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On the shelves now from Oni Press you’ll find a new full-color comic book series called Space Battle Lunchtime, written and illustrated by Natalie Riess. The idea is simple: When a famous interplanetary chef has to drop out of a famous interplanetary cooking reality show, a young woman from Earth (with dreams of being a pastry chef) is given the opportunity of a lifetime… if she can survive the experience! As with many interplanetary science fiction comics, there are boat-loads of non-human characters… and more than a few of them look rather like Earth animals you probably know! Ms. Riess is also well-known for another funny animal comic: A web series called Snarlbear. Comic Book Resources has a review of Space Battle Lunchtime that includes a lot of sample pages.

image c. 2016 Oni Press

(Note from Patch: thanks to the site’s valued long time contributor, Pup Matthias. As site manager, I don’t put a leash on writing, and this came from his self-motivated effort. Therefore, I’ll add a disclaimer that Matthias is sole author, independent from my previous posts and relationships or understandings with others. I had considered doing a followup about poorly-done mainstream Fursonas coverage called “furry is not a cult,” but then decided that enough conversation was already happening.  Uncle Kage, Dominic, Eric Risher and Matthias are all friends to me and all of them are doing great things for this community. If you only get to hear part of the story, let that say the rest. – P)

This has been an incredible year for the Furry Fandom. Zootopia crossed over a billion dollars, fur con attendance continues a healthy rate of growth, more positive news about the fandom has been coming out, and Furry Network has entered the Furry website game. And we’ve got not one, but two documentaries exploring the fandom made by people inside the fandom itself. Yet it’s the last part that has brought on some of the biggest debates in the fandom.

Since the release of the two documentaries, Fursonas and Furries, there has been a lot of praise and criticism towards both, although Fursonas has been getting the more vocal criticism of the two.  Which isn’t surprising.  Fursonas features a lot of topics that depending where you stand, can be seen as exposing an issue most would rather hide, or a sensational attack that continues the negative image of the fandom we’ve been working for years to get over.

The reason?  In the second half of Fursonas, we see director Dominic Rodriguez get pulled over by Anthrocon staff, and he was subsequently banned from Anthrocon for breaking their media policy. The rest of the doc then paints the con chair, Uncle Kage, in a negative light criticizing his practices both with media relations, how Furries should interact (or not) with the media, and the way he “censors” certain figures and topics to make the fandom more acceptable to the mainstream.

Now to make things clear, I like Fursonas. I like that it brings forward issues I believe we should discuss and come to terms with. I think some of the criticism doesn’t come so much from the film itself as that it’s a film the fandom didn’t expect. I’ll go into detail about that later, but this article is not a Fursonas defense piece.  It’s about exploring the topics and reactions that have become clouded with all the drama surrounding the two films. I love that we have two Furry docs that explore two different aspects of the fandom. I’ve even talked to both directors, who wish to express their own thoughts about everything going on. This isn’t trying to end the conversation. It’s to add more and make sure what we debate about is what needs to be debated about.

So let’s first examine the main issue, Dominic Rodriguez being banned from Anthrocon. This bit of information alone has been the deal breaker on whether people should watch the doc. It’s as if because Anthrocon saw fit to ban a film about Furries, then it can’t be worth watching in the first place. When you watch the film, you see the topic of being banned brought up, but also the main reason for them to be banned was because they didn’t agree to a Production Agreement, which would have given some form of creative control over the film to Uncle Kage.

People have debated how much of that statement is true.  When I first started to look more into this story, I knew we needed to see what that contract was. I reached out to Dominic and asked if he could share the document or emails showing what was discussed. Unfortunately he could not give me the exact docs or emails, because as he put it:

[DR]: Information that we release regarding the film has to pass through multiple channels, including entertainment lawyers. I’ve been told that I’m not allowed to share the entire Production Agreement, but I am able to quote relevant details word-for-word, so at least that’s something. …the contents of the emails are between the filmmakers, Uncle Kage, and lawyers.

Here are the applicable word-for-word specifications from the Production Agreement sent by Uncle Kage that Dominic’s team declined.

“While at Anthrocon, Producer agrees: (1) not to film sexually graphic images, (2) not to engage attendees in the topics of sex and sexuality, and (3) not to define Furry Fandom as a sexual community. Producer agrees any discussion of sex and sexuality that comes up within the production will be handled with maturity and put within the proper context. Documentary may, to some degree, discuss the topics of sex and sexuality on subsequent film shoots outside of Anthrocon.”

“Producer understands that Grantor will allow use of Anthrocon footage in Documentary provided that Grantor is allowed to view the final cut of the full-length Documentary film, in its entirety, prior to giving permission. Producer agrees to mail a copy of the final cut on a digital media format (DVD) to Anthrocon’s mailing address in order for Grantor to view.”

“Producer agrees that Grantor is allowed to request any Documentary segments or footage to be edited or otherwise altered, should Grantor have a reason to make this request. Producer understands that this decision is the sole discretion of Grantor. In the event Grantor makes such a request, Grantor shall provide a) a description of the specific footage the Grantor deems unsuitable; b) the time in the film where this material occurs; c) an explanation for why the material is objectionable; and d) a suggestion for how to fix the problem (shorten a shot, use alternate footage, remove the audio, etc).”

“Producer agrees to work with Grantor in order to edit Documentary to the point in which the final production is acceptable to Grantor. When Grantor and Producer have agreed to a final cut of Documentary, Grantor will sign an additional Release Contract which relinquishes said footage from control of Grantor. The Documentary will then be freely used for commercial and entertainment purposes at the discretion of Producer, provided that the final cut of the film remains unaltered after Contract is made. Any advertisements or marketing materials for the film will only contain the footage or imagery that is present on the agreed-upon final cut of Documentary.”

“If a suitable edit of Documentary cannot be fashioned, then Grantor can terminate Anthrocon’s involvement with the film. If Grantor wishes to terminate involvement, then Producer agrees to delete all footage related to Anthrocon or associated subjects from the final cut of Documentary. If Grantor chooses to terminate involvement, Anthrocon will not be mentioned in any manner during the entirety of the completed Documentary, nor on any advertising or marketing materials related to the film. Grantor can choose to terminate involvement with the film at any point up until the final cut is approved by Grantor in the form of a signed Release. Upon signing the final Release, Grantor and Producer have both fulfilled all requirements which are hereby agreed upon.”

Looking at this, it’s not hard to see why Dominic refused to sign the agreement.  The next question: How did it lead to the current state of affairs? Well that’s simple. They broke AC’s media policy. We see in the film itself an AC security member pulling them aside while talking to a fursuiter. But they filmed at AC before, as the project developed from a student thesis film to a fell fledged feature, and never got pulled before. As Dominic explains:

[DR]: There’s no doubt about it: we definitely broke the rules. How we came to break the rules is a little more complicated. We filmed footage for Fursonas during Anthrocon 2012, 2013, and 2014. All three years, I was a registered attendee, as were the couple crewmembers that accompanied me. One thing that’s important to note is that this movie was not always a “real movie” with a production studio and a distribution company and all these things. Originally, it was a crew of five college kids who were looking to make a short film for their senior thesis project.

I had never been to a furry convention before, and I thought it would be fun to register, walk around, talk to furries casually and off-the-record, and film a little b-roll that I could look back at later. This was for research purposes more than anything else. We filmed footage of furries walking around the convention and I showed this to the rest of my crew to see if they saw potential in the project. We all liked the idea and decided that summer that this was going to be our documentary.

I didn’t have to think about Anthrocon for a while after that, because the original 12-minute short film that I made for college actually doesn’t contain any footage from AC. In 2013, we had all graduated and decided that we wanted to expand Fursonas into a feature-length film. That year, we filmed nothing but b-roll at the con. We didn’t do any interviews or get into anyone’s business—we just filmed wide shots of furries walking around.

At this point, I wasn’t familiar with all the specifics of the media policy, but I assumed that it applied to more commercial projects. In my mind, I wasn’t “the press,” and I didn’t have an angle. I was just getting drunk with my filmmaker friends on a Saturday night, filming the furries for this eventual project that would probably go nowhere.

In 2014, we were taking the production more seriously. That’s when we got into trouble. Aside from filming the usual b-roll, we conducted one brief interview with Diezel Racccoon, who we had been following for the past two years. He had agreed to the interview, and we were talking with him and his parents, who were visiting Anthrocon for the first time.

In the middle of the interview, a Dorsai member asked if we had media badges, which we didn’t. He then told us that we were not allowed to be filming people and escorted us to a back room. I asked him why we needed to get media badges when we weren’t “the press,” but just a group of kids who were filming something independent. He said that because we had professional equipment, that was what made us different from other registered furries making their films. I think that when he saw me holding a microphone in front of Diezel’s face, he assumed I was approaching furries that might not want to be interviewed.

In any case, we went to the back room, and I had to show a Fursonas trailer on my phone, so they could see what the project was about. After viewing the trailer, the person that I showed it to (Xydexx Squeakypony) was concerned by Boomer The Dog’s presence, and said that we would have to talk to Uncle Kage about the film. Unfortunately, the chairman was busy, so they released us and we never filmed at Anthrocon again.

What followed was a back-and-forth between us and Uncle Kage via email. I had wanted to interview him, but we could not agree on terms. A big source of tension was how Anthrocon was going to be featured in the film—would we be allowed to show footage from Anthrocon? Would we be allowed to even mention Anthrocon? Who does this footage really belong to?

It was 2014 when I realized what an issue this was becoming. I wanted to explore furry in a nuanced way, examining controversies and things like that with humanity. But Anthrocon is so protective of its image (and the image of furries in general) that I knew I would not be able to work with them on this. If they needed to approve the final cut of the film, and they were already getting antsy just by seeing Boomer in his paper fursuit for a few seconds, how could I hope to do anything other than a PSA with their consent?

A lot of people think they’re “busting” me when they point out that we violated the media policy. It’s true—we filmed at the convention and then distributed the film without showing the final cut to the AC Board of Directors. I didn’t set out to break the rules, but I ended up realizing that I needed to break them if I wanted to keep my artistic integrity intact. This film reflects my biased opinion of the fandom. I think that the need to present a “good image” is standing in the way of individual expression. I use filmmaking and furry fandom to express myself, which is more important to me than anything.

We broke the rules, but we didn’t break the law. This is how many documentaries are made. They attempt to tell some kind of truth and they often will have to break rules in order to do this. How could I protest Anthrocon’s media policy in a film while getting the permission of Anthrocon to do so? That would be like Blackfish asking Seaworld for permission. I know, I know—that’s probably a bit of a stretch, but you get the idea.

A lot of people say that it’s unfair that I was banned from Anthrocon, but I disagree. It was perfectly within their rights to ban me. I broke the rules and I got banned for it. I accept that. People can decide for themselves when they watch the movie if I was justified or not. Honestly, all banning me did was create controversy and help promote the movie anyway.

That is true. Remember that rebellious movie filmed at Disneyworld without Disney’s permission, and all the drama that didn’t happen because Disney did jack about it… Do you even remember what the title of that film is? In fact, one case that kept popping into my mind was the incident that happened when Inside Edition filmed Further Confusion.

I asked Dominic if he felt his situation was in any way similar to Inside Edition.

[DR]: The difference between our situation and Inside Edition is that Inside Edition was denied permission and then filmed secretively. Our filming was never secretive. We didn’t realize that we were breaking the rules until it was too late. It was after that, that I started examining Kage’s Furries in the Media panels and realizing what a huge source of tension media relations has become. Getting escorted away at AC was the jolt I needed to push me in the right direction of figuring out what I wanted to say in Fursonas.

Of course, Fursonas wasn’t the only doc filming at AC. Furries was more of less working around the same time frame. It makes one wonder if the two knew about each other’s existence. But as the director of Furries, Eric Risher, states…

[ER]: Yes, but marginally. I never had any direct contact with Dominic until Furries had been completed. I had heard that he was working on a film (I think I might have seen a mention on FA or Twitter), but the only information I had about Fursonas was what had been posted on social media at the time. 

But Furries didn’t get into the same trouble, because they followed AC’s media policy of notifying them in advance what they wanted to do, as required under their Photography and Media Questions in the FAQ section on their website. But Dominic wasn’t aware, as he said; he was not aware of the policy and thought it applied towards more commercial projects. Not to someone who was only trying to make a student thesis film, using the con as b-roll that started to grow over time. Eric went through the same production agreement as Dominic did though.

[ER]: When I approached AC, I sent them a treatment that thoroughly discussed my interests as a filmmaker, including how I intended to incorporate any material filmed at their convention. Our contract with Anthrocon did state that they could make editorial suggestions regarding material filmed specifically at AC, but after reviewing the final cut of the film they chose not to exercise that right and they signed off on the film.

However that wasn’t the same case for Fursonas.

[DR]: What it comes down to is having to send the finished film to the Anthrocon Board of Directors for approval, and how they are able to recommend changes to any material they find objectionable, not limited to the footage at Anthrocon. For instance, if they wanted to take Boomer out of the film, or clarify that he’s “not really a furry,” that’s something they would be able to do. And let’s say I refused to do this—they could insist that all references to Anthrocon (including Uncle Kage), be pulled from the film. The fact is that Anthrocon, Boomer The Dog, Uncle Kage, and everything else are all tangled up in this mess of a situation, and in order to properly explore it, I had to be able to look at all of it, and not feel like I needed to collaborate with Anthrocon in any way.  

I think that if Anthrocon was able to approve the documentary, I would not have been able to explore the tension between community and identity in the fandom—at least, not in the brutally honest way that I had hoped to. I see a real problem in the community right now and I wanted to confront that problem. I don’t think that this is something Anthrocon wants to confront.

If you look back at the agreement from Dominic again, it does say that AC can edit any part of the film, while Eric says it only applied toward AC footage only. Anyone who has watched Fursonas can tell you that it looks at controversial people and topics like Boomer the Dog, Chex Fox, Bad Dragon, and the nature of sex in the fandom.

It was when they saw a few images of Boomer in the trailer while AC pulled Dominic aside, that made them nervous what the film would even be about.  So Dominic’s explanation of the agreement asking for editorial power over the entire film seems more likely.  Not just the AC footage, as Eric said for Furries.

I would not be shocked to learn that if Dominic did agree to AC’s agreement, they would have had to cut out everything featuring Boomer, Chex Fox, Bad Dragon, or sex in general; or make sure to put in many notes about how AC is not connected to them, they don’t represent the fandom at large, or those people aren’t true Furries.  Even though none of that is in direct reference to AC.  Yet the issue is only brought up when it focuses on Uncle Kage, and moreover when it looks at the bigger issues of identity in the fandom that don’t fit how certain people want the fandom to be seen.

Good documentaries aren’t made to do what you expect. But you’ll have to wait till tomorrow as this article just keeps growing.  More words from Eric Risher and Dominic Rodriguez in Part 2.

-Matthias

A little while ago we made mention of Nelbert the Introvert, the first children’s book written and illustrated by Disney Animation lead character designer Shiyoon Kim (Zootopia, Big Hero 6). A recent article on Cartoon Brew said that the book is now available at Mr. Kim’s web site. In fact Mr. Kim actually went so far as to direct an animated ” teaser trailer” for the book. Inspired by the likes of Disney animator/illustrator Bill Peet, Nelbert tells the story of a shy dragon who likes to play chess. Mr. Kim created a set of custom “brushes” in Photoshop to use in the creation of his book. They’re also available for sale on his web site.

image c. 2016 by Shiyoon Kim

This week we replace CJ with a lizard and Fayroe gets distracted. That’s basically the whole episode in a sentence.

Download MP3

[No video version this week, messed up the recording. :c Whoops.]

Link Roundup:

• South African Furry Magazine
• Japanese smartphone game is furry themed
• British Embassy Twitter uses meme

News:

• Getting Serious About Funny: Psychologists See Humor As A Character Strength
• Washing to exterminate 10 percent of wolf population
• The Secret Furry Patrons Keeping Indie Artists Afloat
• Man Bathes In Hot Sauce, Immediately Questions His Life Choices
• Scientists find only one true wolf species in America
• This Dictator Accidentally Told People To Get Naked And Work. So They Did
• Naked Suspect Wakes Sleeping Man With Kiss, Finds Out He Has A Gun
• Porn Poetry

Emails:

• Ariel – “About Furries who Don’t like Hugs”
• Zachary Lycaon – Dear FurCast
• Aleseyr – “Commissions”
• Edon Baia – “Furcast Fan Email w/Donation next Saturday”
• Devin D. Parlett – “Furry and Politics”

FC-243 Underwear Masquerade - This week we replace CJ with a lizard and Fayroe gets distracted. That's basically the whole episode in a sentence.

This week we replace CJ with a lizard and Fayroe gets distracted. That’s basically the whole episode in a sentence.

Download MP3

[No video version this week, messed up the recording. :c Whoops.]

Link Roundup:

• South African Furry Magazine
• Japanese smartphone game is furry themed
• British Embassy Twitter uses meme

News:

• Getting Serious About Funny: Psychologists See Humor As A Character Strength
• Washing to exterminate 10 percent of wolf population
• The Secret Furry Patrons Keeping Indie Artists Afloat
• Man Bathes In Hot Sauce, Immediately Questions His Life Choices
• Scientists find only one true wolf species in America
• This Dictator Accidentally Told People To Get Naked And Work. So They Did
• Naked Suspect Wakes Sleeping Man With Kiss, Finds Out He Has A Gun
• Porn Poetry

Emails:

• Ariel – “About Furries who Don’t like Hugs”
• Zachary Lycaon – Dear FurCast
• Aleseyr – “Commissions”
• Edon Baia – “Furcast Fan Email w/Donation next Saturday”
• Devin D. Parlett – “Furry and Politics”

FC-243 Underwear Masquerade - This week we replace CJ with a lizard and Fayroe gets distracted. That's basically the whole episode in a sentence.

This week we replace CJ with a lizard and Fayroe gets distracted. That’s basically the whole episode in a sentence.

Download MP3

[No video version this week, messed up the recording. :c Whoops.]

Link Roundup:

• South African Furry Magazine
• Japanese smartphone game is furry themed
• British Embassy Twitter uses meme

News:

• Getting Serious About Funny: Psychologists See Humor As A Character Strength
• Washing to exterminate 10 percent of wolf population
• The Secret Furry Patrons Keeping Indie Artists Afloat
• Man Bathes In Hot Sauce, Immediately Questions His Life Choices
• Scientists find only one true wolf species in America
• This Dictator Accidentally Told People To Get Naked And Work. So They Did
• Naked Suspect Wakes Sleeping Man With Kiss, Finds Out He Has A Gun
• Porn Poetry

Emails:

• Ariel – “About Furries who Don’t like Hugs”
• Zachary Lycaon – Dear FurCast
• Aleseyr – “Commissions”
• Edon Baia – “Furcast Fan Email w/Donation next Saturday”
• Devin D. Parlett – “Furry and Politics”

[Live] Underwear Masquerade

Roo and Tugs are joined by artist and Pokésona LilChu as they discuss the world of Pokésonas. Why do these exist? Are there different rules? Is it a bleed over in the style of Bronies? Some of the answers may surprise you! Roo asks all kinds of strange questions, Tugs loses his mind, and Chu...melts. We also have a DOUBLE food review, THE GAME, Space News, and Get Psyched!



NOW LISTEN!

Show Notes

Special Thanks

LilChu, our guest. He's also an artist! Check him out at www.chuartdesigns.com.
KSL's Nightside Project. We miss you!
Kira the Kitsune
Cane McKeyton
Syrus Flufferbottom (aka "Super Bitch")
Dee the Otter
Dronon
Lumeo
Guardian the Lion FOR COOKIES! (Even after Tugs accidentally made him bleed!)
Timid Grizzly FOR COOKIES!

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!)
Some music was provided by Kevin MacLeod at Incompetech.com. We used the following pieces: Inspired . 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!)
Get Psyched! Music: Fredrik Miller – Universe. 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!)

Next episode: Some furries use their fan names. Some furries use their legal names. Some start with one and go to the other. Names are important in our fandom, so what are your thoughts? Tell us before September 9, 2016. (NOTE: "Real name" can mean many things depending on who you ask! "Legal" and "Fan" names are terms we suggest.) S6 Episode 3 – I Like To Poke Your Mom - Roo and Tugs are joined by artist and Pokésona LilChu as they discuss the world of Pokésonas. Why do these exist? Are there different rules? Is it a bleed over in the style of Bronies? Some of the answers may surpr

Uncivilized Books have a new imprint for younger readers called Odod Books. Their first release is a hardcover graphic novel by Kickly called Musnet: The Mouse of Monet. Here’s what they say about it: “A young boy mouse travels the country side looking for work and happens upon the Monet’s garden. He takes on a job and becomes inspired to learn to paint. Will he paint in the classical ways, or in the new style of the impressionist? Which way will his brush sway? Musnet is drawn and painted in a beautiful, lush and inky style popularized by Paul Pope and French comics masters such Blutch and Christophe Blain.” Really. A review in The Guardian goes further into the plot: “This new series revolves around a painting mouse found in Monet’s famous gardens in Giverny: The nameless, orphan mouse is befriended by Mya and her mouse family, who live inside the artist’s house. Introduced to painting after he begins working for Remy, an old squirrel painter, he is enchanted by Monet’s work.” It’s available now at Amazon.

image c. 2016 Odod Books

​Dear Papabear,
 
How are you? Last year my brother tried to commit suicide. He was getting bullied in school. We have issues with our dad, and he was getting called names. I walked in on him hanging from his bed, and I nearly had a heart attack. It's been roughly a year since it happened, but I am still very nervous about leaving him by himself because I am worried that if it happens again I will not be there to save him again. I am sorry for coming to you with this because this isn't your problem [Papabear note to readers: this is why I am here! Please never apologize for “bothering” me because writing to me with your problems is what I do!], but how do I get over my fears of this happening again? I honestly cannot walk in on my brother like that again because I feel like I just might go insane. Also, is depression a hereditary problem? Because I do not want my family to go through that again.

Yours Truly,
Austin (age 17)

* * *
 
Dear Austin,
 
Please forgive the slow reply. I am behind on letters still.
 
Very sorry to hear about your troubles. I need to know a little more about this, please. Have you sought help for him? Have you checked out the government site for information and help? http://www.stopbullying.gov/get-help-now/  Is the bullying still going on or has that been stopped? Is he seeing a therapist?
 
Let me know about the above and I promise to reply promptly next time.
 
Papabear
 
* * *
 
He is seeing a therapist, and is on antidepressants. The bullying has stopped because he moved to a different school.  And it is OK for the slow response because I understand that you get likely thousands of letters a day and you are writing a new book, too.
 
* * *
 
Hi, Austin,
 
I’m glad that the bullying has stopped and that your brother is getting help. I cannot imagine the horror you felt seeing your brother trying to kill himself, and I wish I could give you a big, consoling bear hug right now.
 
Your brother is not the only one suffering in your family, clearly. Have you considered finding a therapist for yourself? This would be to help you deal with what you saw and the anxiety you must be feeling about both your brother and, apparently, your father. Perhaps start with a school counselor. People who are helpful and caring, such as yourself, often forget that their hearts need mending, too.
 
You don’t mention your brother’s age, but I’m guessing he’s younger and perhaps a teen? The teenage years are extremely difficult ones, with those in their teens and twenties attempting suicide more than most (the exception being people 65 and older), and males are five times more likely to do it than females. Bullying definitely can exacerbate the chances of suicide (though it is only one of many factors). There has also been evidence for a genetic predisposition for suicide (my second cousin and grandmother both attempted suicide). Scientists learned a few years ago that there is a gene that can increase the risk of suicide; furthermore, Johns Hopkins University scientists are working to perfect a blood test to see whether people are at risk. You don’t mention whether other family members have committed suicide or not, but if there is a lot of that in your family it is something to consider seriously. Genetics are not the only reason for suicide, but they can, indeed, be part of the problem.
 
So, without trying to oversimplify things, there are three potential factors here with your brother: his age, his genetic heritage, and the bullying. You have removed the bullying factor, and he will grow out of his teen years, so that effectively gets rid of two factors, which is good news. In addition, he is getting help, which also lowers the risk. While no one can guarantee that your brother won’t attempt it again, it is also often the case that people do not repeat the act. They learn their lesson and move on, as in my case.
 
Oh, and make sure he stays away from drugs and alcohol!
 
Okay, so, what now? One thing is to be aware of the signs that he might be suicidal again. According to Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), these are things to look for:

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself.
• Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun.
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.
• Talking about being a burden to others.
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
• Sleeping too little or too much.
• Withdrawn or feeling isolated.
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
• Displaying extreme mood swings.

Additional Warning Signs of Suicide

• Preoccupation with death.
• Suddenly happier, calmer.
• Loss of interest in things one cares about.
• Visiting or calling people to say goodbye.
• Making arrangements; setting one's affairs in order.
• Giving things away, such as prized possessions.

 
If these warning signs are cropping up, then you need to make sure your brother is still attending his sessions, taking his meds, and so on. You can’t keep tabs on him all the time, but you can certainly be involved in his life and give him lots of love and encouragement to comfort him. Make sure he is involved in social activities, has friends, has goals and aspirations in life. Obviously, the happier he is in his social life and the more hope he has for the future, the less likely he will be to do this again.
 
The factor that is still a question mark for me is your dad. You don’t specify what the problem is with dad—is that something that is contributing to your brother’s state of mind? If so, you definitely need to address that, as well.
 
By doing the above, you can considerably lower or even eliminate the potential for another tragedy.
 
Back to you: the things you can do to help yourself include, as mentioned earlier, seeking some counseling yourself, knowing that you are doing all you can to prevent this from happening again, and, finally, understanding that you should never blame yourself if something bad happens. You can only do so much.
 
I’d like to recommend an organization: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. They have chapters all over the country that offer counseling, not just for those who are struggling with suicide but also for their families who are trying to understand what is going on and how to cope with it. If there is not a chapter in your area, you can do some research to find a group or contact your local hospital’s mental health department for assistance.
 
Good luck!!!  HUGS!!
 
Papabear
 
* * *
 
Basically the problem with dad is that he is an abusive ass, excuse my language. He tried to hit my mother, he tried to hit my cousin, he hit me multiple times; once, when I was ten, he left a black eye. He scratched me when I was 14, he tried choking me when I was 16, and just recently he punched me in the face and nearly broke my nose. I tried pressing charges each time, but every time my mother said I deserved it.  My father also would fight and scream at the younger kids too, but he would never hit them. I think that this probably made my brother upset and stressed out, and after 11 years that is a lot of stress. I was adopted when I was 6 and he was 5.
 
* * *
 
Hi, Austin,
 
I’m sorry to hear this. If all you say is true, then it doesn’t matter at all if your mother defends your adopted father’s actions. I’m not sure what you mean by “I tried pressing charges.” Did you actually contact the police? Did they come over and then listen to your mother instead of you? That makes no sense to me. The authorities take child abuse very seriously.
 
Okay, what I recommend is two things: 1) contact your local Child Protective Services office and tell them what is going on. You and your brother are being physically and mentally abused by your father. A serious charge. 2) Contact Boys Town, a very helpful organization designed to help troubled youth like you and your brother, and their families.
 
You may be correct that the abuse contributed to what your brother did. Very understandable. It needs to be stopped. Can you be brave for Papabear and contact the people above? Don’t let your parents know. Your father is the abuser and your mother is on his side; telling them will prevent you from helping your brother and yourself.

Austin, I now suspect we've found the real cause here of your brother's suicide attempt. Your father's abuse probably led to depression for your brother; then, at school, kids can pick up on this; bullies spot troubled kids and target them as their victims. The combination of your father's physical abuse and your brother's peers' taunting were too much for him, and he tried to kill himself. This needs to stop.

Please keep me posted.
 
Hugs,
Papabear

According to the Human Comics web site, “Gabriel Smith is a screenwriter from Venice Beach, California.  He is the founder of Human Comics, an independent comic book publisher, which was created as a platform for Smith to exhibit his writings for a cyberpunk sci-fi series entitled Human (aka Anthropocene: The Human Saga).” More recently though, Gabriel created a “children’s comedy comic” called Bacon & Sausage, illustrated in full color by Sara Varon. Well he describes it as a children’s comic — but it does seem to have a lotta harsh language and even, um, “body humor” for kids! Oh well, modern kids, it looks like!

Image c. 2016 Sara Varon

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Today the WagzTail crew ponders uniqueness in the fandom, and if having a unique character is actually important.

Metadata and Credits Original Character, Does Anyone Care?

Runtime: 41:03m

Cast: Path, 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.

Original Character, Does Anyone Care? - Today the WagzTail crew ponders uniqueness in the fandom, and if having a unique character is actually important.

Today the WagzTail crew ponders uniqueness in the fandom, and if having a unique character is actually important.

Metadata and Credits Original Character, Does Anyone Care?

Runtime: 41:03m

Cast: Path, 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.

Original Character, Does Anyone Care? - Today the WagzTail crew ponders uniqueness in the fandom, and if having a unique character is actually important.

Naked Jumping Jacks (Drake's Corner #3)
Still being harassed by anonymous users, Drake fends them off with lewd exercises and abnormal fetishes. SUBMIT QUESTIONS/DARES: https://ask.fm/theraccoonsden See more at: http://www.TheRaccoonsDe... From: The Raccoon's Den Views: 1954 26 ratings Time: 04:25 More in Entertainment

Millennials killed this podcast description. Want to support the show? We have our Patreon: www.patreon.com/knotcast - every bit helps! Episode 326 - Vagenda of Manocide

Submitted by Fred Patten

The 2015 Cóyotl Awards, presented by the Furry Writers’ Guild for four categories of the Best Anthropomorphic Literature of the 2015 calendar year, were recently announced at a presentation ceremony at the Rocky Mountain Fur Con in Denver, Colorado.

The winners and runners-up are:

Best Novel
Winner

• Barsk: The Elephant’s Graveyard by Lawrence M. Schoen (Tor Books, December 2015)

Runner-Up

• Forest Gods by Ryan Campbell (Sofawolf Press, September 2015)
• The Long Road Home by Rukis (FurPlanet Productions, July 2015)
• Rat’s Reputation by Michael H. Payne (Sofawolf Press)
• Windfall by Tempe O’Kun (FurPlanet Productions, July 2015)

Best Novella
Winner

• Koa of the Drowned Kingdom by Ryan Campbell (FurPlanet Productions, September 2015)

Runner-Up

• Losing My Religion by Kyell Gold (FurPlanet Productions, September 2015)

Best Short Story
Winner

• The Analogue Cat by Alice “Huskyteer” Dryden (in The Furry Future, ed. by Fred Patten; FurPlanet Productions, January 2015)

Runner-Up

• Bullet Tooth Claw by Marshall L. Moseley (in Inhuman Acts, ed. by Ocean Tigrox; FurPlanet Productions, September 2015)
• Muskrat Blues by Ianus J. Wolf (in Inhuman Acts, ed. by Ocean Tigrox; FurPlanet Productions, September 2015)

Best Anthology
Winner

• Inhuman Acts edited by Ocean Tigrox (FurPlanet Productions, September 2015)

Runners-Up

• The Furry Future edited by Fred Patten (FurPlanet Productions, January 2015)
• ROAR Volume 6 edited by Mary E. Lowd (Bad Dog Books, July 2015)

– Fred Patten

Recently at Comic Con we came across a new comic book company, Contraband Comics. Among the titles (or rather covers!) that caught our eyes was a new full-color one called Pugly, “A new comic book misadventure from writer Jon Goff (Destiny, Spawn) and artist Jim Hanna (Jack Rabbit)”. Meet Frank, a pug-dog whose only goal is to enjoy life in his huge palatial home with his loving elder mistress, Mother. Unfortunately that’s complicated when she passes away — and it only gets more complicated when she wills her entire vast fortune to him! As he explains, that’s just the beginning of Frank’s adventures in a much larger world. Take a look over at Contraband’s web site to learn more about him.

image c. 2016 Contraband Comics

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Dear Papabear,

I struggle with depression and am receiving help for it but wanted to ask you for advice about trying to change my increasingly pessimistic outlook in general.

While I've been aware of this thought process I possess for a long time now, I've struggled to change it in vain and still find myself naturally biased or focused to the negative. I think this really contributes to my mood often and has been making it harder to get motivated to do things, to feel good about myself, to trust others, and view the world in a positive way.

I would really appreciate any advice or help.

Yours,
Dyrk Prowler (age 20, Australia)
* * *
Hello, Dyrk,
 
Thank you for your letter and sorry for the delay in my reply. It would be helpful to me if you could give me a little personal history, especially if you have experienced tragedy, illness, death, or other events that may have led to your depression.
 
Hugs,
Papabear
 
* * *
Thank you for getting back to me, Papabear.

As for some history, I've been struggling with depression since about halfway through high school, since about age 14-15. Though it had been rather tidal experiencing ebbs and flows, events over the past few years influenced me to seek professional help; my grandfather's death, my once-best friend basically cutting me out of his life, a year of university which was not very good (I've dropped out), struggled and am still struggling to find steady employment, and being online friends with people I, upon reflection, should not have as they dropped and I don't know why they did.

Though I am not friendless (I do have friends good friends who’ve stood by me and supported me), and my family continues to support and care for me. I just can't seem to escape the negative thoughts that seem to be nagging at the back of my mind.  As for the help I've received, it has been a year of seeing a psychologist, following their instructions, and have been on anti-depressants for about 9-10 months.
 
Hopefully this what you were looking for.
 
* * *
This is helpful, thanks. If you feel comfortable with telling me, could you relate to me some of the things your psychologist has asked you to do? This will help me to not recommend something that's already been suggested.
 
Thanks,
pbear
 
* * *
 
Okay, we've mainly focused on the relationship of thoughts, feelings, and behavior. We have on done some thought analysis to try and identify the unfounded negative thoughts. So mainly general perspective things.
 
This is the main things I remember.
 
* * *
 
Hi, Dyrk,

Thanks for all the additional information. Negative thoughts and depression, while not the same thing, are often related, as in your case. If your therapist is saying your negative thoughts are “unfounded,” I think I see some problem with their not validating your emotions. That “unfounded” comment fails to recognize that there is always a cause for your feelings. That cause could be anything from biological imbalances to emotional and psychological issues to just having problems dealing with the tragedies and stresses of normal life.

When it comes to depression, you’ve come to the right place. From my attempted suicide at 18 to my divorce to the recent loss of my mate, I know what it is like to experience deep depression, sadness, and loss. I have read books, sought professional counseling, talked with friends who have experienced similar losses, and taken the antidepressants. I know about the five stages of grieving, and have discovered a couple others no one told me about.

Not to make light of your experiences of losing a grandfather, a friend, college life, and so on, but there are far worse things people endure in life and manage to survive. Naturally, these things that have happened to you can be depressing, but what you need now is to learn to keep things in perspective and to broaden that perspective.

Before I continue, I would like to note some things you can do to help yourself using diet and exercise because, when you think of it, depression and cynicism can be a physiological response to one’s environment. Here are some things that really help me and can help you as well:

• Avoid sugars—especially processed sugar—as much as possible; and especially avoid high fructose corn syrup, which is known to cause diabetes (I give a middle finger to food industry deniers on this one). Watch out, because they are trying to rename this substance to trick people.
• Avoid processed foods in general (boxed and canned) and eat fresh (frozen is not bad) foods as much as possible. Organic if you can (be cautious as there are no regulations as yet regarding strict labeling of what defines “organic.”
• Avoid alcohol (a powerful depressant) and drugs not prescribed by a doctor.
• Avoid anything with the artificial sweetener aspartame. Many doctors and American food industry shills will say that aspartame is harmless. I beg to differ. It is, actually, a form of neurotoxin, and I have seen its effects on people I know. Aspartame affects the mood, can cause panic and anxiety attacks, and in women has been shown to negatively affect menstrual cycles. It was, in fact, initially rejected by the FDA until, obviously, someone gave officials there enough money to approve it.
• Exercise regularly! Regular—especially cardio—exercise will not only improve your health it will also improve your mood. It doesn’t have to be excessively rigorous. Walking is great. Swimming is great. Tai chi is great, meditation too. You don’t have to run marathons.
• Reconnect to nature. Experiencing the wonders of a walk in the woods, the desert, along a coastline soothes the spirit and nourishes the soul. This includes interactions with animals. Do you have a pet? Having a dog or cat can really be a benefit.

​So, those things help the physiological side of depression and a sour attitude. Now let’s look at the more mental side of it.

Everyone faces challenges in their lives. Unless you die at a very young age (a tragedy in itself) you’re going to face loss, pain, and hardships in your life. This cannot be avoided. The key here is how you deal with bad events in your life after they have happened. This is not easy, and I will be the first person to tell you that. After about 10 months I am just getting to the point, after losing Jim, where I can console my heart by honestly saying how lucky I was to have him in my life at all, and I am grateful for the things he taught me and how he enriched my life. Yes, I would have loved it if he had stayed on Earth longer, but if he had to die young I am truly grateful that he spent those last years with me. I am a better person for his being in my life.

All clouds, as they say, can have a silver lining. You lost your grandfather, and that’s sad, but some people never get to meet their grandfathers, for one reason or another. His loss obviously hurt you, which means that you cared about him and will miss him. Think, then, of the blessing he was in your life.
Your friend abandoned you. Well, maybe he wasn’t such a good friend after all, then. You have noted that you have other friends who are still with you. Take this opportunity to appreciate their friendship, and let them know that you are happy you are friends; do something nice for them on occasion. And learn from what happened with the other guy. Think back on it; were their signs about how he acted that, in retrospect, were cues he wasn’t a worthy of friend? Make note of them and learn from that. The more you learn from friendships, both successful and not, the better friend you will be to others.

As for online friends, that’s a whole nuther kettle of fish. Most online friends would fall under what I categorize as “mere acquaintances.” It’s nice to chat with them and learn about them, but they don’t fall under true friend categories. Some do, of course. And those will usually be the ones with whom you hit it off so well that you will make the effort to meet them in person and strike up a more solid relationship.

In life, you will make friends, lose friends, make other new friends. That’s what happens. As the goombah would say, fuhgetabowdit.

Okay, on to your college efforts. After a year, you dropped out. Were you attending a four-year school? Maybe that’s just not for you. You don’t have to attend university to get some further education that can be useful in a job. Take a step back and think about what you would really like to do with your life. Perhaps it is something where you can go to a technical school or a two-year college, or become an apprentice to a tradesman of some kind, and afterwards find perfectly good employment. Many people go to a four-year school because they feel it is expected of them. They spend two or more years just taking classes that don’t interest them, fulfilling core requirements, not really getting inspired.

Instead of worrying about school, take some time to think harder about what you really enjoy doing, then make your plans accordingly. They may or may not involve a bachelor’s or graduate degree, and that doesn’t matter. What does matter is finding your passion. There are many successful people out there who don’t have a college diploma.

By always focusing on the negative in life, you create a feedback loop that worsens the problem. It is like rolling a pea down a snowy hill and creating a massive snowball capable of leveling a town. The way to stop that is to not place the pea on the hill at all. Start counting your blessings and thinking about what is good in your life and try to make that your feedback loop. One way to help with this is to stop watching TV news (if you do so) because it is designed to make you feel scared so that you will watch more TV news, including the ads.

Another thing to note: don’t worry about the things you can’t change and focus on only those things you can. And don’t overwhelm yourself by thinking of all the things you need to do at one time. Tackle one problem at a time. Live in the present. Depressed people often live too much in the past; anxious people worry too much about the future. The present is the only certainty we have. Live for now.

Okay, hope none of that was too cliché for you and helped some. And, if it didn’t, at least you didn’t have to pay me :-)

Write again if you need to. If not, I hope my words helped you some and I wish you well.
​
Hugs,
Papabear

We're back! ‘Furry and Loathing in Denver’ https://t.co/gklbyUV4H1 @FingersMalloy @AsheSchow & I discuss furries, the campaign, UVA and pot.

— TLC (@TracyLConnors) August 17, 2016

On this podcast, host Fingers Malloy talks about his visit to Rocky Mountain Fur Con in Denver. It starts 20 minutes in. Thanks to Kieran for sending this.

It’s a gentle outsiders’ look.  Fingers has a pastime of making fun of politics, but furries are spared overdone mockery. (“They’re not hurting anyone”, he says).  He mentions past negativity and compares it to picking low-hanging fruit.

Enough Already is for pop culture and conservative politics. In fact it shares some serious connections to senators, governors, Fox News, etc.

There isn’t a big overlap with conservatives and furries. We talked on Twitter after the show, and they were curious to know why? I gave a very generic reason of demographics.  There’s no politics about being a talking animal and we come in all stripes.  But young and queer people tend not to be overly enamored with the right-wing or christian fundamentalists. That goes both ways.

Take this example. At World Net Daily (the fringiest of ultraconservative blogs), furries were recently bashed as deviant pedophiles by Phil Elmore, a sad oaf crying for help to detach his head from his colon. It was just ranting about moral decay from someone so repellant that nobody would want to decay him. Furs at Flayrah were not impressed by the ignorance.

Another example: in 2015, furries were mocked in a trollish article by Milo Yiannopoulos, star of the “alt-right” at Breitbart. He’s a Gamergate figurehead.  Milo criticizes identity politics, rampant cultural narcissism, and “imitation identity disorders and theatrical attention-seeking”.  He singles out “transpecies” beliefs as a symptom, mashing together the worst fringes of Tumblr, otherkin and furries.

You might call Milo an alt-right hipster for adopting gamers to cozy up with youth culture. Since he seemed to want cred with nerds, I guessed he would answer my mail. I asked him to be nicer to the misunderstood furries.  He answered:

Of course. I suspect a lot of overlap with the gamers I love so much. Perhaps I should write something.

I think this is different from garden variety out-for-a-buck media sensationalizing. When furries are a pawn for conservative points, I sense fixation on how others should live from fossilized dino-turds like Phil Elmore, and just plain manipulation from slippery players like Milo. (“Just folks” friendliness can also mask apathy about whether others can live at all, but that’s another topic.)

I’m sure the affable hosts of the Enough Already podcast would demur about wanting everyone to be left alone with liberty for all. And I wonder if Milo will be cozier next time he talks about furries – perhaps in his own newly minted fursona (maybe a snake or weasel.) I’ll leave it to you to think about ulterior motives when media comes to our spaces wearing big smiles, but you can keep opinions while taking curiosity and niceness at face value. Thanks are due to the podcast for real effort.

Speaking of Gamergate, they seem to have a problem with misrepresentation by the media. HMMM, SOUNDS FAMILIAR. And they seem to feel that gamers are unfairly vilified. HMMM AGAIN.

If you ask conservative minds about who could be most responsible for furries being punching-bags, like clockwork, expect complaints about Vanity Fair, MTV, CSI, etc. being “liberal media.” (But who’s buying what they sell?)

There are some alt-right and “furries for Trump”.  One furry commented on the Twitter chat about that small section being his friends.

@bubbasjetpack it is possible although not easy, to be friends with people whose politics differ from your own. @PifOtter

— TLC (@TracyLConnors) August 17, 2016

“Agree to disagree” is a nice way to be. And if you can name other places where everyone hugs everyone like when furries meet, I’d love to hear. Maybe the rest of the world should try growing tails.

I have to mention a Twitter comment from host Tracy about acceptance of furries.  She asked if the “muzzies” would open their arms to us?

They sure would. President Obama (America’s #1 muslim and the founder of ISIS) invited furries to come hang out at the White House. Our international conspiracy is everywhere. Beware of trying to fool us or use us – just be nice.

Donald Trump Accuses Obama of Inventing Furries

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) August 16, 2016

Donald Trump's Hair Has It's Own Fursona

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) January 26, 2016

Another Loss For Trump Campaign - Chester Cheetah Endorses Hillary

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) August 16, 2016

pic.twitter.com/AHSGSGR58H

— FURRY FANFICTION (@FURRYFANFIC) July 2, 2015

* (Seriously, there are some muslimfurs and members in places like Iran. I also have an article in drafts about how Furry is growing with new cons in southeast asia, but not so much in Malaysia and Indonesia because Islamic customs forbid showing animals doing human things. But that’s for another time.)

(Hmm, lots of exclamation points this week. Must be more stuff from Comic Con!) Loter Studios is the creation of John Loter and his wife Shelley Loter, both of whom worked for years as Creative Directors at Disney Consumer Products. They continue to consult for Disney (and assorted animation companies) on t-shirts and other merchandising, but since 2005 they have also been creating their own line of original products based on original characters. Just this year, that expanded to include their very first full-color comic book: Supa-Rillas, created with the help of John’s brother, animation director Steve Loter (Kim Possible, American Dragon: Jake Long). Simian superheroes out to save the world — all for bananas. Check out the web site to see more of what they’ve worked on.

image c. 2016 Loter Studios

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