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"69'd a wolf at the base of this tree. Yiff forever"

Umm... wow. Some of these models are really intriguing. Other I find too damn creepy.

Editor's note: The supposed event that got AC bumped is the NHL draft.

Anthrocon 2012 will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA, from JUNE 14 to JUNE 17, 2012. Please note that this is one week earlier than was previously announced! We hope that this does not cause any inconvenience for any of our members; if it does, we are deeply sorry. Here is the story:

Pittsburgh has been given a very rare opportunity to host an event that they have been wanting to host for many years. The only trouble was that the proposed event (and we won't say what it is until it is officially announced) would lie in part over Anthrocon's planned weekend. The City approached Anthrocon very deferentially and asked us if we would consider moving our 2012 convention just one week earlier to help them realize their collective dream. As much as we love our adopted home city and would do anything in our power to support them, we were hesitant to change the date of our convention after having announced it.

Pittsburgh replied with, "What if we got you another hundred hotel rooms within walking distance of the Convention Center?"

We said, "Where do we sign?"

So with that agreement, in 2012 we ought to have enough hotel space for just about everyone who wants to stay. Of course, we would have signed anyway. Anthrocon is proud to have become a Pittsburgh institution, and as accommodating as they have been to us over the last five years, we were honor-bound to return the favor in any way that we could.

Meeroos, SL's extremely popular species of virtual, breedable animals created by Malevay Studios, are currently starving. Yesterday, reports Malevay's Catherine Farspire, unidentified griefers using variations of the avatar name "Meeroos Resident" (the company's official account) were found selling unauthorized Meeroos food in the region of Twas. (The miscreants, says Ms. Farspire, "built their own [store] in the sky selling fraudulent food".) As a result, she reports, Linden Lab has closed down the region of Twas -- and also blocked "Meeroos Resident", the legitimate Malevay Studios account: "We believe the account was blocked by Linden Lab by mistake, given all the reported accounts were variations of the same name, or the account was mistakenly reported by residents meaning to abuse report the offending avatars. We simply cannot be sure. Unfortunately, this has dealt us a crippling blow at the worst time possible."

"Before I ask you to jump past the cut to read the rest of my article, I thought it would be cool to explain my interpretation of the "furry" culture. I want to do this so that you, fair reader, aren't icked out simply by the title of my article. I decided to divide the furries into three levels all of this based on my observations and Google-searching.
At level one are the fans of anthropomorphic critters. Essentially, these are the fans of playing the animal races in different games, reading about them in books, and who think that there is something cool about an animal walking and talking like a human. At the very least, this level has no problems playing the pigman in the latest MMO.
Level two are the people who are fans of animal and human crossings, but take it a step further by feeling slightly connected to the creatures. They might have some spiritual connection to them, or simply think they are the best thing yet. They might also enjoy dressing up as a furry critter.
At level three we have the fans who take it even further. Yes, these are the furries you hear so much about. These are the ones who are not only into anthropomorphic creatures, but are into them (if you get my meaning.) They often feel an attraction to bipedal cats or human-like goats. Their dress-up is often accompanied by sessions of roleplaying as animals or hybrids.
Now, which level am I? While I think you can guess, click past the cut and I'll explain."

Broke and homeless Husky is offered a rare opportunity to learn how to ride a bicycle by a kind passer-by

submitted by KarlPilkington
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submitted by rottenartist
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submitted by evilsibe
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You’ve seen Feed the Kitty, right? The well-known Warner Brothers cartoon short (directed by Chuck Jones) starring Marc Antony (the big, burly, barking dog) and Pussyfoot (the ridiculously adorable kitten)? Well if somehow you haven’t, get your paws on any number of Warner Brothers cartoon collection, because this cartoon is a must for any and all furry fans! Marc Antony starts off trying to frighten the tiny kitten, but overcome by a wave of cuteness, the dog ends up falling in love with… him. Yes, him. Though the Wikipedia entry refers to Pussyfoot as a female, in the cartoon Marc Antony’s human owner distinctly refers to Pussyfoot as “he” and “him”. So, why bring all this up now? Because the Looney Tunes comic book (published by DC Comics) is featuring our smitten canine and feline pair in issue #202, on the shelves right now. It’s written by Bill Matheny, with cover art by Dave Santana.

image c. 2011 DC Comics

submitted by evilsibe
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Ok, so in case you did not hear it from the AnthroCon site, or Flayrah:
Anthrocon was asked to move foward a week next year, in order to allow a mystery event to take place during the originally scheduled time. Staff said they would not reveal the event until it was confirmed, but it seems that a lot of people are speculating that it is in fact the NHL Draft for 2012.
I have alerts for things such as 'furries' and 'Anthrocon' and every day, there are more and more links showing up.

What I'd like to do is compile a list of them:

First off, the Anthrocon and Flayrah postings:
http://www.anthrocon.org/node/7248/anthrocon-announces-dates-2012
http://www.flayrah.com/3641/anthrocon-bumped-2012-nhl-entry-draft


And the News/Blogs/Websites:

The Hockey News:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41495-Rescheduling-of-convention-in-Pittsburgh-lends-credence-to-rumors-Penguins-will-host-2012-NHL-Draft.html

DeadSpin:
http://deadspin.com/5828409/furries-may-have-unwittingly-announced-that-next-years-nhl-draft-will-be-held-in-pittsburgh

Pittsburgh SBNation:
http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2011/8/7/2350037/2012-nhl-draft-heading-to-pittsburgh-or-at-least-thats-what-the

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_750472.html

Kukla's Korner:
http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/a_very_strange_way_of_informing_the_hockey_world_that_pittsburghs_hosting_t/

CBS Sports:
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/27694626/31168933

AOL Sporting News:
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2011-08-08/pittsburgh-clears-calendar-in-hopes-of-landing-2012-nhl-draft

SportsNet.ca:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/fantasy/hockey/2011/08/08/hockey_hearsay/

submitted by Fenno
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Dogbomb: Not your ordinary Californian canine

By Tim “Kijani” Watanabe

Tony Barrett, better known in fursuit as 'Dogbomb,' interacts with Sarah, a young woman with cerebral palsy, while fursuiting at Newport Beach in California. Barrett's stories that accompany photos from his outings, which he posts on his FurAffinity page, have touched the hearts of many.

As long as he can remember, dogs have always been a big part of Tony Barrett’s life.

He has been a registered veterinary technician for the last 16 years, and currently manages a veterinary hospital in his hometown of Costa Mesa, Calif., helping keep local pets healthy and happy.

Barrett, better known as “Dogbomb” among furry fans, also has owned a number of dogs in his life – but one particular German shepherd mix named Rodger stood out among the rest.

“They say everyone that owns dogs has one special dog in their life, and he was the dog,” Barrett recalled. “He was the first dog I got when I bought my first house, he was just a very special dog. Very smart, he was one of those creatures that was in tune with everything that you do.”

Rodger would go on to be Barrett’s best friend for the next 14 years.

After Rodger passed away in November of 2004, Barrett – whose only knowledge of “furry” at the time was something that happened to bread when it was left out for too long – was at dinner with some friends dressed in his typical canine garb.

“I was wearing a shirt that said ‘Woof,’ a hat with a greyhound on it and something else,” said Barrett, adding that his Halloween costumes always included random dog-related accessories. “The waitress comes over and says, ‘Why is he dressed up like a dog?’ My friend turns to her and says, ‘Don’t worry about him, he’s just a furry.’”

Having never heard that term before, he was then subjected to the dreaded “CSI” question, which he hadn’t seen either. Until he got home that fateful night in August of 2009.

“Of course I thought it was creepy and bizarre,” said Barrett on his initial reaction to the infamous “Fur and Loathing” episode. “But I wanted to look into it more. I Googled ‘furry’ and found some websites, and the more I looked at it, the more I seemed intrigued by it. After that I jumped in with both feet, and really wanted to get involved with it… I discovered it was such a nice social group, so many neat, pleasant, exciting, creative people. It was a nice outlet.”

Needless to say, the furry fandom hasn’t been the same since.

A MAGICAL EFFECT

One of the first things that Barrett did upon joining the fandom was to get a fursuit commissioned, with a design based off of Rodger. That way, his longtime furry friend could be commemorated forever.

He first bought an pre-made head and colored it in to match a character description, and soon after decided to go the whole nine yards, choosing Beastcub Creations to create the final version of Dogbomb.

“I really liked what (Beastcub) had done with realistic suits,” Barrett noted. “She really helped me, she was very kind, and took me through the process. It was very interactive, and she made some suggestions. She was just the right person at the right moment.”

Eventually, the long-awaited package arrived at Barrett’s front door, and he was floored at the result.

“I couldn’t believe it, that she made something come alive like that,” he said. “She really seemed to capture his spirit. It wasn’t just a collection of fur, the whole thing was a very magical effect.”

While some fursuiting enthusiasts prefer to enjoy their craft mainly at conventions and house parties, Barrett admitted that once he started wearing his Dogbomb costume out on the streets of sunny Southern California, he got hooked on the positive reactions and joy he brought to everyone he came in contact with.

“It breaks down all the social barriers,” said Barrett on what he enjoys most about fursuiting in public. “You’re used to, as an adult, walking around and cavorting yourself in a certain way, and all of a sudden you meet some guy in a dog suit and he’s chatting and putting his arm around you. It opens up a whole realm of possibilities that aren’t available everyday.”

AN FA PHENOMENON

Like many enthusiastic costumers, Barrett wanted to share his experiences with the rest of the furry world.

Starting about a year and a half ago, he started posting photos from his fursuit outings on Fur Affinity, mostly at the Newport Beach pier and the surrounding bars, while writing up short, humorous anecdotes accompanying each photo.

“Someone suggested I write a little bit more with the picture, so I tried posting one and writing more of a story about what happened before, during and after the picture, and people seemed to respond to it,” Barrett recalled. “So I kept being long-winded and verbose.”

From that point on, as word spread and his gallery posts got re-linked, Dogbomb practically went viral. Comments and watchers – 2,642 as of press time – came in by the droves, humbling Barrett to his canine core.

“I can’t believe it, it seems surreal,” he said. “I can’t imagine why people would spend time looking at (my stuff).”

Among his most popular posts is the heartfelt and inspirational “Courage on Two Wheels,” during which he relives an encounter with Sarah – a young, wheelchair-bound woman who suffers from cerebral palsy. Numerous additional entries detail true fursuiting magic at work, as Dogbomb tells of his experiences with children that are fully convinced they are conversing with a real talking dog.

Whether they are four or 40, Barrett said he truly enjoys and cherishes every encounter he has with the public.

“(Children) are such wonderful sponges, they’ll just soak up anything and give back so much love,” he said. “To tell the honest truth, some of the adults that I’ve met that at first were so stone-faced and don’t want to really interact or talk – you spend a few minutes chatting with them and all of a sudden you’ve got a friend. They’re smiling, they’re happy… my favorite thing about fursuiting is that people open up, they’ll tell you things that they might not tell anybody else. It’s a really interesting social experiment.”

Up next for the 47-year-old will be a trip to the Pacific Northwest to attend the furry convention Rainfurrest for the first time in late September, and then he will be eventually getting Dogbomb version 2.0, as his suit has put quite a bit of mileage in just over a year and a half.

Barrett, an avid runner, celebrates after completing the Surf City Half Marathon in Huntington Beach, Calif. last year. He then went on to complete the 26.2-mile Los Angeles Marathon, finishing in 4 hours and 9 minutes while raising $3,300 for a local rescue group that saved mutts from high-kill shelters, and from Mexico.

In addition, Barrett, an avid runner, hopes to get involved in charity work with the running group he participates in regularly, the Orange County Frontrunners.

“If we can incorporate fursuiting into that in some way, that would be wonderful,” he said. “I’ve been on a public cable TV show a couple times through work, for an adoption agency that does rescue of strays.”

In 2010, he slogged through 26.2 miles and finished the Los Angeles Marathon, while raising $3,300 for the local ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) chapter and a local dog rescue group.

But for now, Barrett simply wants to acknowledge all of the wonderful people he’s met since joining the fandom, and keep doing what he does best – one fursuit-induced smile at a time.

“Just a huge ‘thank you,’” expressed Barrett to all of his supportive fans and friends. “It’s really made a huge difference in my life, the wonderful people that I’ve met, both in person and online. People respond in such positive ways, I’m really gratified by it. It’s been a big positive for me.”

———-

Q & A with “Dogbomb,” Tony Barrett

Q:  If you could sum up the “Dogbomb Philosophy of life,” how would it go?

A:  Two words: “Have fun.” People get so worked up about doing things in a responsible manner, and living as an adult, people (don’t) let a little bit of silliness and fun into their everyday lives. I think it’s important that we not lose sight of that, and get in touch with our side that is open to having fun, being a little bit silly and a little bit out there, and  to help others interact and get a smile too.

Q:  What do you think is most important for those that fursuit in public areas to entertain and bring joy to people like yourself, to gain public acceptance moving forward?

A:  Interact on a level that is a bit self-depreciating, not trying to put yourself in their face. Say “How are you?” and take an interest in that person. That works under any circumstances. If you want to really make a friend, give them a big smile and ask them a question about themselves, and I think that works especially well for fursuiting because people are gratified that you’re interested.

Q:  At conventions and elsewhere, you are almost always seen with your loving mate Teh.  How did you guys meet?

A:  We met at Further Confusion 2010. I didn’t know anybody at that point, I knew only a handful of people from FA, but I went to the convention myself. It’s hard to hook up and have a good friendship with someone out of the blue. I was by myself a lot of the time, standing by myself out in front of the hotel in the valet area, watching people come and go.  Teh approached me and said “Hi, how are you,” and we talked for a few minutes – he seemed like such a nice, cool person.  It was really gratifying that someone, out of the blue, came up and took an interest.  That was really neat, he seemed like a warm, wonderful person. We kept in touch online, met and had lunch at FWA, and it just progressed from there. We met at conventions, spent a lot of time on the phone and now he lives with me. It’s worked out wonderfully.

——–

Editor’s note: The FNN Featured Fursuiter of the Month is a new profile series written by Kijani. Every month he will choose one well-recognized figure in the fandom’s fursuiting community, offering a unique “behind the mask” look at their characters and lives outside of fursuiting.

Dogbomb poses for a photo during his first public fursuiting experience at the Newport Beach Pier near his hometown of Costa Mesa, California.

submitted by StandardDeviant
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Check out Sands of Destruction. It's about a world where furries rule over humans. The story is kinda meh but it's not horrible. It was a interesting watch and only 13 EPs

submitted by Eaeelil
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I'm a common dolphin! A bit unusual, but whatevs. :3

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6070031/

submitted by Jakooboo
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Sixes Wild is a new anthropomorphic adventure series written by Tempe O’Kun. Sofawolf Press describes it as “a straight western cross-dressing romance”. Probably because the lead characters in this wild west adventure include a male fruit bat (who’s the sheriff of the town of White Rock, Arizona) and a rabbit — who besides being a lady who dresses the part of a male gunslinger, also happens to be the sheriff’s love interest.  Yes, things do get complicated. The first novel of the series, Sixes Wild: Manifest Destiny, was published by Sofawolf Press with illustrations by the artist ShinigamiGirl. Now the second story arc in the series — Sixes Wild: The Bluff — is being serialized on the SoFurry site in comic book format.  It’s illustrated by the artist known as Sidian. [Note: The comic does contain adult-oriented material, so some folks might find their access restricted.]

 

image c. 2011 by ShinigamiGirl

 

submitted by Allaun
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A good episode, with- WOAH JOSH IS BACK! Your favorite old time host Criterion, stopped in this week, and hey, maybe next week too! Some great random moments including one of the most random ever, but, other than that, great email coverage, good tips, and you all got what you wanted. Yay!

Download MP3

News:

• Idaho police tell man to stop wearing bunny suit
• J-Lo killed by fox
• Rumour: Anthro pandas to feature in next WoW expansion
• Anthrocon bumped for . . . 2012 NHL Entry Draft?

Emails:

• Bell the otter – “Question about the new army policy….”
• Toki Vulpes, the fox – “Question”
• Seramid – “First Furry Con – Somewhat Time Sensitive”
• shadwolf – “need furry advice”
• Dilly – “A need for information to make a club”
• Tikaani Foxclaw – “hello there”
• A generic wolf – “The toughest question for a furry…?”
• The Jackal – “The Writer of Reality”
• Tane – “Twitfurs and ottdurrs (this has nothing to do with otters, but it rhymes :3)
• Island Arctic Fox – “Happy viewer”
• BigRed – “Mean parents”
• Shikari – “Wicked phantom shift story with a few questions”
• kiran – (no subject)

Shout-outs:

• Shift – “Y U NO…”
• -Chatroom Name Read-

FC-49 Carpet Munched - A good episode, with- WOAH JOSH IS BACK! Your favorite old time host Criterion, stopped in this week, and hey, maybe next week too! Some great random moments including one of the most random ever, but, other than that, great email coverage, good tips,