Feed aggregator

Hello Everyone!

On tonight's show we open with a discussion on how women who are cheated on might win in the long run. While some might say the true victory is not being hitched with a cheating asshole, is it possible that the long-term effects of being cheated on might outweigh the short-term pain?

Our main topic is on resilience. Resilience is the quality to recover quickly from periods of difficulty and strain in your life, and it is a tool that many people lack as it is not innate but learned. Unfortunately, too many people equate resilience with being overly stoic, where you adopt a poker face and never have moments of vulnerability or weakness. In much the same way that bravery is standing in moments of fear, resilience is standing in moments of weakness. We discuss how to become more resilient, the benefits of resiliency, and why all of this is important for your relationships. 

We move on to a listener question on the friend zone. How can you stop being the best friend and become the boyfriend? (Spoiler: the friend zone is a myth). We discuss ways that you can exert your emotional bandwidth and employ direct, sensible communication. We also trash pick up artists a bit and make fun of negging.  

We close out the show with some feedback on whether or not the show should have opposing viewpoints and whether or not we, as hosts, exist in an echo chamber that is howling into the faceless void.

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

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 028 Resilience - Breakups can be good, resiliency is essential, the friend zone is a myth. All this and more on this week's episode!

Guest post by Huskyteer. Huskyteer writes stories and poems about talking animals. Most of these are published within the furry fandom, but sometimes one escapes into the wild. She enjoys motorcycle adventures, aviation museums, karate and cider.

It’s one of the most iconic moments in literature. Even if you haven’t read the books, or seen a TV or cinema adaptation, you’re probably familiar with the image of a little girl walking through the back of a wardrobe into a snowy forest lit by an old-fashioned streetlamp. Both the scene and the title of the book – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – are sufficiently recognisable to be used as shorthand and appear in parody.

If that scene is all you know, it’s worth delving deeper. As well as the wise and noble, but also slightly terrifying, Aslan – ‘not a tame lion’ – there are creatures ranging from sublime unicorns to ridiculous but heroic mice. Badgers, bears, moles, mice, not to mention non-humans like centaurs, fauns and dryads (the Narnian mythos tends towards the classical).

(A small confession here: despite the plethora of gorgeous talking animals Narnia offers, my own favourite character is Puddleglum, the pessimistic Marsh-wiggle of The Silver Chair.)

Then there’s the world of Narnia itself, introduced in the glorious, freewheeling fantasy of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, where Man may be no more than a myth. The four children, despite their credentials as Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, are intruders on this domain. Narnia was created by Aslan for the benefit of its nonhuman inhabitants; humans blunder in by accident, or are summoned by Aslan to undo the deliberate or accidental harm done by other humans.

I cannot be the only reader who found Narnia less appealing in the later books, when the map has expanded and there are humans all over the place in Calormen, Archenland and the rest.

There’s a sense throughout the series that animals and semi-animals are more consistent than humans, with simpler desires and morality; a lion might eat you, but he’ll be honest about it. This ties in nicely with the idealism that goes with creating a fursona to be a better version of oneself, free of homo sapiens’s nastier traits.

Although humans come in various hues of morality, non-human characters are more likely to be evil the more they resemble humans, as is specifically called out by Mr Beaver’s warning not to trust anything that looks human but isn’t; see the giants of The Silver Chair for a good example.

Much of Lewis’s philosophy lines up nicely with a furry way of thinking. Cruelty to animals, for instance, is a sure sign of evil. There’s an early indicator that the eponymous magician of The Magician’s Nephew is a bit of a bounder in his callous indifference to the guinea pigs he uses in his research: “Some of them only died. Some exploded like little bombs…” The young protagonist, and the reader, are rightly disgusted.

Lewis neatly tackles the problem of feeding a world’s anthropomorphic carnivores: there are Talking beasts, from bloodlines uplifted by Aslan at the creation of Narnia, and there are the ordinary sort, who are, quite literally, fair game. Consuming a sentient being is taboo, and the diner, if a Narnian native and the right sort, is likely to feel as if they have eaten a baby.

The author’s gifts to the furry community just keep on giving. As well as the inhabitants of Narnia, Lewis offers us a race of cute, anthropomorphic aliens, the otterlike hrossa of Mars in Out of the Silent Planet (the first book in the science fiction Cosmic Trilogy). I’m surprised that these creatures aren’t better known and loved in the fandom.

Then there’s this quote from the essay On Three Ways of Writing for Children:

“When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”

I feel all furries should aim to be courageous adults, maturing without letting go of the most magical things about childhood.

First and foremost, though, and right at the start of his series, C. S. Lewis offered countless children the possibility of a door into another world where magic is real, animals talk, and adventure awaits. As furries, many or most of us are still searching and hoping for that door. Like many such portals, it is supposed to close at childhood’s end, but surely there can be exceptions…

So, do the Chronicles of Narnia belong in the furry canon? Let’s check those three criteria again.

Quality: Famously, C. S. Lewis read the first few pages of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe aloud to a friend at Oxford and enquired whether it was worth going on with. He received an emphatic yes, and went on for seven books.

These are well-written, often funny, and moral in a way that’s inspiring rather than preachy (who in their right mind would want to be like Eustace Clarence Scrubb, who almost deserved a name like that?), with page-turning plots and memorable characters. They don’t talk down to children, and they’re realistic about how an ordinary person might actually feel when called upon to perform heroics in a magical world.

Longevity: The postwar years saw a huge boom in children’s literature, with the newly-established Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin, supplying quality works both fantastic and realistic at affordable prices. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, first published in 1950, was one of the books that helped cement Puffin’s reputation.

Many of the Puffins which were praised on publication for their relevance and modernity now feel dated, yet Narnia’s popularity never seems to diminish. There have been Disney movies, stage plays, and a much-loved 1980s BBC series, but it is the source material, Lewis’s words and Pauline Baynes’s illustrations, that goes on and on, unchanging like the White Witch’s beautiful, endless winter (which I always found a much more striking image than Aslan’s spring).

Relevancy: Sadly, this is where the Chronicles of Narnia fall down. Although I know plenty of furs who have read and loved the books, the context is almost always that of a childhood favourite, rather than a gateway into the fandom. I’ve never heard anyone say that they were inspired to create a fursona by Reepicheep, or Maugrim. I have never – and if it’s out there please don’t tell me – encountered Aslan/Lucy slash.

Perhaps the problem is the religious themes that run through the books. This is the most common complaint to be thrown at the Chronicles, and, according to Furry Survey data, a high proportion of furs identify as atheist or agnostic.

I, as a longtime atheist, find that Lewis, perhaps more than any other human being, makes me feel favourably disposed towards religion, by imbuing it not only with sound reason but with joy, wonder and awe. And, while the Chronicles can be read as a series of parables, it is the plots and characters that shine through. The religious tail never wags the dog of the story.

Then again, maybe it’s the way wolves are always baddies that turns the furry reader off.

I don’t think the Chronicles of Narnia belong in the furry canon. But I do think that furries can get a lot out of the books, and that you’re missing out on something wonderful if you dismiss them because they’re religious or aimed at children.

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

There hasn’t been a Newsdump in a long time, so expect three updates packed with two months of stuff: 

1. Furries in the Media. 2. Fandom News. 3. Fur-friendly Culture.

Pic: Luke Thor Travis, PGH City Paper

The media gave warm and fuzzy vibes for Anthrocon.

• Smart Business Pittsburgh: “Furry Fandom” (two-page spread with video).
• WTAE video: Fursuit parade vid
• WTAE photos: 2016 Anthrocon fursuit parade.
• PGH City Paper: Furries show off their finest ‘fursuits’ to the public in Anthrocon’s annual Fursuit Parade
• PGH City Paper: Pittsburgh gives the furries its annual warm welcome
• NEXTpittsburgh: Anthrocon turns 20, Fursuit Parade open to public
• Post-Gazette – The ‘Roaring Twenty’: Furries celebrate 20th anniversary of Anthrocon
• Palm Beach Post: Furries are back! Anthrocon is underway in Pittsburgh
• WPXI News: Anthrocon is underway in downtown Pittsburgh
• CBSPittsburgh: Furries Take Over KDKA Morning News
• Triblive.com: Furries expected to be financial boon to Pittsburgh during convention
• Hastings Tribune: Furries hold 20th annual Anthrocon Convention in Pittsburgh

A few worth seeing after the con:

• WTAE video: The Making Of a Furry. “Daisy Ruth set the scene outside the Convention Center with April, a local fursuiter who created her own suit, and Camille of CF Studios, an artist who creates and sells creature and fursuits.”
• WTAE – Beyond the Suit: The World of Furries.  “Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter Beau Berman sat down with ‘Clumzy’ to find out what it’s all about.”

Rika and Rusty.

Anthrocon news topic – Pets.

PGH City Paper: “It probably comes as no surprise, but furries love their pets“.  Four furs are interviewed.  “Some furries say that getting involved in the community that celebrates anthropomorphized animal personas has helped them become more aware of the needs of shelter animals; understand the emotions of their pets; and strengthen their love of our four-legged friends.”

Anthrocon news topic – “Fursonas” movie.

Post-Gazette: ‘Fursonas’ director takes his Anthrocon ban in stride.

Dominic Rodriguez was banned for breaking Anthrocon’s media policy (filming without permission) in pursuit of unvarnished truth that couldn’t be officially filmed for a documentary.  “Fursonas” showed parts that many furries take very personally or feel shouldn’t be suppressed.  It was divisive.  Some took his movie as undermining good work of the con.  Others took his ban as a politicized penalty for PR control that may be stuck in the past. But furry fandom have been around for decades now and it keeps growing.  When will sensitivities loosen up?

“Fursonas” screened at an independent venue during the con.  I asked Dom if he’s interested in doing a guest post about it. Before his trip, he told me:

“Although I’m banned, I have a feeling this is going to be my best Anthrocon yet. I spent the evening hanging out at the bar across the street and then going over to the river to hang with new and old friends. I go to these things mostly to meet people and have cool conversations. I think that’s more fun than anything they have in the convention schedule, anyway.

Anthrocon news topic – Public Image.

WESA (local NPR affiliate): Furry Community Grapples With Identity As Anthrocon Grows.  Dominic may have been banned, but he was a go-to voice about the community at large:

“There’s the idea that we have a nice thing going, and any attempt to go out and show ourselves in the media is only going to be bad for us,” Rodriguez said. “But I’m more optimistic about that. And I think that the world is changing and different lifestyles are becoming more accepted.”

VICE covers furries.

At BLFC: Photos of the Fastest Growing Furry Convention in America.  And interviews with 5 furs: Furries Explain How They Developed Their ‘Fursonas’.

South America’s Columbiafurs in the Bogata Post.

Seven years of fluff in the city: “The movement gained momentum in Colombia in 2009, when a group of furries met online and began to meet up and socialise in person… there are about 500 furries in Colombia today, and this number continues to grow… Being a furry is all about socialising, dancing and enjoying life.”

INVERSE: What Furries Can Teach Us About Sex in the Kinky, Avatar-Filled Virtual Future.

Headline changed to: Furries Are Having Future Sex.  “What happens when you use a borrowed body to take someone to bed?” Actually not a bad or trashy article. (Author Emily Gaudette previously wrote ‘Disney Prepares to Cash In on the Furry Demographic with “Zootopia”‘.)

“I adore furry porn,” says The Dog. “I much prefer it to images of real life humans. I think it’s worth mentioning that furry porn tends to have more humanity than a lot of ‘regular’ porn. Since it’s a drawing, the artist has to bring emotion and humanity into the image in order to make it relatable on some level.” Furry porn endeavors toward emotional narratives, and most mainstream pornographic films still don’t employ that strategy.

“Fur Sure: Furry Calls Into Kojo Nnamdi Show To Talk Fashion”.  

Story on DCist blog. “In a radio segment exploring whether D.C. takes enough sartorial risks, one listener called the Kojo Nnamdi Show with a particularly hairy comment on his personal style.”

“Good afternoon, Kojo! I am a furry,” said Alexander of Herndon, Va. “I routinely go downtown looking like a giant walking plush toy. I am a tiger-striped skunk.”

Furry arrested for shooting at driver.

You might call him one of the “black sheep” of the fandom.  WILDWULF/DangerDoberman has been in deep trouble with the law before.  Now he’s in the news for shooting at a driver in Arizona.  His passenger, known as Pokeypony, had his own dramatic allegations involving Bad Dragon.

Trashy gossip: “Nick Jonas Talks Sex Fetishes — Is He Into Getting Spanked, “Furries” & Being Tied Up?!”

At Toofab.com.  “What about “furries,” which is having sex with someone while wearing a furry animal costume? Surprisingly, Nick didn’t turn it down…”

______________

AMAZING FURRY NEWS COMING SOON – Fursecution Declared Hate Crime In #7!

______________

Doorman At Furry Club Rejects Lame Visitors With Clip On Bunny Ears

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) October 30, 2015

5 Words That Mean Dirty Things To Furries But You Can Put Them On A License Plate

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) October 30, 2015

6 Things You Should Never Do While High On Catnip

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) October 30, 2015

Top 12 Underrepresented Animal Dicks In Furry Art

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) October 30, 2015

7 Shocking Things That Furries Do When Nobody's Looking

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 2, 2015

Hotels Hate This Weird Trick That Helps You Crash Free At The Con!

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) November 2, 2015

Not really anthropomorphic per ce, but certainly a fine specimen of animal art. Magnetic Press have released the latest edition of the European hardcover graphic novel series of wildlife adventures called Love. The latest, Love Volume 3, is about The Lion. (Following Volume 1: The Tiger and Volume 2: The Fox.) “The third volume in the lavishly illustrated series of wildlife graphic novels, each following a single central animal through an adventurous day in their natural environment. This exciting tale, written by Frederic Brremaud, is told without narration or dialogue, conveyed entirely through the beautiful illustrations of Federico Bertolucci. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this volume focuses on a solitary Lion as it wanders the plains of Africa, handling the daily hunt, and vicious rivalry, without a Pride of its own. The circle of Life takes center stage in a world where predator and prey trade places on a regular basis, and family is something worth fighting – and dying – for.” Ha! We see what you did there! Order it now at Comixology. [Off to San Diego! We’ll see you all next week.]

image c. 2016 Magnetic Press

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.  Fred writes: “A few 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.”

No Time Like Show Time: A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure, by Michael Hoeye.
NYC, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, September 2004, hardcover $14.99 (277 pages).

Hoeye’s Hermux Tantamoq novels are one of the major publishing-industry success stories of the decade. His first was rejected by all major publishers. So he self-published it and its sequel, sent free copies to dozens of libraries and reviewers, and got so many rave reviews that the big publishers quickly changed their minds. Time Stops for No Mouse (2000) and The Sands of Time (2001) were reprinted by Putnam in 2002.

Hermux Tantamoq is a young watchmaker in the mouse city of Pinchester who lives alone with his pet ladybug, Terfle. In the first novel, daring aviatrix-explorer Linka Perflinger brings her watch to his shop for repair. When she disappears and a shady rat tries to claim it, Hermux investigates and is drawn into an old-fashioned pulp-thriller adventure to save her. The Sands of Time is a similar adventure in which Hermux, Linka, and an old chipmunk explorer search a distant desert for the buried ruins of a forgotten cat civilization while being hunted by mouse-supremacist assassins who want to suppress the knowledge that there was ever a pre-mouse empire.

Hermux got into those adventures mostly by accident. He was happy to fade back into anonymity in his watch shop at their end. But he got enough publicity that when theatrical impresario Fluster Varmint starts receiving death threats, he misremembers Hermux as a famous detective and calls on him to investigate. Hermux is reluctant until he discovers that his least-favorite Pinchester celebrity, arrogant cosmetics tycoon Tucka Mertslin, is plotting to take over the city’s historic palace-theater, now the Folies-type Varmint Variety Theater, and turn it into a garish cosmetics office-showroom.

“[Hermux] rushed through the doors of the Varmint Variety Theater, barely pausing to appreciate the workmanship of their pumpkin-vine hinges and matching wrought-iron doorknobs. He was in such a hurry that he scooted right through the historic grove of artificial aspen trees with their hand-blown Spiffany glass leaves. Crossing the lobby to the box office, Hermux scarcely gave the exquisite floor a glance. […] The box office occupied a rustic hut that sat beside an authentic reproduction of a waterfall. […]” (pgs. 13-14)

Hermux will do anything to save the lovely building. But he is only one mouse, and Mertslin has the support of Pinchester’s Weekly Squeak (she is one of its leading advertisers). When Mertslin learns that Varmint’s ownership of the Theater is challengeable (he bought it long ago with a massive loan from the Theater’s then-leading star, who disappeared after a mysterious tragedy so Varmint has not been able to repay the loan), she hires lots of lawyers to try to get the missing Nurella Pinch declared the legal owner of the Theater, then legally dead with herself as the executrix of Pinch’s estate. Meanwhile, things are more dangerous than either suspect, because the hoodlum that Mertslin uses to scare Varmint decides that it is to his advantage to really start murdering people to gain a blackmail hold over Mertslin.

Most of the characters in Show Time are mice (Fluster Varmint is “a barrel-chested mouse with a big baritone”, while his daughter and manager Beulith is an attractive mouse with “two perfect front teeth — long, elegantly arched, and tinted a very pleasing pale yellow”), but there are also a flying-squirrel messenger boy, a hedgehog bookkeeper, such would-be actors as “A noisy group of prairie-dog impersonators wearing matching paisley boleros, toreador pants, and very high heels” and “A chipmunk dressed as a potato”, an otter fashion designer, a shrew ventriloquist, and other mostly-rodent-sized animals.

Hoeye has a fine eye for rodentine appearances:

“Fluster Varmint was a visionary. When he thought long tails were more elegant, showgirls grew longer tails. When he thought bushy tails were more provocative, they grew bushier tails. If Fluster thought hamsters made the funniest comedians, then suddenly everywhere hamsters were telling jokes and wearing peculiar hats.” (pg. 34)

When Hermux is calling on Linka, “he straightened his whiskers and fluffed out the fur in his ears.” (pg. 29)

Hermux’s third tale is a change of pace for him, being more of a Phantom of the Opera backstage mystery and courtroom drama than an Indiana Jones search for treasure in foreign jungles and deserts. Since it takes place in Pinchester, Hermux’s ladybug Terfle is able to emerge from her cage for the first time and accompany him in a faithful-dog role. No Time Like Show Time is clever old-fashioned detective comedy-suspense adventure that would not disappoint a fan of the 1930s Thin Man movies — with a furry cast.

– Fred Patten,

• Buy online

 

Furries, or so it seems to me, have a split in their views. When it comes to sex, we are all in favor for allowing two individuals to get up to whatever they want, so long as they both consent. However, when it comes to money, we suddenly become a lot more wary about letting others make their own decisions. Surveys done by [adjective][species] seem to agree with this; finding social liberalism much higher than economic liberalism. It would seem that attitudes are correct on the former, but these are contradicted by the latter. In this essay, I will attempt to show why capitalism, and a free-furry-market, are ultimately a huge boon for the fandom.

Before going on, I wish to address a criticism now – In this article, I will be talking about the “quality” of pieces that an artist can produce. It may be argued that the quality of art is purely subjective, and thus the quality of two pieces cannot be compared so objectively. To an extent, I would agree that taste comes into how much a person is willing to pay for artwork. When I use “quality” I am using it the sense of complexity – whether something is shaded, sketched, accurately represent what the artist wishes it to represent, etc… Whilst the artist style will obviously effect what a person is willing to pay, it is also clear that a fully coloured and shaded piece is of a higher quality than just a sketch.

A lot of furries wonder about the value of a piece of art, that is to say, how much an artist ought to be paid, and for what. One assumption I have seen is that there is a “true” value behind an artist time. Many furries will encourage artists to charge the “right amount” for their time, due to how valuable it is.
But this is missing out on what really determines the value of an artist time – how much people are willing to pay, and for what. A piece of work may take artist A hours upon hours to finish, and, at the end of the effort, that artist may have a decent quality piece. In the meantime, artist B, who is more experienced, produces two pieces, which are of equal standards to A’s. Artist C can also only produce a single piece in that time, but, unlike A and B, they have given it detailed backgrounds, shading, and other such things. If those three artist then sold their work, C would likely charge the highest, say, $90. A and B may then both sell their pieces for $40 each.

A – Decent quality – 1 piece, $40
B – Decent quality – 2 pieces, each $40
C – High quality – 1 piece, $90
1. Assuming all three artist sell their work for the prices they wished, C will make the most money, followed by B, and then A. Because B was able to create two pieces within the same time as A, and the market was willing to pay $40 for a decent quality work, they were able to make double what A made. C made more than either artist, but in the same time frame. The market does not care how long it took any of these artists; what matters is the quality of the work and the amount that each charge for that piece of work. The fact that A tried their hardest, yet still only made half of what B made just goes to show that markets do not care for the actual subjective effort required. An artist time is only worth as much as what they can produce, and what the market is willing to pay for.
To further prove this, let’s introduce artist D, who is still fairly new, but their work is of a marketable quality, though not nearly as good as A or B’s. If they then sold their work for $40, and it took them double the time to create that work, then they would make even less. If the market did not wish to pay $40, they would make nothing; and why should the market pay for lesser quality, when the same price will afford them A or B’s work? The truth of the matter is that, whilst D is a new artist, and of less skill, they may only be able to charge $5 to create a piece that would take the same time to create as A, B, or C.
Does that seem unfair? It may, since artist D tries extremely hard, but is only able to make a fraction of what C does, but consider the alternatives:

If nobody was allowed to charge for their work, then C would not be able to become rewarded for their time, and may lose what supports them financially. The inability to charge would also hurt D, as people would suddenly wonder why they should bother with them, when A, B, and C are all producing higher quality works. Before, D could gain attention by offering their work for cheaper, allowing them to earn something from their work whilst honing their skills. If they enjoy making art, then why should it matter that somebody else is making more? Is it fair to remove a small bonus to D’s artistic endeavors, simply because somebody more skilled is earning more? If D is happy just to be earning something, then what C is earning should not matter. As D gets better, demand for their art will increase, and, eventually, they will be able to charge more, but until that time, they have to start somewhere. Why try and tackle inequality by making everybody worse off?

Another suggestion might be to make all artist charge a minimum amount. This would mean that C can still charge $90, but it would also mean that D cannot be undercut for their time. If the minimum began at, say, $40 per piece, then it may seem at a first glance that D would be much better off. However, let us consider this more closely: If D charged $40 for a piece of their work, then they would suddenly be competing with both A and B. When D’s work is of a lesser quality than A or B’s, the market would simply decide to spend that $40 on the higher quality product. D would not be able to compete with that: the reason they were able to earn $5 a piece as they grew as an artist was because they were not competing with others, but instead occupying a slot in the market. Even though D may not be able to produce pieces of the same quality as A or B’s, people would still allow them to earn something purely by virtue of D being cheaper. Ultimately, if all artist were forced to charge a “minimum”, it would hurt newer artist the most. Sure, A and B would be protected from having to lower their prices to compete with another, but that problem can also be addressed.
If artist C improved in quality, and could produce three pieces of art of the same quality as A and B, but decided to sell each piece for $30, then that would seem to hurt both A and B, since the market would surely choose C instead of either of them. However, this is not necessarily so. Consider the perspective of C; they can see the market will pay $40 for their pieces, due to the success of A and B. If the market would willingly pay for this, then why would they suddenly decide to lower their prices? They could just as easily charge $40 per piece, and if A and B are successful, the market will pay that price. It would therefore not be in C’s interests to undercut A or B. If the market suddenly decided not to pay $40 for work of the quality of A, B, or C, then it would make sense for C to lower their prices, but it would also make sense for A and B to lower their prices as well, whether C existed or not. The “minimum” charge for a piece is not needed to protect A and B from being undercut, as it is not in anybody’s interest to undercut them for the same quality work as them.

An additional factor to consider with art commissions is that they are not mass produced. If an artist has a truly unique, or very unusual, style, then they can control almost all of the supply for the demand. Because what anyone is willing to pay for any style of art is so determinate upon the buyer, it is very difficult to place an “ought” on what the buyer should pay. It may be believed that there is an objective price for any given piece, but somebody may take a liking to a particular style, and be willing to pay more for it. If there is a particular group of people who share the same liking of that style, then the artist who produces it will have found themselves a market. When somebody commissions them, it should be trusted that both parties – the commissioner and artist – have accepted the price being placed on the artist time. The commissioner knows how much they are willing to pay, knowing they can walk away, yet freely choose to pay. Meanwhile, the artist has decided for themselves what their time is worth.

Why can’t furries treat business like sex? Why is it that, during intercourse, we seem content to let others do whatever they wish with one another, so long as all parties give consent, and not with art? When it comes to financial agreements over art, I believe the same should apply. Instead of telling artist what their work is worth, why not simply allow them to decide exactly how much their time is worth? If an artist prices are too high, you do not need to tell them, simply do not buy from them, and if the market agrees, the lack of sales will be the most obvious sign of “you’re charging too much” that can be given. On the other hand, that same artist may keep their prices consistent, or even raise them due to high demand. There is no reason to tell them their prices are too high; people are buying from them, and those people are willingly giving money over to that artist. When you say that an artist “charges too much”, you’re not just insulting their judgment, but the judgment of that artist customers – both of whom seem perfectly happy with the transaction. There is nothing wrong with going elsewhere because you do not want to pay the asking price for something, in fact, that’s good, as it’s showing awareness of your role as an active consumer. But, if an artist is finding customers for what they value their work at, then there is no reason for them to drop their prices for anyone.

It is an artist’s right to charge whatever they want for their work. If they charge too much, the market will reject it. Yet, if they decide to charge a low price, then it is their choice to do so. They know how much they believe their time is worth, and whether you think they should be charging more or less, a free-market will send a better message than any individual ever could.

Ultimately, a free-market is the best way for the furry market to function. As it stands, the community is almost completely laissez-faire with it’s approach to commissions – with many artists able to live off their work, as new artists develop their skill whilst earning something from it – while providing a rich choice to those wishing to spend money on commissions. Not only that, but I believe that it is important to respect the artist’s judgment, and the ability for others to know what they value.

Aaron Galvin is young man who has already spent years as an actor (The Dark Knight), script writer, and stand-up comedian. Now he has added “book writer” to his resume’ thanks to several series of dark fantasy novels for young adults.  The series of particular note for furry fans is the Salted series, concerning a society of selkies (Celted were-seals, if you need a refresher). In the first book, Salted, a group of selkies travel to the surface, charged with retrieving an escaped human slave. Unfortunately, they soon discover that their mission is much more complicated than their leaders let on. In book two, Taken With A Grain Of Salt, a pair of teenage human slaves plot their own escape… but soon they learn that there are darker forces in the deep than selkie slavers. Both books were published by Create Space, and they’re available as signed paperback editions at Aaron’s web site.

image c. 2016 Aaron Galvin

Due to our blue fox getting trapped in a cage at the last minute Saturday night, we had to rescheduled this episode for Sunday night. So, returning to the studio Sunday after the quick improv Q&A show we ended up with Saturday (episode 239x,) we somehow managed to pump out a pretty packed show. A good episode to finish off with before a two week hiatus. Enjoy!

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Alltime10s YouTube channel does Top 10 Weirdest Sex Toys, mentions Bad Dragon
• The First Computer Porn
• Ylvis, artist behind “What Does The Fox Say?”confirms at Webbys that foxes actually say “yiff”

News:

• Vitamins Are Useless, But There’s One You Could Probably Use
• [Dogpatch Press] Furry Corporate Structures
• Notorious ‘Nipple Man’ Nabbed After 3 Years As A Public Transit Pervert
• Stand-up Comedians Are More Likely To Die Prematurely, With The Funniest Most Likely To Go First
• Man Allegedly Scans Penis At Supermarket Checkout
• This Pastor Has Convinced Us: Pokemon Are Actually Cyber-Demons
• ‘Pokemon Go’ Leads Players To Find Naked Woman Vandalizing Church

Emails:

• Gladwin – “{short question} About younger furs”
• Gannon – “Some random shit”
• Jaxson Amber – “Fayroe’s Blueness”
• Otter – “Looking to move into the area”
• Michael the Fox – “Bit harsh on the minecraft porn”

FC-240 XXX-Files - Due to our blue fox getting trapped in a cage Saturday night, we rescheduled this episode for Sunday night. Returning a day later after some quick improv Q&A which became episode 239x, we somehow managed to pump out a pretty packed show.

Due to our blue fox getting trapped in a cage at the last minute Saturday night, we had to rescheduled this episode for Sunday night. So, returning to the studio Sunday after the quick improv Q&A show we ended up with Saturday (episode 239x,) we somehow managed to pump out a pretty packed show. A good episode to finish off with before a two week hiatus. Enjoy!

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Alltime10s YouTube channel does Top 10 Weirdest Sex Toys, mentions Bad Dragon
• The First Computer Porn
• Ylvis, artist behind “What Does The Fox Say?”confirms at Webbys that foxes actually say “yiff”

News:

• Vitamins Are Useless, But There’s One You Could Probably Use
• [Dogpatch Press] Furry Corporate Structures
• Notorious ‘Nipple Man’ Nabbed After 3 Years As A Public Transit Pervert
• Stand-up Comedians Are More Likely To Die Prematurely, With The Funniest Most Likely To Go First
• Man Allegedly Scans Penis At Supermarket Checkout
• This Pastor Has Convinced Us: Pokemon Are Actually Cyber-Demons
• ‘Pokemon Go’ Leads Players To Find Naked Woman Vandalizing Church

Emails:

• Gladwin – “{short question} About younger furs”
• Gannon – “Some random shit”
• Jaxson Amber – “Fayroe’s Blueness”
• Otter – “Looking to move into the area”
• Michael the Fox – “Bit harsh on the minecraft porn”

FC-240 XXX-Files - Due to our blue fox getting trapped in a cage Saturday night, we rescheduled this episode for Sunday night. Returning a day later after some quick improv Q&A which became episode 239x, we somehow managed to pump out a pretty packed show.

Due to our blue fox getting trapped in a cage at the last minute Saturday night, we had to rescheduled this episode for Sunday night. So, returning to the studio Sunday after the quick improv Q&A show we ended up with Saturday (episode 239x,) we somehow managed to pump out a pretty packed show. A good episode to finish off with before a two week hiatus. Enjoy!

Download MP3

Link Roundup:

• Alltime10s YouTube channel does Top 10 Weirdest Sex Toys, mentions Bad Dragon
• The First Computer Porn
• Ylvis, artist behind “What Does The Fox Say?”confirms at Webbys that foxes actually say “yiff”

News:

• Vitamins Are Useless, But There’s One You Could Probably Use
• [Dogpatch Press] Furry Corporate Structures
• Notorious ‘Nipple Man’ Nabbed After 3 Years As A Public Transit Pervert
• Stand-up Comedians Are More Likely To Die Prematurely, With The Funniest Most Likely To Go First
• Man Allegedly Scans Penis At Supermarket Checkout
• This Pastor Has Convinced Us: Pokemon Are Actually Cyber-Demons
• ‘Pokemon Go’ Leads Players To Find Naked Woman Vandalizing Church

Emails:

• Gladwin – “{short question} About younger furs”
• Gannon – “Some random shit”
• Jaxson Amber – “Fayroe’s Blueness”
• Otter – “Looking to move into the area”
• Michael the Fox – “Bit harsh on the minecraft porn”

[Live] XXX-Files

Roo, Tugs, and Koru get together to re-live the best moments of Season 5, as sent in by you and hand picked by them! Join us as we revisit each episode, plus play audio you haven't heard before! We bring you more ComicCon FanX audio, alternate ad cuts, and more! Tugs shares his thoughts on the new Ghostbusters. We also have Space News and Get Psyched!



Show Notes

Special Thanks

Alix Dialca
All our guests this season! You ROCK!
All of you for listening this season! YOU ALSO ROCK!

Music

Opening Theme: Husky In Denial – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2015. ©2015 Fur What It’s Worth and Husky in Denial. Based on Fredrik Miller– Cloud Fields (Radio Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Game Round 1: Mystery Skulls – Ghost. USA: Warner Bros Records, 2011. Used with permission.
Some music was provided by Kevin MacLeod at Incompetech.com. We used the following pieces: Phantom from Space, Leopard PRint Elevator, Secret of Tiki Island . Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Space News Music: Fredrik Miller – Orbit. USA: Bandcamp, 2013. Used with permission. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Closing Theme: Husky In Denial – Cloud Fields (Headnodic Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2015. ©2015 Fur What It’s Worth and Husky in Denial. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Chill Out Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!) S5 Episode 18 – The Final Episode - Roo, Tugs, and Koru get together to re-live the best moments of Season 5, as sent in by you and hand picked by them! Join us as we revisit each episode, plus play audio you haven't heard before! We bring you more ComicC

Reminder: We're on Patreon! If you could kick us a buck or two, we'd greatly appreciate it. https://www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow It's our first Dragget Show with a Patreon Guest Host! Bandrik joins us for our regular batch of nonsense. Don't forget to hang out in our telegram chat, now w/ over 100 members! telegram.me/draggetshow pe. 125 - Patreon Guest, Bandrik! - Reminder: We're on Patreon! If you could kick us …

Dragget Show EXTRA! This is just Xander and Draggor yapping about recent events in terrorism, guns, cops, Black Lives Matter, and the upcoming election. If you hate politics, then avoid, but this was requested after our last Deep Shit! discussion. Deep Shit! - Guns 'n Such - Dragget Show EXTRA! This is just Xander and Drag…

We prepped for a normal episode, but the blue never arrived! With lots of improv, items from what would have been this episode’s link roundup and some chatroom Q&A, a red wolf and a pink husky barked for an hour or two. We rescheduled the originally planned episode for Sunday night which became episode 240.

Download MP3

LINK ROUNDUP:

• Alltime10s YouTube channel does Top 10 Weirdest Sex Toys, mentions Bad Dragon
• The First Computer Porn
• Ylvis, artist behind “What Does The Fox Say?”confirms at Webbys that foxes actually say “yiff”

[Live] Missing Blue

We prepped for a normal episode, but the blue never arrived! With lots of improv, items from what would have been this episode’s link roundup and some chatroom Q&A, a red wolf and a pink husky barked for an hour or two. We rescheduled the originally planned episode for Sunday night which became episode 240.

Download MP3

LINK ROUNDUP:

• Alltime10s YouTube channel does Top 10 Weirdest Sex Toys, mentions Bad Dragon
• The First Computer Porn
• Ylvis, artist behind “What Does The Fox Say?”confirms at Webbys that foxes actually say “yiff”

FC-239X Missing Blue - We prepped for a normal episode, but the blue never arrived! With lots of improv, items from what would have been this episode's link roundup and some chatroom Q&A, a red wolf and a pink husky barked for an hour or two.

From the creator of Home is Where One Starts... comes The First Tree, a third-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a young couple dealing with a tragedy in theirs. Players take control of the fox on a poignant and beautiful journey that crescendos at the source of life, and perhaps results in the understanding of death. Along the way, players uncover artifacts and stories from the young couple’s life as they too become intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.

The game is currently in development and is set to release in early 2017 on PC and Linux, to start.

The sequel to the Wii U hit Freedom Planet is in development over at Galaxy Trail. Announced in December, the game has a planned beta release of mid-2017. We'll keep you updated on progress and when that beta becomes available. Join the heroes of Avalice as they face their greatest challenge yet! An ancient terror has emerged from the depths of the ocean. Merga, a water dragon from Avalice's oldest and deadliest war, has been freed from her crystal prison as a consequence of the Kingdom Stone's destruction. War is imminent once again, but this time, the heroes are split between sides. As friendships are tested, will the girls stand united when Bakunawa rises?

Scholastic Press (through their Graphix imprint) have published Dream Jumper Volume 1: Nightmare Escape. It’s the first full-color graphic novel written by actor Greg Grunberg (Heroes) and illustrated by Lucas Turnbloom — with an introduction by Grunberg’s childhood friend J.J. Abrams, who helped to bring the project about. “Ben has a problem. When he sleeps he dreams, and when he dreams, they’re all nightmares! But he can also jump into other people’s dreams. So when his friends start falling victim to an evil dream-monster that prevents them from waking, Ben knows he has to help them. Easier said than done when dreams can shift and the monster knows his way around the ever-changing landscape of the mind! With help from a talking rabbit-companion who has a mysterious past, Ben might just be able to defeat the monster and save his friends . . . if he can figure out how to use the power within him against his enemies.” Looks like there’s also a very large crow involved. Dream Jumper is available now in hardcover and softcover editions, and the Scholastic web site also has an interview with the creators.

image c. 2016 Graphix