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Just hangin’ out in the kid pipes.

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Link Roundup:

• Spray Foam pictures!
• Anthro Weekend Utah Announcement Video
• Squatty Potty’s new product
• Snake Pass Game Trailer
• The Nut Job 2 Is Coming
• Furry Today Webpage
• The Wolves Outside Comic
• Zootopia Wins Oscar for Best Animated Feature
• Dog Dick Candle
• Furry Cons have a Twitter War
• Dante’s Infurno, Burning Man Theme Camp for Sex Positive Furries
• Dog Passes Driving Test
• CloudPets Hack
• Discord Tweets furry joke
• Chief Chien – Pancake Tuesday feat. CJ Husky
• World’s First Scuba Diving Restaurant
• Yelp Adds Gender-Neutral Bathroom Finder
• Denny’s Tweet Rocks Twitter
• Red Faction Armageddon Unicorn Gun
• Monty Python, The Meaning of Life, sex education, 1983

News:

• Spiders Have Threesomes To Avoid Cannibalistic Females
• Robots with Tails Help to Relay Status to Humans
• City employee busted for makeshift bedroom at work
• Peeps Oreos Are Reportedly Turning Poop Pink
• The Violent World Of Mongoose Gang Wars
• NASA Jokingly Asked The Internet To Name Trappist-1 Planets And It Did Not Disappoint

Emails:

• Anonymous – “[please anon based on response] Questions regarding dreams and motor complications (similar than the title I assure you)”
• Kray – “fan email – question for the cast”

[Live] Kid Pipes

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

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

I would like to know which books Jeff has been reading. Thanks to BluJaguar for this one.
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yup! ep 155 - Fursquared 2017 LIVE! - yup!

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

The 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

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

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

• Buy on Keen Spot
• Buy on Preview World
• Buy on DCBS

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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I know there are some insect furs out there .... if there are .... I'm sorry about this.
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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!

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.

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

— slurp dog (@CazCoyote) March 1, 2017

Bonus Video for today. New Guardians of the Galaxy trailer and I'm squeeing right now.
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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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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

La 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.

There 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.

• Artist interview with art gallery, at Furryfandom.es
• Buy at Amazon.fr
• Buy at Ankamashop

– Fred Patten

This May, IDW will release a brand new card game for young mystery fans called Purrrlock Holmes — Furriarty’s Trail (created by Stephen Sauer and illustrated by Jacqui Davis). Here’s what they say: “Furriarty is terrorizing London and he must be stopped before he completes his plans and escapes! As a newly inducted Inspector at Scotland Pound, it’s up to you to bust members of Furriarty’s gang in order to get closer to the bewhiskered baddie that’s been bullying all of Baker Street. Get ready detective, this case is officially afoot (or a paw, if you will).” What they’re not saying is: What’s the connection (if any) between this and the Purrlock Holmes series of young-reader mystery novels by Betty Sleep? You’ll know when we do! Here’s more about the game from TGN.

image c. 2017 IDW Publishing

Here's an older artsy film about a young wolf confronting his father after many years. Sometimes family is never an easy thing. (I think I'm just in an artsy and pretensions mood today ... it may be the rain.)
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Burning Man in photos. (Reuters/Jim Urquhart)

Burning Man is the annual, radical art festival in Nevada. It draws creative people of all stripes to a temporary city in the desert for anything-goes social experimenting.  It’s been there since 1990 (the year of ConFurence 1 – maybe we can call them subcultures of a shared zeitgeist.)  It fertilizes the roots of some of Furry’s most exciting activity.  It’s one of those Furry Illuminati connections that casual members may not know. (There’s no Wikifur page for Burning Man).

Furries at Burning Man 16: Dante's Infurno, Relay hawks Camp Fur snowcones, awesome Furryburner art created in camp. pic.twitter.com/YeZeYjuCvx

— Vox Fox (@minstrelbill) September 7, 2016

Find the Burner/Furry connection in my interview with Neonbunny. He founded the festival’s Camp Fur. Those carroty roots grew into his series of dance parties in the San Francisco Bay Area, which led him to found Frolic party in 2010. That spawned a mini-movement of furry dances across North America.

See Camp Fur and what it’s for at Furryburners.com:

If you thought I was joking about conspiracy – this goes all the way up to the president.  Burner luminary Lindz was invited to the White House to show his anthropomorphic robot, Russell the Electric Giraffe. The national news didn’t tell it, but that was a furry shaking hands with President Obama.

Asunyra

I’m happy to introduce their fellow rock star, a dragon from Vancouver.  Thanks to Asunyra for talking with Dogpatch Press!

For Asunyra, the roots grew in a slightly different shape. He’s a tech entrepreneur by occupation.  For passion, he leads his own Burning Man camp, and promotes sex-positivity in furry.  Get a taste of it when he throws “Trippy Cuddle Parties” at cons.

Cons bring furries together, but things can only go so far at hotels.  Watch how far things go when furries have unlimited freedom in the desert.  (Have you ever seen a vibrating dragon-dildo chandelier?)  – Patch

Asunyra talks about his ambitious theme camp, “Dante’s Infurno.”

(Asunyra:) Here’s a bunch of photos of the camp from various events and the whole build process. These two are probably the best photos of the structure. (Photos by Luke.Me.Up).  I’ll tell you the general story of how it came to be.

Our background

My partner Lummox and I have been each active with Burning Man for 10 or 15 years, and in the furry community about as long. We’ve done a lot of big builds for Burning Man in the form of art cars (like venusravertrap.com), local fundraiser parties, theme camps etc – and on the furry side, we’ve hosted our trippy cuddle parties at maybe a dozen or more cons over the years.

Halfway home from #fc2016. Thanks to everyone that came by or helped with the Trippy Furry Cuddle Party room! pic.twitter.com/ATXcBufhB8

— Asunyra (@asunyra) January 20, 2016

For the past few years, we’ve also hosted sex-positive house parties for the local furry and burner communities, with anywhere from 70 to 200 people in attendance. We’ve carefully maintained a good safe environment, emphasizing enthusiastic consent, proper communication of boundaries and have put a lot of effort into making sure the guests are all people that we can trust and vouch for.

Here’s what one of the spaces looks like:

(Read more – The Furry House – a base for creativity and community. – Patch) 

For work, Lummox is an industrial millwright and public sculpture artist, and I’m a tech entrepreneur in the telecommunications industry.

Why Dante’s was created

In 2015, Lummox was taking the year off from Burning Man and I wanted to bring our furry party experience there, so we spent a month or so building a custom insulated 280 sq ft air-conditioned structure (the “cuddle yurt”) that inside was all cushions and trippy decorations. This would serve just like our room parties as a sex positive space for fursuiters, furries and fur-curious folks of playa to cuddle and play.

As I was going solo, my intention was to join an existing camp rather than start a new one. But after a lot of discussion online, I discovered that established furry theme camps were very against sex being publicly associated with furries, out of concern for the image of the fandom. Uncle Kage’s principles were referenced as an excuse to hide and shame the sexual side of the fandom, and it was made clear that my space was not welcome. At the last minute, I found a small furry camp out in the suburbs that would accommodate me and decided to go for it anyways.

It took two days of driving from Vancouver, and four days of work onsite to put the structure together by myself, but I had a great time doing it and met a lot of very supportive folks in the process (like Amenophis, Duke, Zarafa, and Ashke). I also brought our Venus Raver Trap remote controlled armchair drone, and controlled it from inside the cuddle yurt. (Photo):

Back home safely from Burning Man. Hardest working year yet for me but super rewarding. Met so many awesome people! pic.twitter.com/08ucZt7nGI

— Asunyra (@asunyra) September 9, 2015

Being out in the suburbs meant that few people could find it, but all in, it was one of my best years at Burning Man and it gave me a ton of enthusiasm to come back bigger and better.

The build process

In February 2016, Lummox and I decided that Burning Man could really use a standalone sex-positive furry camp, and we were up for the challenge of doing it. Lummox always wanted to build an homage to the strip club from Beetlejuice and we figured why not use this as an excuse, so Dante’s InFURno was born. A raunchy over-the-top strip club would be a fun way to showcase the sexual side of furry to the folks of Burning Man.

We started by digging out some fibreglass I-beams that he had, built the floor layout, support posts, upper and lower walls, and giant signs. The whole thing had to come apart to fit on a 16′ tandem axle trailer (ikea flat pack style), so we made all the major structure bolt together and the non structural panels click in with door hinges and hitch pins. Lummox did all the structural layout and design, the two of us spent almost all of our spring and summer weekends on construction, and some of our local friends helped with painting. One of our local furry artist friends generously designed the big dragon head for us and helped us find a way to get it printed and cut from plywood.

I think this photo kinda captures our build style best – we just kept holding up a screenshot from the movie and kinda winging it.

There’s horror themed bars, and clown themed bars, but no Furry bars in the world that I know of yet – thanks to Asunyra for dreaming one. – Patch

Last year’s events

Our very first public build of Dante’s was at the Seattle regional burn, Critical Northwest in 2016. Rummy and Yotice joined us with their Coyote Garden art piece, and the four of us put everything together over two 12 hour build days. The space was a huge hit, busy all night every night. Rummy donated an old CRT television with built-in VCR that we hung from the ceiling of the dome and used to play 8-hour tapes of furry porn, and Lummox would stand on the top floor balcony and remote control the Raver Trap armchair in front of camp for hours every night. Despite getting rained out the night before teardown, we had no major snags and everyone had a great time.

Two weeks later we brought Dante’s to our local Vancouver BC Burning Man regional, Burn in the Forest. We were placed in the “red light district” in the spot that had previously been the main orgy space, so the vibe there was definitely a lot more open sex. We also had a bigger sound system and great DJ performances, so it was kept very busy. At one point one of our campmates – exhausted from set up – had fallen asleep in the middle of the cuddle pit, only to get woken up and bolt upright to find several couples enthusiastically having sex all around him.

At both of these events, Dante’s was really appreciated – but it wasn’t really that furry, as the few of us running the camp were pretty much the only furs there. It was at Burning Man that the place really came into its own as a furry theme camp. There, we teamed up with Varka (co-founder of Bad Dragon)- who made a vibrating dragon dick chandelier, and Dave the Dinosaur, a dirty insult-spewing dinosaur-shaped vending machine that dispensed free tiny dicks all week.

Thanks to help from FUR, we were placed right near their camp, on a prominent busy street corner right near the centre of Black Rock City. Lots of people would come back and bring their friends to show them the space, the dick chandelier, or to get accosted by Dave.

We had the cuddle yurt in full operation all week, and it worked great. Daytime it was used mostly by the general public to hide in the air conditioning from the heat, and at night it was usually full of cuddly furries and curious non-furries. At one point some of us were interviewed in Dante’s for a podcast. (In this one I’m Saffron, the name of the fursuit I was in.)

“I have been waiting for this moment for years. I finally sat down with the wonderful people from the Fur community and got to learn all about their wonderful intricate and complex world that is like a Russian doll when you start to peel back the fur.

Dante’s Inferno is a camp for Furries (which was one of 5 Fur camps) built by two super MacGyvers from Vancouver that featured a giant chandelier in the center of the room lit up by 10 fantasy dildos representing every kind of dragon, unicorn, and tentacle dick a furry heart could desire. (Dragon dicks have SCALES!)” (-Zoe Nightingale)

I’ll take the cutie on the right. – Patch

This year

We’ve already started planning this year’s events, and our telegram group is busy with tons of exciting project ideas. We’ll be bringing Dante’s to Burn in the Forest again, and also to Burning Man. Because of how popular it was last year, we’ll be going from 4-6 campmates to almost 20 at each event – which means more volunteer hands for setup, teardown and shifts running the space, so it should be a much bigger and smoother operation.

Lummox and I have bought an old 30’ city bus, and are converting it to be our new towing rig for the Dante’s trailer. We’re covering it in almost 3000 watts of solar panels so that we can run most of our camp without generator power this year. We’re also building a “ghetto” streetscape to extend off the Dante’s frontage with a boarded up pet shop, cash for gold pawn shop, maybe a passed out furry hobo mannequin. Plans are to have a new bar, new sound equipment, and bigger DJ lineup.

I’m pretty passionate about this project (and about promoting sex-positivity in furry in general), so I’m really excited to share!

– Asunyra

That’s the official slogan of Trash Panda. They’re a new clothing company started by a pair of fans from Southern California. They state their philosophy like this: “Whether it’s rolling that critical hit, landing that hit on someone’s face, or simply eating that last slice of pizza, or sitting down for a long session of talking and video games you should enjoy what you look like. Live on the outside.” That’s fannish. To that end they have a growing line of nerdy-themed t-shirts, several of which feature anthropomorphic designs. Visit their shop on-line to see what they have so far. And of course they’ll be adding more.

image c. 2017 Trash Panda