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Social Dynamics in Furmeet Groups
I wanna ask how to deal with gatekeeping within the fandom and how to improve despite their differences?
For context, I have a friend who's in college and we started to chat and sharing everything since the pandemic. The problem my friend has is that he doesn't live in one of the biggest cities in Colombia but in a tourist one. That's why most of the fandom have (not everyone) start to mocking some regions, including my friend's city, with terrible jokes.
Despite I lived in the capital city (Bogotá) where concentrates the most part of the fandom, I can't believe the hipocrisy of some people, causing a lot of drama and splits to show which side of the furry fandom is the best; including the popfurs and meetups. And this bothers me when I read what happened in the past.
The funny part is I open the conversation in a group where I'm part of by typing "Hey, Divas! What's up?" to see what are the reactions.
At first, I thought that the Colombian furry fandom was open and welcomed, until I realized the live in their own bubbles. And maybe it can happen in other countries as well.
What do you think?
Gabbo the Fox (Colombia; age 30)
* * *
Dear Gabbo,
Sorry for the late reply. What you're experiencing in Colombia is something that happens in fandom groups across the world. It is human nature, sadly, for hierarchies to form in social groups. While in the broad, big-picture view of the fandom, it is true that the furry fandom will accept anyone regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, or nationality, but it is also true that this is often not the case in small meetup groups.
Why does this happen?
Simply put, it's because certain people are not happy unless they are dominating others. There are a number of reasons for this such as overcompensating for low self-esteem or because the only way they feel safe in a group is if they can control all the other members. And the best way to dominate others is to put those other people down. You can do this by mocking certain attributes (it doesn't matter what attribute so long as it can be labeled as "other" or "unacceptable.") or by gatekeeping in which the dominant person declares that certain people do not meet the requirements to be "true" to their type, whether that means you are a muggle or not a true furry.
While there is such a thing as a true leader, one who assumes the post because they are smarter or stronger or more experienced and wish to use these skills to lead their group to success and happiness, such people are typically found in times of crisis (for example, FDR during the Depression and World War II, or, closer to your home, Simón Bolívar). But when there is no crisis and the only purpose of a group is to socialize, then true leaders are not really required and what you get instead are popufurs and prima donnas. This is true whether you are in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Colombia.
You are 100% correct that these furry social groups "live in their own bubbles." This is the reason for the social dynamic you have witnessed and why the leaders of such groups are typically jackasses (often--not always, but often). I hear stories like yours all the time. It's very petty and small. And it can definitely turn one off being a furry.
Don't you let it. You're furry, I assume, because you love anthro animal characters in stories and art. Don't let others take that love away from you just because they're derps. Recognize that the ones treating you like this are most likely furries with very low confidence levels who are, basically, bullies trying to gain undeserved attention and admiration.
How do you deal with it? Once you recognize these people for what they are, I have found that their personal attacks bounce right off me like bullets off of Superman's chest. Personal attacks on your character don't sting at all if you do not respect the people who are dishing it out. (My usual response to people trying to hurt my feelings is, "Ooh, ouch! That would really hurt if I cared about your opinion.")
Once people realize you cannot be hurt by their attacks, they, like all bullies, usually get bored and stop attacking you.
In short, be cool. Be calm. Be Zen. Be Bear. Bears don't take no shit from nobody, and neither should you. And they look cute doing it, too.
Hope this helps.
Stay Furry!
Bear Hugs,
Papabear
Don’t Wisk the Wath of a Wizard!
Well thank you, Amazon! They pointed us at The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms, a black & white yaoi manga that’s written and illustrated by Nagabe. “Hidden away deep within the woods, far from the prying eyes of the world, lies the Wizdom’s School of Wizarding. There beasts of all kinds gather to live, to learn, and to love. From everyday animals to fantastical creatures, these BL stories are told with a realistic and light-hearted touch.” Somehow we missed this on its initial release, but it’s available now from Seven Seas.
image c. 2023 Seven Seas Entertainment
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 47
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 47. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Fursuit Eye Mesh: Everything You Need To Know
- What Is Fursuit Eye Mesh?
- Can I Use Any Mesh To Make My Fursuit Eyes?
- Are There Any Good Substitutes For This Mesh?
- Where Can I Buy Mesh For My Fursuits?
- How Do You Paint On To The Eye Mesh?
- Conclusion
What Is Fursuit Eye Mesh?
As the name implies, fursuit eye mesh is the fabric that is used to make the eyes of a fursuit. It is often a relatively thin material so that it can be printed on easily while still allowing the wearer to see through it. This is because mesh has thousands of tiny holes in it that allow light to pass through. The more tightly woven a piece of mesh is, the fewer holes there are and therefore the harder it is to see through it. Not all fursuits have mesh eyes and you’ll most often see this mesh in more toony suits than anything but it’s not exclusive to them. It can also be used in realistic heads, kemono heads, and more. Because the eyes are just made with a thin fabric, it’s quite easy to glue them onto the head of the suit and there are a million tutorials you can find out there on how you can install them easily so there should be no issue if you are trying to make your own fursuit.
Can I Use Any Mesh To Make My Fursuit’s Eyes?So, as for the specifics of the mesh you want to use this is where things can get a little tricky. You don’t want to use just any old mesh because it might not give you enough vision or ink might struggle to take to it so you should be a bit more meticulous about choosing the right mesh for your fursuit. Lucky for you, we’re here to help.
If you’ve read up a little bit on fursuit eye mesh then you’ve probably had this suggested to you a million times already but, Buckram mesh fabric is your best bet for fursuit eyes. This mesh really is just the jack of all trades. It’s affordable, only costing about $3.99 for a square foot of mesh, it’s easy to work with in terms of painting or inking designed onto the mesh and it’s see-through enough that your vision won’t be massively impaired but just opaque enough that people can appreciate the designs you put on to it.
Of course, it’s not the be-all and end-all if you’re unable to get your hands on some Buckram mesh fabric it’s just what we suggest. There are plenty of equally useful alternatives to this mesh which you can find below.
High Visibility Mesh vs Standard Mesh
Image via Twitter
Are There Any Good Substitutes For This Mesh?To start, vinyl eye mesh is another great alternative to Buckram. It’s almost just as easy to work with, you can paint onto it nicely, and it’s not too hard to cut. The only problem we find with vinyl mesh is it is slightly harder to see through because it’s a bit more tightly woven than buckram fabric. However, this isn’t a massive inconvenience as you can still get by with the visibility it offers.
Apart from PVC (vinyl) however, there aren’t many alternatives you’ll find. A lot of the mesh you will find will either be PVC or buckram-based mesh as they are just the most commonplace fabric mesh.
However, be warned, all mesh comes with its pros and cons, even buckram. For one, some have complained that buckram mesh fabric often warps and weakens a little too easily with time even if it is better for painting. While on the other hand, more PVC-based mesh often clogs with paint a lot easier thus reducing visibility. As well as this they can often make designs look a little “pixelated” if drawn with a marker pen.
From fursuit commissions to art commissions, Fursonafy has your back
"They where extremely understanding and patient. They provided fast response times and amazing communication"
Edward
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Build my fursuit
OR
Draw My Fursona
Where Can I Buy Mesh For My Fursuits?
If you’re reading this article because you’re looking to make eyes for your own fursuit but you’re not entirely sure where to buy supplies from, not to worry, we’ll cover your options.
Amazon
It might sound like a bit of a no-brainer but Amazon really is the marketplace for everything and anything. You can buy yourself any color mesh in varying different sizes and even mesh that is pre-cut into circles for you. Plus, you can get all of this for less than $10. So, if you’re looking for the most convenient place to buy mesh for your fursuit eyes and a lot of the other supplies for your fursuit to be frank, Amazon is probably your safest bet.
FursuitSupplies
However, if you don’t want to put more money into Bezos’ pockets and instead want to support the furry community, you can buy from the furry-run platform fursuitsupplies.com. As you could imagine, they are a bit more in touch with the needs of furries, and their site is dedicated solely to helping fellow furries make their own fursuits and they are relatively affordable. They also offer neat little cosmetics like LED light-up collars and custom-made ones.
Etsy
Another way of supporting the furry community and knowing exactly whose pockets your money is going into is ordering supplies through Etsy. Etsy has a surprisingly big furry and fursuiting community on it. You can buy everything from full fursuits to foam bases and there’s no shortage of supplies either.
How Do You Paint On To The Eye Mesh?Given that mesh has so many tiny holes you might think that it would be challenging to paint on but it’s actually far from it. This will be a brief guide on how to paint your fursuit eyes but there are plenty of extensive guides out there that will cover a lot more than this article. Firstly, if you’re going to use paint from a bottle (as opposed to paint pens or spray paint) we strongly suggest using high-quality acrylic paint. We’ve found that this is just the easiest to layer onto the mesh and the paint that takes to the mesh the best.
Once you’ve got your paint you’re going to want to apply a thin layer of the patterns and colors you want. Let this dry and apply another thin layer. The reason you want to keep these layers relatively thin is thicker layers can cause small globs of paint to clog the holes of the mesh and therefore affect the transparency of the mesh. Another way of avoiding clogging is by using a sponge, or piece of foam to lightly dab onto the as opposed to a brush as it allows you to use your discretion a little better. Keep on applying the layers of paint until your design is clearly visible and hey presto! You have just painted your very first pair of fursuit eyes.
Some alternatives to acrylic paint that we’ve seen people have success with are paint pens, felt-tip pens, spray paint, and markers. We know acrylic paint, especially the high-quality stuff, can be pretty expensive so any of these are great options as well.
Fursuit Eyes
Image via Pinterest
ConclusionSo, to wrap things up, if you are looking to make eyes for your own fursuit and are unsure where to even start we recommend first picking a material to make the eyes out of. Our suggestion would be buckram mesh fabric but any of the alternatives mentioned below would also work. For the best quality and affordability, any of the aforementioned stores are a great option to get not just eye mesh but most fursuit supplies. Then when it comes to painting your eyes remember to watch a tutorial on it beforehand as although we’ve given you a brief rundown on how you should go about painting it, our word isn’t gospel and there are plenty of tips and tricks you can pick up from several talented fursuit makers out there.
Share PostThe post Fursuit Eye Mesh: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Fursonafy.
Anthrocon again crowned the world’s biggest furcon after breaking attendee records
Anthrocon 破参会人数记录，再次成世界最大兽展
Night of the Big Moon
Something else we stumbled across in the U.K., and did some more research when we got home. Ragllan and the Curse of the Black Dog is the first book in the Wolfling Chronicles fantasy series by British author Sarah Kendall. “Wolflings are an elusive race of creature, endowed with arcane powers, and a strange craving for lettuce. When their carefree lives are blighted by a curse, it seems that things will never be the same again. That is, until a young Nature Spirit, Ragllan the Red, comes to their aid. Guided by Winzel, a wise but batty old Wolfling, and a soothsaying cuckoo called Conker, Ragllan must use his shape shifting skills to seek the perpetrator of the curse – the Black Dog- beneath the eerie Forest of Ailsa and banish him to Winterland. But he quickly discovers that things are not as straightforward as he first thought.” Not certain how available the book is in North America, but the British publisher has information up on line.
image c. 2023 Troubador Publishing
Bearly Furcasting S4E12 - Spotlight on Pepper Coyote
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Taebyn and Bearly have a nice visit with Musical Guest Pepper Coyote. We learn about his current projects and his newest video release: Chinese Pie Balloon. (be sure to stick around after the closing credits to hear the song!
This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
All the Violence You Can Bear
IDW Comics just sent us an announcement for Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, a new “cozy horror” (what does that mean?) comic written and illustrated by Patrick Horvath. Set in a small town of anthropomorphic animals, it introduces us to a seemingly-nice middle-aged bear named Samantha. “In the tranquil and welcoming little town of Woodbrook, humanoid animals happily live in harmony. This cute community isn’t quite as calming as it seems, though. On the surface, Samantha is the friendly face who owns and manages the hardware store. But beneath the surface lies something more terrifying. She visits the nearby city to let her violent urges loose, and buries her victims in the woods… But what happens when the killing comes back to her harmonious home town and Samantha isn’t the only one unleashing her inner animal?” Hitting the stands this October, just in time for Halloween. Bleeding Cool (ha ha) has a preview. Make no mistake: This is harrowing stuff, and definitely not for younger readers.
image c. 2023 IDW Publishing
飆飆第二次個展「野食」 ：從畫中欣賞台中在地美食
知名藝術家飆飆，7 月 1 日起在台中全安堂台灣太陽餅博物館 2 樓，舉辦為期一個月的個人插畫展《野食》，並於 7 月 2 日下午進行開幕茶會。展出作品以飆飆推薦在台中的餐廳為出發點，來讓更多人能從中了解並親自前往品嘗。茶會當天吸引約 50 多人左右參加，現場更提供本次展出作品的複製畫販售活動。
畫展開幕茶會現場（圖：飆飆提供）
策展人飆飆表示，本次是他第 2 次舉辦個展，會選用「野食」作為本次的主題，說明「野就是野生動物的野，食是指人在吃的，一些在台中我個人推薦的一些小店跟餐廳」，本次展出的 10 幅完整作品與 10 幅速寫圖就是以這些餐廳做為發想來創作，也推薦參觀者可以在展後去品嘗這些美食。
本次展出將持續一個月（圖：飆飆提供）
飆飆也表示，展出的這些作品都是使用電腦繪圖的，而不是以前用的純水彩手繪，在筆刷上研究了比較久的時間，並且做了一點調整，讓呈現出的感覺可以更接近他善用的筆法。本次也是實驗要怎麼用電腦筆刷來仿製出自己以前手繪水彩的風格，以及怎麼做輸出會比較接近原稿的實驗性展覽。
現場共有20幅畫作等待民眾欣賞（圖：飆飆提供）
對於現場販售的複製畫，飆飆說本次販售的結果來看，接受度比以往的高，未來也會繼續嘗試販售。開幕茶會後剩餘的複製畫，目前也在網路平台上進行販售。至於未來會不會有其他展出的計畫，飆飆表示將於 9 月泰國 FurSquare、10 月台創季、11 月日本 DESIGN FESTA 進行展出，也歡迎粉絲和同好一起來共襄盛舉。
Raw Men
Hey, thanks! A new recommendation recently came across our desk: Ramen Wolf and Curry Tiger, a black & white manga written and illustrated by the creator known as Emboss. “Meet your new favorite food critics: A chubby wolf named Mita Jiro, and a ripped tiger named Yanagi Kagetora. Kagetora used to eat to live, but that changed when he met Jiro — who lives to eat! Jiro is more than happy to help his striped friend explore the restaurants and delicacies tucked within their city, and he enjoys all their finds with great relish. There’s nothing better than a hot meal to bring two (animal) people together in this deliciously illustrated story.” Comixology has sample pages to check out.
image c. 2023 Seven Seas
JMoF’s penguin neighbor w/Sherbert #shorts #snippets
What’s up with JMoF’s penguin neighbor? Let Sherbert explain! Catch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/dobEOOPfWhk ---- Social Media: Official FABP Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxandburger Michael: https://twitter.com/foxnakh https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK9xoFQrxFTNPMjmXfUg2cg Burger: https://twitter.com/L1ghtningRunner ---- #foxandburger #shorts #snippet #furry
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 46
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 46. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Bearly Furcasting S4E11 - Where's Taebyn?
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Moobarkfluff! Taebyn is on vacation this week, so Rayne and Bearly Welcome Misha B. Barkin' to sit in Taebyn's chair. We chat about life in general, discuss upcoming events, Play some This or That, and tell some really bad jokes. Join us for a great episode of BFFT! Moobarkfluff!
Misha's Video link about the Fox News Interview:
The Furry of Fox News - Vitai Slade
This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
A Hero is a Hero, No Matter How Small
Another brand-new book for young readers we came across in the U.K.: Moonflight by Gill Lewis (with illustrations by Pippa Curnick). “Can a timid rat ever become a hero? Tilbury is about to find out on the adventure of a lifetime, journeying across the sea to the realm of the dreaded White Death, to return a priceless diamond to its rightful owners. A marvellous adventure begins and a truly intrepid hero is born . . .” The book is available for international shipping from Amazon U.K. And it’s also available as an audio book — everywhere!
image c. 2023 David Fickling Books
FWG Monthly Newsletter July 2023
And just like that, we’re halfway through the year.
Many of the guild’s writers and publishers have just come back from Anthrocon, where there were many new book releases (check out the bottom of this blog), and we hope many sales! If you picked up a book or two at Anthrocon, please share some pics of your haul with us – and the publishers and authors! Don’t forget to leave a review as well!
There isn’t much guild new to share this month, though I am expecting a bit more at the start of August as we begin preparations for Oxfurred Comma and Furry Book Month. Expect some developments there to come soon.
The guild officers have also been in discussion with other ways to produce more content and opportunities for guild members. Stay tuned for more news here.
We have also been keeping a close eye on the situation happening on Twitter. For a long time, Twitter has been the FWG’s primary social media outlet. We are keeping our options open at the moment and will be looking to expand to another location – Mastodon and Bluesky are looking like the likely options at this stage. We will continue to maintain our presence on Twitter.
Once we have accounts set up on the new sites, we will begin the process of finding guild members already present on those platforms.
For those who don’t worry about failing social media sites, there are always short story opportunities! Please check out the current open calls.
Get Wild – Deadline September 1st
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Furry Femdom Erotica – Deadline When Full
F/F No Erotic Anthology – Deadline When Full
Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
Beyond Their Pale – Deadline When Full
#ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
Zooscape – Reoccurring submission windows.
There were also plenty of new releases during the Anthrocon weekend. These are the ones from the FWG members – though there were plenty of other new books to enjoy!
Gnoll Tales, by NightEyes DaySpring. Released June 30th 2023.
Fang Volume 11, edited by Sparf. Released July 1st 2023.
In The Light Of The Dawn, by the Furry Historical Fiction Society (featuring multiple FWG members). Released July 1st 2023.
The Red Vixen After Dark, by Royce Day. Released July 1st 2023.
The Dry Spell, by Ryan Loup-Glissant (Slip Wolf). Released July 1st 2023.
The Prince of Thorns, by Tim Susman. Available for pre-order. Released November 14th 2023.
Commander Annie and Other Adventures, by Mary E. Lowd. Available for pre-order. Released November 14th 2023.
From everyone at the FWG, we hope that the second half of the year can build upon the first six months.
Until next time.
Safe writing.
J.F.R. Coates
Fursuiting in Borneo w/Daza #shorts #snippets
Ever wonder what it’s like fursuiting in Indonesia? Let’s hear what Daza has to say. Catch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/9HHyqpDeXJw ---- Social Media: Official FABP Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxandburger Michael: https://twitter.com/foxnakh https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK9xoFQrxFTNPMjmXfUg2cg Burger: https://twitter.com/L1ghtningRunner ---- #foxandburger #shorts #snippet #furry
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 45
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 45. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.
#FurryVoices: Anthro Irish
Anthro Irish is a brand-new furry convention to be held in Cork, Ireland on August 5th and 6th. They agreed to an interview to talk about the upcoming event. Furries in Ireland … what is it like? Anthro Irish: Well, in my nearly five years being active in this fandom, I’ve come across lots of […]