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Voolah Voo?

In-Fur-Nation - Mon 6 Mar 2017 - 02:42

Another discovery from the recent Long Beach Comic Expo. On his web page, here’s how this artist describes himself: “Walter De Leon is an artist in the entertainment industry working on various video games and animated properties for clients such as Disney and Stan Lee. In his free time he would create and come up with various ideas for books in the hopes to inspire others to get out there with their own ideas.” To that end he started Voolah Voolah Press as a vehicle for his own illustrated stories and sketchbooks. He is also looking for other creative people to join the fold! His own books include titles like Bunny Chop!, Dear Mr. Bear, and drawing portfolios of birds, dragons, and monsters.

image c. 2017 Voolah Voolah Press

Categories: News

Hey, Your Dog Can Be Geeky Too!

In-Fur-Nation - Sun 5 Mar 2017 - 02:33

Peachy Keen Pets is a Canadian craft service that specializes in “cute and quirky pet accessories and apparel”. That means fandom-themed collars, leashes, and other accessories for your pet; and pet-themed t-shirts for you. “Fun and functional, Peachy Keen Pets strives to provide the ultimate in quality, comfort and originality for your pet! Not only do we make stylish dog collars, harnesses, and leashes, but fabulous accessories like bowties, bandanas, leash pouches and more!  Your pet is an original and should stand out on your block, and we’ve got that covered!” Take a look at their web site to see what they currently offer. Woof!

image c. 2017 Peachy Keen Pets

Categories: News

Don't Label Yourself If You Don't Want To

Ask Papabear - Sun 5 Mar 2017 - 02:00
Hi Papabear,

When I was trying to figure out my gender identity, I finally settled on 'agender' because it felt right. I can't explain it...but I suppose it's the same as knowing yes, you are male, or female, or etc.! It's a gut feeling, IMO.

This isn't a letter about gender identity at all, though, heh. I bring this up because of the term 'furry.' I have two fursuits in the works, I'm wild about animals, and I like some furry stuff, but I really don't identify as a furry. The term doesn't feel right to me -- not because of the fandom's reputation (I'm past caring about that) but because I just...well, don't identify! The same gut feeling as when I figured out my gender identity.

(This is also not to say that furry is a gender identity or anything. Just using a comparison.)

However, I'm reminded of that old saying: "If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck..." etc. I like fursuits and some furry stuff. Does that mean I owe it to myself to take on the furry label? I always considered myself just a person who likes costumes, animals, and good art. I also have plenty of hobbies outside the fandom, so it's not like I can't read a book or watch a show if there isn't a talking squirrel in it. 

I've had a friend tell me, "Well, if a guy liked only guys but refused to say he was gay, wouldn't you raise an eyebrow?" The answer to that is no: I respect people's labels even when they fly in the face of my own reality. Thing is, other folks are probably gonna think I'm in denial, and I'd hate to be seen as dishonest or immature.

Sorry for the long, winding letter, and thanks for all you do,
Wee Lioness (23)
 
* * *
 
Hi, Wee,
 
Here’s a little secret: Papabear hates labels. People are much more complex than that, and trying to fit someone into one category or another can be an exercise in futility. For example, I could say I’m a gay man, but being gay is just one aspect of a much more complex personality. I’m also a furry, but I don’t go around introducing myself to people as a furry. I’m a writer and editor, too. I’m an amateur philosopher. I’m a brother. I’m a boyfriend. I’m Caucasian. I’m American. I’m a Virgo. I’m a spiritualist. I’m an empath. You see where I’m going with this. You know what I say when I introduce myself to people? “Hi, I’m Kevin Hile.” I’m not a label; I’m me.
 
Just because you like some furry art, fursuits, and some of the stuff associated with furries doesn’t mean you are now required to participate in any furry community activities, nor are you “denying you’re a furry.” The talented woman who made my fursuit, Beastcub, is not a furry, but she loves making fursuits for people. Maybe you’re like that. It begs the questions, doesn’t it, as to what really makes a furry? Obviously, it’s not what you wear or what you call yourself that matters. It’s what you are comfortable with, and if you don’t want to call yourself a furry, then don’t call yourself a furry.
 
Hugs,
Papabear

Episode 342 - The Future Liberals Want

Southpaws - Sat 4 Mar 2017 - 15:04
This week on KnotCast, Savrin and Fuzz cover such topics as: The horrific compromise present in the executive branch, Peeps Oreos, Rainfurrest being permanently kill, an awesome new Japanese bookstore, anime, the Switch, the MLP movie being sent out to die, some local comiccon news, and the horror of the Internet of Things intersecting with the horror of Minions. Also, Furry Fiesta soon! Aah! Want to help support the show? We have a Patreon! www.patreon.com/knotcast Episode 342 - The Future Liberals Want
Categories: Podcasts

It Might Not Be His Furriness That Is Getting in the Way of a Relationship

Ask Papabear - Sat 4 Mar 2017 - 01:12
Hi, Papabear!

First of all, thanks so much for writing this column. Early last year, I found out that someone dear to me is a furry and I immediately had a lot of questions and concerns, but this column addressed them all, clarified the fandom for me, and really helped me accept it as not a problem. So again, thank you!

I'll try my best to phrase this as one question only while also including enough details, so it will have a lot of moving parts, sorry!

Me: a straight, female, non-furry who used to have a lot of misgivings (prejudice, even) about the fandom but did more research and has come to understand that it's not what I was worried it was.

Him: a bi, furry male who is kind, smart, diligent, sweet, good-looking, funny, etc., etc. I think that he has a bit of a preference for males, but I don't think us women are completely out of the question. (At least, I hope!)

We met a little more than a year ago through work, where he was my direct supervisor and so any socialization/fraternization would not have been allowed. I developed a crush on him pretty quickly that turned into full-blown feelings before too long (two or three months, I'd say), but I didn't say anything due to company policy and I think I kept it to myself pretty well. We pretty much always had fun chatting at work, and that's when he started dropping hints that he's a furry. I honestly think that he did so based on some things I said that may have sounded like I was a furry (referring to the public at large as “humans,” that kind of thing). It didn't take me long to put two and two together and I realized, “Holy cow, he's what???” Cue initial freak out and worry session.

But I knew him well enough to see that the things I thought I knew about furries were simply incompatible with the good person I was certain he was. So either he wasn't a furry—which he definitely was—or I was wrong about furries. So I decided to really learn the truth about things, and a day or two of proper research (and finding this column!) proved to me that I was incorrect to freak out. Hooray for knowledge combatting prejudice! I was able to stay friendly and close with him at work and the fact that he is in the fandom no longer bothered me.

He left the company for better and brighter things, and I hoped that would be my chance to ask him out, but a) he's really shy, and b) I'm a total chicken (in the figure-of-speech sense), and so it seemed like I would never see him again. But we kept in touch via text, and eventually he revealed to me that he’s in the fandom. So now I know that he knows that I know that he's a furry. Phew! Many failed attempts at planning outings together later, we've hung out a handful of times over the course of the 6 or so months since he left our company. I even went to a (non-furry) con with him in town and got to see him in his fursuited glory—it was pretty awesome!!!

That being said, none of our outings have been dates, even though most of them have been one-on-one. Virtually all of them have happened because I planned them and made them happen. I've told him he could invite his friends to some of them, but he never has. I did meet some of his fandom friends at the con, but it was fairly awkward—almost like he was embarrassed with them about me, or maybe vice-versa. We talk often about the technical aspects of his fursuiting (I'm a tech nerd, and I like problem-solving), but pretty much not at all about deeper matters (his relationships within the fandom, his experience of his furriness growing up, that sort of thing).

I guess the heart of my question is this: Why aren't these fun mutual activities turning into dates? Do I stand a chance of being his girlfriend, or am I disqualified because I'm female/straight/a mundane? Or perhaps he feels embarrassed to hang out with me and his friends at the same time because I'm a mundane? To be clear, I would be 100% fine with being just friends with him. He’s an incredibly awesome person who would be well worth hanging out platonically with, so I'm scared to come right out and address the matter head-on for fear of losing my chance of being just-friends with him. Surely he can tell that I'm okay with his furriness by now, so does he think I wouldn’t want a more-than-friends relationship with him because of it?

I would love to know where I stand with him and if I have a chance of being more than friends, but don't know how to proceed. 

Thanks so much, Papa Bear!
 
MundaneButCrazyFurHim (age 25)
 
* * *
 
Dear MundaneButCrazyFurHim,
 
My my, I am so glad that my column answered your questions about the furry fandom and you are more comfortable with it.
 
Let’s begin by stating the obvious: Papabear has no idea what is going on inside the mind of your furry friend, but his shyness likely hampers his ability to tell you whether he likes, dislikes, or is indifferent to you. However, he seems agreeable to spending time with you, so it is probably safe to assume he at least likes you.
 
I don’t think it’s fair to accuse him of not wanting to date you because you aren’t a furry (many furries such as myself have romantic relationships with mundanes), and if he is bi there is no reason to assume he is avoiding something more because you are a woman (lots of bi people decide to have serious relationships with one sex or the other).
 
You have also done a lot to make him feel comfortable about you, mostly about his being a furry. Have you also reassured him that you’re okay with his being bi? That seems to be the one element of the equation that has not been thoroughly addressed. Here’s a good article that might clear up some misconceptions on the matter.
 
I would like to suggest you spend at least as much time learning about bisexuality as you have about his being furry. Show to him that you are just as comfortable about that as you are with his being a furry. That might be what is causing him to pause.
 
I hope that helps.
 
Papabear

Commercial: Jeff and His Forest Friends

Furry.Today - Fri 3 Mar 2017 - 18:59

I would like to know which books Jeff has been reading. Thanks to BluJaguar for this one.
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Categories: Videos

Monster in the Mountains

In-Fur-Nation - Fri 3 Mar 2017 - 02:55

Recently, Netflix released a teaser trailer for OKJA, an upcoming film that (we will admit) caught us by surprise! Directed by Bong Joon-Ho (Snowpiercer) and starring Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, the film tells the story of a young Korean girl named Mija who befriends a monstrous creature– the result of a genetic experiment that has produced a being “somewhere between human and animal”. We only catch a glimpse of OKJA from the trailer, but already horror and fantasy fans are buzzing. Look for OKJA this June on Netflix.

image c. 2017 Netflix

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Categories: News

DuckTales First Look

Furry.Today - Thu 2 Mar 2017 - 16:30

Duck Tales! WooooOOO! ... with David Fricken' Tennant as Scrooge McDuck. That song is gonna be stuck in my head for the day. https://youtu.be/zZek9PFMYOw
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Categories: Videos

The Art and Evolution of TwoKinds, Volume 1, by Thomas Fischbach – review by Fred Patten.

Dogpatch Press - Thu 2 Mar 2017 - 10:00

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

STL025954The Art and Evolution of TwoKinds, Volume 1, by Thomas Fischbach
Apple Valley, CA, Keenspot Entertainment, December 2016, hardcover $29.99 (89 [+ 1] pages)

This is a large (8.5 x 10 inches) deluxe color artbook featuring Fischbach’s TwoKinds online comic strip cast. Every page is printed in full color on slick, glossy paper.   It is a visual feast for fans of TwoKinds, and of all fans of mild cheesecake featuring anthropomorphic characters.

Despite the title, there is nothing here from the comic strip itself. You will not see how TwoKinds has evolved artistically over the dozen years that it has been running (since October 22, 2003). Instead this is a collection of Fischbach’s recent paintings of his main characters. Most of them have appeared on his DeviantArt gallery with the dates painted, and they are all from late 2014 to 2016. This is disappointing in terms of not really seeing how TwoKinds has evolved artistically over twelve years. But, frankly, Fischbach’s art was pretty crude when he began. Every painting in this artbook is in his current, much higher-quality style. It’s what most purchasers will prefer.

The format is to present a finished painting with from one to seven preliminary sketches to show how that painting evolved. Fischbach’s very brief text descriptions of how the plot of TwoKinds has evolved are scattered throughout the book. “Throughout the comic series, Natani is intentionally drawn slightly differently, either more masculine or feminine, depending on the situation.” (p. 43) “Very early on, Trace and Keith were planned to be rivals for Flora’s affection. However, as the story and characters developed, this potential love triangle was quickly abandoned.” (p. 87)

mihari_and_flora_chill_by_twokinds-d9bc6qy.png

Mihari and Flora Chill by Twokinds

The main characters focused upon are Trace Legacy, the human protagonist; Flora, the tiger Keidran who is his love; Keith Keiser, his wolflike Basitin best friend; Kathrin Vaughn, a mixed-breed Keidran who looks like a clouded leopard; and Natani, a wolf Keidran assassin who has become their friend. Minor characters like Maddie, Raine, Mike and Evals, and Lady Nora the white dragon, are only shown a couple times each.

bar_buddies_by_twokinds-daet5gp.png

Bar Buddies by Twokinds

The title aside, this artbook is a collection of full-color high-quality closeup portraits of the main characters, most of whom are anthropomorphic animals. If you’re not familiar with TwoKinds and Fischbach’s art (he draws excellent fluffy fur), check it out for free online at http://twokinds.keenspot.com/

Fred Patten

Categories: News

And the Aardvark Shall Lead Them

In-Fur-Nation - Thu 2 Mar 2017 - 02:59

Thanks to a recent YouTube post about upcoming animated films, we learned of a new feature in production called The Ark and the Aardvark. Here’s the ad blurb: “The story follows an outcast aardvark by the name of Gilbert [voiced by Miles Teller], who becomes the reluctant leader of a ragtag group of misfit animals that need to be led to the mighty ark before the impending flood. Along their journey, they band together to conquer unforeseen obstacles, and ultimately, Gilbert discovers within himself the inner strength and ingenuity to prove that in a world of ‘twos’, he was truly destined to be The One.” Currently in production at Unified Pictures, the film is being directed by John Stevenson — co-director of the original Kung Fu Panda. No word yet on a precise release date (or who is going to distribute it), but it’s supposed to come out this year.

image c. 2017 Unified Pictures

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Categories: News

NSFW: Top 20 Bug Porn Sex Acts

Furry.Today - Wed 1 Mar 2017 - 19:29

I know there are some insect furs out there .... if there are .... I'm sorry about this.
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Categories: Videos

FA 060 Sexual Roleplay - What do queer singles want in relationships and is it any different from everyone else? How can you roleplay online and in real life without being called a LARPer? How sustainable are long distance relationships where you aren't a

Feral Attraction - Wed 1 Mar 2017 - 19:00

Hello Everyone!

We open this week's show with a discussion on a survey that tries to answer the question of what queer singles are looking for. We look into some data to show just how queer singles find dates, how open they are about their sexuality and preferences, and what their views on long term relationship commitments are.

Our main topic is on roleplay. As one of our most commonly received questions we wanted to dedicate a show to roleplay etiquette. How do you find an online roleplay partner? What if you're looking for a roleplay partner in meatspace? What are some things to look out for? How do you roleplay responsibly? We go over these, as well as the general dos and do-nots of role play to make you a more well rounded play partner.

We close out the show with a question on how to know if you’re losing interest in a mate. In long distance relationships how sustainable is New Relationship Energy, and how can you cultivate intimacy digitally?

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

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 060 Sexual Roleplay - What do queer singles want in relationships and is it any different from everyone else? How can you roleplay online and in real life without being called a LARPer? How sustainable are long distance relationships where you aren't attracted anymore? All this, and more, on this week's Feral Attraction!
Categories: Podcasts

HERO DAD finds sexy art in furry kid’s room, hangs it on wall to appreciate it.

Dogpatch Press - Wed 1 Mar 2017 - 05:00

There’s a frequent topic in furry discussions. Advice-giving furries tell each other: You Don’t Have To Come Out As Furry.  It’s cringeworthy to do that, right?  You don’t come out as a Star Trek fan, do you? Why would anyone act like appreciating cartoon animals is an identity that’s somehow comparable to being gay? Isn’t that insulting to people who face REAL struggles? What’s the worst that could happen?

Here’s a cautionary tale for you. A story of struggle, acceptance, and Wolf Bulge. A reason for a “Best Dad In Fandom” award.

SO I JUST GOT HOME FROM FURSQUARED AND MY PARENTS DECIDED TO CLEAN MY ROOM AND THEY FOUND ALL OF MY LEWD FURRY SHIT

— slurp dog (@CazCoyote) February 27, 2017

my parents are cool about this but jesus christ i'm fucking dying and my boyfriend can't stop laughing

— slurp dog (@CazCoyote) February 27, 2017

Dad: "I found some art in your room and decided to hang it up on your wall while you were gone. What do you think?"
Me: "uhh it looks great" pic.twitter.com/eZJZEhWA42

— slurp dog (@CazCoyote) February 27, 2017

my mom just told me how excited my dad was to hang up all the artwork they found in my room

— slurp dog (@CazCoyote) February 28, 2017

Just realized I never posted a new pic of my room layout now. Includes more art my dad hung up :P pic.twitter.com/yKfGGj2O36

— slurp dog (@CazCoyote) February 28, 2017

@CazCoyote Your dad has achieved peak dad-trolling by embarrassing you supportively. :D

— Chiaroscuro (@ChefMongoose) February 28, 2017

What could be more perfect than this?  OK, just one thing – if they hung it on the refrigerator.

Sadly not everyone has the Hero Dad they deserve. Let’s be serious for a minute. Some dads kick their kids out for being gay.  And there are actual verified survey numbers showing that, more likely than not, being in this fandom does overlap with being LGBT. So it’s a half-truth to mock people for “coming out” as furry. Think of being into disco and show tunes, pink fluffy sweaters, or things considered stereotypical for queer expression even if they aren’t your “identity”. Wouldn’t you worry about people assuming? People shouldn’t have to hide their hobby, but if they do, it may involve vulnerability about other private things being attached. That’s no more easy to deal with than the deeper issue. So don’t be mean and mock people for “coming out” as furry, because you don’t know what else is at stake.

@CazCoyote if my parents saw anything remotely lewd/furry, I'd get the "sodomy is unacceptable" speech and then sent to see my pastor!

— Waffle Wolf (@thehumblewolf) February 28, 2017

@CazCoyote I'd be thrilled if me dad would approve haha. My room is so full of smut I just lock the door when family visits or cover it up

— Dasos the Folfsky (@dasos) February 28, 2017

me to my parents: im gay
them: wtf
me: wait till u hear this; i pretend to be a dog online and i plan to spend thousands on a dog costume

— TestJeremyBig (@tsmbandit) February 26, 2017

If you have to consider it, then take Kyell Gold’s advice:

if you act like it’s something to be ashamed of, people will pick up on that. If you act like it’s a cool thing, fun, and a positive part of your life, which I think for most of us it is, then that’s how your friends and family will view it.

Hey Caz – show this to your dad, and tell him thanks for helping to make a cool story about his cute, fluffy son.

UPDATE:

Here's a picture of my parents reading the @DogpatchPress article about them. They both were laughing a ton during the reading x3 pic.twitter.com/ondds9fOwG

— slurp dog (@CazCoyote) March 2, 2017

Artist ID’d – it’s Tsaiwolf.

16998922_1726171634063392_8015439230602364011_n

@Tsaiwolf now you can say your prints are parent approved! :p

— slurp dog (@CazCoyote) March 1, 2017

Categories: News

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Trailer #2

Furry.Today - Wed 1 Mar 2017 - 00:23

Bonus Video for today. New Guardians of the Galaxy trailer and I'm squeeing right now.
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Categories: Videos

Trailer: Spark, A Space Tail

Furry.Today - Tue 28 Feb 2017 - 13:41

A new furry space film from Gulfstream Pictures, the guys that brought us the Nut Job. This is yet another finished film that's been languishing around for a year before it actually hits the theater.
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Categories: Videos

La Saga d’Atlas & Axis, t.4, by Pau – French comic review by Fred Patten.

Dogpatch Press - Tue 28 Feb 2017 - 10:27

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

album-cover-large-31145La Saga d’Atlas & Axis, t.4, by Pau.
Roubaix, France, Ankama Éditions, September 2016, hardcover €12.90 (60 + [3] pages).

Lex Nakashima & I again present our conspiracy to get you to read French animalière bandes dessinées; in volume 4 ET DERNIER of the Saga of Atlas & Axis!

If you’ve been following Jean-Marc Pau’s adventures of the two talking dogs since t.1 was published in August 2011, here is the conclusion.

Frankly, this isn’t at all what I was expecting – so much so that I’m tempted to ignore this ending and leave the series hanging. For two reasons. Firstly, it’s much more somber and melancholy than I’d expected. I don’t demand a happy ending, but this is depressing. Secondly, the whole purpose of Nakashima’s and my conspiracy is to present French-language anthro-animal comics that aren’t likely to be published in English; and the publication of this whole series in English has just been announced! More on this below.

For three albums now, Atlas (Afghan hound) and Axis (terrier mutt) have wandered the world of Pangea, searching for the Magic Bone of Khimera (whatever that is) that would prove whether wolves and dogs were created independently, or whether dogs evolved from wolves. It was easy to see Pangea as a funny-animal 10th-century Europe, with Viking raiders and the “where did dogs come from” controversy standing for the religious debates within Christianity of that time. The only thing that didn’t fit were the exploding sheep, and that could be dismissed as Pau being humorous.

In this final volume, the world of Pangea turns out to be A LOT earlier! Atlas & Axis have anticlimactic adventures with the Mutton Sect (sheep aren’t goats!), and a sentient Tyrannosaur. They finally find that Khimera is a place. Its entrance takes them far underground.

comics-atlas-01There they meet Doctor Fuz, an unknown animal (a cat), whose advanced civilization on the other side of Pangea, unknown to the dogs, is about to destroy the world. The two rival nations of the cats have each launched a giant moon, Luna and Ragnarok. Ragnarok’s orbit is unstable, and it’s just about to crash to Pangea. The crash, which is analogous to the meteor strike that caused the dinosaurs’ extinction around 65 million years ago, kills all life on Pangea! Only Atlas & Axis (and Doctor Fuz, and a few mice), far below the earth, escape it.

So life as we know it today, dominated by humans and with unintelligent dogs & cats (and nonexploding sheep, and without Tyrannosaurs), has evolved all over again. Will we be any smarter than the cats, and not destroy our Earth? Incidentally, Atlas & Axis died eons ago of old age.

Well. Finally, don’t miss the interview (in English) with Pau on FurryFandom.es, where he says that the whole series will be published in English by Titan Books in London in May 2017. He doesn’t say whether this translation will be four separate albums or a single 240-page novel. And despite his hints, I sure don’t see how there can be a sequel to this.

– Fred Patten

Categories: News