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Halloween is upon us. The air is getting chillier, the leaves are changing, and our darkest thoughts start to bubble to the surface. While this isn’t a Halloween or even fully a horror anthology, this one offers a look at our own twisted minds to fulfill our most primal needs. And isn’t that what Halloween is all about? Thurston Howl Publications is proud to present its new demonic anthology, Seven Deadly Sins and they are open to your submissions.

The theme should already be clear to anyone with a passing knowledge of religion, but for those wondering what to base their story on…

Seven Deadly Sins has been a literary trope for centuries, popularized by Italian poet Dante. They are as follows: pride, greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, envy, and sloth. This collection will be divided respectively into the seven parts. We want to see anthro-animal characters at their darkest and weakest moments: at the whorehouse, at the chopping block, in the morgue, in the dining room with the candlestick.

Edited by Thurston Howl, the inspiration for the anthology comes from his own experience.

The inspiration for this anthology came from a personal struggle. Recently, I felt a smoldering rage toward a close acquaintance of mine who had a particular habit for causing local trouble. Instead of acting on that anger, I tried to pick apart whether what I was feeling: wrath…or envy…or even just an insult to my pride. Gradually, I thought of a couple of short story ideas for a few of the seven deadly sins, and then it hit me to edit a furry anthology with the theme.

Thurston Howl Publications has already featured some furry works, most notably their Wolf Warriors charity anthologies, which feature a mix of anthro works, as well as their Non-fiction collection, Furries Among Us. Seven Deadly Sins however will be their first full furry fiction anthology which, as Howl explains, is building upon what they have already accomplished.

…the past three charity anthologies [Wolf Warriors] we’ve published all had furry stories in it, especially the third volume, and I’ve already had the pleasure of working with many big furry authors in those anthologies as well as last year’s Furries Among Us. I really haven’t seen this project as too much different from those before. However, as we are expanding and growing within the fandom, so too will our opportunities for authors.

While the theme is based on the seven sins, the genre for your story is open to whatever you desire to explore.

The genres for the stories will likely rely heavily on the sin described. For example, I hope to receive a lot of horror submissions for Wrath and erotica for Lust. However, I expect that the genres will run the whole gamut throughout this collection as sins can pervade a vast number of scenarios.

And they are open to adult material.

It will just depend on the quality of the submissions.

So you figured out which sin you wish to explore. What are the requirements?

• Deadline is November 1, 2016.
• Word count is 2500-8000.
• Reprints are fine.
• Authors can send up to three stories.
• Authors will receive a free print copy of the book.
• Each story has to be based around one of the seven sins, and we will be regularly updating the list of received submissions’ themes on the guidelines website.

The book is expected to be release around January. The perfect gift for Valentine’s Day as Howl puts it cause nothing says love then watching fluffy animals succumb to their inner most desires. So get you paws a writing fluffer nutters, we have some debauchery to unless onto the world.

-Matthias

BOOM! Studios snuck two more by us this last summer… First up, the Peanuts: Friends Forever 2016 Special. Here’s what they say: “After five years and 39 issues, four original graphic novels, and a groundbreaking tribute book, we bid farewell to this incarnation of Peanuts comics with an oversized finale. Snoopy’s Daisy Hill Farm is being torn down and Charlie Brown tries to be there for him. It’s a warm goodbye filled with love and heart for all devoted Peanuts readers!” Featuring stories by the late Charles M. Schulz himself, as well as Jason Cooper, with artistic help from Donna Almendrala and Vicki Scott. Also look for the Garfield 2016 Summer Special, a one-shot collection of never-before-seen comic short stories by the likes of Scott Nickel, Mark Evanier, Brittney Williams, Andy Hirsch, Sara Talmadge, and Lissy Marlin.

image c. 2016 BOOM! Studios

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hey, it's a Patreon guest podcast with Nizbit! 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 Lastly, don't forget to check out our YouTube, where we have many extra vids, Dragget Plays, and live streams & recordings of the podcasts. www.youtube.com/user/DraggetShow/videos ep 135 - Assassination Chat - hey, it's a Patreon guest podcast with Nizbit! R…

Tips: patch.ofurr@gmail.com. Here’s headlines, links and little stories to make your tail wag.  

FOUR cons for the US Pacific Northwest? (Tip – Fuzzwolf.)

Furvana (2018). Anthro Northwest (November 9-12, 2017). Pacific Northwest Fur Con (Spring 2017). And a rebirth for Rainfurrest (under parent organization RAIN, who actively runs other events year-round.)  All of these are intended for one region.  Amazingly they seem cooperative, with none replacing another.

On Reddit’s r/furry, a con staffer explains more about all the activity.

In late 2015 Dogpatch Press looked at five regions for “One Town, Two Cons: Let’s compare and ask organizers about Furry community growth.” It was about fan support, competition and cooperation, with questions about how to sustain more than one central event. But four is unprecedented ambition.

It could only come with 2016’s amazing Year of Furry.  From Zootopia’s billion-dollar success, to Fursonas (the first movie about furries with mainstream distribution), to the continued explosion of cons, there’s much more to come.

Furry party posters from the 1980’s. 

In the 1980’s, sci-fi cons gathered fans of funny-animal cartoons for room parties. Mark Merlino and Rod O’Riley have the Prancing Skiltaire furry house in So Cal that has posted some of their party flyer collection.  There was drama about the “furries” being weird, because that stuff isn’t for grown-ups is it?  So in 1989 they got their own con, ConFurence.  Look at how they multiplied like bunnies. Now it’s too late to stop them. Just don’t let anyone with a time machine go back and change the flyers to send them to Floor 13.

South Africa’s Furry Times Magazine.

In 30 years of history, this fandom has spread far and wide. Here’s a newly launched and free magazine from a far corner of the Furrysphere. It’s basic but it would be nice to see more presentation like that.

EZ Wolf’s nature mockumentary.

Congoer dies of natural causes during Furry Migration in Minneapolis.

We are sad to confirm the loss of a congoer last night; authorities indicate natural causes. An earlier alcohol based incident was unrelated

— Furry Migration (@FurryMigration) September 11, 2016

Fursuiter falls 70 feet from hotel balcony, lands on couch, makes fox-shaped hole.

I heard Rocko went to the hospital with a broken arm, broken back, fractured ankles, broken ribs, and has a year of rehab ahead. Poor Rocko! Send him hugs and tell him to hang in there. If the world ever looks upside down, always ask a furry friend to help you stay on your paws.

Visited @RockoTheFox tonight. He's got a long road to recovery, but he appreciates all the supportive furries who've written to him.

— Drenthe Coon (@itsdrenthe) August 9, 2016

He says everything below his neck hurts. Somehow avoided a concussion. I'm wondering if wearing a fursuit head saved @RockoTheFox's life.

— Drenthe Coon (@itsdrenthe) August 9, 2016

ANUSGATE: the fursuit scandal that rocked Twitter.

Sporeprince built a fursuit with a realistic butthole sewn on. This was not universally loved.

Refurbed a miniature schnauzer fursuit! Meet Shandy! (She still needs new feet and hands) pic.twitter.com/xbCcFxjPwm

— mushroom queendom (@sporeprince) June 28, 2016

I LOVE my butthole fursuit and if you disagree with me you can literally fight me lmao

— mushroom queendom (@sporeprince) August 6, 2016

It's not like this is the first controFURsial thing I've done, I used to cosplay Sarah Palin and I literally co-coined the term popufur

— mushroom queendom (@sporeprince) August 6, 2016

This is me circa 2008-09 lmao pic.twitter.com/gcvH6HjoP0

— mushroom queendom (@sporeprince) August 6, 2016

The dog that inspired a wave of furry drama pic.twitter.com/NqH3Hr3bgt

— mushroom queendom (@sporeprince) June 29, 2016

Murrsuit.us launches with a very special purpose.

we just got our site up check it up @ https://t.co/i0aTKzXnm3, we will be giving out one free membership just retweet and comment to enter

— Murrsuit.us (@MurrsuitUs) September 3, 2016

A long-lived post on Dogpatch Press gives perspective about fursuit value.

One of the longest-lived posts here is about the record-setting $11,575 fursuit. It draws dozens of searches a week with 1.5 years of regular views.

Jan Animation covers Youtube’s restrictive new policies for content creators.

Could your content be controversial, or even just have a risque joke? No ad revenue for you. It’s ridiculous how vague and arbitrary these rules are, and how hurtful to creators who would otherwise be sustaining themselves on a good relationship that contributes what their host exists on.

 

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AMAZING FURRY NEWS COMING SOON – Sponsored By Scratch ‘n’ Sniff Yiff Stickers!

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Future Of Fursuiting: Color-Change Fur, Advanced SPH Technology With Glowing Dongs

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 16, 2015

Camels Sick Of Hump Jokes

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 16, 2015

Motto Chosen For Canine Liberation: 'A Dog Needs A Master Like A Cow Needs Ketchup'

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 16, 2015

Canines Battle 'Loyal' Stereotype With 'Looking Out For #1' Shirts

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 20, 2015

Guy In Fuzzy Spider Suit Has To Explain That He Won't Burst Open And Spread Baby Spiders

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 20, 2015

The Puzzling World Of Furry Conversion Therapy And 'Ex Furries'

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 20, 2015

We’re currently in the middle of Sheptember (Sneptember? but cat opinions are irrelevant per the coyote) so we decided to talk about furries staking claims on different months of the year and days of the week.

We also invent our own.

Metadata and Credits Furry Days of the Week

Runtime: 25:57m

Cast: KZorroFuego, Levi, 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 Days of the Week - We're currently in the middle of Sheptember (Sneptember? but cat opinions are irrelevant per the coyote) so we decided to talk about furries staking claims on different months of the year and days of the week.

We’re currently in the middle of Sheptember (Sneptember? but cat opinions are irrelevant per the coyote) so we decided to talk about furries staking claims on different months of the year and days of the week.

We also invent our own.

Metadata and Credits Furry Days of the Week

Runtime: 25:57m

Cast: KZorroFuego, Levi, 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 Days of the Week - We're currently in the middle of Sheptember (Sneptember? but cat opinions are irrelevant per the coyote) so we decided to talk about furries staking claims on different months of the year and days of the week.

For as long as KaBOOM! Comics have published the Adventure Time comic tie-in series (and that’s a few years now!) there have been back-up stories from the Land of Ooo in several issues, created by other comic book writers and illustrators. Well now KaBOOM! (an imprint of BOOM! Studios) have made that the main focus of their new full-color Adventure Time Comics series, an anthology featuring three short stories by different creators in each issue. From an article at the A.V. Club: “The first issue of Adventure Time Comics features stories by Gronk’s Katie Cook, Tiny Titans’ Art Baltazar, and Maakies’ Tony Millionaire, with a Nick Pitarra cover homage to Action Comics #1 that spotlights how different artistic sensibilities reinterpret these designs… Future contributors to Adventure Time Comics include Jeffrey Brown, Terry Moore, Kelly Thompson, and Box Brown.” It’s on the shelves now.

Image c. 2016 KaBOOM!

Hello Everyone!

On this week's show we open with a discussion on a study that shows how altruism might impact your sex habits and overall attractiveness? Will this be the final study to put Ayn Rand out of business?

Our main topic is on Jealousy and Envy. While we have discussed these in the past, a lot of questions we have received focus on differentiating between the two and how you can work to resolve these emotions in a relationship. We talk about the differences, the ways to identify them, and how you can work within your relationship to bring them to a positive conclusion. 

We have some questions from our backlog that we address, and we close with some feedback on our Being Your Own Filter episode. 

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

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 036 Envy vs Jealousy - Altruism is sexy? Jealousy and Envy are independent emotions? You shouldn't force someone into marriage? All this and more on this week's Feral Attraction

Here’s headlines, links and little stories to make your tail wag.  Tips: patch.ofurr@gmail.com.

In San Francisco, Frolic Furry Dance may lose historic venue… is The Stud saved yet?

Update for “Frolic ‘the original furry nightclub’ to lose historic venue – community responds.”  

The SF Bay Area is getting so only the wealthiest can afford to live there. It’s one of the worst places for gentrification and rising costs forcing out culture. The pressure has hit The Stud, a historic gay bar and subcultural landmark that welcomes freaks and artists like no other place.

Frolic furry dance was established by their support. It has had wide influence, inspiring other furry dances to start all over the place.  (See the Frolic tag.)

Frolic took years to gain traction.  Now it regularly maxes out capacity and spills out to the street each month. It will be sad if it loses it’s home and has to find a new one.

There may be hope, but it’s complicated. The building is approved for management by a co-op of artists and community members (the first cooperatively managed LGBT club in the country.)

But do they have a business plan that can meet the steeply rising costs of running the place? They have applied for “historic business” status under new local legislation, but will it be enough?  Reports are unclear.

If things don’t come together within a short time, the plans may die.  The building could be knocked down and replaced by soulless condos. NBC News has a video about 3 local LGBT landmarks struggling with this problem, including The Stud.

Frolic founder Neonbunny posted to the Save Our Stud group:

“Furries have always been the outcasts among outcasts. There’s not alot of venues that accept different cultures, new traditions, and just general going against the norms to express yourself in new ways. Drag may have been like this decades ago, but now you have so many options on every night to dress up as a different gender.

But what if you like to dress up as a different species? Not a lot of options… But yet, The Stud has welcomed Frolic with open arms, shown that there can be a home for the outcasts, for those who don’t fit any traditional norms anywhere.

And for this, The Stud will always have a special place in our hearts. You accepted us, and in return we have embraced The Stud in return, you have become our family.”

Christian List of Animals Too Gay To Board Noah’s Ark Somehow Misses All The Furries. As reported for local San Francisco blogger, Broke-Ass Stuart.

New York Times: San Diego Chicken Retires. 

“Ted Giannoulas has spent more than 40 years as the man behind arguably the most famous mascot in sports.”

“I’m a great, big chicken!” … For the rest of the night, everyone agrees. Grown men beg for high-fives. Children flock for photographs and hugs. Beyoncé, singing her way through Times Square, would be hassled less. … The crowd gives him life “and I give them back a few laughs.”

It’s a story that many fursuiters may find familiar, even on a more intimate scale of their own friends and community. The Chicken was Anthrocon Guest of Honor in 2015. How lucky to meet him so close to retirement in an illustrious career, and get inspired by his performing talent.

Find much more about furries and Pro Mascots under the “Mascots” tag.

Adam Savage builds bear fursuit.

A Dog’s Purpose trailer.

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AMAZING FURRY NEWS COMING SOON – Bats Will Fly Out Your Butt If You Read #7!

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Donald Trump Accuses Obama of Inventing Furries

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) August 16, 2016

Another Loss For Trump Campaign - Chester Cheetah Endorses Hillary

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) August 16, 2016

Hot Kitty At The Beach Wants You To Put Lotion On Her Back And Pick Off Fleas

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 10, 2015

Furry Orgy Moved Indoors When Sleepy Neighbor Keeps Throwing Shoes

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 11, 2015

Mass Confusion At Crinkle Con As Potato Chip Makers Show Up By Mistake

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 13, 2015

Government Fursecution Campaign Requires Furries To Wear 'Sona Badges 24/7

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 13, 2015

 

BOOM! Studios have been granted an exclusive right to create a new prequel back-story for King Kong himself, taking place before even the original 1933 movie. “Award-winning publisher BOOM! Studios and DeVito Artworks LLC are excited to announce Kong of Skull Island, an original, limited comic book series… featuring the famous gargantuan ape, King Kong, created by Merian C. Cooper, and grounded in artist/author Joe DeVito’s ground-breaking literary property Skull Island.” This new full-color 6-issue mini-series is available now, and BOOM! has a lot of preview stuff on-line.

image c. 2016 BOOM! Studios

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Hello,

I was just a tad curious as my letter wasn't responded to, and I'm just trying to be as patient as possible. I'll leave a copy of it here in case it got lost in your inbox.

Thanks again!

I live with my mother and sister. We're a little shaken up, but we make it work. My mom has known since 4th grade I was interested in art, and always knew I had something for animals too. She simply shrugged it off as something similar to a 7 year old's phase of adoring horses more than humans.

However, I had known about furries since I was about seven. You could say I stumbled across them and had a good first impression. Years later, here I am, and I adore anthropomorphic animals even more.

I have one finished partial fursuit. I wore it twice in public, and it got a huge positive reception. I passed it off as a "Halloween costume" but she knew I wouldn't spend 80+ dollars on a normal costume. Seems she ignored it.

Not long after, I asked if we could go to this "convention for animal fans" for my birthday. I simply asked, "Can we go to this cartoon animal convention called Midwest Furfest, it's around my birthday, I think it would be really fun." I had a slideshow full of support and information, and much to my surprise, she said we could go. Keep in mind this all took place last year. We would be going to MWFF 2015. 

This was a huge deal mainly because I had always been a loner growing up. I have about five really close friends, and none of them hold the intrest of art or animals, which has become a daily staple in my life. The idea of going to a place with over 5,000 people who hold the same specific intrest as me was so great and ideal. I was so excited to mainly make friends, and friends I could continue to talk to.

Shortly after, my mom had to go to a class reunion. I continued to be overly excited. There was only a little less than two months until the convention. We hadn't pre-registered, as a day pass couldn't be pre-registered.

When my mom came back from her reunion, she asked to meet me outside. I knew it was about the convention immediately. My mom knew this was for cartoon animals, but outside of that, she knew nothing. It was the perfect time to take her to a convention and show her that we're all nice people.

However, she told me in the kindest voice she could: "Are you sure you want to go to this convention?" I asked why she'd ask, because she knew how excited I was. She then said: "I don't think this group is really what you think it is."

That was the nail in the coffin. I knew what this was about. She explained: "I was talking to my friend who runs a store who sells things like Dungeons & Dragons and such. When I told her where we were going, she said not to. She said furries are people who just dress up in costume and have sex, and how she has a customer that always wear a tail."

Alright, I can save this yet, I thought. I calmly said: "You know, it's really a minority of people who are interested in that sort of thing, and you shouldn't listen to a minority. And about the tail, wearing that is a form of self expression, it's fine."

She proceeded to make things worse and call off the convention. Saying things like: "NORMAL people don't wear tails!" I was kinda shut down after that. I lost connection with the fandom for a few months, and the name Midwest Furfest sounded bitter.

Present day, only two months ago, I brought up the idea again. She looked at me like I had two heads, and asked why we would go. I once more said: "It'll be fun, and I can meet people." She still refused, until I pulled up the rules and specifically pointed out the one that said "No public affection."

I made sure we pre-registered for a full weekend this year. MWFF 2016 here I come. I'm so excited, but also really nervous. She wants to make anyone other than herself go. Her name is on the badge however, and she's coming along. This is my chance to make things right again.

Whenever I bring it up anymore she ignores it and tries to change the subject. I'm trying to get her used to the idea of it, and still nothing. She asks what we would do. I respond: "We would go to panels, see costumers, browse the dealers..."

Now, I'm almost in a panic. The convention seems far off but I know time flies. I have watched previous dance competitions and fursuit parades from last year on YouTube, as well as panels upon panels.

What I'm nervous about now is how there seem to be slighty sexual jokes frequently. I think she'd like Kage, so I'll be sure to head to one of his panels if possible, and she'll let that slide. What I want to know is how she'll react to a body roll in the dance competition, or a female "themed" fursuit.

I don't want that to ruin the impression. I'm really nervous, and I want to know: "Is there any way I can help my mom experience the very best of MWFF? Or even just avoiding any negative?" This is our first convention, and I need some advice.

Thank you so much,
Ioga DeWolf (age 12)

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Dear Ioga,

I'm so sorry I didn't write back sooner (not that it's an excuse, but my husband died recently and I have fallen behind). I hope the delay does not affect your attendance at the con.

Okay, so, you seem to be worried that your mother will see some misbehavior at the furcon and become turned off by furries, which, in turn, might cause her to restrict your furry activities. Correct?

This is a legitimate concern. A lot of this depends on which furcon you are attending. I have to say, thank goodness you and your mother did not go to the last Rainfurest, which was a disaster. People misbehaved, and the hotel now refuses to have a furcon there ever again.

HOWEVER! Midwest Furfest is one of the best-run furcons in the nation. I have attended it a couple times back when I still lived in Michigan. The con organizers hire a lot of security staff, and everyone is very vigilant about controlling the crowds, something that is very important with larger cons such as MFF or AC. Misbehavior of any kind (violence, drugs, sexual or even sensual activity) is not tolerated. Indeed, if you or your mother witness anything like that, you should report it to the MFF staff. Make sure that your mother reads all the policies of the furcon; this should go a long way toward comforting her.

As you attend the con, I encourage you to go to the forums, which are informative and tame. Feel free to go to the dealers' den and to the art show. You will note at the art show that there is a part that is restricted for adults only. Point it out to your mother and note that you are not allowed in there. Also, in the dealer's den, artists are required to clearly label any art folders that have X-rated stuff in them. In other words, you can note for your mom that although the furry community does have adult art like this, if you go to a responsible furcon you are not going to be exposed to it. MFF takes this very seriously, as do most other furry conventions.

You were honest with your mother that there are aspects of the community that are for adults, and that's good you did so. If you learn about the history of furry, it actually started as a movement to make comic books and cartoons more adult (not just sex, but adult themes in general). The other, more prominent side of the modern fandom, I believe, is the joy of imagination, creativity, and just having fun with these characters in an innocent and playful way. If they have things like "furry games," take your mom. The furry parade is clean fun, too.  Take her to the booth where the sponsored charity will be to show her the good stuff furries do, too.

While I cannot guarantee anything, I think you and your mom will have a great time. It's super that she is willing to go with you and, hopefully, the experience will change her mind from what her friend at the store told her. Oh, and you need to explain to her that there is no such thing as "normal people." If you can, try to meet up with and chat with furries there. Many of them will be very happy to see your mom there with you. We think it's cool when parents support their kids (I once saw a whole furry family at a furcon, and it sure warmed my heart).

Hope this helps, and I hope you have a wonderful, memorable time at MFF!

Hugs,
Papabear

Here’s headlines, links and little stories to make your tail wag.  Tips: patch.ofurr@gmail.com.

Oreo Wolf’s stolen fursuit makes news in Nevada.

KTNV must have been happy to get 200 retweets. How often does that happen for a video clip about a mere $2600 theft, less than a garden variety car accident? Some things are more important than money. And that’s how the station got to share a little of what the furry community is about. Next time a news anchor thinks about laughing at our misfortune, this could help them to understand.

$2600 furry animal costume stolen from Henderson storage unit https://t.co/z1iONCwWqp pic.twitter.com/HbTjUT9ptr

— KTNV Action News (@KTNV) September 10, 2016

Tonight, a man reaches out to us after his furry animal suit was stolen. @david_schuman pic.twitter.com/BpgYEu5lAZ

— KTNV Action News (@KTNV) September 10, 2016

Fandom is big enough to have a few “Stolen Fursuit Alerts” a year. It’s one thing to retweet, but what works best is for locals to search on the street. That’s how Zarafa’s stolen fursuit was recovered in San Francisco. Here’s hoping for good luck for Oreo wolf.

The Secret Furry Patrons Keeping Indie Artists Afloat.

NYMag gives a thoughtful look at the devotion that makes furry fandom thrive. A community that has benefited others as much as received unfair negativity.

four months ago @lubchansky told me about how artists love having furries as clients and i finally wrote about it https://t.co/HgIiq4niSo

— brian feldman (@bafeldman) August 24, 2016

Furries are the most kind, polite, friendly, relaxed people I've ever meet. Thanks for all your support. I'm so glad I've meet you all

— Fursuit Crushes (@fursuitcrushes) September 9, 2016

NYMag writer Brian Feldman writes:

“there is still at least one online community that treats artists with respect and pays fair prices for original work — one community that artists can rely on when editors, publishers, and social networks make it more and more difficult to get paid. When it comes to commissioning original works of art, nobody can match the furries.”

The article compares the good support with mentions of the frustrating, disappointing tendency for artists to be paid in “exposure”. On Twitter, @forexposure_txt is a widely followed comedy account that shared a furry’s experience with that.

TAKE YOUR ANTI-BUSINESS SHIT THE FUCK OFF THE INTERNET pic.twitter.com/kaIExioFnA

— For Exposure (@forexposure_txt) September 9, 2016

Funny that the article makes no mention of porn and adult commissions – surely a prominent reason for all of this goodwill.  Even if incomplete, it deserved a lot of praise for making important points (which the community itself is well aware of, but can be unfairly neglected elsewhere.)

Colin Spacetwinks was a furry source – take a look at his history project, “Everyone’s A Furry 2K16.”

60 Second Docs – Furry

Here’s a new Youtube channel putting out high-quality videos, as the title describes.  Of 18 videos posted at the time I saw this, the Furry one was 4th most viewed. (The top one: I’m a Sugar Baby.)

International Business Times – Eurofurence photo gallery. Thousands of people in cartoon animal costumes attend Europe’s largest furry convention.

SeattleMet – Gene Armstrong Dispels Myths About Furries. “People dismiss them as sex fetishists, but furry fandom is a diverse, worldwide phenomenon.”

Waldolf Ursine in Teddy Bear Times. England’s collector magazine mentions fursuiter.

Adultsmart blog: What Is A Furry? A standard introduction, decent but nothing new.

Fursuit on CNN. (Looks like Merlot.)

Was browsing the news this morning and came across this. pic.twitter.com/W14qCBk8uc

— Uncle Kage (@Unclekage) July 22, 2016

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AMAZING FURRY NEWS COMING SOON – Furries Out, Anthropomorphic Toasters In with #7!

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ISIS Recruiters Announce New Mascot Buddies - Owly Akhbar and Jihad Giraffe

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 7, 2015

Topless Furry Mare Asked To Stop Using Coconuts For Clipclop Noises And Put Them Back On

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 8, 2015

Man Trapped In Elevator With Furries Only Responds To Dog Whistle Now

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 8, 2015

Furry Restaurant Definitely Allows Dogs, But The Chef Doesn't Wear A Hairnet

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 9, 2015

Furries Divided About Their Favorite Fruit: Kiwi or Paw-Paw?

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 10, 2015

Kelloggs Answers Requests For Tony Tiger Dick Pics With 'Adult Edition' Cereal Kept Behind Counter @Gawker @realtonytiger @ashleyfeinberg

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 9, 2015

A Cat Named Haiku is an ongoing full-color comic series written by Mark Poulton, illustrated by Dexter Weeks, and publish by Arcana Studio. Well now they’ve released the first hardcover collection called A Cat Named Haiku: Totally Pawesome Edition. Here’s what they say: “A Cat Named Haiku tells the story of a mischievous little cat, as he learns valuable lessons on love and friendship told completely in haiku. Collecting A Cat Named Haiku volumes 1 and 2, select haikus from the Furrever Friends Anthology, and the all-new Cthulhu Loves Kittens story.” You heard it here. In case you don’t remember: A “haiku” is a Japanese form of poetry that is always 17 syllables long. Read all about it.

image c. 2016 Arcana Studio

We're spoiling you this week with lots of Dragget! Alkali & Xander talk about the finer aspects of fucking a McChicken, among other things. 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 Lastly, don't forget to check out our YouTube, where we have many extra vids, Dragget Plays, and live streams & recordings of the podcasts. www.youtube.com/user/DraggetShow/videos ep 134 - Turdicken! - We're spoiling you this week with lots of Dragget…

Your beloved Fangs and Fonts crew talk about everything dirty, get wildly off topic, and discuss some of the not-so-fine points of eroticism. Join the cast for fun and adventure into the cavernous depths of furry eroticism and kinky hijinks!

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Ep 69 – Fun Bags! - Your beloved Fangs and Fonts crew talk about everything dirty, get wildly off topic, and discuss some of the not-so-fine points of eroticism. Join the cast for fun and adventure into the cavernous depths of furry eroticism and kinky hijinks! Send [...]

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

Helga: Out of Hedgelands, by Rick Johnson. Map.
Seattle, WA, CreateSpace, March 2014, trade paperback $14.99 ([ii] 583 pages), Kindle $0.99 free with app.

The five volumes of the Wood Cow Chronicles are really only four volumes, published between March 2014 and September 2015; with a 37-page appendix only on Kindle, Dragons: The Untold Story, published as volume 5 for readers who want to know more about the backstory of the Dragons in the story. The pricing is designed to encourage the sales of the Kindle editions. The four volumes are vol. 1, Helga: Out of Hedgelands, March 2014; vol. 2, The Overending, March 2014; vol. 3, Silversion, February 2015; and vol. 4, Willowers, September 2015.

Helga was published in March 2014, but carries a 2012 copyright notice. It begins in a small fogbound harbor town, where a stagecoach is just leaving:

“Just outside, Livery Rats scrambled to prepare the Drownlands Weekly for departure. Travelers loaded quickly as burly Dock Squirrels tossed bags and trunks into the rooftop baggage rack. As soon as the baggage was loaded, the Weekly rolled away from the station with creaking timbers and rattling brass, its freshly serviced wheels smelling strongly of snake grease.

Bouncing along the bare track leading away from the Drownlands station, the Weekly rumbled through the sparsely settled frontier of the Rounds. Except for the Weekly and a few cargo wagons, the bone-jarring road was little used. A river of mud when it rained and a dust-choked washboard of ruts in the dry season, the many stones in the Cutoff road gave its only predictable surface.

Three of the passengers in the Weekly on this particular spring day were creatures we will hear much about in this account of former days. There was a strongly muscled young Wood Cow with soft, thick hair and a lively face. Dressed after the manner of her clan – long barkweave jacket and leggings, lizardskin boots, forest green linen shirt – Helga dozed fitfully, her head lolling against the jostling headboard. Although exhausted by her long journey, a smile played across her face. The sound of the rumbling wagon assured her that she was, indeed, at long last coming home.” (pgs. 2-3)

I’ve quoted this at length to give you a taste of Johnson’s writing. Depending on your taste, it’s either incredibly padded and takes forever for anything to happen, or it’s incredibly rich in detail, so much so that you almost object to the action that sidetracks you from the abundant descriptions of the anthropomorphic world in which it’s set – Helga’s world.

Helga and her parents are returning home to the Rounds. (See the map.) Their coach is greeted by crowds of Helga’s friends and admirers. Given Johnson’s writing style, these are described at length: Mianney Mayoyo, a tough and wild-eyed River Cat with two pet lizards on her shoulders; Picaroo “Pickles” DiArdo, a Trapper Dog who had shared her river adventures; Miss Edna Note, Helga’s old Badger teacher; and many others. The sight of so many old friends gives Helga flashbacks, which are also described: escaping with her Wood Cow mother Helbara through the swamps from heavily-armed Wrackshee slavers (a band of Wolves and Weasels) when she was a young child …

Yes, the story is mostly a flashback to Helga’s previous adventures. Helga: Out of Hedgelands (cover design credited to Pepper Graphics) is a richly described story; humorous with mild drama. It is funny-animal rather than anthro, but the abundant, almost overpowering details will draw you into it.

There are problems, however. One is some impenetrable dialect, that is thick enough to jar the reader out of the story. Here is Pickles: “‘Hey-hey, ya lee’tle Bungeet! Stop da chop sputter, or those Wracker’mugs will b’a back at ya ‘gin frighter t’en ever. Shee’wheet … Shee’wheet … Shee’wheet …’” (p. 9) Here is Broken Eye, a Cougar bandit and husband of Slasher Annie: “‘Them’s get’in hot on ma’tail, them’s is – Shouldn’t hav’ lost all ma’crew … ma’victuals …’” (p. 135) And here is Ola, a Wolf flutist: “‘And now yor best coome along with me’, the Wolf had said. ‘Where have yor coome from? The mounts, those awful mounts, I’ll be born. What were yor doin’ there? Aiean, moony a poor body has been lost in those tumbled, coold, wildy mounts and never been foound.’” (p. 172)

Another is Johnson’s habit of describing a character for paragraphs or pages before saying what kind of animal he or she is:

“‘Bad storm breakin’,’ Emil thought, as dark purple clouds swept down off the mountains and spatters of rain began to fall. The storm came up so quickly that Emil had not even noticed the piles of clouds gathering in the distance. Now the flying clouds were overhead and thunder rumbled. CRAAACK! A fork of lightning flashed, striking a towering tree along the path just ahead of Emil. Splitting down the trunk, the largest part of the tree fell across the path, forcing him to climb clumsily through the wreckage as the branches lashed about in the wind.” (p. 15)

What kind of animal is Emil? It’s not until page 17 that he’s specified as “the miserable young Wood Cow”. (Emil is much later identified as Helga’s brother.) This makes it almost impossible to envision him at first.

Other descriptions destroy the illusion by being too human:

“‘It’s a Zanuck, don’t you know!’ the innkeeper called out as Emil entered through the door. A tall Horse, wearing a clean linen cap, the innkeeper was strongly muscular, with arms bulging beneath the tight-fitting sleeves of his shirt as he balanced a heavy serving tray loaded with mugs and plates. A pencil-thin mustache and small pointed beard under the chin added to his look of unfriendly welcome.” (p. 20)

Maybe it’s just me, but I have no trouble imagining a two-legged Horse innkeeper. But add a pencil-thin mustache and a small pointed beard to his face, and the Horse fades into a Human. A Coyote with a red handlebar mustache doesn’t seem to me any more plausible.

Another point of confusion is some vocabulary introduced before it’s defined. The Horse innkeeper calls the lower-class Wood Cow a Zanuck, and a Moose a Poolytuck. These terms are not explained until pages 26-27. Who are FoRoar-2036 and SaRimm-2036? (They are defined much later as Glazier Dogs.)

Still other names can’t be taken seriously, and destroy the illusion. The most important is the wolf monarch of the Hedgelands: Fropperdaft Hafful TaTerribee VIII, Ancient Order of Reprehense, 3rd Degree; Lord Reckoner of Heights; Most Eminent Swellhead of the Keepers; Baron Sheriff of the Forever End; Peerless Berzerker of the Crowning Glory; Grandee of Maev Astuté, and High One of all Hedgelands. Can anyone say that with a straight face?   They apparently had better; “A tyrant without peer, his dungeons were eternally full.” (p. 37)

King Fropperdaft VIII of Maev Astuté (“his High Fropperdaftness”) and his aristocracy – Colonel Snart, another Wolf; Bengt Massavo (he prefers Bad Bone), a Climbing Lynx mountaineer; Sky Elks, Glazier Dogs, Stone Ducks, Skull Buzzards, and others — exile the Wood Cows from the Hedgelands, their original homeland. They are forced to venture out into the unknown world to find a new homeland.

Helga: Out of Hedgelands is several interconnected stories. Helga and her father Breister have adventures together and separately, apart from the other Wood Cows looking for a new home. Bad Bone, a childhood friend of Helga’s family who tries to help them, is discovered by the Skull Buzzards, and is forced into a separate exile. The novel switches back and forth between the two and the stories of other beasts who they encounter. There are colonies and trading posts of Sheep, Foxes, Owls, Coyotes, Vultures, Otters, Bears, and more. In the final third of the book, the action moves to ships and the Far North. SEA-LIONS HAVE LOUD VOICES! And in the last fifty pages, Dragons enter the story.

That’s enough of Helga’s story for the first night of her return home to the Rounds. There are still three sequels to come.

–Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon
• Buy Book 2 on Amazon
• Buy Book 3 on Amazon
• Buy Book 4 on Amazon

Face it folks: We couldn’t come up with a better lead-in than the actual title if we wanted to. And now, the winner of this week’s Longest Title Award goes to… American Mythology Dark: Werewolves vs. Dinosaurs, new from American Mythology Productions. “Claw vs Talon! Fur vs Scales! Supernatural vs Prehistoric! Werewolves vs. Dinosaurs kicks off an incredible one of a kind creature feature that will slap you in the face with a heaping dose of awesome! Cade can’t catch a break. Instead of a sleepy little deserted town, he finds himself in the middle of a supernatural smack down orchestrated by mysterious men in black. Werewolves Vs. Dinosaurs is a runaway train full of over-the-top carnage and conspiracies that will remind you of the wildest grindhouse film ever made.” Sounds like it. This full-color series was written by Eric Dobson, illustrated by Chris Scalf, and it’s available now at Comixology.

image c. 2016 American Mythology Productions

In the year 2001, the Usenet newsgroup alt.lifestyle.furry had been in existence for five years since it’s beginning in June 1996, and its first post in August 1996, and had become a popular site for furries around the world to communicate online. By the year 2000, 540 Furveys from newsgroup participants had been posted, indicating approximately the number of people participating. Posting news and comments on furry topics was the intent of alt.lifestyle.furry, but topics other than furry had become common. Beginning on September 11, their discussion became intensely focused on the terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States and which would soon affect many people all over the world.

My examination of alt.lifestyle.furry’s activity regarding the events of that day began on my LiveJournal journal in September, 2011, and it featured large edited blocks of the alt.lifestyle.furry posts regarding the 2001 attacks. As such, my posts at that time were extended over sixteen days and may still be read beginning with this post. Those posts attempted to feature the most relevant topics and responses, out of many that appeared on the newsgroup at that time. I have also provided in this essay the URLs for the original newsgroups posts for more reference. For a more abbreviated version of those original posts, readers may view my current DreamWidth Journal beginning with this post.

The discussion began on September 11 with SwiftFox, who posted the initial report of the attack in New York City from The Associated Press.

Posted: “Two Planes Crash into World Trade Center Buildings!”

SwiftFox Sept. 11, 2001 9:23 AM

Aircraft Hits World Trade Center

The Associated Press, September 11, 2001 9:09 AM

New York (AP)-An aircraft crashed into the upper floors of one of the World Trade Center towers Tuesday morning, and black smoke poured out of two gaping holes, witnesses said. Shortly afterward a second explosion rocked the other tower . . .There was no immediate word on injuries or fatalities in the twin disasters, which happened shortly before 9 a.m. and then right around 9 a.m. . .Large holes were visible in sides of the 110-story buildings, landmark twin towers. . . The tops of the twin towers were obscured by the smoke.

Copyright © 2001 The Associated Press

Mr Maigo, at 1:28 PM commented:

4 planes total, 92 and 64 people into the Trade Center, 36 from the crash in PA, un-specified amount in the plane used on the Pentagon.

The reaction from furries came quickly.

MechaSquirrel, at 8:40 AM (his local time) commented:

. . . both of the twin towers are gone now, the 2nd one just collapsed also a few minutes ago. Shit . . . it just doesn’t feel real ya know? You expect stuff like this in movies, but not in real life . . .

SwiftFox, at 8:53 AM commented:

. . . My gut is in a wrench. It’s very hard to sit here . . . waiting. I’m waiting for the call for volunteers to fight the fire in Somerset, PA an hour east of me on the PA Turnpike.

David Fox, at 7:55 PM commented:

I saw it live on television this morning. I was in denial until about 3pm CST . . . It was at 3pm on the way back from my calculus class that I saw it on the front page of Stillwater’s (Oklahoma) local papers, the collapsing Trade Center Tower. In my mind it is not truly real till it is in the papers and when I saw it there . . . *I* collapsed. I never cried in public places, never, until today at least.

A second post appeared that morning, also from SwiftFox.

Posted: Our Thoughts go out to . . .

SwiftFox September 11, 2001 9:02 AM

(Our thoughts go out to) . . . the North Virginia/DC furs . . . the Hudson Furs . . . and their families . . . and all the emergency workers, volunteers, military personnel and citizens who are at this moment, struggling to reduce the loss of life and property these blatant attacks have reaped upon the United States.

Please join with me, furs from all over the world, and say a few words; project your thoughts to those at the center of this tragedy.

Kamau 10:25 AM

Prayers have been offered from first word. A mass will be offered at 2:30 by my paws. I will possible be directly involved with some of this due to my role in EMS and disaster response teams. It is a dark day but we must focus to do the greater good to save people first, then deal with those who caused it.

Offering Prayers

Kamau

Nox Corax, at 10:45 AM commented:

It was 7:45 when I first heard about what happened. It didn’t really hit me until I was on my way back home from dropping my sister off at 8:35. I had to pull my car over because I was weeping . . .

Smrgol-};>~ at 12:44 PM commented:

Give blood if you can please, it will be needed.

ziramax, at 3:07 PM commented:

Sending my prayers and thoughts for all those in need. Thanks to all those involved with rescue, aid and blood donation. And candle-light for the grieving and the lost.

Christophe, September 12, 2001 at 6:50 PM commented:

My thoughts go to all innocent people who were injured and killed in this ignominious act of terrorism and their families and friends. Here, in France, and rest of Europe, we are deeply affected by what happens to USA’s people, and which probably concerned some of our compatriots too who were working in those buildings. I really hope that the rescuers will be able to save as many lives as possible.

With all my compassion,

AoiKitsune

A third post appeared that morning, from Kellic J. Tiger

Posted: Please take a second out of your day

Kellic J. Tiger September 11, 2001 9:02 AM

*Sobs-Not a cyber one* Everyone. Please take a second out of your day. If you have religion please pray for everyone involved in this tragedy. The firefighters, the police, the ER’s receiving any wounded, the family and friend of those who have died. Even if you don’t have religion please at least wish them your best.

Ursus Californicus, at 1:57 PM commented:

Sigh. I was sent home along with *all* other state employees for our own safety, though in my point it’s moot, as I was promptly activated as an officer with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. I’m currently waiting to see if I’m going to New York for support. As someone who worked through the crash of PSA flight 182, I can add my comments to the Tiger’s: emergency services personnel work through the tragedy without regard to their own feeling. Only later do we sometimes “lose it”. So pray for the emergency personnel, too.

Yours in fur,

Ursus Californicus (the *Bionic* Yiff Beast of Sacramento)

FlepKitsu, at 9:38 PM commented:

(partial quote from Kamau): “If you get sent out this way let me know seeing you may get stationed near my location.”

Kamau, and anyone else that might be going to help with this—be careful!!! and know, without doubt, that you have the admiration and the prayers of your fellow furs going with you.

In the following post, we see some of the tension felt by some military furries, aka “milfurs”, expressed in their particular fashion.

Posted: SOUND OFF! IONOTTER A-OKAY

Alexandyr Troutnoodler September 11, 2001 9:14 AM

ALL UNITS, ALL UNITS . .

JOHN A. IS ALRIGHT.

SITUATION IS NORMAL

NORFOLK BASE IS CLOSED.

PHONE COMMS ARE HEAVILY RESTRICTED OR DOWN.

CELL NETWORKS OVERLOADED.

DEPLOYMENT STATUS UNKNOWN-PRESUME NON-DEPLOY

I SAY AGAIN FOR PENETRATION . . .

JOHN A. (IONOTTER) IS ALRIGHT.

PLEASE REPLY WHENEVER YOU CAN.

Camstone Fox, at 9:27 AM commented:

(partial quote from Alexandyr Troutnoodler): “JOHN A. IS ALRIGHT.”

CONFIRMED.

CAMSTONE FOX A-O-K.

ALL REQUESTED TO REMAIN CALM.

DO NOT, REPEAT, DO NOT OVER REACT.

Please.

As the day continued, more furries added their comments. Some were saddened, and some were expressing anger. In some comments, the anger was directed at the terrorist, but there were some cases of anger directed at other furries for comments made. As had happened on previous occasions, comments on political topics produced conflicts within the newsgroup. Some discussions did become prolonged and bitterly argued. By 2:24 on September 11 these comments appeared:

No One In Particular, at 2:24 PM commented:

(partial quote from Rust): “I can not begin to express my current hatred for the people of Palestine, who are at this moment in the streets, celebrating the deaths of thousands of innocent civilian victims.”

(partial quote from Baloo Ursidae): “Not that we didn’t give them a reason to celebrate, we got involved in their civil war against them. Sure, we called it peacekeeping, but it’s not peacekeeping when you pick sides.”

Un-called-for Baloo. completely un-called-for. You never miss a chance to whack the country which has allowed you the freedom to natter on against it, do you? Even when 50,000+ INNOCENT people are dead. I was expecting such a remark and praying it wouldn’t come to pass. You never cease to disappoint me.

Wayd Wolf, disgusted . . .

Some furries tried to calm the conflicts.

IonOtter, at 3:03 PM commented:

. . .WAYD . . .chiiilll, my friend. Chill . . . Now is NOT the time for a hot head. *hugs*

David Fox, at 7:20 PM commented:

I’d just like to take my time to express my sincere belief that our system of government is our ultimate weapon and that we should be consistent with it and apprehend the responsible and bring them swiftly to trial. They are attacking ideals not people, so let us show them that our ideals will stand where towers have crumbled.

The emotional shock of the morning’s disaster continued into the following days. Posts and comments to posts continued on this subject until at least the twenty-fourth day of September, 2001. Expressions of sadness, helplessness, and love and support appeared daily. Our furry community is famous for its hugs and here was a big one, generously offered by Flep Kitsu

Posted: A Big Hug

Flep Kitsu September 13, 2001 9:12 PM

I figure we could ALL use at least one of these right now, so here’s my contribution:

::::::::::HUGE, GIGANTIC, VAST, COSMIC, ENORMOUS HUG::::::::::

Camstone Fox, at 11:18 PM commented:

Thanks . . . I needed that.

The list of names of the dead from the Pentagon has started to be released . . . So far, none of the names were anyone I knew . . . And I did walk those halls from time to time . . . ~lights a candle~

Kamau, on September 14, 2001 6:45 PM commented:

Thanks, we all need this right now.

*Hugs*

We will make it through this, we all will and carry the memories of those who were lost to honor them.

Tiado, at 10:01 PM commented:

*Joins in on the HUGE, GIGANTIC, VAST, COSMIC, ENORMOUS, MASSIVE, SIZEABLE, GARGANTUAN HUG*

Thanks Flep, that makes me feel a little better.

Skytech, on Septmeber 17, 2001 5:48 PM commented (in character):

Sky and Lana grab the kits and join in on the hugs. All genuinely enjoy this moment of communal support.

The attacks of September 11 caused the death of at least one known member of the furry community. The chaos of disasters often produces incomplete or inaccurate reports of casualties. Perhaps the following post reveals where the claim that someone named DesertCat, also known as Walter Senge, came from*.

Posted: Safe & Sound

LionKingCMSL, on September 17, 2001 9:50 AM commented:

To all those furs that may be wondering about the “railroading lion” and the aftermath of 9/11/01, I’m fine. JRedWolf (aka JFox), Looksfar, who are now rooming with me, and myself were well away from both NYC and Washington D.C., in transit to the railroad for a special chartered train for that day, when the attacks took place. When we arrived at the station to pick up our passengers, we found out the horrible news and were shocked and saddened. We are also saddened with the confirmed loss of two furs/weres and the possible loss of at least two others. I checked in with some of the furs who I knew that had dealings in NYC and the Pentagon to make sure they were safe and sound and to let them know we were ok. The reason for the long delay for checking in is because I still have a lot to do at the railroad and this is the first time I had time to type up a message.

To all, “Be Well”.

Kamau, at 7:37 PM commented:

Good to hear you’re fine but busy. The events of last Tuesday may just be a plus to railroads. I’ve been hearing a lot of folk on the news mention train vs. flying. Maybe the railroads can get some of the cash that’s flowing to put in more high speed line.

(partial quote from LionKingCMSL): “We are also saddened with the confirmed loss of two furs/weres and the possible loss of at least two others.”

Last I knew we had all accounted for. Who’s missing?

Camstone Fox, at 8:54 PM commented:

(partial quote from Kamau): “Last I knew we had all accounted for. Who’s missing?”

The furry site http://qrm.exodus.net/fur-status.html reports from NYC’s WTC . . .

DesertCat, aka Walter Senge, Deceased

Lisa Gregg, Deceased (furry name not listed)

and FireFoxx—Missing, not heard from.

After checking about . . . there were no furs reported of who are in the Pentagon in DC . . . as I think I am the only fur who visits them on a regular basis for meeting. Bearhug was in the Pentagon City Mall, which is close by, and PandaGuy was working in DC, but no one in DC is missing or unaccounted for. Still . . . as I was reminded, it doesn’t matter if they were furs or not. . . a lot of souls were terrorized last Tuesday . . . let’s not lose sight of that. Ever.

Kamau, on September 18, 2001 10:39 AM commented:

*Hangs head with ears down*

Sorry, I somehow missed that. Not surprising that we would loose someone. I just thought we were one of the lucky few. *sigh* You can count on it. They will be remembered and honored. While I’m looking for justice and not revenge I’ve got to say I’m very much looking for the word to come down that we can begin taking action against those responsible.

Skytech, at 2:24 PM commented (in character):

aaaw . . .

<Lana and Sky’s bodies visibly droop as they read and they lean together.>

Now it’s close. It’s our community.

Yes, that was our community of alt.lifestyle.furry.

When a disastrous event such as the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, or a natural disaster occurs, those of us around it but not directly involved with it, can be left with complicated emotional responses. Through the media we may view the pictures and read or hear of the stories from the site of the event. We know that other humans, and animals, have suffered greatly. In normal people this can evoke the feeling of grief. Our response to that grief can take many forms. Writing, and the reading of literature, is one of the ways we can positively cope with grief. The responses that you have read in this essay have shown some examples of the grief that we felt in 2001. Some people wanted to tell the rest of us that they were okay and that they were forming competent responses to the situation. Some people told us how sad they were, or horrified, by the event. Some were clearly angry. Anger and grief are closely related. Some of the participants on alt.lifestyle.furry, probably without realizing it, may have been expressing their anger about the causes of the disaster in words that they directed at one another.

Writing about our grief, or reading the words of others, can be a step toward healing. In our own writing we can give definition to multiple unorganized feelings. In reading the writing of others we may find the form and substance of emotion that we may not have had the skill to articulate, and we see that others experience emotions as we do. Through writing and reading, an emotionally overwhelming experience of grief, one that we feel is too large for us to begin to grasp, can be brought to a size that we can mentally apprehend.

The events of September 11, 2001 cast a long and dark shadow over the world, one that continues to today. By 2005, the newsgroup had declined and become very inactive. Did alt.lifestyle.furry decline, at least partly, from conflicts generated within the discussion of that event? Possibly only careful review of the newsgroup might answer this. Did some, or many, alt.lifestyle.furry participants gain some peace from the support they both gave and found on alt.lifestyle.furry? We hope this is true.

For more information on the Usenet newsgroup alt.lifestyle.furry, please look at these websites:

• Information on the Furvey
• Wikifur’s article on alt.lifestyle.furry.

* A reply from whitetail on this post adds detail:

whitetail writes on September 11 2011, 05:12:20 UTC Edited: September 11 2011, 05:13:37 UTC:

It’s important to never forget those who lost their lives in this terrible terrorist act of war. However, there is no “Walter Senge” or “JenniferKE” on the official list of 9/11 victims. Additionally, no one in the NY Furries community apparently knew or has even heard of a “DesertCat”, or anyone by the aforementioned RL names. I researched this to a rather exhaustive extent back in 2009, and no further information has been discovered or people who knew him/her have come forward since then. Because there is no known documentary evidence of this person’s existence, either in life or in death, I believe it’s prudent to conclude that this is yet another unsubstantiated 9/11 myth.

Elizatbeth (Lisa) Martine Gregg, however, WAS a real victim of the tragedy. That is no doubt whatsoever about her identity, or her death on 9/11/2001.

Please see also these Wikifur pages: The 9/11 Furry Status Page and Elizabeth Martin Gregg.

Editor’s note:

Fifteen years ago, I was fifteen, a sophomore in high school. School started at seven thirty-five in the morning, and on that morning, I had gotten up early enough that I had twenty minutes or so to spare before I had to start walking.

As was my habit with any scrap of free time I had available, I logged on to FluffMUCK to chat with folks. The atmosphere was undoubtedly strange from the get-go, and it was Leonel who told me, “A plane crashed into the world trade center.” When I expressed confusion and disbelief, he encouraged me to look it up, and so I went to school with the knowledge that something extraordinary was happening.

The teachers and administrators knew that something had happened, and they made a long announcement that, although we were to go to our classes as scheduled, it would be up to the teachers whether or not to teach the subject matter at hand or to talk about the events. In the middle of the announcement, a third plane crashed into the side of the Pentagon.

The released all of the TVs to as many classrooms as possible, and we sat in near silence as we watched the North Tower collapse.

I spent my free period in the computer lab where I helped with the student-run web server, Babylonia. I spent as much time as I could on FluffMUCK trying to get in touch with my partner at the time, Marek, who lived in Pennsylvania. I did the same during the C++ class I was in at the time, where the instructor let us spend the period on the internet reading about what had happened.

We watched the news through the final period of the day, photography, and I still hadn’t heard back from Marek. The punk in the class laughed at my anxiety, and told me that the reason he was better than me was that he wasn’t gay – an insult that was such a non-sequitur that I laughed in his face.

Marek lived. I lived. All of my friends lived. As Shining River writes, there was one confirmed furry lost in the attacks that September, but it wasn’t someone with whom I was acquainted.

2,996 lives and $3 trillion in damages later, my mom and I watched a missile salvo on October 7th, signifying the start of the War in Afghanistan.

This is a furry site, always will be, but we furries are people too. We live in the world, for better or for worse, and the events of the world affect us in myriad ways. In the comments, we welcome you to respectfully share your stories, your memories of that day.

hey, it's a Patreon guest podcast with Bandrik! 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 Lastly, don't forget to check out our YouTube, where we have many extra vids, Dragget Plays, and live streams & recordings of the podcasts. www.youtube.com/user/DraggetShow/videos ep 133 - Christmas Armadillo - hey, it's a Patreon guest podcast with Bandrik! …

Also new from Action Lab: The Adventures of Miru, a new full-color comic book series written by Rick Laprade and illustrated by J. McClary. “Miru the dragon crashes on Gaia—a realm where dragons no longer exist—and swiftly becomes the most wanted creature around. Without a memory, a past, or an inkling why he’s here, he and his new allies begin a journey that holds the key to the survival of all realities.” Check out the preview over at Flickering Myth.

image c. 2016 Action Lab