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Furry Fashion (part 2): Interview with the Furry Fashion Collective.
It's heating up on the track@TheFFCollective vol.1#FashionFurs pic.twitter.com/WIJHoJ8Ep8
— deep fried gundam (@cckatoo) January 30, 2018Part 1 of this week’s writing about fashion looked at age and fursuiting as a statement. For the following interview with the Furry Fashion Collective, members Cyan, Sol, Yazoo, and Steezy joined me for a group chat about why they came together and what they’re working on.
Cyan:
Hi Patch. We invited a few members of the F/F Collective board into this chat. Thanks for considering our project newsworthy.
Patch:
Totally cool. I got the impression there’s a physical book happening with it?
Sol:
Yessir!
Patch:
I dig it – is it about furries-who-like-fashion, or fashion-for-furries? Like clothes + furries, or more specifically anthro costuming?
Steezy:
Furries who like fashion. Sometimes fursuit fashion.
Yazoo:
It’s an amalgam of both the fashion savvy and those interested in fashion, whether it’s fandom inspired or otherwise. So there’s a very nice intersection of people looking for fashion who are in the fandom and creators that provide for the fandom.
Sol:
Its also about giving insight for furries who might want to get into fashion.
Patch:
Oh yay, inspiration. Honestly that would even help me, I love making cool outfits but know nothing about the kind of stuff that people who go to school for the design know.
Looking mad scuzzy in my new @HyenaAgenda threads 
pic.twitter.com/2bxWjvkLUq
DOG x HYENA pic.twitter.com/lvUlZ9DFsA
— A Dog On Quest (@S0LARDOG) January 12, 2018Sol:
Exactly! We know not everyone understands fashion and it can be intimidating. One of my hopes is that this book (hopefully THESE books) will make fashion look less scary and more inviting.
Patch:
What kind of stuff will the insight cover?
Cyan:
Our original inspiration for the book came from a conversation about how the fashion furs community had yet to produce art book or photographical content like the stuff that Aycee has done with Gummy Guts, or like Brae did with his MLP series. We also noticed that, as far as we know, there have yet to be any photography-based collaborations in the fandom. So the thinking was: “why not both?”
Sol wanted to ground the project in reality, so we set a guideline for artists and photographers to try and list the clothing in their pieces.
Yazoo:
And to note there have been other fashion related fandom look books, which centered mostly around one kind of fashion in relation to fursonas in general.
Patch:
A few years back it caught my eye that photographers were getting inspiration from furry – so I wrote “Five pro photographers advancing the art of furry documentary.”
I was just on google looking up the Gummy Guts book. Doing a book that way is a bit of a new concept to me. I’m in the bigger-publisher way of thinking. Or in fandom that means Furplanet, Sofawolf or Rabbit Valley.
*High pitched squees* Lookit what came in the mail! 
@AyCeeArt Fantastic art book by talented artists~ much wow #GummyGuts #furryart pic.twitter.com/xljXi2qB3Y
(@irukatweetstuff) March 13, 2017
Oops! My hand slipped. More previews for Gummy Guts. A full color collaborative art collection debuting at #FC2017 pic.twitter.com/Fxm5jWC4b0
Hyenas Go HaHa (@AyCeeArt) January 10, 2017
Steezy:
Hmm, I’ve never heard of those.
Yazoo:
They publish mostly furry literature and comics.
Cyan:
You’ve probably seen those books in dealers dens at cons.
We’re definitely a grassroots project. We’re not a company trying to make profit. Instead we’re a volunteer-based project that will use all profit from sales of the book to make the next one even better.
Steezy:
If it does well, we can print more books next time.
Cyan:
And in higher quality.
Patch:
It sounds like for showing off member stuff more than focusing on the other end of users, just because it’s cool and fun to make. For a while I have been saying there should be some focused effort on making like a Taschen book about furries, aimed for the niche interest side of real book stores. That’s a tall order though. A fun project like this seems more on the zine concept.
Cyan:
At this point, F/F Collective is definitely closer to the zine concept.
Steezy:
Specifically photo zines.
Cyan:
Right now we’re focused on collecting final submissions and piecing together a physical product to show people that this is a project that can put out a tangible product in a reasonable time. We made sure to hash out the important details early on in the brainstorming phase, so that when we have our pieces, we can quickly turn them into a physical product.
Lil preview of my part for the @TheFFCollective (Vol.1) book!
I'M!! So proud and excite for this book to finally come out; Everyone's submissions got me speechless and we can't wait to share it with yall!
Keep your eyes peeled, Follow The F/F Collective for future info! pic.twitter.com/9SvlTJQKqw
(@JhoseMr) January 23, 2018
just these rough versions of the two shirts I plan on doing for now. I did these and 3 other cards as background pieces for a design that's going up in an art book @TheFFCollective is gonna be putting out but for now I'm not posting the full image so just these. pic.twitter.com/IPP9Z771yW
— SOY JIGOKU
(@edgedestroys) January 22, 2018
Patch:
Is it going to be certain chapters inside guidelines (like one thing about fursuits, one about street wear, one about making with fabric) – or just based on interest of whoever submits?
Cyan:
Sol is collating a page list with tentative locations for each artist’s piece right now. We also have some really interesting art being done for the inside cover. He has been managing the project while I’m in school.
Sol:
I’m technically the talent manager, also the talent scouter. Everyone plays their part of course, me and Cyan have done a lot of the ground work and try to make sure everything’s running smooth.
Patch:
Will it include art, and photos, and writing?
Sol:
Not so much writing. We will include an Index of the outfits at the end, but for now we might keep that a surprise! If this first book sells well and we’re able to generate funds for a bigger book we could bring that into the grand scheme of things.
Patch:
It’s great you have a few models of previous books people made. I briefly looked up the Gummy guts book, it looked like good art and sold at least a solid 500 or more copies. I pay attention to how well things sell (even if thats not the point).
At FC I went to a panel with the president of the Furry Writers Guild and got info. Hundreds is a pretty solid number for any furry-published book. A few thousand would be like a top best seller. It’s not yet enough to make fandom publishing be like a “job” for those who do it (it could be cool if it was both job and fun, like it is for a few very successful fursuit makers). Art type books like this are different from fiction too, more of the limited-edition concept. I’ve dealt with some very niche photo book publishers outside fandom who do editions of 500 or 1000. Photo books are hot, they have object value.
Can you tell me more about the concept of a look book?
Sol:
LookBooks are usually just booklets that advertise an upcoming season line. “A collection of photographs compiled to show off a model, a photographer, a style, or stylist or a clothing line.”
A little slice preview of the piece I created for the upcoming F/F Volume 1! Follow @TheFFCollective to get updates when this awesome collaborative book will be available! #Furry #Fashion pic.twitter.com/T15RaVEfF6
— Weremagnus (@weremagnus) January 22, 2018A collaborative piece by @skulldog and I for the Fashion Furs Lookbook!
Stay tuned! #FashionFurs@TheFFCollective pic.twitter.com/kahrEmTeNm
Cyan:
I think we’ve been side-eyeing the store structure of bigger players in the fandom such as HyenaAgenda. You can go to their website and buy clothes, posters, stickers/etc.
This look book is more to show off the artists and photographers in this fandom who consider themselves part of the fashion furs community, or at least have an interest in fashion.
Sol:
If look books show off models, photographers, style, and clothing, why cant we toss in original art and some anthros?!
Cyan:
We might get into specific themes later on, in future volumes. If our book inspires members of the fandom to get into fashion, then mission accomplished. There’s already so much variety on display in the WIPs we’ve received.
Yazoo:
The most exciting part of it at least to me is that each and every participant has a different and unique idea of fashion to provide.
Patch:
I could see potential beyond just a book to pair artists, models, and makers who are known for a body of work. Fursuit makers have distinctive styles… get a photographer to set up concept shots and amplify each others talents.
Cyan:
Everyone seems to have their own unique take on -what- constitutes fashion. We’re hoping to show people that there really aren’t any boundaries.
Yazoo:
Photography and illustration alike, people’s inspiration and creativity in outfit design doesn’t ever fall into one category, everyone’s got something different to display.
Patch:
Can you tell me about those unique takes?
Cyan:
Well, I guess you could consider fashion, and an individual person’s take on fashion, to be akin to an artist’s take on their own personal art style. No two are exactly alike.
Addendum to my commissions post: I've been seeing a lot of wonderful Fashion Furs themed art going around and I TOO LOVE SARTORIALISM!
I'd love to draw your char in stylish duds- just specify in your message. Also feel free to attach some pieces/outfits for insp/reference pic.twitter.com/cEuCRalX6W
nchovy 
hilips @ commissions (@snacknite) February 1, 2018
Patch:
I have a personal take I’d been meaning to write up… like accessorizing for partial fursuiting (there’s more flexibility with outfits than with fullsuiting.)
Yazoo:
Generally when people hear fashion, the first thing they think is “designer”. While designer can be a trend setter for looks and styles, the true value of a look is in the care and interest an individual has in the look they want to achieve.
Cyan:
So some people might be into flowing fabrics with varied textures, while others will be into a more street aesthetic. And even within individual aesthetics, styles vary.
Patch:
Is there crossover with dancer furs? People into dance I have known can be fashion focused.
Cyan:
There’s definitely a crossover.
Yazoo:
Dancerfurs and dancers in general have a pretty fun street style, so they definitely tend to take an interest in fashion. For dance it can be more about the FLASH of the clothes you wear, which some people take into everyday looks. I can definitely say a number of my looks are inspired by dance communities.
Patch:
Is it easy to explain those looks? Or is it best for just seeing in photos?
Cyan:
I think fashion is best explained through photography.
Yazoo:
Illustration as well.
Patch:
One thing I’d be curious about is methods of acquiring… like, I get good stuff from thrifting, hunting ebay/etsy for specific items, occasional DIY stuff like glittering my sneakers and putting on jacket patches, and lastly hunting bargain racks for stuff nobody bought because it’s odd but you can accessorize to make it stand out. Like that one pair of mint green jeans in a huge pile of samey blue.
Sol:
It’s more about what the eyes see and what you feel rather than words.
Cyan:
Note to self: do a 100% thrift photoset at one point or another.
Don't go broke trying to look rich all my clothes from the Thrift store Penny(wise) 
pic.twitter.com/TBrTZbuaOv
(@ACE100_) November 13, 2017
Sol:
We do have some DIY projects. We’re hoping that we can expose people to new places to look for clothing past Nike and Macy’s.
Yazoo:
There’s a very good knowledge base of places people go to find stuff, specific or otherwise in the fashion furs. Anything from thrifting to consignment to Target clearance racks.
Sol:
Some stuff will be dirt cheap, some stuff will possibly make you faint if you check the price tag haha, but all n all it’s diverse.
Cyan:
Also grailed.com. I think it’s incredibly important for outsiders looking in to understand that fashion doesn’t have to be a prohibitively expensive hobby to get into. It’s a slow burn with an incredibly rewarding end result.
Steezy:
I buy so much stuff on sale it’s not even funny.
Patch:
Trying new things is important. Years back I thought fashion = money, when I lived in small towns, and buying online seemed silly for stuff you couldn’t try on, and I didn’t make anything. So I wore the same jeans and plain things. Changing where I lived and looked helped. I still don’t spend tons but taking a chance on a few concept hand designed pieces has been really fun. And it doesn’t have to cost tons to just look for that one piece that makes an outfit and match it with other stuff.
Steezy:
I currently live in a tiny town out in Arizona and a lot of my shopping happens over the web.
Sol:
My brother who kinda started my interest in fashion taught me that just one strong piece can go a long way.
Is there anything you’d like to ask us?
Patch:
I should run, but nice to chat you guys so far.
Sol:
Same to you!!! Thanks for reaching out!
Yazoo:
Yeah this was great!
Cyan:
Thank you for your time!
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.
He’s Red-Light. Pink Even!
And the strange mash-up of DC Comics and Hanna Barbera continues — and even expands. As you may recall, Snagglepuss made an appearance as a back-up story in the infamous Banana-Splitz-meet-the-Suicide-Squad comic. Well now the pink puma has his own new series all to himself, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles. “It’s 1953. While the United States is locked in a nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, the gay Southern playwright known as Snagglepuss is the toast of Broadway. But success has made him a target. As he plans for his next hit play, Snagglepuss becomes the focus of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. And when powerful forces align to purge show business of its most subversive voices, no one is safe!” Written by Mark Russell and illustrated by Mike Feehan, the first issue is out now. Den of Geek has a review.
image c. 2018 DC Comics
NSFW: Bacchus
I'll have what she's having. "Alex, a young woman, is increasingly getting tired of adult life. Her daily routine is restricted by norms and expectations of the modern world, and social media have replaced human interaction. One day, she sees Bacchus, a charismatic sensual figure, who lures her into a colorful world, which is a complete opposite of her reality. In this mysterious place, you are free to follow your instincts and explore your deepest desires."
View Video
He Feels Unworthy, Even Fearful of Being in the Fandom
I want to thank you for all of the help you provided me with last time I wrote to you, which must have been 2-3 years ago now. I'm now in college studying a whole bunch of science and maths (complex numbers are awesome).
So anyway, my question. I've been involved in the fandom for many years and while my haunting memories of the past are now nothing but haunting memories, I don't really feel like I fit in in the fandom due to how bad I am at art and music and animation and pretty much everything the furry fandom is. I'd practice but I'm still very apprehensive about drawing; it's been a few years since I picked up a pencil and that wasted time is something I regret.
I'm moving to University in September but I'm pretty worried that such a thing might mean that I'd retreat back into the closet and not have the chance to do the things I wanna do. (I've heard nightmare stories of people getting beat up over it in a certain upper-class university)
I have the funds to go to conventions and stuff (I won the money in a science fair competition over here) but I just can't find the motivation to go as some small part of me still finds the fandom weird and strange. (I find that such a small part seems to contradict everything else at times).
So... How do I feel like a part of the fandom and contribute? Because now it feels like I could do so much more this year, before I move.
Glyn (age 18)
* * *
Dear Glyn,
Glad I was able to help you earlier and glad that you are attending university and finding success. I’ve heard your concern before from other furries who seem to have come under the impression that they are unworthy to be furries if they are not artists or writers or performers or whatnot. I’m befuddled as to how this notion has come about in the furry culture because it simply isn’t true (perhaps it is a desire to become a popufur?). You don’t have to create furry art or be a fursuit maker or whatever to be in the fandom. Just have fun with it! Not everyone is a talented artist (I certainly am not), but that doesn’t make you any less a furry.
As for getting beaten up at a university for being a furry…. I have not heard that story so would need to see an article or something. I find that people at universities tend to be more openminded and liberal about such things. I don’t think you really have much to fear.
Since you have the money (congrats on your award), I would encourage you to attend furcons. Go to the various panels, talk to people, and through this you will probably get some ideas as to how you can contribute. Just one idea that pops to mind is you could volunteer to help at a furcon. Cons are always seeking people to help out because it is such a HUGE task to run a con, and I’m sure they would welcome your contributions.
The more exposure you get to the fandom, the more comfortable you will become and the less “weird” it will feel to you as you make new friends and learn about fun things to do.
Good Luck!
Papabear
Furry Fashion (part 1): Youth, Fursuiting, and Magic for Everyone.
From my closet.
Freaky Deaky Looks
Dancers, club kids, ravers, even Burning Man freaks – they all have standout looks that mingle with fandom sometimes. It’s a great place to celebrate creative expression in all of it’s forms.
Wherever furries meet, they wear their art. In costume or not, even their regular outfits are likely to be colorful with cartoony graphic appeal. The interest crosses over with many aspects of a subculture full of young creative people.
Furs who love fashion recently started a collective to make projects together. I did a chat with the Furry Fashion Collective – that’s coming in Part 2. But first, this topic can’t overlook fursuiting, the fandom’s signature visual statement. It’s the silly side of things, but that’s not all there is to it.
Furries are making a nice presence at #BurningMan and getting love back. https://t.co/wdhY6byqk1 Looks like @Furcon attracted a Burner crew (pic from Dragonscales Photography.) Anyone know them? @asunyra @neonbunny @Amenophis_cat pic.twitter.com/hvDdcsZBPQ
— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) February 1, 2018Over The Top Fursuiting
* “a humble husky who loves the furry community”
Fursuits have become a small industry worth millions. It’s having more and more success like the recent auction record of $13,500 for a Made Fur You suit. The passion for this custom-made wearable art is getting noticed outside fandom. Mainstream news about fursuiting-as-fashion includes a good article from Vice and a fashion article I contributed to on Racked.
For a long time, I’ve wanted to write a personal article about partial-fursuiting style. Partialling isn’t just lazier fullsuiting. There’s a need for clothes, but when you’re an animal-person, why settle for boring street clothes? Seize the opportunity and plan a wild outfit. Deck out a partial with accessories for freaky, flashy glam. Go crazy with stuff you might never get away with as a regular human, like that white elephant piece in a thrift shop window that nobody dares to buy.
Over the top is my jam! Wherever I go fursuiting, leaving behind a trail of shedded buttons, bandanas and glitter means I’m turning it up to 11. It’s more effort to put on the accessories than a full suit, but it’s extra fun for dancing and going on stage.
Sooner or later, I’ll spread out my closet full of Furry Trash gear and do photos to get that article done.
Glomps and glam - hi @TripECollie and @Mirawais 
pic.twitter.com/TlxOZzD0iP
Not just for kids!
Young people love fashion, and this is a fandom that skews young – but what about the greymuzzles? Are they just the unkempt nerds you see in long standing stereotypes? Heck no! Let’s hear it from the Greymuzzles group on Facebook, where this inspiring video got shared:
This 64-year-old fashion icon has a powerful message about aging 
pic.twitter.com/lpUVZw0NYB
Hunter commented on the video. I loved what he said and asked to share it to the public:
“This is excellent, and very relevant to our seasoned group here.
I had an experience some time ago that relates to this video. I witnessed a toony wolf fursuiter pop his top, and the gentleman underneath was around the age of this lady. I mentally sorted this guy as a banker or school principal instead of a bouncy fuzzy critter.
Now, here’s the deal: I associate fursuits (and all of furry, by extension) with youth, fun, vibrancy, energy, partying, creativity, openness, underground, experimental, fresh, liberal, “try everything”, cute, cuddly, and all that.
These are elements I don’t associate with older generations, which tend more towards mature, wise, stodgy, grumpy, controlling, parental, mainstream, corporate, early-bird special, conservative, authoritarian, “don’t do that”, etc.
In that moment, I experienced an acute sense of cognitive dissonance, due to these opposing mental associations. At the risk of “age shaming”, there was a small part of me that felt more mature audiences should “age out” of the fandom. I know, it’s messed up and hypocritical, especially in light of my own advancing maturity.
I had a choice to make: continue with this myopic viewpoint and remain conflicted, or change the way I see things.
To counteract this paradigm, I reminded myself that old-school furries that built this fandom were once the vibrant youth that my mind associates with it. Newly-minted greymuzzles bring their own magic to the table. Both sets have every right and reason to participate however they see fit. Both also deserve due respect, without me trying to impose my idea of what furry is “supposed to be”. So either I can get with the program, becoming enriched by their experience, or remain trapped in my prejudicial (and immature) ways of thinking.
It turns out that dissonance has actually underscored my own participation in the fandom for the past several years, due to my own advancing age and life experiences. Yeah, I get how “you’re only as young as you feel”, but how I feel isn’t consistent. When the furry magic is rolling hard, I feel like I’m in my 20’s (or younger) again. In that state, I “allow” myself to act according to my particular expression: bouncy-wouncy, fun-loving, and insufferably furry. On the other end of that spectrum, it’s the opposite, feeling like I’m in my 80’s (stupid health crap) and I withdraw because I’m not “feeling it”.
Ultimately, I feel as if I’m going to continue in this fandom, it’s going to be through fursuiting. Someday, I’m going to be just like that guy, taking off my head in the fursuit lounge, tripping some random young cub’s shit in the process. Then I’ll lock eyes with them and think, “I was once where you are, and so shall you be where I am. Try to keep up”.
(- Hunter)
Furry magic has no limits. There’s more in the interview with the Furry Fashion Collective coming in Part 2.
I wanted to share this touching moment. @Reo_Grayfox was telling me his story, and said those lines while staring straight into his fursuit's eyes. Hearing personal stories like this makes you appreciate the vastly diverse reasons why the furry fandom is essential to so many. pic.twitter.com/fD09Wmv6mf
— Joaquin Baldwin (@joabaldwin) January 22, 2018Like 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.
The Annie Awards for 2017
Saturday the 3rd at UCLA, the International Animated Film Society (ASIFA) handed out the annual Annie Awards for the best in animated films, television, and effects for the year 2017. As everyone expected, the big winner of the evening was Disney/Pixar’s Coco, which took home 11 of the 13 honors that it was nominated for, including Best Feature, Best Directing, and Best Writing. (Not really an anthropomorphic film, but those alebrijes were so cool!) In spite of Coco’s sweep, there was still room for several anthropomorphic items to win awards in several categories. Revolting Rhymes was awarded Best Special Production (the award for medium-length original films). Based on the poems of Roald Dahl, Revolting Rhymes was created by Magic Light Pictures, which previously brought us The Gruffalo and Highway Rat. Silvergate Media’s series The Octonauts won for Best TV Production for Preschool Children, while We Bare Bears won Best TV Production for Children. Trollhunters won for Best Character Animation in a TV Production, and the feature War for the Planet of the Apes won for Character Animation in a Live Action Production. Cuphead took home the award for Best Game. Meanwhile, the Disney Mickey Mouse TV series had quite a night, taking home Annies for Best Directing, Best Music, and Best Storyboarding. Visit the Annie Awards web site to see the full list. [And remember: The Ursa Major Awards are taking nominations now!]
Image c. 2018 Magic Light Pictures
S7 Episode 8 – Another Lost Episode! - Roo and Tugs are joined in linked studio by audience-favorite Klik as they discuss the news of the day! Ever been on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride? This is 100x more sudden swerves and turns! But don't despair! We have Get Ps
NOW LISTEN!
Show Notes
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!)
Space News Music: Fredrik Miller – Orbit. USA: Bandcamp, 2013. Used with permission. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Mailbag: Eskadet – Back To Kyoto ; from the album “Solitudes” (Lemongrassmusic, 2010) – www.lemongrassmusic.de – Used under license.
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!)
Patreon Love
The following people have decided this month’s Fur What It’s Worth is worth actual cash! THANK YOU!
Docos, the Doritos Locos Taco Tiger from your local Taco Bell!
Rifka, the San Francisco Treat! Artorias Ichisake
Lokimutt and Guardian Lion and Cody
Plus Tier Supporters
Skylos
Snares
Swift
Booga
Simone Parker
McRib Tier Supporters
Hachi Shibaru
Ilya / EpicRive
Next episode: What do you do with your art and furry things when you die? It's hard to think about, but something slowly coming for the fandom. Tell us your thoughts by February 8, 2018! S7 Episode 8 – Another Lost Episode! - Roo and Tugs are joined in linked studio by audience-favorite Klik as they discuss the news of the day! Ever been on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride? This is 100x more sudden swerves and turns! But don't despair! We have Get Ps
Crash: The Party
And more from Dark Horse… The Crash Bandicoot Files: How Willy The Wombat Sparked Marsupial Mania. (Woo, long title huh?) From their web site: “Take a rare glimpse into the making of a video game icon, and gain a first-hand taste of the creativity that brought Crash Bandicoot to millions of screens around the world! This deluxe hardcover reproduction of Naughty Dog’s original Crash Bandicoot developer’s bible is sure to please all who possess a curiosity surrounding the creation of games!” It’s available this March in hardcover.
image c. 2018 Dark Horse
Dungeons & Draggets #03 - Here is video of it w/ illustrations and more! --…
Here is video of it w/ illustrations and more! -- https://youtu.be/3e0qLCFNd7g Our Patreon w/ great new rewards! www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow Telegram Chat: t.me/draggetshow Dungeons & Draggets #03 - Here is video of it w/ illustrations and more! --…
The Cop What Lurks
We can see how the pitch for this probably went: “HE is a hard-boiled New England cop… IT is a Cthullu-spawned horror… Together, they fight crime!” Actually, here’s what we got from Previews: “Artie Buckle is a grade ‘A’ schmuck. His excessive fondness for booze compliments his flash temper, but hold their feet to the fire, his fellow officers would agree: Artie is one helluva cop. He’s gonna need that scrap of goodwill because Brick City is under siege from its citizenry… and to top it off Artie’s been saddled with the city’s newest hero as his partner: A hideous, monstrous, but completely likable, extra-dimensional being named Vinegar Teeth. Can Artie pull his head out long enough to work together with a Lovecraftian monster with a heart of gold and set Brick City back on its feet?” Vinegar Teeth is a new 4-issue comic miniseries created by Damon Gentry and Troy Nixey. The first issue is out now from Dark Horse.
image c. 2018 Dark Horse Comics
Made Fur You sews up a fandom record with a $13,500 fursuit auction at The Dealer’s Den.
Congratulations to Made Fur You (@MadeFurYou) on their record breaking auction! Make your own dreams real with us @TheDealersDen!https://t.co/sKup8KvMEG pic.twitter.com/eGjCMzCdwn
— The Dealers Den (@TheDealersDen) January 30, 2018Some highest fursuit auction records:
- $8,025 for Lavender Corgi by AlbinoTopaz, sold on Furbuy with 73 bids on 10/11/14.
- $11,575 for Sniper Angeldragon by PhoenixWolf, sold on Furbuy with 187 bids on 2/14/15.
- $13,500 for commission slot by Made Fur You, sold on The Dealer’s Den with 82 bids on 1/29/18.
Those are public auctions, but I also confirmed a private $17,500 commission and a $25,000 one that would involve special electronics. Other prices for personal builds and commissions may not be known. The Dealer’s Den told me:
With 82 total bids, the $13,500.00 Made Fur You auction that ended yesterday is our new record winner, beating out our previous record of $10,100.00 on a Mishka Silver Fox fursuit auction by Howl Yeah with 37 bids back on 9/08/16.
If anyone was curious as to what the suit will be. This is the character I am looking to get done. I was debating between this one and my bunny; but there are some other makers I would prefer to have my bunny done by, so Sage is the choice. pic.twitter.com/fzy1kzto55
— Desafinado (@DezziFae) January 30, 2018To the winner of the Made Fur You commission, Dezzifae, I asked:
- Were you surprised at how the bidding went? Can you talk about why it rose so high – are you just that big a fan of the maker, or did you win the lottery?
- Can you talk about your plans for the commission? How about fursuiting in general – do you have other suits, and what will you do with this one?
- What have you heard from others about this? Got any hate mail?
- What do you think about high priced suits? Do you think this is a top record? As far as I know, it is for auctions.
- Did you have any chat with MFY about it yet, and what are they saying? How about with The Dealer’s Den?
- Do you think this has any implications for fandom in general – like if people spend more on custom creations, do you think fursuiting and furries will get more appreciation for being creative and supportive? And how about people lacking the money to spend… is it good or bad for them?
Dezzifae answers:
Honestly, I wasn’t too surprised that the auction got so high. MFY is easily one of, if not the most popular makers out there. I don’t honestly know why the auction got so high. I had a lot of people telling me I was bidding against trolls, etc; and that could have been it. I will give the other bidders the benefit of doubt though and say they were probably just as big of fans of MFY as I am.
As for why I went so high, I make a good living; and I do tend to spend and donate more than my fair share in the fandom. This isn’t my first suit, nor is it the first suit I’ve paid much over what a maker would generally ask for a suit.
My plans for the commission will be me getting a new character done, one I actually bought as an adopt after the auction had already started. Other than that, just taking the suit to cons, and getting involved in whatever shenanigans play out there along with suiting around downtown Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip.
I have 2 other suits, both by Mischief Makers. 1 is my main fursona, a fox named Dezzi, and the other is a premade coyote they were raffling off at Itty Bitty Fur Con named Lancelot, which I generally just use for partialling or loaning out to friends at cons.
I have heard a wide spectrum from friends and people I haven’t even heard of before. Most of it is positive. I can put the responses into 3 main categories. The first being people happy that the suit got so high, and they seem very happy for me and the maker. The second being people responding to negative responses with messages and tweets like “Ignore the haters.” And the third, which I will go into the most depth on, are the angry people.
Let me just start by saying this. I have not, nor will I ever be responsible for increasing the price of fursuits over this auction. It is the most ludicrous statement I have ever read, and I have gotten it a lot. No one needs to worry about the price of suits from MFY going up from my auction alone. Hardly anyone has the kind of cash to drop on a suit, and MFY knows that. I will also say this. The people making threats to me, I’m not scared of you, nor will I ever be. The hate has actually gone way farther than it should have for it just being the first 24 hours and for being something so trivial as just me buying a suit, and some of it has already crossed over into illegal activity; and I cant say anything more than that. And to those people that will take it that far, you are the biggest cowards I have seen in my life. You don’t scare me, and you wont stop me from doing the things in this fandom that I love. Your hate has not scared me off, nor has it hurt my love for this fandom in the slightest. Bad people are out there. I’m well aware of this fact. I wish it would not affect the fandom, but such is the way of things. The overwhelming number of positive and loving people in this fandom greatly outweighs any of the hate; and I think the bad people know that, which is why they act like they do.
That is all the more in depth on that I will go, but I think some people are WAY overreacting. I’m just a rich man that bought a suit. I like supporting my fandom and the people that make it happen, and MFY is definitely one of the people that make this fandom how great it is, which is why I am happy to make such a large purchase from them.
As for high priced suits. If you have the money and you’re willing to drop it on a suit, go for it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I love suiting, and I will continue to suit and buy new suits as time goes on. Nothing will stop me from that. This isn’t the first high priced suit I have bought; and honestly, having a high priced suit doesn’t make me better than anyone else. I still make friends and hang out with said friends like any other person in this fandom.
I honestly have no idea if this is the record for an auction. I know for fact it’s not the record for most expensive suit; but as far as I can tell the 11,575 auction was the most expensive I have seen. Someone did tell me there was one that sold for 15k, but they couldn’t provide me any proof; so as far as I know, this is the most expensive fursuit ever sold in an auction.
Of course I have chatted with MFY already. I sent in the design and got my invoice for the purchase. They seem very happy that it went so high; but other than that, not much chatter with them. Nothing from Dealer’s Den, but I didn’t expect to hear from them.
I think the only implication this has for the fandom is that it is growing, and that’s good. I haven’t been in the fandom for long. Maybe 5 years or so, and I didn’t go to my first con until MFF 2016; but I have seen it grow massively in that small time, and I think it’s a very good thing for everyone. More people means more cons and events, in more locations, which means more accessibility to those outside bigger furry towns like LA, Phoenix, Chicago, etc.
For the people without money for an expensive suit, I think this is also a good thing. More growth means more fursuit makers, and the ones just starting out won’t charge massive prices. I’m trying to say that people have no need to worry about furry getting too expensive. More people just means more creators. It’s a free market. If there is demand for cheap art and cheap fursuits, new makers and artists will fill those slots.
Overall I don’t see this auction being a bad thing for the fandom in the slightest; and despite the massive uproar I’ve seen against it, the people sharing love and support will always outnumber those. The fandom is changing, I will say that, but it’s changing for the better, and people need to realize that. Anything else you want to know, do not hesitate to ask. Always happy to chat with people in the fandom and partake in their work.
– DezziFae
Thanks to Dezzifae for the chat, and enjoy the suit.
The Dealer’s Den sent even more comments:
The Fandom as a whole is growing and becoming more popular, more mainstream, year after year – and with all of the adorable fuzzies running rampant through the streets, it’s easy to see why! Fursuits are becoming more fashionable as our creators rise in number and in talent. As the skill level and work required rises, so should the compensation. Should they all be priced this high? Of course not. If they did, we wouldn’t have the amazing fursuiting community that we do. But for an artist in extraordinarily high demand, we don’t see this as unreasonable.
Fursuit makers and artists make up the heart of this fandom. Without them, our characters and creations would only exist in our own imaginations, and we are glad that a few of them are starting to get paid what they deserve. Running a business is very hard and it takes a lot of work with many years of dedication, sweat, and tears. We are lucky to have an abundance of very talented artists in this fandom. We have been spoiled, we think, with some of the low, low prices we’ve been charged in the past due to the tough competition between all of these artists we have to choose from. Months and months of work go into each custom fursuit creation. Hours upon hours of labor get put into each piece of artwork. When art from your favorite artists just pops up in your inbox every day, it’s easy to forget the amount of work that went into each submission.
A lot of the artists and creators of the fandom do this full-time and still struggle to get instant noodles on the table. We are attempting to change that by offering a place for buyers and sellers to connect more easily, allowing for a more robust marketplace that supports our artists and creators more, while also giving our consumers a wonderful platform for comparing pricing and art styles. We are very happy to see that we are breaking into new ground for creators. As the profit potential of these business types increase, you will find more and more artists drawn to the community and we believe that this will actually bring prices down in the long-term. More options means less people commissioning the same individual at an inflated rate, less time waiting for your custom fursuit to be completed, or even to get on the queue, which translates into a healthier marketplace with stable and fair pricing for everyone.
The Dealers Den – Fandom Stores & Auctions
http://www.TheDealersDen.com
Serious thought on fandom money:
Guys. Fursuit makers aren’t like pfitzer or GE or APPLE or something. Where do you think they’re gonna spend that money? Think they’re giving it to shareholders or Focus on the Family?
That money goes to bills and likely back into the fandom.
Just so you know MFY isnt like a huge business. I work from inside my studio home in the woods. I do 90% of the work. I get additional help from friends on occasion. Everything I make gets turned around to improve MFY and a comfortable life for me to do so. Im grateful 
pic.twitter.com/BcKEZmMyma
Everyone is bent out of shape over a $13,000 fur suit.
Here is a $13,000 phono cartridge
It was made by an 80 year old Japanese man who has known only this work his entire life.
Its body was hand carved from a piece of jade. The coils wound by hand using watch making tools. pic.twitter.com/dt2vJPxGrT
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Santa Clara All Stars: #BEAUTIFULLYNORMAL
I missed this one, It appears to be a weird Christmas music video with a Fursuiter. I would say it's more an outsider given the mascot style suit.
View Video
Dogworld: Operation Stray Cat, by John Woods – Book Review by Fred Patten
Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.
Dogworld: Operation Stray Cat, by John Woods. Illustrated by Miro Dimitrov.
Los Angeles, CA, Out of the Woods Publishing, July 2015, trade paperback, $10.99 (358 pages).
This is a military novel with dog and cat soldiers, or Canoids and Feloids, emphasizing the species’ senses:
“Enemy detection in the field was the job of big-nosed bloodhounds, stubby-legged Basset Hounds in a pinch, or even those spastic little beagles the suits in the Capitol somehow deemed fit for military service. Sure, there were better scent hounds in the ranks, and if he really needed one, he’d get one, but what he was looking for in this cornfield even a flat-nosed pug with a head cold should be able to sniff out,” (p. 3)
The setting is a planet with two suns and three moons, where civilization is represented by the Canoids and Feloids. The enormous homids are dumb beasts, only good for their dung for fertilizer.
That’s assuming the Feloids can be considered civilized. Lieutenant Colonel Angus Rex, a Canoid commander (Rottweiler), doubts it.
“As far as the colonel and most of his people were concerned, cats, as Feloids were more commonly called, had no place in modern society. The self-serving and savage Feloids seemed only to exist to foul the land his people toiled to cultivate, more importantly, to civilize. Destiny favored the technologically and intellectually advanced dogs. Everyone knew that. Everyone but the yellow-eyed devil cats themselves and the remnants of their army now gathered somewhere out there beyond the corn.” (p. 4)
The war has been going on for ten years.
“The colonel lowered his binoculars and looked back at his army. A thousand pairs of eyes looked to him and awaited his order to begin the final push of the decade-long fight the country’s newspapers were starting to call The Great Cat War. The Rottie huffed at this exaggeration and wondered if future historians would indeed label a ten-year mission of unapologetic, organized slaughter an actual war when every major battle fought was a near-total rout. Some would argue putting fifty-caliber canon [sic.] fire against simple bow and arrow could not possibly be considered an actual war, but the motive-spinning nose-breathers in charge deemed it a war, so the colonel long ago reasoned what he was doing was just. Besides, he rationalized, his duty was not to argue the political, philosophical, or even moral aspects of the mission; but to simply follow orders and get the job done. And, like most of his people, he was obedient; he would do whatever was necessary to complete the objective.” (pgs. 5-6)
The protagonist of Dogworld is “Corporal Cooper Bigby, a likeable young beagle-sheltie mix” (p. 9). He is in awe of the final battlefield. “Bigby imagined the grand concrete and steel memorial certain to be built, probably exactly where he now stood.” (p. 10)
If Bigby had been a wolf, he would be an omega. As a puppy, when he and his friends played Cats & Dogs, “he always ended up being picked to play one of the Feloids, never a triumphant Canoid. […] Having only been assigned to his first combat unit just days earlier, Bigby had never experienced battle, never fired a single shot in anger, and figured he likely never would. He had qualified at the range, but just barely. The army required proficient marksmanship of all its soldiers, and he had made the cut by the narrowest of margins, but with his small frame and short arms, it was difficult to steady an assault rifle obviously designed for a much larger Canoid.” (pgs. 11-12)
Bigby spent the war “as radio operator for the Supply company to which he had been attached following Basic Training.” (p. 13) But although the war is officially over, lines of communication on the enemy side were lost at the end. Bigby’s company is assigned to go with the Canoid troops sent into the vast, inhospitable desert of the Western Territory, the last area of the fighting, to contact the last Felinoid soldiers and convince them the war is over. “He [Bigby] and his new squad now had the opportunity to venture out and explore a faraway land where no one really knew what might unfold. Maybe he would even get a chance to encounter an actual Feloid, something he had yet to do in his young life.” (p. 21)
Bigby is second in command to Staff Sergeant Rufus Rocko (bulldog) in squad Bravo One Zero Charlie. Other members of his squad are Private Ronin Axis (Doberman Pinscher), PFC Archie Duke (Great Dane), Specialist Jedidiah McCoy (bloodhound; scout), and Specialist Sam King (German Shepherd; armored truck driver); with Simon, their official Felodian translator.
“The team – or pack as they were called in the army – continued listening to Rocko, and, just as Bigby had thought, the packs were tasked with the military’s effort to inform, register, and prepare for transport any surviving Feloids still unaware of the war’s end. After ten years of lopsided Canoid victories, no one expected much, if any, resistance.” (p. 26)
Bigby begins Operation Stray Cat imagining “himself as a daring explorer about to embark on a grand adventure”. Sgt. Rocko is aware that his troops are all losers in some respect – McCoy is a top sniffer, but with thick-lens eyeglasses who could not see much beyond his own snout; and Bigby is a hopeless idealist who has never experienced battle – and Simon, the Felinoid, loathes them all and can’t be trusted.
Their assignment is to enter and explore a deep “hidden valley” that “headquarters had simply designated WT-V437-02.” It takes them over an hour to maneuver the ten-ton armored truck precariously along a narrow ledge to the valley floor. Once there, they are on their own. “Because the valley was located so deep within the high canyon walls, Rocko knew before the pack descended into it that communications with the outside world would likely be difficult, if not impossible.” (p. 50)
What happens in the valley is the rest of the novel.
Dogworld (cover by Yevgen Kaminskyy) is an unusual blend of animal anthropomorphization and reality. The cats, dogs, and homids are their real sizes:
“Bigby watched the cat effortlessly hold the [cigarette] smoke in his lungs, fascinated that the fearless creature actually seemed to be considering further antagonizing the dog easily three times his size.” (p. 36)
Their life spans are also realistic. The ten years of the war is almost a lifetime for most of the dogs, and is more than a lifetime for the short-lived Great Dane. The result is a bizarre military melodrama that is certainly more than a standard war story with funny-animal soldiers.
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.
Their Names in Lights!
And their likenesses too, actually. KefkaFloyd is the on-line name of Dan Vincent, an artist who creates original laser-etched clear sculptures that glow with neon colors. So far, most of his designs are based on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. But as you can see on his web site he covers other fannish ventures as well, and he’s always creating new works. So keep checking back!
image c. 2018 by KefkaFloyd
