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Otis & Peanut is a new graphic novel for young readers, written by Naseem Hrab and illustrated by Kelly Collier. “A long-haired guinea pig and a naked mole rat may seem like unlikely friends, but Otis and Peanut are a perfect pair! In three stories told in graphic-novel form, Otis and Peanut explore themes of loss, fear of change, and cooperation, while demonstrating what it means to be a supportive and caring friend.” Look for it in hardcover from Owlkids.

image c. 2024 Owlkids

Dear Papabear,

I need advice. When I was 16 or 17, I joined NSFW furry ERP [Erotic Role-Play] servers and I don’t know how long I can keep the lie up. I don’t know what to do, and I feel horrible for endangering the people in those servers who don’t know. I know I broke the rules and screwed up, but if I tell them, they’ll cut me out forever, and they’re actually very nice people who I’ve found solace with. The guilt is eating me alive. Please help.

Nanashi (age 19)

* * *

Dear Nanashi,

What you're asking Papabear is basically this: "How can I get away with being a liar and not face the consequences?" Now that you are over the age of 18 and permitted to go into NSFW websites, you are supposedly an "adult." Part of being an adult is taking consequences for your actions (this is why we have a 78-year-old candidate for president who is, IMHO, mentally still a child). 

Don't be like Trump. Suck it up, tell the truth, and take the consequences for your lie. If you apologize profusely, perhaps people will be okay with that and forgive you; perhaps not. But, you know, I am 100% positive you are not the only person who lied about your age to get on a NSFW site. That's kind of the problem with the internet. Porn is easily accessible to children who are unsupervised, and all they have to do is check a box to assert they are over 18 (if that). They might not have a credit card to use on pay sites, but there is no end to available porn for free. Also, IMHO, this is why I believe that furry adult sites such as FurAffinity, as well as nonfurry sites (X has tons of porn now, I hear [I left X when Twitter was bought]), should be pay sites to keep the porn away from kids.

You're feeling guilty because you know you did wrong. That's a good sign. It shows you have a conscience. As the Christians are fond of saying, "Confession is good for the soul." So, you have two choices: 1) Be an adult, tell the truth, and face the consequences like an adult; 2) Say nothing and hope no one notices and let the guilt turn into an ulcer (ever read Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"?).

Sorry, I'm sure that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's a true answer.

Good Luck!

Papabear

兽视通过第三次全球调查跟进探讨欺凌问题

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Taebyn, Rayne and Bearly discuss their experiences at Furlandia 2024.  We get into a deep discussion over a phone game. Taebyn gives us 7.5 affirmations and has more things he doesn’t understand. Odd news and upcoming events are discussed as well. So tune in and join us for a funtacular good time.

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, 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 S5E2 - Furlandia and More!

Thanks to Cartoon Brew we’ve learned about Brave Cat, the first animated feature film by Gabriel Osorio, Chilean director of the Academy Award-winning short film Bear Story. “The new cg film, which is currently in production, follows Kona, a teenage forest cat who decides to face her fears and search for her missing mother, who was kidnapped by the circus long ago. She is joined on her journey by Colin, an abandoned guard dog pup, and Bernard, a runaway old circus bear, who are also searching for their own families.” Like Bear Story, much of this new film is an allegory for the struggles of ordinary people in Chile. Check out the teaser trailer too. The film is in production and seeking distribution.

image c. 2024 Punkrobot

When you hear the word 'Sequel', either one of two things will pop in your mind: Either happy images of great sequels like 'The Empire Strikes Back' or ‘The Expendables 2’ or nightmares of horrible sequels like 'Son Of The Mask' or ‘Halo 5: Guardians’. So, what happens when a great product receives a sequel that does improve on the previous faults and introduces new ideas but, at the same time, seems like a step backwards? That's where 'Banjo-Tooie', the sequel to the legendary Rare game 'Banjo-Kazooie', seems to fall. Now, before you raise your pitchforks at me, hear me out: While it does improve all the original faults and issues that I had and I do still like the game, it oddly feels like it takes a few steps backwards as well. What do I mean by this? Well, ready your trusty side-kick and prep your new moves, cause it's time to Beak Bomb into: BANJO-TOOIE.

Dear Papabear,

Over the past several years, I have made a good life for myself. I own my own house, my own car, I have a successful career as an electrical engineer for a prominent aerospace company. I am heavily involved in my local church. On my off time, I like to explore my creative hobbies. From the outside, I look like a very successful bachelor who has it all together, but I've been secretly struggling with an issue that has plagued me since I was 10, one that I could never ever admit to the people around me. I am secretly an infantilist (ABDL/babyfur etc.).

The TL;DR [too long, didn't read] is that I have an extreme fascination with basically anything that is "babyish" (diapers, pacifiers, baby bottles, etc.). I even have a small collection of ABDL-style diapers, pacifiers, onesies, stuffed animals, and baby bottles that I have hidden in my bedroom that I like to wear and play with on a regular basis. For some reason, I find the idea of being 2 years old again really comforting. It makes me feel safe and innocent and cute, and I often fantasize about another man taking care of me in that way. But even though I feel these things, whenever I "act out" in the privacy of my own home, I also feel equally very horrified and disturbed by it. I find myself regretting it and hating myself, sometimes crying and losing my cool over doing these things and having these feelings. What is worse is that very recently, I have noticed that whenever I'm in "Little Time" for too long, I start shaking and experiencing panic attacks, sometimes experiencing disturbing and hazy flashbacks to when I was 3 years old, and my mom pulling me out of daycare out of concern for my safety (I asked her some time ago about what happened there, but all she would tell me was that she thinks I may have been abused and just "wished she had found the evidence needed to sue them into oblivion").

I don't know who I can talk to about this. No one in my local circle of friends knows I'm into the ABDL thing (nor would any of them understand or want to understand what it is without being grossed out and disowning me). I confessed to a couple of friends in a furry Discord I'm in, and they have been compassionate and accepting, but I don't know them in person. As for others who are ABDL, I don't really interact with others in that community (outside of maybe a couple of babyfur meet & greets at some of the fur cons I've been to).

I just feel alone, living a double life with a weird attachment towards something that feels like it hurts me more than helps me. And I don't know what I should do about it, and no one to really talk to about it. I tried seeking psychological help for it, and while it has helped me get over the feelings of shame, it still hasn't changed my desires all that much. I still wear diapers and I still find myself clinging to these infantile desires, and I don't know what to do. Should I just accept this ABDL thing as just who I am, despite it hurting me and keeping me alone, or should I keep trying to free myself from it?

Anonymous

* * *

Dear Furiend,

Thank you for having the courage to write about this sensitive matter and your experience with ABDL (for any of my readers who don't know, ABDL = Adult Baby Diaper Lover).

It's important to first note that--similar to the confusion outsiders have with furries--this is not a sexual fetish. Rather, it is an outward expression of an inner emotional and psychological desire to return to a simpler time and also to feel cared for. It is a desire to destress from the complications of adult life. It is easy to see that you, as a very responsible person with a career and material successes, probably deal with a lot of stress from the burden of many adult responsibilities. In this way, ABDL shares something with many furries in that this practice is a way to forget about things like bills, taxes, work deadlines, rent, health care, politics, etc. etc. Now, ABDL should be distinguished from infantilism in that the latter is about fantasizing that one is a baby while ABDL can just mean that one indulges in wearing diapers and having other childish possessions such as plushies (another parallel here is plushophiles vs. ABDL; again, not the same thing), having a pacifier, wearing onesies, drinking from a baby bottle, etc. It sounds like you are both ABDL and some infantilism.

You find the above comforting because these things reduce your stress from the workaday world. Unfortunately for you, indulging in your little fantasy is bringing up an early trauma of being abused in a daycare facility. This is really sad that your one pressure valve to relieve stress can in and of itself cause stress because of what happened to you as a little kid! 

You say you sought help from a psychologist, but it didn't help much. I believe that is because you were focused on your feelings of shame about diapers. What you should have explored with the therapist was your childhood trauma. This is definitely something you need to confront and resolve. If, with the help of a trained counselor, you can overcome this trauma, it should cause the panic attacks to go away. It might even cause the ABDL to go away, too, if the desire to be an infant is an attempt by your inner psyche to erase the traumatic experience and replace it with a more comforting image of what your young childhood should have been.

But if the ABDL doesn't go away, that's fine, too. You really should seek out (again) a support system of some sort, though. You might try some babyfur groups within the furry community to start like this one. I also found this website called Tykables that is kind of interesting. It is a merchant that caters to the ABDL community, so it is, indeed, selling products, but it also has social websites at Facebook, X, and Instagram as well as a YouTube channel and newsletter.

Finally, because at least part of your attraction to ABDL may have something to do with the stress of adult life, I think it would be a good idea to explore other ways to relax. Exercise (swimming, jogging) are excellent, as well as meditation, yoga, nature hikes, biking, and so on. You might also spend more time exploring other facets of the furry community that are not about babyfurs, such as gaming, fursuiting, movies, cartoons, writing, and art.

So, in summary, I would recommend seeking a good therapist who specializes in childhood trauma; I would recommend finding some social support of like-minded people; and I would recommend finding other avenues for de-stressing yourself from work and daily life.

Bottom line, though, is that if you are not hurting anyone, you should not feel ashamed of things you like to do or wear or be. Definitely try to resolve your childhood trauma, but other than that, you're okay.

Bear Hugs!
Papabear

Nintendo Power Hour! 

A much anticipated Nintendo Direct finally premiered on June 18th, 2024. With it, came news about a variety of upcoming releases for the Nintendo Switch happening in Q3 and Q4 of the year. A lot of fun games had been announced both first and third party with several coming soon. Lets look at some of the highlights.

Having recently come back from playing Super Mario Bros. I was naturally intrigued by Kitsune Tails which got showcased as part of the Wholesome Direct I covered previously. It's adorable, full of Japanese inspired charm and the protagonist is a fox. All things that very much appeal to me. And like the game series it clearly takes gameplay inspiration from, it is brutal.

Players step into the paws of Yuzu, a kitsune who has recently become a courier. Yuzu is a curious and energetic fox who frequently gets into trouble. Which becomes all the more apparent with a cutscene after the first level where Yuzu gets attacked by an oni while foraging for mushrooms in a cave. A couriers life is not an easy one, especially as Yuzu gets tasked with delivering a letter to a ghostly warlord in a haunted house. The amount of stage variety in the demo isn’t bad and they aren’t easy to clear either.

TigerTails Radio Season 15 Episode 32. 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 all know that life can be full of all kinds of stress. But how do you manage stress and find balance in your everyday life? How do we manage to untangle the knots in our fur?

Join the cast as they talk about how they handle day to day pressures and struggles. Tricks they and listeners use to destress.

NOW LISTEN!

SHOW NOTES Thank you!

MestophEli – For the audio recording!

Basel the Dragon – For the mailbag email!

To all our listeners!

PATREON LOVE

THANK YOU to our patreons! You help us keep the show going!

Uber Supporter Tier

Anthallo

Tails Bursting out of Pants Supporters

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Fancy Supporter Tier

Black Baldrik, Lufis the Raccoon

Deluxe Supporters Tier

Tenax, Plug, MephistophEli

Plus Tier Supporters

• Ausi Kat
• Chaphogriff
• Lygris

McRib Tier Supporters

• Christian
• Ichigo Ookami
• Light Fang
• Mengx3
• Sage
• TyR
• Victor Mutt

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: Holo – Ampyx, Argofox, Creative Commons 2023
• Second Break: Cover – Patrick Patrikios, Creative Commons 2020. Not The One, Dino Rano – Argofox, Creative Commons 2024
• Third Break: Starship – Hyun Yang, Creative Commons 2020
• Patreon: Inflammatus – The Tudor Consort, Creative Commons 2019
• 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

S11E6 – Destressing in Life - We all know that life can be full of all kinds of stress. But how do you manage stress and find balance in your everyday life? How do we manage to untangle the knots in our fur? - Join the cast as they talk about how they han

Naughty Dog really had something special when they started the Jak and Daxter Series. Platforming, collecting, engaging puzzles with just the right amount of difficulty, and to top it all off, it had the first seamless 3D open world with no loading screens. And who doesn’t love a furry otter-weasel hybrid sidekick? I just wish they had kept the plans to have Jak a wolf-like humanoid! Always could use more wolf characters!

Recently Animation World Network told us about Tumble Leaf: The Movie, an upcoming feature film based on the multi-award-winning stop-motion animated series for kids created by Drew Hodges — who will also direct the feature version. “When everyone on the island of Tumble Leaf gathers at the Finding Ceremony, a momentous coming-of-age celebration, only Fig the Fox resists because it threatens to upend his perfect life. Suddenly, the ceremony is interrupted when the island mysteriously breaks apart due to a long-hidden ancient entity. With Tumble Leaf lost, Fig and his friends must lead their eclectic community as they set sail on an epic, quirky, and hilarious quest across the vast unknown to find a new home and their place in a bigger, wilder world.” No word yet on a release date, but the film-makers are seeking out distribution.

image c. 2024 Bix Pix Entertainment

A new trailer for an all-ages platformer that looks like some of the fantastic cartoony games of old has made its way out of the bushes and into the open! It looks to feature a cool mix of 2D and 3D action that switches planes of control from one to the other. Developed by VEA Games and published by MY.GAMES, Nikoderiko: The Magical World piqued our interest with an array of colorful creatures and adventurous, action-filled gameplay. Also, Donkey Kong Country composer David Wise is creating the soundtrack! Check out the trailer below:

It’s-a me! Super Mario!

Originally released in 1985 for NES and Famicom, There is little doubt that Super Mario Bros. has an immense legacy. Mario is one of the oldest and most recognizable names in pop culture. It's one of the earliest titles in what would become one of the biggest and most well-known gaming franchises to ever exist. In fact, it’s considered one of the greatest games of all time and in the context of the time period in which it was released, it definitely is something special that earned that legacy without question. 

Let’s be honest: The State Of Play from Sony and Geoff Kieghly’s yearly ‘Summer Games Fest’ were less than stellar. While both had some interesting games, general consensus seems to be that they were the weakest, especially Summer Games Fest. So, all eyes were on Xbox and their showcase, with everyone hoping we got at least some decent games announced and did we? Well, I’m happy to say that not only did we get that and then some, I feel Xbox may have had the best show they’ve had in a long while! In fact, general consensus seems to be in agreement as well, with a recent poll by Geoff Kieghly ranking Xbox’s showcase with an A, the highest, I think, the showcase has ever gotten. Do I agree? Personally, outside of two games we’ll get to, I think this was the best show I’ve seen in a while!

Hey Papabear,

I rejoined the fandom back in late 2023 after nearly a 13 year absence, for a myriad of reasons. But since I've rejoined I've found I don't quite gel with the fandom as a whole and it's been quite lonely. I've even gotten to the point of wondering why I've even rejoined. Whether it's in person or online I just don't seem to fit in with the other furries.

For reference I'm not a very bubbly, goofy, or cartoonish individual. I'm chill, down-to-earth, and most people who know me would never guess I was a furry; a very average Joe. Cons aren't my thing as I'm not a fan of crowds and my masklophobia kinda solidifies my dislike of cons.

So I guess my question is, should I even remain in the fandom if I feel like I don't belong or mesh well with the furry community? Should I just go back to being a fan of furry art while not engaging with furries or having a fursona?

Jay (age 34)

* * *

​Hi, Jay,

Many furries who reach their 30s and beyond can feel alienated from the fandom--mostly, because the vast majority of furries are in their teens and twenties, so it is hard for the older generation to relate to them. I don't know if you've heard the term before, but you would now be classified as a "graymuzzle" (greymuzzle, if you prefer, which I do), which is any furry over 30. Fortunately, as the fandom has aged, there are more and more greymuzzle groups out there. For example, I run the Facebook Greymuzzle group. There are also greymuzzle groups on Telegram, X, Amino groups, and DeviantArt.

My group has about 3,800 members in it. Most of us, like you, are much more chill and laid back. I, as admin, also make sure it is free of drama, sex, and rudeness. I invite you to join my group and check out the others, as well.

There is still a place for you in the fandom. I'm sure you will like it better when you find people your age.

I hope to see you apply soon!

Bear Hugs,
Papabear

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.

New Releases for the week of June 10-16, 2024:

• Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC) - June 14
• Monster Hunter: Stories (PC, PS4, Switch) - June 14
• Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked! (PC, PS5, PS4, Switch) - June 11
• Wayfinder (PC) - June 11 (out of Early Access)

*Bolded games have furry/animal influences/characters

Furry & Animal Indie 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!

Dutch furry fandom is spawning the Otterdam Furry Arts Festival, a public event celebrating furry culture and art. Part of the festival is a conference to connect academics, researchers, and community members for multi-field learning and presenting. It will happen physically and online, and you don’t have to be professional to contribute.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS — send proposals for work you can present at the event or online — DEADLINE IS JUNE 24, 2024

The Call For Papers has details and suggestions of work to present. History, philosophy, behavior study, economics…

We encourage the submission of proposals for academic papers, short workshops, practitioner-based activities, best-practice showcases, and pre-formed panels. We welcome established academics at all stages of their careers, and warmly embrace independent scholars. We also encourage submissions from non-academic furries and welcome other presentation formats such as photographic essays, alternative presentation styles, etc.

Here’s more info from one of the Organizing Committee. Vanguard Husky is a Postgraduate Researcher in the UK at the Birmingham School of Media, Birmingham City University. He runs Chasing Tails: A Furry Research Blog.

Furry Studies: An idea whose time has come — by Reuben “Vanguard” Mount

Just under a year ago, an academic colleague and I were approached with the idea of hosting a Furry Studies academic conference as part of a wider furry focused event. Honestly, there wasn’t much consideration before we accepted. I had been studying the furry fandom as a furry myself for three years at this time and was stunned to learn that this would be the first academic conference focusing on furries.

The furry fandom has been around for a long time. I know I probably don’t need to tell anyone reading this, but even if we take the first “furry party” as the benchmark, we’ve been here for almost forty years. Conversely, Furry Studies has been around arguably since 2007 with the initial studies from a group of social psychologists that would later become FurScience. Since this beginning, the number of furry academics has grown, with some incredible voices and viewpoints from countries around the world.

This was our starting point when we were approached to organise the first furry academic conference. We wanted to bring together these distant international voices that study furries to come together either physically or digitally to share their research, their thoughts and their knowledge about the furry fandom. It was also this desire to bring together knowledge that led to the creation of Minerva, our mascot.

The final result – drumroll please – is the Furry Studies 2024 conference (furrystudies.org) in Rotterdam, Netherlands, as part of the programme of the Otterdam Furry Arts Festival (otterdam.art). This will be a full-day event at the Nieuwe Instituut (nieuweinstituut.nl) on Friday October 18th 2024, with several sessions planned to fill the whole day. The opening keynote from Joe Strike (joestrike.com), who you may know from their amazing and insightful books about the furry fandom – Furry Nation and Furry Planet.

The theme of this conference is “Being Furry”. The intention of this was to begin with a provocation that was wide enough to prompt a variety of discussions, and one that we think every furry – academic or not – could speak to even if they couldn’t definitively answer. Also, as the first furry academic conference, we wanted to keep the theming simple to lead to more- complex and in-depth questions for future conferences – but that’s a thought process for later!

The Call for Papers is on our website. It’s been warmly received by the academic side of the furry fandom and we have received some incredible and insightful submissions so far. We’re still taking submissions until June 24th so make sure you drop something in before then!

But this isn’t just for academic fluffs! We welcome anyone interested in attending in person or online as registration and speaking slots are open to all. Plus, with all of the incredible events taking place over the weekend for the Otterdam Furry Arts Festival, and the fur con Reffurence (reffurence.com) happening the weekend after, there’s plenty to enjoy during this October in Rotterdam. So make sure you drop down and say hello!

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.)

As Furry Tea Party (FTP) held its seventh event in 2024, Haneneko gives his insight about the event's history, its challenges, and what the future holds for the furcon.