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

Ninja Timmy, by Henrik Tamm. Illustrated by the author.
NYC, Delacorte Press, November 2015, hardcover $14.99 (211 [+ 2] pages), Kindle $9.99.

This children’s book was originally published in 2013 in Sweden as Ninja Timmy Och De Stulna Skratten, although it was written in English. Henrik Tamm is described in an About the Author as “a conceptual designer in Hollywood involved in various animated and live-action projects” (p. [213]), including the Shrek and Chronicles of Narnia movie series.

This children’s book for 8- to 12-year-olds (grades 3 to 7) is technically too young for furry adult readers. But, like many CGI animated features, it will be of interest due to the setting (a Medievalish European metropolis inhabited by anthropomorphic animals and humans together), the full-color illustrations on almost every double-page spread, and the plot of natural and magical evil and the young animals who fight it.

The visual richness is evident from the moment of opening the book. The front double-page endpapers show a panorama of the city of Elyzandrium busy at midday, with high towers and dirigibles and ascension balloons overhead. The rear endpapers show the same scene but at night, dark blue and with empty streets, but with the city’s windows all alight.

Timmy the cat (“[…] not quite fully grown yet, but definitely not a kitten”), Simon the mink, and the pig brothers Jasper and Casper are four teenage friends in Elyzandrium:

“It was a warm afternoon. Through the open window they could see the bustle of the city below. Elyzandrium was its name, and it was sprawled across a valley and enclosed on all sides by high, forested mountains. Fantastical three-hundred-foot bamboo towers soared into the sky, and smoke billowed from ten thousand chimneys on buildings between them. A million vehicles of all kinds clogged the dusty streets, and the sky buzzed with steam-powered balloons and other strange-looking flying machines.” (p. 3)

They are orphans who escaped from the city’s orphanage and have become amateur inventors, peddling their tinkerings for food, lodgings, and the junk that they build their clever devices from. But they are tired of being robbed by older gangs like the brutal Gribble wild boar cousins, and accused of being “probably criminals” themselves by the equally-brutal city guards if they complain. Timmy is about to be arrested after one such incident when he is rescued by Alfred, an elderly human inventor whose clockwork devices are at least partly magical. Alfred has become quietly dismayed by Elyzandrium’s gradual decent over the decades into legal and illegal lawlessness, and he puts his expertise to the help of Timmy and his friends’ determination to fight back against the gangs, in secrecy as ninjas.

They are just in time, because something or somebody (revealed to the reader as the Rabbit, a tall, bright blue rabbit with fiery eyes; a wizard) has been robbing the city’s animal and human children of their laughter. The Rabbit is also the secret sponsor of the Gribbles.

I enjoyed the problem that Timmy & friends have at first in persuading anyone that they are good ninjas. Traditional ninja (no s) do not have a good reputation – that’s why all the first Japanese movies shown in America always tried to turn the ninja into samurai – and I’m glad that this book doesn’t whitewash them any more than necessary. This scene in Ninja Timmy does introduce The Girl, Flores, a tabby catgirl:

“The girl hopped out of the cockpit and took off her goggles. As she did so, Timmy was overwhelmed. This scowling cat was the toughest and coolest and most beautiful cat girl he had ever seen. Simon noticed it too, and struck a pose, about to pour on his usual charm. But Timmy wanted to be the one she talked to, and he quickly continued.” (p. 68)

Timmy has a girlfriend! He hopes. Actually, Timmy is still young enough that he doesn’t know what to do with a girlfriend. Simon, who is slightly more experienced, gives him older-brotherly advice.

Meanwhile, the four foil the Gribbles’ nighttime attempt to kidnap an infant puppy. This brings them plus Flores to connect the Gribbles to the loss of Elyzandrium’s children’s laughter. Unfortunately, it also brings them to the Rabbit’s attention. He decides that he can use Flores in his plans. Timmy? Kill him. But the Gribble cousins seem too amateurish and clumsy. The blue Rabbit sends the more efficient Gack the iguana and his Iguana motorcyclist gang (steam-powered bikers) to kidnap Flores.

The climax is the animal heroes’ breaking into the Rabbit’s lair to rescue Flores and all of the children’s stolen laughter. It would be a spoiler to reveal what the Rabbit wants the laughter for, but it makes the Rabbit a more pathetic than evil creature. Let’s just say that the book ends with Timmy and his friends victorious and ready for new adventures – and one is presented to them.

Ninja Timmy is a light trifle for adult readers, but it would make a great outline for a CGI animated movie for the family. Furry readers will appreciate the steampunk city of anthropomorphic animals and humans living peacefully together. Most furry fans are still too young to become parents, but when they do have children, this will become a good book to remember.

– by Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon
• Buy on Random House Kids
• Check out Henrik Tamm’s Website
• Learn more about Henrik Tamm on Barnes and Noble

There is a link to a Russian language furry survey at the bottom of this article.

This article is also published in Russian.

The major Russian-speaking countries—Russia, Ukraine & Belarus—all have a vibrant furry community. Russfurence in Moscow is the biggest local convention, with nearly 500 attendees.

Russian-speaking furries are largely invisible to the English-dominated furry world. English is not a common second language in most parts of Russia. In this respect they have more in common with Japanese, Korean, or Chinese-speaking furries, rather than their Eastern European neighbours like Poland and Hungary.

We ask nationality in the annual Furry Survey. Russians seem to be 0.5 to 1.5% of total responses:

2009: 0.49%
2010: 0.43%
2011: 0.27%
2012: 0.35%
2013: 1.54%
2015: 0.55%*

* provisional

This places them around 10th in terms of furry population:

Source: 2013 Furry Survey

 

The Furry Survey is, of course, in English. This means that most Russian-speaking furries won’t have been able to participate.

Among Russians, English is most widely spoken in Moscow, which seems to be where most Russian furries live. Even then, as little as one in ten have English skills sufficient to fill in the survey. This implies that Russians may make up as much as 10% of the total furry population.

Not surprisingly, Russian speaking furries tend to congregate around Russian websites, like VK.com and furnation.ru. They also have a significant presence on Wikifur, which manages multiple languages:

Source: Wikifur stats

Here on [adjective][species], Russian is also easily to most common language for non-English readers:

Source: [adjective][species] analyticsWe’re interested in the size and shape of the Russian speaking furry population. With help from a couple of bilingual Russian furs, we have a shortened version of the Furry Survey for our Russian speaking friends. It’s designed for anyone who speaks Russian, whether they have filled in the English Furry Survey or not.

The survey is currently open. We will publish results, in English and in Russian, here on [a][s] in early 2016.

Link to Russian language Furry Survey.

Сам опрос находится в конце этой статьи.

Эта статья также доступна на английском языке.

Большая тройка стран с наибольшим распространением русского языка – Россия, Украина и Беларусь – отличаются весьма активным и колоритным фурри-сообществом. Самый большой местный фурри-конвент, проходящий в Москве – Русфурренция – насчитывает около 500 участников.

Русскоговорящие фурри по большей части незаметны для всего остального фурри-мира, где основной язык общения – английский. Поскольку в большинстве российских областей английский в качестве второго языка не очень распространен, то можно сказать, что в этом отношении у русских фуррей больше общего с японцами, корейцами и китайцами, нежели с их западноевропейскими соседями (например, поляками или венграми).

По результатам нашего ежегодного Фурри-Опроса, русские составляют 0.5 – 1.5% от всего национального состава фуррей:

2009: 0.49%
2010: 0.43%
2011: 0.27%
2012: 0.35%
2013: 1.54%
2015: 0.55%*

* предварительно

Таким образом, русскоговорящие фурри находятся примерно на десятом месте в рейтинге стран по объему пушистого населения:

Источник: Фурри-Опрос от 2013 г

Фурри-Опрос, разумеется, составлен на английском языке, что делает недоступным участие в нем для большинства русскоговорящих фуррей.

На территории русскоязычного мира английский язык наиболее популярен в Москве, где, судя по всему, обитает большинство русских фуррей. И даже с учетом этого факта, лишь один из десяти обладает достаточными знаниями языка для заполнения анкеты. Таким образом, можно предположить, что русские составляют до 10% от общего числа фуррей в мире.

Неудивительно, что русскоязычные фурри в основном концентрирутся на русскоязычных web-ресурсах и социальных сетях, таких как VK.com и FurNation.ru. Также, достаточно большое их присутствие наблюдается на Wikifur, которая доступна на нескольких языках:

Источник: статистика Wikifur

Здесь же, на [adjective][species], русский также является самым популярным языком после английского:

Источник: Аналитика [adjective][species]Нам интересно узнать об истинном объеме и состоянии русскоязычной части фурри-населения. Посему, не без помощи нескольких двуязычных русских фуррей, мы подготовили сокращенный вариант Фурри-Опроса специально для наших русскоговорящих друзей. Он рассчитан на любого, кто говорит по-русски, вне зависимости от того, заполнял ли он английскую версию анкеты или нет.

На данный момент, опрос все еще проводится. Мы опубликуем результаты как на русском, так и на английском здесь же, на [a][s], в начале 2016 года.

submitted by X_Joshi_X
[link] [35 comments]

I've decided to write some furry fiction based in a WWII-era world (not earth, no name for it yet). I'm definitely not going on any internet written fiction site because I think the people there are too snobby, and I'm not sure if they actually have valuable opinions or not.

I've decided that if people are interested I'll post it here, probably uploading a chapter every day or so depending on how busy I am. Sound good?

I can't reply immediately because I'm going to sleep now, but I'll reply as soon as I wake up! I'd never ignore you guys.

submitted by GiveCatsPls
[link] [2 comments]

submitted by ShadowTorrent
[link] [15 comments]

Heya fellow furries! I've been there: a great fursona idea in your head but not a lot of (digital) art experience to capture it. Sure, free line art is great but might not be good enough, or your coloring skills aren't as well. So.. LET ME HELP YOU

I love helping people create their perfect fursona and I enjoy designing characters. My expertise is feline (cat, bobcat, lynx) and canine (dog, wolf, fox, jackal) fursonas.

Portfolio on furaffinity; http://www.furaffinity.net/gallery/thesunwatcher/folder/87900/Character-Design

They're as cheap as 6$ for a feral reference sheet or 15$ for a feral reference sheet. BUT my fellow reddit furries; i'll give you a >15% discount for a feral reference :) so only 5$ for you!! Please note me on FA or message me on reddit.

submitted by TheSunWatcher
[link] [4 comments]

submitted by Ghast17
[link] [6 comments]

submitted by selk-
[link] [1 comment]

submitted by loki_the_sergal
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submitted by MagicalChair
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We all can probably answer at least one side whether it's something we enjoy alot, or something that tends to be more annoying. I'd like to hear what everyone thinks :)

submitted by 64682
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submitted by dreamingwanderer
[link] [21 comments]

submitted by SpunkyRacoon
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We came across this new full-color comic book series from Chapterhouse called Spirt Leaves, written and illustrated by Rossi Gifford from Scotland. “Freya, an albino deer girl training to be a shaman, sets off to the mystical forest to find out what is causing an imbalance. Along the journey,she meets a wolf boy looking for the same entity, and they agree to find it together. Both are determined to pursue this force and prove they are capable on their own – but how do you stop a demon?” There’s a whole lotta information and preview pictures over at Bleeding Cool. Spirit Leaves #1 is on the shelves now.

image c. 2016 by Rossi Gifford