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Hello Papabear,

I have a question about fursona creation. Firstly, some things to know that kinda lead to the question, I have Autism, I tend to be an indecisive overthinker, and I have a terrible people-pleaser problem.

I know many people say that when you make a fursona you should just make what you want and not let others decide things for you but it is genuinely hard for me to ignore people who say things like how dog fursonas are bland, or how blue as a color is too popular, and people who say things like that make me overthink my fursona so much to a point where the fursona is just a character now.

I also notice I struggle with figuring out colors and markings that I like which balance between not too complicated and not too simple, and that I struggle with choosing one part of me that I want to represent and then getting upset when my fursona seems more like an oc than a sona. I don't want a shapeshifter, and I notice I don't connect to hybrids as easily as I do with full species, and it's a little frustrating since I feel bad every time I want to change my fursona. I also go through species phases a lot too.

Basically, the main point of this (lowkey rant) is to ask if I will ever get a Fursona someday. I really want a fursona, I want a character who feels like me but I cannot keep going through the amount of fursonas I've been going through :')

* * *

Dear Piper,

For many furries--myself included--fursonas are a deeply personal creation, a reflection of ourselves. But this doesn't mean that, once you have created your sona, it is locked in stone. Sonas can change over time. Also! You can have more than one sona! 

For me, for example, my original fursona (before I even joined the fandom) was a wolf. As a teen and 20-something who was into fantasy fiction, I was later a dragon. Today, I am a bear. I feel confident that this is the sona I am going to stick with, and that is because in my 50s I really feel I know who I truly am and Grubbs is a reflection of that.

You, on the other paw, are 17. This is a time in our lives when we are going through lots and lots of changes, and it is totally logical--whether or not one is autistic--to go through lots of stages as you discover yourself. So don't beat yourself up about your fursona. You can let it change over time, or, as many do, have multiple fursonas. There are no rules about fursonas, and anyone who tells you there are has no clue what they are saying. Leave yourself open to possibilities. You could have, for example, a straightforward canine sona with blue fur as one of your sonas, but then also have a second or third sona with different colors, features, and qualities. 

I recommend you experiment with multiple sonas. Have fun with it. Eventually, one may click and that will become your main (or only) sona. But there's no rule about that, either. You could still have multiple sonas for years to come.

One of the wonderful things about the fandom, in this bear's opinion, is that it provides a tool to explore our inner selves. This tool is better than a Swiss knife, as it can have many different tools all in one little package. So, go crazy with it. This is supposed to be FUN! not a big personal crisis. Oh, and if you need help, just search for tutorials by typing "design your fursona" on YouTube and lots of stuffs will pop up that can help.

Make sense?

Bear Hugs,
Papabear

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Bearly is out, so Rayne and Taebyn have fun mashing the buttons on the control  console this week! We talk about the Past Today,  have some Stupid News, some jokes from Taebyn, Media,  hear some more stories from Bard, do some Math, and best of all, Rayne and Taebyn resurrect an old BFFT tradition Classic Comedy Routine!

Catch Rayne's Live DJ sets on Mixcloud every Friday at 7pm Pacific at: https://www.mixcloud.com/DJRayneRacooon/

 

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This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.

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Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.

You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com

This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.

Support the show

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

Bearly Furcasting S4E8 - X Marx the Spot

FurryJoA (FJOA) is South Korea’s first furcon! Despite only being a few years old, their last con, held in 2022, reached 1,177 attendees. In this episode, we had a chance to talk to them about the beginnings of their con, their experiences during and after COVID, and future prospects. ---- Timestamps: 00:00 Teaser 00:22 Intro 01:11 Guest intro 03:57 Amber the fox 08:16 Sys the blue lizard 11:49 An intelligent penguin 15:09 Growing up in the middle of nowhere 19:01 Otakus outside of Seoul 22:12 A huge fan of Frozen 24:07 Korean food recommendations 29:11 What is Kkomjirock? 35:16 Rocking on a violin 38:01 What is FurryJOA? 41:50 History behind the name FurryJOA 43:51 Comparing 2020 to 2023 46:55 A growing Korean community 49:42 What makes FurryJOA unique? 52:47 The mascots characters of FurryJOA 55:50 Challenges running a con in Korea 59:07 The future of FurryJOA 1:05:18 Are there other Korean furry events? 1:07:09 Featured on broadcast news 1:09:24 Other fun stories from FurryJOA 1:11:32 Social media shoutout 1:13:17 Outro ---- 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 Chivilt: https://twitter.com/chivilt_k https://www.youtube.com/@Amberfox Kkomjirock: https://www.youtube.com/@KKOMJIROCK https://www.kkomjirockband.com/music Sys: https://twitter.com/sh_in_ys https://www.patreon.com/ssh_in_ys Hyeongsang: http://twitch.tv/dcfr ---- Footage Credit: https://twitter.com/chivilt_k/media https://twitter.com/MayT0602/status/1507192225918517248 https://twitter.com/vore_kotora/status/1506991652950327300 https://www.theflamingcandle.com/soap-making-supplies/fragrance-oils-for-soap-making/all-soap-safe-fragrance-oils/orange-sherbet-fragrance-oil/ https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/man-looking-at-himself-in-the-mirror-and-pointing https://twitter.com/funzinnu https://moviesrankings.com/film/284573790/happy-feet https://www.cbr.com/frozen-overrated-underrated/#underrated-the-animation-quality-is-outstanding https://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeinkoreakr/4947004599/ https://matcha-et-sakura.com/comment-devenir-une-experte-en-kanji-sans-effort/ https://cafe.naver.com/furry https://tuculturacoreana.blogspot.com/2014/11/la-comida-de-corea-del-sur.html https://store.ambernectar.com.sg/product/jinro-flavored-soju-set-4-flavors/ https://twitter.com/kangmy96 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/yellowcard--515873332291104428/ https://www.kkomjirockband.com/ https://www.bloglabanana.com/2020/06/entrevista-interview-band-lucy-kpop.html https://www.furryjoa.com/index.html https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Heroes-of-the-Storm-Review-483232.shtml https://gamerant.com/stray-ps5-reveal/ http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/help-wanted.html https://twitter.com/SAKEMONO1/ https://twitter.com/Ychicken21/status/1624631204954918912?s=20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNJ6pIKelkg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbzxxbuk3sk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mPdQRXFiPA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDSu527mTE4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2tAqgPCU_I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMoYwBYO_lU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIF41obRc_I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHCsEm6FzUU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS9W0jISBJ4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgZ9cCzI7wA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzIOOh4Jphw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9J-vOPVgJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOHFopjvNd0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WUU60-I3AQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6ZVbsVRt70 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zaN7YB7BBg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSnlKQN2YYc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kZlMAf9wjA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzTB9feYo6s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2tAqgPCU_I Other pictures and video provided by Pixabay, and guests and hosts' personal footage. Intro/Outro Music: Drown Me Out - YVEN ---- The Fox and Burger Podcast is one segment of our production house, Fox and Burger Productions. The podcast’s goal is twofold: 1, to know more about the Asian furry fandom; and 2, compare and contrast the Asian fandom with the Western one. If you have a guest that you would like to see on the show, please PM us! We will also take questions for our guests, so don’t miss this opportunity to know some amazing furs.

Papabear,

​Hey, I've recently been consumed by the idea of getting a fursuit and as an extension of this, the subsequent idea of starting a more online presence making videos in websites like OnlyFans in order to make some money. I think it is fair to say that people with nice fursuits get more attention in the fandom.

My main question is this, do you think doing that kind of sex related stuff is something one will regret later down the line? I'm still relatively young but i worry if this is the sort of a thing that i wont realize i'll end up regretting in 20 years or not.

Anonymous (age 29)

* * *

Dear Furiend,

That's a terrific question, thanks for asking. I'm sure there are people who will disagree with me on this one, but I would advise you NOT to make sex vids online on OnlyFans or anywhere else. And here's why....

Once you have a video or photo uploaded to the internet, it is there pretty much forever. Oh, you might THINK you have deleted it, but if you make something like that available (and OnlyFans videos ARE downloadable), it will be copied and stored all over the place in servers all over the planet. You might believe you have control over the availability of a video, but, in fact, if you want something deleted, not only do you have to do so from whatever online service you are using, but you also have to ask the hosting company to remove it from their servers and you have to figure out where it has been indexed in search engines and have those instances removed as well. Finally (and this is getting to be a bit more than you likely need to know), even if you do all that, skilled computer gurus working for, say, police or government agencies might still be able to reconstruct the video data (at least in part) if it is involved in something criminal.

Now, if you're okay with all kinds of people having access to you in a naughty video (and since you're considering it, I would guess you are), this might not bother you right now. But you're only 29. As you noted, you might feel very differently a few years from now.

On the other paw! If you simply want to be more active and noticeable in the fandom by getting a fursuit and making videos, you certainly DO NOT have to make them adult-oriented. Plenty of furries have HUGELY popular YouTube channels that are totally G-rated. A good example is Kite's Windswept Wanderings who just won the 2023 Good Furry Award for their excellent videos covering conventions and other furry events.

So, this would be my recommendation to you: Go ahead and get a fursuit; go ahead and make G-rated videos. Do it for fun and to make connections in the fandom. Have a good time with it. Avoid being X-rated ;-)

Cheers,
Papabear​

Hear what Carbon has to say about hugging in Taiwan vs in the US! Catch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/QfEltzfzjBE ---- 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

If you like making friends laugh and/or wasting company time, and have been on the net for 10-15 years, then you probably know The Onion, CollegeHumor, Funny or Die – and Cracked. At one point it was the world’s most visited comedy site.

Papa Bear is a movie in development from heads of the Cracked video department at its peak. It’s about a furry in the family, and its climax will be filmed at a furry convention. Papa Bear promises to be dramatic, funny, daring, boldly LGBT-positive, and full of heart.

There’s a crowdfunding campaign for Papa Bear that ends in a few days, on June 16 – don’t wait to check it out! 

When I first heard about it, I was skeptical because I’ve seen many attempted indie movies with furries. Some past ones seem bad in a good way, like no-budget slasher-horror flicks or party-worthy science fiction fanservice. One had an A-list actor in a fursuit. One reached arthouse greatness. Many of them are DOA because of superficial writing and weak production values. Lack of inside knowledge always shows. Here’s a test… do the costumes look like post-Halloween discount junk? Or are they cool hand-crafted fandom fursuits? That implies effort to get community support.

Co-director and writer Michael Swaim reassured me that Papa Bear comes from real experience and consulting community members.

Then I read the script and loved it. It dives into furriness without wasting time on setup, but familiarizes it with awkward comedy anyone can relate to. It doesn’t fall into lame campiness, and the characters have personalities. Tense subplots come up right away. The tension comes from being put on the spot about private life, and inside views of “content warning” topics. There’s pleasing aesthetic touches, like calling for music by nervous rock bands of nerd canon (XTC, Talking Heads) and animated montages. It’s full of inside lore in a way that fits the story and makes sense even if you weren’t familiar with it.

The crowdfund incentives start with a private link to watch the movie as soon as it’s ready. That would be an amazing opportunity for a fur meet! Papa Bear would also make strong convention programming.

At time of writing, Papa Bear has over $61,000 pledged. Waiting to see it completed is almost unbearable.

UPDATE: funding reached.

oh shit pic.twitter.com/1A7azVZp7P

— Abe Epperson (@AbeTheMighty) June 13, 2023

Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon. Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)

TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 42. 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.

We open this episode with an important statement from the Vaporeon Booster Club. It just had to be said. This week is fun, we have furry stuff to start, with cons making themselves into jokes, other cons clowning on them, and one blipping from existence. Then RL rears its head and there's dead dudes and consequences(?)

Also, Marisa is Strongsexual.

LINKS
Southpaws | creating and promoting The Queer Agenda | Patreon
Telegrammmmmm - https://t.me/+Ma4PTE0IsWVmMDQ5

Episode 538 - Something Has To Be Said

Recently we spent some time on vacation in the United Kingdom — and we met a lot of furry fans while we were there! Among them was the artist Lyndsey Green. She describes herself as a wildlife illustrator and creator of eco-conscious gifts: “Drawing wildlife, raising awareness about endangered species and the unusual animals you might not find in High Street shops”. Some of her work is collected in portfolios and booklets like Fauna Fusions, The A – Z of Feliformia, and The Tiny Book of Tiny Animals. She even covers more mythical animals in Gryphonology and Jackalopia. Her web site has links to her Shopify.

image c. 2023 by Lyndsey Green

MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!

Moobarkfluff! Taebyn and Rayne recap their Furlandia adventure and we hear Taebyn with some interviews with furs at the con.  We do a little fun math, tell some jokes, read a few Bard composed stories about Rayne, Taebyn and listener submitted D'Otter!  We recap the Ursa Major Award winners, and generally have a good time. So join us for another wacky supersized episode of BFFT! Moobarkfluff!

 

Wild Bills Soda

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This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.

Support the show

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

Bearly Furcasting S4E7 - What Strangeness May Come?

Sudoku has been a fursuit maker since 2015, and was sole proprietor of Strut Your Fluff Ltd. in 2020-2022. That led to something amazing:

“I got my start in costumes in the furry fandom (stumbling across Matrices’ website in 2014!) That foundation helped me to reach my long-term goal of performing as an official mascot. I am Bruiser the Bulldog, NAIA-division, for Concordia University, NE.”

In 2019, Twenty One Pilots made a video featuring a fuzzy creature named “Ned”. As a fan, Sudoku built a mascot costume of him. It was made and worn for personal satisfaction, but as life went on, Sudoku wanted to retire as owner. Recently Twenty One Pilots accepted her gift offer of the Ned costume, so it’s becoming the official property of band members Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun.

Sometimes there is controversy about creators doing underpaid or speculative work for high-profile people; but that’s more about commissions and original creations. Ned is copyrighted to the band, so the costume shouldn’t be sold. Sudoku is happy to have her fan project appreciated and taken care of this way.

It’s nice attention too, with stories in Strife and Rock Sound music magazines, and now Dogpatch Press interested in the crossover between fandom and professional work. This reporter is more likely to go fursuiting with cult bands than huge ones, so it required learning about Ned and his new owners.

A band with theatrical roots.

Twenty One Pilots has a core duo of members from Columbus, Ohio. They might be called hybrid post-emo or alternative hip hop. They’re known for success with name producers for high concept, high charting pop songs, but got there with persistent regional touring and interaction with grassroots fandom.

“To catch the attention of unfamiliar or disinterested attendees and promoters, the band began to experiment with costumes and on-stage acrobatics… Tyler Joseph wears masks and occasionally body makeup while rapping and singing… Dun stated, ‘We thought it was kind of cool, new and different to wear masks onstage…'” (-Wikipedia)

In January 2019, they released a music video for the single “Chlorine”. It was directed by Mark Eshleman of Reel Bear Media – a Columbus based talent who has been with the band since their early days – and it made the alien-like creature “Ned” part of the band lore; he represents creativity.

Sudoku talks about #NedLives, Twenty One Pilots fans and furry fandom

Dogpatch Press asked Sudoku more about what she did with Ned:

“My intention with Ned was not to donate to a mainstream artist; the costume was a high school graduation gift to myself, and I planned on performing at nonprofit events. Twenty One Pilots created the character itself, and #NedLives was my own fan project.” (The hashtag features touring costume appearances with other fans.)

“The pandemic took away many opportunities to wear Ned in public; I am not satisfied with filming videos at home, as I believe strongly in in-person entertainment. This combined with rising material prices led me to the decision to close Strut Your Fluff, go to college, and start scouting for a new home for Ned. I searched in both the furry fandom and the Twenty One Pilots fandom for a suitable home, trying to contact the band as well to see if they would take him. The band emailed me in 2022 saying that they would be happy to have him.

What might be the intentions and future for Ned?

“No money has been exchanged for Ned, as I did not ask for any in return. The band and their employees have shown appreciation on social media. Ned is ready for retirement, and they are most likely taking him as a collectible item. I have not been told their intentions but know that if they put him into storage, he will be secure. My top concern is the integrity and safety of the costume, as it took a year to make, and is deeply personal to me.”

Did she deal with the creators behind Ned, or feel recognized as a performer?

“I am not affiliated with anyone who worked on the music video beyond initial contact asking about copyright, but I am very passionate about music, and it means a lot that I can contribute to the industry with a fursuit. I think mascots should be more prevalent in entertainment, primarily in live music endeavors.” (She’s doing it as Bruiser):

IT’S NATIONAL BULLDOG DAY!!

What better way to celebrate than a photoshoot with Bruiser and his favorite pal, Murphy!

Happy Friday, Bulldogs! pic.twitter.com/QXH4uQi5n8

— Concordia Nebraska (@CUNE) April 21, 2023

Has she seen crossover between furries, the band, and  their fans (the Skeleton Clique)?

“What means the most is how Ned has impacted both Clikkies and furries, as the support and love have been tremendous and built Ned as a character more than I ever could have anticipated.

I have not invited Twenty One Pilots to a con or asked them about furries; these would be great questions for an interview with them. The Clique is definitely more curious about this than the furry fandom, from what I have seen.”

How does she feel about this as part of her background coming out of furry fandom?

“I wanted to add that it was those formative years when I first started that gave me so much confidence! People were supportive on Fursuit LiveJournal, FurAffinity, and Facebook, and I started getting commission requests early on. I waited until 2019 to sell my first premade, and then opened for commissions in 2020. My clients are so devoted and have done more than they know with their support. I tend to have imposter syndrome about these things and they made it real. It was definitely not easy running a business but I do not regret those years. I had a lot of fun with furry and still have close furry friends to this day.

I do not regret giving Ned to Twenty One Pilots, either. I will miss him very much, but knowing that he will be safe gives me great peace of mind. I had a great 4 years bringing this character to life.

Entertainment is NOTHING without the audience. NOTHING without the people. This is why I value face-to-face performance so much. In every photo taken at the #NedLives meet and greets, I am smiling for real behind that mask. People helped write Ned’s story and make him special. People from both furry and the Clique. I am sad to see Ned’s story end, but am at peace with it because he is home.”

This incredible costume of Twenty One Pilots’ alien friend Ned is to be adopted by the band#nedlives https://t.co/yGKt4Itvwi pic.twitter.com/IE5Jf5pKX8

— Rock Sound (@rocksound) May 16, 2023

Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon. Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)

Join Nuka and Roo as the give tips and tricks on how to setup a furry meetup, how to communicate with business and proper hosting etiquette.

Also Roo gets in bed with AI and a cookie?





NOW LISTEN!
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MUSIC

Intro: RetroSpecter – Cloud Fields (RetroSpecter Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth.
First Break: Dream - Hash, Argofox, Creative Commons 2022.
Second Break: Holo - Ampyx, Argofox, Creative Commons 2021.
Third Break: Light Me Up - Phlex, Argofox, Creative Commons 2021.
Closing: Cloud Fields (RetroSpecterChill Remix), USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Chill Out Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. S10 Episode 11 – Running Local Events - Join Nuka and Roo as the give tips and tricks on how to setup a furry meetup, how to communicate with business and proper hosting etiquette. - Also Roo gets in bed with AI and a cookie? - NOW LISTEN! SHOW NOTES PATR

Listen to a story that Aulder and Kiyochii have to share about fursuiting in Thailand! Catch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/lphbinPvEJI ---- 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 41. 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.

Papabear,

​Hi! I'm a furry, and I really really love dinosaurs. Especially Blue the raptor. You see, I want to make her into a fursuit. It would have her same pattern as she has in the movie, of course. She would look just like she was out of the movie. This will be for my enjoyment. I would wear it at furry conventions and out in public etc. But I won't be making money off of the suit. 

I would like to know if it's okay for me to make a fursuit out of Blue. I have other OCs that I've designed and I plan on getting them made into fursuits as well. I've tried to design a raptor, but I don't really like any that I make (also can't find a good F2U [free-to-use] raptor base--I'm broke lol), so is it okay for me to make a fursuit out of her?

Blue the Raptor (age 17)

* * *

Dear Blue,

Copyright is an interesting field. I've recently been working on obtaining copyright on some books and have learned a few things on the topic. A big part of copyright is that the thing you are copyrighting must be unique and original. A velociraptor like Blue in the Jurassic Park movies is not an original creation any more than trying to copyright, say, a horse. A name must also be unique. For example, I am currently registering Uncle Bear Publishing as a trademarked name. While the word "publishing" can't be trademarked, "Uncle Bear Publishing" is, indeed, unique and can be. When it comes to "Blue," that is certainly not a unique word in and of itself and is not copyrightable (rather like Trump trying to copyright "you're fired"). The only thing even vaguely unique about Blue is the blue stripe she has down her side. This is not enough to qualify as "original."

So, on those grounds, I would say you are fine. You are also fine because you are not using Blue the Velociraptor to make money, so your dressing up as Blue is not going to cost the movie studio any money. Indeed, by increasing awareness of Blue it could actually be seen as promoting the movies and helping Universal make some sales. 

A good touchstone on this topic is Disney. As you might know, Disney jealously guards its copyrighted characters. Even so, I have seen people in Minnie Mouse and Brer Fox fursuits at cons. It is highly unlikely that you will be "caught" in a Blue the Velociraptor outfit. And even if you were, the worst that would likely happen is you would get a "cease and desist" letter from Universal's lawyers, which means you wouldn't get a lawsuit if you stopped wearing the fursuit (scaley suit) in public.

Here's some more about Disney and copyright FYI: https://themouselets.com/whats-the-deal-with-using-disney-intellectual-property.

I hope this information is useful. In short, I think you're fine.

Have fun!

Papabear

May certainly felt like a busy month with all three furry writing awards getting announced.
It was also an important month in the greater writing sphere, with the WGA strike in USA filmmaking, with possible actors strikes to follow. The FWG put out a statement earlier in May supporting this strike. Part of the purpose of the FWG is to benefit furry writers, and we stand in solidarity with other writing communities and organisations trying to do the same to their writers.

Once more, the FWG would like to offer congratulations to everyone who was a finalist and winner in the three furry writing awards throughout the month.
These awards help to showcase the massive talent on display in the writing community – it is no easy feat to get nominated as a finalist, especially given the quality of works that didn’t even make it that far. The winners and finalists should be proud of their achievements.
For those who missed the awards ceremonies, you can catch up on the finalists and where to find them on the FWG’s wrap-up posts.

Ursa Major Awards – Coyotl Awards – Leo Literary Awards

Each year, these awards seem to get more competitive. We can’t wait to see what works get nominated for the 2023 awards. They are sure to be as good as ever.

Perhaps a short story in one of these open calls will get a nomination? You won’t know until you submit!

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 are also a few recent and upcoming releases from guild members.

HIV Isn’t Poetic, by Jonathan W. Thurston-Torres. Released May 3rd 2023.

Don’t Ask Me If I’m Okay, by Jessica Kara (Jess E. Owen). Released May 16th 2023.

Werecats Emergent, by Mark J. Engels. Released May 20th 2023.

Sun Runner: A Five Herds Story, by Frances Pauli. Released May 31st 2023.

Gnoll Tales, by NightEyes DaySpring. Available for pre-order. Released June 30th 2023.

Fang Volume 11, edited by Sparf. Available for pre-order. Released July 1st 2023.

In The Light Of The Dawn, by the Furry Historical Fiction Society (featuring multiple FWG members). Available for pre-order. Released July 1st 2023.

The Red Vixen After Dark, by Royce Day. Available for pre-order. Released July 1st 2023.

The Dry Spell, by Ryan Loup-Glissant (Slip Wolf). Available for pre-order. 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.

We hope writers and readers alike have found something to be inspired by with the awards last month. We look forward to hearing about what you are writing over the remainder of the year.

Until next time.
Safe writing.
J.F.R. Coates

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Moobarkfluff! With Taebyn at Furlandia, Bearly takes the opportunity to talk one on one with Cassidy Civet, an accomplished musician and television show contestant. We discuss their recent situation revolving around their removal as Gust of Honor at IndyFurCon.  Cassidy discusses frankly what they are experiencing in the fandom.  Join us for a more serious episode of BFFT. Moobarkfluff!

 

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This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.

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Bearly Furcasting S4E6 - Spotlight on Cassidy Civet

The final furry awards of the year are the Leo Awards, which were announced earlier today. Once again, we present the winners here for you to check out.
Winners are listed in bold – note that the Leos are structured differently. They do not award a ‘Best in Category’, rather they award multiple per category that reach a certain threshold of quality as determined by the panel of judges. Therefore, multiple winners (or indeed no winners) can be listed per category.

Novels
Red Pandamonium (Chaos Menagerie #1) by Roan Rosser
Full Circlet by Frances Pauli
Scars of the Golden Dancer by NightEyes DaySpring
A Furry Faux Paw by Jessica Kara
Lost Inside the Blue Line by Harry A. Wozzeck
Toledot by Madison Scott-Clary
Mouse Cage by Malcolm F. Cross

Novellas
The Otter’s Wings: A Labyrinth of Souls Novel by Mary E. Lowd
Royal Red: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure by K.C. Shaw

Anthologies
ROAR 11, edited by Ian Madison Keller
When The World Was Young, edited by The Furry Historical Fiction Society

Short Stories
“Octopus Ex Machina” by Mary E. Lowd
“What Gold Smells Like” by Frances Pauli
“Let Him That Speaketh Fate to Men Have No Fate Of His Own” by Rob MacWolf
​”Lids” by Utunu
“Mark of the Stranger” by Casimir Laski
“Vagabond” by Tiberius Rings & Fruitz
“Hanging by a Thread” by Nenekiri Bookwyrm

Poems
“The Homecoming of Daniel Usherswell” by Rob MacWolf
“In the Night Among the Cedars, In the Shelter of the Mountain” by Rob MacWolf

Nonfiction
“Furry Fiction: The Squishy Edges and the Heart” by Mary E. Lowd

Book Covers
ROAR Volume 11, by Fresaboba
Mouse Cage, by Pye Parr
When the World Was Young, by Heskynn

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for the Leo Awards – and thank you to Furry Book Review and the panel of judges for bringing us the Leo Awards.
The Furry Writers Guild hope these awards have helped to motivate writers to produce something for next year’s awards – and has given readers something new to consider.

Driving around Southern California, we saw this on a billboard, of all things. Bearific.com. Knowing nothing about it, we had to investigate! Here’s what we found out about Bearific Books: “Katelyn Lonas is 16 years old and the CEO of her company, Bearific. Currently, she has over 60 published books, which are sold worldwide and available on Barnes & Noble and Walmart. Katelyn has also published five apps on the Google Play Store and has a YouTube channel called Bearific Studios, where she posts drawing videos and cartoons based on her books. She published her first book when she was 9 years old, and it was called Bearific Adventure.” And yes, it’s all about bears. Check out her web site!

image c. 2023 Bearific Books

Papabear, 

​So, this is gonna be a bit of a long one but I need some guidance because I don't know where else to go.

Recently, I left the furry community due to feeling I didn't fit in it no more. I was in a depressed state. I lost people that brought me out of my shell and got me to do art again, and the people that were still there for me stopped helping me as they didn't know what else to do.

To provide context, I was with a group of people that inspired me to draw again - and I happened to piss them off doing an RP. I tried doing art for them as a way of saying sorry, and after that I was gonna leave them alone, but it backfired hard in my face and got me chewed out by a few of them.

When I talked to this other group of friends, one of them exhausted his options to help me get over it, and the rest just stayed silent no matter how much I reached out.

And it got to a point where I didn't want to stick around anymore. I couldn't handle the weight of the pain I felt. I got tired of dealing with it, and there was nothing else I could do to help alleviate the pressure of it all.

Today, I am getting help and taking steps to keep myself on the up and up. But every now and again I keep thinking about those people I RP'd [with] and I've been trying to forget them so I don't hurt anymore.

The question I have is: How do I come to terms with this whole thing, even though I've accepted that I'll never see them again?

* * *

Dear Furiend,

Apologies for the slow reply.

I'll start by giving you kudos for getting help, which I interpret to mean some professional counseling, an excellent step to take. Since you only provide generalities here without explaining details as to what you did, exactly, to upset your friends so much, I will reply with some generalized words of advice.

As much as we want to be furry, let's face it: we're human. And being human means we can make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes hurt feelings and cost us friends. In the worst-case scenarios, those friends are gone for good. Even a sincere, heartfelt apology combined with attempts to make amends and compensate for the hurt will not work.

It's also natural to think a lot about what happened and even obsess about the past, creating a cloud over our heads that casts a shadow on our lives.

So, what do you do?

Take stock of what you have done so far. The essential steps include: 1) Admitting you made a mistake; 2) Apologizing for the mistake; 3) Making amends for the mistake; 4) Promising not to make that mistake again and to try to do better in the future. At any point in the process, the person you have offended can reject your gestures. When that happens, you will just have to accept it.

An important lesson in life is that you can't change other people's behaviors and reactions; you can't control them. The only thing you have control over is your own actions and reactions.

It is also important to keep in mind that when you do something wrong--whether or not you intended to do it--it is not necessarily a failure. We all make mistakes, and the key is to learn from those mistakes and take those lessons to heart so you may become a better human being as a result. If you constantly strive to be a better person, then even if those people you have wronged in the past do not forgive you, it's okay. It's not a loss; it's a lesson.

And that's how you come to terms with something like this. You accept the consequences of your mistake and consider it a lesson in life that will help you to evolve into a better person in the future.  We cannot change the past, but changing the past is not what life is about. We are here to learn, and as long as we keep learning, we will stay on the right path in life.

Hugs,
Papabear