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Great ep! We discuss the Russian soccer wolf, Civ, job stuff, questions and more! Reminder: We're on Patreon! If you could kick us a buck or two, we'd greatly appreciate it. www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow ALSO, we're not just on SoundCloud, you can also subscribe to this on most podcast services like iTunes! Don't forget to hang out in our telegram chat, now w/ over 100 members!telegram.me/draggetshow 141 - Russian Soccer Wolf - Great ep! We discuss the Russian soccer wolf, Ci…

By Patch O’Furr and Fred Patten, furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Remember the amazing story about Syrian refugee kids at VancouFur?  They were freshly arrived in Canada from a conservative arabic country, and housed in the same hotel with the furries. At first there were warnings and high caution about the situation.  Then the kids went wild about how cool it was. Remember that happened when you read the culture clash topic below!

Fred Patten wanted to learn about furry writing in Southeast Asia. (It’s a natural interest – he isn’t just a “founder” of furry fandom, he also helped bring anime to North America in the 1970’s).  So Fred spoke with an academic in Malaysia who said this about furry novels:

“In Malaysia, portraying animal being human-like and intelligent is something rare and was not encouraged. This is because it contradicts with the Islamic teaching (Islam being the national religion of Malaysia).  So, I am sorry to say I could not recommend any titles for you. Would be similar case for Indonesia too.  But currently, there is a rise of independent novel publishers that doesn’t confine to the typical novel styles in Malaysia. They are labeled as rebels and those who tend to ‘speak their mind’ without any censorship.”

The discussion is related to Fred’s 2012 article – Survey: Foreign Furry novels.  It adds relevant thoughts from a poster to the AnthroAsia forum:

Anthropomorphism is very much a Western concept passed on to this part of the world. When I was growing up, the only exposure to anthropomorphic characters was through children’s storybooks or through cartoons on the television. Even the first few books that I did get (Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern) was at a local Borders store or through Amazon. Here, in Singapore, where English is the language of instruction, most of our material originates from the West.

New furry conventions are sprouting up in Southeast Asia.  This includes south China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand:

• The Philippine Anthro Festival in Manila, first held in May 2014.
• The China National Furry Party in Guangzhou (Canton) (July 2015).
• Infurnity in Taipei (October 2015).
• FurryLah in Singapore (November 2015).
• Furs Upon Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur (December 2015).
• The Thai Tails Convention in Bangkok (January 2016).
• Shanghai Furry Summer Festival in Shanghai, China (July 23, 2016).

One Southeast Asian country is conspicuously missing:  Burma/Myanmar. Of course, there have been furry conventions in Japan for the last decade.

The Southeast Asian furry community has been growing since AnthroAsia went online in 2004. There have been higher-profile furmeets in Bangkok since 2012, and these conventions have had no trouble getting meeting space. At least one furry author, MikasiWolf (Pang Hee Juon) in Singapore, has risen since 2013, although his short stories have all been published in English outside Southeast Asia so far.

Disney’s Zootopia has been distributed throughout Southeast Asia including in Cambodia and Vietnam, although this may have been only in the largest and most cosmopolitan cities. In general, things are looking encouraging for the furry community there, and furry fandom has been accepted without notice.

Could such Western influences bring backlash? Things haven’t always been positive. Some terrorism in Southeast Asia has been blamed on reactionary Islamic groups, such as the bombing of Western tourists in Bali in 2002.

Disney’s Zootopia was released in Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Does this mean that attitudes have changed in some Islamic countries? Or that it is an example of the power of Disney? Or has distribution there been only in the most cosmopolitan cities?

Things taken for granted elsewhere in the West aren’t free to see everywhere; consider how ubiquitous Santa Claus is.  But the government of Uzbekistan ordered Santa Claus and Russia’s similar Grandfather Frost taken off TV because they’re non-Uzbeki… but it’s more probably because they’re non-Islamic.

Russia’s “Zabivaka” mascot for FIFA unveiled this week… guess who loves him.

Remember when the Iron Curtain dominated half the world up to the 1980’s?  It was a huge deal when rock and roll, jeans and McDonald’s came to Russia.  Such things can be unexpectedly subversive.

It’s universal to love anthro animals. Art and cartoons speak in ways that words can’t. Maybe kids will have that as part of loosening domination in their countries. There already are pockets of furs in places like Iran.

Furry is an international conspiracy built from grassroots.  It could take a little part in a bigger clash.  So far, all I have are questions and curiosity.  Especially if this ever starts to involve “the topic we love to hate” – the duality of Disney vs. Dirty in the fandom.  As much as it causes concern, it’s also a source of independence and liberation.  Something that many parts of the world could use in whatever form it takes.

Related: Questions for Russian furry fans about anti-gay oppression.

See the movie Argo for a fantastic liberation story set in Iran. It’s about a spy operation to free hostages under cover of making a sci-fi B movie.

The world’s only government-run furry convention (as far as I can tell) is The China National Furry Party.

China National Furry Party poster

 

From the Koyama Press web site we learn that “Steve Wolfhard… draws comics like Cat Rackham and Turtie Needs Work and works as a storyboard artist on the Emmy Award-winning animated television series Adventure Time.” Turns out that Cat Rackham has quite a following of its own. Not bad for “a deeply depressed cat”. Now Koyama brings us the new Cat Rackham full-color graphic novel. “The existential dread associated with getting out of bed terrifies Cat Rackham to his cat core. However, despite his efforts, he seems to consistently find himself dewclaw deep in trouble, often deeply strange trouble.” It’s available now in hardcover — featuring a poem by Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward.

image c. 2016 Koyama Press

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Hello Papabear,

When I found your website I was absolutely thrilled, because I've been wanting to ask this for a while. My parents have always been cautious of what I do on the internet, from my point of view it seems like they think that everyone on it is probably a 60 year old pedophile.... But I've managed to sneak it, I have a FA account that I use regularly. I'm thinking if they knew about my FA they'd probably make me get rid of it, and then research what a Furry is. Finding out, like most parents, the internet description of it is "a sex-crazed fandom." I don't want this, that's why I've been keeping it from them for so long. But lately I've really wanted to commission some art from some of my favorite artists, and send things to some of my good friends I've made. I don't know how to go about telling them that I'm a Furry and that I've really been wanting to commission some of my favorite artists. 

Thanks!

*My dad tends not to be too accepting towards different things, he would probably think I'm a weirdo if I told him. My mom would probably just be concerned for my internet safety.

Kodi (age 13)

* * *

Hi, Kodi,

I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to use your letter as a jumping-off point for a topic that has been slowly evolving in my mind since I began writing this column, and, more recently, as I've begun researching my book about the fandom.

As you and everyone reading this knows, there are two sides of the furry fandom: one is innocent, playful, and imaginative, the other one is much much more mature. Papabear understands that people such as yourself (and there is a growing number of them) are not interested (well, most aren't) in the sexy side of fur. They just want to have fun imagining themselves as their fursona having adventures with their friends in fantastic realms.

How did this bad reputation develop in which people see furries as, well, perverts?

The beginnings of the modern fandom were deliberately aimed at adult audiences. Back in the 1980s, when what I will call the Founding Furries began to meet at sci-fi conventions, they were discussing how they enjoyed talking animal characters but that all the stuff being created about them (comic strips, cartoons) was for children. What they wished to do was create stories, magazines, illustrations with anthros that were aimed at adult audiences. 

Now, by this I don't mean X-rated, necessarily. Rather, they were stories that allowed for adult themes, such as more violence, political and social themes, and, yes, more erotic stuff (however, the erotic stuff tended to be part of the story, not just porn) to be addressed. A classic example of this is the "Omaha: The Cat Dancer" series by Reed Waller and the late Kate Worley. The stories in this series involved organized crime, gay themes, corrupt politicians, romance, and, yes, some love scenes. It was not pornography, but it was definitely not for children, either. Another, somewhat more recent, example is the "Blacksad" series by the extremely talented Spanish team of Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido featuring a title character that is a black cat who is a P.I. and gets into all kinds of ugly situations. The Arctic Nation issue deals brilliantly with the topic of racism, for instance.

Both of these series--and many others--are quality works of fiction. Neither of them would I recommend to a 13 year old such as yourself to read.

Over time, the media and mundanes (those outside the fandom) became obsessed by the sexual imagery in some of these works. Indeed, more and more artists began drawing furry porn. This was not really the original intent of the fandom, but in many ways it has evolved in that direction.

Because of this, I must regrettably come to the conclusion that the fandom is really not intended for the under-18 crowd such as yourself. ​(Don't give up on me yet, read on....)

Your parents are concerned about you and what you might find on the Internet. This is actually very correct and proper for them to do. As parents, they should be involved in what you view online. I know, you think you are aware of all the bad stuff that is online (and, no, I am not saying everyone out there is a pedophile--that certainly is not true), but there are a lot of bad people online, Kodi. People who try to take advantage of others, either for money or sex or just to be mean. And some of them are furries.

What I would like to do is recommend to you some great works of fiction for you to read. These are not "furry" books in that they weren't written by furries, but they certainly do have what you are looking for. Here's is my reading list. Let's call it:

Papabear's Reading List for Aspiring Furries

1. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham
2. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
3. Watership Down by Richard Adams
4. The Redwall series by Brian Jacques
5. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
6. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
8. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
9. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
10. Abel's Island by William Steig

I'm not sure how sophisticated you are as a reader, but the above books range in age and you will likely find something. All of the writers listed above are extremely gifted and I'm sure you'll fall in love with their characters (if you haven't read some of these already).

Of course, there are many movies and TV shows with furry characters for you to enjoy, including, notably, the very recent Zootopia and the Kung Fu Panda films.

The reason I am talking to you about all of the above is that these are all ways for you to enjoy anthropomorphic characters in fiction that is considered "mainstream." You are not going to be given any grief from Mom or Dad if you read The Wind in the Willows.

All of the above is, however, neglecting the social side of furry. I'm sure a big reason that you are getting interested in furries is that you would like to chat with others who share your interests. You can actually do this, if you didn't know, by joining fan clubs of some of the works listed above. Certainly, there are fan clubs out there for all kinds of Disney and Pixar movies. If you type in any of the titles above and add "fan club" in a search engine, you will come up with interactive sites for those who share your love of these books and movies.

In addition, you can connect to friends your own age in your neighborhood and school and see if any of them are interested in anthros. If so, you might start your own little group of like-minded teens your age, meeting at one another's houses.
​
Like video games? Tons of games out there where you can be an anthro and have lots of fun, everything from Kung Fu Panda and Ratchet and Clank to Starfox and Yoshi. Want to create your own fursona? No reason why you can't. You don't need the furry fandom to do this.

The point is, there is plenty of stuff that is considered "mainstream" for you to enjoy before you venture into the adult world of the furry fandom. And you won't have to worry about hiding it from your parents (a behavior that is not conducive to gaining your parents' trust, by the way).

Can parents be unfair? Sure. Can they be a pain in the butt? Certainly. But please keep in mind that they love you and don't want you to be hurt. You are 13. You should not be entering the furry fandom world right now any more than you should walk into an auto dealership to purchase a car. That's for adults. But, don't worry, you will get there before you know it.

In the meantime, there is plenty of terrific stuff for you to enjoy. The books above are things I read at your age and prepared me to become part of the fandom later in life.

Bear Hugs,
Papabear

Badges from Mary Mouse

Missing, flaky commissions suck. it’s a chronic problem that’s only modestly addressed by small watchdogs like the Artist Beware community.

Things should be smoother.  But there’s a reason why commissioning is unpredictable. Things are dragged down by underbidding among artists. Nobody becomes an artist to get rich, and many don’t charge enough for the service they’re doing.

Why ask a customer to fix problems of a business?  I get it… if someone promises something, they should deliver without expecting more than they earn.  But give me a minute… if this is a passion-driven fandom and not a cut-throat market, maybe there’s a little room for common problem-solving and partnership.

Assume good faith.  Give credit to artists for being full of love for what they do.  But it’s awfully hard to get good and be competitive.  That’s how so many of them plan to get things done on a thin margin and tight schedules.  It’s easy for plans to go off the rails, people get sick, there’s unexpected mistakes or accidents, and burnout is common. Then commissioners are left waiting for extra weeks, months… or nearly forever.

Blondefoxy on Twitter

It has to do with art being treated as a hobby.  It is a hobby for many, and that’s one of the most loveable things about fandom.  But getting good and doing good work means that’s just a start. It helps to understand where they’re coming from. Look at this level of fandom as just the beginning of a development process.

As artists develop, difficulty can grow if the seriousness with which fans take fandom isn’t matched with how much they care for artists while they work.  Are artists fans too, or professionals? Maybe both?

Skilled fandom art is already a massive bargain. You couldn’t hire other pros to do things as good as many furry artists do. And nobody NEEDS an Angel Dragon suit, or cute-ass badge or a drawing of their fursona playing videogames in underpants. There’s no reason for entitlement about cheap art. Think of it as more like luxury, leisure, entertainment and expression, than crucial food and shelter for yourself.

Caring for artists can help your own interest. If loose deadlines are common enough to be taken for granted, it can make a gap where scammers run rampant.  Having low expectations can let them be taken advantage of, and everyone gets hurt. Having high expectations and paying to support artists can help a fandom define itself apart from outside influence.  Paying more can give power to commissioners.

Adding incentive can raise the bar.  Tell an artist that after the commission is delivered, you’ll pay more if it’s on time.  And you’ll pay even more if it’s done perfectly.

Now you’re an active part of the art process.  Imagine that being a regular thing. Every time an artist sits down to make a schedule and estimate delivery times, you’re boosting their commitment to everyone.

Compare restaurant tipping.  20% on top is common for that.  But I suspect indie artists put in far more time than other employment that would pay the same paycheck.  Think of paying a few hundred extra for a fursuit that costs a few grand. (Deduct it from what you earn while waiting for a year, if you’re a working professional with disposable income for a suit.)  That’s a great amount of support to help an artist continue working.  And since it isn’t inside employer-set hours, they might have to rush 20% less to cram other jobs in the schedule.

Tipping is optional.  Whether you agree with the idea or not, there’s little way to force you to pay extra for informal person-to-person business.  It’s not likely to become an expectation or something you can’t skip.  It’s just nice.

So I hope not to hear complaints about not being able to afford paying more.  You don’t have to do this.  I’m just suggesting it’s a good thing to WANT to do.

This is a separate topic from bidding-wars.  If you don’t like seeing popular artists get paid a lot for lazy YCH commissions, seek out the countless ones who are underrated for exceptional skill.

It pays goodwill forward.  Tipping is an expectation for things like going to a sit-down restaurant in North America, but not for art.  Artists would be surprised if you throw more on top instead of expecting cheapest labor.  If you don’t even offer, but send a gift, that would be even more surprising.  And then even if you don’t do it, you can benefit if the person before you does it. You’re much more likely to get their heart in the work and their very best creativity.  I’d love to see this kind of goodwill increase in this already-awesome fandom.

Furries are already known for being fiercely devoted patrons. It’s true!  See: The Secret Furry Patrons Keeping Indie Artists Afloat.  Unfortunately, it’s still tough to make a living from art. So consider tipping your creators.  They will love it.  That’s the long and short of it.  And it can feed a subculture with even more power to rule itself in times of ever-worsening struggles for creative people – but that’s another topic.

#TipYourMakers.  This is a PSA in the spirit of others for common good, like The Dutch Reach: Clever Workaround to Keep Cyclists from Getting “Doored.”

Ratgirl at Cogscon from jackieloart.com

Rob Cohen (director of The Fast and The Furious and (yay!) Dragonheart) has a new comic book project out from 4five1 Comics called Red Dog. Here’s what they say: “Some say there’s no greater love in the universe than the love a boy has for his dog. For Kyle, the only kid living amongst 200 grownups on a distant mining colony light-years away from Earth, that saying is a given. Welcome to Kirawan, a planet that Kyle calls, ‘the worst place you could ever imagine’. Kyle stumbles through his days doing his chores hoping to live up to the steep demands of his father, the head of the planet’s mining operation. Still, it’s not all bad: There’s Q, Kyle’s robotic K-9, basically the greatest pet in the known universe. However, during an upload of resources bound for earth, the alien natives of Kirawan launch a full scale attack on the human miners. The events that follow thrust Kyle and Q into the middle of a mysterious civil war; a war in which the fate of the planet will hang.” This bi-monthly limited series is written by Mr. Cohen and Andi Ewington, with full-color art by Rob Atkins. Comic Bastards has an extensive review. The first issue is due later this month.

image c. 2016 4five1

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Quirk’s Quest: Into The Outlands is a new full-color graphic novel for young readers from First Second. Here’s what the publishers have to say: “Setting out to explore the remote Outlands of Crutonia are the brave and multifarious crew of the H.M.S. Gwaniimander, under the command of Captain Quenterindy Quirk—a leader whose confidence exceeds his competence by several lengths of his own bushy tail. Quirk’s voyage of discovery is quickly plunged into disaster and mystery, as the expedition encounters carnivorous giants, an unstable sorceress, and a valley of indestructible creatures. With the crew decimated, the ship destroyed, and a malign force plotting worse fortune, can Quirk and his compatriots hold together their royal mission? Vividly illustrated and starring a cunningly designed cast of characters, Into the Outlands is a tale of adventure in a fully-imagined fantasy world ripe for exploration. This first graphic novel of Quirk’s Quest includes an illustrated roster of the important characters, a guide to the intrepid Sxervian Frog Brigade, and mission map of the Outlands.” Written by Robert Christie and illustrated by Deborah Lang (in a style that is very reminiscent of Fraggle Rock), this new trade paperback is available now.

image c. 2016 First Second

Quite a packed show in terms of content. Missing our moaning pink dog, we delve into an endless stream of news & roundup links followed by a full email segment.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Boom Boom Satellites Vocalist Passes Away
• [Boyinaband] Don’t Trust Prince Ea (Diss Track)
• Rockdog Trailer
• The Legend of Otaku Trucker
• Otaku Trucker: Furry Road
• A strange history of dog headed men
• Cheetahpaws Calendar Slot Auction
• Major/Minor Game on Steam released
• This Dominatrix Deer Dancing at an ’80s Furry Convention Is What the Internet Is All About
• Pixar Releases Powerful Short Film “Borrowed Time”
• Furries and Tony The Tiger at it again
• Bad-Dragon Halloween Sale
• Paradox’s snep tweet gets way too many retweets
• Cute Otter is Best Friends with Lions and Hyenas
• Drunk Driver Drifts Off The Road, Witnessed Found by Furries
• A Fox In Space Clip “I Made A Mistake”
• Nick Wilde Taur
• Weird Al moderates the last presidential debate, accidentally opens a portal to hell
• RadioLab: The Girl Who Doesn’t Exist
• How To Train A Fox
• Paradox releases blind microphone test on Soundcloud
• Zabivaka Russian FIFA Mascot
  • Link 2
  • Link 3

News:

• Scientists Have Found How To Make People Hallucinate, And How To Measure What They See
• A Man Adopted a Free Puppy and Later Found Out It Was Actually a Wolf
• Copenhagen clown-hunting event planned for Halloween
• Police threaten ‘creepy clowns’ with jail as craze turns nasty & terrifies Britain
• A Brief History Of Who Ruined Furry
• Taurine May Help Treat Psychosis – But That Doesn’t Mean You Should Binge On Red Bull
• Troopers: Man mixing LSD and cough syrup saves dog from imaginary fire

Emails:

• Wolfe – “FINALLY IT’S OVER!!!”
• Myron – “Suggestion for the audio listeners?”
• Lexicon Fox – “Paino Tuning Furs?”
• Sam – “Bedfellows Game”
• Koda – “Allegedly”

FC-248 Lesnip - Quite a packed show in terms of content. Missing our moaning pink dog, we delve into an endless stream of news & roundup links followed by a full email segment.

Quite a packed show in terms of content. Missing our moaning pink dog, we delve into an endless stream of news & roundup links followed by a full email segment.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Boom Boom Satellites Vocalist Passes Away
• [Boyinaband] Don’t Trust Prince Ea (Diss Track)
• Rockdog Trailer
• The Legend of Otaku Trucker
• Otaku Trucker: Furry Road
• A strange history of dog headed men
• Cheetahpaws Calendar Slot Auction
• Major/Minor Game on Steam released
• This Dominatrix Deer Dancing at an ’80s Furry Convention Is What the Internet Is All About
• Pixar Releases Powerful Short Film “Borrowed Time”
• Furries and Tony The Tiger at it again
• Bad-Dragon Halloween Sale
• Paradox’s snep tweet gets way too many retweets
• Cute Otter is Best Friends with Lions and Hyenas
• Drunk Driver Drifts Off The Road, Witnessed Found by Furries
• A Fox In Space Clip “I Made A Mistake”
• Nick Wilde Taur
• Weird Al moderates the last presidential debate, accidentally opens a portal to hell
• RadioLab: The Girl Who Doesn’t Exist
• How To Train A Fox
• Paradox releases blind microphone test on Soundcloud
• Zabivaka Russian FIFA Mascot
  • Link 2
  • Link 3

News:

• Scientists Have Found How To Make People Hallucinate, And How To Measure What They See
• A Man Adopted a Free Puppy and Later Found Out It Was Actually a Wolf
• Copenhagen clown-hunting event planned for Halloween
• Police threaten ‘creepy clowns’ with jail as craze turns nasty & terrifies Britain
• A Brief History Of Who Ruined Furry
• Taurine May Help Treat Psychosis – But That Doesn’t Mean You Should Binge On Red Bull
• Troopers: Man mixing LSD and cough syrup saves dog from imaginary fire

Emails:

• Wolfe – “FINALLY IT’S OVER!!!”
• Myron – “Suggestion for the audio listeners?”
• Lexicon Fox – “Paino Tuning Furs?”
• Sam – “Bedfellows Game”
• Koda – “Allegedly”

FC-248 Lesnip - Quite a packed show in terms of content. Missing our moaning pink dog, we delve into an endless stream of news & roundup links followed by a full email segment.

Quite a packed show in terms of content. Missing our moaning pink dog, we delve into an endless stream of news & roundup links followed by a full email segment.

Download MP3

Link Roundup:

• Boom Boom Satellites Vocalist Passes Away
• [Boyinaband] Don’t Trust Prince Ea (Diss Track)
• Rockdog Trailer
• The Legend of Otaku Trucker
• Otaku Trucker: Furry Road
• A strange history of dog headed men
• Cheetahpaws Calendar Slot Auction
• Major/Minor Game on Steam released
• This Dominatrix Deer Dancing at an ’80s Furry Convention Is What the Internet Is All About
• Pixar Releases Powerful Short Film “Borrowed Time”
• Furries and Tony The Tiger at it again
• Bad-Dragon Halloween Sale
• Paradox’s snep tweet gets way too many retweets
• Cute Otter is Best Friends with Lions and Hyenas
• Drunk Driver Drifts Off The Road, Witnessed Found by Furries
• A Fox In Space Clip “I Made A Mistake”
• Nick Wilde Taur
• Weird Al moderates the last presidential debate, accidentally opens a portal to hell
• RadioLab: The Girl Who Doesn’t Exist
• How To Train A Fox
• Paradox releases blind microphone test on Soundcloud
• Zabivaka Russian FIFA Mascot
  • Link 2
  • Link 3

News:

• Scientists Have Found How To Make People Hallucinate, And How To Measure What They See
• A Man Adopted a Free Puppy and Later Found Out It Was Actually a Wolf
• Copenhagen clown-hunting event planned for Halloween
• Police threaten ‘creepy clowns’ with jail as craze turns nasty & terrifies Britain
• A Brief History Of Who Ruined Furry
• Taurine May Help Treat Psychosis – But That Doesn’t Mean You Should Binge On Red Bull
• Troopers: Man mixing LSD and cough syrup saves dog from imaginary fire

Emails:

• Wolfe – “FINALLY IT’S OVER!!!”
• Myron – “Suggestion for the audio listeners?”
• Lexicon Fox – “Paino Tuning Furs?”
• Sam – “Bedfellows Game”
• Koda – “Allegedly”

[Live] Lesnip

Hi Papabear, it’s Wolfthorne again.

I've been on a long arduous journey of accepting myself as gay, and while it has been a very weird if not interesting experience. Happiness is the most important thing for me, and I am in charge of my own happiness.

There is this one certain societal norm I have been trying to get over, though. And it involves terms of endearment, in this case, trying to understand the whole difference between cute and handsome.

When I was a child, my parents always called me handsome, and I suppose they called me cute at one point when I was a child. Nowadays, I've always seen myself as handsome. And usually I learned to associate cute with someone a person of the opposite sex would call me, not of the same sex.

I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that, whenever a man calls me cute—I can't explain it and I don't know why—but I get easily turned off by that word because: A) I'm afraid they're saying it because they're hitting on me and I usually respond with, "I prefer the term handsome, but thank you"  just so I can turn them off back, and B) when a man calls me cute, it’s almost as if (pardon my French) they see me as their bitch or something. 

What's even more confusing  is that gay men USUALLY use the term for handsome in its general definition "a good looking person" (usually of a man). I, however, quote from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary which is not altogether inappropriate: "pleasing to look at; especially of a person: having a pleasing appearance that causes romantic or sexual feelings in someone."

And the definition USUALLY is associated for men. And if a man or woman were to call me that I'd have no problem. Cute, on the other hand: "attractive or pretty especially in a childish, youthful, or delicate way."

Makes me feel as if I'm almost not manly at all. Like I'm weak, or something easily tossed aside like a piece of trash, neither of which are true and I know this because I'm not a child, and I'm not delicate.

I look at myself, and I don't know if people mean handsome as a term for men who are burly or someone genuinely looks hot or if my parents called me handsome in a sense just to make me feel good about myself, or if they GENUINELY meant that, but I can't understand why I get turned off by it.

Is there any way that I can learn to not get turned off by the term "cute"? And what should I do if someone calls me that? 

Wolfthorne (age 23)

* * *
​ 
Hi, Wolfthorne,
 
I have never seen a photo of you, so can’t judge whether you are “cute” or “handsome,” but either way these comments by others are meant as compliments, not in any way to denigrate you. Something you need to understand, Wolfthorne, is when you are among gay men, you are more likely to be complimented in terms that many would find more feminine. You can run into very butch-looking men, for example, who will call each other “girlfriend” or “sister.” Jim tried that on me a couple times and I told him to stop it because I don’t like being referred to in womanly terms. I’m a man, not a woman. So, I can understand you might object to being called “cute.” You’re a man, not a baby panda.
 
Because you are only 23, you might be subjected to the cute word more often. Yes, it is often applied to those with a more youthful appearance. But you don’t always have to be “delicate” or childish to be called cute. I think you’re reading too much into it. The times I have called someone cute, it was never to suggest someone was “a piece of trash.” If I wanted to do that, I would call them a slut or a skank LOL. In short, don’t be insulted, because I’m sure that those who call you cute mean it in a good way.
 
Now, if this happens again, don’t get mad, but you certainly can say something along these lines: “Thanks for the compliment, but I really don’t see myself as cute so much as devastatingly handsome.” And chuckle a bit and smile to show you are not offended and you’re just being facetious. Then, if you feel they merit it, give the other person a compliment back. If the only thing that is turning you off of a guy is that they used the word cute, you can easily get around that and begin striking up a conversation, maybe even get into some flirting that will turn you back on again. It would be a shame if you turned someone away just because of one poorly chosen word, would you not agree?
 
Hugs,
Papabear

So it turns out that there are these two creative moms in the UK named Nat and Naomi. One day they decided to apply their mutual sewing skills to crafting animal-based comfy winter coats for their children — turning them effectively into rabbits, foxes, bears, and so forth. The good news is, they then decided to set up an Etsy shop (oliveandvince, named after their kids) and sell their wares to the children of the world! We agree with an article over at Bored Panda: It would be cool if they would offer some designs in sizes big enough to fit adults, too!

image c. 2016 oliveandvince

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Hello Everyone!

Thank you for your patience this week as we worked around technical difficulties to produce this episode. 

We open this week's show with a discussion on HIV disclosure and witch hunts. Should you "name and shame" people on the internet that you believe are not disclosing their status with their potential partners? We look into why this might be more counterproductive than it might appear at face value. 

Our main topic is on Locker Room Talk. What is Locker Room Talk, and why is Donald Trump using it as an excuse for his language? We give a history of the term and go into how it differs from dirty talk and when it is and is not appropriate. We also call Donald Trump a douchebag for trying to disguise sexual assault as "boys being boys". 

Our question this week asks how to tell your best friend that you're in love with them. It's a topic that hits close to home for most people- your hosts included. We go into the possible outcomes and the best way to minimize the risk of losing your connection if the feelings are not mutual.  

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

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 041 Locker Room Talk - Are HIV witch hunts counterproductive? Is Locker Room Talk a code phrase for discussing methods of sexual assault? Is Donald Trump a douchebag? Should you tell your best friend you love them? All this, and more, on this week's Feral Attraction!

Hi!

I am 18 years old and have a girlfriend, but I'm afraid I might be gay.

Let me explain: my girlfriend is the most wonderful person I have ever seen, I find her beautiful, attractive, kind and am thankful I can call her my friend. We have been very best friends for 4 years (I would call us soulmates) when things started to get serious and we got into a relationship. Everything was great, although I never had the "butterfly in my stomach feeling" the 6 months we've had together were the happiest in my life. Then I moved away (another country) for a 6-month exchange programme, so we are currently in a long distance relationship. We are considered the perfect couple by everyone, sometimes I feel like we are meant for each other and I actually can't (and don't want to) imagine a life without her. 

Recently, I have realized that I notice guys way more than girls. Actually, thinking about it I always knew I was attracted to men. I've always behaved "different", been interested in rather feminine things and so on, yet I have never had anything with a guy. Although I knew about it when we got together, it never really striked me as important, I had no doubts and being together felt right. Now that I am so far away I am seeing what I'm really interested in, but I don't know if I'm gay or bisexual - which would also determine whether or not me and my gf can make the relationship work. 

The thing is: on the street, I notice men way more, I find almost every guy sexually attractive (I catch myself looking at bulges all the time). I have watched gay porn and liked it, I have fantasized about classmates, but I never felt anything for any guy.

When I see pretty women on the street, I find them beautiful, somehow like "art", but I don't get sexually aroused (or at least not as much as with men). I can't remember really being sexually interested in women when I was younger the way my classmates were. But I have never with my girlfriend felt like I have to fake sexual interest, almost every time we made out, had any sexual interaction it felt great (of course there were exceptions but I guess they are somehow normal), and most of the time i even started - she never had to push me to do something. I felt always so good, natural and so right.

This confuses me a lot. Am I gay? Am I bisexual? If so, am I still bisexual enough to stay with my girlfriend?

The thing is: I am still very young and have a whole life in front of me, what I really want is my girlfriend to be happy and to be happy myself. I'm so afraid to one day when we are married realize "fuck I'm gay" and to destroy her and me emotionally. 

I feel like I have to talk to her, but what do I say? I mean, If even I am confused, how is she supposed to understand anything at all.

Also, she is on the other side of the planet, it would have to be via skype...
This is something else I wonder about: does it have anything to do with being physically apart? Would I feel different If i was with her or will it feel different when I get back? 

I have read a lot about the subject and i know there are options like mixed relation marriages and so on, but I really want to be sure about how I feel. It hurts to think that although it could work out, there might be someone else out there who could be a better boyfriend to her, who could have an easier relationship with her and who could love her entirely 100%, no doubts included.

The only thing I am sure about is that I want us to be happy and that I would love to go on having her as my girlfriend, I want to travel with her, I want to show her my home country and so on.

These days all I can think about is all of this, I wake up thinking "do I have to break up?" And feel very guilty - that also seems to be a sign: why would I feel guilty if nothing was wrong?

Especially regarding the fact that we are thinking about where to go to university to stay as close as possible makes this decision feel urgent, I don't want to attach her to something that has no future. 

Dear papa bear, sorry for the long letter and thank you so much for being there and all of the support! 
 
Anonymous (age 18)

* * *
​
Dear Furiend,
 
Based on what you have written here, yes, you are somewhere between straight and gay. Sexuality is a spectrum; where, exactly, you fall in the middle seems to be something you still need to work out. This is not at all unusual for someone your age.
 
The mistake you are making here is that you are laying all the burden of this decision on you and you alone. You don’t need to talk to me; you need to talk to her. This would best be done in person, but I’m not sure how long you are going to be away in a different country. Sounds like you plan to go back to her area of the world to attend college. Unfortunately, it would not be fair to her to make all kinds of plans about, say, attending the same university together, and only then tell her you are having second thoughts about your sexuality.
 
Therefore, it would be best if you talk to her now. You do not have to decide right this minute whether you are gay or bi, but you should tell her, frankly and sincerely, how you are feeling. Only then will you know how she feels (it could be anything from “it’s over” to “let’s work this out but still be together”). Once you have that information, you can make the decisions you need to make. Papabear went through what you’re going through—much later in life—and suffered in silence for four long years before finally confessing to my then-wife that I had discovered I was gay. It was a very hard time; we both cried a lot. In the end, we divorced but we are still friends to this day.
 
For all you know, your girlfriend could be having these struggles as well. If you talk honestly with her, you might learn she is bi or pansexual or a lesbian. You don’t know. Or you might learn that she is completely straight and she’ll decide that the two of you need to break off the romantic relationship. If that is the case, it is definitely best to tell her now. It is unfair to string her along in a serious relationship if it is not going to go anywhere. Also, this does not discount the possibility that the two of you can remain very good friends for years to come. Friendships—solid friendships—can be just as valuable as mates in your life.
 
Bottom line: this is not a one-sided decision in your case. It involves both of you. Therefore, you need to bring her into the dialogue and work this out together.
 
Bon Chance,
 
Papabear

In Fox’s Forest is a new hardcover graphic novel published by Fantagraphics. According to them, here’s how it goes: “After a successful hunt with his mate, a male fox is captured by the ‘two leggers’ and thrust into captivity. There, he faces dangers more insidious than the simple eat-or-be-eaten laws of the forest: Complacency, fear of the unknown, pack mentality, and loss of identity. Fox’s struggle to remain unbroken and return to his home and his love makes this standalone graphic novel an all-ages fable in the tradition of Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Gorgeously rendered in a classic pen and ink style, the drawing is reminiscent of the Golden Age of children’s book illustration, and its delicacy is in contrast to the characters’ (a friendly blue jay, a philosophical chimp, and a gas-lighting dog) streetwise patter. Created by underground cartoonist and fine artist Guy Colwell (Inner City Romance), this instant classic is a metaphor for incarceration, and a meditation on masculinity.” And it’s on the shelves now.

image c. 2016 Fantagraphics

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Through out the month of October you may have been seeing a special hashtag around twitter of people talking about Furry books more then usual. That is because we are in our first official Furry Book Month. A way to both celebrate the Furry writer community as well as promote just how diverse the community has gotten. You would be amazed how some people still only view the fandom with only three publishers: Sofawolf, Furplanet, and Rabbit Valley. But we have expanded to around eight with newcomers like Thurston Howl Publications, Goal Publications, and Weasel Press; bringing with them new voices and new stories with the same fluffiness or scales or feathers we love.

The Furry we have to thank for getting this event off the ground is Husykteer, a well-known and active member in the writer community since 2010. She began by posting stories on SoFurry, but by 2012 got published in both Roar 4 and Heat 9. Since then she has continued to put out quality work.

So far, I’ve had short stories and poems published in a number of anthologies; most recently Gods with Fur, Claw the Way to Victory and Inhuman Acts. My short story ‘The Analogue Cat’, which appeared in The Furry Future, won the 2015 Ursa Major and Cóyotl awards for short fiction.

I’d love to get some books out there with my name, and mine alone, on the cover! A novella, Peace & Love, should be coming out from FurPlanet soon.

But how did the idea of Furry Book Month come about? Anyone who has been around the FWG forums knows that the writer community, while growing, is still under appreciated in many aspects. So there has been a growing want to promote the community more to get people to check out their work.

In 2015, Furry Writers’ Guild member Rechan challenged the FWG forum to read a furry book, or several, during October. This grew into the idea of promoting books in the wider furry community during October 2016.

The Furry Writers Guild for those not in the know is dedicated ‘to promote quality writing in anthropomorphic fiction and to inform, elevate, and support its creators.’ It’s the go to place for Furry writers.

A lot of authors and publishers check in on the Furry Writers’ Guild forum, which is a great way to find out what’s going on, meet people and get help with your writing. It’s free to join and you don’t need to be a Furry Writers’ Guild member: http://www.anthroaquatic.com/forum/index.php

Huskyteer got in contact with a lot of author and publishers to see if they can help out with the mouth by offering special discounts. Which if one of the biggest reasons you haven’t read a Furry book is because of the price then this mouth is made for you with books selling at discounted prices to discounts ranging from 20% to 50%.

Several publishers and authors were generous enough to get on board with special offers, which you can find here: https://furrywritersguild.com/furry-book-month/

Those are some of the benefits that come with Furry Book Month, but that still may make you wonder why should we care about Furry Books?

Furry is a very broad term in literature. The only rule is that all or some of the characters are anthropomorphic animals. There’s furry romance, furry science fiction, furry mystery, comedy – whatever genre you’re into, there’ll be something to your taste.

Anthropomorphic animals are universally accessible (that’s why they’re in so many children’s books). A lot of readers find they can relate to a furry character more than to a human.

In fact, Huskyteer got motivated to write from discovering the Furry Fandom.

When I found the fandom, I had no idea there was such a thing as furry fiction. When I found out, I knew this was something I definitely wanted to be a part of. I’d dreamed of being a writer all my life, but I never expected to get into it through something I did for fun.

Writing often feels like a poor relation to art within the fandom, because it’s less immediately accessible. You know at a glance whether you like a piece of art. A book takes more effort, but finding a book you love, that speaks to you about yourself and your life, is so rewarding. I want more furries to have that experience.

I can relate to that since when I discovered Kyell Gold’s Waterways stories online it helped me not only come to terms with my own sexuality, which I talked about in detail here, but has inspired me to get into writing again. Huskyteer wants you to have that same experience of finding the joy of Furry writing and how there are some many options to choose from.

I’m a relative newcomer to the writing community, but in the five years or so I’ve been involved, I’ve seen it really take off. There are a lot of new names writing to get published, several new furry publishers, like Weasel Press, Jaffa Books and Goal Publications, and many more anthologies of short stories are published every year, giving more writers a chance to get published and offering readers a wider choice.

The month itself has already had some success for its first year.

I’ve seen a lot of people talking about furry books on Twitter and on Goodreads, writing reviews, sharing recommendations, and posting photos of their purchases. It’s been great to see readers, writers and publishers discussing books together, and the #FurryBookMonth hashtag spreading! Let’s hope we can make Furry Book Month an annual event.

I believe it will. So go on and check out the discount page to see what publishers are offering, check out the hashtag to see which books spikes your interest, write a review, tweet about it, share it, discuss it, join FWG. The only way people know something exists is through people talking about why they love this so much. Thank you Huskyteer for providing us with a chance to so people why we love Furry books so much. Till next time. Be awesome. Be amazing. Be you.

-Matthias

Tonight the crew is down a bird. Join Tal, Roland and Adam in a laugh filled night Episode -21 - Lab Shark Succeeded

Are you too old for trick-or-treating? In this fall-themed episode, we remember costumes, games, and trick-or-treating from long ago.

Metadata and Credits Furry Halloween

Runtime: 33:05m

Cast: KZorroFuego, Levi, Pamiiruq, Wolfin

Editor: Levi

Format: 196kbps AAC Copyright: © 2016 WagzTail.com. Some Rights Reserved. This podcast is released by WagzTail.com as CC BY-ND 3.0.

Furry Halloween - Are you too old for trick-or-treating? In this fall-themed episode, we remember costumes, games, and trick-or-treating from long ago.