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Collaborative guest post submitted by Ash and edited by Patch O’Furr. Ash is a bunny, propagandist, and performance artist in Austin, TX. After you read, please vote for the Ursa Major Awards for the best furry creations of last year. Please consider the Fur And Loathing podcast for Nonfiction, featuring investigation by Dogpatch Press.

Extreme times

Lone Star Fur Con picked the right place for a furry convention. Austin has always been a haven for the freaks and weirdos of Texas. The timing is a little bit less than ideal, because furries are now in the crosshairs of reactionaries in the state government.

The convention is at Holiday Inn Midtown, a stone’s throw from the bus station shown in the opening scene of Slacker, the 1991 movie that helped spark the 1990’s independent film movement. Austin has spawned counterculture staples like Eeyore’s Birthday (an annual citywide party for 60 years), the Armadillo World Headquarters, and counterculture-turned-gentrification staples South by Southwest or ACL Fest. Austin has touted its slogan of “Keep Austin Weird” and cashed in on it in equal measure. It has been no stranger to controversy or moral panic about queer issues; Leslie Cochran, a former trans activist and politician, has a day named after him by the city and is considered the personification of “Keep Austin Weird”.

It’s been 20 years since furries ran their own con in Austin. In 2004, Texas Furry Con launched its first and last event. It was officially sponsored by Shiner Bock Beer, and a target of “infiltration” by the Something Awful forum, achieving mainstream crossover at both the most and least friendly extremes.

In 2025, we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it; but some people refuse coexistence to the point of official government oppression. Texas senate just introduced the hoax-fueled F.U.R.R.I.E.S. act, “an attack on roleplaying as a form of expression” that is “deeply reminiscent of the Satanic Panic that gripped the nation in the 80s” (Rascal News.) Texas governor Greg Abbott piled on by naming furries in the same breath as trans people, as a pretext to defund public education.

News from Texas: right after a ridiculous proposal to ban furries from schools, the governor is piling on by citing furries to remove funding from public schools to pay private ones.

It’s “just politics” until they carve up education to enrich their cronies and deprive the poorest students.

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— Dogpatch Press (@dogpatch.press) March 14, 2025 at 2:37 PM

Weeks before the political news, Lone Star Fur Con’s launch was successful and large for a first time con, with over 800 members attending. They raised four thousand dollars for their charity.

Setting itself apart from other conventions that support animal causes, their charity was Queertopia: a local non profit dedicated to outreach to LGBTQ homeless people. Events organized to fundraise for the con included camp cleanups and packing hygeine supplies, while pumping the funds directly to the most vulnerable. The partnership wasn’t just one-way. One congoer named Cy said Queertopia helped them with vocal training at the con, adding “I think resources like this are very important for this community to have access to in these times.”

Austin may not ask to be a bellwether, but that’s the effect of being a punching bag for government reactionaries, and mined for fodder by alt-right media trolls. Texas governor Greg Abbott effectively declared open season on its residents with the pardon of Daniel Perry. In 2020, the far-right former Army sergeant ran a red light, drove into a crowd of protesters against police brutality, and immediately shot one, Garrett Foster. Perry was convicted for the murder, and then exposed for a history of violent and racist messages, sexually preying on minors, and owning a FurAffinity account that attracted fellow furry hatemongers to post support for his crime. The politically-motivated pardon was denounced across the country. (Dogpatch Press reports: original story and Daniel Perry tag.)

Extreme hopes

Furry groups in Austin have not been insulated from national culture war and political controversy internally. 5 years ago, one of the popular event organizers was outed as a devout neo-nazi, splintering them apart. What does a con mean in such a place?

Lone Star Fur Con’s chair, Mango, says: “We are hopefully going to bring a spark of community that the rest of the Austin and Central Texas furry community can take to heart and make into a larger, more vibrant flame.”

This goal prompts the question: how to kindle that spark with two panel rooms, a game room, a dealer’s den, and an artist’s alley? Member DJ Perrito says: “It would have to embrace the diversity and culture of the city, especially the ‘Old Austin’ — making sure it goes beyond the traditional ‘Keeping Austin Weird’ slogan people throw around”.

Lone Star Fur Con logo: It’s a bat, but it’s Texas! Austin is known for its bat colony.

Supplementing the trans and BIPOC meet ups are discussions on soda, dissertations on Batman being a furry, bad movies, and pickles. Eccentric, at times rule breaking, and weird from the heart.

A con means different things to different people. It’s a time to party, to show off, to learn, to meet friends, to relax. All of the above and more. But what does it mean now, when furry is growing and has become a queer boogeyman for reactionary movements? What does it mean to be furry, when the queer civil rights movement is on the defensive? Can we continue to pretend to be apolitical? To be apart from our fellow LGBTQ people?

There’s been a lot of discussion about the charities that cons support. With some people wanting to support more material organizations and help gain traction with causes in the area. This has reflected a change in furry culture as a whole, from being a niche subculture to a very vocal and vibrant part of the queer community. Organizers who started out in their 20’s as college kids back in the 2000’s now have years, if not decades of experience under their belt. It’s time for them to apply those skills to the mainstream, and to the community at large as well.

Furry creators who travel internationally to US conventions may want to hear this warning from Comic con. If you travel on a tourist visa and accept any form of compensation, like a hotel room for guest appearance or sketches for cash, you could be detained by ICE. comicon.com/2025/03/18/f…

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— Dogpatch Press (@dogpatch.press) March 19, 2025 at 8:38 AM

Consider the cost of doing nothing, when conventions now include a risk of having artists detained by ICE if they cross borders for cons. Congressmen in other states are taking steps to defund colleges if they have furry clubs, and right-wing media is pushing hateful propaganda like the debunked litterbox hoax, while threatening ambushes on camera at our events. You can prepare now or be taken by surprise.

In a midcentury Holiday Inn in central Texas there was a furry con. Where the queer community banded together for a party, and raised a bunch of money for a homeless charity. The charity helped people in that community, as well. It’s those ties that will make or break us as things unfold. It’s the relationships that we build now that will determine the future of queer movements in America. The furry community can either step into history or have it thrust upon us. An example was made in Austin, Texas. The former freak repository of the state had a glimmer of what the future could be.

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.)

If you’re not big on collecting exclusive toys, you might not be familiar with the Be@rbrick series of collectible anthro-bear figurines, created by the MediCom Toy Company of Japan. Well now, they’ve stepped things up even further by teaming with Dreamworks Animation to bring us the new Be@rbrick CGI series, which premiered on Apple TV+ this month. According to Animation World Network, “Be@rbrick follows Jasmine Finch and her bandmates as they pursue their dreams and inspire others to do the same. But it won’t be easy to do when living in a world where everyone’s role is chosen for them and where the painted-on look you receive when you graduate from high school determines who you’ll be for the rest of your life. Jasmine realizes that in order for her world to change, she and her friends will have to make it happen themselves.” More interesting stuff: “Meghan McCarthy (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Centaurworld) serves as developer, showrunner, executive producer, and writer. Alex Almaguer (TrollsTopia) is the supervising producer, with Taylor Orci (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts) serving as story editor, and Athena Hofmann (Amateur) serving as line producer. Timbaland serves as executive music producer.” That’s a serious line-up of experienced talent for a new show. Check out the article over at Billboard, which includes an interview with Ms. McCarthy and an exclusive trailer.

image c. 2025 Dreamworks Animation

TigerTails Radio Season 16 Episode 09. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf Join the Telegram Chat: https://t.me/+yold2C77m0I1MmM0 Visit the website at http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of any song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. Credits: Opening music: Magic by Hedge Haiden (Double Hedge Studios) Character art: Fitzroy Fox - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lunara-toons / https://bsky.app/profile/fitzroyfox.bsky.social Background art: Charleston Rat - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/charlestonrat / https://bsky.app/profile/charlestonrat.bsky.social 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.

TigerTails Radio Season 16 Episode 10. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf Join the Telegram Chat: https://t.me/+yold2C77m0I1MmM0 Visit the website at http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of any song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. Credits: Opening music: Magic by Hedge Haiden (Double Hedge Studios) Character art: Fitzroy Fox - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lunara-toons / https://bsky.app/profile/fitzroyfox.bsky.social Background art: Charleston Rat - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/charlestonrat / https://bsky.app/profile/charlestonrat.bsky.social 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.

It’s dark and foreboding. A group of 6 stand upon an elevator as they ascend up some kind of ruined tower dotted with eerie glowing crystals. Unfamiliar architecture lies crumbling and decaying as it surrounds them while they proceed upward. Whatever purpose this structure served, whatever splendor it held, has long since been lost to the ages. All that remains now are debris and buried secrets. What is this place? Who are these people that make the perilous trek toward the top?

As I’ve stated many times, I grew up in an era when games for kids were well made, not rushed out, and designed so that everyone could enjoy them and that, lately, it seems games geared towards a younger audience have really been lackluster as of late, basically relegated to shovelware. Paw Patrol World, when I first saw this game, I thought it was going to be the latter but, to my surprise, it turned out to be the former. Yeah, this is honestly one of the better games for kids, for that matter a licensed game, that I played in a while!

Hello Papabear,

Hello!

I have an interesting situation -- My main sona, Aryu, is a bull/deer mix. However, over time, I keep getting conflicting thoughts as to whether or not I should change him along with my other sonas. I don't really like the idea that I've gone with, and I consider changing them, however, there are a few things holding me back from changing. Those are:

1. My DnD campaign. I put Aryu in the campaign as a playable character, and I have some comfort in being creative there. It would also be a hassle to redo all of my paperwork for the campaign.
2. The current year and who's in office (This is going to get mildly political. You don't have to read this if you're not okay with it.) . I don't want to associate the year that I redo my main sonas with who is currently in office.
3. I already have a lot of things with my sona that I can't go back and 'redo'. For example, I was in the MFF variety show for 2023 and 2024, and I can't go back and "edit" Aryu to be what I want.

There's also a flip side -- Reasons why I do want to:

1. I see a lot more people able to make connections with single animal sonas, along with merchandise typically catering to a specific animal rather than saying "hybrid". Being able to identify with a single animal would make merchandise a lot easier to pick out, is the long story short.
2. The general concept of mixed animals is kinda hard for me to put into my sonas' lore and world. What happens if a mixed animal has a child with another non-mixed or mixed one? It would be a genetic mess and hard to sort out. Due to that, I'd like to stick to single animal sonas to root out the complexity.
3. Single sona animals seem more "iconic" - They stand out a lot more and have a formed "identity" to them. Changing to a single animal would make an identity more recognizable.
4. I've had Aryu and my other sonas since my last year of high school, and I feel they're attached to that part of my history, which, plays for both why I would want to change and why I wouldn't. I don't like that I designed them, and he has that connection with high school, and I also would hate to get rid of him due to him being with me for so long. This goes for my other main sonas, too.

All in all, it's a dilemma that's been going back and forth in my mind for awhile, and I've struggled on what to do about it. I'd like to make an adjustment to the sonas, and on the other hand, it'd also be a pain to have to re-adjust everything that came with them.

Thank you,
Aryu

* * *

​Hi, Aryu,

Thank you for your question. To me, the solution is obvious (and perhaps it just didn't occur to you): You can have multiple fursonas. Lots of furries have more than one fursona. You can keep Aryu for your DnD play, and you can certainly keep all the memories of Aryu, including any video recordings out there from furcons or meets. Now, all you need to do is create a second--and maybe a third or fourth!--fursona to do various other stuff with.

You might think this could be confusing, but it's really not. You see, right now, Aryu is your main OC (original character), but what you do is create a new OC who becomes your main fursona and "demote" Aryu to just be a character in your RPGs. Later, you might even phase Aryu out by starting to create new adventures for whatever OC you design, introducing them to your fellow gamers and making Aryu more subordinate over time . . . or not. There's no reason you can't have two or more DnD characters.

Being 19, you are bound to change fursonas with time, especially if you feel your fursonas are a reflection of you personally, because you are in a phase of your life where YOU are changing. Take me, for example. As a kid in grade school I was a wolf inspired by Kipling's character Akela. Later, in my teens and twenties, I was a dragon because I was waaaay into fantasy books. Finally, as I came to realize who I truly am as an individual, I became a bear, and that is likely where I will stay for the rest of my life. Now, just because I made these transitions sequentially, always being just one fursona at a time, this doesn't mean you can't have two or more fursonas developing in parallel to one another. I predict that when you reach your late twenties or thirties you may change fursonas again . . . or not. That's the fun of it, isn't it? You never can tell how things will work out until you get there.

Make sense? If not, feel free to write again. Until then, stay furry!

Bear Hugs,
Papabear

P.S. Hmm, rereading your letter, it seems you have other sonas? So, perhaps my reply was dumb? What do you think about what I said: making Aryu a more subordinate fursona and replacing them with a new primary OC?

* * *

Hello,

I really wouldn’t want to do that, as for some reason I can’t bear to let that be the case, as I would feel guilty “dethroning” Aryu. He’s by design supposed to be 1 to 1 of me, aside from name and other factors. I have gone over and thought that I am overthinking the whole idea. That’s just me, though. What say you?

Thanks a ton,
Aryu

* * *

Hi, Aryu,

First of all, I should say that you should never allow outside factors--people, culture, job, church--dictate to you what your fursona should be. This is about you and not anyone else.

You know, there are two kinds of people in the fandom: one kind just uses fursonas as characters for role play and maybe fursuiting and such without any real emotional connection to the fursona, and the other kind has a deep, personal connection to their fursonas (the second kind usually only have one sona or perhaps a main sona and a few "background" secondary sonas). In your first letter, I thought maybe you were the first kind, but your follow-up seems to indicate that you have a deeper connection to your sona.

To be clear, there is absolutely no problem with your having a hybrid. Hybrids, in fact, are common in this fandom. Often, features of not just two but of three or more species are combined into one. I mean, you could, for example, have a bear with antlers, wings, and scales. You could even create an original species altogether (as has often been done), or even combine biological and technological features (as with the popular primagens and protogens), and I have even seen people combine plants with animals. The reason you don't see people "catering" to specific animals is because it's impossible to cater to the nearly infinite possible combinations of hybrids. So what? So, if you are at, say, a con dealer's den and see merchandise pertaining to a wolf or a lion or a dragon or whatever, and you're, say, a wolf/lion hybrid, you can purchase something wolfy and something liony and there you have it. You can also easily find artists in the artists room or dealer's den and commission them to draw your OC. As for single species being more "iconic," well, I guess so. But there are also iconic hybrids out there that go back centuries, even millenia. For example:
​

• The Egyptian Sphynx is part lion, part human
• The manticore is part lion, part scorpion, part human
• The griffin is part lion and part eagle
• The hippocampus is part hippo, part fish
• The lamassu (Sumerian) is a bull-eagle-lion hybrid
• The chimera is a lion-snake-goat hybrid
• The valravn (Danish) is part wolf, part raven
• And a bunch of other human/animal hybrids like mermaids, minotaurs, etc. etc.

In fact, one could easily argue that ALL anthros in the furry community are hybrids in that they are some kind of animal mixed with human characteristics. This applies less to those with feral sonas, but even they have some human attributes and could be called hybrids in that sense.

I agree that you are overthinking this. Also, I say, go with your gut, and it sounds like your gut loves your fursona as it is, so why change? There really is no reason to if you don't want to. As I said, your fursona is for you. It is an expression of who you are and it is a means to show your creativity.

Finally, please remember that this is supposed to be fun. If you enjoy the Aryu hybrid, then you should revel in the fun of being your character. Stop worrying so much.

Does that help?

Hugs,
Papabear

We’ve been missing out on the TV series Jane over on Apple TV+, but now thanks to Animation World Network we’ve found out Season 3 is coming soon — April 18th. “The mission-driven series for kids and families is inspired by the work of ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Ava Louise Murchison (Reacher) stars as Jane Garcia, a nine-year-old budding environmentalist on a quest to save endangered animals. Using her powerful imagination, Jane takes her best friends David, played by Mason Blomberg (Shameless), and Greybeard the chimpanzee on epic adventures to help protect wild animals all around the world.” Take a look at the trailer over on YouTube also.

image c. 2025 Apple TV+

Better late than never, the 2024 Cóyotl Awards are open for nominations!

Remember that you need to be a Furry Writers’ Guild member to nominate a work, but the author does not. Please also remember that works nominated must have been first published in 2024. Nominations will run through April 5, 2025.

Feel free to refer to the 2024 Cóyotl Awards reading list to help jog your memory about your favorite reads from last year. It’s a hard decision for sure, since so many amazing books, stories, and other works were published in 2024!

Please use this form to nominate a work published in 2024:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCX_ImDPbzBmdieS5NuZnaaQ9TkBEdMKeuDVFDwQCaUmaY7g/viewform?usp=sf_link

Welcome to "Fresh Fur!" Our weekly installment going over the newest game releases, and which ones you can expect to find anthros/furries in!

Check the list below for all the games we could find with animal/anthro influences and characters.

Major New Releases for the Weeks of March 1-14, 2025:

• Carmen Sandiego (Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, XSX/S, Switch, Xbox One) - March 3
• Age of Mythology: Retold (PS5) - March 4
• Two Point Museum (PC, PS5, XSX/S) - March 4
• Split Fiction (PC, PS5, XSX/S) - March 6
• Dragonkin: The Banished (PC) - March 6
• Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone (PC early access) - March 6
• FragPunk (PC, XSX/S, PS5) - March 6
• Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars (PS4, PS5, PC, Switch, Xbox One, XSX/S) - March 6
• Wanderstop (PC, PS5) - March 11
• Rise of the Ronin (PC) - March 11
• FATE: Reawakened (PS4/5, PC, Switch, Xbox One, XSX/S) - March 12
• On Your Tail (Switch) - March 13
• Midnight Murder Club (PS5, PC) - March 13
• Dungeons of Hinterberg (PS4, PS5) - March 136
• WWE 2K25 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, XSX/S) - March 14

*Bolded games have furry/animal influences/characters

Furry & Animal Steam Game Finds:

These games were found in the New Releases section of Steam this week and will be updated as more come out throughout the week!

TigerTails Radio Season 16 Episode 08. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf Join the Telegram Chat: https://t.me/+yold2C77m0I1MmM0 Visit the website at http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of any song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. Credits: Opening music: Magic by Hedge Haiden (Double Hedge Studios) Character art: Fitzroy Fox - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lunara-toons / https://bsky.app/profile/fitzroyfox.bsky.social Background art: Charleston Rat - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/charlestonrat / https://bsky.app/profile/charlestonrat.bsky.social 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.

Join Arrkay and Tempo in this retrospective of an entire decade of making videos by, about, and for furries. Our early days, the high concepts, the YouTube Studio, Behind the Scenes, Lost Videos and more. Merch, Sweet Tees and stuff: https://culturally-fd-merchandise.creator-spring.com/ Support Culturally F'd: https://www.patreon.com/culturallyfd Listen in on TEMPO TALKS with Tempe O'Kun https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPyIK2c7mK-LpbvfDNqfcSW Check out Tempe O'Kun's books "Sixes Wild" and "Windfall" here: http://furplanet.com/shop/?affillink=YOUTU2907 Here's a playlist of his other Culturally F'd videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPS7tnT4hdJwBI-CeLF8Kb_ Thumbnail art by Underbite Dragon

知名表演者黑鹿季雪將於4/5晚上六點至九點半，於Corner House角落文創展演空間進行【一鹿向光】黑鹿季雪 2025 LIVE活動，購票部分從3/7晚上六點開始，以KKTIX系統販售參加票券。

本次活動主視覺圖。圖／黑鹿季雪授權提供

根據了解，本次票券分為四種類，分別為普通票800元、贊助票1300元、特別贊助票3000元、以及超級VIP10000元。當中超級VIP名額數量僅限10位，不僅座位在搖滾區外，同時更有特別的神秘小禮物與紀念藍芽鹿音機等贈品。

本次活動的座位表示意圖。圖／黑鹿季雪授權提供

季雪在受訪時表示，活動的表演類型也十分多元，除了古箏的音樂表演外，也邀請到許多在台灣獸文化圈內活躍的表演者。本次特別嘉賓邀請到Vtuber柴虎、舞團WannnaBeast、以及在2024年亮相的樂團二足步行，希望讓大家來到現場表演就像回家一樣，能與熟悉的人們一起享受音樂。

本篇報導截稿前，已公開的演出嘉賓視覺圖。圖／黑鹿季雪授權提供

季雪也表示，本次活動會有場前與場後閒聊，但不會有演出的現場直播。本次活動名額有限，想要欣賞季雪與特別嘉賓們表演的粉絲們要加緊把握機會購票。

黑鹿季雪在宜蘭傳藝園區表演的畫面。攝影／雷古茶，黑鹿季雪授權提供

(以上報導圖片經由黑鹿季雪授權提供)

演唱會門票購買連結：https://kktix.com/events/20250405/registrations/new

黑鹿季雪粉絲頁連結：https://www.facebook.com/BlackDeer.Chord

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

Bearly, Taebyn, Rayne, TickTock and Cheetaro are here. Taebyn is travelling to Vancoufur as we record, so he won’t with us today. We talk about our eyes rods and cones, Cheetaro gives us a movie review, TickTock tells us about an interesting dinosaur story from California, and we play a little This or That. With no Taebyn our train stays firmly on the tracks!  So tune in for another confusing episode of BFFT. Moobarkfluff everyfur!

www.furlandia.org 

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 S5E20 - The Bee’s Knees