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Remember when Seinfeld was one of the biggest TV shows, and co-star Michael Richards derailed his career with a racist meltdown on stage? It happened at a comedy show, but it wasn’t part of the act. He apologized, and news said “It is actually one of the most honest apologies that a celebrity has ever given for bad behavior.”

It’s rare to see a career implode like that. Now let’s look at a furry happening that’s not so drastic, but more of a slow burn. A prominent performer in the fandom is being examined for poorly representing it, and found unworthy of support by its premiere convention. Bad behavior has been in plain view for years with no apologies. It took this long to accumulate wider attention. Many members say it’s long overdue, and some find it discouraging that it took so long.

“2 The Ranting Gryphon” has a problem.

His George Carlin-styled comedy has earned 24,000 follows on Youtube and audiences of 1000+ at Anthrocon. I’ve seen and laughed at his show there. But they declined to host him this year. His fans are very upset (almost as if he’s a tenured “house comedian of fandom”?)  2 himself appears to be the info source, claiming to be a victim of invalid attacks by over-offended “SJW’s”. There’s only a vague official statement citing declining attendance, so pointing blame is untrustworthy. A con can pick whoever they want, and they just chose not to pick him; friends and fame aren’t supposed to overrule quality or board decisions for approval. (Free speech doesn’t apply because it’s not between citizen and government – the host is a private organization. He isn’t “banned” and can attend the con. )

Whoever made this, I love you. pic.twitter.com/fyjQh49pM8

— Buck Est. 1999 (@MintzBuck) March 15, 2017

His issue with the con may not be clear enough for honest discussion.  But the deeper problem is.  Let’s look at what ‘2’ is defending. Is it just comedy?

In the San Francisco Bay Area, I have enjoyed a bit of fun, casual activity in scenes for comedy and more, from music videos to avant-cabaret variety shows. (Read more: It was so much fun to be in an outrageous Rap CD and a live comedy show!)  I went on stage in fursuit at the Tourette’s Without Regrets show (run by the great-grandson of L. Ron Hubbard.)  That is to say, I favor broad-minded appreciation for all kinds of weird shit and offensive humor.  I like it enough to suppress stage fright and try it as a complete amateur.  I’m not in any way professional (and I often speak loudly about loosening boundaries for expression) – but I think I can tell the difference between shock humor or satire, and words that are just indefensible.

Many furries are judging some words from 2 The Ranting Gryphon as indefensible. Read for yourself.

2 on suicide, jews and slavery, and child molesting (wackity schmackity doo!) – in his own words with links for context:

If you feel so much pain that you need to end your life because some other douche bag is calling you bad names then you DESERVE to be dead. No other species on the planet ends their own life because of minor harassment and the fact that we do just means that there’s too damn many of us and nature is trying to find a way to get rid of us. If you’re thrown into agony over little bullshit like this then you are better off killing yourself. Get off the planet and make room for others.”

(Screenshot – original vid.  Yet another source. 2 denies telling anyone to kill themself: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6])

I do not care that “your people” have been enslaved for the last 3000 years. How often have YOU been a slave? If the answer is “never”, you have no right to bitch… especially at someone who has never OWNED a slave in their life. The fact, if you care to research it, is that everyone… and I mean *everyone* has at some point, stemmed from people who have both been slaves and slave owners. There is no exception to this.

(“Open letter to Jews”)

What is sexual molestation? The physical nature of it is obvious, but what what does it represent emotionally to the victim? A loss of control. Helplessness. Perhaps some pain. Being forced to do something you don’t want to. Shame and embarrassment. These are all unpleasant things. But they’re also unpleasant things that most people experience nearly every day from their bosses or co-workers at their jobs or from teachers and other students at school.

(“Molesting the molesters.“)

What the…?  None of that accurately portrays people… and where’s the funny?  What’s the purpose for spreading this?  I could contact 2 and go through the trouble of diplomatically seeking his side… Nah, I’m busy and I don’t get paid to abate ignorance of the stubborn “see no evil” mindset with his fans.  I don’t think there should be benefit of the doubt for saying “you DESERVE to be dead,” or comparing a mean boss at work in the same breath with being molested, or describing molested victims as “grown men turned into blubbering, sobbing children” who should just grow up, or “…child molesters are, in fact, the saviors of their own victims”. If you have to explain this away, you already messed up.

@esperhusky my jaw dropped, where's the comedy? A rant act isnt an excuse for unmitigated shitting on people like a backed up sewer pipe

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) March 16, 2017

Besides, 2 already stepped up to make a statement.  Let him speak for himself:

Here's my official word on this whole thing, which I'm sure will somehow be twisted to hell and back...https://t.co/8WD7b337DM

— 2 Gryphon (@2_gryphon) March 15, 2017

Unaccountable 2 the max.

Did you hear him say sorry, or take grown up responsibility for being anything less than innocent?  Or use talent to season it with self deprecating humor?

In July, this drama will be over. And I'll still have 25,000 people enjoying my videos. How's that feel, beeatch? https://t.co/a7xpzc1o2U

— 2 Gryphon (@2_gryphon) March 15, 2017

All I see is excuses with expectation to get unlimited passes, and deflection at supposed “SJW’s”.  A convenient enemy! Hmm, is there anyone besides them who might not support this?

A few years back, when 2 was explaining suicide, a furry friend of mine had her 19 year old brother jump off a building.  (There’s a real person I’m not linking for privacy, who might or might not comment.) There was no hint of trouble until she got the news.  Nobody had a chance to intervene, and it couldn’t possibly have been more of a surprise.  I can’t imagine what it’s like to have someone you love deleted from life like that.  I’ll bet it’s super raw and long-lasting.  More importantly, reasons don’t change things for people left behind to deal with the loss.

It's not their fault. In order to understand comedy, you have to experience tragedy. Many of them have never had a problem in their life. https://t.co/ENWQOQHwAm

— 2 Gryphon (@2_gryphon) March 16, 2017

My friend’s experience showed how devastatingly unexpected suicide can be. As easy as a bad tweet. So when 2 mocks supposed trivial reasons for it, she gets to see him being utterly oblivious. Not just about people who do it, but to her and about all the effects that spread to others. 2’s “logic” hurts and does nothing to help.  When people have internal pressure brewing with no outward sign, and depressed people deal with a disease they don’t just get over – that’s not a “choice”. So you don’t go sorting good reasons and bad ones. None are good or simple.

Andreus Wolf has a summary about what 2 said. It is simple and excellent. Click through for the entire thread – it’s the best one:

"Isn't the furry fandom supposed to be tolerant and accepting?"

It literally took a guy telling people to kill themselves to upset us.

— Vex, Night Creature (@andreuswolf) March 15, 2017

Some furries didn’t feel like 2 did anything wrong.  And even “Nazifurs” from Colorado tweeted their support, grabbing a sleazy opportunity to troll or ride 2’s coattails.  That sounds familiar.  Remember when Trump was endorsed by David Duke (the KKK guy)?  There was also JonTron’s recent racist drama and the Rabid Puppies in Sci Fi fandom.  As small-scale as this furry thing is, it shows we can deal with the same stuff as grown up scenes do. We’re having a Moment.

Reasonable complaints

After my friend’s loss, she moved to Colorado where 2 is in the fur community (awkward!) This is about more than just internet words.  Community is a good word here.  It involves role models, peers, and support (and other words from after-school specials. A furry one would be extra special.)

 Support is important with suicide. Particularly for young guys (and LGBT guys).  This is very important, because those groups have way higher risk than others.  Maybe they’re more stupid and easily upset over little bullshit?  Are boys more stupid? Of course not – I’d say they deal with conditions particular to their gender, and deserve self-respect in groups. We do that.

This article isn’t coming from what 2 might call an SJW.  Some might even (falsely) use the label anti-SJW. It has to do with gender. Check this out: Why are “nerdy” groups male-populated?  Revisiting a debate full of dogma.  That’s where I see a group of disproportionately male (and LGBT) members as a good thing brought together by positive motivation like male bonding, not a bad thing made by exclusion and sexism.  In that way you can say I’m pro-Men’s Rights.  The type where gender roles are just apples-and-oranges and other gender politics can have constructive criticism like this rather than be enemies. The type who thinks society could do more for men who get broken by conditions they don’t ask for, like inner cities emptied of fathers in prison, to war and homelessness. One who finds 2’s words about suicide to be indefensible.

It’s dishonest to deflect blame onto “SJW’s”. That word is silly and the real problem is in the stuff 2 said.  The longevity of his act shows how much tolerance there is – now, I think he’s not so much being told what to joke about, as expected to be honest.  Furries who choose not to support him are giving reasonable complaints and earning their reputation as a group that cares. They might not understand what it takes for 2 to put his stuff out (they also aren’t unfamiliar with it – it’s hardly secret), but there isn’t a mob wanting persecution without limits.  There is room for mistakes and learning. Imagine seeing a gesture of something besides denial and blame for self-benefit.

Until then, I have a feeling that 2’s number is up and this could be a third strike. Even if this goes in one ear and out the other and he keeps looking out for number one, there’s no two ways about it – fans won’t forget and go back to square one.

Kage supports me. He wanted me there this year. And he wanted me to be able to entertain you. But he was outvoted. https://t.co/YtZTvm7JW9

— 2 Gryphon (@2_gryphon) March 15, 2017

Public Image

Anthrocon CEO Uncle Kage defers to the board’s decision, to his credit.  He’s also friends with 2 and apparently argued to keep 2’s show.  Kage’s feelings about media are famous – and when he’s so strict about letting the press in the con, it makes me puzzled about why he supports his friend who says outrageous, unaccountable stuff?  Isn’t that horrible for PR?  Why discourage the type of dishonest media from MTV, CSI or Vanity Fair, but let this go?

I guess it’s different because a friend is under control unlike a media company.  I can appreciate the sentiment at least.  It’s a furry kind of paradox in a group where the line of what’s too much is often up to the individual. Kage and 2 have done nice things together to support charities.  Now, support could mean telling a friend when to back away from the mike.

And no, we’re not talking about Kong of Skull Island either. Cartoon Brew has an article about a new animated film in development called Kensuke’s Kingdom. “Based on the bestselling novel by War Horse author Michael Morpurgo and adapted for the screen by screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce (Hilary and Jackie, Welcome to Sarajevo, The Railway Man), Kensuke’s Kingdom follows the story of a young boy who washes up on a tropical island overseen by a mysterious Japanese soldier named Kensuke, who lives there with a family of orangutans as his companions.” Directed by animation veterans Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry, the film combines a variety of 2D techniques for a rather unique overall look. No word yet on any plans for international distribution, but the Cartoon Brew article includes a proof-of-concept short film the directors have been showing around lately. It gives you a good idea what the film might look like.

image c. 2017 Lupus Films

Roo and Tugs messed up - our last topic didn't take so this episode has gone open topic! Joined last minute by Nuka, we discuss a variety of topics about life and the fandom ranging from privacy, to if artists drew your character to match your physical body type, to how Switch cartridges taste. Nuka also sprinkles in a variety of facts - what IS the most promiscuous species? What percentage of the fandom is babyfur? And how often do Bronies clop and sing? It's an interesting conversation, coupled with Space News and the most interesting episode of Fifty Sheds of Grey yet!



NOW LISTEN!

Show Notes

Want to attend BABSCon? Check out www.babscon.com!

Special Thanks

Nuka, our guest

Music

Opening Theme: Husky In Denial – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2015. ©2015 Fur What It’s Worth and Husky in Denial. Based on Fredrik Miller– Cloud Fields (Radio Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Some music was provided by Kevin MacLeod at Incompetech.com. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. We used the following pieces:

Spy Glass


Space News Music: Fredrik Miller – Orbit. USA: Bandcamp, 2013. Used with permission. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Mystery Skulls – Ghost. USA: Warner Bros Records, 2011. Used with permission.
Closing Theme: Husky In Denial – Cloud Fields (Headnodic Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2015. ©2015 Fur What It’s Worth and Husky in Denial. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Chill Out Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Our interstitial bumpers were all from the Bedfellows Frenzy Original Soundtrack by Husky in Denial. You can buy a copy as a bundled item on Steam with the game or purchase it separately at Bandcamp. The music we used was 2 Fools, 1 Shop; Fools of Destruction; Ska 4 Life; all of which are ©2017 Husky in Denial.


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Next episode: Porn and the fandom. It's ubiquitous. It's arguably a part of the furry fandom's DNA. It incites more reaction than most anything else with furries. What's your connection to furry porn? Tell us by Thursday, March 23, 2017! S6 Episode 13 – Pie - Roo and Tugs messed up - our last topic didn't take so this episode has gone open topic! Joined last minute by Nuka, we discuss a variety of topics about life and the fandom ranging from privacy, to if artists drew your character to

Dated March 17, here is an article in Canada's The Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/convention-for-furry-fans-comes-to-downtown-toronto/article34339062/

It describes this weekend's Furnal Equinox convention, through an interview with organizer Isaac Tan.


Some 1,600 fans of humanized animals and cartoon characters are gathering in downtown Toronto this weekend for a convention celebrating the so-called furry fandom.

Isaac Tan, a member of the organizing committee, talks about his love of anthropomorphized animals.

The 22-year-old, who is a martial arts instructor and lives in Markham, has been interested in furry culture for nine years.

For the uninitiated, what is the furry fandom?

The furry fandom is a collective of individuals from all around the world, really. We’re a group of people that essentially celebrate humanized animals, same thing as cartoon animals or [characters] on cereal boxes. It’s sort of like having the same sort of fan base for superheroes, except if superheroes were talking dogs and cats instead.

How did you get interested in furry culture?

As an artist, I’d always found more joy in drawing animals and drawing creatures of fantasy.

When I was drawing one day and looking online, I found an image of an anthropomorphic animal. I saw the artist’s page who had posted it [and] they were involved in this community called the furry fandom and from there I sort of became a little bit more involved, exploring the different types of art that are involved in the furry fandom and suddenly, this entire new culture dawned upon me where it involved not only art, but also involved costuming, it involved literature, a lot of story-writing and a lot of role-playing.

Do you have an alter ego and can you tell me about it?

My alter ego is a Chinese dragon.

I am Chinese by ethnicity so I wanted to sort of pay homage to my culture, which I’m very proud of. So my alter ego is a Chinese dragon and his name is Ronnie.

Do people tend to be open about this part of their lives?

It does vary depending on what parts of the world that you’re from. There are many people who do openly advocate for this community, as they’re very proud of it and what it’s done for them. The furry fandom has done a lot of charitable work for animal organizations. Some people prefer to sort of keep it as part of their personal life.

What happens at furry conventions?

At these conventions we engage in a number of different social and performance events, as well as informative. So people get to costume around in custom-tailored costumes and they perform for each other, whether it’s mascotting or doing skits on stage, sort of like a masquerade.

We also have lots of informative panels that teach you about literature, story-writing, as well as visual arts, the art of business in an artisan world and we also have a lot of vending that goes on as well.

I wanted to ask you about the costumes. Does everyone wear one?

We usually only have about 20 per cent of our attendees that actually wear these costumes. They are very expensive, being custom-tailored, so the private studios which people can commission these costumes from can charge upwards of $2,000 for a full-bodied costume.

What’s the community like? What kind of people get interested in this subculture?

People that attend our convention come from all walks of life, whether they come from the sciences field, whether they come from the financial or business sector, whether they come from technology, whether they’re artists or artisans, from construction.

Basically we have people from all walks of life and all different professions that all share one similar interest, which is essentially their love for these humanized animals or cartoon animals. It’s a really very holistic community feeling where we just celebrate each other’s creativity and this world that we’ve created for ourselves.

Dated March 17, here is an article in Canada's The Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/convention-for-furry-fans-comes-to-downtown-toronto/article34339062/

It describes this weekend's Furnal Equinox convention, through an interview with organizer Isaac Tan.


Some 1,600 fans of humanized animals and cartoon characters are gathering in downtown Toronto this weekend for a convention celebrating the so-called furry fandom.

Isaac Tan, a member of the organizing committee, talks about his love of anthropomorphized animals.

The 22-year-old, who is a martial arts instructor and lives in Markham, has been interested in furry culture for nine years.

For the uninitiated, what is the furry fandom?

The furry fandom is a collective of individuals from all around the world, really. We’re a group of people that essentially celebrate humanized animals, same thing as cartoon animals or [characters] on cereal boxes. It’s sort of like having the same sort of fan base for superheroes, except if superheroes were talking dogs and cats instead.

How did you get interested in furry culture?

As an artist, I’d always found more joy in drawing animals and drawing creatures of fantasy.

When I was drawing one day and looking online, I found an image of an anthropomorphic animal. I saw the artist’s page who had posted it [and] they were involved in this community called the furry fandom and from there I sort of became a little bit more involved, exploring the different types of art that are involved in the furry fandom and suddenly, this entire new culture dawned upon me where it involved not only art, but also involved costuming, it involved literature, a lot of story-writing and a lot of role-playing.

Do you have an alter ego and can you tell me about it?

My alter ego is a Chinese dragon.

I am Chinese by ethnicity so I wanted to sort of pay homage to my culture, which I’m very proud of. So my alter ego is a Chinese dragon and his name is Ronnie.

Do people tend to be open about this part of their lives?

It does vary depending on what parts of the world that you’re from. There are many people who do openly advocate for this community, as they’re very proud of it and what it’s done for them. The furry fandom has done a lot of charitable work for animal organizations. Some people prefer to sort of keep it as part of their personal life.

What happens at furry conventions?

At these conventions we engage in a number of different social and performance events, as well as informative. So people get to costume around in custom-tailored costumes and they perform for each other, whether it’s mascotting or doing skits on stage, sort of like a masquerade.

We also have lots of informative panels that teach you about literature, story-writing, as well as visual arts, the art of business in an artisan world and we also have a lot of vending that goes on as well.

I wanted to ask you about the costumes. Does everyone wear one?

We usually only have about 20 per cent of our attendees that actually wear these costumes. They are very expensive, being custom-tailored, so the private studios which people can commission these costumes from can charge upwards of $2,000 for a full-bodied costume.

What’s the community like? What kind of people get interested in this subculture?

People that attend our convention come from all walks of life, whether they come from the sciences field, whether they come from the financial or business sector, whether they come from technology, whether they’re artists or artisans, from construction.

Basically we have people from all walks of life and all different professions that all share one similar interest, which is essentially their love for these humanized animals or cartoon animals. It’s a really very holistic community feeling where we just celebrate each other’s creativity and this world that we’ve created for ourselves.

Join Vox, Tal Roland and guest Kaar for a fun filled night of laughs Episode -8 - Emma Sharkson

Not to be out-done, this May Marvel will also bring us I Am Groot, the first solo comic featuring everyone’s favorite simple-talking anthropomorphic tree. It’s written by Christopher Hastings (Gwenpool, The Unbelievable) and illustrated by Flaviano. “When the Guardians of the Galaxy get caught in a wormhole, a smaller-than-normal Groot is separated billions of light-years away from the team. Falling to a planet below, Groot discovers he is on an entirely alien and unknown world full of strange creatures and societies. Seriously underdeveloped and with nobody who can understand him, Groot will need to make the journey to the center of this world and find the way back to his family!” Comicbook.com has an interview with Mr. Hastings talking all about it.

image c. 2017 Marvel Comics

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This week is a rollercoaster. Fuzz and Savrin discuss travel ban 2.0, some more YouTube edgelord bull, some edgelord bull that's very close to home, Night In The Woods, Breath of the Wild, and then... emails! No episode next week due to Fiesta! Proopcast: http://www.gregproops.com/blog/smartest-man-in-the-world-podcast/ Want to help support the show? We have a Patreon! www.patreon.com/knotcast Episode 344 - Hanzo Mains

In what is perhaps a strange move (given his currently ever-growing popularity!) Marvel Comics have canceled their most recent Rocket Raccoon comic book series — only to replace it with a new one called Rocket, according to Bleeding Cool. “He thought his paws were clean, that they were on the up and up. But just when he thought he was out, they grabbed him by the fuzzy tail and pulled him back in. One day, and old flame (who happens to be an Otter) swims back into your life and just like that you’re back in the game…the heist game. From the dingy alleys of Knowhere to the far corners of deep space, they’ll speak in whispers that one of the best there ever was is back. If you need a safe cracked. If you need a vault busted. If you’ve got a big score that needs taking…you call Rocket. Just don’t call him a raccoon. It won’t end well for you.” Good Grief — the return of Lylla?? Look for it this May, written by by Al Ewing (The Ultimates, U.S.Avengers) and illustrated by Adam Gorham (The Violent).

image c. 2017 Marvel Comics

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Here is the opening video from NordicFuzzCon ... Wish I could have gone.
View Video

Dear Papabear,

OK so first I've contacted you I believe three times before. The last time I really felt like I had wasted your time with since there wasn't really an honest question in it now that I look back on it, and I do wish to apologize for it. 

But now I've been facing another problem. One with a friend I met recently. This is basically what my problem is. 

1) The one furry I actually get to see IRL, and we're really super close friends. 
2) He's really sensitive and gets depressed 
3) He has an unrequited crush on me
4) I can't seem to get him to accept I'm not interested in that kind of a relationship 
5) He feels dependent on me, but it's kind of my fault for letting him be 
6) He gets depressed in roleplays easily, but he sets up really depressing events himself. I understand just avoiding role play but it seems like it just is part of the ways we chat, it's automatic 
7) I want to make him happy, but he can't accept where I draw the line on what I'll do for him
8) Anytime i mention this he talks like he's suicidal
9) He used to have a GF but she was forced by her parents to cease contact since they didn't like the fandom
10) I've been on the other side of the unrequited love equation, I did manage but nothing that worked on me seems to work on him

I really could use some help, how do I get him to accept I'm not going to take that kind of relationship? 
 
Anonymous (age 16)
 
* * *
 
Hi,
 
No need to apologize for the earlier letter. As for this one: is your friend getting any help at all for his depression? Neither one of us is a psychologist or therapist, and it really isn't our job to attend to his mental health. We can be supportive, though.
 
Papabear
 
* * *

Yes, neither of us are trained professionals, and as for if he has seen any I'm not sure.  But with how he is I don't know if it would be easy to ask him either.  If he hasn't though, I do want to make sure he gets help, or minimally some other friends for when I can't be around, and other things so he becomes more independent and doesn't have such a low self asteem in the future.  But my issue I'm asking about and need help with first is how to approach someone like him with such topics.  Because he takes so sensitively for some of the things I say, he worries about everything, and easily interprets a friendly joke for something deeply offensive.  Like for instance, he told me he loved me more than he knows.  Then I said:
 
"That scares me a little, you already have told me at such high levels.  I think you know how much you love me, you tell my every day XD"
 
Well me saying it "scares me" kind of made him start worrying a bunch.  Maybe I need to be more cautious about how I word things but idk. 
 
But also, like I said, although I do "love" him (like he was my brother, in that kind of manner, and a lot), he wants to try and take it to a romance level that I don't want.  At the same time, I still would like to be friends with him, and even if I would just forget that and let him go, I can't for fear of what he'd do to himself.  
 
Convincing him to accept how things are for our relationship is something I'm not sure how to do.  But I need to know how to approach him with any topic like that without him freaking out. 
 
Hope I cleared up a lot things.
 
Thankful regards
 
* * *
 
Dear Furiend,
 
What you are experiencing is a case of emotional blackmail. This can be done in a number of ways, including some you have mentioned, such as threatening or implying one will commit suicide if not paid attention to or insisting that they love you when you don’t love them back, thus making you feel very guilty.
 
First thing to come to terms with is this: you are not responsible for his emotional problems. You are clearly a good and caring friend, but you have to keep your own emotional state stable and not allow yourself to feel bad or responsible for what is going on in his brain. I’m assuming he is about your age (teen) and that he has parents or other family, and it is THEY who really should be dealing with this first. Offering support is great, but you are not the primary caretaker in this.
 
Once you get over that emotional burden, you are better able to speak frankly to this kid. When you do, he will probably respond with the usual drama—depression, “woe is me,” even suicide threats. Remember, these are just tools to manipulate you. They are inspired by his lack of self-confidence. He is afraid of losing you, and the way he deals with this is through threats and appeals to your good heart.
 
The undercurrent of all of this is, of course, low self-esteem. Instead of addressing the symptoms (e.g., how to respond to his appeals for love and his neediness), what you should try first is to help him improve his sense of self-worth. There are lots of sites you can google about improving your self-esteem, as well as some things I have written here in this column.
 
Try coaching him in these methods to make him feel better about himself. The goal is to make his ego strong enough so that, when it’s time, you will be able to speak to him frankly about sensitive topics without him collapsing into a defensive ball.
 
Give it a try. Good luck!
 
Papabear

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

Franko: Fables of the Last Earth, by Cristóbal Jofré and Ángel Bernier
St. Paul, MN, Sofawolf Press, July 2016, hardcover $39.95 (v + 128 pages), trade paperback $19.95.

Franko: Fables of the Last Earth is a collection of six cartoon-art fables written by Ángel Bernier and illustrated by Cristóbal Jofré, printed in full color on glossy paper. The word “fables” is carefully chosen; these are gentle, mystical adventures in the tradition of “magic realism” favored by many Latin American authors.

Franko is a young anthropomorphic lion adolescent living in the Atacama Desert of Chile at the “end of civilization on Earth”, with his slightly older lion friend Shin. The Atacama is known as the driest place on Earth, but as backpackers and other travelers will tell you, the deserts have their own special beauty. These six short fables display it with a quiet wonder.

Franko and Shin are lion farmers at the opposite ends of adolescence – Franko appears to be a thirteen-year-old, while the more irresponsible Shin appears about nineteen (and is addicted to gambling). Both embody the exuberance of youth. They and Mana, the ghost of Shin’s grandmother, are the only recurring characters. Mana is the voice of wisdom who tempers the rashness and naïvete of the two youngsters.

The six fables are:

The Fable of Mana and the Treasure
The Fable of Cobrafrog, the Merchant
The Fable of Megaboss
The Fable of the Host of Midnight
The Fable of the Slave Master
The Fable of Behemo, the Hermit

Despite having only three recurring characters, these six fables hint at a richness of Franko’s and Shin’s desert society. Cobrafrog, the Traveling Merchant, brings a wealth of exotic devices such as a mighty tornado in a small box. The currency hinted at in this fable would tempt any numismatist: platinum squares, golden circles, silver triangles, and copper rhombuses. Megaboss, the water buffalo foreman of the saltpeter factory, and Alister, his jackal assistant, run a huge foundry that seems to consist only of simple animal labor (a llama shoveller), but which makes marvelous mechanical horses. There is an invading horde “that once every thousand years instills fear and desperation” – or are they just ghosts from civization’s past? There is Behemo, the Hermit, searching for his ancestors – a look at Behemo is worth the price of the book by itself.

Franko: Fábulas de la Última Tierra was originally published in Chile in 2013. Sofawolf Press felt that it deserved a high-quality English-language edition, and in early 2016 they ran a Kickstarter campaign for $6,000 for this purpose. They got $14,268 from 269 backers. Sofawolf has added three earlier black-&-white stories with the additional money. The hardcover is a beautiful little book. The trade paperback, with french flaps, is as close to the hardcover as possible.

The back-cover blurb says, “Recommended for readers 7 to 700 years old.” An excellent recommendation.

–Fred Patten

• Buy on SofaWolf Press

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon, where you can access exclusive stuff for just $1. Want to do something REALLY awesome? Ask two friends to share the link. Thank you – Patch

[We won’t go over this year’s nominees for the Ursa Major Awards — there are other sites that have done that better already — but we will say we are more than honored to once again be nominated in the category of Best Anthropomorphic Magazine for 2016. Our humble thanks to all of you, our readers!]

 

Author Douglas Wood’s most famous creation is Old Turtle, an elderly reptile who guides those with philosophical and religious questions towards enlightenment… in ways that help to heal our species and our planet. Now celebrating 25 years since the release of the original Old Turtle picture book, Mr. Wood and artist Greg Ruth have brought us Old Turtle: Questions of the Heart, a new and larger hardcover book from Scholastic Press. “Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? How do we find happiness? Once again, Old Turtle’s wise answers offer readers of all ages inspiration, solace, and the most important gift of all — hope.” Pre-order it now, or look for it at the end of March.

image c. 2017 Scholastic Press

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New Aardman film! (Wallace and Gromit) While the main characters are human like most of their films all the animals are smart and really damn funny. (Yes, This is barely furry but damn I'm happy to see new Aardman films)
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Good afternoon, Dogpatch Press readers. Last month was pretty big for us – it had our news satire show What’s Yiffin’? debut on this website. Nobody tried to kill us or call us mean names or whatever, so I guess that means it was well received. If that’s the case, then today ought to be a great day for some of you, because we’ve got the March edition of the series ready to go. Thank you for making What’s Yiffin’? a part of your entertainment routine.

AND NOW THE NEWS

More details and some additional insight from the show’s writers:

BACK IN BLACK

Squeak Latex, a niche company serving a very peculiar sect of the furry fandom, announced last month that they were back in business and fulfilling orders once again. (Or “pumping up” orders as they so eloquently put it.) This news marks a substantial change in tone for Squeak Latex, who last year had formerly announced that they were up for sale, following issues with time management and material supply. Prospective buyers of the company would inherit Squeak Latex’s name, product designs, customer registry, manufacturing team, and all additional assets required to run the company. Either no offers were made, or none could be finalized, resulting in the company falling into radio silence on social media until just recently.

Personally, neither of us here at What’s Yiffin’? fancy ourselves as purveyors of inflation fiction or rubber art. However we do like to show support for the brave souls who hedge their livelihoods on setting up businesses to serve this insane fandom.  For that, we can only offer our sincerest encouragement that the people behind Squeak Latex are able to get back on the [inflatable rubber] horse and ride off into the sunset.  And by “sunset” we mean “bank”.

Best of luck, Squeak!

GREENER PASTURES

We missed this last time around, but here at What’s Yiffin’? we like to make it a point to try and check in on our “friends” in the brony fandom at least once a month. Nobody involved with this show really follows My Little Pony or its corresponding fandom.  But we feel like there’s enough crossover between us and them, that our viewers would at least find it amusing to hear a CliffsNotes version of the goings-on in Equestria.

The biggest story among the cloppers last month involved BronyCon, their flagship convention. In a scoop originally shared by Horse News, a website that can best be described as the brony equivalent of this show, it was revealed that the convention was considering expanding its focus to include fandoms other than My Little Pony to help bolster attendance. These rumors were later confirmed in an official BronyCon blog post titled “Better Together” where the organizers discuss their considerations to include fandoms such as Steven Universe and Undertale under the convention’s umbrella.

These two fandoms were mentioned by name, because over the past several years the brony fandom has been bleeding membership into them. BronyCon saw their highest convention attendance in 2015 (approximately 10,000 attendees) followed by their biggest drop in attendance — 30% — the following year. 30% is closer to half than it is to zero – so this is a mathematically significant figure; say what you will about bronies, but the con organizers clearly have the foresight to notice this dangerous trend, and they’re attempting to make appropriate corrections right now before it potentially gets worse. There’s no word yet on whether or not BronyCon will be adopting a new name but we’ll keep you posted on any major changes that may come about.

IT’S CALLED A HUSTLE

The Academy Awards (a.k.a. “The Oscars”) are the biggest deal in the movie industry. Last month, Jimmy Kimmel hosted this shitshow of an awards ceremony. It was rife with cringeworthy moments – ranging from inviting a bunch of random people off the street into the show under the guise that it was a museum tour – to “Moonlight actually won the award”. Anyways, the Academy Awards are all about rewarding Hollywood professionals whose work was significantly less bad than everyone else’s.  In the arena of Best Animated Film, top marks went to Disney’s Zootopia.

Honestly, who didn’t see this coming? Zootopia was a huge deal when it came out.  So much that it is considered to be “this generation’s Robin Hood” by the fandom. This is a sentiment that we’ve previously gone on record to say we disagree with. But the fact of the matter is for once in this fandom’s miserable existence, it was really special to have something that we could gather around as a community and enjoy for what it was.  There’s a million movies out there with anthropomorphic animals, but by and large, none of them can hold a candle to the sheer amount of fan art and celebration received by this film.

Sadly, however, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Also up for an Academy Award was Pixar’s Moana, a musical that focused on the titular character and her journey to save her island tribe from the evil powers consuming the land. You see, with today’s current political climate Moana was hailed as a progressive victory because “it’s about time Disney had a woman of color as a lead”… negating the fact that Mulan, Aladdin, and Pocahontas have been out for literally at least two decades.  The fact that Moana lost in the category of Best Animated Film was seen by some as an affront to minorities, again negating the fact that the entire point of Zootopia dealt with understanding and overcoming hurdles created by race and stereotypes in society. The fact that people looked at these two films and saw them superficially as nothing more than “talking animals” and “brown people” is terrifying.

But anyways, if you’re one of the people still upset that Zootopia took home the gold then we’ve got only one thing to say: “It’s called a hustle, sweetheart.”

EXTINCTION

For a good many of you out there in furry fan land this news has been somewhat of a silent assumption. Rainfurrest, Seattle’s premiere furry convention, has recently announced that they’re shutting down the con indefinitely. If this news comes as a shock to you, or if you’re not familiar with the controversy surrounding this convention, allow us to get you up to speed.

The most recent convention held by Rainfurrest happened in 2015. It is considered by many to be among the biggest disasters in the history of the fandom, if not #1 on the list to begin with. In recent years Rainfurrest had earned a reputation as a “fetish con” or “diaper con” as a tongue-in-cheek joke among furries – because while most conventions had been taking steps to curtail fetish representation at their events, Rainfurrest seemed to be indifferent toward it.

This reputation reached a critical mass of sorts as social media exploded with photos and stories of people wearing diapers and fetish gear in public, authorities being called, vandalism being done to the SeaTac Hilton hotel, a Denny’s closing down, and countless other instances of just really horrifying events taking place. By the end of the convention the hotel staff had begun leaving very sternly worded notices under the doors of hotel guests informing them of curfews.

Ultimately, the venue was so displeased with the behavior of Rainfurrest’s guests, that they literally broke contract and told the con not to return in 2016. Rainfurrest’s reputation began to precede them. They were unable to secure a venue in time for 2016’s convention, and it was ultimately cancelled.

At the start of this article, we mentioned how tickled we were to see people “making it” in the fandom. Here we have the total opposite of that. However, Rainfurrest’s reputation is something that can do (and probably has done) active harm to the public’s perception of the fandom. Honestly, good riddance; while other conventions were stepping up to the plate and cleaning up their image, Rainfurrest ended up sacrificing the long-term viability of their convention in return for more cash upfront, by means of not turning away the types of people that were no longer allowed elsewhere. Let this be a cautionary tale that no matter how long or how big a convention is, nobody is immune from the repercussions of the actions of those whom they represent.

And that’s the news!

Thank you once again for checking out what we have to offers, and as always big ups to Dogpatch Press for syndicating us and helping us reach even more people in this fabulous fandom. If you dig What’s Yiffin’? you can catch it live as part of the first Gatorbox broadcast of every month; we’re live every Friday night at 9PM (Central) on Twitch, with our variety show that includes this and other original/improvisational humor. We’re also on YouTube and Vidme, and if you’d like to support the show financially we’re on Patreon now as well (and so is Dogpatch Press!!). See you next month, and we hope to see you at our next stream.

– André “Dracokon” Kon & Rob “Roastmaster” Maestro

(More reading:)

• Zootopia: “A Call For Balance” – guest post by Alex Reynard.
• Revisiting Rainfurrest: what can we learn about limits of a growing fandom?

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon, where you can access exclusive stuff for just $1.  Want to do something REALLY awesome? Ask two friends to share the link.  Thank you – Patch

Well done and the gecko is so damn cute! "In an ancient world a warrior and his son are on a quest get a wish from a magic dragon, to fix the son’s stammer but the forest conspires the stop the father. The boy decides to go on alone to face the unknown creatures that await. On his journey he discovers his own inner strength and convinces his father to accept him as he is."
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Hello Everyone!

On this week’s show we open with a discussion on sex-positivity and Orthodox religions. We look at an interview with an Orthodox Jewish couple who lead a double life: religious adherents by day, polyamorous couple by night. We discuss our opinions on their story and ways that it might be dangerous as an example for others.

Our main topic is on Calming Your Emotions. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is the joining of Behavioral Therapy, Mindful Meditation, and Stoicism, three areas we have previously discussed. We go over the four pillars of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and discuss ways that you can employ these skills in your life to enhance your relationships with yourself and other people.

We close out the show with a question on coming out to your family as bisexual. How do you tell your family that you are bisexual, want to move away, and also are a furry? Better yet- should you tell your family? We discuss the positives and negatives of both options.

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

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 062 Calming Your Emotions - At what point should you abandon faith for love? What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy? How much information is too much information? All this, and more, on this week's Feral Attraction!

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

Dazzle Resplendent: Adventures of a Misanthropic Dog, by Scott Bradfield.
London, Red Rabbit Books, January 2017, trade paperback $9.99 (174 pages), Kindle $4.99.

Scott Bradfield has been a professor at universities in California, Connecticut, and London. He is also a literary reviewer, and an author of short stories. This is a collection of his eight Dazzle stories, originally published in literary magazines and Fantasy & Science Fiction between 1988 and 2011. Many of them have been also collected in earlier Bradfield collections, but this is the first collection of all eight of them.

Dazzle has been described as a wise-cracking talking dog, but he is more accurately a sardonic motor-mouth who talks incessantly whether anyone is listening or not. Here is how I described “Dazzle Redux” in my review of Bradfield’s Hot Animal Love: Tales of Modern Romance, for Anthro #10, March/April 2007:

“Dazzle, now living as a feral dog in the mountains around Los Angeles with a complacent bitch and her pups, is happy; but could be happier if he would learn to just shut up!

“Maybe I’m not all I should be in the family skills department,” Dazzle confessed that night to his erstwhile mate, Edwina. “But getting through to those kids of yours is like having a conversation with a block of wood, I swear. If I try to instruct them in the most basic math and science skills, they’re not interested. If I try to teach them which way to look when crossing the street, they’re still not interested. If I try to point out the most obvious cultural contradictions of multinational capitalism, why, just forget about it. They’re really not interested. If you can’t eat it or fuck it, it’s not important; that’s their attitude.”(Etc., etc.; Edwina is sleeping through all this. pg. 31)

Finally despairing of trying to get his foster pups interested in geometry or Nietzsche or even not running with the local coyotes, Dazzle sets out to find his own father in the alleys and dumpsters of L.A.

“Dazzle”, the first story, introduces him as “a dog with bushy red hair, fleas and an extraordinary attention span – especially for a dog. He was particularly fond of pastry, philosophies of language and Third World political theory.” (p. 3) Dazzle is the pet of the Davenport family: Father, Mother, and children Billy, Brad, and Jennifer. Billy is the one who takes Dazzle for walkies.   Dazzle is quiet around the humans – he doesn’t care much for them — but he regales “Homer, a resolute and well-groomed Dalmatian who often roamed the park during Dazzle’s afternoon walks, and Dingus, the hideous Lhasa Apso who snorted at Dazzle through the slatted pine fence of Dazzle’s backyard.” (p. 4) The two dogs give little signs of understanding Dazzle’s monologues, but he doesn’t let that bother him.

Dazzle becomes so lethargic that the Davenports grow worried. They call the veterinarian and a dog psychiatrist. They don’t know that it’s all being undercut by Dazzle’s listening with them to the TV evening news. “The entire world was rapidly being transformed into a gigantic petrochemical dump, Dazzle thought. We are all being steadily infiltrated by carcinogens, toxins, radiation and some sort of irrepressible sadness that is probably the only underlying meaning anyway.” (p. 10) This lasts until somebody leaves the Davenports’ backyard gate open, and Dazzle escapes. He wanders about what becomes identifiable as Los Angeles’ outlying suburbs, meets Edwina, tries to educate her pups, and develops a respect for antibiotic medicines.

In “Dazzle Redux”, Dazzle decides to stop trying to educate Edwina’s pups, who aren’t listening to him anyhow, and he leaves on a personal quest to find his father. He does immediately, and the reader gets Pop’s excuses and philosophy of life. “Pop invited Dazzle to spend the night in his home – the basement of a condemned Pizza Hut – and even offered to share some of his moldier blankets and food stuffs. But he refused to acknowledge any moral responsibility for Dazzle’s life, or manifest the slightest degree of remorse.” (p. 29)   After a near brush with a dogcatcher in Encino, Dazzle brings his Pop home to Edwina and the pups. “‘For crying out loud! Dazzle’s dad was often heard exclaiming through the warm, fir-scented air. ‘It’s a rhomboid, for Christ’s sake! Don’t you idiots know what a rhomboid is?’” (pgs. 38-39)

Dazzle finally talks to people in “Dazzle’s Inferno”. He’s caught by the SPCA and selected by UCLA’s new Department of Animal Linguistics for experimentation on how to teach dogs human language. “When Dazzle awoke, he found himself drifting in a huge, gelatin-filled tank in a wide, omniscient laboratory buzzing with video cameras and metabolic gauges. His eyes were sewn open; his paws were bound by see-through plastic tape. And an array of multicolored, follicular implants sprouted from his forehead like a cybernetic toupee.” (p. 51) “Dazzle wished he were the sort of dog who could resist such an invitation. But of course he wasn’t.” (p. 52) Dazzle tells the scientists what he thinks of them. Which leads to …

There are five more stories: “Dazzle Gets Political”, “Dazzle the Pundit”, “Dazzle Joins the Screenwriter’s Guild”, “Dazzle Speaks with the Dead”, and “Starship Dazzle”. The last begins, “At an age when most dogs are contemplating retirement by a shaggy fireside, or the looming possibility of euthanasia in the rubber-gloved embrace of some smirking vet, Dazzle convinced the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to send him into space on a rocket.” (p. 153)

Dazzle Resplendent (cover by Bradfield) is a sarcastic criticism of humanity and modern civilization through the device of a talking dog; but the dogs aren’t spared, either. It’s for readers who enjoy intellectual parodies as well as dramatic fiction. It can either be read all at once, or in installments.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon

 

From out of nowhere department, largely! Things are still ramping up for this summer’s release of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. According to our friends over at Animation Scoop, “Marvel and Disney XD announced today a 12-episode series of Rocket & Groot animated shorts. The shorts follow Rocket and Groot (from the Guardians Of The Galaxy) as they try to figure out how to get enough credits to buy a new ship after their old one breaks down. A compilation of all the shorts will premiere on Disney XD at 7:00am ET/PT on April 10th. Rocket is voiced by Trevor Devall (Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Johnny Test) and Groot is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson (Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, The Cleveland Show). Featuring animation by Oscar-nominated Passion Pictures, the shorts are directed by Arnaud Delord and written by Chris ‘Doc’ Wyatt and Kevin Burke.” The Animation Scoop article has a preview.

Image c. 2017 Marvel/Disney XD

First episode of the new web Rocket and Groot series has finally landed. Enjoy! "Rocket and Groot find their dream ship in the Broker's Junkyard, but encounter one very expensive problem before they can buy it." Updated with more episodes: https://youtu.be/PpQFh6Zjod4 https://youtu.be/tb6fk56vUvE https://youtu.be/Pu7yBgEdxCw
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