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There’s an interesting new hardcover book coming soon called Toys Talking. Here’s what they say at Drawn & Quarterly: “Always there to comfort and listen, stuffed animals provide a reassuring presence in many a childhood. With Toys Talking, acclaimed illustrator and author Leanne Shapton explores their inner lives, to reveal that their thoughts and feelings are just as complicated as our own. The concerns of these bunnies, bears, and ducks range from the mundane to the existential, and with each new pairing of character and text, we see a deeper portrait of their pensive, quiet world. Shapton holds a mirror to our own lives, to our insecurities and concerns, by revealing that the objects who comfort us have worries of their own. This board book brings Shapton’s gorgeously minimal brushstrokes to a younger audience, and will leave children and parents alike brimming with the beauty and melancholy of self-reflection.” Marketed for children, it’s more a sort of visual poetry. Look for it in November.

image c. 2017 Enfant

As most are aware, nations often have a symbolic or emblematic animal. Fred Patten decided to edit an anthology with GOAL Publications based on this theme for a furry audience. The theme is wholly unique and is a good reading of “furries around the world.” This review will look at all the stories in the collection.First is Roz Gibson’s “Didus ineptus Linnaeus.” This is a story about humans corrupting an anthro utopia, and Didus the dodo works with a terrorist organization to push the humans out. The story excels with its attention to setting and world-building. While I didn’t get the “national” aspect in this story, it had a very enjoyable plot.Next is BanWynn Oakshadow’s “A Poor Uncle’s Apprentice.” In a time of chaos and troubled assumptions, some lynx travelers struggle to find meaning. Poor Uncle Pasha and his apprentice Luca learn to deal with it in their own way and find their place in the world of the Romani. As usual with Oakshadow’s work, he is attentive to creative plots that will not let you down, and he nails the emotional aspects that make you wonder why the story didn’t spawn a whole novel.“Remembering the Forgotten” by H.J. Pang looks at the wolf as a symbol of Rome and its impact on all of Italy. As Patten says before the story, this is a “mood piece.” However, the story struggles with having much of a plot. It almost seems like a creation story of a tale of the gods. Too short to actually have an effect on the reader. But, I will say that I have never wanted to go to Rome as badly as I did upon finishing this story.“The Moon Like an Unhatched Egg” by Mary E. Lowd is about gengineered birds being used as potential astronauts to Mars. They have to compete against each other, using the Moon as a training ground, to see who will be selected. As usual for Lowd, a spectacular and innovative story. I would have liked a bit more sensory description, but also, being aware of the fast-paced genre and plot of the piece, I think it works well as it is, too!Jako Malan wrote “Crossroads the Namib” from a point of cultural accuracy, being from Africa himself. The gazelle protagonist goes back to his ancestral roots, away from the life of business, and finds himself anew in the African deserts under an oryx guide. Paws down, the best story in the collection. I felt that sense of nationality. I got the sense of pride. I want to go there now, screw the heat. No, it’s probably not the most creative (genre-wise) story in the collection, but you’d better damn well believe Malan delivered with this story.“Sdani White Wings” by Jennifer Sowle is an interesting addition to the anthology. More or less, it is just an origin story, reading more like a fairy tale than “a furry story.” Now, I would never in a million years be the type to say “This is a furry story, and this isn’t,” so I appreciate the attention to animal detail throughout this story. However, it does stand out as the least anthro in the collection.Frances Pauli wrote “The Scent of Lantana” to deal with the Spanish bull as a wrestler! A very fun premise! Pauli writes an enjoyable plot here, and readers will be dying to keep turning that page. Personally, I would have liked it to slow down a bit. I often found myself forgetting these were indeed anthro characters. Granted, we got into the characters’ heads often with real introspection, an often neglected facet of writing.What happens when conservationists integrate human genes into animals to preserve them? This is the dilemma at hand (paw) with Televassi’s “Huitaca.” This story is both evocative and beautiful in prose. Probably the most well-told story in the volume, it brings up a lot of questions about animal ethics, conservation philosophy, and even what we are willing to do to preserve our nation’s symbols.H.J. Pang’s second story, “To the Kingdom They Come,” creates a whole mythos around the national animal by having two new national animals come into contact with other older ones. Easily the longest story in the collection--unless I’m just bad at counting, which is a distinct possibility--this story has a rather gripping and unique plot. I would have loved more description of our main characters, as I could not envision them super well. But again, that plot was spot-on and pulled me in from page one.“Bread and Butter” by Allison Thai tells the tale of the water buffalo of Vietnam, named Nam. Thai tells a compelling story with well-described characters. Plus, they were evocative. My only large critique is that I wanted more!Huskyteer’s “Lion of the Low Countries” handles the Belgium lion emblem trying to shape the future of lion symbols everywhere at LIONS INTERNATIONAL. At points funny, at others sad, this story generates some serious feels. It is a fun story that has larger messages for us all about national pride and how we take that pride into the future.To speak a little on Patten’s notes and introduction, I find myself at odds. His introduction sets this up to be a book about national animals, but, half of the time, it feels like stories just happen to have animals that have been national animals before, but it’s not really relevant to the story. The theme genuinely gets lost in the anthology at points. With some stories, Patten’s prefatory notes had more to do with the nation than the story itself. Sometimes, I found his notes to be giving away too much about the story. If I have a synopsis of the plot in front of me, I’m probably not going to read it. I found myself reading the story and then going back to read the note, rather than the intended use. However, the introduction was a solid idea for a great anthology.On the whole, the anthology was beautiful. There were editing errors and formatting errors, and the cover is questionable. But the authors...I see so much passion in their writing, and I can tell a lot of these authors had fun with their themes. Many of the stories left me wondering about how I view patriotism and national pride, and that’s a great thing for such an anthology to accomplish. I highly recommend this anthology to anyone interested in our culture’s fascination with animals as figureheads for our nations.

The coastal city of V-town is burning, and it’s up to one dalmatian to save it.Will Hamish, the dalmatian assistant chief of one of V-town’s fire stations, is happy with his busy life. He works hard, and keeping his city safe is more than enough to keep him content. That is, until he answers an odd personal ad in the local paper. This leads him to meet the beautiful and mysterious Anne, who shows him that he might be missing more in his life than he realized. With Anne holding the leash, Will is drawn deeper into the tangled net of corruption surrounding his city and the shadows pulling the strings. As unrest and arson both reach critical levels, Will must confront and battle the darkness that has taken root in the heart of V-town.On the whole, this book was a very enjoyable read. I loved the strong characters, the mysteries, and the attention to the details of firefighting that the author provided. It was a delight to immerse myself in the world that F. Gibbs has created. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed when the book ended. There were a few questions that were left unanswered, and as a stand-alone book, I wasn’t happy about that. However, this is just the first book in a proposed trilogy. I’m absolutely looking forward to reading the next installment and spending more time with these characters.Fire Branded Leather has a lot of appeal. While it does have references to BDSM culture, they are not overwhelming, and the author actually does a good job of introducing these ideas: Like Will, the audience is led into these things gradually, without a lot of shock. Because of the BDSM narrative, there are some adult themes, but I strongly believe that furries and non-furries alike will both really enjoy reading this. It’s a fantastic start to a series that I am personally looking forward to.

Welcome to guest poster Summercat! October is Furry Book month (better late than never). -Patch

Started in 2016 by an alliance of Furry Publishers, Furry Book Month is about showcasing the written word from the Furry Fandom. To support the efforts I decided to write up a list of Furry books I’ve enjoyed in recent years that are currently available for sale. These are just short blurbs rather than full reviews, and are in no particular order. 

Otters in Space, by Mary Lowd (Furplanet, Rabbit Valley)

Otters in Space was suggested to me a few years back at Further Confusion, and I picked up the first book in the series then. After reading through it that night, I went back the next day and picked up the sequel. The books are an enjoyable action-mystery where anthropomorphic animals are living in a world that humans left behind, with Cats and Dogs living on Earth, and Otters in space.

Sixes Wild, by Tempe O’kun (Furplanet, Rabbit Valley)

While I am friends with Tempo, our relationship started out as fanboy and author as I sought to praise him for his wild west novel Sixes Wild: Manifest Destiny. While the first book in the series has some rough edges, they are not so rough as to detract from the interesting world and characters that Tempo has created. The second title, Echos shows a lot of improvement and polish, as well as going into a bit more detail about the wider world. For more details, you can check out Fred Patten’s review on Echos.

Windfall, by Tempe O’kun (Furplanet, Rabbit Valley)

Another Tempo novel, this time an Adult Paranormal Romance. Windfall manages to weave the growing relationship between the two main characters alongside the investigation of weird happenings in the town. Also it has an otter as a main character. I can’t resist that! For a second opinion, Fred Patten reviewed it as well.

Intimate Little Secrets, by Rechan (Furplanet, Bad Dog Books)

I recently reviewed Intimate Little Secrets and gave it a positive review, so it is no surprise I would again recommend this collection of slice-of-life stories with erotic heterosexual scenes.

The Tower and the Fox, by Tim Susman (Furplanet, Rabbit Valley)

I called this the novel from Kyell Gold I’ve been waiting a decade for, and I was not let down. Set in the late 1700s in a magical alternate New World, I recommended it in my review. I want to encourage Kyell to write more non-erotic fiction, so please go buy it!

Freelance Familiar, by Daniel Potter (Amazon)

One of those “The magical world is just hiding behind a veil” settings, the series follows Thomas Katt after he ends up on the wrong side of the Veil and transformed into a non-anthro mountain lion familiar, and his attempts to going back to being human – oh, and solve some mysteries and stop the end of the world. Fred Patten called the first book a “winner”, and I enjoyed both it and the second book in the series.

The David Birkenhead Series, by Phil Geusz (Amazon)

The David Birkenhead series is a military scifi series following the titular main character – a genetically engineered rabbit – through his career in his nation’s navy, facing prejudice along the way.

What about you? Do you have any recommendations? We welcome your feedback in our comments section! – Summercat

Very good recommendations!

Most of em are available from us with 15% disscount too: https://t.co/ChUFWsCLPn #FurryBookMonth https://t.co/KdWz7oQ3Q2

— Fusselschwarm (@Fusselschwarm) October 22, 2017

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Hello, Papabear. 

I am a 23 year old furry (I have been a furry since I was 5 years old). I am saving up for a fursuit and planning with some friends to go to a con once we all have gotten our fursuits. However, I am a bit scared since I need glasses too see (I can't have contacts since they irritate my eyes) and I can't really find a suit maker who could make the head a few inches bigger to fit glasses under. What shall I do? 

StuffyFluff

* * *

Dear StuffyFluff,

You and I are in the same boat. I, too, cannot wear contacts and have to wear glasses. But! I found a fursuit maker who could accommodate my needs and she made my head to take my glasses into account. She goes by the name Beastcub. If she can do it, I'm sure other fursuit makers can, so I would keep looking (I'd suggest Beastcub, but she has a waiting list a mile long and it would take about 18 months at least for you to see your fursuit done).

I would put the call out to your friends and on furry sites and Facebook or other social media sites that you are looking for a fursuit maker who can accomplish this task for you. Like I said, Beastcub can't be the only person able to make a fursuit head for your needs.

A couple of things to note about wearing glasses while fursuiting (and while getting a fursuit made):

1. Make sure that your viewing field for the head is adequate for your needs. It is really important that you adjust the head appropriately and line up the eyeholes just right with the eyeglasses in mind. The solution Beastcub made for me was to put black mesh under the eyes to provide better vision. If the head doesn't work right the first time, don't be afraid to go back to the maker and ask for adjustments.
2. Because glasses can fog up, have the fursuit maker include a small, battery-powered fan in the head. To power the fan, use lithium batteries. Regular batteries die too quickly.
3. Buy an eyeglasses strap (also known as an eyeglass retainer) to help keep your eyeglasses from slipping off your face from sweat.
4. In addition, I actually tape the eyeglasses to my head by the bridge of the nose and at the temples.

Anyway, keep looking. A little diligence and good communication with the maker should help you get what you need.

Happy Fursuiting!

Papabear
​ Black mesh around the bottoms of my fursuit's eyes provide expanded range of vision.

We got this from Animation World Network: Although the second Paddington live action/CGI film won’t hit theaters until early next year, Studio Canal have announced at MIP Junior that they already have a new Paddington animated series in development for television. (Of course there was already an animated series back in the 1970’s. It was scripted by Paddington’s creator himself, Michael Bond, and animated with stop motion and paper cut-outs.) Studio Canal hopes to have the little bear’s new series available in late 2018 or early 2019.

image c. 2017 Studio Canal

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While I'm not buying a Mercedes-Benz ... they really did get my attention. "How to tame a lion: the new S-Class with ENERGIZING comfort control. In the animal kingdom, he is undisputedly at the top of the food chain – there is no living creature that does not fear him: the lion. But even the strongest alpha animal has a bad day, as the new S-Class film by antoni proves in a very humorous way."
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Dear Papabear,

I have been struggling with various bits of emotional conflict for 13 years now. When I was 6, my mom picked up a guy at the bar. He got in lots of trouble with DUI, theft, drug abuse, illegal gambling and many other crimes. He beat my mom, used her for money and ass. He stole from us to the point that we went bankrupt. Everyone in my family hated this fellow and estranged us as family because Mother wouldn't let him go. In 2011, the hurricane weathers broke a levy up in New York that caused a flood that destroyed our community. We had to stay with one of the few relatives that still liked us while Mom's boyfriend was forced to go to his relatives. In that time, he stole guns for pills. Luckily for us, the guy has was selling to was a narc and he went to prison. Unluckily for me, Mom still loved him and visited him every month for a year. She took him back. I'm a grown man now, sitting here in our new home, still pondering why he continues to be a thing that plagues me and my family to this very day. He hasn't changed a bit. He still gambles, does drugs, doesn't give us money, steals, drinks and manipulates.Why would Mom want that? Why would she ask for this day in and day out? Why do I bother trying to improve her life when she doesn't seem to want things to change for the better? Sorry if this has been long-winded but this has been on my mind for far to long and therapy hasn't helped since I was 14. I just want closure.

Feral (19, Pennsylvania)

* * *

Dear Feral,
 
You’re not the one who needs therapy; your mom does. It’s a legitimate question you ask—why would any woman want to be loyal to a drug-addicted loser criminal? Usually, the reason is that the woman (and this also applies in reverse with a man connected to a loser woman) has low self-esteem and doesn’t think she deserves better, so she will stick with anyone who says that they love her, even if that person is a no-good bum. It is a kind of co-dependent relationship and the same reason why many women stay with a man who physically beats them. There is also the psychological condition in which the woman thinks that her love and loyalty will, somehow, eventually, save the other person. Here is a helpful WikiHow article on how to tell if someone is codependent.
 
The most direct solution to this problem would be for your mother to see a therapist to work on her sense of self-worth so that her eyes will open up and she can see that this guy does not make for a good partner.
 
There are also nonprofit organizations that can help. One of these is Co-Dependents Anonymous International, which has meeting places all over this country, including Pennsylvania. CoDA has also published a book that you might want to check out on Amazon. It’s only eight bucks for the Kindle version. Of course, you can browse online for other similar books, too.
 
Until your mother recognizes she has a problem and does something about it, you won’t be able to get rid of the loser. Here’s the real problem: going up to Mom and saying something like, “Mom, I think you have a codependent relationship problem and maybe you should get some help” will likely not be received very well. You might try a more indirect approach, such as casually talking about the issue of codependency without targeting Mom. Maybe mention you read something interesting on the Internet about it or know someone who is codependent. Perhaps she will see a parallel in the discussion.
 
Then there is always the hope that a new, better guy might come into her life and replace the jerk, but that may be just wishful thinking.
 
At this time, I think I would suggest getting the book on codependency and learning more about it. Perhaps if you understand your mother more it will help you to help her.
 
Hugs,
Papabear ​

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

Sabrina Online: The Tail of Two Decades, by Eric W. Schwartz. Illustrated.
Keston, Kent, UK, United Publications, June 2017, hardcover, $22.95 (unpaged [148 pages]).

This large (8½” x 11”) collection presents the last half – the last ten years — of Eric Schwartz’s Internet Sabrina Online comic strip: four strips per page from November 2006 (annual collection 11) through the end of the annual collections with #14, and the following individual strips through the end of December (Xmas) 2016. “835 strips in 20 years? I guess it’ll have to do.” But wait! There’s more! The last 24 pages of this book are Schwartz’s history of Sabrina Online, gag strips of Sabrina’s Transformer toys, and some of the better art tributes by Sabrina’s fans like gNAW, Steve Gallacci, Shawntae Howard, Max Black Rabbit, and Brian Reynolds.

Schwartz explains in his “Brief History” that he began Sabrina Online in September 1996, after becoming a Big Name Fan in furry fandom thanks to his animation short films produced on his primitive Amiga computer (done partly just to prove that he could create animation on an Amiga). This is where his first popular character, Amy the Squirrel, appeared. He had ideas for a more detailed, continuing storyline featuring Amy and her best friend and roommate, Sabrina the Skunk, so Sabrina Online was born. It was a monthly comic strip in an unusual presentation; all four weeks online together on the first of the month. It was basically a comedic slice-of-life rambling story about Amy and Sabrina. Amy gets married to Thomas Woolfe and has a son, but Sabrina remains sharing her and Thomas’ apartment; Sabrina gets a secretarial job with Zig Zag, a producer of adult entertainment; Sabrina develops a long-term relation with her boyfriend, R.C. (a raccoon), and eventually moves in with him; and finally Sabrina and R.C. get married. Sub-themes and characters include Sabrina’s parents, R.C.’s parents, Sabrina’s collection of Transformers toys (which are often anthropomorphized), Zig Zag, an extroverted zebra-striped skunk (a tiger-skunk hybrid – Schwartz doesn’t have any trouble with interspecies romances and hybrid children), Amy’s infant son Timmy who Sabrina often babysits and Sabrina’s little sister Tabitha, Thomas’ workmates, R.C.’s workmates … lots!

“I created the Sabrina Online comic strip to tell the story ideas I had built up. These were used up after the first few years.” After that he continued the strip on a day-to-day basis for a long time. “That was when I noticed that the twentieth anniversary of the first Sabrina Online comic strip from 1996 was on its way, and looked into the prospect of finishing the strip. Suddenly I had a definite purpose and goal again.” Unfinished story ideas were finished; floating story lines were tied up; and Sabrina Online was brought to a final conclusion with Sabrina and R.C. (Richard Conrad) getting married.

For those who want to read the first ten years of the strip, Sabrina Online: A Decade in Black and White is still available from United Publications. Or it can be read free on the website’s Archive; but reading it in the book is so much more convenient.

This book begins with Chapter 11, “The Robot Movie”, in which Sabrina’s conservative mother meets Zig Zag, Sabrina’s boss – a pornographer. Her mom is broad-minded, but is she that broad-minded? Zig Zag proves to be a master of euphemism in describing what her company does. The strip had previously established that Sabrina was a collector of Transformers toys. The strip segues into Zig Zag taking her staff to a screening of Michael Bay’s 2007 Transformers movie, which is Schwartz’s critique of the movie.

This chapter is 12 pages, 45 strips. It is typical of the book’s further chapters. Chapters 12 through 20 are “Peace, Love & Understanding”, “Protecting the Children”, “The Internet is for Porn Stars”, “A Visit from Tech Support”, “Worlds Within Worlds”. “Shadows of Darkness”, “Change and Circumspection”, “Delving to the Depths”, and “Flash-Forward to Finale”, followed by Schwartz’s history of the strip, the gag strips, and the tributes to Sabrina Online by other furry artists. The strips’ stories empathize the humor of a straight person working for a professional producer of adult entertainment, Sabrina’s starting a web comic (Schwartz getting mileage out of what he does), the drama of Sabrina getting stabbed by a mugger, Zig Zag’s tracking down the mugger and taking revenge on him, Zig Zag’s arrest for assault/vigilantism, and Sabrina’s hospital recovery, and the shock of Sabrina’s assault finally leading to hers and R.C.’s wedding.

Schwartz notes that when he began Sabrina Online in 1996, he never imagined it would go on for twenty years. During that time furry fandom changed and he changed. Friends and relatives matured and died. His fictional cast also changed in ways that he never originally planned. So Sabrina Online has been brought to a conclusion. But she will still appear occasionally at Schwartz’s whim. (In her latest online appearance, not in this book, she’s pregnant.)

Sabrina Online was one of the first furry Internet comic strips. Aside from its historical importance, it’s been one of the most enjoyable, with some of the most memorable characters. If you are not familiar with it yet, now is the time to remedy that. If you are, you will want to get this memorial collection, with its original bonus material.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon
• Buy on United Publications

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Back to Halloween, it seems — and back to more strange new twists on old friendly characters. This time, it’s Archie and the Riverdale gang — in a new horror comic called Jughead: The Hunger. Yes. “Jughead Jones is an average (though endlessly hungry) teenage boy by day and a blood-thirsty werewolf by night. His latest victim in a spree of deadly attacks is longtime foe Reggie Mantle – after which Jughead left Riverdale without a trace. Now Betty Cooper: Werewolf Hunter and Jughead’s best friend Archie Andrews are hot on Jughead’s trail, but how many more lives will be sacrificed before they find him? On October 25th, join writer Frank Tieri (Wolverine) and artists Pat and Tim Kennedy (Death of Archie) for the terrifying first issue of the new Jughead: The Hunger series!” There’s an extensive review over at The Nerdist.

image c. 2017 Archie Comics

I love how you get easier access to weird animation industry ephemera like this. This may be a bit slow but rather impressive job for what was probably a budget of $1.95. In the words of the filmmaker: "‘The Duck’ is a “proof of concept” film which I produced and directed in 1998, almost twenty years ago. Our work on ‘Space Jam’ was just finished and I came up with an idea for a feature film about a real duck that turns into a cartoon and decides to become a super hero, rivalling and competing with existing super heroes. We projected this film at all the major studios to pitch the idea and came very close to making it. But alas, it all collapsed in the end and the film was never made. A few weeks ago, I found a low contrast 35mm negative and a screening print buried in my cupboard. They were scanned at Cinelabs, UK, by their wonderful team of lab technicians. Looking it at it now, it is way too long and if I had the sound elements separate, I’d cut it down. I guess at the time it was too difficult to cut out footage since we put so much effort into the sets and the animation. Every frame felt precious, a mistake many young film makers make. But it is what it is. The animated woman is a blatant “homage” to Jessica Rabbit but I hope that twenty years on, I am forgiven. The team that worked with me on this was amazing, a great bunch of people, both the Live Action and the Animation crew. Now, for the first time, ‘The Duck’ is online, uncut. I will post the end credits separately since they are almost as long again. Enjoy!" - Uli Meyer [1] [1] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0583399/
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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Back in April 2017, I reviewed Foxhunt! by Rich Hanes, a 2009 337-page science-fiction novel set in a largely-anthropomorphic “Wildstar Universe”. Foxhunt! is primarily about an interstellar nation of anthropomorphic foxes, but it refers to many other species. I was very favorably impressed by it, ending my review saying, “Foxhunt! is superior both as space opera and as furry fiction. Don’t miss it!”

Rich Hanes, the author, e-mailed me to thank me for my review. I took the opportunity to ask him about Foxhunt! and his Wildstar Universe; how he came to write the novel in 2009 and why he hasn’t followed it with more Wildstar Universe stories. This has led to this interview, for anyone who is interested in anthro fox Captain Sebastian Valentino’s adventures in Foxhunt!; in Hanes’ larger Wildstar Universe; and in Rich Hanes himself.

FP: Let’s start with some basic information; date of birth, when & why you started writing, and so on.

RH: My name is Rich Hanes, which is my real name. I’m 32, born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, earned a degree in Computer Drafting from ITT Technical Institute in Canton, Michigan at the age of 23, then moved to Seattle to work for Boeing on the 787 Dreamliner for 6 years until being laid off. Now I live back with my parents in Detroit while searching for adequate employment, and earn money right now through writing and my YouTube channel,  L-1011 Widebody

FP: Your email address is richard.harlan.hanes, which I assume is your full name. How long has your YouTube channel been going? Is its main focus on your Wildstar Universe?

RH: No, it’s focused primarily on retro-gaming — a lot of it is doing Let’s Plays of games that I owned as a kid and still have the original CD for. But I do have two short videos there that I put together as an ‘introduction’ of sorts to my concept for Wildstar.  About 7 minutes in total. Perhaps that will help answer some basic questions, or if you want to link to the actual videos.

FP: Since this interview is mostly about your Foxhunt! and its whole Wildstar Universe, why don’t you tell us how you came to develop its galactic civilization and the Star Nation of anthro foxes?

RH: It really started with MechWarrior 2, a video game in the BattleTech style. Way back in 1995, when I was only ten years old, my father won a copy of MechWarrior 2 as a prize for some sports trivia thing. The game had a real sense of depth to it, a feeling that it wasn’t just giant robots battling for some shallow reason. It had many cut scenes, and a backstory. I was impressed that so much detail was put into it, to make it feel so immersive. Its manual was even made to look like some pages had coffee-cup stains on them, and hand-scribbled notes.

It’s important to note that the two factions you could play as in MechWarrior 2 were named Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon. And all the other Clans had animal names. The entire centerpiece of the Clans in the BattleTech universe is that they are genetically engineered to be superior soldiers and warriors. So this got me to thinking, why not combine the two? If we’re already doing genetic engineering, why not literally engineer humans with wolf features, or wolves with human features?

My parents had a timeshare in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Right on the ocean, it’s a great place. Since this was back in the old-timey days before cell phones and even laptops, I brought along books to read. This would’ve been around the early 2000s, I believe. So I read through many of the BattleTech novels. At some point, I had a eureka moment. Like, ‘I can write better than this.’

2006 is the earliest I can trace back any files. That was when I started creating the idea of Wildstar. The idea behind it at first was basically ‘What if Clan Wolf mechs were piloted by anthro wolves?’. So the earliest drafts of Wildstar were basically furries in battlemechs. A lot of that real early stuff was garbage, before I knew what I was doing. I had about 40,000 words written about a Chihuahua infiltrating the Canis Dominion, and being some kind of rebel on a starship, stealing a starfighter. It just didn’t work out.

About this time, I entered college; it would’ve been 2007. I went to the ITT Technical Institute in Canton, Michigan. I needed a laptop for studies. It was right around here that things really started developing for Wildstar. I started honing down which factions it would have. At the same time, I was doing some pre-engineering courses in college, so I started to think like an engineer for my Wildstar universe.

This is how I came up with the concept of ‘practical’ animal-human hybrids. Because I was developing an engineering sense, I thought, ‘Well, these different animal races should have a role to fulfill, otherwise why would you make them?’, so I tackled the Wildstar setup as if it were an actual scientific project. What purpose does uplifting such-and-such species serve? Well, I think through my research into animal behavior and social dynamics, that I have crafted a universe of diverse races that all act logically and rationally and as realistically as possible.

I wanted my universe to feel like it was an already established setting. This is one thing I like about Star Wars, the idea that the future has had past events in it to bring us to this narrative point.

So for a practical answer, there never really was a time I wasn’t developing Wildstar. But I’d say about 2006 to 2009 was when it really honed in. And I’m still working on it today. Really, there is ever so much to explore.

FP: Foxhunt! is set in the fox-dominant Star Alliance, but you refer in it to the Canis Dominion, the Pan-Atlantica Federation, the Balkany Democratic Republic, and the Lupine Order.  Duel of Honor, your 15-page short story (which I haven’t read yet), is apparently set in the Lupine Order.  To what extent are these just names, and to what extent have you developed extensive backgrounds for them?

RH: The short answer is – yes, the various factions are fleshed out in my back-story. CenCon, the Central Concordinate, holds all the animal races together. As it’s primarily human (with some Created ambassadors), CenCon establishes the rules and law of interstellar conflict. Like the U.N., but with more power. The Canis Dominion is an authoritative state, socialist and strictly regimented, a sort of analog of the Soviet Union but played more practical. The Pan-Atlantica Federation is a much more democratic society, much less rigid than the other states, with a lot of freedom for any one of any species to do anything. It’s subsequently weak on military matters, however.

As for the Balkany Democratic Republic, and other smaller lesser nations of concern, I haven’t quite fleshed those out yet. The idea is more that they would just be too far from the Capital planet to really be governable. They just sort of were like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna do our own thing, okay?’. When you think about it, there’s really not much necessary to holding territory in space.

The long answer is….

After the Great War, which is when Foxhunt! takes place, there are four remaining interstellar nations – the Star Alliance, the Canis Dominion, the Lupine Order, and the Pan-Atlantica Federation. At least, these were the nations that withstood the Great War, which was a really awful thing culminating in the nuking of entire planets — this is what would be called the Alienation Zone, no ownership or treaties apply there. I could write something fun for the post-apocalypse sometime. The Caledon Republic broke up because of the Great War.

But if you would like to hear more backstory, I would love to expound upon the politics of the Wildstar universe!

At first, before the Great War, the foxes controlled most of the galaxy (I’ll just use ‘galaxy’ as a short-hand for the group of star systems that surround Planet Genesis), through their sheer numbers and adaptability. As they expanded, they took their various Volpa House factions with them. This led to the obvious strife and discord one would expect when societies clash. Various canines were brought along with the foxes as ‘servants’. Eventually the canine species had enough, especially the wolves, and thus began the Contraction Wars around 300 years post-Founding. The canines united, rebelled, and drove the foxes out, sometimes into another House. This led to fox-on-fox wars. The foxes were still divided amongst their Houses. So when the big dogs united into the Canine Confederation (which was really just an alliance of convenience between the various smaller dog and wolf nations), it put up a strong front against the disorganized foxes, and the foxes were driven back quite easily.

The Canis Dominion was formed sometime between the third and fourth Contraction Wars. The Canine Confederation could not hold up as a real state, with it spread across so many systems and so many species. Thus a group of smaller canine-dominated nations united into the Dominion, sort of Soviet Union style. The Canis Dominion at this time was composed mostly of Wild (canids like African wild dogs, coyotes, and jackals) and Wolves, since they were the strongest and most willing to fight for more space. So the Canis Dominion became a rather rigid, socialist, hierarchy-based society.

Around this time the more familiar canine (and other species) states decided they didn’t really want to live with socialist dogs (is that a funny phrase or what?). While they were invited to the Canis party, they declined. So thus sprang up the more democratic/republican type representative nations of the Pan-Atlantica Federation, and the Caledon Republic.

So when the Canis Dominion ran over the fox-held systems in the Fourth Contraction War (it’s called that because the foxes believe they were being contracted into a smaller space), it triggered the initiative to form the Star Alliance. The Fourth Contraction War saw the foxes finally begrudgingly uniting under one nation, the Star Alliance, which is composed of ten of the remaining twelve Volpa Houses. Houses Murrel and Wallace elected to remain independent. So now the foxes finally have a cohesive bond that they can use to stop the Canis Dominion intrusion, who were invading mostly because they could.

This led to a more-or-less cold war (it is very cold in space) between the Star Alliance and the Canis Dominion. It didn’t last for very long (this would be around 415 post-founding), when the wolves in the Canis Dominion began to feel that they were being held back by their ‘lesser’ canine brethren. Thus would enter the prime, the super-alpha-wolf, the Alpha General Luc Vurren, who would establish the Lupine Way of order and honor and the constitution and things like that. Thus the splitting off of the Lupine Order, becoming their own pro-lupine state. And the fun things that happen in the wolf nation…

The Canis Dominion is at first somewhat rattled by the exodus of so many of their most useful citizens. But things settle down peacefully as wolves transition to wolfspace, and the canines in wolf-held territories are given the option of serving in the new Lupine Order or being deported. Many of them choose deportation. The wolves do not think lesser of these dogs, though; they simply view them as not fit for their society… all the practical pragmatic rationalities here.

Anyway, the wolves sit around for a while and get great at what they do (because they are wolves). Eventually they will invade the Star Alliance. Which will be quite exciting I think, I’ve already started on a new story about that.

Duel of Honor is set during the oncoming Lupine Order invasion that is to take place just after the events of Foxhunt!. The Lupine Order wolves will invade fox space, not because they want their territory or any grievances, but because they desire the challenge of the hunt. I am currently working on a new story to portray that bit. It will let me breathe so much life into the lupine culture. I have a lot of writing projects to go through, again, mostly inspired by your wonderful review.

FP: If you write more Wildstar stories, will they be more adventures of Sebastian Valentino and his Star Rangers, or will they be completely different stories in the Wildstar Universe?

RH: I have many stories to tell, about many interesting people. I am working on the prequel to Foxhunt!, that shows Sebastian and Adrian in their academy days. Really, I have just been so inspired thanks to you!

FP: Foxhunt! was published in June 2009 and reprinted in 2014.  It must be selling steadily.  But the only other Wildstar story that you’ve published is Duel of Honor, a 15-page short story on Kindle in April 2015.  Why haven’t you written more?

RH: The reprint is due to some changing configurations or something on Lulu’s behalf. To be completely honest, my world all but imploded around me about 2013. I lost my job, my home, my car, and then various health ailments have caused me to be more or less handicapped now. For obvious reasons, the span there wasn’t very conducive to writing. But I am back in the game now, I am actually working on several new stories, thanks to your review as well as positive comments and feedback from others. Another reason for not writing more is that depression is a hell of a thing, and it will suck the will to live out of you. So I have been dealing with that as best I can.

FP: What is Arkham Bridge Publishing, your publisher?  What else have they done?  How did you get associated with them?

RH: Now here comes a bit of a confession. Arkham Bridge Publishing is me. I was afraid of the stigma of ‘self-published’ novels. At the time (around 2009 or so) there were really bad vibes going around about self-publishing. Eragon [self-published by Christopher Paolini as Paolini International LLC in 2001 when he was 18 years old] was still fresh on people’s minds.

But I actually did want to be something of a publisher myself, with print-on-demand titles, and Lulu doing the legwork. This was when disposable income was great to have. I registered Arkham Bridge Publishing as a real sole-proprietorship business, and paid business licenses and taxes even. I purchased my own ISBN, I even had an employee for a time. But things just didn’t work out. Arkham Bridge Publishing is essentially defunct.

Mostly, I thought it would look more professional if I had a publisher name on it, rather than self-published. I admit it is rather sneaky and dishonest, in a sense, but really, it fits with what my fox species would do in the situation. [Many authors who self-publish through CreateSpace or Lulu have their own imprints. Some that furry fans may be familiar with include Steven Hammond’s Rockhopper Books, M. C. A. Hogarth’s Studio MCAH, Paul Kidd’s Kitsune Press, and Daniel Potter’s Fallen Kitten Productions.]

The other reason for self-publishing was because I wanted to get the starmap in the back of the book just right. There were a few printers who refused to do overlapping printing.

– Fred Patten

• Buy Foxhunt on Amazon
• Buy Duel of Honor on Amazon

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.

The crew is back once more to fill your ears with their sultry tones! Episode 11 - Sharking around

And the Christmas comic flood continues, this time with a new title from Action Lab — Northstars Volume 1: Welcome to Snowville. “Holly, the daughter of Santa Claus, and Frostina, the Yeti Princess, must put their differences aside to save the town of Snowville before Christmas is lost forever. They travel through an exotic underground world to save Christmas from the devious Krampus and his oafish Straw Lads.” Krampus who looks like an evil reindeer, it seems. They also said this: “Northstars is what you get if you combine Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with Adventure Time. Like the classic Rankin/Bass specials, it’s a wonderful world where holiday characters such as Santa and his daughter, Holly, rub shoulders with winter warlocks, snow dragons and fall fairies. Like Adventure Time, there is a wry sense of humor and a colorful, quirky cast of characters that both kids and adults will enjoy.” The first ultra-sized hardcover issue is written by Jim Shelley and Haigen Shelley, with illustration by Anna Liisa Jones. Look for it later this month.

image c. 2017 Action Lab

Here is a teaser for a TV special that looks extremely cute.
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Hello Everyone!

We open this week's show with a discussion on video games and sex ed. Is there room for crafted video games and smart phone apps that target vulnerable teenagers who may not have the best access to a sex-positive education about sexual health?

Our main topic is on getting a derailed convention back on track. Over the past two weeks we have discussed how to get to a con and what to do at a con: this week is all about what to do when something goes wrong at a con. We talk about mitigation strategies for commonly encountered issues from injury, hangover, hotel room issues, travel delays, and more. It's a conversational show as we talk about situations we've been in personally and ways that we have overcome them.

We close out the show with feedback on volunteering at a convention and a question on seeking love when you believe yourself to be undeserving of affection.

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

Thanks and, as always, be well!

 

FA 090 Getting a Derailed Convention Back on Track - Are video games useful for sex ed? How many ways can a convention be ruined? Do you deserve love? All this, and more, on this week's Feral Attraction!

Dear Papabear,

I have been having this certain itch in the back of my mind for a while, now which has formulated from other things within it. As I have slowly made my steps back into the fandom over a couple of months, there has stresses over my latest fursona. 

I was born a male, but over the last year or two, I have been feeling different, and I know you have probably heard this a good few times. I have been feeling a slight uncomfortable feeling with my male image, and often refusing my masculinity. I have pictured an exact female version of myself, and it has caused great happiness within myself. 

These feelings have leaked into my creation of older fursonas, with my male ones often being rejected by myself for their simple masculinity and being males themselves. I began to create some female ones, but then came my intense fears of being judged for such. Is it so wrong to make a fursona of a different sex I was born of? I feel really happy with my current fursona, but the opposite gender fear is really getting to me. 

Thanks!
​
TurnWall (age 17)

* * *

Dear TurnWall,

Our fursonas are often an expression of our inner selves, so it is not surprising at all that your struggle with gender identity is reflected in your fursona. There are many people in the fandom just like you, so you will have no problem being accepted by other furries, I should think. Heck, such gender transformations date back to the beginning of the fandom with the famous Robert Hill and his bambioid fursuit, which made appearances at Confurence in the 1980s. His main fursona was Vawlkee, a rather effeminate wolf-morph, and he liked to draw hermaphroditic bears based on Disney characters like Baloo.

Probably the most appealing thing about the fandom is that it is about the freedom of expression, which relates to everything from artistic to sexual expression. When we are free to show how we really feel and think, it brings happiness, as you have experienced with the creation of your new fursona.

Your nervousness is the result of societal pressures from the world's mundane community. You shouldn't listen to the mundanes. Look how badly they have screwed up this planet. Instead, make connections to your own kind: furries, especially those who, like yourself, are exploring their sexual and gender identity.

The more you do so, the more you surround yourself with others who feel the same as you, the more comfortable you will be, and the happier, too!

Hugs,
Papabear

Furclub: A repeat/regular nightlife event by furries for furries. The linked survey may be the only complete list for independent furry parties around the world. The concept has been spreading since the late 2000’s – it builds on the growth of cons, but it takes things farther. It’s more ambitious than informal or one-time events. It brings partnership with new venues, and crosses into public space, so a stranger can walk in and find their new favorite thing. It encourages new blood and crossover. It makes a subculture thrive – it’s a movement!  There’s many one-night events, but Baltimore has the first all-weekend one yet: 

• FRIDAY 11/10 – FUR-FRIENDLY DRAG SHOW (FUZZY PARTICIPATION ENCOURAGED)
• SATURDAY 11/11 – PROTOCOLLIE & ABLE (DJ SET WITH LIVE DRUMS), BEARS DOING MURDER (LIVE BAR ROCK), I’VE MADE TOO MUCH PASTA (SCURROW’S ACOUSTIC SET), DANCE PARTY FROM 10PM TO 2AM THE NEXT MORNING
• SUNDAY 11/12 – ALL-DAY FURRY HAPPY HOUR

See the website for more info – (they have a hotel block!) – or follow the hashtag #FurUpBmore. 

Any party that sends a Q&A gets a featured article, and organizer Seiko generously sent me lots of info. He started “Furry Night” at the Baltimore Eagle and I’m happy to see this rising up. Baltimore tried a furclub party in 2011, early on when only a few existed, but it was short-lived. Now it sounds like the venue and the local scene is coming out in full force to support this, more than almost anywhere, even in San Francisco with “the original” Frolic Party!

I see high-profile names attached – Duke Doberman‘s kink modeling has a massive Twitter following, and what better than having a top quality documentary photographer to catch the action? That’s @atty_boy, AKA Tommy Bruce of Furry Doc (he was interviewed here, and in my post “Five pro photographers advancing the art of furry documentary.”) It sounds like a dream team for event promotion.

Even more impressive is organizing a whole weekend of variety with a hotel block. It almost sounds like a mini-con out of the box in the middle of a city, not stuck inside a hotel. It’s something I’ve been suggesting and hoping to see with these parties. Organizing it around a hashtag on Twitter seems like an excellent promotion approach, as open as the party itself.

Congrats to Seiko for building this with the awesome energy that keeps raising furry subculture. Here’s his reply to the survey questions:

The Party Launch

We first ran the Furry Night at the new Baltimore Eagle on March 5th, 2017. I (Seiko/John Lucia) had been working with the Eagle quite a bit in my role as an event photographer, originally getting pulled in during the Mr. Maryland Leather competition of 2016 to photograph the place while it was still under renovation. It quickly led to more work with Eagle staff and eventually strong relationships with the owners. When a couple Baltimore-local furs expressed interest in a “Frolic-alike” event there, I popped the question to Chuck (one of the owners who manages events there) and he was all about it.

Who

Largely the event is a community-based thing, with no direct hierarchy of organizers. Given my rapport with the Eagle staff, I headline communications with the venue, and with some background in marketing and graphic design I push advertising on my own. For supplies to operate the party such as fans for fursuiters and long straws and cases of water to cool down, if I can’t get it myself, I ask and get help from Baltimore-local attendees directly. Otherwise, the event shares the space with the Eagle’s own T-Dance event, so they provision their own DJ, and set up a couple podiums on the dance floor. Suiters are more than happy to play go-go dancer for a more than enthusiastic crowd!

#FurUpBmore this Sunday! pic.twitter.com/n4qNzLTNCF

— BaltimoreEagle (@BaltimoreEagle) August 4, 2017

What

It’s a very informal sort of meet-and-greet event, but given that it co-opts the same time slot as the Baltimore Eagle’s T-Dance each Sunday, a DJ is always around to spin fun disco tech live (none of the pre-recorded stuff!). No cover charge for the event at all, but the venue is strictly 21+. We get the Nest space upstairs, a dance floor styled after an old 1920’s speakeasy, for use as a headless lounge/community room to hang out privately and/or get in and store suits. Never made a formal headcount, but we typically get around 10 to 12 fursuiters and their respective menageries, probably in the headcount range of 40-50 furs. On top of the attendees of the T-Dance, it ends up being a crazy crowd!

When

Always on the first Sunday of the month. (Our third event on May 7th was also on the Grand Opening weekend of the Eagle – they were been running on a soft opening since January). Time is set at 4:00pm to 9:00pm so people can come early for a relaxed time, or swing in later on when the craziness kicks up. Typically, suiters start parading around closer to 6:00pm, and frequently folks stay well past the 9:00pm end time which the Eagle folks don’t mind at all. They’re very flexible about our use of the Nest space!

The reaction when you see a birdsuit in Baltimore #furupbmore at @BaltimoreEagle @SuitADile as the bird ! pic.twitter.com/rB9hrJoBBM

— Dᵘᵏℰ????Dᵒᵇᵉᵣᵐₐᵑ⛓ (@Duke_Doberman) September 3, 2017

Where

The Baltimore Eagle is a renovated re-imagining of the Eagle formerly occupying the same building. It closed some years ago with a reputation for being a seedy joint, but under the new owners the venue has changed dramatically and in a very progressive direction, not beholden to historic tropes of Eagle venues (basically men-only). Instead of shunning anyone outside the classic overplayed masculinity of the gay male leather scene, they are open to the full LGBTQ+ rainbow, frequently hosting drag shows and Ladies of Leather events. Adding furries into the mix seemed all too logical!

Baltimore has always had a disjointed furry community, with plenty of furs in and around the city but often not co-mingling. This event seems to have helped close some major gaps in community building. And with the help of @duke_doberman, word got out to a large scene of furs in Northern Virginia who have made it a point to come each time the event is held. @JL_wol even managed to drag along some Bostonites!

How

The story is almost hilariously disappointing, really! Quite simply, I had the connections, and I heard from @JL_wol and @atty_boy that there was interest in having a furry night at the Eagle some time. They were intent to ask themselves, but I stepped in with my connection to Chuck and quite lackadaisically made it happen!

Vibe

While the venue is quite tame, it’s also very gay, very flirty, and even if it’s only subtext the place is definitely adult. Crowds quite readily engage with suiters on the main floor and LOVE getting group photos, and are giddy voyeurs when some of our more “animated” attendees put on a bit of a show on the dance floor. (It’s not THAT bad, just very friendly). Furs also seem to enjoy themselves either putting on a show by the floor-to-ceiling windows on the front of the venue, or hanging out on the ramp leading into the Eagle. It’s drawn a lot of street traffic into the venue that otherwise wouldn’t have considered going in – (based on conversations I’ve had with some of those random visitors, and on reports from Eagle staff, who were a bit taken aback that we drew in such a broad crowd).

People of course like to dance, but personally I enjoy hanging out and getting fun photos in front of the venue – Last time around @blueberrywuff rode in on his motorcycle, and we got some top notch shots of the “Furry Gang” that were just great!

Promotion

Ad graphics are original photos and layouts of my own making, which both get posted to Twitter, and shared around and played on the TV screens at the Eagle that run advertisements for various events. With a couple ad graphics as a foundation, the rest of the interest drummed up requires “word of mouth” via Twitter shares. Some fursuiters have tremendous pull that way.

Reactions

Reception has been crazy positive all around. The Eagle staff are in love with the character and playful attitude of our crowd. They’re super appreciative of the added traffic we’ve inadvertently encouraged into the bar. During our April event, the leather shop incorporated in the venue even dolled up @duke_doberman with $600+ in leather gear and attire, excitedly parading him around like a billboard with his permission.  A local liquor vendor was invited to set up a specialty “Furry Shots” booth we just loved! @duke_doberman has also been a huge support in bringing in the NoVA crowd – He’s very much into supporting his local furry events, and he counts Baltimore as local. There was even some discussion among the Eagle owners about moving our event to the first Friday each month, a coveted time slot. Sticking with Sundays for now, but if we get invited for a Friday night showing that would be pretty amazing.

Nice tweet tweet. Pretty bird.... @MidoriGator #furupbmore #partihund pic.twitter.com/JcBesChK36

— Dᵘᵏℰ????Dᵒᵇᵉᵣᵐₐᵑ⛓ (@Duke_Doberman) September 12, 2017

Business

We’re still very informal, so no money is made.  So long as people keep spreading the word and folks are adventurous enough to try out a venue historically on the far fringe, we’ll keep growing!

Video/Pictures

Lots of stuff is available on the #furupbmore on Twitter (the reason I set it up).

Thank you so much for your interest in covering the event in Dogpatch Press! So exciting to see this thing grow and get noticed! (- Seiko)

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.

Common side effects apparently are: drowsiness, weakness; tired feeling; stuffy nose, sinus pain, sore throat, cough; vomiting, diarrhea, constipation; dry mouth; or. weight gain. And it can hurt your kidneys ... still, they have a cool Owl anthro as a spokesperson. (I'd probably stick with Claritin)
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