Feed aggregator

Hi, Papabear. 

You see, I always had a very bad relationship with my father. When I was a kid, he wasn't very present. Then, when I became a teenager, things took a turn for the worse. He discovered that I hate being touched, so he started poking me with his fingers, often while doing sounds with his mouth or making them run on my bare skin. I told him on multiple times that I hate it very politely and seriously, but he usually tries to justify his actions, or say that I am humiliating him, turning himself into a victim. He also makes fun of my English, while his is fucking shit. He also makes fun of me for liking anime, calling it stupid, and he says that it's always the same thing. Yeah sure, even if he never actually watched one, nor would it matter because my DVDs are all in English/Japanese only.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfiPsidO8ok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP2Pt6m3yKU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn7U1KIGeuQ

He also starts arguments for absolutely no freaking reason. 

I discovered what an emotional masochist is by your column. And he fits the bill perfectly. 

He doesn't stop being nice with his employees, even if they show a lot of disrespect towards him, while doing everything possible to alienate me and my mom (he once decided to throw away all her Halloween stuff because he apparently needed space).

Look, my father had a lot difficulties in school, while my aunt and my uncle were very good and are very successful business people today. Not only that, but my grandfather never showed any appreciation towards him, and from what I heard, told him on multiple times that he is an idiot . And let's say that his company (that he co-owns with my mom) doesn't work very well. Finally, it's also almost sure that he has Asperger's syndrome like I do.

Look, he needs to see a therapist. But I don't know how to tell him. I'm pretty sure he's gonna say that what I'm saying is nonsense, or that he doesn't have time for therapy.

Also, I realized recently that what he did to me was harassment and abuse. I almost feel like telling him that if he doesn't stop, I'm gonna leave the house and never see him again. 

How should I approach the subject with him? And how should I convince him to see a therapist? 

Lord Ikari (18; Quebec)
 
* * *
 
Hi, Lord Ikari,
 
Question about your letter: is moving out an option? Would you be able to leave and support yourself if you had to?
 
Papabear
 
* * *
 
I doubt so. But I have a part time job (around 360$ US a month without overtime and if they don't have groups, which often happens), so I guess I could try to find a cheap apartment with some roommates or a room until I graduate high school. Then, I could do a formation to become a nursing assistant. It's seven months long, and professionals told me I could get a job pretty easily, either as a part-timer or as a full-timer, because there is not a lot of bilingual guys who want to do this job. When you start, the salary is around 19.10 $ CAN (around 14.45 US) and let's say that I have some qualities that you need when doing this job (I don't get attached to people easily, I don't mind touching body fluids, and I can be pretty friendly) and I enjoyed helping people back when I was doing volunteer work.
​
There, I could decide whether I keep this job, do a formation to become a licensed practical nurse, or continue my study to become a history teacher. Both jobs interest me, but appeal to different sides of me.
 
* * *
 
Hi, Ikari,
 
It sounds like your father was emotionally abusing you, which would have given you a legal case for protection from him under the Youth Protection Act in Quebec. The thing is, you are now 18 and no longer considered a minor under the law. You might consider suing for psychological injuries, but I don’t think you want to go there and, too, while his treatment of you was unpleasant you don’t seem to be suffering any serious psychological damage (your Asperger’s is not the result of his mental abuse). I am concerned, though, about your passing phrase indicating that he was touching “bare skin,” which makes me wonder if anything he did was sexual abuse? If so, again, that might be a case for legal action.

I would also not bother to advise dad that he should get help, since he doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge this and your pushing him to do so would likely only add to the tension between the two of you.

The good news is that, at your age, you are getting ready to move on with your life, removing yourself from his influence. I would agree with the person who advised you that nursing would be an excellent option for several reasons: there is high demand for it; it can pay very well; and you also have an interest in the profession. While teaching history could have many personal rewards for you, it would be much harder to find work in that area and it wouldn’t pay as well. If you are equally interested in both, then the smart, more practical and beneficial move for you would be to pursue nursing. I don’t know what the case is in Canada, but it can be hard to get into nursing school in the U.S. because there are not many openings. In fact, it’s actually easier to get into medical school to become a doctor, so long as you can afford it. But if you can get into a Canadian school for nursing, that would be optimal and I highly encourage you to do so.

Once you get established with a good job, you will be free of standing under your father’s shadow. At that point, if you wish to try and help him, you can try to nudge him toward therapy while not having to pay an emotional price if he resists you. That’s something you can’t do right now, so I would not pursue it at this time.

I hope that all makes sense, and wish you good luck in your educational and career pursuits!!!
 
Hugs,
Papabear

Fred Patten‘s Furry Fandom Conventions, 1989-2015 is out.

Until now, if you looked up “furry” at a mainstream book store, you might find a tiny handful of drawing, costume making or novelty books, but little about the fans themselves. You would have to sift the sands of the internet. This kind of recognition has been a long time coming. (We had TV specials in the early 90’s!)

Fred says:

“This is the first study of furry fandom published by a publisher outside of the furry specialty press itself. It indicates that furry fandom is becoming an accepted subject for academic study. Dr. Kathy Gerbasi of the IARP introduces it (she wanted to write a Furword rather than a Foreword.) I worked on this for more than three years.”

Furry Fandom Conventions, 1989-2015 is from McFarland, a well-known publisher of histories and academic reference books.  It’s $39.95, with 242 pages, illustrated in black-&-white and 8 pages in color, with an index and over 50 illustrations of furry con graphics.  It covers all furry fandom conventions around the world, from the first in January 1989 to the end of 2015.

Data about conventions could be a ‘read between the lines’ experience for those seeking a narrative story of the roots, and how this crazy thing blew up.  Get it as a companion for more great things to come in publishing this year. Cleis Press is publishing Joe Strike’s Furry Nation, and Grubbs Grizzly has his Furry Book in the works. This is what comes after “The Year of Furry” in 2016 (with Zootopia, the Fursonas movie, and positive press like never before.)

And how can I not mention furry publishing?  2017 is also bringing Thurston Howl’s Furries Among Us II. (I loved getting invited to contribute!)  It will expand the first essay collection that won the Ursa Major, and even led the award committee to establish a new award for nonfiction.

Buy Fred’s book here from McFarland.

Book description:

Furry fandom—an adult social group interested in anthropomorphic animals in art, literature and culture—has grown since the 1980s to include an estimated 50,000 “furries.” Their largest annual convention drew more than 6,000 attendees in 2015, including 1,000 dressed in “fur suits” or mascot-type animal costumes. Conventions typically include awards, organizations, art, literature and movies, encompassing a wide range of creative pursuits beyond animal costuming.

This study of the furry subculture presents a history of the oft-misunderstood group and lists all conventions around the world from 1989 through 2015, including organizers, guests of honor and donations to charity.

About the Author:

Fred Patten is a noted expert with awards in animation and science fiction, and is one of the founders of the social subcultures of furry fandom and Japanese anime fandom. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

We’ve previously mentioned the works of fiction writer Brandon Blankenburg. Recently we came across a new book of his from 2016: Jesse’s Conveyence moves a bit away from the author’s usual “natural history horror” works… or does it? “Terry is writing a book about a schizophrenic whose hallucinations of Jesse, a talking kangaroo, forces the protagonist to change his life. For Terry, the book is to be his greatest achievement. However, the more he writes, the more his own life and outlook changes. The line between reality and fiction blur when Terry begins thinking of Jesse as more than a character in his book.” Jesse’s Conveyence is available now for the Kindle reader.

image c. 2017 by Brandon Blankenburg

Save

More wonderful Gobelins shorts ... I want this short to be a series.
View Video

Remember Caytlin Vilbrandt, creator of the comic Tamberlane? [We talked about her recently!] Well it turns out that she is a member of an artist collective known as My Dreamy Star, which features fantasy and furry art on any number of useful objects like key-chains, pillows, and t-shirts (as well as more traditional items like art prints and stickers). Among the other artists on paw is Hollulu, well-known across the Internet as the animator of a series of music videos for the band The Mystery Skulls. Visit the My Dreamy Star web site to see their full roster of artists and all the nerdy products they have to sell!

image c. 2017 My Dreamy Star

Managed to get Fayroe out of his house remodeling stupor to pull off a normal show. We also have an extended email segment.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Mark Hamill has begun dubbing Donald Trump’s tweets as the Joker
• Telegram’s CEO confirms that app will get audio calls
• Zootopia 2, sequel confirmed
• @BransonReese on Cartoons, Furries, and Henry Rollins
• Wolf Sanctuary lets you watch the Northern Lights while you cuddle with wolves

News:

• Time to nominate the 2016 Ursa Major Awards
• Pornhub’s 2016 Year in Review
• Scientists Turn Mice Into Bloodthirsty Predators By Shining Lasers On Their Brains
• Virtual Reality Smell Porn: Get A Big Whiff Of The Future
• These Brazilian vampire bats have started feeding on humans for the first time
• Police Looking For Man Who Stole Two Pizzas Dressed As Beer Bottle
• California man fights DUI charge for driving under influence of caffeine

Emails:

• Xia – “Furcast”
• WisperKity – “CJ’s Party Bus, IRL”
• Lightning Wing – “Hello Furcast”
• Wind – “Possibly Therian”
• Koneko – “How Many is Two Many?”

FC-256 Bluetooth Musk - Managed to get Fayroe out of his house remodeling stupor to pull off a normal show. We also have an extended email segment.

Managed to get Fayroe out of his house remodeling stupor to pull off a normal show. We also have an extended email segment.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Mark Hamill has begun dubbing Donald Trump’s tweets as the Joker
• Telegram’s CEO confirms that app will get audio calls
• Zootopia 2, sequel confirmed
• @BransonReese on Cartoons, Furries, and Henry Rollins
• Wolf Sanctuary lets you watch the Northern Lights while you cuddle with wolves

News:

• Time to nominate the 2016 Ursa Major Awards
• Pornhub’s 2016 Year in Review
• Scientists Turn Mice Into Bloodthirsty Predators By Shining Lasers On Their Brains
• Virtual Reality Smell Porn: Get A Big Whiff Of The Future
• These Brazilian vampire bats have started feeding on humans for the first time
• Police Looking For Man Who Stole Two Pizzas Dressed As Beer Bottle
• California man fights DUI charge for driving under influence of caffeine

Emails:

• Xia – “Furcast”
• WisperKity – “CJ’s Party Bus, IRL”
• Lightning Wing – “Hello Furcast”
• Wind – “Possibly Therian”
• Koneko – “How Many is Two Many?”

FC-256 Bluetooth Musk - Managed to get Fayroe out of his house remodeling stupor to pull off a normal show. We also have an extended email segment.

Managed to get Fayroe out of his house remodeling stupor to pull off a normal show. We also have an extended email segment.

Download MP3

Link Roundup:

• Mark Hamill has begun dubbing Donald Trump’s tweets as the Joker
• Telegram’s CEO confirms that app will get audio calls
• Zootopia 2, sequel confirmed
• @BransonReese on Cartoons, Furries, and Henry Rollins
• Wolf Sanctuary lets you watch the Northern Lights while you cuddle with wolves

News:

• Time to nominate the 2016 Ursa Major Awards
• Pornhub’s 2016 Year in Review
• Scientists Turn Mice Into Bloodthirsty Predators By Shining Lasers On Their Brains
• Virtual Reality Smell Porn: Get A Big Whiff Of The Future
• These Brazilian vampire bats have started feeding on humans for the first time
• Police Looking For Man Who Stole Two Pizzas Dressed As Beer Bottle
• California man fights DUI charge for driving under influence of caffeine

Emails:

• Xia – “Furcast”
• WisperKity – “CJ’s Party Bus, IRL”
• Lightning Wing – “Hello Furcast”
• Wind – “Possibly Therian”
• Koneko – “How Many is Two Many?”

[Live] Bluetooth Musk

RH Potter is an artist from the Pacific Northwest — one who is known for her very distinctive style of line and color. She describes herself as: “An illustrator and storyteller. The two are intertwined for me; storybook and cover illustrations are my first love, with comic art and animation coming a close second. I love the deceptive simplicity of the Zen aesthetic and of Japanese and Chinese calligraphy, the crisp clean lines of ink on paper, shapes and pattern. I don’t like telling people what they should see in my work; I believe that every piece should tell its own story without outside interference.” On her web site you’ll find lots of her designs available as prints, stickers, and even custom tattoo designs!

image c. 2017 RH Potter

Fuzz and Savrin face the nightmare reality of 2017 with a con report from FC, Savrin's thoughts on the Winter 2017 anime season, and then we read some emails. We'll keep at it. You do too. Resist. Want to help support the show? We have a Patreon! www.patreon.com/knotcast Episode 336 - Not A Traditionally American Podcast

It's #OutsiderFursuitFriday! I do wonder if Anjaya know about furry and why she decided on including partial fursuits. These are slightly better than the usual rentals you see in outsider projects. So weird.
View Video

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

Urchin and the Raven War, by M. I. McAllister. (The Mistmantle Chronicles, Book 4.) Illustrated by Omar Rayyan.
NYC, Hyperion Books for Children, October 2008, hardcover $17.99 (284 pages), Kindle $6.99.

Urchin and the Rage Tide, by M. I. McAllister. (The Mistmantle Chronicles, Book 5.) Illustrated by Omar Rayyan.
NYC, Disney • Hyperion Books, July 2010, hardcover $17.99 (268 pages), Kindle $6.99.

This is a guilty review. I reviewed the first three Mistmantle Chronicles for Cubist’s Anthro magazine in 2007 and 2008. Then Anthro ceased publication. An additional complication was that the first three books appeared first as British paperbacks, with the American hardcovers as reprints. When I looked for any subsequent books, I looked on Amazon.uk and didn’t find any. This was because there weren’t any more British editions. Books 4 and 5 were only published in America. So I never reviewed them when they were first published.

Fortunately, they are still available, so I am correcting that error now. The Mistmantle Chronicles are technically children’s books, but they are very similar to Brian Jacques’ Redwall novels, and those are enjoyed by readers of all ages. If you are fond of serious adventures featuring talking animals, don’t miss The Mistmantle Chronicles.

The setting of Urchin of the Riding Stars (January 2005), Urchin and the Heartstone (April 2006), and The Heir of Mistmantle (March 2007) is the isolated island of Mistmantle, hidden by thick sea mists (I was going to say fog, but McAllister makes a distinction between fog and mists). It is a kingdom shared by four British woodland animal species living in harmony: hedgehogs, moles, otters, and squirrels. When the series starts, Mistmantle is ruled by good King Brushen, a hedgehog. But there have been other dynasties in the past, and there is no prejudice against a new king from one of the other species. Whenever a dynasty does not have an heir, the senior captain becomes the next king. The captain (there are traditionally three) is a combination of a royal advisor and leader of the royal guards.

In the first three books, Urchin, a young squirrel, hopes to become a page to Captain Crispin, another squirrel. There is plotting and skullduggery at the highest level, Urchin helps expose the real villain but not before King Brushen and his heir are killed, and Crispin is chosen as the new king. In Book 2, Urchin discovers another island hidden in the sea mists, Whitewings, and gets involved in its politics. Book 3 is about the kidnapping of King Crispin’s newborn daughter, and a new crisis that casts doubt on Crispin’s leadership ability. Urchin helps to get Crispin’s heir back, and to demonstrate to Mistmantle’s people that Crispin will be a fine leader.

In Urchin and the Raven War, Urchin has become a trusted member of King Crispin’s inner Circle. The story begins when a group of swans arrive from Swan Island:

“Five swans drifted down from the sky and skimmed onto the sea so smoothly that a graceful track flared through the water behind each one. But they looked weary and ragged. Swans usually held their necks tall and their heads high, but these drooped over the waves. Their badly ruffled feathers were smudged with mud, blood, and weed. Their eyes were hollow with strain and tiredness. their leader – bigger than the rest and still struggling to hold his head and wings high – swam to the shallows and stepped on great webbed feet to the shore. Fingal [an otter], as a member of the Circle, went to greet him. The swan lowered his beak just a little.” (p. 10)

The swans report that their island has been overrun by ravens. Although ravens are usually carrion eaters, only concerned with those already dead, these ravens are killing everything first. The Circle decides that they have to help the swans, both to repay past aid and for their own self-interest:

“‘Then assuming that a good look at the Threadings proves us right,’ said Crispin, ‘we have to help Lord Arcneck, and not only for his sake. If the ravens are as bad as he says, they won’t be content with one island. When they’ve finished killing and feasting there, they’ll start on the next, and the next. Sooner or later it would be Whitewings, Mistmantle, and every other island in the sea. Battle plans, then.’” (p. 23)

“‘So we fly on swans!’ said Crispin, and smiled up brightly at the Circle animals. Some gasped with excitement, while others looked worried or, like Tay, appalled. ‘But we can’t send much of a fighting force with only five swans, even if one can carry two of us. Tactics, anyone? Very good tactics?’

‘They’ll have to be brilliant tactics,’ said Captain Arran [otter], Padra’s wife. Her gold circlet was half hidden by the rough, tufty fur around the top of her head. ‘A lot of vicious creatures who can fly against a handful who can’t.’

Silence followed as Urchin tried hard to think of an idea, and couldn’t. He could see that everyone else felt the same.” (pgs. 23-24)

Uh-oh! The plot isn’t turning out as I thought it would. In fact, there are unexpected changes every few pages. Arrgh! I can’t figure out how to describe any of them without giving away major spoilers! There’s action and adventure and despair and suspense. There are spies and traitors and sacrifice and death. Many deaths.

“‘Somebody’s going to die,’ she muttered. ‘Somebody important.’

‘How do you know’ asked Urchin, but Needle [a hedgehog] shook her head.

Urchin had discovered before that he could be strong and calm when he really needed to, even when he hadn’t felt remotely strong and calm before. It worked now.

‘Needle,’ he said. ‘we all know that. We’re all important, and this is a war. Some of us are going to die.’

With pain and horror in her eyes, she swung around to face him. ‘Don’t say ‘us’!’ she cried. ‘You mustn’t say ‘us’!’ She turned and ran for the stair.” (pgs. 169-170)

Let’s move on to Urchin and the Rage Tide. A rage tide is a storm-driven flood tide that causes massive coastal and inland damage. King Crispen and his Circle (including Urchin) prepare for it as best they can, but meanwhile they have to deal with Mossberry, a mad squirrel who preaches to the animals that only he is the true deliverer, and that they should listen to him rather than to Crispen and his officials.

“He rose with a fierce intensity in his eyes. His work must be done, and nobody must stand in his way. He ran to Watchtop Hill, where he climbed a tree and looked out over the island as the tree swayed in the wind, rocking him.

It was no good trying to talk to those animals in the tower. They all thought they knew best, but he could always find animals who’d listen to him. He already had followers, animals who were weak and confused and knew how much they needed him.” (p. 31)

Since Mossberry is truly deluded and not a villain, they try go easy on him and his followers. This is a mistake, especially when this rage tide turns out to be particularly horrific. It engulfs the entire island and the seas around the neighboring islands.

“‘Heart help us!’ yelled Corr [an otter], and hoped that the Heart heard the crying of his own heart though the fury and crash of the waves drowned out his voice. The boat lurched and tipped, water swirling around Corr’s paws. He bailed furiously. Crown’s [a swan] strong beak held the tiller as the little boat pitched. A wave flung itself over them. Spray blinded Corr. A second wave hurled him into the water and threw him back against the boat, knocking the breath from him. Gripping the side with both paws he heaved himself back in, tumbling onto the soaked benches, and when he raised his head he saw something he had never seen before, and would never forget.” (p. 176)

I’ve always preferred McAllister’s Mistmantle books to Jacques’ Redwall books. For one thing, the Redwall series all seem like the same adventure with just cosmetic changes, while the Mistmantle adventures are all different. For another, the Redwall novels rely on smart Redwallers – both the adults and the children – and really stupid vermin. The Mistmantle novels pit intelligent heroes against intelligent villains. In Redwall, only the villains die. In Mistmantle, …

The two series are both alike in having illustrations that are only small chapter headings. Of these, I prefer those in the Redwall books. Omar Rayyan’s art style is too detailed, especially in his squirrels’ fluffy fur, for his small chapter heading drawings.

The five Mistmantle Chronicles are not only still available on sale, they are in most public libraries. If you don’t want copies to keep, you should be able to borrow them for free.

–Fred Patten

• Buy Urchin and the Raven War on Amazon
• Buy Urchin and the Rage Tide on Amazon

The artist known as Jillor has made quite a name for herself designing, creating, and even repairing full-body fur-suits. So popular is her work that (as you can see from her web site) her commission docket is full up from now through 2018! Interesting side note though: She also has an entire other web site dedicated to her feral dance masks as well. Each and every mask is custom designed by Jillor (under the name Mercury Pale) for the wearer.

image c. 2017 by Mercury Pale

Save

Nominated for a 2016 Oscars for best animated short. Ya know? Some days nobody really wins.
View Video

Thanks to Matthias for writing for our mission: to show that furries don’t just dream, they make things with awesome DIY power. EZ Wolf’s shirt says it all. – Patch

Such a wonderful last night at AC. Here's Patch O'Furr and EZ Wolf, both famous documentarians of the furry scene! pic.twitter.com/DK9PnLWEXZ

— Vox Fox (@minstrelbill) July 13, 2015

Wearing a fursuit is a pain in the tail. I wouldn’t know myself, since I would like to have a roof over my head for the next month. However, ask anyone who has had the joy of bringing their amazing characters to life, and they’ll tell you it’s like wearing your couch. There’s a lot of sweat and heat that goes into bringing the magic to life. But one member of our fandom has gone out of his way to battle this problem, and has developed one of the most successful fandom businesses. I’m talking about the EZ Cool Down vests created by well-known photographer and video maker, EZ Wolf.  Here’s what he told me.

Introduced in 2013, the vest has become a standard for many Furries to stay cool under their fursuit.

(EZ Wolf:) “The EZCooldown Performers vest is specially designed for actors, cosplayers, LARPers, fursuiters, and other costume performers.

This cooling vest provides hours of cooling comfort and prevention against heat stress thanks to four special PCM inserts which provide comfortable cooling relief for up to four hours, even during strenuous activities in high-temperature environments.

Each vest has four inserts made of phase change material.

The four inserts contain biological phase change material (PCM), which retains cold.

The PCM inserts can be quickly activated in your refrigerator or freezer or by putting them in ice water, and they can be reused over and over again. Once activated, the PCM maintains its temperature for a long period, providing comfortable cooling relief.

The EZCooldown Performers vest is made out of thin yet durable polyester mesh, which won’t add a thermal insulating layer to your outfit.

The four inside pockets can house four PCM inserts: two on your chest and two on your lower back.

Our vests come in three sizes and can be easily adjusted with the six Velcro straps to fit each individual wearer perfectly.”

Unlike fursuit making, this is a step up from the process of custom handiwork.  EZ Cool Down does not make the vest themselves.

“We work with renowned manufacturers in The Netherlands, China and Poland. All the designing is done here in The Netherlands.

Next to cooling vests we’re currently working on a new neck cooler and cooling shorts, especially useful for fursuiters with digitigrade leg padding.”

When introduced to the fandom, it was received with open paws.

“The feedback we get is overwhelmingly positive!

Some folks are a bit sceptic at first, but during furcons we always have a few vests available for people to try. Once they put it on, you always hear the same reaction: ‘Oh! this feels really nice!’

Next to that it’s the fursuiters who already own an EZCooldown vest who are our biggest and best promoters. I think half of our sales comes from word of mouth promotion.”

Out of curiosity, I asked EZ Wolf how many Fursuiters use his vests:

“Currently, more than 2000 fursuiters are being kept cool by an EZCooldown cooling vest.

It’s something I never could have guessed when I started with this idea only 3 years ago. This also leaves us with a serious responsibility: Fursuiters and costume performers depend on their cooling vest and we want to be sure they have a product that meets up to their expectations. We take after-sales service very seriously and we’re trying to help our customers as much as possible to get the most out of their purchase.”

While EZ Wolf enjoys the success of his business, the journey to making them though was long and full of roadblocks.

“Next to an enthusiastic cosplayer and fursuiter, I am a professional photographer and filmmaker. Combining these two activities, I found myself shooting films with cosplayers and fursuiters since 1999. One of the major problems I encountered was to keep actors cool and comfortable during the extensive shootings, which quite often took place in the blistering sun or under hot studio lighting.

An item on CNN which showed US soldiers wearing PCM vests was a real eye opener for me. I did some research to see if these vests would be suitable for fursuiters, but I quickly learnt they weren’t.

Most industrial and military vests are too bulky to wear under a costume. Other vests combine PCM with evaporation technology which makes them ideal for athletes, football players and Formula 1 drivers but not for costume performers as the vest is not exposed to airflow under a costume. So basically I got stuck with these amazing PCM inserts without a matching vest suitable for costume performers.

From my film making experience I’ve learned that when something you need does not exist, you build it yourself. So I started to design a decent, costume-friendly cooling vest.

I had some ideas about the qualifications and features it needed from my own experiences as a fursuiter but unfortunately I’m not a tailor. That is why I found a good sports clothing manufacturer and together we designed the EZCD vest.
First I tested various versions of PCM applications and asked my fursuit friends to try them out and give feedback. This lead to the first EZCD prototype vests, which were introduced during Eurofurence 2013. Fursuiters who tried it instantly loved it!

After a few modifications I introduced the 1st production version of the EZcooldown vest, which instantly got a lot of positive feedback from fursuiters across the globe.

Early 2016, my partner Tom Lord a.k.a. ‘Malamutt’ joined the company. He designs and maintains our webstores and manages logistics.

Together we’re now catering a broad market in personal cooling solutions: We offer a variety of cooling vests for virtually anyone who needs cooling in whatever situation: entertainment, medical, construction, industry, military, leisure and sports.”

You read right. While the vest was created primarily for fursuits and costume performers, the company has expanded into several other industries.

“We started out creating a product for fursuiters and costume performers. It was a few months until other industries found out about our Performers Vest.

Today our cooling vests are being used by:

• pharmaceutical scientists in Indianapolis US
• ferry boat engine operators in Scandinavia
• oil rig workers on the US West Coast
• cardiovascular patients and people who suffer from MS across the globe
• one of the world’s most famous church organ player
• construction workers at Dubai International Airport
• mascots in the world’s most famous movie theme park
• cargo workers in Lahore, Pakistan
• professional video game testers in Canada
• housekeeping staff at hotels in Singapore and Hong Kong
• go-kart racers in The Netherlands, France and Brazil
• the Swiss Guard in Vatican City
• lots of Stormtroopers, Boba Fetts and Wookiees all over the world.”

With all that, what has EZ Wolf taken away the most with his experience doing EZ Cool Down?

“Most of our customers are costumers. The fact that we can offer a solution to one of the biggest inconveniences with fursuiting is definitely a huge takeaway.

Another one is that we’ve been learning a LOT about doing business within the furry fandom. In fact: the last few years have been quite a roller coaster. We’re happy to share our knowledge with other furs who’re thinking about starting an enterprise.

We’ve hosted some ‘business-furs’ panels during cons and we’re helping a few individual startups by sharing our experiences and the pitfalls we’ve encountered.

The furry fandom is an amazing and awesome community. Working for and with furries, and being able to make a living out of something you love doing is simply fantastic!”

So where do you go to buy these vest?

“We have two web stores: one for the US & Canada:

http://www.ezcooldown.com

And one for Europe:

http://www.ezcooldown.eu

We’re also present in dealer dens at major furcons in Europe and we have plans to attend US cons again in 2017.”

Keep your eyes on EZ Wolf’s Twitter and company Twitter to keep up with all con news. The company still goes out of their way to add to the store. They announced back in November they will be releasing a PCM CoolCollar to help performers keep cool so the magic can go on and on like the Energizer Bunny. If you are a fursuiter and haven’t yet tried an EZ Cool Down vest, ask around or try one at a con if you can.

Stay cool Fluffer Nutters. Stay awesome. Stay amazing. Stay you.

-Matthias

Bazteki is an original artist who paints in a watercolor style. Here’s what they have to say about what they do: “Art is healing. Each work is a physical record of that healing taking place. Each animal represents a different energy and they are called on as needed. Art is play, and as it is with all play it is a wonderful way to learn how the universe works. Hopefully by sharing this work, a bit of what has been learned can be shared with others.” Their web page has examples of their work and more information about purchasing.

image c. 2017 by Bazteki

Hello Everyone!

On this week’s show we open with a discussion about a recent study on whether or not testing for herpes should be included in the standard STD panel. We look into research and advisements that show that testing for herpes on a regular basis may not be as effective, despite the best of intentions.

Our topic today is our third all questions show! We take a trip through our backlog of questions, ranging from fitness to long distance relationships to dating friends. Several of these questions are longer and, as always, we invite you to offer your feedback on the questions and offer advice of your own, especially if you think we missed something or got it wrong.

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

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 054 All Questions Show Vol. 3 - Is the test for herpes as accurate as you think, or is it maybe just a rash? How many questions could a question podcast answer if a question podcast could answer questions? All this, and more, on this week's Feral Attraction!

After quite a long time they finally release the trailer for Nub Job 2. This looks like it borrows heavily from the Brendan Fraser [1] film Furry Vengeance. and in other news: Nut Job 2 is actually a thing and not direct to video. [1] https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2017/01/06/the-ravages-of-time
View Video