Feed aggregator
FWG Monthly Newsletter: June 2022
Hello, it’s me again!
I am delighted to be taking on my second term as president of the Furry Writers’ Guild. I have a few things in mind that I would like to implement during this term, including an improved member directory that would better allow authors to showcase their work, and for readers to better search for the genres and themes they want. The guild is also moving towards the final stages of becoming an official non-profit organisation, which will open up new opportunities for what the guild can provide as a service. Watch this space for some exciting updates to come over the next year!
If any guild member has some suggestions for what they would like to see from the guild, I am always happy to receive emails and messages on your thoughts.
There are a few ongoing submission calls for short stories, though we have not seen many themed anthology calls at this stage. If you see something that you think can be highlighted by the FWG, then please contact us with information about it!
Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
#ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
Zooscape – Temporarily closed for submissions. Reoccurring submission windows.
Please also consider checking out some of the new and upcoming releases from our members.
Winter Without End, by Casimir Laski. Available for pre-order. Released Early June 2022.
Red Pandamonium, by Roan Rosser. Available for pre-order. Released June 13th 2022.
Jiao Tu’s Endeavour, by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt. Available for pre-order. Released June 16th 2022.
Roar Volume 11, Edited by Ian Madison Keller. Released at Anthrocon 2022.
Opinicus: Gryphon Insurrection 7, by K. Vale Nagle. Available for pre-order. Released July 1st 2022.
Unfinished Business, by Tim Susman. Available for pre-order. Released July 5th 2022.
A Furry Faux Paw, by Jessica Kara. Available for pre-order. Released July 12th (Date changed from May 24th 2022.)
Nevi’im, by Madison Scott-Clary. Available for pre-order. Released July 21st.
Pirating Pups, edited by Rhonda Parrish. Featuring a short story from FWG member Alice Dryden. Available for pre-order. Released August 9th.
As always, any guild members who want to see their upcoming books included in the newsletter, please let us know! We try to keep up to date with everything, but there will always be some things we miss.
Furs Upon Malaysia to hold in-person event in Dec 2022
中文：Furs Upon Malaysia将在今年年尾举行第六次线下活动
Bears On The Wing
Seems like every time we turn around we’re reviewing something new by Katherine Applegate — author of Crenshaw, The One and Only Ivan, and the Animorphs series, among many others. This time it’s Willodeen, and it’s very hard to explain… We’ll let the publisher try: “Eleven-year-old Willodeen adores creatures of all kinds, but her favorites are the most unlovable beasts in the land: strange beasts known as “screechers.” The villagers of Perchance call them pests, even monsters, but Willodeen believes the animals serve a vital role in the complicated web of nature. Lately, though, nature has seemed angry indeed. Perchance has been cursed with fires and mudslides, droughts and fevers, and even the annual migration of hummingbears, a source of local pride and income, has dwindled. For as long as anyone can remember, the tiny animals have overwintered in shimmering bubble nests perched atop blue willow trees, drawing tourists from far and wide. This year, however, not a single hummingbear has returned to Perchance, and no one knows why. When a handmade birthday gift brings unexpected magic to Willodeen and her new friend, Connor, she’s determined to speak up for the animals she loves, and perhaps even uncover the answer to the mystery of the missing hummingbears.” Find the book in hardcover at MacMillan Publishers and it should all make more sense.
image c. 2022 MacMillan Publishers
Best Pokemon Furry Ideas
Xege Kheiru, Writer, Furry
30 May 2022
What Are Pokemon?
If you have no clue why you clicked on this article or the title makes literally no sense to you, chances are, you don’t know what Pokemon are. In which case, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do, so we’ll try our best to catch you up to speed.
Pokemon (short for pocket monsters) are fictional creatures originally from the hit 1996 video game by the same name. Each Pokemon belongs to a maximum of two types from a pool of 18 types with a wide variety ranging from fire to ice to ghost. When it comes to Pokemon fighting, some types are more effective against others, like a complicated game of rock paper scissors. Like a lot of turn-based RPGs, as a player, your job is to catch these Pokemon and train them through battling other Pokemon and leveling them up to be as strong as they can be. You train them through battling wild Pokemon, other trainers, beating gyms etc.
However, all of that is besides the point because the whole appeal of Pokemon in the furry community is that they are pretty much fictional animals. You know what else are fictional animals? That’s right, fursonas.
Lopunny Fan Art
Illustration by Tokiya Sakuba via DeviantArt
1) Lopunny
Lopunny is a normal type, generation 4, rabbit-like Pokemon that evolves from Buneary, or to quote the bulbapedia, “Lopunny is a bipedal, rabbit-like Pokemon with dark brown fur and a short round tail”. Lopunny’s most notable trait however is their long, fluffy, cream-coloured ears which they are “very proud of”. They are known to kick in retaliation when these ears are handled roughly. However, for the most part Lopunny is a timid Pokemon that will use said ears to cloak itself and slink off at the mere sense of danger but is capable of unleashing devastating kicks if left no other choice. They shed their fur twice a year, its coat corresponding to the season, in the summer having a much thinner coat and in the winter having a thicker more insulated coat. In many ways, Lopunny is just a normal rabbit if you think about it.
Gardevoir Fan Art.
Illustration via PNGItem
2) Gardevoir Gardevoir is one of those Pokemon that seem to resemble a person more than they do any animal. They’re a bipedal, 3rd generation psychic/fairy type creature that evolves from Kirlia whose body resembles that of a white dress or a “flowing gown”. They have short white spikes that protrude from the side of its face that are supposed to resemble a masquerade mask and red horns that protrude from its chest and back which is said to be a physical manifestation of of their heart, capable of expelling tremendous psychic power when it mega evolves. Gardevoir is able to see the future, create miniature black holes, distort dimensions and ignore the pull of gravity all with its psychic powers. They are one of the few Pokemon in all the generations of Pokemon that evolve into different Pokemon dependent on the sex of the kirlia it evolves from. If the Kirlia is female, they will evolve into a Gardevoir, however, if the Kirlia is male, they will evolve into a Gallade, a contrastingly psychic/fighting type Pokemon. Their arms are shaped like tonfas, a baton-like weapon traditionally used in Okinawan martial arts, and they have a much thicker stature than Gardevoir.
Salazzle Fan Art.
Illustration by VectorinoMan via Twitter
3) Salazzle Salazzle is a 7th generation poison/fire type Pokemon that evolves from, like Gardevoir, explicitly from a female Salandit. Male Salandits on the other hand are not known to evolve into anything due to their malnutrition diets. Salazzles are dark gray, lizard or salamander inspired Pokemon with U-shaped markings on their chest and hip which resemble “wisps of smoke”. Salazzles produce a poisonous gas that if treated correctly through dilution can be used as a perfume by humans. They are typically cave-dwelling Pokemon, often found in reverse harems with other male Salandits attracted by the pheromones in the same poisonous gas. Their tails are slender and whip-like as a means of close combat if their poisonous gas fails them. Their anatomy bares similarities to that of the New Mexico Whiptail likely because of salamander-like appearance and… well… whiptail.
Braixen Fan Art
Illustration by Porkchop_King via Reddit
4) Braixen
Braixen is actually one of the only starter Pokemon entries on this list, meaning that they are pokemon that cannot be found in the wild in their given generation but instead must be given to the trainer at the beginning of their journey. Braixen is a 6th generation fire type Pokemon that is actually only the second evolution in its three-part evolution tree. They evolve from Fennekin and evolve into Delphox. As you might have been able to guess from the names, Braixen is a fox-like Pokemon, and yet another bipedal one at that. However, they also bare similarities to Kitsune, a mythological Japanese fox which allegedly has the ability to transform into a person which could explain Braixen’s bipedal stance. Braixens have predominantly coarse, pale-yellow fur that sweeps at the bottom of their torso to resemble a dress. They use the abrasiveness of their fur to create friction and ignite a stick that they always keep in their tail when they pluck it out. While the stick is still lodged in its tail, it seems to resemble a broom with the stick acting as a handle and their tail looking like a brush. This is probably because, upon evolving into Delphox, their dress becomes more witch-like and they use their stick almost like a wand.
Lucario Fan Art
Illustration by Sam Kelly via Pinterest
5) Lucario
Lucario is a 4th generation fighting/steel type Pokemon that evolved from Riolu. Like a lot of the Pokemon on this list, Lucario is bi-pedal. They are a canine-like Pokemon with predominantly black and blue fur with a cream coloured torso. They have spikes on the back of either paw which are presumably used for combat which is also why they are never flat-footed, instead remaining on the balls of their feet to constantly be ready for battle. Here’s the cool thing about Lucario though. They can study auras using the four black appendages that hang from their head to predict the movements of their opponents. But it gets better. With enough training, Lucario can read auras so well that they can detect how living beings feel within half a mile of themselves and are even known to understand and communicate with them. Because of this, Lucario bears a lot of mental baggage and is often easily stressed, but they can also manipulate and channel this same power into explosive balls of energy known as Aura Spheres.
Zoroark Fan Art
Illustration via WallpaperFlare
6) Zoroark Zoroark is an unsurprisingly bi-pedal, 5th generation, dark type Pokemon that evolves from Zorua. They are a dark gray, fox-like creature with crimson and black accents along its feet and hands. They have large similarly crimson and black manes which are tied into a ponytail with a teal bangle. Zoroarks are mostly known to be social Pokemon who live in groups and are extremely protective of their loved-ones, willing to go to any extent to defend them, including risking its own life. They even hide their young in their manes when moving to make sure that they are safe at all times. Some of their means of defense include being able to warp reality and create illusions that are completely indistinguishable from reality, even being able to conjure up imaginary landscapes where it dwells in the forests to hide its territory and make themselves appear to be another being. They can create illusions of attack so realistic that their opponent will sometimes convince themselves that they were hurt by it. These illusions, however, have no impact on the physical world meaning Zoroark cannot actually transform into other creatures no can it create a fantasy world to live in.
Tsareena Fan Art
Illustration zerochan via zerochan.net
7) Tsareena Tsareena is a 7th generation grass-type Pokemon that evolves from Steenee and is the final evolution of Bounsweet. They are plant-like pokemon with a humanoid appearance. They have white hips with purple torsos, arms, legs, eyelids and eyelashes, yet no visible mouth or nose. They have three pointed projections just before its hips which resemble a pair of long boots with the lower portions of its legs being more sharp and pointed. They have leaves of calyx on their head which resemble side-swept bangs and long flowing hair. Tsareena has a 100% female gender ratio, meaning that there is no such thing as a male Bounsweet, Steenee or Tsareena. Despite being a grass-type Pokemon, Tsareena is mostly known to fight using finely honed kicks, often cackling at opponents as they land a blow. They punish anyone with evil in mind with these kicks, this punishment even extending to their trainers for things as petty as ordering them to use an ineffective move or a move Tsareena dislikes. They also emit a sweet fragrance which they use as a distraction in battle as they continue to beat their opponent with kicks.
Cinderace From The Anime
Illustration via Bulbapedia
8) Cinderace Cinderace is the second and final entry in this list that is or evolves from a starter Pokemon. Evolving from Raboot and being the final evolution of Scorbunny, Cinderace is an 8th generation fire type Pokemon. They are yet another bi-pedal, rabbit-like Pokemon but with a bit more of a fire-inspired colour palette. They are mostly white from their head to torso and arms but with red and orange accents, I’m assuming like… you know… white hot. Anyways, they have navy patches of fur over each shoulder which are supposed to represent a shoulder brace as well as navy fur on their lower waist resembling that of a belt. Cinderace’s main means of defense is juggling a pebble with its feet long enough that it becomes a burning football (soccer ball). They can then kick this flaming ball of death at its opponents with some spin on it to create an almost unavoidable attack. This amazing kicking ability also give them great dexterity with their feet, as well as outstanding height on their jump. They are also known to be quite overzealous Pokemon, often showboating and taking huge risks in battle if they are cheered on enough to do so.
Eeveelution Fan Art
Illustration by StardustStitcheryCo via Etsy
9) Eeveelutions Okay, so this one is kind of cheating but it’s just too hard to choose. If you’re unfamiliar with Pokemon, there is a Pokemon known as Eevee which doesn’t have one linear evolution tree. Instead, it can evolve into a total of 8 different Pokemon, now commonly known as eeveelutions, given the right circumstance. These eeveelutions vary in type, colour, size, ability etc. but one thing they all have in common is that they all evolve from Eevee and also they’re all quadrupedal. The reason it was so hard to pick one is because they’re all pretty cool, so we’ll do a brief run through all of them. Flareon Flareon, if you couldn’t guess, is the fire type evolution of Eevee. It’s the last evolution in the first generation trio of eeveelutions including (Jolteon and Vaporeon). Eevee only evolves into Flareon upon exposure to what is known as a Fire Stone. Because of this, their average body temperature is 800°C! Jolteon Jolteon is the electric type evolutions of eevee that occurs when the eevee is exposed to a thunder stone. It has spiky yellow fur and a spiky white ruff around its neck. This fur is made of electrically charged needles which creates a sparking noise as they walk as well as an electricity-generating organ in its lungs which can be heard when Jolteon breathes. With this fur, lungs and the natural electricity in its body, Jolteon can use the needles to amplify the electrical current in itself to fire off around 10,000 volts of electricity. Vaporeon Vaporeon is the first of the original three eeveelutions and is also the water-type evolution of Eeevee. Eevee evolves into Vaporeon upon, you guessed it, being exposed to a water stone. Despite looking quite mammalian, Vaporeon also bears a lot of similarities to aquatic creatures. They have a spiky ridge down their back, fins and a dorsal fin on the top of its head, as well as a split tail fin, all of which make them faster swimmers. Also, they have a cell composition so similar to water that they are able to melt away into water. Espeon Espeon is a 2nd generation, psychic type evolution of Eevee. Eevee can only evolve into Espeon if they are leveled up during the day while having a strong friendship with their trainer. They are covered in velvet fur which is so sensitive that it can feel the air molecules move around it. Because of this, they can predict weather as well as their enemies’ movements. Umbreon Umbreon is the second and last 2nd generation evolution of Eevee and is a dark type Pokemon. Like Espeon, they can only Eevee can only evolve into Umbreon if they have a strong friendship with their trainer but, they must be leveled up during the night. The exposure to moonlight alters Eevee genetic structure and as a result they inherit sleek black fur to blend into the night as well as becoming nocturnal animals. When Umbreon feels threatened they will spray poisonous sweat into the eyes of their attacker. They also have yellow rings around their body which glow when Umbreon is excited! Leafeon Leafeon is the 4th generation, grass type evolution of Eevee. This occurs when Eevee has been exposed to a leaf stone. This causes them to inherit plant-like features and traits. For example, its cellular similarity to a plant allows them to photosynthesise and purify the air around them when resting in the sun. This also means they don’t have to eat as they get their energy from the sun. Funnily enough, Leafeons are actually pacifists only sharpening its leafy tail if absolutely necessary. Glaceon Glaceon is the second and last 4th generation result of Eevee being exposed to an ice stone. They are covered in a light blue fur which they can freeze is thousands of sharp shards of ice which it can fire in combat. Because of their sub-zero body temperature, they can also freeze the moisture in the air that surrounds them. Sylveon Sylveon is the only 6th generation evolution of Eevee and they are also the last eeveelution to date. They are a fairy type Pokemon that evolves into such from leveling up while knowing a fairy type move and having a strong friendship with their trainer. They have ribbon-like feelers which hang from their head that can emit an aura that calms any aggression from the creatures that surround it allowing them to put a stop to any battle.
Mewtwo Wallpaper
Illustration via WallpaperAcess
10) Mewtwo Finally, Mewtwo is a 1st generation, psychic type, legendary Pokemon meaning their sex is unknown, they cannot reproduce and there is only one of them known to exist. Unlike most Pokemon, Mewtwo was made in a lab after years of horrendous experiments in attempts to replicate a Mew and is not known to evolve into any other Pokemon. They are completely light-gray with a purple belly that extends to their tail. They have three digits on each hand with large spherical tips as well as two spherical-ended digits on their feet. They are completely void of any empathy, compassion or morality and strike fear into the hearts of other Pokemon with their glowing eyes. It is said that the only thought they are capable of is the defeat of their opponent whoever it may be. They are capable of levitation, telepathy and even mind control. While they might not sound like the most loveable, furry-like pokemon, they sure are pretty badass.The post Best Pokemon Furry Ideas appeared first on Fursonafy.
Here Comes the Neighborhood
The mind that gave us Wicked turns toward anthropomorphic animals as Gregory Maguire brings us Cress Watercress, a new hardcover novel for young readers. “When Papa doesn’t return from a nocturnal honey-gathering expedition, Cress holds out hope, but her mother assumes the worst. It’s a dangerous world for rabbits, after all. Mama moves what’s left of the Watercress family to the basement unit of the Broken Arms, a run-down apartment oak with a suspect owl landlord, a nosy mouse super, a rowdy family of squirrels, and a pair of songbirds who broadcast everyone’s business. Can a dead tree full of annoying neighbors, and no Papa, ever be home?” Illustrated by David Litchfield, Cress is available now from Penguin Random House.
image c. 2022 Penguin Random House
Bearly Furcasting S3E5 - Live Stream with Guest co-host Rayne Raccoon, Media, Jokes.
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Moobarkfluff! Taebyn is off on assignment this week, so Rayne Raccoon sits in to fill Taebyn's slippers! We chat about things in general, have some interesting discussions, and this episode was live streamed for furs as well. Moobarkfluff!
https://www.bonfire.com/store/bearly-furcasting/
Brode Electrolyte Vitamins; Get 25% off your entire purchase:
Proud sponsor of the Good Furry Awards
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
High-Flying Adventure
The Sheep, The Rooster, and The Duck is the oh-so-innocent sounding title of a very unusual novel for young readers written and illustrated by Matt Phelan. “The very first passengers to ride in a hot-air balloon were a sheep, a rooster, and a duck in 1783. And while hot-air balloons are indeed wondrous, ten-year-old Emile is too busy being the fastidious caretaker of ambassador Benjamin Franklin’s château in Paris to think much about them. But soon, young Emile finds himself right in the middle of a sinister plot. And right in the middle of the secret headquarters for France’s undercover guardians — the very same sheep, rooster, and duck that piloted the first hot-air balloon. If Emile can muster his courage and be bold, he may be the key to helping the heroes save both Benjamin Franklin and the world.” Find out more in hardcover from Harper Collins.
image c. 2022 Harper Collins
Skulldogs and Paws
Papabear,
How does one make arms/hands for a skull furry? I have been struggling for some time now to finish making my characters head and tail, but now I’m stuck on how to cover the arms and hands without making puffy paws since the character is… well, a dead thing. I’m very new to the furry scene and this is my first ever character. I want it to look kind of mystical and creepy, not as cartoonish as I’ve seen with others. Do you have any tips that could help me?
Anonymous
* * *
Dear Furiend,
Usually, when I see skulldogs, they either have no paws on or they have floofy paws. But sometimes one sees variants like the attached image. You can make paws however you like. Another alternative is to buy some skeleton gloves, which you can do at places like Amazon.
A skulldog fursuit by wingedwolf94, showing you don't have to have poofy paws. 
Skeleton gloves like these can be bought for a few bucks online. As with most things furry, there really aren't any rules. For skulldogs and related critters, you can go as ghastly or foofy as you want. A lot of people just have a skull head and the rest of the fursuit is pretty normal, or you can go with part furry, part skull, and maybe wear some wizard or Goth clothing to add to the image.Since it sounds like you are making the fursuit yourself, you can buy or make some form-fitting gloves and paint on or sew on carpals and metacarpals to your heart's content.
Basically, what you need to do is break out of the mindset that furries need to be, well, furry. They don't. Dump your preconceptions and let your imagination run wild.
And, as always, have FUN with it!
Hugs,
Papabear
Fox And Wolf Movie Time - That Rescue Rangers Movie
Spoiler warning, we guess. It's been a few days and we're not in depth, but we recorded this the night I was released, and it was a lot.
Fox And Wolf Movie Time - That Rescue Rangers Movie《以茶會毛 SP毛之匹克》 運動主題點燃疫情下獸迷熱情
文／獸時報聯合記者團
由臺灣毛毛文化交流協會所舉辦的《以茶會毛2022 SP-毛之匹克》，於4/30與5/1在駁二藝術特區—P2倉庫舉辦，為臺灣今年度首場大型獸迷活動。本次報名人數為595位，雖然受到疫情影響，部分參加者未前往活動現場，但兩天活動中仍有數百位參加者，當中不乏許多獸裝扮演者，在化身為可愛毛毛的同時，也熱情的與一旁的民眾互動。
▲捷運毛毛大進擊活動，獸裝扮演者與民眾互動拍照（圖／官方攝影—迪麗雅、Tang Duby）
▲毛毛妞龍活潑與民眾揮手打招呼（圖／獸時報記者）
本次活動毛毛交流協會官方與高雄捷運合作，安排毛毛大進擊活動，在美麗島捷運站光之穹頂下，由毛毛納茲、朱煽、丹波，與輕軌少女隊成員一同進行表演活動，帶動現場氣氛。
▲圖為以茶會毛官方與輕軌少女隊的合作表演（圖／官方攝影—Tang Duby）
▲舞台下眾多參加者欣賞台上表演（圖／官方攝影—Tang Duby）
活動也配合主題「毛之匹克」，舉辦了五場只允許獸裝扮演者參加的運動競賽，項目分別為跆拳道、羽球、跳高、舉重、射箭。比賽內容有多項與當時官方宣布規則不同，主辦方冰羽貓表示，活動事前曾請多位毛毛實際演練競賽內容後發覺多處不妥，因此臨時更改規則，造成諸多不便，主辦方也對此發表聲明將會在未來改善活動內容。
▲本次有五項賽事，為活動增加諸多趣味（圖／獸時報記者團）
靜態活動方面，除了依循前例舉辦毛毛咖啡廳外，本次活動也辦理兩場講座，一場由台灣導盲犬協會舉辦宣導講座，介紹關於導盲犬的大小事，另一場則由主辦方請來台灣首位引進獸裝文化的領頭人狐狸，分享其獸裝的故事與經驗。
▲狐狸的演講（圖／藍風）
▲導盲犬協會的演講（圖／藍風）
活動尾聲則在活動飯店頂樓舉辦以酒會毛活動，將原先為工作人員舉辦的慶功宴開放成讓參加者可自由報名參加的活動，以美酒佳宴搭配海港美景作為本次茶會的完美句點。
▲以酒會毛活動，有諸多參加者與毛毛出席同樂（上圖／不滅，下圖／官方攝影—迪麗雅）
而本次活動標題與2020年所預告的《偵探之宴》不同。對此，主辦人冰羽貓在他的Facebook個人頁面發文表示，是受到日本在疫情期間舉辦東京奧運點燃低迷氣氛，因此才有了這個主題。毛毛大進擊活動，也是首次以茶會毛團隊與高雄捷運的首次正式合作，雖受到路程與環境影響，讓不少獸裝扮演者表示不適，但官方人員也在現場努力去照顧到每一位參加者，也將會再完善活動，讓參加者能有更好的體驗。
▲本次活動天氣炎熱，也不減參加者的熱情（圖／官方攝影—迪麗雅）
官方表示，本次茶會的公益抽獎活動共募款到新台幣38,400元整，並已全數捐贈給台灣導盲犬協會。今年除了七月份將於苗栗舉辦的FurMIT，帶給參加者不同以往的活動體驗外，明年已茶會毛活動也將正式慶祝五周年活動-偵探之宴，帶給參加者更多的驚喜。
▲本次活動的大合照（圖／官方攝影）
Musty and Mustier
We stumbled across another illustrated book for young readers, from a couple of years ago. It’s simply titled Skunk and Badger. Easy to remember! “Wallace and Gromit meets Winnie-the-Pooh in a fresh take on a classic odd-couple friendship, from Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake with full-color and black-and-white illustrations throughout by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen. No one wants a skunk. They are unwelcome on front stoops. They should not linger in Important Rock Rooms. Skunks should never, ever be allowed to move in. But Skunk is Badger’s new roommate, and there is nothing Badger can do about it. When Skunk plows into Badger’s life, everything Badger knows is upended. Tails are flipped. The wrong animal is sprayed. And why-oh-why are there so many chickens?” Find out when you look for it in hardcover from Algonquin.
image c. 2022 Algonquin Books
“Furries in Schools” Hoax Map documents a moral panic to attack LGBT people by proxy.
False reports about students “identifying as animals” and demanding unusual accommodations are like a resurrection of the 1980’s Satanic Panic. The public is being targeted with a wave of misinformation and greedy grabbing for views, at the expense of furry fans, public education, and LGBTQ people in general.
- The Daily Beast – Furry Panic Is the Latest Dumb GOP Attack on Public Schools and another story from Salon (they source this site.)
- Dogpatch Press – Origins of an urban legend: “litter boxes for furries” joke gets revived for moral panic
What better way to face bullying than to document it, and connect debunkers outside the community to watchdogs inside? Responsible journalists, take note!
Here’s a new resource from Troj, a furry fan, psychologist and researcher from Colorado: “I started making a map of school boards and regions that have courted the “litter box” myth and related urban legends about furries.” (They’re mainly American myths, but even reach Australia.)
Each point on the map has a note with details (check them for links to sources), and date of media coverage or earliest mention of a given urban legend. Similar myths are roughly grouped by color. They keep coming: at date of writing, one in North Carolina is too fresh to appear yet.
Troj sometimes collaborates with the Furscience data study group, but this isn’t anyone else’s endeavour, it’s personal curiosity. Troj explains:
“After coming across a flurry of social media posts and news articles about the urban myth, I was interested to see where it was popping up, when it first emerged, and how it appeared to be traveling, and thought of using the map to try to get a sense of any path or pattern. There is definitely a transphobic thread here that is VERY, VERY INTENTIONAL.
Look at all the huffing and puffing about children “identifying as” animals, and look at the way people are talking about the schools accommodating them. Also, that people (erroneously and foolishly) believe that the schools would conceal/lie about extending accommodations to a group of students — this seems ridiculous on its face — but makes sense when you realize these same people are outraged by even the possibility that a teacher or other adult might conceal a child’s “coming out” from the parents, usually for the child’s privacy and safety from backlash.
This is being peddled very intentionally and knowingly by conservatives who either know it’s bullshit, or really don’t care, as it allows them to sow hysteria and hatred against LGBTQ people (including kids) and their families.”
Troj’s map coincides with high-charting sales and marketing for a book by far-right propagandist Matt Walsh. It echoes these myths and shows that loud liars aren’t just peddling political hate, they’re milking their gullible base for cash to raise careers. It’s as forced and strategic as any other campaign to demonize whole groups for gain.
Why shouldn’t people make fun of furries though? How is a fandom like an identity? Because it’s not for fun, it’s using an “acceptable” proxy to shield the agenda. Attackers are setting up dominos with the same old revanchist hate against minority groups and civil rights down the line.
Troj is just a dinosaur with a pet project, but has a serious message about community good on the scales:
“On top of conflating and confusing furries, therians, and otherkin — in addition to employing this obvious urban myth as a wedge to attack trans kids and adults (and the rest of the queer community) — I fear the potential fallout on geeky, awkward, and neurodivergent kids who may be targeted by both peers and adults in the wake of these legends. If the kid who wears cat ears and Naruto-runs through the halls is perceived as not just a garden-variety oddball, but even more, an agent of the “culture war”; imagine how that child might be treated not just by their peers who’ve heard the rumors, but by the hysterical adults who’ve believed them! That’s what worries me. I’ve seen people make some quite unhinged, very worrisome comments on forums about what needs to be done “to” or “about” these “furry children.”
If you actually talk to the targets, it’s hard to demonize them as threatening monsters but simultaneously helpless victims who need authority to clamp down. They look like creative thinkers on successful college paths. Right wingers, leave those kids alone.
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.)
Bearly Furcasting S3E4 - Completely off the rails! Parasitic Worms, Buggfuggle
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Moobarkfluff! Taebyn gives us another verse of Taco Grande. Which came first; Reggae or Ska? Taebyn fills us in. Why are parasitic worms all named after men? Cheetaro joins us with a movie review of Robin Hood the 1970's movie from Disney. We tell some really bad jokes and all in all have a crazy time. Join us for a wonderful trip. Moobarkfluff!
https://www.bonfire.com/store/bearly-furcasting/
Brode Electrolyte Vitamins; Get 25% off your entire purchase: https://brode.co
Proud sponsor of the Good Furry Awards
Songs in "History of Ska" segment:
"1st wave ska" section: "Freedom Sounds" by The Skatalites
"2nd wave ska" section: "Mirror in the Bathroom" by The (English) Beat
"3rd wave ska" section: "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
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
Down On Jollity Farm
Hadn’t heard about this, ’till Animation World Network let us know: “Apple TV+ has released a trailer for the new live-action / CG animated hybrid kids and family series Lovely Little Farm from Darrall Macqueen, the London-based BAFTA Award-winning producer of hit series Topsy & Tim and Teletubbies. The show premieres globally on June 10. The series follows sisters Jill and Jacky as they love and nurture all the animals on their farm nestled in lavender fields. Being a young farmer isn’t easy, but every day brings these sisters adventure and a chance to grow. ILM provides the show’s CG animation that brings the series to life.” There is actually quite a bit of CGI and puppetry involved in this show, as it seems that the young ladies have the ability to speak to the non-human animals on the farm. Take a look at the trailer to see what we mean.
image c. 2022 Apple TV+
Little Mouse, Big Heart
Disney is always doing so much; it probably makes sense that some of it would slip by us. Include in that category Delphine and the Silver Needle, a fantasy novel for young readers written by Alyssa Moon. It came out last year in hardcover. “When Delphine, a young orphaned dressmaker mouse living in the walls of Cinderella’s château, stumbles upon an enormous secret, it upends everything she thought she knew: The magical tailor mice of legend really existed. Racing to stay ahead of King Midnight, the fearsome leader of the rats who is bent on harnessing age-old magic, Delphine embarks on an epic quest to uncover the truth about the past. Joined by Alexander, the most pompous noblemouse in the royal court, she travels a perilous route, encountering strange enemies and unlikely allies along the way.” Silver Needle is available now, and the sequel book Delphine and the Dark Thread comes our way this August.
image c. 2022 Disney Press
ARC Book Giveaway
One of our members, Donald Jacob Uitvlugt, has a new book coming out next month. He has very generously offered digital ARCs of his book to anyone who wishes to read and review this novel before the release date on June 16th.
Check out the blurb to see if you would be interested in requesting an ARC:
On a multigenerational colony ship five hundred years off course, a lagomorph warrior must survive using only his wits and his sword.
Jiao Tu has been hired to rescue a young kidnapped mousling. A tip leads him to the Below, home to the engines that keep the world in motion. His mission has hardly begun when an encounter with a monstrous being plunges him into the midst of a struggle not only for control of the Below but for the world itself.
Teamed with an untested ratling warrior and the ratling leader of a gang of thugs, Jiao Tu must stop the monster and save the mousling—and the world—before it is too late.
Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as Leigh Brackett’s planetary romances, Gene Wolfe’s Book of the Long Sun, Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane stories, Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D, Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo, and the wuxia tradition starting with Water Margins and Journey to the West, Uitvlugt has created a world all his own that promises a far-future adventure unlike any other.
The author wishes to advise that, in addition to fantasy swordplay, there are scenes that may be considered body horror.
Anyone who wishes an ARC may do so by contacting the Furry Writers Guild by Twitter or Email, or by contacting J.F.R. Coates via Twitter or Telegram.
Anyone who wishes to order Jiao Tu’s Endeavour may do so by clicking this link.
Given this is an ARC Giveaway, it is expected that you only request a copy of this book if you have a realistic chance to provide a review at the book’s release date, or shortly afterwards.
Happy reading!