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Fursuit friday! So we have a new music video from Duke that Dancing Dog.
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There seemed to be a tipping point when outsiders started looking deeper into furry fandom, more than tapping on the zoo window and making lazy jokes. They started writing things better than “those freaks” or “Furry 101”. Then there was a change beyond warmer media (whose approval isn’t needed, anyways). Members started standing for a growing and more grown-up community by ditching some excess baggage. It was the best of both worlds – people caring more and all the fun and freedom too. Of course failures tag along when you have more people getting involved. For example, at Midwest FurFest 2017, there was drama about one guy being arrested for trolling. But that was just one. The real story was about success of the con heading towards 10,000 happy attendees.

Making room for more and better things means caring in many ways. Here’s a look at one way. Thanks to Whiteclaw for the guest post. (- Patch)

Why furries should care about politics – by Whiteclaw.

Politics + anthropomorphism = great art

“Keep politics out of furry.”

You’ve probably seen this type of comment. Maybe you’ve made it yourself. Given its polarizing nature, talking about politics is a fast way to lose friends and make enemies. And that’s just with regular people. So why bring it into the fandom?

Furries are a group of people that love anthromorphic animals. But the key word there is “people.” Because behind every fox/wolf/cat/badger/dragon/etc. is a person. And that person is affected by politics. The fact that we roleplay as animals online doesn’t change this.

“Furry is an escape. I shouldn’t have to talk about politics here.”

There’s a valid point here in that we can’t and shouldn’t be focused on politics every second of every day. Yes we sometimes need to take a break from the awfulness of the world and furry is a great way to do that.

But an escape in this sense implies a break or a time-out. It suggests that we’re involved in dealing with these issues at some point. And if we never do, if we’re always “escaping” politics, then furry isn’t an escape, it’s an excuse.

More than that, furry doesn’t have to be just something you do, it can be something you are. In the 1990’s there was a split between fans who only looked up to professional artists, and ones they looked down on as “lifestylers” for acting like their own community. Now it is one. Politics affects our community the same way it does any other. The sheer diversity of the fandom means that, in some ways, it affects us more.

“I don’t care about politics, and I don’t see the point in talking about it.”

Well that, my friend, brings us to that very pesky word we all know and hate: Privilege. Yes, I know you’ve all heard it. White privilege. Straight privilege. Male privilege. Cis privilege. Privilege, privilege, privilege. Sick of hearing about it yet?

But the sad reality is that it exists. And the most insidious thing about it is this: Not having to think about privilege is the greatest privilege of all.

If you’re not a minority, or more importantly if you aren’t treated as one, it’s a lot easier to sweep all this talk about rights and status under the rug. You can say, “I’m just a big, dumb, fun-loving dog on the internet,” and ignore things like systemic racism and double standards. But the further down the totem pole you are, the more it affects your every-day life, furry or otherwise.

So before you declare politics a non-issue, consider that not everyone else in our community has that luxury. And when you say, “All I care about is furry,” what you’re also saying is, “I don’t care about problems that don’t directly affect me.”

It also means you don’t care about what happens to your fellow furs who don’t share all the same privileges as you.

“Okay, but I deal with politics outside of furry. Can’t furry be a safe space?”

The worry that came true

Well, yes and no. First, let’s talk about the big problem we have in the fandom: The Furry Raiders.

Once upon a time, if you had someone in the fandom that was problematic, we could pretty easily blacklist them. But the furry community has grown. The reason con attendances go up every year is because the size of the fandom has also increased. While that’s largely a good thing, it comes with its own set of problems.

If for every 100 furs, there’s 1 problematic person, then having 1,000 furries means we only have to deal with 10 people who are a problem. Up that number to 10,000 furs and suddenly we have 100 toxic people to deal with.

On their own, these people aren’t that big an issue, but with changes in the current political climate, these people have banded together, and branded themselves AltFurry (a play on the term AltRight) as well as creating a group called The Furry Raiders.

Put simply, this is a hate group that calls itself furry. In reality, many of these people aren’t actually furries. The fandom’s open and inclusive nature and the fact that we’re often looked down on, even by other subcultures, makes us an easy target for hate groups to infiltrate and recruit.

But it’s not just AltFurry we have a problem with. More and more, furry has started to develop its own form of celebrities, popufurs as they’re often called. While some of these people use their platform for good, others regularly and casually spout hateful rhetoric and bigoted views against minorities.

A furry might be popular because they’re an artist, have a cute fursuit, or regularly organize events for furries into other activities like sports, camping, or crafts. But when that same furry uses their platform to spread hate and bigotry, we can’t just ignore these statements because we enjoy the other content they provide.

In short, politics has come to furry whether we want it to or not. And ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. If anything, supporting someone who has a hateful stance, just because you like the content they put out, only helps to spread their messages of hate.

But let’s say you’re just here to look at cute animals and have a good time. Maybe furry truly is an escape or safe space for you. And there’s nothing wrong with that, per se. But if that’s the case…then the furry fandom doesn’t mean that much to you.

WAIT! Put down your torches and pitchforks! Or at least give me a chance to address that comment you’re already composing. I’m not acting as the furry gatekeeper here. I’m not saying you can’t be furry or that you somehow aren’t a “true furry.” There’s not a lot in the way of strict definitions for what even makes someone a furry.

And there’s nothing wrong with furry not being that important to you. If you’re younger, there’s probably a lot more going on in your life as you try to decide who you are and the directions you want to go. If you’re older, you probably just have higher priorities.

But if you’re someone that could take or leave furry, who doesn’t find it a dominating factor in your life, then consider that others do. And we care about making this fandom a safe, inclusive environment.

So if you care about this fandom, beyond simply enjoying the content it produces, then understand that we have to address these issues within furry. Politics isn’t something we can just ignore. It affects all of us, whether we like it or not.

– Whiteclaw

More thoughts:

Hey so I don't remember if my old thread about fandom complacency and "leaving politics at the door" was caught in my tweet purge but here's a reminder: politics affect everyone, everywhere and for some of us the effect is detrimental as hell. THREAD:

— SOY JIGOKU (@edgedestroys) January 17, 2018

I hate that talking about real world issues is considered "drama" to most furries. Not all of us can pretend that the real world doesn't exist when we log on to twitter, stop patronizing people for talking about shit that matters for the sake of your fuzzy wuzzy escapism.

— Betting Over It With Genet Foddy (@CMYKGenet) January 18, 2018

check it out guys, I found a living example of why @DogpatchPress's article about "apolitical furry" is so accurate! https://t.co/9fiHrgBtIg pic.twitter.com/pANWFjXfRO

— obligate aerobe @ ANE (@JUNIUS_64) October 17, 2017

Imagine being the kind of person who is racist "for fun."

Like you have a choice to be _anything_ you want, and you decide to be racist to try to upset people who don't like racism.

This is why "ironic" racism isn't "just a joke." It's actually just racism. pic.twitter.com/xvPSSLvjU5

— Be Good Have Fun Launch Nazis Into The Sun (@XydexxUnicorn) January 17, 2018

Happy Holidays!

In this time of giving, we think there's no better gift to give than peace. As such, we're happy to present to you with an updated list, downloadable as a CSV file here: https://t.co/w7wYcgmhzV

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and enjoy the quiet!

— AltFurryBlocker (@AltFurryBlocker) December 23, 2017

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.

Coming at Furry Fandom from many angles you find Warhorse Workshop, also known as Desert Horse Design. According to them they sell t-shirts, “nylon harnesses and accessories”, kigurumi (costumes that look like plush toys), vinyl decals, and more. Taking a look at their Etsy Store, that seems to cover it pretty well! (The “Insert your species here Inside” stickers are especially popular.)

image c. 2018 Desert Horse Design

@JibKodi made this wonderful promo for Vancoufur. How cool is that?
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RUKUS at the 20th annual SF Indie Fest

February 2, 7:00 PM / February 5, 9:15 PM

Roxie theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco

RSVP at Meetup to join the furmeet – 2nd show – fest info

Rukus – a fiction/documentary hybrid by Brett Hanover

Birth of an indie furry movie scene

Videowolf’s documentary Fursonas [2016] was a landmark, even if it split watchers between love and hate. (Wag your tail if good movie making comes before “does it make the fandom look good?”) It wasn’t the first feature-length indie production by furries – that was the only-fandom-seen Bitter Lake [2011].  It wasn’t the first high quality movie that had them in it – that was the German arthouse gem Finsterworld [2013].  But it was a movie that broke through to more than only a “furry movie” by aiming for a thoughtful, critical look at subculture and identity. It just happened to be directed by and about furries. Now they don’t just follow behind mass media that many claim not to depend on. They also make it and play on bigger screens.

At roughly the same time, Zootopia [2016] was a huge event. Animation may be the holy grail for furriness on screen, but a behemoth budget from Disney is light years from the cottage industry where fandom gets its strength. Zootopia was merely a “furry” movie, as in, one whose directors won’t let you call it that. Journalist Joe Strike had a story about that in his book Furry Nation (another first for publishing in 2017.)

I was invited to a Zootopia press junket the week before the film premiered and was granted one-on-one time with Byron and his directing partner, Rich Moore. I immediately — and perhaps not too wisely — asked if the teaser was a “dog whistle” to the furry community. Howard deftly dodged my questions, and not long after the interview I received an email from my upset editor, who’d been contacted by an upset Disney PR person. – (Joe Strike, Furry Nation, p. 333)

This is about capital-F Furry. The kind that feeds itself, knows itself and doesn’t hide it. I’ve always wanted to see DIY furry creativity have a scene with film and video, like it does with art and costuming. I wrote about how cool it would be to have a Furry Film Fest. Of course, dance vids and music vids (and even web series) have done relatively well. In 2017 furry Youtubers rose on their own merits to silver Creator Award level (100,000 subscribers and up). But fandom originals are more based on costuming and performing than refining a voice in storytelling and directing. That’s where I want to see furries come out with a roar.

In 2016, Fursonas set the stage for it. Then Eric Risher’s short documentary Furries won a regional Emmy. Recently there was a short mockumentary that went in festivals, Mascot Fur Life [2017], but there hasn’t yet been another feature movie that catches the spark. I’m sniffing around for it.

The premiere at SF Indie Fest 

Brett Hanover is coming to the Roxie to present his 86 minute movie. Brett will be at both shows and hopes furries will come out in support.  That happened in 2016 for Frameline Film Fest – the largest/oldest festival for LGBT cinema. The festival enthusiastically welcomed furries and fursuiters to showings of both Videowolf’s and Eric Risher’s documentaries. It even brought us to the stage and let us promote local cons. That was right down the street from the Roxie. We had a wonderful event host nearby at Relay Raccoon’s apartment, and a busy downtown street for a fursuit walk and dinner. Let’s do it again and make it a night to remember! (RSVP on Meetup.)

Brett’s site describes Rukus:

Frameline Film Fest furmeet

Furries, filmmakers, kinksters, survivors. A fictionalized personal account of coming of age in Memphis at the turn of the century. This feature-length video project is based on work begun in collaboration with furry artist Rukus, left unfinished after his death in 2008.

SF Indiefest says:

A hybrid of documentary and fiction, Rukus is a queer coming of age story set in the liminal spaces of furry conventions, southern punk houses, and virtual worlds. Rukus is a 20-year-old furry artist, living with his boyfriend Sable in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida. In his sketchbooks, Rukus is constructing an imaginary universe – a sprawling graphic novel in which painful childhood memories are restaged as an epic fantasy. Brett is a 16-year-old filmmaker with OCD, working on a documentary about kinky subcultures in spite of his own anxiety. After an interview leads to an online friendship, their lives entwine in ways that push them into strange, unexplored territories.

Brett tells me:

I should say, the movie can be heavy at times – it deals with trauma, mental health, and suicide – but it is ultimately, in my opinion, hopeful, optimistic, and encouraging – it’s about survival and friendship. And sometimes it’s even funny. But, I just want to make sure that people know that even though it’s the premiere, and I am excited to have a party, it’s not a light movie. It is really cool to see my film put in context with other furry films, and it’s great that you are pointing forward to other possibilities for unapologetic furry indie film. I am getting so excited!!!

I have access to a screener copy but haven’t watched yet (review coming soon).  However I have long believed that someone needs to do a hybrid approach… Disney budgets don’t fund bold weird queer subculture, so how do you make a convincing fantasy world without even people in it? You can frame it as story-within-story directed with gonzo, surreal or stylish personal expression.

There’s a wikifur page for Rukus, the furry who inspired the movie. And I’m proud to be a favorite link at Brett Hanover’s site. There you’ll see continuing fascination and dedication to this awesome fandom thing. His work in progress gives confidence about knowing it from within. Can’t wait to see it.

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.

Besides furry art itself, among the things that many furry fans like to collect are wildlife art and other illustrations of “real animals”. Take the works of Denise Ballou, an artist from New Mexico who recently displayed at Further Confusion. Largely self-taught, she has become quite a prolific painter, creating pictures of animals wild and domestic in oil paint. Already her works have been seen in galleries around the American Southwest. Visit her web site to see some examples.

image c. 2018 by Denise Ballou

Birds and music.
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Thanks to Rex and Flash for their reviews! Dogpatch Press welcomes community access writers – get in touch. – Patch

A review of Mascot Fur Life

I have just watched a film titled Mascot Fur Life (2016 German with English subtitles). To be honest I was a bit apprehensive to watch another “furry film/ documentary” – the last one I watched left me feeling betrayed and hollow inside. Anyway, on to this film.

The main character is a Lion named Willion Richards.  Willion’s dream is to be the mascot of a soccer team.  He trains very hard with the help of his coach Berk.  Life is difficult for Willion, who struggles as a greeter in a large hardware store.

The film is professionally made, with excellent editing, good camera angles, great sets, and most scenes being shot on location.  I’m sure none of us will argue that the costumes aren’t first rate!

Can Willion make the tryouts?  Will this lion be happy, or forever doomed to work at a hardware store?  Will he overcome despair and the prejudice against him? Can he even pay the rent for his flat?

I found this film to be most enjoyable; in fact, I highly recommend you see it!

It most assuredly receives a Five Paw rating from this old dog.

– Rex Masters

Hard Work Fur the passionate

A review of the YouTube mockumentary Mascot Fur Life

By Jeremiah “Flash Hound” Stanley

Ever since I entered the furry fandom in 2014, as I got further and further into it, I’ve seen content from a range of media and points of view such as musical furries – like NIIC and Pepper Coyote – along with sports furries, like Huscoon and myself.  I recently watched the newly released Mascot Fur Life from Willion. I think it’s one of the best furry films since Disney’s popular Zootopia (2016) made the mainstream take a little notice about the fandom. I’d like to go deeper into the film, and break it down from different aspects.

● Story

The meaning of the story is something everyone can relate to in their own special way. It’s a similar story to Rocky films from the last few decades, and features a variety of fursuiters such as Keenora, who is shown in the film at the mascot auditions. The meaning of the film is to never give up, and work hard for that one thing you’re passionate for and determined to get in your lifetime.

● Characters

Every character in the film, whether speaking or mute, plays their roles perfectly as directed. The one character I have many questions about is Berk. I’m certain that he’ll raise questions for other viewers too. Some questions I have about Berk would be: “How can he hear what Julia is telling him through his cell phone if he put his cell phone at his fursuit cheek instead of his fursuit ears which are obviously higher than his cheek?” and “How did Berk and Julia agree about settling a walk-in mascot audition for Willion so quickly?” The only way to get the answers would be to ask Willion directly.

● Music

The music in the film is well put together to fit every situation faced by Willion, the main character, in each scene. It’s created beautifully to capture the viewer’s attention. It nearly puts the viewer in the fur of the main character, Willion, to share his experiences in the storyline of the film.

● Overall rating

The film is well put together and all the fursuiters who took part in the film give it a family friendly feeling. I’m certain between most recording sessions that the fursuiters were treated to healthy food and drinks. The one thing I didn’t like was the drinks that were shown in the film – thankfully I don’t believe they were told to drink them. Despite that one complaint, I would give Mascot Fur Life a 9.5 out of 10 rating.

– Flash Hound

Follow the film on Facebook or Twitter – and watch for their next project, a web series called Wolfgang Doe that starts filming in summer 2018.  But first, here’s a notice about supporting the film makers:

You can help “Mascot Fur Life” to win a prize!!!

To be nominated for the Ursa Major Award, we need your vote by February 15th! Go to the linked page and register to vote for our film. We want to be nominated in the category “Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work or Series.”

The Ursa Major Awards are prizes awarded annually by the furry community for the best media / literary works dealing with Anthrophomorphism (Animal-human) content.

The Mascots are counting on you!

http://www.ursamajorawards.org/nominations.htm

[And we’re back from Further Confusion with lots to talk about…!] Kea Swartz is an artist who works under the name Talenshi, creating colorful works of fantasy that often feature anthropomorphic animals — and other just plain strange and interesting creatures. The front page of her web site shows you a lot of what we’re talking about. She also illustrated a children’s book called The Little Orange Man which you ought to check out.

image c. 2018 by Talenshi

I have the same problem with magic and food.
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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr, by John Crowley. Illustrated by Melody Newcomb.
NYC, Saga Press, October 2017, hardcover $28.99 ([4 +] 442 [+2] pages), trade paperback $16.99, Kindle $7.99.

This is the story of Dar Oakley, “the first Crow in all of history with a name of his own” (blurb). It is told by a nameless human narrator in the time of death, when both humans and Crows are all dying. The narrator’s wife Debra has just died, and he is sick, delirious, and alone in his country house. He finds a sick, obviously dying Crow in his back yard:

“I approached it warily – those bills are sharp – and heard from several directions the calling of other Crows, so close I thought I ought to be able to see them, though I couldn’t. The sick one made no attempt to get away, and didn’t even watch me come closer. Or so I thought then. It would take me a long time to understand that Crows, courting or walking a field together, never turning heir heads to observe one another, aren’t indifferent to or unconscious of their neighbors. No. A Crow’s eyes are set far apart, far enough apart that he can best see very close things out of only one eye. Crows beside one another are, in their way, face-to-face.” (p. 4)

The narrator brings the dying Crow into his house on a shovel. But the Crow does not die, nor does the narrator. During the next two years the Crow and the narrator, always alone, both get well, and the narrator learn to talk to the Crow. The Crow, Dar Oakley, tells him his life story. All two thousand years of it:

“He tells me now that he can’t remember much at all of the worst days of his sickness, and the story that I tell – the backyard, the Crows, the shovel, the bathtub – will have to do for him as well as for me. The one thing he knew and I didn’t was that he wouldn’t die. That would take more than a bout of West Nile, if that’s what this was.” (p. 6)

Ka pages 13 to 442 are Dar Oakley’s story. It starts long before the days of Julius Caesar, in the lands of the Celts in northern Europe. One day the Crow who would become Dar Oakley was boasting to a wandering Vagrant Crow:

“‘You’d probably not believe me,’ Dar Oakley said one day to the Vagrant, ‘if I told you how far from here I’ve been.’

The Vagrant, poking in the mud of a pond’s edge for larvae or Frog’s eggs or whatever else might turn up, said nothing in response.

‘I’ve been where there are no Crows at all,’ Dar Oakley said. ‘None anywhere but me.’

‘No such place,’ the Vagrant averred,

‘Oh no?’ said Dar Oakley. ‘Go as far as I have,’

The Vagrant stopped his hunting. ‘Listen, fledgling.’ He said, in a low but not soft voice. ‘Long ago I left the places where I grew up. I was run out. Never mind why. Always between then and now I’ve been on the wing.’” (p. 17)

Dar Oakley flies far to prove the Vagrant wrong, but he never does. He returns to the home of his parents and siblings and his murder, where they watch the two-legs and their rolling carts come into their woods and settle. But there is always something a bit different, more adventurous about him; a willingness to go farther than the others.

One day Dar Oakley visits a farther land yet (the human Underworld). When he returns home, he is immortal.

Centuries pass. The Celts become Irish monks, and Dar Oakley travels with them to the unknown lands of the West.

More time passes. Eventually Dar Oakley’s and the narrator’s lives become intertwined.

Ymr is the human world, and Ka is the land of the Crows. Of all animals, actually, but Dar Oakley is corvid-centric. Ka has other talking animals among Dar Oakley’s adventures:

“The Owl looked around itself with its mobile head as though for a definite answer to give. Then it said, This is possible.

Yes, Dar Oakley cried. I knew it must be, and it is!

It is possible, the Owl went on. Because you have been a friend to Death, I will tell you how.

Yes, Dar Oakley said. (Had he been a friend to Death? Where, in what land, among whom?)

To do it, the Owl said, you must do exactly as I say.

I will.” (p. 327)

“The two Ravens turned to one another with a look that seemed to say, Has a question been put to us? Then one bent forward a little toward Dar Oakley. ‘Of Crows,’ it said, ‘there are gnone.’

‘Where have they gone? There are Crows everywhere.’

‘As you say,’ said the other Raven. ‘But gnot here.’” (p. 379)

“Night should have fallen by then but somehow hadn’t, as though the sun hovered just below the horizon and sank no farther. Dar Oakley followed the beast through the wilderness of the riverbank ruins, they passed among People unnoticed, the People seeming dim and hardly present. It was light enough to fly, and sometimes he flew, unable otherwise to keep up with Coyote’s ceaseless trotting.

He wasn’t from these places, he told Dar Oakley; not city-bred, no: he was unwelcome in the city, and if he was caught by the People, he’d be got rid of without hesitation.

Of course they have to catch me before the trial can start, he said, if there’s a trial, which there wouldn’t be, because they don’t catch me, so on we go.” (pgs. 420-421)

Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr (cover by Sonia Chaghatzbanian) is not as much a furry novel as a mainstream talking-animal fable. John Crowley is a World Fantasy Award-winning author who was originally classified as a science-fiction writer – see his 1976 s-f novel Beasts with bioengineered leos (lion-men) and one fox-man – but today is considered to write in general fiction, science-fiction, fantasy, and experimental writing.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon
• Buy on Simon and Schuster

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.

​Hello, 

I just wanted to make a point. I live in NYC and recently visited the Museum of Sex. It's a pretty good museum, but in one of the exhibitions I saw a Furry head-piece. Although I am not a furry myself, I found this offensive since it was displayed around a number of curious sexual devices. 

My first thought was that being a furry isn't just about being sexual. I think that there might be a general misconception about what makes Furries tick. I think most non-Furries joke about Furries in a sexual context, and that's not right. 

Anyhow, just FYI, it might be a opportunity to set something right and email the NYC Museum of Sex.

Oh yeah, question. Do you agree with this notion, and what are your thoughts?

Love, 
Abel

* * *

Dear Abel,

Ah, yes, the Museum of Sex, LOL. It does indeed contain some furry paraFURnalia, some of which was loaned to the museum in the past by fursuit pioneer Robert Hill. Here is a photo of a display that, it seems, is no longer at the museum: There is no denying that sexuality is part of the art and culture of the fandom, but it certainly is not the only part or even a main part of it. The subject of sex in the fandom and why it is there will be addressed in my upcoming book.

In the meantime, there are several books out there that try to talk about "what makes furries tick" that you can check out, including Furry Nation by Joe Strike, and Furries Among Us (volumes 1 and 2), essay collections edited by Thurston Howl. If you're really interested, you could also check out two research sites about furries: The International Anthropomorphic Research Project, which is run by scientists in fields such as psychology and sociology, and the [adjective][species] site, which also does surveys about furries.

But you are correct: the furry fandom and its members are complicated. There is not just one reason why people are attracted to the fandom, and there is not just one type of furry, not by a long shot. The reasons range from creative expression to social, psychological, and even spiritual reasons. Furries are writers, musicians, artists, performers, gamers, or simply people trying to have a fun time and socializing with friends and making new ones.

​But sex museums and people in the media don't want to hear about that. It's too complicated and too difficult to explain in a display or a special TV news report, so they go for the low-hanging fruit, which is that if you want to draw eyes a great way to do it is to talk about sex. Sex sells, as they say, and that (in a nutshell) is why non-furries zoom in on this one aspect of a complex and fascinating fandom.

I'm glad you found the display misleading about the fandom. Good for you for having an open mind! However, it won't help to write to the Museum of Sex. As long as someone is willing to donate masks or fusuits or drawings to the museum, you can bet they will display them. It's fine, we're used to this nonsense by now. The cool thing is that, as the fandom grows, we've started to gain some acceptance in the world. Sure, there may be jeers here and there, someone ranting against "furfags" on YouTube, but most of us recognize by now that these are just trolls making pathetic bids for attention.

Meanwhile, furcons and other furry meetings continue to spread and grow. And someday, we will take over the world! Bwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! Our evil furplan has just begun! Silly hoomans!

Fox and a hot wolf? No comment. "The fox named Manivald still lives at home with his retired mother. The day before his 33rd birthday, a hot young wolf comes to fix their washing machine. A love triangle develops and things get out of hand."
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did we mention the ANNOUNCEMENT STREAM on SATURDAY AT 6:30 CENTRAL??? Oh we did? Oh, ok. Anyway, enjoy the episode. Our Patreon! www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow Telegram Chat: t.me/draggetshow 185 - WILD Speculation! - did we mention the ANNOUNCEMENT STREAM on SATURDA…

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/14/san-jose-furcon-brings-furries-and-their-animal-costumes-downtown/

Seven photos, and even a video! Go watch :)

SAN JOSE — By Sunday morning, after partying all weekend in heavy, head-to-toe animal costumes, many FurCon attendees outside the convention center downtown had scaled down to just their tails or paws.

As much as dressing up like a plush, cartoon version of a wolf, fox or ferret has become an identity, or an alter ego, even “Furries” need a break.

“The struggle is real, man,” said Jordan Leach, 24, who swung around his thick blue, black and white tail as he slid into a booth at The Flames restaurant Sunday morning for “Bottomless Mimosas.” If he were wearing his outsize fox-coyote hybrid head, he wouldn’t be able to eat anything bigger than a cracker and would need an extra long straw for a drink. Still, he said, “even when I’m not in full fur suit, I’ll always have my tail on.”

After a weekend of parades, poker and dodge ball tournaments, the 20th annual FurCon in San Jose that has attracted some 3,500 Furries is wrapping up after its “Dead Dog Dance” Monday night.

Furry creatures take part in a dog sled race during festivities at the 12th annual Further Confusion convention at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose on Jan. 24, 2010. FurCon celebrates the anthropomorphics genre with people dressing as furry creatures that have human and animal characteristics. (Gary Reyes/Mercury News)
Furry creatures take part in a dog sled race during festivities at the 12th annual Further Confusion convention at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose on Jan. 14, 2010. FurCon celebrates the anthropomorphics genre with people dressing as furry creatures that have human and animal characteristics. (Gary Reyes/Mercury News)
While outsiders might still find the idea of adults assuming an animal persona a bit bewildering, the Furries say they’re not that much different than other costumed subcultures, like Trekkies dressing up like Klingons and Cosplay fans dressing up like Game of Thrones characters. Some are even cross-promoting, like a group of Klingons did at the Marriott Hotel on Saturday night. Like other sponsors, the Klingons handed out free drinks from their room on the 4th floor, the “party floor” at the hotel, which installed wall-to-wall clear plastic tarps spanning every room and hallway.

As much as FurCon has been a non-stop party — and stigmatized by the sexualized nature of some of the activities — Furries say it is a welcoming place for people who feel marginalized or unaccepted by larger society.

“I come from a conservative family. I’ve struggled with my sexuality. This has helped me come to terms,” said a 30-year-old East Bay man, who only felt comfortable giving his Furry name, Ozzy Koala. “Radical self expression is a big part of it. Once people are putting on animals suits, everything else is out the window.”

Furries have attracted many from the LGBTQ community, as well as those on the autism spectrum, he said, who are looking for accepting, creative communities.

“There are a lot of Transfurs,” he said of transgender Furries. “It starts with putting on a costume that is literally a different gender. People get to feel what that’s like for the first time.”

For another convention goer from the East Bay, also uncomfortable giving his real name, “this was the social environment that gave me the ability to say I’m OK with myself.”

Many Furries became captivated by anthropomorphism — giving human characteristics to animals — as children by watching Disney’s talking animal classics, like Bambi and Lion King, or watching Looney Tunes’s Bugs Bunny.

“When I was a kid, I was like, I wish I was an animal, damn it,” said Leach, who also goes by the name “Foyote.” “Just think how it would be to be an animal and be able to talk.”

Not everyone at the convention wears an animal costume, which can become overwhelmingly hot. The custom, plush costumes can be expensive, between $2,000 and $10,000. Some are equipped with flashing LEDs that light up tails and make eyes glow, and liquid cooling systems inside.

“But if that gets damaged, you’re leaking everywhere,” said Russell Bumala, 30, of La Honda.

In costume or not, Leach says he is happy to express himself.

“It’s been such an extreme positive life change,” he said. “It’s opened me up socially. I was living a boring life before I got into fandom. Now I’m having a great time.”

On Sunday evening at Further Confusion, I chatted with Mark Merlino and Rod O’Riley of the Prancing Skiltaire furry house, founders of ConFurence, the first furry con. We talked about how a certain fandom controversy today is dragging on one that started all the way back with the divide between fans and “lifestylers”. That is, people who only liked furry stuff – vs. people who dared call themselves Furries, with a community beyond simply being a consumer for anthropomorphic animal media. It looks out for its members like any other.

This community recognizes contributors with annual awards. The awards are funded by Rod and Mark, and they need help. It’s a modest 3-digit cost… but still the help has to happen. We discussed the monthly model of Patreon vs. a one-time cost of GoFundMe or IndieGogo. Expect more info on that soon. Furry readers: is this something you would contribute to? Please speak up in the comments! – Patch  

Fred Patten tells more about those awards:

Nominations for the 2017 Ursa Major Awards opened on January 11, the first day of Further Confusion 2018. The awards celebrate the best anthropomorphic literature and art first published during the previous calendar year.

Visit their site to participate: http://www.ursamajorawards.org/

The awards are selected through a two-stage process of nomination and voting. Members of the public send in up to five nominations in each of the twelve categories. The top nominations in each category are then presented for a public vote.

Award categories:

• Motion Picture
• Dramatic Short Work or Series
• Novel
• Short Fiction
• Other Literary Work
• Non-Fiction Work
• Graphic Story
• Comic Strip
• Magazine
• Published Illustration
• Game
• Website

Many nominations are likely to come from the ALAA’s Recommended Anthropomorphics List, which has been built up through prior suggestions; however, inclusion on the list is not necessary nor sufficient for a work to be nominated.

Nominations close on February 15, and will be tallied during the end of February. The final ballot will be announced on March 1 and voting will take place until the end of March. All those who register for nominations may use the same registration key to vote in the final ballot. Those people who did not send in nominations may still vote on the final ballot. The ballots will be counted, the trophies made, and the results will be announced at the award presentations in Surfer’s Paradise, Queensland, at FurDU 2018, scheduled for May 4-6.

Please note that the nominations period has been shortened to only the first half of February, instead of the entire month of February as is usual. This is so the final ballot may be concluded at the end of March.

The awards are sponsored by the independent Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association.

Fred added that the Fursuit category is not active at this time because substantiating information is needed, and only one person made the effort to provide it since the time of the category started, so it will not be on the Recommended List for 2018. 

Our gamer friend WishStone Dragon joins us for a usual roundup of news, followed by some live furry game reviews and playthrough.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Paradox’s Phantom New Years
• Edible Tide Pod Recipe
• Merriam Webster tweets about doggos
• IKEA Wants You To Pee On Their Advert, And It’s Actually A Pretty Neat Idea
• Fuck Youth
• Wired piece on “History of the word Doggo”
• Today I Found Out on YouTube: “Where did Werewolves come from?”
• Weird eBay seller with fursuits
• SwiftOnSecurity tweet about furries running Nuclear Communications
• Further Confusion tweets about HIV testing
• Vive Pro raises the bar for VR
• Man Rams Armored Vehicle Into Shop Just For 1 Bottle Of Wine

News:

• 7 New Spider Species
• Damore Suit Google Caters to Furries
• Sexy Kangaroo Needs to Model
• Male Sexbots On High Demand 2018
• Owner of urn donated to Goodwill being sought by Washington State police
• Butcher trapped in freezer uses sausage to bash his way out
• Man Rams Armored Vehicle Into Shop Just For 1 Bottle Of Wine

Furry Game Reviews:

We review three upcoming furry games. As of recording all three are based in Unity, have Patreon pages and are in “alpha” stages of development. Only one supported VR when we did our playthrough. Although each of these games may change drastically as their development continues, we share some comments, laughs and intrigue at the various directions they seem to be headed in.

Yiffalicious:

Yiffalicious Website

Yiffalicious Patreon

The Cathouse Tale:

The Cathouse Tale Patreon

Shades of Elysium:

Shades of Elysium Patreon

FC-290 Press 1 For Clothing - Our gamer friend WishStone Dragon joins us for a usual roundup of news, followed by some live furry game reviews and playthrough.

Our gamer friend WishStone Dragon joins us for a usual roundup of news, followed by some live furry game reviews and playthrough.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Paradox’s Phantom New Years
• Edible Tide Pod Recipe
• Merriam Webster tweets about doggos
• IKEA Wants You To Pee On Their Advert, And It’s Actually A Pretty Neat Idea
• Fuck Youth
• Wired piece on “History of the word Doggo”
• Today I Found Out on YouTube: “Where did Werewolves come from?”
• Weird eBay seller with fursuits
• SwiftOnSecurity tweet about furries running Nuclear Communications
• Further Confusion tweets about HIV testing
• Vive Pro raises the bar for VR
• Man Rams Armored Vehicle Into Shop Just For 1 Bottle Of Wine

News:

• 7 New Spider Species
• Damore Suit Google Caters to Furries
• Sexy Kangaroo Needs to Model
• Male Sexbots On High Demand 2018
• Owner of urn donated to Goodwill being sought by Washington State police
• Butcher trapped in freezer uses sausage to bash his way out
• Man Rams Armored Vehicle Into Shop Just For 1 Bottle Of Wine

Furry Game Reviews:

We review three upcoming furry games. As of recording all three are based in Unity, have Patreon pages and are in “alpha” stages of development. Only one supported VR when we did our playthrough. Although each of these games may change drastically as their development continues, we share some comments, laughs and intrigue at the various directions they seem to be headed in.

Yiffalicious:

Yiffalicious Website

Yiffalicious Patreon

The Cathouse Tale:

The Cathouse Tale Patreon

Shades of Elysium:

Shades of Elysium Patreon

FC-290 Press 1 For Clothing - Our gamer friend WishStone Dragon joins us for a usual roundup of news, followed by some live furry game reviews and playthrough.

Our gamer friend WishStone Dragon joins us for a usual roundup of news, followed by some live furry game reviews and playthrough.

Download MP3

Link Roundup:

• Paradox’s Phantom New Years
• Edible Tide Pod Recipe
• Merriam Webster tweets about doggos
• IKEA Wants You To Pee On Their Advert, And It’s Actually A Pretty Neat Idea
• Fuck Youth
• Wired piece on “History of the word Doggo”
• Today I Found Out on YouTube: “Where did Werewolves come from?”
• Weird eBay seller with fursuits
• SwiftOnSecurity tweet about furries running Nuclear Communications
• Further Confusion tweets about HIV testing
• Vive Pro raises the bar for VR
• Man Rams Armored Vehicle Into Shop Just For 1 Bottle Of Wine

News:

• 7 New Spider Species
• Damore Suit Google Caters to Furries
• Sexy Kangaroo Needs to Model
• Male Sexbots On High Demand 2018
• Owner of urn donated to Goodwill being sought by Washington State police
• Butcher trapped in freezer uses sausage to bash his way out
• Man Rams Armored Vehicle Into Shop Just For 1 Bottle Of Wine

Furry Game Reviews:

We review three upcoming furry games. As of recording all three are based in Unity, have Patreon pages and are in “alpha” stages of development. Only one supported VR when we did our playthrough. Although each of these games may change drastically as their development continues, we share some comments, laughs and intrigue at the various directions they seem to be headed in.

Yiffalicious:

Yiffalicious Website

Yiffalicious Patreon

The Cathouse Tale:

The Cathouse Tale Patreon

Shades of Elysium:

Shades of Elysium Patreon

[Live] Press 1 For Clothing

So this will be a thing soon.
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