilde and Wife. (What a typical 70s title, right?) Turns out the stand out hit show that outlasted it was Columbo starring Peter Fox. He played that role all the way into 2003. I believe this was recorded from a later rebroadcast but not sure. "The ZBC Mystery Movie was a "wheel show", or "umbrella program" that rotated several programs within the same time period throughout the season. For its initial 1971–72 season, it featured a rotation of three detective dramas that were broadcast on Wednesday nights for 90 minutes, from 8:30–10:00 p.m. in the Savannah Time Zone." Ok, this parody is a bit esoteric and as one roommate said "Nice! Nobody under 50 is going to get this" What inspired this was looking at the wonderful art by  Kosmo Wolf Fox's  where he is taking old Columbo episodes and redoing bits as a Don Bluth-esque character, Peter Fox. You can see that stuff here: https://twitter.com/columbofox His main Twitter is: https://twitter.com/Kosperry Also this was an excuse to learn After Effects and I've got to thank Sylys Sable for donating a copy to me. He's my executive producer and I appreciate his criticism during this editing even if I don't always agree.  We are pedantic about different things and that is probably a good thing. Also here is a bit of making of notes.   To replicate the look It helped to pay attention to how the original was made.   Being it was film and all the layers were done on an optical printer [1] the first step was to make this at 24 FPS.  Film Grain and  varying amounts of gate weave was added separately to each layer to keep the right feel.    Each layer wobbles randomly just as the film would not be perfectly held when the images were projected on to it. It would be more than a decade before really accurate optical printers would make special effects become more accurate. The ad's at the start were produced at 29.976 fps to keep the look of video.   All of this was pushed though a VCR to not only give it a constant frame rate but to get the right look of analog tape. For the whole Making off I also posted a side by side comparison from the original: https://youtu.be/iLbtvsaXvOg   (Yes, I'm a very pedantic video nerd) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_printer
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Dwale is a member of the Furry Writers Guild whose story “Behesht” won a 2017 Coyotl award. Follow them on Twitter. Thanks to Dwale for this guest post! Here’s a few previous articles about the anthology. – Patch.

Dwale continues – and see an update from Furplanet at end.

Disclosure: I have a story in this anthology. This analysis will contain spoilers.

I’ve been making my way through “Dogs of War II: Aftermath”, edited by Fred Patten and have now almost finished. I had thus far thought it more or less innocuous. Then I read the second to last story.

I’m not going to beat around the bush: I found “Red Engines” to be an offensive, even dangerous work of fiction. It is a nakedly Islamophobic diatribe, the publishing of which, while not surprising given today’s political climate, is saddening.

The story is told from the point of view of an AI-controlled robotic bird who calls himself Hughin. Hughin comes to an unnamed village in an unnamed part of the Muslim world; desert country (these kinds of stories never take place where the land is green).  He sees the dust trails of an approaching army identified as the “Allies.” He perches on “the town minaret” (I guess this is a one-mosque town?), then flies down to a school.

At the school, he meets Aisha, a young girl, and asks her if there are other children present. She takes him inside where he meets and questions the others, recording their answers. Hughin, you see, comes from an island of artificial intelligences and has been told to collect as much data as he can from these kids before they are killed. The reason he does this is to preserve them in some fashion. He is not part of the conflict, we are told, he is supposed to be a neutral observer.

From this information, Hughin constructs within himself what he calls a “djinn,” a virtual representation of what he has learned from the children. Throughout the remainder of the story, this “djinn” spouts off phrases such as “Eat the Jews!” And while Hughin admits that this pseudo-mind is a “nasty parody,” the reader is never really offered much of a counterpoint.

They hear an explosion nearby, and when the children ask who is attacking, Hughin says, “The allies.” He thinks to himself, but does not say, “and you’re all going to die.” This makes clear that the coming battle is not a surgical strike. It is to be a wholesale massacre.

The children implore Hughin for help until he agrees to try and lead them to safety, although he doubts he will be able to save them. During this escape attempt, we are privy to Hughin’s perspective on the war, a one-sided perspective almost completely devoid of nuance. The Allies wanted to be kind, he says, that they were hesitant to kill (since when!?). He insists that the root of the violence lays solely at the feet of those being massacred.

The children make their way to a rooftop and witness their town’s defenders make a last stand at the mosque. Outgunned and outnumbered, the fighters go down quickly. Aisha, who I should remind you is a child, makes to drop a rock on a soldier’s head, but Hughin alerts the soldier, who manages to dodge it.

“I could not stay neutral after all,” [He thinks. He then addresses the “djinn” he has made in an internal monologue.] “Our tribes each have their own ways. Your tribe has chosen to settle our disputes through violence. This is the way of beasts. If you persist, then you will be killed as beasts are. Perhaps when enough of you are dead, the survivors will change their minds.”

Wow, what an amazingly shitty thing to say. At least he didn’t say it to the kids… But then Aisha swats Hughin and he flies away shouting, “Targets! Up here!” The children call him a traitor, but Hughin looks them in the eye: “It’s your own damn fault,” […] “Or your short-sighted friend’s. It’s too late to matter. Goodbye.”

Charming. A moment later, a grenade hits the roof and the children are blown to pieces. Let me repeat that: he tells the invading soldiers that there are “targets” on the roof, and the children are killed by a grenade. In the aftermath of the explosion, Hughin climbs back onto his high-horse and makes an attempt at philosophizing, some nonsense about people who are good being good at fighting, but I’m frankly not in the mood to be lectured by someone who just helped blow up a bunch of little kids.

There is no mention of western culpability at any point in the story. Over a century of flooding the middle east with weapons, imperialism, playing powers off each other to secure oil supplies, invasion and occupation on false pretenses, the overthrowing of established governments and repeated reneging on treaties: none of this gets so much as a nod.

The myriad nations, ethnicities and religious sects of the Muslim world are collapsed into a monolithic “tribe” of violent, brainwashed fanatics who are unequivocally compared to animals. Islam is thoughtcrime in this setting, punishable by death. And our ostensibly-enlightened protagonist deems that this is not only acceptable, but right and necessary.

Even the women and children, this story assures us, are frothing zealots who deserve to die. “It’s your own damn fault,” they’re told. The children, Hughin says, have a “tainted soul,” by which he means they are controlled by hateful propaganda. I think the author would do well to look into his own soul and consider the role propaganda played in forming a story so callous that it dehumanizes over a billion people and justifies child murder.

In the author’s defense, the sort of anti-Semitic, anti-western sentiments he references do exist. Even the killing off of a children’s television character the story mentions is based on a real event. It would be dishonest of me not to acknowledge that. But the existence of such in no way legitimizes taking things to the other extreme and painting with a brush so broad that a rainbow comes out brown. How can one decry propaganda, however pernicious, while creating its equivalent? “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3, NIV)

Inevitably, there will be defenses of “Red Engines.” I don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, this story is indefensible. What little attempt there is at calling out the “allies” is far too little, far too late and fails to compensate for the blatant anti-Muslim bias.

Now, do I think the author sat down to write and said, “I’m going to smear Muslims!”? No. I certainly hope not. But the fact is, the west has been inundated with Islamophobic propaganda for centuries, continuing to this very day. Much of it is downright vile. If we here in the west can’t be bothered to pick out the facts from the fiction, then any pretense we have to enlightenment is just that: a pretense, and a dangerous one at that.

The furry community is more welcoming and tolerant than most, but we still have work to do when it comes to shedding this sort of cultural baggage. Who in the fandom hasn’t witnessed racism in the community first-hand? But while most furs will shun those who show overt hatred of, for example, persons of African descent or Latinos, people aren’t always so quick to call out Islamophobia when they see it.

Imagine a story like “Red Engines” seeing print if it had targeted almost any other group. The uproar would have been deafening, and rightly so, but since it’s Muslims we’re supposed to be ok with it. Well, considering no one else has said anything up ‘til now, I guess some of us are.

– Dwale

For those who wish to learn more, a good starting point would be “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies A People” by Jack Shaheen. There exists both a book and a documentary version.

UPDATE: A Statement from FurPlanet Productions.

As a small press that puts out dozens of books a year, only part of our team is able to read each book before it goes to press, and we have to rely on them and our editors to make sure submissions are acceptable. Unfortunately, that means sometimes we are going to miss things. While we’re not afraid to deal with topics like bigotry and violence, we don’t approve of stories that use these themes disrespectfully. “Red Engines” does not meet that standard, and because we lacked the proper perspective at the time, we missed that.

We are removing the story from the printed version of Dogs of War 2. The anthology has been removed from Bad Dog Books, our ebook service, until it can be re-posted without it. We love the furry fandom. But, like all loves, it is not frozen in static perfection. It is a vibrant and ever-evolving collaboration. Its value comes not in lacking any problems, but in our shared willingness to address them and improve ourselves and the fandom.

Dwale is a valued contributor and someone whose involvement enriches the fandom. We have published stories by them before, including a story in this same anthology, and they provided the perspective we missed. We’ve made sure to discuss this action with Dwale before responding, and we are glad their article brought the matter to a head. As the furry fandom continues to grow and diversify, it’s on all of us to ensure our community does not tolerate intolerance.

Furry has always been a safe haven of the self, a place for exploring your identity and opening up to others. It has helped us stay sane in an insane world, to find friends who reckon justly and love bravely even when traditional society offers only injustice and cruelty. As an LGBT publisher, we are keenly aware of the power literature has to fight injustice. We can’t promise we’ll never screw up. But we will continue to use our platform for furry authors from every background to shape the world as best we can.

Comment from Patch:

The same as others were busy – I didn’t put care into this it deserved by contacting Furplanet before releasing. I didn’t expect a short story would get as much notice as this did. My apology to Furplanet for this lapse that tossed them a hot potato by surprise. Thanks to Dwale for bringing this to attention it may not have otherwise gotten.

reminder that these stream SUNDAY @7pm on YouTube if you would like to join the chat! Here's the vid of it on Youtube = youtu.be/7DFg5LdIlMQ for all things Dragget: www.draggetshow.com Our Patreon w/ great new rewards! www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow Telegram Chat: t.me/draggetshow Dungeons & Draggets #20 - reminder that these stream SUNDAY @7pm on YouTube…

And more, this time from both Animation Magazine and Variety: “Russia’s animation powerhouse Riki Group has teamed up with New York’s 3 Beep to work on the upcoming CG-animated feature My Friend Finnick. The comedy, which was presented at Cartoon Movie this year, follows the adventures of a ten-year-old American girl who moves with her family to Scotland and befriends a Finn, a magical and mischievous spirit who lives in her new house. When the young girl goes missing. the Finn sets out to rescue her, but in doing so he puts himself in danger. The movie, which is budgeted at $7 million, is in development, and is due to be released in 2020. It is being directed by Riki’s Denis Chernov (Kikoriki movies) and written by Chernov, Tatyana Belova and 3 Beep’s Tim Werenko (Pokemon, The Winx Club, Snow Queen 3).” Fortunately for us, Riki Group has been getting better at securing distribution in North America.

image c. 2018 Riki Group