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15-Year-Old Furry Wants to Attend MFF sans Parents

Ask Papabear - Thu 21 Jun 2018 - 10:08
Dear Papabear,

I live right near Midwest Furfest and I've been wanting to go, plus I'll be 16 by the time it happens and It will be my first fur-con. I don't want to go there with my parents, but I want to find someone that can take me there that isn't a creepo or pedo, you know what I mean. My parents are aware that I am a member of the fandom, but I haven't told them that I wanted to go to MFF. I was planning on going there on the train with my temporary guardian so my parents don't have to go with me and I can have some sort of safety assurance. To cut to the chase, Is there a good resource to find someone to go with me and how can I get my parents to understand I want to go and be by myself once I find someone?

Anonymous

* * *

Dear Furiend,

Actually, I recommend you DO ask your parents to go with you. Why? A couple of reasons: 1) taking them with you to a furcon, especially a well-run con like MFF, will help allay any fears they might have about the fandom. Whenever Papabear talks with a parent who has actually attended a furry convention, they inevitably say it was a positive experience and gave them a much better impression of the fandom; 2) by inviting them to come with you, you are showing them that you are not being secretive about the fandom and that you have nothing to hide about your interests in being a furry.

I understand that you may feel that taking your parents with you is going to cramp your style and that teenagers often feel embarrassed when they are around their parents at social events, but you will see that many furries at the con will likely think it is super cool that your parents are there and that they support you. With luck, your parents could even have an awesome time and see that this is an activity that is creative and fun!

So, no, there is not a "good resource" to find substitute parents or guardians to go with you to a furry convention. At 15, you need a parent or guardian with you, you really do. Now, according to the MFF Code of Conduct, which is similar to that of most furcons: "Unemancipated individuals under the age of 18 (minors), unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, must present a signed and notarized parental permission form to receive a badge. Accompanying parents or guardians of minor attendees are responsible for the behavior, activities, and location of their charges." So, if you don't go with a parent or guardian, you're going to need them to sign paperwork for you to get an attendance badge. You might as well go the whole nine yards and take them with you.

After the first time you go to a furcon, your parents might agree to signing a form to allow you to go by yourself or with friends, but for your virgin trip, as a minor, I highly recommend that one or both of them accompany you.

Hope it all works out and you have a great time!

Papabear

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

Furry.Today - Wed 20 Jun 2018 - 18:05

Well, I do give a duck.
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Categories: Videos

Solo. T.3, Le Monde Cannibale, by Oscar Martin – Book Review by Fred Patten

Dogpatch Press - Wed 20 Jun 2018 - 10:00

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

Solo. T.3, Le Monde Cannibale, by Oscar Martin. Illustrated.
Paris, Delcourt, October 2017, hardcover, €16,95 (123 [+ 5] pages).

Thanks, as always with French bandes dessinées, to Lex Nakashima for loaning this to me to review.

Or maybe not. Solo is a three-novel set, and I gave very good reviews to the first two albums. Solo is a bioengineered rat-man warrior in a post-apocalyptic world, trying to build a peaceful home for his wife Lyra and their children. It’s a Conan the Barbarian scenario, full of constant blood, ambushes, gladiatorial combats, rat-vs.-everybody-else warfare, and little else. The action and mood are violent and exhausting, but as long as each album ends with a “to be continued”, there is the hope of a happy ending.

Well, we can forget that about vol, 3, “The Cannibal World”. Solo returns home after an unsuccessful hunt to find it smashed open and Lyra and their three children kidnapped. He searches for them in the human meat farms. He always misses them by days. He’s constantly delayed by fights to the death with humans, monkeys, cats, and bloodthirsty mutants.

On page 67, Solo finds an orphaned puppy. He shifts from searching for his family to caring for the puppy, raising it to become a killer hound. When Solo is eventually killed, the dog avenges him. (But it’s only a momentary victory. We are left to hope that the dog will continue to survive as Solo had.)

Solo. Vol. 3, The Cannibal World isn’t bad, but it’s a real downer. Get it if you want to complete the trilogy, but prepare to be seriously depressed.

Fred Patten

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Categories: News

199 - Alkali's F*ck Tubs - www.draggetshow.com Be sure to check our website…

The Dragget Show - Wed 20 Jun 2018 - 02:43

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 199 - Alkali's F*ck Tubs - www.draggetshow.com Be sure to check our website…
Categories: Podcasts

198 - FIRECAST! - Our recent Livestream audio of our YouTube stream…

The Dragget Show - Wed 20 Jun 2018 - 02:29

Our recent Livestream audio of our YouTube stream! Here it is on YouTube if you prefer: https://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 198 - FIRECAST! - Our recent Livestream audio of our YouTube stream…
Categories: Podcasts

The Pearl of Animation

In-Fur-Nation - Wed 20 Jun 2018 - 01:39

There’s a lengthy article over at Animation World Network about a presentation at this year’s Annecy Festival by Pearl Studios from China. Formerly known as Oriental Dreamworks (they helped to finish the animation on Kung Fu Panda 3), the newly-christened Pearl Studios have struck out on their own with several animated feature films in production — and some of them of note to Furry Fans. First up is Abominable (formerly Everest), a co-production with Dreamworks that’s directed by Jill Culton. According to Pearl, “Abominable stars Everest, a 2,000-pound yeti who is curious and playful.” And who communicates without words, it seems. (Yes, it does sound like a more serious version of Warner Bros’ upcoming yeti film Smallfoot.) Also on board is director Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle) who is hard at work on an animated feature about the legendary Monkey King — a subject that he’s visited before in live action fantasy films. And further back in the pipeline are films like Tiger Empress (“… the story of a young tigress who grows from the obedient daughter of a Tiger Mom into a transformational leader when a prophecy convinces her that she’s the only one who can save their kingdom”) and Illumikitty (“… an irreverent comedy about the ultimate cat-astrophe: A feline plot for world domination”). You heard it here first.

image c. 2018 by Mochi

Categories: News

Lucas the Spider: Naptime

Furry.Today - Tue 19 Jun 2018 - 18:43

Equal parts adorable and nope.    
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Categories: Videos

The 2018 San Francisco Pride parade, furries and parties – what’s happening and how to join!

Dogpatch Press - Tue 19 Jun 2018 - 09:04

Before you read about fun with the SF Bay Area Furries, remember why Pride matters. A local furry posted about being a target of an unprovoked homophobic attack this week with a photo of a black eye. He got a lot of support and hundreds of comments, but preferred to keep the post friends-only. And while there was one bad thing, expect hundreds of good things for everyone involved.

Now, here’s how to join us animals for one of our biggest events of the year. Let’s prowl and howl for an all-weekend rager!

SF Pride has had rising furry attendance over several years. More than 70 furries are expected, half in fursuit (a real show-off occasion!) There will be national media coverage (a minute on TV among 280 other groups), and a crowd of over 100,000 watchers.

The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the hearts of the fandom, with likely the most dense furry population in the world. They have been active here since the 1980’s, and took part in Pride several times in the early 2000’s. They re-appeared (I’ve been organizing since 2012) with a float starting in 2014. Their interest starts with a hobby – but surveys find roughly 2/3 identify as LGBT.  With ultimate creativity to make your ideal identity, it’s about being as free as you can be! (See bottom for a timeline with links to their past participation.)

IMPORTANT – the float can’t happen without your help!

 

WE CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT VOLUNTEERS. They monitor the marchers and wheels of the vehicle, so nobody turns into road pizza. Right now we need YOU so we aren’t short. The training is easy and online: 1) Watch a short Youtube video, 2) Answer a few questions, 3) Confirm.

Read these instructions to help: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z49_DL3_3ZU-Og9VaqP_c998_5gNFLYQcCfkRn00Qxk/edit?usp=sharing

New members, be ready to march. Space to ride on the float isn’t guaranteed, it was a reward for the fundraiser (we made the goal with matching from Spottacus).

INFO TO JOIN THE PARADE:

 

GROUPS: There may be planning on the fly, so keep in touch and check for updates.

HELP: Check for answers below or in the groups before contacting.

MAP: Important locations you need to know.

Arrival on Sunday: BART riders, exit at Embarcadero.

Drivers: go to Moscone Center garage, 255 3rd Street. (That’s the middle of the route, for easiest walk to the prep area and back from the endpoint. It’s a 15 minute walk each way.) 1 day parking is $29.  BE AWARE there’s a Giants game the same day.

Marchers and volunteers: Arrive at SF Pride parade assembly point N2, at 123 Main Street. We’re Contingent #175.  Be no earlier than 10am, and no later than 1pm. Everyone should dress in animal theme, ears and tails. If you’re a volunteer, avoid head coverings to keep perfect vision.

Watchers: Be anywhere along the Market Street parade route, and the parade starts at 10:30. Remember, furries will be later in the day, possibly well after 1. If you want to attend the gated Celebration in Civic Center until 6PM, check the Pride website for details. (No bins are allowed inside.)

Fursuiters: No bins! Soft foldable bags only.  Due to space, hard bins are NOT ALLOWED on the parade float. A backpack is OK for small personal items. Consider changing on-street at the float (many do.) A van may be a base for changing or limited storage at Moscone Center garage, 255 3rd Street.

RIDING ON THE FLOAT IS NOT GUARANTEED unless you paid the GoFundMe campaign that earned a spot. Those who start on the float, stay on – it won’t stop. Everyone else be ready to walk the route. Consider outdoor footpaws and partialling.

This isn’t cushy or casual.  It’s on the street, in the sun, and on the move. Be rested and hydrated and stick together. There’s no lounge, the crowds are wild, and it’s a show that needs exertion, so be ready to work it for the crowd!

Parade details: In previous years the real start was hours after the official time.  Be patient, but don’t be late, the parade can’t wait!

Marchers, watch your spacing as a group, and where the float is. Try not to clump up, leave gaps or fall behind. The front-facing banner is where the crowds first see us, but active performing close to the barriers is good too. Use the whole street between the float and crowds on BOTH sides. Pose, give hugs and work it! Look for TV cameras on the right side after Fremont Street (a few blocks from the start.)

Parade length is around 45 minutes – 1 hour. At the drop-off on 8th Street, bags and personal items on the float will be handed back to you.

Refreshments: Bottled Water and Sports Drinks.  Please bring your own snacks or extra water.

Crash space and dinner:  Relay (@relayraccoon on Telegram or Twitter) can host overnight in SF. We can meet at his den after the parade ends to go out for dinner at Picaro, on 16th street near Valencia.

SUITERS, for another changing option consider asking Relay to assemble at his den and leave your stuff. You can wear your fursuit on BART to the parade (he’s a 10 minute walk from 16th.)

Conduct tips: San Francisco gets furries, so be fabulous! Pride was born out of protest and some will let their freak flag fly. Organizers reserve the right to deny participation to anyone (it’s never happened). Contact if your costume may be questionable but the only rule is: Be nice and safe. At large urban events there have been incidents like fursuit thefts or hostility, so stay smart and buddy up. Riding BART in fursuit can be intense with crowds, but it’s doable. They love it just like crowds on the street love fursuit photos.

A LOOK BACK:

 

Tom Howling said about 2002: “I was one of the (minor) organizers for that, and want to remind people that there was significant pushback from within the furry community — including among some who consider themselves “leaders” — to prevent us from doing this. They felt that associating with such an event would pigeonhole us as The Gay, or sex-crazed, or whatever. At times it was quite a fight. Sometimes you just have to just ignore and contradict “leaders”.”

UPDATE: the anon local fur who was attacked responded: “Hey it’s important to note that there has been an uptick in hate crimes targeting gays. Obviously since the election it’s been up in general, but in this month, pride month- I know of three other guys who got beat up in SOMA. I think it would be cool if you mention them as well. My situation is the 4th that I know of in the past week.”

Building a tighter group is a good way to help.

There’s all the info you need to be ready. Come out and bring your friends, this will be the best weekend of the year!

Categories: News

Spell of the West

Furry.Today - Tue 19 Jun 2018 - 00:56

Poor birds, they have no thumbs. "On an isolated cacti farm, three stressed out birds ask a cowgirl to help put a stop to the elusive Ax-Man."
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Categories: Videos

TigerTails Radio Season 11 Episode 09

TigerTails Radio - Mon 18 Jun 2018 - 16:23
Categories: Podcasts

How Slow Can You Go?

In-Fur-Nation - Mon 18 Jun 2018 - 01:59

Here’s something we missed: The Giggle and Learn series, written and illustrated by Kevin McCloskey. The latest book is called Snails Are Just My Speed. Here’s what Toon Books has to say about it: “Did you know snails build roads like engineers and go undercover in camouflage like spies? Did you know they can be smaller than a seed or bigger than a grown-up’s hand? Kevin McCloskey mixes snail science, art, and hilarity for the newest book in his Giggle and Learn series, praised by The New York Times as ‘a winning combination of facts and gross-out fun.'” Looks like a little Science goes a long way… eventually…

image c. 2018 Toon Books

Categories: News

Dream Dogs

In-Fur-Nation - Sat 16 Jun 2018 - 17:32

Now here’s a really different sort of art book from Seven Seas. “Fanciful Dogs in Secret Places: A Dog Lover’s Coloring Book offers hours of coloring fun and relaxation, featuring detailed artwork of lovable dogs surrounded by enchanting scenery, eye-catching ornaments, and friendly creatures. Honoel’s vibrant illustrations reveal more surprises upon every viewing, and are just waiting to be colored, making Fanciful Dogs in Secret Places: A Dog Lover’s Coloring Book an unforgettable treat for any dog lover.” And you can find it over at Previews.

image c. 2018 Seven Seas

Categories: News

New to the Fandom, Furry Wonders If It's Okay to Have an Insect Fursona

Ask Papabear - Fri 15 Jun 2018 - 19:54
Dear Papabear,

So I just recently found out about the furry community, and I feel that it speaks to me on a level which I have never felt before. All my life, I have been looking for this sort of community, but I might have a problem.

As much as I love all furry creatures, I find myself most attracted to insects - they fascinate me as well as make me just feel so warm and fuzzy inside. The feelings that other furries have described about mammals, I feel about insects, the cockroach in particular.

I was just wondering and hoping that even though I feel such an attraction to insects (specifically cockroaches), I can still be a part of the furry community. In the past, I have only been able to dress up in my roach costume alone, and no one else has been able to share in my joy.

Also, I am kind of confused as to if the furry community is okay with having a kind of sexual attraction to animals. Whenever I see a particularly good-looking insect, I just can't help but get that kind of hot adrenaline rush that comes with it. I would never, of course, want to ever engage in sexual activity with an insect, but maybe someone dressed AS an insect.

Maybe that's too much and not normal though. It seems like some other furries take their furriness into their sexual lives though, and I would love to be able to do the same in my cockroach suit.

Anyway, thanks so much!
 
Roachie (age 26)
 
* * *
 
Dear Roachie,
 
Yes, you are clearly new to the fandom because you evidently have never heard of a famous furry named Uncle Kage (real name, Dr. Samuel Conway). Kage has been a prominent voice in the furry community, being one of the organizers of Anthrocon (the world’s largest furry convention) in Pittsburgh and as a kind of self-appointed spokesfur for the community (if you google him you will find videos of him talking to the media about what furries are).
 
And his fursona? You guessed it: a cockroach.
 
Kage is by profession an organic chemistry researcher. As a scientist, he apparently came to admire the cockroach as a species that is a survivor, and that’s why he chose this insect as his fursona. (I believe I’m recalling this correctly; been a while since I heard him speak at a furcon.)
 
I have seen other insects in the fandom, too. Usually, species such as bees and butterflies, but I’ve seen others such as various beetles, moths, wasps, spiders (arachnids, of course), and so on.
 
So, yeah, you can most certainly have an insect or arachnid as a fursona. Kiddo, there are no such thing as restrictions when it comes to designing your fursona. You could even create a hybrid that is part insect and part mammal or reptile or whatever.
 
And, yes, I have seen some furry porn involving insects, too. Psychologists call this formicophilia. When it involves real-life insects, the arousal might be about the stimulation of having hundreds of tiny legs tickling your body all over, or perhaps even an S&M fantasy of being stung or bitten. Now, you said you would not be into that and would be aroused more by a human-sized insect, perhaps as a fursuit. The psychology behind this might have to do with the exotic, alien encounter of having sex with such a being—or the taboo behind it—which creates a sexual tension that people could find enticing.
 
Hey, to each his own. As Papabear always says, as long as you aren’t hurting anyone, just have fun with it and stop worrying.
 
Papabear

Trailer: Concrete Genie

Furry.Today - Fri 15 Jun 2018 - 17:37

Coming later this year on PS4 is this game of living graffiti and bullying. This was made PixelOpus the same developer that made this: https://youtu.be/Nv5SEynpCWQ "Concrete Genie is a game about a bullied teenager named Ash, who escapes his troubles by painting spectacular living landscapes and mischievous creatures throughout his abandoned hometown of Denska. As he masters this magical paint, he discovers it can purify Denska’s polluted walls. Can Ash overcome the bullies and paint his hometown back to life?
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Categories: Videos

Meet Robert Hill: Artist, performer, and history’s first sexy fursuiter.

Dogpatch Press - Fri 15 Jun 2018 - 08:49

Come my pelted pals, gather around… and look back to the distant, dusty past Before Furry Cons.  A time when seeing a sexy “fursuit crush” in public was as unimaginable as looking at them on a phone in your pocket. (A phone with the brightness dialed all the way down, of course.)

It was the 1980’s, when apparently everything was written by eye-blasting lasers with no dial-down button, so wear your raddest shades:

Why dial it down when you can be this fresh?

Let’s meet a pioneer. It’s not a label anyone chooses, but what else do you call the first fursuiter at the first furry convention? (ConFurence 0… actually a test before the first one). And they weren’t just a generic cute thing you could see at Disneyland, but a *look away kids!* pleather-clad dominatrix deer. Schwing!

Astonishing vintage VHS footage of this Bigfoot-like creature was unearthed by Changa Lion, archivist for the Prancing Skiltaire (the furry house run by the founders of ConFurence in Southern California.) When Changa posted Hilda’s 1989 con video to Youtube, it went viral outside of fandom (with over 75,000 views to date). Then he found an even earlier one that few have seen until now.

In a way, these are like the Declaration of Sex-Positive Furry Independence. (Obligatory disclaimer for subscribers to the squeaky-clean side of fandom: that’s just one kind of furry, not all of them.)

Hilda the Bambioid leapt forth as a very adult fawn, fully-born from the mind of a creator, like none seen before. (OK, it was a fan tribute to artist Jerry Collins, but still.) Who would dare be a sexy furry in 1988? It was a Maculate Conception for a new breed of costuming, with the face of a cute cartoon, and the legs of your most guilty fantasy. (Of course a deer fursona comes with amazing legs!)

With wiggly, jiggly tail-shaking moves, Hilda danced onto a new frontier of fandom, blazing a path to Furry Trash Mountain and it’s eye-popping 1990’s peaks, like Silfur Bunny’s show at Anthrocon 1997. (I hope this stays classic for the 2020’s. Keep Furry Weird!)

Hufff… I want cottonballs on my face:

There may have been others besides Hilda – but not many. I’m unaware of any earlier ones documented and specifically furry (not theme park mascot-style or sci-fi con cosplay). Shawn Keller is credited as one of the first fursuiters in this history vid from Culturally F’d, but in the 1990’s. This article cites Hilda and quotes a lot from me and Fred Patten (“furry’s favorite historian”) about fursuit history and industry:

At the time, most fur-meet activity involved stuff like quietly sharing sketchbooks around a table, or passing around comics. Costuming was not the photogenic face of fandom then. Fred Patten has greymuzzle criticism about how fandom has changed from a quiet mouse into the roaring party monster it is today, with fursuits on top (I’m OK with being on bottom.) But I see the rise of costuming as simply the maturation of the skills, resources, and opportunities of the industrious makers who can make your animal self as huggable and tactile as the word “furry” itself.

In the 1980’s, you had to just Figure It Out and Do It Yourself.  None of it was made-to-order and nobody could do it as a fan-to-fan career. They just didn’t have access to the fur, plans, methods, info channels and inspirations that we do now. Cottage industry develops with scale, so now fandom has grown enough to do what people wanted then. The appearance of domination is just because costuming is a live, visual media; I don’t see it as takeover, because art and writing are healthier than ever too. Don’t hate what Hilda helped start when she dared to kick a hoof through that door.

Here’s a classic photo at the crossroads of fandom old and new:

“Fred Patten becomes editor of Rowrbrazzle at the LASFS Clubhouse in January 1989. Present are former editor Marc Schirmeister, and Bob Hill as a Bambioid.” Photo from kayshapero.net

Hilda was, as the headline says, the self-made art of Robert Hill. He was a cartoonist and a professional Disney character costumer who came in at the ground floor of the 1970’s fandom.  But wait, this isn’t just ancient history – he’s around right now, and although perhaps reputed to be a bit reclusive or hard to get an interview with, I got one for you!

That comes in part 2. While you’re waiting, browse his (very adult, fetishy, and hot) Fur Affinity gallery, or his Wiki that mentions some of his successes in getting media notice. Some was for costuming, and some for art (like in the badly intentioned, but well exposed) MTV Sex2K documentary “Plushies and Furries.” This furry doesn’t just follow others as a simple fan!

Here’s a 2016 Fur Affinity gallery post from him that hints about what to expect in Part 2.

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.

Categories: News

For Your Fashionable Feet

In-Fur-Nation - Fri 15 Jun 2018 - 01:02

Sara Varon is a comic creator whom we’ve talked about before several times as both a writer and an artist. (Seriously: Look her up!) Now she’s back as both again with her latest hardcover book, New Shoes, published by First Second. They describe it as “… a heartwarming graphic novel about a donkey on a quest to make the perfect pair of shoes.” Really now? “Francis the donkey is the best shoemaker in the village. He uses only the finest materials: coconut wood for the soles, goat’s wool for the insoles, and wild tiger grass for the uppers. One day he receives a special order from his favorite singer: Miss Manatee, the queen of calypso. But he’s all out of tiger grass! To make the perfect pair of shoes, Francis must journey deep into the jungle . . . and that means leaving his village for the first time.” Find it now over at Barnes & Noble.

image c. 2018 First Second

Categories: News

Public Suiting At Santa Monica, CA

Furry.Today - Thu 14 Jun 2018 - 22:41

Chatah Spots took a sunset stroll at Santa Monica with some cute fuzzies. OMG so cute!
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Categories: Videos