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Dear Papabear,

So I've been attending a new animation and art college and It's been going great. Sort of. I got into furries when I was 14 years old and I love it to this day. But it seems people at my university have a problem with furries. So a few days ago we were told to do a project. A simple animation texture on water and hair, I asked my professor on if I could draw FUR. As I was planning to draw an anthropomorphic ANIMAL. As I'm not often able to speak to him personally, I was basically forced to only be able to ask him in-front of everyone. So, After I asked the question, a few people chuckled, I brushed it off. So as the professor I could assume wondered why, he asked me, and I told him I was drawing an anthropomorphic animal. No harm in that, correct? Wrong. There was about 4-5 people in the room hysterically laughing at what I'd asked. Again, I brush it off. So the professor didn't laugh, he knew what it was, but didn't think much of it. So he said yes. As I was working on my project on my digital tablet, a few students behind me happened to look at my screen. When they first heard "anthropomorphic" I imagine they didn't think quite of FURRIES. So when they saw the drawing/WIP of the animation, they asked me if I was a FURRY. I said yes; I now know that was a horrible choice. They laughed and laughed. I could hear them whispering about it and chuckling about it for the rest of the time of that class.

After that day, I had a couple people come up to me as I was walking to my dorm, yelping "yiff yiff! yiff yiff!" In my ear. It just bugs me a whole lot how they assume I enjoy that side of the fandom. I told them to stop. They laughed, and they did it again today, but more of them. Almost the whole school knows at this point. But that’s not all. I had a girlfriend by the name of Aleshia, she knew I was a furry, but she didn't really know what a furry WAS. So I can assume that those specific students, or maybe others, told her what the "public" knows as a furry: a monster that dresses up in animal costumes and has sex. And her, being a very gullible person, believed it. So she broke up with me today, and I'm devastated. I've tried for 3 hours today trying to talk to her and she won’t listen. How do you think I should get over this? Or, even better, prove to these people furries AREN'T bad people!

Aquil (age 17)

* * *

Dear Aquil,

Let’s be clear that there are a couple reasons for the mocking you received: 1) your fellow students’ ignorance of furries, and 2) because of the social dynamics in schools where cliques find a target person who is seen as weak and vulnerable to mock, tease, even beat up so that they can reinforce bonds with the “cool” people. These are not people who are interested in hearing arguments about the true nature of furries (no matter how correct or well-reasoned). They are only interested in finding someone to pick on so they feel better about themselves. For this reason, trying to educate them is pointless.
What you need to do, then, is deal with them as one must deal with any type of bully: ignore them. They only have fun and get off on their bullying when you give them a reaction. Even a simple “Stop doing that” is sufficient for them because they know that you don’t like their teasing, which is what they want.

So don’t react. Indeed, ignore them completely. As Nick Wilde said in Zootopia, remember to never let them know they have gotten to you because that’s what they want. The only time you should take a criticism to heart is when it comes from a person you respect and who is trying to help you. These people do not qualify in either category.

Also, keep in mind that laughter is an effective weapon. Instead of acting upset, laugh at them.

As for your girlfriend: I’m sorry what happened, but, seriously, do you want a girlfriend who believes some stupid social clique more than you? If she truly loved you, she would be supportive of you and listen to what you have to say in your defense. Instead, she turned her back on you and didn’t even give you that chance. You don’t need a girl like that. Keep looking. You’ll be better off.

Hugs,
Papabear

One Flew Over Florida…

In-Fur-Nation - Sat 13 Aug 2016 - 01:59

The Adventures of Pelican Pete: A Bird is Born is the title of a 1999 book for kids by Frances and Hugh Keiser. (She wrote it, he illustrated it.) “A story in rhyme about a pelican egg which hatches into curious young pete. To protect his head from the sun, his parents find a child’s cap for him to wear. The Adventures of Pelican Pete is an entertaining, educational resource with appropriate environmental values that is expressed visually with detailed art work in vivid coloring.” Much more recently, animator Dani Bowman hooked up with a young film-maker named Keaton Bicknell to create a live action/animated short film based on the book. Now it’s making the rounds at various film festivals, but you can also view this 2015 film on Vimeo.

image c. 2016 Sagaponack Books

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Categories: News

FWG Member Spotlight: Madison Keller

Furry Writers' Guild - Fri 12 Aug 2016 - 12:00

Tell us about yourself and a recent published project of yours.

I have been writing since 2012 and published my first novel near the end of 2014. My newest project is The Dragon Tax Book One, which came out in June 2016. This originally was published in 2015 as a short story in the anthology A Menagerie of Heroes, which went out of print just a few months later.

I’d had so much fun with the characters I’d already written several more stories of their continuing adventures. I’d planned on perhaps doing a series of linked short stories, but with the very first one out of print and hard to find, I scrapped that idea. However, I’d had to cut some scenes to fit in the word count limit and I had the idea to add back in those missing scenes and tighten up the story, making it a novella length work and republishing it as a stand alone first in the series.

Why do you like using “furry” characters in stories?

I enjoying figuring out how furry features and characteristics would change a society’s fundamental values. I also like using it to explore aspects of human behavior that wouldn’t come up in non-furry fiction.

What made you want to become a writer? Are there authors or books that strongly influenced you?

I was a huge bookworm and devoured the entire science fiction/fantasy section of the local library as I was growing up. I wanted to be a writer to tell the stories that filled my own head. However, I let others talk me out of pursing a career in writing and threw away everything I’d been writing in junior high and high school. With the advent of the Kindle I began reading many self-published works and was re-inspired to again put pen to page.

In high school I was inspired by the likes of Piers Anthony, Tracy Hickman, Walter Jon Williams, and Barbara Hambly. Lately I’ve been devouring A.E. Marling’s Enchantress series, Charles Stross’s Laundry files, and Jonathan Howard’s Necromancer series as well as many other books.

Tell us a bit about your writing process. Do you see yourself as a “pantser,” an outliner, or somewhere in between?

I’m an outliner all the way. Before I write a single sentence of my manuscript I’ll outline the plot, define all the major characters, and do high-level worldbuilding. As I write I will expand character profiles, add world-building details, and tweak the outline.

Do you have any advice you’d give other writers?

Don’t let other people discourage you and never stop writing. Read a lot, everything you can find, but especially books in your chosen genre.

What’s a project you’re working on now, or that may be coming out soon?

I’m currently juggling three projects—working on the next books in the Dragon Tax series, finishing up the final planned book in my Flower’s Fang universe, and outlining a new werewolf urban fantasy trilogy set in central Washington state that is as of yet un-named.

Where can people find you and your work?

All of my work can be found on Amazon or on my website, flowersfang.com.

Categories: News

Return to Narnia?

In-Fur-Nation - Fri 12 Aug 2016 - 01:59

Word is out that Tristar Pictures have (finally!) given the go-ahead to begin work on the 4th feature film adaptation of the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. Next up is The Silver Chair — in which Eustace Stubb and his new friend from school, Jill Pole, wind up traveling back to Narnia… tasked by the lion-god Aslan with helping to find Prince Caspian’s missing son. As usual with any Narnia story, talking animals abound. In this case, that especially means owls! After the last two Narnia films (Prince Caspian from 2008 and Voyage of the Dawn Treader from 2010) met with less-than-spectacular results at the domestic box office, many began to wonder if any of the rest of the books would see the light of movies at all. Looks like at least one of them will! We found this out from Famous Monsters of Filmland, of all places. No word yet on a director, stars, or a planned release date for The Silver Chair.

image c. 2016 C.S. Lewis

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Categories: News

Long Distance Relationships - What does it take to sustain a Long Distance Relationship? Join an extended crew today as we discuss some of our relationships that worked, and some that didn't

WagzTail - Thu 11 Aug 2016 - 23:33

What does it take to sustain a Long Distance Relationship? Join an extended crew today as we discuss some of our relationships that worked, and some that didn’t

Metadata and Credits Long Distance Relationships

Runtime: 34:35m

Cast: Levi, Path, Wolfin

Editor: Wolfin

Long Distance Relationships - What does it take to sustain a Long Distance Relationship? Join an extended crew today as we discuss some of our relationships that worked, and some that didn't

Categories: Podcasts

Long Distance Relationships - What does it take to sustain a Long Distance Relationship? Join an extended crew today as we discuss some of our relationships that worked, and some that didn't

WagzTail - Thu 11 Aug 2016 - 23:33

What does it take to sustain a Long Distance Relationship? Join an extended crew today as we discuss some of our relationships that worked, and some that didn’t

Metadata and Credits Long Distance Relationships

Runtime: 34:35m

Cast: Levi, Path, Wolfin

Editor: Wolfin

Long Distance Relationships - What does it take to sustain a Long Distance Relationship? Join an extended crew today as we discuss some of our relationships that worked, and some that didn't

Categories: Podcasts

Episode 324 - Some Dude's Sky

Southpaws - Thu 11 Aug 2016 - 22:46

Savrin and Fuzz are back this week to talk about Bowie, travel woes, successful Kickstarter projects, gush about Netflix stuff, and more. We didn't have much in the way of emails this week so it was a shorter show, but we also did our shoutouts to all our awesome Patreon folks this week. Thanks to all of those who support us- y'all rock! Our Patreon: www.patreon.com/Knotcast Episode 324 - Some Dude's Sky

Categories: Podcasts

Science of Centaurs | Episode 33

Culturally F'd - Thu 11 Aug 2016 - 17:02

Categories: Videos

Furry Times – a lesser known blog with some quality fandom interviews you should see.

Dogpatch Press - Thu 11 Aug 2016 - 10:26

Ahmar Wolf’s profile pic

I have an impression that “Furry News” sources are limited to a very select handful of ones with general focus (Flayrah, Adjective Species, or Dogpatch Press). There’s also a few specialized ones (Furstarter, Gaming Furever, Furry.today for videos, or some literary ones with inconsistent presence.)

Furry Times only recently came across my radar. It was by direct outreach from Ahmar Wolf (the founder who may work with a contributor from time to time). It escaped my notice because I had never seen it linked on social media, and it didn’t easily come up in searches for general furry topics. But it’s been steadily active since 2009.

There’s good content at Furry Times, and the furry world needs more of this. Briefly, I’ll say that finding it takes a lot of wading through random and non-furry filler that could benefit from much more focused curation. I’ll give a little critique about that after a few good examples you should see.

If the blog was focused on stuff with this approach, it could be a real contender for another furry news source beyond just a personal blog. If that doesn’t matter and it’s just a place to put personal thoughts, OK – but if the original content is meant to be seen, it could use focus.

Let’s look at why this blog may be underexposed. (Views are one thing, engagement and recognizable presence are another.)

It’s not obvious what the blog is for. The “about” says almost nothing. The title implies news. The content has multiple personalities – between timely furry information and videos, social media memes best for Facebook, copies of non-furry clickbait, and art/comics.

There’s a huge amount of filler. Even more complicated, it’s mixed with porn art/erotic stories. Now, furries and porn have a special relationship of duality and personal expression. Unlike many other topics/communities, I think that this mix could work well if done carefully. Let’s set the “gray area” of unauthorized sharing aside, and say that at least carefully curating the porn is a Must. Give people a reason to see it here, rather than going to a porn-specific blog. I think that unpredictable sharing of adult stuff can fight against attracting regular viewers interested in informative content (especially if they read at work), or presenting Furry as it’s own legitimate thing (whether the reader is in or out of the fandom.)

I see many posts with comments off. Others have very little if any engagement, a good sign of need for improvement with curation. I would go as far as to say that the amount of posting should discard about 85% of what’s there and consolidate some of the rest with a little added commentary.

The original or timely furry “newsworthy” content seems not to pay enough attention to “new and informative” or at least Voice. Often it’s only mildly interesting stuff you could see anywhere, without consistent timeliness, category, or original information/opinions about it. Random videos and comics without date or credit could at least have a reason for why they’re worth your time.

It’s well known that formal copyright is rarely respected by casual blogs using “internet rules”. I won’t lecture about etiquette. But at the very least, try to consistently credit and link creators and artists, or share it to them directly so they know. For reposting entire pieces, try instead to use an excerpt with link to the original. Doing anything else splits the content between legit and pirate. If it’s meant to share pirate content, take care. Celebrating older stuff that isn’t maintained elsewhere is different from maybe competing directly with creators.

The layout isn’t very appealing for reading long-form stories. It’s kinda cramped in width without much image layout among the words, and it’s lacking bolding etc. to break up the text. It is interesting to see some categories in the links in the side (add a News section?) and especially the “downloads” page.

The very best thing here is when Ahmar comment on the Downloads page: “I have a passion for old furry publications, enough so I decided to make them available for free download.” A focus on that passion could make an extremely interesting curated blog. (I’ll avoid discussing etiquette, and just say that sharing old stuff could be especially welcome if there are some original thoughts or links to more info, every time it’s shared.)

There’s potential here. The above interview articles show it. A lot of trimming is in order to bring it out. Try commenting to Ahmar and see if it helps to aim his work towards what you might want to see. Hearing from readers can be very important to bring out the best.

It seems like Ahmar Wolf really likes running Furry Times. If these suggestions don’t suit, instead of just changing the blog, consider splitting it into several. Having ones for furry news, adult art, and personal stuff could bring more enjoyment for everyone.

Categories: News

One Good Dragon

In-Fur-Nation - Thu 11 Aug 2016 - 01:55

Here’s a book we missed from last year. J.C. Stevens is an author as well as an artist — she has displayed at various fan cons. As such she is both the writer and the illustrator of her first book, Dragon Lad. It’s published through her own imprint, Dragon’s Egg Books. “Hatched into a world where dragons are on the verge of extinction, Dorg seems the dragon least likely to succeed. A magic curse has left him the size of a sparrow in a time and place where dragons are merciless predators. And Dorg is not just tiny. He has a different heart and soul than the rest of the dragons. He wants to be friends with the other creatures in his world, not eat them. He even empathizes with the humans that those of his species loathe. At first, all Dorg wants to do is to end the curse so he can be like the other dragons. But as he sets out on that quest, he encounters both friends and enemies who make him realize that being a big, mean dragon isn’t what he wants at all.” Find out more at the official Dragon’s Egg web site.

image c. 2016 by J.C. Stevens

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Categories: News

FA 031 Hookup App Etiquette - Millennials have less sex, Hookup apps are for hookups, Therapy is good, debate on an editorial show is bad! All this, and more, on Feral Attraction

Feral Attraction - Wed 10 Aug 2016 - 18:00

Hello Everyone!

We open today's show with a discussion on why millennials are having less sex. We also ask the question: are furries really millennials and why does it seem we buck this trend?

Our main topic is on hookup apps. Regardless of your gender or orientation, there is a hookup app that caters to your wants, needs, and desires. We discuss some of the more common apps, the common pitfalls and dangers of using hookup apps, and what you can do to ensure you have as positive an experience as possible.

Our question focuses on sexuality, BDSM, and therapy: how to find a kink positive therapist and whether enjoying being dominated by another man makes you less straight.

We have some feedback on our opening discussion last week, and we close with an apology for the audio quality for the week. Next week our studios will be completed and the audio quality should return to a good level. Thank you again for your patience and understanding!

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

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 031 Hookup App Etiquette - Millennials have less sex, Hookup apps are for hookups, Therapy is good, debate on an editorial show is bad! All this, and more, on Feral Attraction

Categories: Podcasts

[a][s] on The More You Know – S1E4 – Media in the Furry Fandom

[adjective][species] - Wed 10 Aug 2016 - 13:00

[a][s] had the pleasure to take part in a podcast, alongside Dogpatch Press, exploring furry media. That is, we wanted to explore how media works within the furry subculture, rather than the ways in which widespread media treats furry. It was a wonderful way to do a deep-dive into how media – specifically written media – works and spreads within furry. The whole thing is well worth listening to, so give it ago!

Embedding is disabled at the request of the podcast owner, but you can listen to it in its entirety on its post on YouTube here.

New Furry Novels Summer Releases

Dogpatch Press - Wed 10 Aug 2016 - 10:04

Good day Fluffer Nutters. Around Anthrocon, we did an article highlighting all 25 books being released by Furplanet, but there were and are still more Furry books being released that we didn’t cover from the many other publishers and self-publishers. This list covers the rest that I can find. If you know any that I missed, feel free to mention them in the comments. Hope you enjoy your next furry obsession.

SOFAWOLF PRESS

Franko, Fables of the Last Earth by Cristobal Jofre and Angel Bernier (General Hardcover $39.95/ Softcover $19.95)

Franko, Fables of the Last Earth is a collection of six comic stories about Franko, a precocious lion living on the Atacama Desert of Chile with his friend Shin, thousands of years in Earth’s future. Theirs is a vibrant world of animal characters, where humans are long gone, along with much of their technology. Life on this desert, the driest in the world, is difficult, but also full of adventures and mysteries. In each fable, Franko and Shin encounter challenges and riddles that they must solve, and in the process they learn a bit more about themselves, and others. Not every fable ends with an obvious lesson, but each one is thought-provoking and full of surprises.

Franko was originally published in Chile in its native Spanish by Amapola Editores, Ltda. as Franko, Fábulas de la Última Tierra. We at Sofawolf Press fell in love with Franko, his friends, and his gorgeously-illustrated world, and so in 2016 we ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the printing of an English translation of this collection.

The fables included in this volume are:

The Fable of Mana and the Treasure
Chapter Title Page by Hax
The Fable of Cobrafrog, the Merchant
Chapter Title Page by Ekara
The Fable of Megaboss
Chapter Title Page by Martin Caceres (inks) and Ekara (color)
The Fable of the Host of Midnight
Chapter Title Page by Arashi Takemoto
The Fable of the Slave Master
Chapter Title Page by Seyorrol
The Fable of Behemo, the Hermit
Chapter Title Page by Rodrigo Lopez

Due to the success of meeting one of our Kickstarter campaign’s stretch goals, the collection includes three additional black and white comics:

Box
The Second Rain
Florid Desert

This book is suitable for readers from age 7 to 700.

HEAT VOL. 13 Edited by Dark End and Black Teagan (Mature $14.95)

It’s time for (un)lucky number thirteen! In this auspicious issue of Heat, Volume #13, we offer another exciting selection of prose, poetry, and pictures, with an exciting dash of classic Americana.

In Skyleaper (by Slip-Wolf, illustrated by Kalahari), Lannar tries to ease the pain of her recently deceased love by throwing herself into her work: preparing for the first manned flight to the moon. But for wolves, the moon has always held spiritual and religious significance, and the journey might tear the world — and Lannar herself — apart.

Anubis (a poem by Televassi, illustrated by Simul) has long been a favorite of the fandom, and here we again see why as a devotee pens this prayer to the Egyptian god.

In Wolftown Detroit, you can find it all: werewolves, ghosts, vampires, berserkers. But when private investigator Jae Kim visits Wolftown and finds his former boyfriend, he discovers that his client isn’t the only one with Unfinished Business (by Kyell Gold, illustrated by Silverclaw).

In the comic Mile High Club, TaniDaReal invites you to join a pair of pent-up flyers joining the namesake club.

Life on the high seas can separate you from your family for a very long time, so when your lover is a Sailor Dog (a poem by Beagle.in.Red, illustrated by Lundi), you need to make those times together count.

Amadi is a tribal Zebra working in the big city, trying to understand and respect the strange city concept of privacy. But he and his neighbor are forced to deal with each other on more intimate terms thanks to a Hole in the Wall (by Kandrel, illustrated by Oouna).

With All Faults (a poem by Tempe O’Kun, illustrated by Merystic) is a quick glimpse into the love lives of two bibliophiles.

In Lunch Date (a comic by BlackTeagan), two lovers meet for a midday tryst of “eating out.”

In Glam, Slam, Thank You Sir (by Robin, illustrated by Mahrkale), we meet Fizz, keyboardist for the chart-topping rock sensation Corgi Orgi. While touring through Paris, he saves a feline fan from a band of thugs, but there’s more to this kitten than meets the eye and Fizz’s heart might be on the line.

Some parts of America are so empty you can travel for miles without seeing another soul, so why not take advantage of some of the privacy that affords while you’re out on the Open Road (a comic by Tsaiwolf)?

Sterling is too square a guy to be in such a hip coffeehouse. Then he meets a wild woman intent on loosening him up and who won’t take no for an answer. Before long, he will be at his Wit’s End (by Watts Martin, illustrated by TheTiedTigress).

This year’s Afterglow Husky is provided by Jeniak, and the wrap-around cover features art from Edge, inspired by Glam, Slam,Thank You Sir.

Heat is intended for an adult audience only and contains explicit sexual material of Male/Male, Female/Female and Male/Female nature. It is not for sale to persons under the age of 18.

THURSTON HOWL PUBLICATIONS

Wotan the Wolf Pup VOL. 1: Wotan Learns Respect by C.R. Benson and Scott Ford (General $10.99)

Wotan the wolf pup gets lost in the woods near his home. Follow him as he tries to find his way with the help of the most unlikely friend!

WEASEL PRESS

Fragments of Life’s Heart VOL. 1 (General $19.95)

They say Love is the oldest story on Earth, but we don’t have to tell it the same way every time. How many ways are there to explore our feelings that we may have never even considered? Countless fragments of different worlds, all held together by the greatest force of all.

Join us as we explore the many different forms of love—family love, forbidden love, love that embraces what society always taught was wrong. Seasoned veterans and brand new talents bring you seventeen anthropomorphic stories with all different forms of sexuality and relationships, in a journey across genres, worlds, and time.

Love can bloom, thrive, and end. Love can heal, mesh, and blend. We’re all Fragments trying to stick together.

Knotted: A BDSM Anthology (Mature $15.95)

Get entangled with darker worlds. Some of our desires are unconventional, maybe even taboo. A lot of folks out there just want a simple fuck, but others may want to indulge in something wilder. Knotted is a collection of eight anthropomorphic tales that explore this savage side. There are no baby steps here, readers are shoved into various worlds where the characters run off with what they want most. From losing control to getting restless in your search, some appetites are too addicting to let go. Stories featured:

01. Okami to Shika by Corgi.W
02. Pony She Wrote by Franklin Leo
03. A Moment of Darkness by NightEyes DaySpring
04. Due by Slip-Wolf
05. Family Ties by Hooves
06. Submit by Arian Mabe
07. Resolutions by Khaz
08. The Meat Market by Kits Koriohn

SELF-PUBLISHED

Marking Territory – Freelance Familiars Book Two by Daniel Potter (General $3.99)

Power corrupts. Can Thomas resist the lure?

Thomas may be the first magical cougar to go freelance, but he still has a lot to learn about selecting clients. Guilty over the injuries suffered by his friend and client O’Meara, Thomas resolves to collect enough magical essence to get her healed. Teaming up with an under-appreciated cabal of technomagi, Thomas finds himself battling encroaching mages, vicious spirits, and the forces of the multiverse itself to gather the energy mysteriously popping up all over Grantsville.

Will the promise of absolute power corrupt the people and town he cares for, or will Thomas overcome his own obsession in time to save the people most in danger?

Marking Territory continues Thomas’ adventures in the second installment of Freelance Familiars. If you like the Dresden Files, you’ll love this darkly humorous urban fantasy with an animal twist.

Buy this exciting four-pawed adventure today!

-Matthias

Categories: News

Spooky Little Boy Hangs With Monsters

In-Fur-Nation - Wed 10 Aug 2016 - 01:57

“Well before he becomes the famed horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, young Howard Lovecraft is a curious and imaginative boy living with his mother while his father is locked away in Arkham Sanitarium. But after his mother unwittingly gives Howard the legendary Necronomicon, he is transported to a dangerous and frozen world populated by horrifying creatures. After saving and befriending one such creature – Spot – Howard and his new friend set off on a perilous quest to save the kingdom and get Howard home. But Howard soon finds out that not everything is as it seems and not everyone is to be trusted.” That’s the idea behind Howard Lovecraft and the Three Kingdoms, a series of graphic novels written by Bruce Brown — based on the actual life of Lovecraft himself — and illustrated by Renzo Podesta. Now the first of the three stores, Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom, has been adapted into a CGI animated film (directed by Sean O’Reilly and featuring the voices of Ron Perlman, Christopher Plummer, and Jane Curtin, among others) which is coming this September on DVD from Shout Factory. You can find the graphic novels at Amazon, and learn more about the movie at the official site.

image c. 2016 Shout Factory

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Categories: News

Too Much Advice Is Making Picking a Fursona Difficult for Him

Ask Papabear - Tue 9 Aug 2016 - 11:50

Hi,

While I was googling why I was changing my fursona, I came across your lovely website. I've wanted to ask you, how can I have a more permanent fursona? Everytime I change, I feel bad and people are like "Thal, are you serious, you changed again?" I do it, since I get this sense of ennui from having to force myself into a role. I'm also afraid of having to have a fursona that's seen as trite like a fox or wolf.

For now, I am just going with the flow. Personally, I've been told to base some of my species off of my personality.

On the good side, I'm rather reliable and tend toward a soul that is rather more suited to smiles than to frowns. I tend to be self-sacrificing and a bit of a mediator. I'm also pretty self-aware.

On the bad side, I can stubborn and I've been told I can be arrogant. I also tend towards a defiant personality, and I don't hold like being around big crowds or having to work in a large team, like a sports team.

For more neutral or double-sided traits, I'm introverted, and tend to like work by myself or in a small group like I've said. I am also of a dominant ... at least when it comes to matters in the bed. Also, when I'm not sure, I tend to seek advice from people who I regard to be wise... which is why I'm typing this. xP

So, what do I do? have anything to suggest to me?

Signed,

Thal (age 21)

* * *

Dear Thal,

Yes, I do :-) First off, stop listening to other people about what your fursona should be. A fursona is deeply personal and only you can decide what it should be and what feels right for you.

Secondly, don't worry if you change fursonas (or have multiple fursonas). That's perfectly fine. And if people have a problem with your changing fursonas, that's their problem, not yours. Don't worry your fuzzy head about it. My fursona, over the years, changed from wolf to dragon to bear (I'm quite certain it will stay bear from now on). When I was your age, I was still a dragon.

Thirdly: should your fursona reflect your personality? Not necessarily. It can, but doesn't have to. My feeling is that a good fursona can reflect who you wish to be, what you aspire to be, rather than what you are. You might have noticed that people choose fursonas that are often more outgoing, talented, adventurous than they are. Fursonas often personify (haha) the traits we are afraid of expressing ourselves. Great example: the real me (Kevin Hile) would be terrified to perform on stage. I've never even done karaoke. However, as Grubbs in my fursuit I performed "The Bare Necessities" on stage quite expressively. Grubbs is stronger, more easygoing, more confident in himself than I am.

Perhaps the problem you are having is that you are listening too much to other people and it is making choosing difficult for you. My advice would be to plug your ears to all those other voices and listen to what is in your heart and spirit. Do not force it; let it come to you naturally. This is how Grubbs came to me. I really didn't think of it much, he just introduced himself pre-formed in my head and all I had to do from that point is commission a fursuit.

Think about your fursona at quiet times, such as when you are lying in bed about to go to sleep or perhaps while in meditation. In a way, fursonas pick us, not the other way around.

Hope that helps.

Bear Hugs,
Papabear

Hoenix, by Ted R. Blasingame – book review by Fred Patten.

Dogpatch Press - Tue 9 Aug 2016 - 10:20

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

Fred writes: three or four reviews of furry books that I wrote in 2003 or 2004 have vanished from the Internet. I wrote them for the first version of Watts Martin’s Claw & Quill site, which he has apparently taken down. Here they are back online.

Hoenix, by Ted R. Blasingame.
Morrisville, NC, Dennier Publishing/Lulu, August 2004, trade paperback $12.49 (343 pages).

For about a quarter-century from 1925 to 1950, millions of Americans thrilled to rip-roaring adventure fiction in pulp magazines and movie serials. Best Western, Popular Detective, Doc Savage, Jungle Stories, G-8 and His Battle Aces — there were dozens of them. The colorful locales might change, but most featured steely-jawed adventurers who slugged, slashed or shot their way through innumerable dangers. I loved these when I was a kid.

Ted Blasingame’s galactic adventures would fit in nicely with the works of Edmond Hamilton, Jack Williamson, and L. Ron Hubbard that supposedly were among George Lucas’ inspiration for Star Wars. Blasingame has been writing his adventures of an interstellar freighter spaceship in a galaxy of anthropomorphized animals, on his http://horizon.dennier.com/ website since 1996. Recently he has started publishing them in trade paperback format through the Lulu.com print-on-demand web-publisher. Hoenix is a stand-alone novel in his Blue Horizon universe.

A wolf regains consciousness at the bottom of a deep well next to the skeleton of another canine. He has been savagely beaten and left for dead. He has almost complete amnesia. Next to him and the skeleton are a suitcase containing clothes with a sales receipt to Aramis Thorne, some rations, and a crate of rotting bags of ancient gold coins — millions of credits’ worth. The well is in a deserted primitive city, uninhabited for centuries but with signs of having been recently looted. After hiding most of the gold, the wolf discovers that he subconsciously has enough survival skills to live through an arduous desert trek, and to face down a band of thieving fennec nomads who abruptly back off when he uses the Thorne name. “Nobody crosses Captain Thorne…” “Heard you were dead… It’s all over Castelrosso…”

Is he really Thorne? Since the wolf clearly has dangerous enemies whoever he is, he decides to take advantage of the Thorne name. He learns in the spaceport city of Castelrosso on the planet Brandt that Thorne is (or was) the captain of a space freighter rumored to engage in piracy. He recently disappeared after leaving with a partner on a quest for the fabled lost treasure city of Hoenix. The partner, Randon, came back alone and has temporarily left Brandt. If the wolf is not Thorne, he looks enough like him to pass as him. He is accosted by rough-looking space sailors who ask if he is hiring a new crew since they would be proud to blast off with the famous Captain Thorne. Actively posing as Thorne, he uses the small amount of gold he was able to bring with him to buy a spaceship (old and of dubious spaceworthiness) which he names the Hoenix, and start building a new crew: Goro Harada (pilot – coyote), Errol Colfax (chief engineer – Labrador), Tyler Ringo (cook – beagle), Jason Talos (first officer – wolf), Karla Crandall (gunner – husky), and others. In fact, it is considered noteworthy that the crew of the Hoenix are all canids since the galactic society is otherwise very multispecies. Among the supporting characters are a badger antiquarian and a kangaroo restaurant manager.

Anyhow, “Thorne” now has a ship and crew and is ready to face Randon and his feline crew on his return. But how loyal will the Hoenix‘s crew be when they realize that he has hired them for a private purpose rather than for the piracy that made the real Captain Thorne’s crew rich?

Hoenix is old-fashioned space opera with little ingroup references to classic pirate movies. There are mutinies, space battles, betrayals, searches for lost treasures, and the like. Blasingame’s writing is smooth and formulaic for the most part, except for when there is a development so dramatic that it feels like a deliberate effort to surprise the reader. (It usually works, too.) There are background references to other characters and events in the Blue Horizon universe.

Blasingame does a generally admirable job of putting superficial anthropomorphic characteristics onto what is really a human story:

“He shrugged out of the torn shirt and put the new one around his broad shoulders. The material was light and airy and would allow his fur to breathe properly without feeling stuffy. […] What looked like a pair of tan riding breeches was next, and as before, the garment fit him fairly closely. There was just enough play in the material that he could not be sure if it had been made for him or someone just a little larger, but the tail flap was at the right height for his anatomy.” (pg. 10)

If you like space opera in the classic style and don’t mind that there is no reason or explanation for the characters to be anthropomorphized animals, Hoenix is worth a read.

Note: This is the cover by Elizabeth Jackson of the 10th Anniversary Revised Edition. The cover of the 2004 edition is not online any more.

– Fred Patten

Buy on Lulu

Categories: News

Yes, Yes, Birds and Bees…

In-Fur-Nation - Tue 9 Aug 2016 - 01:58

Flydra Creative is a collection of animations students at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts. Lead by Jabril Mack, their first production is a 6-minute pilot for a 2D funny animal comedy series called Bailey & Clark — featuring the adventures of a bee named Bailey and a penguin named Clark, along with their friends and frenemies. The animated pilot is up on YouTube, but there’s also an official Bailey & Clark web site where you can find out more about the pilot and more upcoming adventures.

image c. 2016 by Flydra Creative

Categories: News