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You can never have enough capybaras. At least that's our opinion! Luckily, the developers at Kitten Cup Studio have the same opinion, and they just announced (and revealed a trailer) for their new upcoming game, Capy Castaway. In Capy Castaway, "Embark on a whimsical adventure with a capybara pup and a clever crow as they set off to find their way home! Sniff, dig, and explore a vibrant world brimming with wonder, challenges, and heartwarming friendships at every turn." The pairing of Capy and Crow looks to be a creativity-filled duo that encourages the player to explore with childlike wonder the possibilities around them. Plus it's by the same developers of "Pekoe" AND features the composer who did the music in "A Short Hike"?! We can't wait to see more! 

The trailer was revealed as part of the Wholesome Snack: The Game Awards 2024 Presentation

Another comic book that slipped beneath our radar, but at last we can tell you all about Howie the Hellhound from Scout Comics. “Satan’s favorite pet, a Hellhound named Howie, escapes the pits of Hell and settles down with a human owner, Louise, in New York City. But when Hell’s forces rise to take back what’s theirs, the pair must find a way to come out the other side and earn the fresh start at life that they both crave. Howie the Hellhound is a supernatural dramedy filled to the brim with heart, danger, and laughs, along with a sprinkling of fire and brimstone!” And likely the kitchen sink! Written by Jared Prestwidge, Howie is illustrated by Simon Robins and Carlos Trigo.

image c. 2024 Scout Comics

Is this goodbye? Here's an update. "ROADS AHEAD" Pt. 1: https://youtu.be/uqNJB-ELOv8 "ROADS AHEAD" Pt. 2: https://youtu.be/TlwNJmnvCGw Follow Bandit: https://www.youtube.com/@BanditTheRaccoon BcB's "YEAH, LET'S EAT THIS!": https://www.youtube.com/@YeahLetsEatThis Fursona Artwork: Weka (https://twitter.com/DrawsWeka) Series Logo: Fifth Forager (https://linktr.ee/FifthForager) See more at www.TheRaccoonsDen.com CHAPTERS 1: Intro: 0:00 2: Distance: 1:28 3: Scheduling: 1:52 4: Other projects: 2:09 5: Personal Interest: 2:18 6: Channel's future...: 2:50 -------------------- MUSIC BY: Zapper the 3L3CTR1FY1NG: https://soundcloud.com/zapper-the-3l3ctr1fy1ng Andre Abreo: https://andreabreo.bandcamp.com/music FACEBOOK: http://www.Facebook.com/TheRaccoonsDen TWITTER/X: http://www.Twitter.com/TheRaccoonsDen FURAFFINITY: http://www.FurAffinity.net/user/TheRaccoonsDen INSTAGRAM: http://www.Instagram.com/TheRaccoonsDen TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theraccoonsden #TheRaccoonsDen #TRDs9 #furryfandom

Dear Papabear,

I'm probably not the sort of fur you usually get questions from, but I'm hoping you can give me a little advice.

Soon both of my parents will be gone. Dad passed five years ago and mom just entered hospice. They both were mentally and physically abusive, something they never admitted or attempted to make right. It's taken me decades to process and overcome the abuse. My brother never did and I've witnessed him exhibit some of the same abusive behaviors with his own children.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday my brother mentioned that he was alone. He's divorced, in awful health, and more or less estranged from his two kids. He seemed to be asking for help and, being a helpful fox I want to do something... but can and should I?

I'm thinking of laying it out on the table for him... telling him he needs to seek counseling, he needs to hear and accept his children's feelings, and most of all change. But am I rushing in where foxes shouldn't tread? I've mostly dealt with my demons, am I opening old wounds when I can't really do any good?

Yours,
Foxfire

* * *

Dear Foxfire,

Thank you for your intriguing email. I am not unfamiliar with situations like your own in which an estranged family member tries to make their way back into your life. The first question you must ask yourself is this: Are they only doing this because they need money or to otherwise take advantage of you, or are they sincerely reconnecting? For example, someone close to me has a son who cut off ties because his father came out as gay, but this son occasionally contacts him--not because he misses him, but because he wants to hit him up for money. How touching.

On the other paw . . .

It is an unfortunate truth that oftentimes a victim of childhood abuse like your brother will, when they become parents themselves, abuse their children in turn. I believe the statistic is about one-third become abusers. You didn't, but your brother did. Unlike your brother, you did the homework to deal with the psychological scars head on. As you know, that is a lot of work and takes a lot of time. Your brother, though, did not deal with his feelings, and so, as is often the case with people who don't deal with their emotions, those negative feelings have to come out, and they can do so in violent ways. My sister did something similar. She was raped by our grandfather when she was a girl and never really dealt with it, so she became an alcoholic and a very angry person instead.

Because your brother did not deal with his issues, it has cost him his wife, his children, and his health. Now he has hit bottom. What is actually a promising sign, however, is that he is now reaching out to you for help. As long as the warning signs I mentioned above (asking for money and so forth) don't come out, I think you would be a good brother to offer him a shoulder to lean on. You don't have to go way out of your way to do this. Just listen, give him a sympathetic ear. Maybe see if you can help him find a good counselor, because you are right: What he really needs is some good, solid, professional guidance on the one hand and a bit of emotional help (you) on the other. Obviously, this doesn't mean you are "taking his side" or condoning what he did to his kids. I'm thinking a heart-to-heart between you two will show that, deep down, he knows what he did was wrong, and there is a good chance he really doesn't understand why he did it. He just knew he was in pain and he didn't know how to handle it in a healthy way.


A good place to start is the website Help for Adult Victims of Child Abuse. Perhaps, if you have not done so yourself — and even though you seem to be coping pretty well — you could benefit from looking this over, too. Maybe do so before you talk to your brother.

To answer your question, then: Yes, be there for your brother if you can. More than almost anyone in the world, you will understand him because you grew up in the same household. Don't be preachy or pushy. Just start by telling him he can talk to you, and you will listen. Then, perhaps go on this journey together of talking to counselors. Even though you are okay (it seems, mostly), if you do this together that will be of IMMENSE help to your brother — and bless you for doing so.

This is a bit of a tricky road, though. Make sure he doesn't take advantage of you but do be there for him emotionally. Do you think you can manage that? It is okay if you feel like, emotionally, you are not up for a task that can be a pretty hefty burden, so don't feel guilty if you honestly don't think so. But if you do, that would be a terrific thing to do.

Let me know if the above helps or you have more questions.

Bear Hugs,
Papabear

Sonic the Hedgehog, a name many know and love. And what a history he has. Much like the loops he speeds through on his way to stop Eggman, Sonic has had a lot of ups and downs. His early days on SEGA consoles solidified his popularity. Then in 1998, he made his first jump to 3D with Sonic Adventure. The early 3D era went well enough until it started going downhill with the divisive Shadow the Hedgehog in 2005 and the disastrous release of Sonic ‘06 a year later. To say ‘06 severely damaged Sonic’s reputation is an understatement. It took years before the Hedgehog recovered and was back on his feet. 5 years later in 2011, Sonic Generations released as a celebration of the Hedgehogs 20th anniversary at the time. 

Another pair of authors we met at Loscon — authors who work together, in fact. Aynsley J. Fraser and Lita Hunt are the creators of the Moonlight in Glenwood series of urban fantasy novels. Here’s the tag for the first book, Moonburn: “Evie and Laika are werewolves working part-time as Moonlighters for the supernatural task force MOONS. When trouble is afoot, their pack called ‘Night Claw’ isn’t getting the call. No one, supernatural or not, believes a pair of barely trained, late twenties werewolves are ready for more than domestic disturbances. However, when a magical murder mystery rocks the werewolf packs of Los Angeles, it’s all moonlighters on deck. With supernatural suspects ranging from vampires to witches, no clues to go on, and murders starting to pile up, the Night Claw werewolves finally have an opportunity to prove themselves and potentially become full-fledged Moonlighters. Can Evie and Laika solve this mystery before more murders spread through Glenwood?” Visit their web site to find out more about this and other books in the series.

image c. 2024 Fraser & Hunt

Out of nowhere, your ship starts to sputter. Your oil is low, your radiation analyzer and tomfoolery modules are on the fritz, and you have to make a quick decision. Luckily, you look on your intergalactic map to see that Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is within landing distance. You’re able to touch down safely on the platform and are met by a four-eyed “fox where it counts”, who leads you into a coffee shop before getting to work on your ship in need. That’s where you come in, playing that fox guy and helping customers in need so that you can pay R.E.N.T. to your employer before he murders you for being too much of a financial liability. Oh, and what a joy this arrangement is, as Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is an employment contract I’d sign again and again.

Dear Papabear,

Some months back, Soatok published this article on the explosive growth of the Fandom.

What are your thoughts on it, and the discussion surrounding it? Can we fight these problems? How? Is it too late?

Boyesh

* * *

Dear Boyesh,

Thank you for your email and sorry for the slow reply! 

An interesting and timely question, and thank you for asking. The fandom is, indeed, growing by leaps and bounds, and a number of furcons have extremely high attendance rates. However, as much as I like Soatok, I think they are spazzing out a bit. Yes, Midwest Furfest had over 15,000 attendees, but compared to Comic-Con in San Diego, which had about 135,000 fans this year, it's peanuts. New York's Comic-Con had even more at 200,000 attendees in 2022. You don't see people giving up on comic-cons, do you? So why would they give up on furcons that have a tenth of the attendance?

Instead of treating attendance as if it were a problem, we should treat it as an opportunity. There are many things that can be done. One of these has already been deployed by Anthrocon in Pittsburgh. Uncle Kage recently announced that in 2025 they are going to cap attendance to keep the crowds at a safe level (respective of such things as fire regulations, hotel considerations, and general enjoyment of the attendees). Other large cons such as Midwest Furfest and Furry Weekend Atlanta might follow the same strategy in the near future, I would surmise. Although, on the other paw, maybe they will just grow into furry versions of Comic-Con.

This doesn't mean that furries are out of luck in attending furcons. There are lots of smaller cons, and new cons are being created. For example, in Southern California where this bear is from, when Califur shut its doors, it was soon replaced by Golden State Furcon in Los Angeles and, this year, Another Furry Con debuted in Ontario (California, not Canada). Up in the Bay Area, when Further Confusion started getting large, we saw overflow go to PAWCon. The same thing can easily happen in states like Pennsylvania. Satellite cons could open up to welcome furries who could not, for whatever reason, make AC. 

The headline of Soatok's article ("Furries Are Losing the Battle Against Scale") is self-defeating and presumptuous. What are our options here? Well, one option would be to see the number of furries decline, risking what happened to the Bronies when their convention closed and now they have no cons. Second option is things stay the same, which isn't likely but would mean we'd go along as we are, which isn't so bad. And Option 3 is that we continue to grow, which is a testimony to the success and popularity of the furry fandom and should be celebrated, not mourned.

Soatok notes that furry attendance at cons and meets etc. is growing at about 10% annually, which means it will double in 7 years. They then compare this to the 0.8% growth of overall world population, concluding that furry growth is unsustainable. Soatok then predicts that: 1) Furcons will become accessible only to tech-savvy and wealthy furries; attendance costs will rise; hotels will become too crowded; and furries will get stressed and start fighting with each other.

First of all, chill out. Of the over 100 furcons going on these days, only 7 have attendance rates exceeding 5,000 while over half have attendance rates under 1,000. Yes, a few cons are over-attended, a hazard of being a popular and well-run convention. Most still have plenty of room to grow. Soatok says that convention growth (in terms of total hotel rooms) is flat and that we will therefore get crushed under a flood of furries swarming to conventions. I beg to differ. In a very helpful article on the Fang, Feather, & Fin website from 2022, Gale Frostbane notes that there were 11 conventions in the 1990s, 52 in the 2000s, 138 in the 2010s. 

This seems to be leveling off now, true, but there are two big reasons: 1) The COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) the rise of virtual conventions such as Furality (which had over 21,000 attendees this year). But just because furcon space is a bit stagnant at the moment does not mean it always will be. This is, I believe, a blip. An adjustment. Things will happen to cause more furcons to open, older ones to diversify and adjust, and alternatives to cons (such as furmeets and parties and camps) to make themselves available.

Already things are happening that indicate Soatok is jumping the gun on offering dire warnings of impending doom. Hotels and convention centers, for example, will not permit attendance to get so huge that no one can get on an elevator or walk through a hallway because they will be crushed by stampeding footpads. As Uncle Kage and the AC staff wisely decided, there will need to be caps similar to what they do with Comic-Con. The idea that cons will only be accessible to tech savvy and wealthier furries is a rather silly point. Most furries are tech savvy already, and there are ways to get around money issues in attending cons to make them more affordable. As for furries fighting among each other, well, I gotta laugh. We already fight with each other about silly things, and we already have issues that divide us, such as the young furs vs. greymuzzle disputes or arguments about whether we should permit furporn or do you have to have a fursona or a fursuit to be furry and on and on.

If the furry fandom is going to survive, it has to grow. And as it grows, it has to evolve. It is already hugely different from when I first started getting active in the 2000s, and it will be hugely different 20 years from now compared to what it is today.

Because there is no organizing force behind our fandom like there is behind other fandoms (e.g. Whovians, Potterheads, Trekkers), one should expect it to be a raging mess of chaos. That can be seen as a weakness or it could be valued as a strength.

My advice? If you really really want to go to a large convention, book as early as you possibly can and/or find a friend who has been before and ask if you can room with them. But remember there are dozens of furcons that are much smaller and manageable in size. You can have a wonderful experience at conventions that have, say, 500 to 1,500 attendees. You know, I have never been to San Diego's Comic-Con, and I have absolutely no desire to. I despise crowds. So, instead, I went to the tiny Palm Springs Comic-Con and had a super time! You can also attend furmeets or camps or virtual cons. If there is nothing in your area but there are furries nearby, start your own meetup! What's to stop you?

We are going through growing pains. But while Soatok is correct in noting that we have some rough waters ahead, they are incorrect to start fearmongering and make furries feel that the future of furcons is bleak. It is not. It's just different, that's all. 

The future of the fandom will continue to see conventions of all shapes and sizes.

I hope that answers your question.

Bear Hugs!
Papabear

Viola Quincy is a new (to us) author we met at this year’s LosCon in Los Angeles. She’s created a loosely-connected trilogy of gently humorous science fiction novels called A Galactic Love Story. The second in the series is probably the one that furries are going to notice: Mommy’s Big Alien. “A widow with her precocious four year old are abducted by alien slavers, when they are rescued by a handsome catlike alien and his crew. Now, they need to work together against these evil criminals, while trying to figure out their feelings.” It’s available as a Kindle book, and also in paperback from the author’s web site.

image c. 2024 Margaret Viney

Fuzz and Savrin have a greymuzzle hangout fireside chat. We talk about our thanksgiving days, books, furry cons, and 'broken' dogs.

LINKS

All the new Korps books in one spot- FurPlanet - Furry Books and Comics
NEW as of 12/1/24 Telegram Link: https://t.me/+KsOQnsQqWfA0Zjkx

Southpaws | creating and promoting The Queer Agenda | Patreon

Episode 565 - Son of Adam

With Autumn soon giving way to Winter, it's the perfect time to cozy up with a hot beverage and your favorite video games. Fortunately Steam has you covered with a limited time Autumn Sale of everyones favorites. Ranging from the high budget highly acclaimed titles to Indie hits, this sale is sure to have something for everyone. Act fast though, it ends on Dec 4th. Let's take a look at some highlights!

Well, here we are at the closing of another year. I hardly know what to say after the events of November. We will get through the next few years just as we’ve weathered other storms, and we will do so with heads high, hearts open, and teeth bared if necessary.

One exciting thing is the imminent publication of the guild’s latest anthology, Tales from the Guild: Blood and Water, published through Fenris. The original plan was for a release at Midwest FurFest, but the publishing process is a slow one with lots of moving parts. Currently the cover art is being finished, so it’s close, but the publication date has had to be moved back a little.

What are your writing goals for 2025? If you’re not feeling great about the future, writing can be an escape–a way to live temporarily in a world where you control every detail. It’s also a beacon to declare that art (and the artist’s soul) will always triumph.

Along with the new year comes awards season, so if there are recently-published books on your to-read pile, this is a good time to bump them to the top. If you have recently-published works, this is also a good time to send in updates for your guild member profile and the suggested reading lists. If you have a book coming out soon, let us know so we can list it in future posts. Make it easy for potential readers to find what you’ve written!

Here are the current open markets for your short stories:
Spirit of the Wolf – Deadline March 31st 2025
The Second Hayven Celestia Anthology – Deadline July 15, 2025
Indecent Exposure – Deadline When Full
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full

Please also check out the latest book releases from our members:

Shadow Sun, by Jess E. Owen. Released August 30th, 2024.
Legend of Ahya: Broken Empires, by Matthew Colvath. Released October 2nd 2024.
Space Dragons: Luxorian’s Crew, by Veo Corva. Released November 12th 2024.
Catfish and Other Stories, by K.C. Shaw. Released November 30th 2024.
Wolf Tech 3: The Alphas, by Adam Webster. Release date December 10th 2024.

Happy writing!

Kate Shaw

This came out a while ago now, but we’re happy to find out about it now: Scales & Tales, a very special benefit anthology, edited by John Palisano. “Finding Forever Homes brings together many of the top authors in science fiction, fantasy and horror in an anthology benefiting and celebrating the creatures we share our planet with. From cats and dogs, to lizards and snakes, Scales & Tales explores the many dreams and stories these beings inspire. All proceeds from Scales & Tales go to benefit the adoption programs at The Southwestern Herpetologists Society, Kitt Crusaders, and Star Paws Rescue to help these souls find their forever homes.” Authors here include Ray Bradbury, Marv Wolfman, David Gerrold, Clive Barker, Lisa Morton, Tim Powers, Nancy Holder, Larry Niven, and many others. It’s still available in paperback.

image c. 2024 William Wu Books

With the future creating different paths for the group, a difficult choice must be made. "ROADS AHEAD" is a cinematic 2-part special featuring a group of Furry content creators facing obstacles that may separate them as a team. Big thanks to our sponsor, Dragon Roast Coffee! Use code "RACCBREW" to save 15% off your order! https://www.dragonroast.coffee Editing: @BanditTheRaccoon Fursona Artwork: Com (dr11white via Telegram) Series Logo: Fifth Forager See more at www.TheRaccoonsDen.com -------------------- MUSIC BY: As Seas Exhale: https://asseasexhale.bandcamp.com/ Cobalt Rabbit: https://cobalt-rabbit.bandcamp.com FACEBOOK: http://www.Facebook.com/TheRaccoonsDen TWITTER/X: http://www.Twitter.com/TheRaccoonsDen FURAFFINITY: http://www.FurAffinity.net/user/TheRaccoonsDen INSTAGRAM: http://www.Instagram.com/TheRaccoonsDen TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theraccoonsden #TheRaccoonsDen #TRDs9 #furryfandom

Create the link to your future... ROADS AHEAD // Furry YouTube Series, "The Raccoon's Den" presents a cinematic 2-part special featuring the group faced with an obstacle that may split them apart as a team. STARRING: Bandit / Byrdz / BcB / Abbey / Static GUEST APPEARANCES: Sashimy / Flash PREMIERES Nov. 23rd, 2024! Editing: @BanditTheRaccoon Fursona Artwork: Com (dr11white via Telegram) Series Logo: Fifth Forager See more at: http://www.TheRaccoonsDen.com FACEBOOK: http://www.Facebook.com/TheRaccoonsDen TWITTER: http://www.Twitter.com/TheRaccoonsDen FURAFFINITY: http://www.FurAffinity.net/user/TheRaccoonsDen INSTAGRAM: http://www.Instagram.com/TheRaccoonsDen TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theraccoonsden #TheRaccoonsDen #TRDs9 #FurryFandom

Pokémon, easily one of the most popular franchises in all of gaming. Even the most casual gamers who have never touched Pokémon, know what Pikachu looks like. And with that popularity, comes a significant number of spin-offs and attempts to branch the franchise out. One of which is of course the Pokémon TCG. 

Released in 1996 not long after the games which it was based on, and just like those games, the Pokémon TCG quickly took off in popularity. So much so that they even made a Pokémon TCG game for the Game Boy. It was a golden era for GameFreak and their franchise. Even after Pokémon's popularity declined for a bit, the TCG scene remained active and to this day, it's considered one of the “Big 3” of TCGs alongside Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic: The Gathering. It’s received dedicated apps, at least two different digital versions and constantly updates alongside the video games. Then on October 30th, 2024 The Pokémon Company released Pokémon TCG Pocket, the newest app developed by DeNA(Who also worked on Pokémon Masters) and Creatures Inc which seeks to recapture that feeling of opening card packs and hoping for the rarest cards. So what is Pokémon TCG Pocket?

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

Bearly, Taebyn, Rayne, TickTock and Cheetaro gather for another fun filled episode. Taebyn explains his crushed pineapple. We do Star Trek Madlibs. Cheetaro gives us another wonderful review, TickTock talks about hugs, and Taebyn reads us a story with a special twist.  You won’t want to miss any exciting moments here on BFFT!  Moobarkfluff everyfur!

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 S5E12 - Macrame’ is Knot Tying

Today marks the 15th anniversary of The Raccoon's Den! To celebrate and give thanks for helping us reach this milestone, we've put together a quick video featuring a reunion of our cast! FEATURING: BcB, Jackie, Kai, Sashimy, Static, Abbey, Drake, Byrdz (Neo), Flash and Bandit! See more at: http://www.TheRaccoonsDen.com FURSONA ART: Weka FACEBOOK: http://www.Facebook.com/TheRaccoonsDen TWITTER/X: http://www.Twitter.com/TheRaccoonsDen FURAFFINITY: http://www.FurAffinity.net/user/TheRaccoonsDen INSTAGRAM: http://www.Instagram.com/TheRaccoonsDen TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theraccoonsden #TheRaccoonsDen #TRDs9 #FurryFandom

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 November 18-24, 2024:

• Once Alive (PC) - November 18
• Dimensionals (PC) - November 18 (Early Access)
• Towers of Aghasba (PC, PS5) - November 19 (Early Access)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (Xbox Series X|S, PC) - November 19
• Toads of the Bayou (PC) - November 19
• Genshin Impact (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) - November 20
• Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl (Xbox Series X|S, PC) - November 20
• Luma Island (PC) - November 20
• SUPERVIVE (PC) - November 20
• Star Wars Outlaws (PC) - November 21
• Loco Motive (Switch, PC) - November 21
• Servonauts (Switch, PC) - November 21
• The Devil Within: Satgat (PS5, PC) - November 21
• Total War: Empire (iOS, Android) - November 21
• Mercury Abbey (PC) - November 22
• Spirit Mancer (PS5, Switch, PC) - November 22

*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!

Okay, so… the description goes like this: “Watch out for the devious duck! A new bird has arrived in Simpleton and is here to ruffle some feathers with a plan to trick the townspeople out of their money. For what, you might ask? Buying freshly baked bread! (A duck’s favorite snack, of course.) Meanwhile, the chef wants to hire a baker, the inspector is looking to get strong, and the inventor is trying out some new (explosive) ideas for a kitchen invention contest. But what about our favorite chicken? Well, her egg is now an adorable baby chick, and Beaky Barnes is catching on to the duck’s tricks.” What have we been missing? Well, it’s the Beaky Barnes series of graphic novels by Caldecott winner David Ezra Stein. And this second one is available now in paperback.

image c. 2024 Penguin Random House