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Hey Papa Bear.

I have had a great relationship for 4 years with my boyfriend. We shared everything. We watched things together. We also like furrys. We even planned to go live together.

However. A month ago he decided to dump me. I have lots of support from my friends. But I am still so lonely and scared. Especially at night. I fear and dislike being alone. I have no one to call. No one calling me.

I believe in true love. In staying with a special someone for the rest of your life. 
But maybe I am being naive.

So my question is this:

• How can i meet new, furry friends.
  
• How can i find someone special. Like a boyfriend or soulmate?
  
• What can i do to reduce my lonelyness and fears when I am all alone? 

Thank you very much Papabear!

Just typing this has helped a little.

Anonymous in Belgium

* * *

Dear Furiend,
 
I'm so sorry for your break up. Did your former boyfriend ever give you an explanation why he left you? Understanding this would go a long way toward taking the next step in your life.
 
I understand feeling lonely and scared. When my husband died in 2015, I was alone for quite some time, but then Michael came into my life. He was already a friend when my husband was still alive (actually, my piano teacher), and about a year and a half after Jim's death, Michael decided to divorce his husband and move in with me. But that wasn't the first time I was alone. The first time was when my wife divorced me (long story from a time when I didn't realize I was gay) and I had to get by on my own. I don't really like being alone, either. After Jim died, I kept the TV on all the time, even when I wasn't watching it, because I hated the silence. The other thing to do is to try and be with people as much as possible. Socialize, visit family, even invite friends to your home for a sleepover. Anything to not be alone. 
 
That said, don't discount the value of occasionally being by yourself for a little quiet reflection. But don't be afraid to ask people to visit you. Keep the door open.
 
Meeting furries is pretty easy. I mean, you must know about social media, and there are all kinds of places to chat online.  To get some in-furson experience, if you haven't already done so, go visit your furry friends at the Belgian furcon Flüüfff in Blankenberg @FlüüfffCon. Always a great way to have fun, going to a convention.  There is also a bimonthly furmeet in Liège https://www.ouftimeet.be/ if you can travel there.
 
Now, about meeting someone special. Here, I can only speak in generalities. First of all, be genuine. Don't try to win someone over by being what you are not, because if you try to impress someone with falsehoods or change yourself to accommodate them, you can't keep it up forever. Secondly, always be kind and considerate of other people.  Third, don't allow yourself to be used by other people because you are desperate not to be alone. If you keep those things in mind, eventually, real love will appear.
 
Hugs,
Papabear

“A polar bear falls in love with a seal, but the seal thinks the polar bear is trying to eat it!” You can’t get a much more straight-forward explanation for A Polar Bear In Love — a new black & white manga from the artist Koromo. Now Yen Press have collected Volume 1 into a trade paperback. Long-running cartoon adventures have come from far less…

image c. 2017 Yen Press

Intimate Little Secrets (US$9.95 from FurPlanet) is an anthology of short stories written by Rechan with a cover illustration by Teagan Gavet. Originally I expected the stories to be short, erotic pieces, but this is not the case and approaching it in that way will not lead to a proper appreciation of the work. Sex plays a role in all the stories, but they are more, as the title suggests, intimate secrets where we see how different characters interact and react. The writing is excellent, particularly with regard to the characters themselves. Each one, even characters that only appear briefly, feel real and whole. In each story, we see situations where the characters' lusts, needs, and vulnerabilities are all laid bare, and you can't help but find yourself caring about the characters and wanting to know what their reasons for acting a certain way are. Occasionally, quality is let down by the editing, though. This is certainly higher quality than most of what you will read online, but that just makes the errors all the more glaring. There is a duplicated quotation mark in one story which is particularly strange as that story is also available through Rechan's SoFurry account and does not contain the error there. Another very noticeable one is when "kind've" is used instead of the correct "kind of." This one stands out for me because the incorrect and correct forms are used within five lines of each other on at least two occasions. It's not a deal breaker, but it can bring the reader out of the scene. One of the anthology's major strengths is the diversity of species and how that is worked into the stories. Amongst the more familiar species, we also encounter skunks, gazelles, minks and chipmunks. These choices have consequences for the story. Previous furry commentaries have asked questions such as whether the animal aspect plays a role in a furry story and whether there is a reason the characters are furry as opposed to being human. In this anthology, it does matter and serves the story in many cases. Sometimes, a species' strong musk means you don't have to worry about others smelling the scent of sex. In one case, we have an interspecies couple looking for a sperm donor because their species are incompatible. There's even a really good piece of world-building where one character comments that, due to their reliance on body language, wolves do not communicate well over the phone. This brings the world alive. In one case, the uncommon species choice leads to a bit of ambiguity that an editor should probably have picked up on. That is the cacomistle which I had never even heard about. That's good, I'm learning something new, but it's also referred to in the story as a ringtail. If you do a search for these terms, what you find is that ringtail refers to the ring-tailed cat (Bassariscus astutus) which is occasionally called a cacomistle, but more often cacomistle refers to the cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti). Since the ring-tailed cat is the only one referred to as a ringtail and its range extends into the US, it must be what the author is referring to, but the term cacomistle is both ambiguous and being used here in its less common form. This leads to confusion when you need to look it up. I said right at the beginning that this is not erotica but there are sex scenes in almost all of the stories. These scenes are not written purely to aid pawing off, but they are more real and occasionally include things like intrusions killing the mood or a guy firing too early. With this more realistic depiction of sex, what I was glad to see was when there was a scene with an escort and client where she used a condom. It's a small thing, but it's something which has been noted as lacking in furry art and literature. The furry fandom is sexually open and very much made of personal fantasies which can be risky when taken directly into the real world. Condoms are only used in one story and mentioned one other, but that inclusion alone, along with things like HIV testing at MFF, can help create a safer furry fandom. In summary, despite a few minor missteps, this is a collection of really excellent, character-based writing. The depth of the characters that is established in a very short time is impressive, and many of the stories left me wanting more. There's a sense of frustration from that – that I wanted the stories to go on longer – but it is the good kind of frustration. My favourite of the stories would be "Missed" and "Rickety V" (They both follow the same characters and "Rickety V" builds on "Missed") which deals with BDSM, love, and polyamorous relationships. Many of the others are also really good, including one tragic one where you can really feel the strain the characters are under. I can definitely recommend it and would be very interested if Rechan does a full novel in the future.

Here is an odd greeting from Nebula Studios that appears to be working on a furry short that has a bit of a classic Tim Burton vibe. "The bunny is Lob0, the main character in Don’t Feed These Animals, a short film Nebula Studios is working on with the support of the incredible Maxon, NVidia, Redshift and Wacom. More will be coming soon in 2018."
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Well this came out of nowhere… Manosaurs Volume 1: Walk Like A Manosaur is a new full-color graphic novel for kids that’s available now from Papercutz. “Leo ‘the Doc’ Jeffries is down on his luck with his run down Dynamic Dino Display until he unearths a box of bonafide dinosaur eggs! The eggs hatch four talking dinosaurs who rapidly adapt and grow into their new environment… the twenty-first century! Now, Tri, Rex, Ptor, and Pterry must navigate life after extinction and defend their new family from forces of the dreaded Armaggedon who would like to make sure these powerful reptiles stay extinct.” Got that? It’s written by Stefan Petrucha and available in trade paperback or hardcover editions.

image c. 2017 Papercutz

"In one of the longest-running science fiction series in network TV history, FBI special agents investigate unexplained, mind-bending cases known as "Fox-Files." Though the government is convinced that the outlandish reports are false, conspiracy theorist Nick Wilde and realist Judy Hopps, for most of the series, stop at nothing to prove that "the truth is out there." Series creator Byron Howard also serves as executive producer of the thrilling pop-culture phenomenon." Ok, this one was by request and egads it turned out to be a very hard thing to do. So ... much ... photoshop. I need to lie down now. (No more editing video for the rest of the year.)
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Hello, Papabear:

So a few months ago I realized I was atheist. I haven't told my mom, but I'm getting signs that coming out could be bad.

• She makes me read verses from the Bible, yet I cannot state my opinion on religion, which makes me think she's implying that it's okay that I can decide my religion now if I'm Christian, but can't decide if I'm an atheist.
• She does Christian signs everywhere. For examples, the knocking on wood, praying before each meal, and suggesting me to try church.​

I am really worried because I have heard of cases of being thrown out, disowned, and many things. I don't really know anyone real who I can talk to about this because my entire school is Christian. One morning we were taken to this place, which no one knew where we were going, and made to pray and say Bible verses, but I just kinda stayed quiet. I've only found one person that's atheist, but their parents are atheists, so I don't know.

Mozzy (age 11)

* * *

Hi, Mozzy,

Exploring one's spiritual beliefs is a lifelong process for many people. Others allow themselves to be indoctrinated into their family's beliefs and never question them.  It is good that you are openminded and questioning what may be out there, rather than blindly following what others tell you to do.  I encourage you to continue to explore your spirit now and in the future.  Do this by reading. READ READ READ READ.  Read what atheists have to say, but also read Christian, Jewish, Muslim philosophers. Read about Zoroastrianism, Hindu, Buddhist beliefs. After a while, you will notice some consistent beliefs. There are some wise words said in every religion, but there is also a lot of intolerance.

I know people who are atheists. My sister is one. My mother is really an agnostic.  My father was Southern Baptist.  Of the philosophies I have explored, I have been most drawn to Wicca and Buddhism. In the end, I take a little bit from each philosophy and form my own conclusions as best I can.  

The danger of what your mother and your school does is that they seek to control people and not allow them to be enlightened on their own. Most people do this out of fear. The Church is good at making people fearful by threatening them with Hell and Damnation unless they do as they are told (while priests and ministers often misbehave hypocritically at the same time, you might have noticed). 

The problem is that you are 11, which means you have little power in how you lead your life right now. Now, about your fear of being kicked out if you tell Mom you are an atheist: the law is on your side here. It is illegal to abandon a child under 18 in this country. However, threatening your mother with a lawsuit or prison time does not make for a comfortable living situation.

Therefore, the wise thing to do is just do as you are told for now. Read in private as much as you can. Nod when your mother tells you her beliefs about God and Jesus, and just go along with it until you are able to leave the house and support yourself.

I know, that's not a pleasant prospect, but telling Mom you're an atheist will likely make life very unpleasant for you. In your own best interest, I advise you to just keep quiet about it as you are doing now.

Who knows what the future might bring? Heck, you might eventually decide to be a Christian again (not unheard of), and if you do, yours will be a much more genuine faith based upon your own thoughts and feelings rather than someone else's. And, if you decide to convert to another religion or just be an atheist, that's fine too because there is something in this world that is more important than what we believe or what religion we practice. What is important is how we behave.  Being kind to others and to the world and to ourselves is the best way to honor any god, or even a world without gods.

Good Luck,
Papabear

Hello Everyone!

We open this week's show with a reflection of our year. We talk about the show, areas we want to improve in the year to come, and the important highlights in our lives. We find it's important to look at the good moments and find ways to cultivate more of them moving forward, especially in a year that was difficult for many of our listeners.

Our main topic is a continuation on our yearly retrospective: journaling and self reflection. We talk about how and why we journal, and detail two different styles that are commonly used: Bullet Journaling and Emotional Intelligence Journaling. We go through the strengths of both styles and how these can be used to focus your life, focus your strengths, and aid you in living an intentional, uninhibited life.

As this is the final show of the year we at Feral Attraction wish you and those in your life a 2018 that is fulfilled with love and laughter. We will be back in Mid-January with our first episode of Season 3.

For more information, including a list of topics, see our Show Notes for this episode.

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 097 Journaling and Self Reflection - How can you an intentional, well-rounded life? This, and more, on this week's Feral Attraction!

Okay, so here’s this: The Disney Animal Journeys Comics Treasury, a new massive (more than 700 pages!) trade paperback from Joe Books. We got this from Previews: “Rumble through the jungle, soar through the sky, and dive into the sea with this giant comic collection of Disney animal stories! Revisiting the adventures of your favorite Disney animals – from timeless Disney Bambi, Disney The Lion King, and Disney•Pixar A Bug’s Life to Disney•Pixar Finding Dory and Disney Zootopia — this treasury will provide hours of entertainment for all ages and species!” It’s available now.

image c. 2017 Joe Books

Banana Cat should get together with Ice Cream Kitty from Ninja Turtles.
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Hello, Papabear:

I am not sure if you remember me. I wrote to you previously in regards to my issues with depression and self harm and suicide. And thank you, by the way, for answering me so thoroughly. It really meant a lot.

Apologies in advance if my letter is at all poorly worded. I am very tired as I write this. But I will do my best to communicate my thoughts.

One thing I mentioned in my previous letter was that I do not often express my emotions to others. This is due to my severe trust issues that sourced from crucial moments in my past. Today I would like to talk about this a bit.

To put it as simply as possible, my relationship with my parents as a child did not encourage emotional expression. If anything, it punished it. As such, I often feel very alone. Starved for attention, even. However, I find it very difficult to accept the sympathy of others. I think that I would like to be loved, but I would be too uncomfortable to suddenly receive it after such a long time without. My thoughts are a bit too jumbled to put into words at the moment. But I think I am afraid of love. Somehow.

It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? But it's true. Love and being loved are the two most terrifying concepts for me. I guard my emotions so fiercely. It is frightening to imagine allowing someone to know you so personally that way. Having them dedicate a part of their lives to you, and yours to them. 

If ever I find myself caring deeply about someone, I push them away. Because I cannot handle emotional intimacy. And because I do not want to drag them down with me. Considering my current mental health state. I want to protect them from myself, and myself from the inevitable emotional intimacy.

Another part of me has become complacent with my own isolation. Which I do not believe is healthy. Most of the time I eschew personal subjects in conversation and avoid talking about my true emotions. This has all become very natural to me now. To refrain from expressing the emotions I view as weaknesses and disregard them entirely. To be untrusting in order to protect myself. If ever I make a mistake and spill my sorrows to someone, I later become wracked with regret. Wishing I had just kept my mouth shut. So, as I'm sure you can imagine, that intimacy I mentioned earlier is almost nightmarish to me. And yet a part of me craves it. Despite the major negative effect it seems to have on me. From here stems my confusion. I can assume that I am drawn to emotional intimacy due to the lack of it in my childhood. But as a result of that same lack of support I received, emotional intimacy makes me very uncomfortable. It is confusing and saddening to me. That I am somehow unable to accept something that I need most.

Truth be told, I think I'm an irredeemable pathetic excuse for a human being. And I don't even think that I deserve to be loved. But love and support seem to be two necessary factors for lessening my suicidal depression. Both of which I am severely lacking. So I am not sure what to do. At all. 

I do not exactly have any specific question for you, but rather a request for advice. I'm not sure where to begin. Any wisdom you may have would be very welcome.

Thanks.

Cobalt

* * *

Dear Cobalt,

(Sorry this is late, hon)

What you are experiencing is a direct result of the fact that your parents were emotionally distant from you. It is in our infancy and childhood that we develop our ability to bond with others by first bonding with our caregivers (usually parents). When that is not provided for any reason, it is like not being exposed to a language as a child, making it extremely difficult to learn to speak to others as an adult. Once our brains have stopped growing and establishing their synaptic connections, then we are kind of set in our ways, so to speak. Extreme forms of emotional disconnection stemming from childhood are called Reactive Attachment Disorders.

This does NOT make you an "irredeemable pathetic excuse for a human being." It makes you a damaged person, but it is NOT your fault any more than it is the fault of someone who lost a leg in an accident or who is blind or deaf. You were not only, apparently, deprived of emotional connections as a child but, indeed, punished for being emotional. Naturally love and friendship and other forms of intimacy freak you out now! You were never taught how to be emotional and how to bond to other human beings.

Are you doomed to be like this forever? Well, while it will be a struggle for you, I do believe you can regain some of the emotional attachments and trust that you have lost. The first thing you have to do is rediscover joy in your life.  Pursue any little things that bring you happiness, such as music, movies, games, connecting to Nature, adopting a puppy or kitten.  In fact, that last one would be a very good thing for you. Although I like kitties, I would recommend a puppy. They form such loving, trusting bonds to their owners that some of that love is bound to rub off on you. You will learn to love the puppy, and that will help reestablish an emotional education for you.

Second, if you can, seek out some counseling. Now that you know what you are dealing with, you can seek some guidance in leading you back to an emotional life. Please note that expressing emotions is not a sign of weakness or unmanliness or anything like that. It is the confident person who is unafraid to show how they feel.

Third, start keeping a personal journal. In your journal, which you should work on each day, write down what happened to you on that day and then try to express how you felt about each experience. This will help you identify emotions and what triggers them. You see, what we are trying to do here is to reestablish the broken synaptic connections in your mind that, over time, will make it easier and easier to feel again and to recognize what you are feeling.

Fourth: exercise. Exercise? What's that got to do with emotions? Nothing about your body works in isolation. Mind and body are one, and a healthy body, a feeling of connection to your body, actually fosters emotional and mental health, as well.

Fifth, start putting yourself out there. You are correct that social isolation is not healthy. When you are ready (and don't push yourself), start going out, even if it is by yourself. Go to a baseball game and try to strike up a conversation with a fellow fan; go to a church and say hi to the people sitting in the pews; go to a flea market and talk to the people selling their wares. This way, you can start working on your conversation skills without much worry because, hey, they are just passing acquaintances, so no pressure.

Once you start feeling more connected to your emotions again and have worked on the art of conversation a bit, then it's time to look for a more personal interaction. Perhaps it is with a fellow furry, or perhaps someone you meet at a bookstore. Dip your toe in the water, start slowly, and work at your own pace. This will take time, but you can do it.

Hugs,

Papabear

Man, I never get to meet foxes like this.
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Papabear,

Have you ever wondered about how the future of this fandom and community will go? Naturally, I probably get mixed and very complicated feelings about it, especially when looking at it from a retrospective, a la historically & even demographically. Certainly, other parts of the world expand, and that can go for the same for furries, right? Whether it's obviously online, or actual evolution in the real world, much of it has been propelled with its arts.

Now, I'm a rising professional Illustrator, and I also have a very close knack with my painting skills (there is however a difference between an expert and a master though), but this certainly does hold well with furries also loving video games since it is a big form of art. Computers, science, and art go hand-in-hand these days so I can only wonder what kinds of new ideas would come about directly for the community.

If fursuits have established being able to wear an aesthetic, functional character to portray as, alongside furry cons, what if there were established living complexes, or perhaps stores, parks, & restaurants exclusive to that? Granted, it has been loosely looking like that especially with furries living with and amongst each other, but imagine how more concrete their roles would be in combination to their creative living.

Anyway, there's nothing too concerning from my side, but it does foster a grand set of foods for thought. Not like I'm trying to help making a furry nation come true, as way-out-there as that sounds, but I do think about these things from a more analytical & chronological point of view. Heck, here's an intriguing question for you: What was the fandom like in the '70s, '80s, & '90s?

Yours Truly,
Octazure
 
* * *
 
Hi, Octazure,
 
Yours is a question that has been of increasing concern in the furry community these days. There are two main reasons for this: 1) the Old Guard--the furries who started the modern fandom in the 1980s--are getting old and being replaced by younger furries with no connection to or understanding of the fandom's roots; and 2) the community has grown from a few dozen to tens of thousands all across the globe, making any kind of cohesion problematic.
 
I've heard people propose an idea such as yours before—forming furry communities. That's no more viable, though, than having a Trekkie or Whovian community.  People don't form communities based on interests (hippie communes of the 1960s might have inspired this idea, but they don't last); they form based on shared religions, ethnicities, nationalities. Furries are far too diverse a group to live together in a cooperative. Even if they did, not really sure what the point would be, so let's just table that idea.
 
Instead, let's address where furries are going as a more intriguing mental exercise. There are some interesting trends I see in development right now, including:
 

1. I believe the media is warming up to the fandom somewhat. While there is still some bad reporting out there, there are also some more reports in which the journalists just see conventions as harmless fun. Why? Because they have actually taken the trouble to attend a couple and observe that it is not an exercise in perversion.
2. The public is starting to accept the fandom more for its value to businesses. Larger furry conventions such as Anthrocon, Midwest Furfest, and now Biggest Little Furcon are bringing money into local communities.
3. Zootopia was such a huge hit that, again, mundanes are seeing money to be made from the fandom, and money means acceptance to mundanes.

 
So, the growth of the fandom means that it will be seen less and less as being an underground phenomenon and more as a mainstream one. That's both good and bad, really. Good in that it will become more accepted, but bad in that money tends to poison the free spirit of a fandom.
 
Growth poses another problem, however, one that raised its nasty head at a couple of conventions recently, including Rainfurest and Rocky Mountain Furcon: Because there are so many furries now, there is also an increase in the number of people who are furry for the wrong reason. Bad eggs. These are immature little twits who do things such as destroy hotel property because they do not behave well without parental supervision. This is an issue that is probably being discussed at Furry Convention Leadership Roundtable meetings. Let's hope they come up with some proposals and suggestions for furcon organizers to prevent problems caused by furries themselves. I'd still like to see some kind of formal, worldwide furry association form (I tried to do this a while ago, but simply didn't have the time it required to pull it off) that would help bring furries together.
 
Another area of influence is technology. If you think the Internet and social media are an influence now, just wait for the next 10-15 years. Virtual reality will begin projecting itself into reality, which is going to offer an alternative to fursuiting in the form of retinal projections. Think of it as an advance in Pokemon Go. Furries will wear transponders that can send information to other people wearing them as well. Each person programs an avatar into their transponder so that people looking at them and wearing a special headset will see the furry as they wish to be seen. That is, the avatar image is projected into the other person's eyes and overlays the first person's body. Voilá! Virtual fursuiting.
 
Will this make fursuits obsolete? Not at all. As with any other new technology, it will add another option for people. Fursuits themselves may improve with the development of new, cooler fibers, new building materials, cheaper and easier to assemble electronics and pneumatic controls. Meanwhile, virtual reality at home on the computer will improve, making online roleplay and gaming more realistic, especially with the future addition of adding tactile stimulation.
 
As such technologies develop, they might afford furries employment opportunities beyond gaming and the arts, though mostly in the field of technology.
 
In short, the furry fandom is experiencing growing pains, and with growing pains come both challenges and opportunities. How those are met will depend entirely on the members of the community.
 
Papabear

[Belated, but: Merry Christmas and a Blessed Solstice to all of you!]

He may have dropped below the cultural radar as of late, but there was a time when Gumby was the superstar of stop-motion animation. Now Dynamite Entertainment have brought together the story of Gumby, his friends, and their truly unique creator, Art Clokey. Gumby Imagined: The Story of Art Clokey and His Creations is a new 300-page hardcover book compiled by Art’s son Joe Clokey and daughter-in-law Joan Rock Clokey. “Clay animated superstar Gumby has made an indelible impact on our culture and continues to enchant and entertain generations. Filmmaker Art Clokey’s personal story is one of mystical adventure, tragedy, triumph, art, and most of all, love. This lavish career-spanning retrospective explores the legendary creator’s life and complete works. All of his many creations, including Gumby and Davey & Goliath, are interwoven with a rich tapestry of rare photos and stories — the ingredients for a fascinating tale.” It’s available now from Dynamite, Amazon, and elsewhere.

image c. 2017 Dynamite Enertainment

TWEET! Merry Christmas!
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Guess how many furries there are in the world? I’d say at least the population of a medium-to-large city. That’s a lot of members to remember for the holidays. Santa Claws couldn’t deliver all the plushies and bones you need with just one trip on Christmas Eve. Of course instead of Christmas dinner, some of you might be having lox or falafel (or fruitcake pizza). Anyways, whether this is your holiday or not, it’s a good time to look back at 2017 and appreciate things shared in common. I’ve been wondering what kind of gift to give the fandom for supporting this site and each other, for having a successful year of record-breaking cons, and for being my favorite thing. I decided that instead of pleasing everyone, let’s pick one furry who gives a lot and give thanks back to him.

That’s Fred Patten, who helped make it all happen. It started 3-4 decades ago when there were only handfuls of people who couldn’t get enough stuff like this…

Fred as The Flash at the 1962 World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago. Photo (c) William Schelly, from the Founders of Comic Fandom book. More Fred photos thanks to Kay Shapero.

Funny animal comics that were huge in the Golden Age but mostly went extinct (except in newspaper strips like Pogo that spoke to adults too.) 1960’s counterculture-inspired, untamed underground comix like Fritz the Cat. A renewal of Disney excellence that suffered in the 1970’s “dark age” of animation after Robin Hood. An adult side to anthropomorphics with action and sci-fi stories seen in anime, leading to 1980’s alternative comics like TMNT and Usagi Yojimbo. Those are roots that grew into a thriving scene that’s now full of young creative people who can learn from founders like Fred.

Fred’s fan activity started with comics in the 1940’s. He joined science fiction fandom in 1960, and in the 1970’s he helped import Anime to North America. It found a place at the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society clubhouse where fans shared movies, writing and art. That led to funny-animal fan organizing. They gathered in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Chicago, with house parties, room parties at sci fi cons, and APA’s and zines. Fred’s 17 years of editing Rowrbrazzle put him at the center of it while furries started their first con in 1989 and expanded overseas. He’s won lots of awards, written countless book reviews and animation columns, and edited a dozen furry story anthologies.

Fred also makes Dogpatch Press what it is. He’s a keystone from the past to now, so the bookish beginnings don’t get forgotten with the rise of costuming, bigger events and social media. My part with the site is building “Furry Media” for a more direct line than what outsiders publish. That involves looking for the pulse of fandom, sometimes on the street level with fursuiting, partygoing and event organizing, as well as muckraking or occasionally even being featured in spicy rumors. But meanwhile, without playing a fursona, Fred tells the history, and dives into quiet concentration to review books that furries pour their hearts into writing.

Fred stays in a convalescent hospital and isn’t likely to be at cons (although he does see movies sometimes in a wheelchair), so I hope your messages are like a window on a happy view that you made for him. Smile and wave!

Many furs answered the request I put out. Whether it’s for Christmas or otherwise, it’s a birthday gift too – Fred turned 77 on December 11.

Any furry have some christmas appreciation to give Fred Patten for all he does for fandom? Please email to patch.ofurr (at) gmail, I'm assembling a post full of it. He doesn't read Twitter so it will be a surprise!

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) December 21, 2017

Fred gave me my first publishing break and has done a lot for the fandom; show him some love!! https://t.co/cnUcS0ptvX

— Gullwulf Survives Winter (@gullwulf) December 21, 2017

Fzygal:

I want to give a big thank you to Mr. Patten. Without him, I wouldn’t know know what furry fiction is. More to the point, I wouldn’t know what good furry fiction is. I owe hi my literary life. So big thank you, and much love to him <3 I don’t have anything I can give physically but he deserves so much and then some. Give him a big hug, even if digital.

Tryp the Wolfyote:

I just wanna give my best wishes and thanks to Fred Patten, and thanks to all your contributions you’ve made for the fandom. Merry Christmas.

Cassidy The Civet:

As someone who frequents Flayrah, it’s hard to not notice the work you put in with your reviews and detailed content. I can still count on one hand the amount of years I’ve been in this fandom, but even I know the sheer scope of all you’ve done. And I really thank you, for your passion helps inspire and drive new content creators, myself included.

Rechan:

Merry Christmas! May these well wishes find you merry, holly, and jolly.

Alice/Huskyteer:

Dear Fred, Thank you for all the kind words and encouragement you’ve given me. I’ll never forget the positive review you gave my very first published story, ‘Magnificent Dogs’ back in ROAR 4 – it made me feel I must be doing something right, and helped me to keep at it. Later you were kind enough to accept my stories into some of your own anthologies, and two of them went on to win an Ursa Major, which was a huge compliment and confidence boost. Wishing you all the best!

D.T. Jones:

Dear Fred,

Your work for the community I’ve grown to love is legendary. I feel as though it wouldn’t exist without you and everything you’ve done. If you are not the foundation of the fandom, then you, as a historian, are the glue that holds it together. Without you, I don’t think we would be what we are today. From your collection to your writing, you have given us a place to be ourselves in a world where that may be hard to come by. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Mr. Patten.

All my warm wishes,
D.T. Jones

Pell:

Hey Fred,

I loved talking to you at FC.  You were so full of information, and I always like seeing you still around.  Even if we haven’t spoken in years, I really appreciate all you’ve done for the fans

Also i really enjoyed your stories where-ever I found them in old Albedo or Furrlough.  Anyway, thank you for everything.

-Pell Riverclaw

Around 2013, 14, a fellow MK writer found me and said that Fred was looking for me. But when I finally reached out, it was too late. Fed's Ursa Major book was at the printers.

I told Fred, because I no longer felt compelled to write, that he could just reprint anything, any time

— Cold Blood: Fatal Fables coming soon (@Greyflank) December 21, 2017

Except, I was just killing time. I wasnt building anything for a future. My meds were destroying my liver. We started weening me off the meds, found a maintenance dosage.

My ego found its spurs.

I started and failed to create stories. I read a few MK stories from my time away.

— Cold Blood: Fatal Fables coming soon (@Greyflank) December 21, 2017

So, I rewrote a bit of The Good Sport to get rid of a shared NPC. And that was easy... no ego hang ups. That was a new experience, which I owed to the meds.

Fred wasn't poetic about it, he just matter of factly, handed my pride to back me, told me my worth, and I believed him.

— Cold Blood: Fatal Fables coming soon (@Greyflank) December 21, 2017

Takaji Kusonoki and Fred Patten look at a pressbook for the animated feature Phoenix 2772. More Fred photos thanks to Kay Shapero.

 

Shining River:

If you study art long enough, even if your study is done in a casual manner and limited to the resources of library books, local public displays and exhibitions, and online, you will see that the production of art is everywhere and neverending.  Millions of us humans make artistic creations in one form or another.  But art, like glory, is a fleeting thing. The drawings and writings of our youth are easily lost as we move through life, and are often deliberately discarded by the creators.  To have one’s art viewed and recognized by another person is a small step toward finding some meaning in our existence.  To have widespread recognition of our life’s works may be more than we can hope to achieve.

In the folk culture of modern fandoms, writers of literature have some people to help their work become recognized, and these people are reviewers and critics of literary works. These people are relatively few in number, often work for little or no compensation, and may in fact have only basic education in literature.  What matters most is their personal hands-on experience of literature that gives them the ability to discern the good from the bad and the good from the great.  A handful of individuals and websites over the past twenty years have given us reviews of the literature of the furry community and the most prolific and successful of these individuals is Fred Patten.

When a furry author gets to the point where they can bring their work to public attention, they still have a road ahead of them. If your work is good enough in the eyes of a publisher, your book or other literary work may get some real world, on-paper publication, then a listing on the publisher’s and/or a retailer’s website. If your name is previously unknown in furry literature, good luck. That good luck may actually arrive when Fred Patten gets a copy of your book, reads it, writes his review and publishes it on such popular and credible websites as Dogpatch Press and Flayrah. Fred makes the effort to look through a book and tell prospective readers whether or not they may find it worth some amount of money to purchase some author’s stories. The furry writers community may be relatively small but we still generate enough books that it can be a challenge to choose one that’s worth our time and coin. Fred’s work, accomplished despite a serious physical disablity, and at a time in life when many people are just going from one day to the next, is producing his reviews and commentary greater than persons half his age or younger. Fred, you make other people greater than they are alone, you lift our literary works above and beyond where we ourselves can take them.  Your writing saves ours from being “washed away like tears in the rain.”

Regards,
Shining River

Hugo Jackson:

Dear Fred,

I hope the holiday season finds you well! It’s weird to think you’re not on Twitter, because I see your influence on there pretty much daily. There isn’t a single moment that I’m not grateful for the time and consideration for your reviews of my books, and for what you do for furry authors generally. It’s honestly an enormous honour and encouragement to me to look back on them. It feels amazing to be part of the platform and community you’ve helped build among furry writers to help bring them recognition in a fandom that can so easily dismiss something that isn’t presented to them visually. It’s allowed me to grow in huge amounts, professionally and personally, and meet so many other amazing like-minded people to help them do the same. I would have very little right now if it weren’t for your tireless, extensive, and historical work to put all this in place.

Wishing you all the best for Christmas and the New Year; I hope it brings you health and happiness.

Best regards,
Hugo Jackson

Mark Engels:

I’ve made some great friends among the furrydom whom I’ve learned are also anime and manga fans like me.  Fred is one of them, having been at the epicenter of fandom back when my boyhood fascination with Disney’s Robin Hood drove me to find authors/artists like Steven A. Gallacci, Monika Livingstone, Stan Sakai and Eastman & Laird.  I think Fred’s tireless support of these creatives is in part what allowed me to find them and come to enjoy their work.

I still have a copy of Amazing Heroes #75, July 15, 1985 featuring Fred’s interview ROBOTECH: Japanimation Invades Comics With a Trio of Comico Titles with Carl Macek (not to mention all of the Comico comics themselves.)  Fred recently shared with me the story how he and Carl under the auspices of Streamline Pictures continued to make Robotech available to a new generation of fans at the closing of the VHS age.  My time and experiences in the fandom have been enriched by people like Fred, who used their time and treasure to share the joy these stories and characters brought them.

Thank you Fred.  But for people like you I would have never taken notion to write paranormal sci-fi thrillers featuring the modern-day remnant of an ancient clan of werecats in the first place.

MJE
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin  USA

Fred becomes OE of Rowrbrazzle at the LASFS Clubhouse in January 1989. Present are former OE Marc Schirmeister, and Bob Hill as a Bambioid. More Fred photos thanks to Kay Shapero.

Dwale:

My debts to Mr. Patten are manifold. His efforts in bringing anime into popular awareness are part of what allowed me to take a lifelong interest in it. And when I began to publish stories within the furry fandom, he was the first one to review them. That let me know, at least, that someone was listening, that I wasn’t throwing my fiction out into the void. That simple fact helped to keep me going.

Looking back, long before I knew his name, his work in the nascent anime fandom of decades past means that he has played some role in my development as a creator since I was a child. Now, all these years later, we have reached a point where he has edited and published my stories directly. What were the odds?

But while the turns of life and fate are mysterious, I doubt my testimony is unique. So, Fred, from all of us whose lives you’ve touched, thank you, and best wishes.

Peace,
Dwale

Summercat:

I started off this email five times.

Each time I had to delete it and start over because it just felt wrong. Some of them felt like they were about me than him, one was almost accusatory, and one was full of saccharine.

None worked.

I don’t know Fred personally – I only first heard of his name in 2006, shortly after his stroke. We’ve met twice, during some brief trips to Califur, but it was only a fleeting greetings.

What heartfelt thing can I say to a man I only know professionally and culturally? How can I craft a message of “Seasons Greetings” that isn’t ripped off from a Halmark Card for a man that I can only feel comfortable addressing as “Mr. Patten” out of respect for everything he’s done?

Fred has been in this since the start, and has been involved in so much that I doubt that there is much that does not bear his influence even indirectly. His professional tone is such that I can only dream of ever being on his level.

Fred is the reason why I demur when people call me a Furry Historian, because to me that means Fred, and I don’t think I’d be a good stand-in for him.

I keep saying, to borrow from Asimov, that there is but a single light of Furry, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere. Fred has spent decades in the fandom, often working behind the scenes, to brighten that light.

I wish him a Happy Hannukah (although that’s passed), a Merry Christmas, a Fabulous Fetisvus, a Sublime Solstice, and a Happy New Year.

Fred’s sister Sherry wrote in with news about…

…always bringing MORE and MORE BOOKS to Fred every afternoon (from our local libraries; those sent to him by authors or publishers; AND, ALL THE BOOKS Fred orders on Amazon.com… since most all FURRY BOOKS are not in libraries).

Also… now that movies of interest to Fred are coming out we recently saw COCO and FERDINAND.  Fred has a long list of movies he wants to see in 2018 (including PADDINGTON 2 and SHERLOCK GNOMES that I do look forward to seeing, too).

Fred’s longtime LASFS friend, Kay Shapero, very kindly MAINTAINS the Fred Patten Website… and, she just sent us the “link” to this wonderful PHOTO MONTAGE she assembled from ALL the photos Fred had received over the years (most all “candid pix” taken at various venues):

http://www.kayshapero.net/fredpatten/fred.html

At the top, click ABOUT FRED, and then on PHOTOS to PLAY the VIDEO MONTAGE of “Fred Patten thru the years”.

And… while I’m “waxing nostalgic”… this is my most cherished photo, Fred and me at his junior high school graduation June 1955 (Fred is 14; I am 7). My dress was PINK but obviously FADED in this photo… and, each subsequent copy of it (62.5 years ago was a long time).  FYI, Audubon Junior High School was RAZED after one of the South CA earthquakes (I think in the early 1990’s).

Fred chatted with me before reading all these messages:

My sister just took me in my wheelchair to a theater to see the animated Ferdinand.  I also keep up with animation news, and there is a lot of speculation right now if the Blue Sky Studios in Connecticut will survive no matter how successful Ferdinand is.  Blue Sky is wholly owned by 20th Century-Fox, and Disney has just bought 20th Century.  Disney already has itself and Pixar; it doesn’t need another animation studio, no matter how successful.

Coco is one of my favorite Pixar movies.  I tried to get someone to write a story about Mexico and a xoloitzcuintli when I was editing Symbol of a Nation, but nobody was inspired to.

My birthday is on December 11 (I just turned 77), so I am also getting many birthday and Christmas greetings at the same time.

– Fred

Happy birthday and Merry Christmas Fred, the site couldn’t have a better partner. Best wishes for 2018 from me and fans around the world.

Update 12/26 – Post shared by the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy plus more appreciation:

Fred is so important to the anthropomorphic community -- and he's been kind and supportive to this writer, too! He personally invited me to submit to the Gods With Fur anthology. https://t.co/szFoX4xAps

— Heidi C. Vlach (@hcvlach) December 27, 2017

He quite literally is, though. Also so for anime fandom in the west. He was literally the first anime importer for fans+commerce. He was organizing funny animal fandom events at sci-fi events for years before institutional foundations like Rowrbrazzle, etc.

— ꙮ Bahu ꙮ (@BahuWrites) December 26, 2017

Yo furries. ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHO FRED PATTEN IS.

This here is mandatory reading. Genuflect, respect. Fred Patten is the reason we have so many nice fandom things today. https://t.co/Yu0LwZIRKb

— ꙮ Bahu ꙮ (@BahuWrites) December 26, 2017

If you want to enjoy some of Fred’s writing, he works with Dogpatch crew to list his work published online here, at Flayrah and elsewhere. Here’s what’s listed so far (there’s more that isn’t added yet, any volunteers?) Also check his latest posts. 

• • The State of Furry Publishing – Fred Patten gives the inside story of eight groups.
  • How did Disney inspire Furry fandom? A look at early influences by Fred Patten.
  • What the Well-Read Furry Should Read.
  • More of What the Well-Read Furry Should Read.
  • What The Well-Read Furry Should Read: Early 2016 update.
  • Fred Patten Presents his articles about Furry publishing, animation, and history.

Thanks to Animation World Network we found out about Manivald, a new animated short film by Estonian director Chintis Lundgren. It’s been making quite a stir at international animation festivals. Here’s what they say: “Manivald, in the same vein of Lundgren’s previous work, is both absurdist drama and social satire. The eponymous fox, an academic drowning in various degrees, is unemployed and depends on his controlling mother for his livelihood. Manivald is a character the young and educated may find all too relate-able. The tense mother-son relationship is pushed to a breaking point when both Manivald and his mother fall for handyman Toomas, a handsome wolf with pecs and abs to spare. The ensuing conflict is the final nudge Manivald needs to leave home and start a life of his own.” Next up is a presentation at the Sundance Film Festival.

image c. 2017 by Chintis Lundgren

Sorry, sorry… too obvious. Thanks to some friends on Facebook, we stumbled across an upcoming fantasy film called Hanson and the Beast — from China, no less. Drama Panda has a preview. The story goes like this: “Yuan Shuai (Feng Shaofeng) is a a man who is drowning in debt. In order to pay up, he goes on blind dates with daughters from wealthy families but ends up falling in love with Bai Xian Chu (Crystal Liu), a fox demon who’s come to the human realm to repay a debt. However, relationships between humans and demons are strictly forbidden. Bai Xian Chu is dragged back to the demon world and Yuan Shuai sets out to rescue her.” So who’s Hanson? We don’t know yet. Written and directed by Xiao Yang, Hanson comes to theaters in China right at the end of December, then everywhere else on January 5th. Check out the trailer on YouTube as well.

image c. 2017 CKF Pictures

Aura joins us this week before the holidays for a plethora of analytical news.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup

• A Bread Company Accidentally Used A Furry Community Hashtag And It Caused Chaos
• $514,746 for charity from the top 40 cons alone in 2017!
• Credit cards used at Midwest Furfest ATMs get fraud calls
• “Animal Noises” podcast by Path Hyena and MMMatches
• ConRoomies Service
• Digital Show & Tell from Xiph.org
• Boozy’s Night Before Christmas Reading
• Furry_irl reddit post weatherfox
• Hanson And The Beast Trailer
• ArcticSkyWolf’s MidWest FurFest 2017 Con Video
• Hiyu Explains Living in Space

News:

• Plastic Objects without Electronics using Wifi
• Science Says Men Should Masterbate 21 Times a Month
• Flushing Human Bodies Down Drains, Denied
• Bargin Hunting Shoppers Treat Customer Service Works as Less than Human
• Male Contraceptive Rubin Gel
• This Website Claims It Can “Erase Your Memories” Of TV Shows So You Can Watch Them Again, Unspoiled
• 60 Lbs of Marijuana
• Florida Attorney Allegedly Filmed Porn Videos In Jail With Inmates

FC-288 Floof Precipitate - Aura joins us this week before the holidays for a plethora of analytical news.

Aura joins us this week before the holidays for a plethora of analytical news.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup

• A Bread Company Accidentally Used A Furry Community Hashtag And It Caused Chaos
• $514,746 for charity from the top 40 cons alone in 2017!
• Credit cards used at Midwest Furfest ATMs get fraud calls
• “Animal Noises” podcast by Path Hyena and MMMatches
• ConRoomies Service
• Digital Show & Tell from Xiph.org
• Boozy’s Night Before Christmas Reading
• Furry_irl reddit post weatherfox
• Hanson And The Beast Trailer
• ArcticSkyWolf’s MidWest FurFest 2017 Con Video
• Hiyu Explains Living in Space

News:

• Plastic Objects without Electronics using Wifi
• Science Says Men Should Masterbate 21 Times a Month
• Flushing Human Bodies Down Drains, Denied
• Bargin Hunting Shoppers Treat Customer Service Works as Less than Human
• Male Contraceptive Rubin Gel
• This Website Claims It Can “Erase Your Memories” Of TV Shows So You Can Watch Them Again, Unspoiled
• 60 Lbs of Marijuana
• Florida Attorney Allegedly Filmed Porn Videos In Jail With Inmates

FC-288 Floof Precipitate - Aura joins us this week before the holidays for a plethora of analytical news.