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The Story Behind Osaka Furry Fun Festa Feat. KC, Geppei, and Jun [FABP E23]. ---- Welcome to another episode of the Fox and Burger Podcast! In this episode, we sit down with KC, Geppei, and Jun to talk about Osaka Furry Fun Festa (OFFF) and its history. KC and Geppei are two furries who own a fursuit making studio called Kigurumi Katgetsu. KC is a dog while Geppei is a wolf. Additionally, Geppei is the con chair for OFFF while KC is one of the several managers who help run the con. Jun, a straw hat wolf, works for OFFF as a volunteer and has some experience with fursuit making. We know that a lot of people talk about JMoF, but we also wanted to show the world that there are other cons and events in Japan too. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this trip to Osaka! ---- Timestamps: 00:00 Section 1: Introduction 00:00 Podcast intro 01:15 Guest introduction 00:00 Section 2: OFFF 07:48 The origin of OFFF 11:07 What can you do at OFFF? 12:15 Comparing OFFF and Western cons 14:52 Comparing OFFF and JMoF 16:29 Favorite moment at OFFF 20:28 Future of OFFF 21:15 Section 3: Japanese furry fandom 21:15 What are Japanese furs like? 34:43 What are doujinshis? 37:41 What is kemono style? 38:50 How much has the Japanese furry fandom been influenced by the West? 43:30 What are some places to visit in Osaka? 48:13 Social media shout out and outro ---- Social Media: Official FABP Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxandburger Michael: https://twitter.com/foxnakh https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK9xoFQrxFTNPMjmXfUg2cg Burger: https://twitter.com/L1ghtningRunner http://www.youtube.com/c/LightningRunner Jun: https://twitter.com/jun_wanderer KC: https://twitter.com/menesisu Geppei: https://twitter.com/geppei5959 https://twitter.com/kigurumikagetsu Osaka Furry Fun Festa: https://twitter.com/OFFF_Info ---- Footage Credit: https://twitter.com/jun_wanderer/status/20617905779 https://www.today.com/popculture/powerpuff-girls-save-townsville-again-after-decade-away-1D79811011 https://screenrant.com/avatar-last-airbender-popular-today-reasons-explained/ https://www.dailytravelphotos.com/archive/2011/09/06/ https://www.visionsoftravel.org/todaiji-temple-nara-park-japan/ https://www.visionsoftravel.org/deer-ancient-nara-park-japan/ https://en.blog.kkday.com/940/asia-japan-kyoto-pokemon-center https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usVn85l4sQM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuATr6tnk6g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU5YCcGXx2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSsFhtBsXcg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fHYbZsSfR4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyJJg56d4cc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piI3o4X1iLc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9c5Qgs8cX8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnLq85_y9LU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fy1lcDhlPA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afBI2icz7v0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sidNKV4JXAA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJYes-uRvkM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqBvYs8eO6c Other pictures and video provided by Jun, KC, Geppei, Pixabay, and hosts' personal footage. Intro/Outro Music: Aioli by Andrew Langdon. ---- The Fox and Burger Podcast is one segment of our production house, Fox and Burger Productions. The podcast’s goal is twofold: 1, to know more about the Asian furry fandom; and 2, compare and contrast the Asian and Western furry fandoms. If you have a guest that you would like to see on the show, please PM us! We will also take questions for our guests, so don’t miss this opportunity to know some amazing furs.

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Moobarkfluff!  Taebyn is back and oh what a volcano of stuff does he have for us!  He just can't help himself!  We take a visit to Lux's Transfurmation Laboratory, talk about the golden age of television, plus oh so much more nonsense. So join us for a rip roaring good time here on BFFT!  Moobarkfluff! 

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Bearly Furcasting S3E13 - Taebyn is back! Transfurmation Station, Jokes and Mayhem

And then there’s Orange Blossom Monkey Clan, a new full-color comic written and illustrated by Erik Klaus (Ninjas & Robots). “These Samurai Monkeys were trained to guard the southern islands of Mount Kumo, but after generations of peace, many have abandoned the Way of the Warrior. Now that danger looms on the horizon, a small crew of counter-culture monkeys are ready to prove that they have kept their battle skills sharp!” Available now from Keenspot.

image c. 2022 Keenspot

Dinomighty! is a new graphic novel series for young readers, from Clarion Books. “On their own, they are four mild-mannered dinos, but together they are . . . Dinomighty! Everything is pleasant and good in Dinotown . . . until Teri-Dactyl discovers a cryptic email that says the precious Golden Egglettes are in danger! Dinomighties unite! But can they spring into action fast enough to save these valuable jewels from evil baddies?” Written by Doug Paleo (!) and illustrated by Aaron Blecha (Shark School), volumes are available now.

image c. 2022 Clarion Books

​Hello,

I've been talking to this guy, and he's really sweet. I'll call him Jay. We've been chatting online every day, and we plan to meet each other at MFF later this year. He seems like he genuinely cares about me, and I care about him.

I'm a freelance furry artist, and I have a day job working retail. My life isn't glamorous, but I make enough to support myself and do some fun things here and there. He's a civil engineer and can afford to travel across the country to furry cons multiple times a year. This wealth discrepancy between us has unearthed some old feelings within myself I thought I was starting to overcome.

I've struggled with depression and anxiety for most of my life, and for a while I felt like a worthless loser, regardless of how good I'm actually doing in life. Authority figures in my life told me I would never make it as an artist. Consciously, I know they're wrong, but I still can't help but remind myself of their words from time to time. It's not that I envy Jay, either. I know I would be miserable working in a field like that. I guess my problem is that I feel out of his league in that regard. I don't feel good enough for him, even though he's never talked down to me. I worry that if we did get into a serious relationship, I wouldn't be able to pull my weight financially, and I would feel like I'm just taking advantage of him. I value my independence, and I don't want to feel like a parasite.

It's no secret people in STEM tend to look down on people who work in creative fields. Not all of them do, obviously, but if you spend time in those circles, you'll come across it from time to time. Jay has never said anything like that to me, but I live in fear he might secretly feel that way.

Again, I consciously know I'm overthinking a good situation. But these old feelings of inadequacy are coming back to haunt me.

Is it better to just not? Should I nip this relationship in the bud, or should I just go ahead anyway despite my insecurities?

Thank you for your time.
-Stee

* * *

Dear Stee,

Thank you for your poignant letter that, I am certain, speaks to many of my readers. 

I will start by saying what you likely already know: A person should not be judged by the contents of their wallet or purse but by the content of their heart.

We live in a world--especially in America--that values money and beauty over heart and character. That is sad. And, I know, it is easy for me to speak in cliches, but I want you to know I do empathize with how you are feeling. I have been on both sides of this coin: Sometimes, I have been the one earning more than my partner, and other times I have earned less. For the most part, I have been the one doing the supporting, and I have taken great pride in that. The times when I earned less, well, you can give in to this sense that it is emasculating. 

Right now in my life, I am earning less than my husband, Michael. This is largely because I am going through a transitional phase in which I am getting away from my freelance editorial work and starting my own business, which, currently, is not taking in any money. So, I have had to lean on Michael to handle a lot of the bills. A big reason this bothers me, I'll admit, is the stigma I often see in the gay community about a young(er) male who seeks out a sugar daddy to support them. Such people are often considered users who only glom onto their daddy bear in order to get their money. This is rather like the gold digger stigma some young women endure. 

Of course, Michael totally understands why my income is currently low and is completely supportive of my starting a new business venture. That's because he's a great guy. That's why I married the big lug.

Here's my question to you: Do you consider yourself a good judge of character? In other words, do you think Jay is a good guy who likes you for you and not for how much money you earn or that you don't work a STEM job? If so, then give the man the benefit of a doubt that he is not going to be an elitist snot and dump you because you're an artist who works in retail. Those feelings of inadequacy are not coming from Jay; they're coming from society and your own insecurities.

Don't screw up what could be the love of your life because you don't think you're good enough. That is self-defeating. 

Glomp onto Jay and allow yourself to love him. And, importantly, talk to him about your life and relationship, but don't say things like, "I think you might dump me because I don't earn much" (that would be insulting to him). Say things like, "I think we complement each other well--you're the engineer and I'm the artist--and I think we're good together and I care about you. How are you feeling about our us?" In other words, acknowledge your differences, but never ever do so in a way that might make him feel you are insecure or jealous of him. If Jay is a man of character, what he will want is a partner to share his life with, not someone who has a hefty bank account balance.

Make sense?

I hope things go well when you finally meet in person.

Papabear

TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 00. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf The first (and hopefully only) test show for Season 14 before the season can begin properly next week. 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.

For a while we had been hearing about the film The Sea Beast, but we didn’t know much about it other than it has a little girl and a big monster. Turns out that this animated feature is the latest work of writer and director Chris Williams, who previously gave us Moana and Big Hero 6 for Disney. Now with the help of Sony Imageworks he has brought this new film to Netflix, and the results are quite an eyeful! In a world much like our own but different, sailing ships and sailing crews travel the seas to hunt and destroy giant ship-crunching monsters… that is, until one day when an eager young girl stows away on the greatest monster-hunter ship, and things begin to rapidly change. The film is quite notable for the ethnic and sexual diversity of its animated cast. But of course, what furry fans are here to see are the kaiju-like sea monsters, and they do not disappoint. In fact, the young girl (and soon others) quickly learn that the giant monsters humans have been fighting may be far more than they appear to be… Check this one out. It’s currently streaming.

image c. 2022 Netflix

In a recent letter to the “Ask Papabear” column, a reader named Jack asked for my input on his attraction to monsters. Being a furry myself and having a column intended for furries and the furry curious, I naturally thought he was talking about furry critters, so my response was geared toward that interest.

Not long after posting, however, a reader named Tristan contacted me and set me straight. Jack wasn’t a furry; he was a “Monster Lover.” Now, I didn’t know this before, but there is a difference between the two. A Monster Lover can be furry, but not all of them are. Thus, I was introduced to a new community of which I was heretofore unaware.

Tristan reacted to the fact that I used a psychological term—teratophile—to describe what Jack was experiencing. The thing about this term is that it refers to people who can either be attracted to a monster (e.g., a dragon or werewolf) or to humans with severe physical deformities (you’ll see more on this below).

I contacted Tristan and asked hime to educate me about Monster Lovers. Here is my (edited and cleaned up) interview with him.

Papabear:  Hi, Tristan! Here’s my first question: in your comments you seem to indicate there is a community of monster lovers? Like, are there chat groups or something of people who share this interest?

Tristan:  There is! I'm in a few groups here, and there are a good number more of them that aren't as much my interest. But the community is diverse. Like in the furry world, I'm not hugely socially active, so I’m not in the Discords that I know of. But I’ll add to forum discussion now and then. These groups are very age-aware and restricted because sometimes its not SFW content.

Papabear: Fascinating. So, this is like a fandom separate from furries?
 
Tristan: Very much so. That's actually a group rule in most places. No Furry Content. Furries being anthro creatures. Some straddle the line, like werecreatures. But overall, they aren’t seen as furry because of presentation.
 
Papabear: Do the people in these groups call themselves something? Like anthro lovers call themselves furries, so do monster lovers have a name?
 
Tristan: Not that I know of as a general thing. Overall, we joke about just being degenerates because people view monster lovers as weirdos. The communities share a lot of overlaps in things like that. I just say I love monsters. Some say "monster fucker" for the shock value. But that's more Harkness Test, too. [Note to readers: the Harkness Test refers to Dr. Jack Harkness, a fictional character from Doctor Who, who set up standards for having sexual relations with alien monsters; basically, they had to have human or above intelligence and the sex had to be consensual—no bestiality].  Exophile works well. As it was mentioned overall the community is very aware of appropriation of cultures (i.e. we do not talk about Sk*nwalkers or Wend*go to respect Native Nations.) Teratophilia leaves a lot of sour notes because we don't do human deformities/disabilities. Collectively, they're trying to divorce from the term as a community.
 
Papabear:  Ok, don’t laugh at this question, but I’m guessing you don't have conventions.
 
Tristan:  No questions are laughable! Learning is good! If there are conventions, I don’t know them. But it’d be hard to organize one, I think. The content is so very broad. It folds into a lot of places. Also, it could be easy to abuse in some respects. My circles are very firm in cutting out any Zoophiles/Pedophile behaviors/non-con and non-Harkness.
 
Papabear: I actually thought it was odd the APA [American Psychological Association] defines teratophilia as attraction to BOTH deformed humans and monsters as these are very different things.
 
Tristan: Language-wise, it made sense for the time period. People with disabilities and deformities were seen as being monsters, not people. Made freak shows thrive.
 
Papabear: I agree psychologists should have a different term to attraction to deformities. So, next question: how do you define "monster"? I mean, some people might consider furries monsters, ya know? So, what is a "MONSTER"? Frankenstein? Godziilla? Cthulthu? Gremlins? Trolls? Donald Trump?
 
Tristan: Oof. Trump is a whole other monster there. But he's human. All large monsters are creatures of generally nonhuman form. Though it's rife with grey areas. Vampires and trolls/orcs, for instance, are under the monster category, while elves/dwarves, gnomes, and such are classed as fae or "monster lite." They attract people, but you never call them monsters, overall. Ghosts and aliens also strike a grey area. People simp real hard for Kaiju like Godzilla. Cryptids are considered monsters. Various SCPs [refers to a survivor horror game that has lots of monsters in it] are accepted. Werecritters.
 
It boils down to personal view/share. There’s a group dedicated to gods of various regions and from shows. There's a group for robots. A group specifically for dragons (which I left because of the admin supports noncon and Harkness failing.) They're branded under the same umbrella.
 
What separates Furries from Monster Lovers is their presentation. I don’t have a monster fursona; wouldn't want one. I adore them, but don't want to be a monster. I do have and enjoy having fursonas though! I see it as being a cute, fat opposum doing my normal life things. Monsters rarely fit into society and break the norms. Furries can be monster folks. I've seen such cool designs! The ones with skull faces and such. But monsters don't work in reverse as easily.
 
CLOWNS. I hate clowns, but because it’s a common phobia, a lot of monsterfolk love them.
 
Papabear: Oh, I HATE CLOWNS, TOO, LOL!  So, people in these groups are attracted to monsters but don't want to BE monsters and don't create monstersonas.
 
Tristan: Correct. I always gotta scroll quick when the one artist shares her clowns. Great artist but oof, no thanks.
 
Papabear: Okay. Now, you said something else interesting in your comment to my column. In the column, I stated that the sexual fantasies have the monster as dom, but you said it can go both ways?
 
Tristan: Very much! In a lot of the discussions we have, people just desire cute, everyday, balanced relationships with scary, could-kill-you monsters. Not taming them, but just existence in a safe way. I’d be happy if I had a dragon partner. Not that we'd be able to be involved physically because of size differences, which isn't my feelings anyway. But daydreaming about the domestic things is just so very nice. Not to say it doesn't have "damn, wish that monster would pin me to the wall" feelings. Because it sure does! But it's not the predominant behavior. It's split really evenly with wanting to be stronger and dom over monsters. Those discussions always get weird because of puzzling out logistics of how to dom a monster. But they're very lively talks. Sometimes a bit too descriptive for my taste. I’d say, in terms of BDSM related to monster lovers, its 40% Wholesome, ~35% dom by monster, ~25% dom the monster. But that's the communities I'm frequent to, so it’s subject to scrutiny.
 
Papabear: Ah! So, it isn't JUST a sexual thing but can also be romantic?!
 
Tristan: Yes! That’s what I mean. A lot of monster lover folks are on the Aro/Ace spectrum and don't actually want the sexual aspects. (But, gods, do we joke like we do.)
 
Papabear: Ok, so, the attraction is for a partner who is wild, untamed....?
 
Tristan: Hmm. Not necessarily. Just, dangerous, is often attractive. Wild things can be attractive. But so is haughty society. As I said, for the community, the Harkness test is important. It should be for Furries, too. Though I didn't know the name for it originally. We do fight and remove people who think the Harkness test is guidelines and not actually rules.
 
Papabear: I'm sorry, I sort of know what the Harkness test is, but what do you mean it is a rule? Do you mean you can't be in the group without being sexually attracted to monsters?
 
Tristan: Yes! Harkness rules are: Is this creature of human or higher intelligence? Is this creature mature for its species (not by human ages, but by their lives)? Can it communicate AND understand consent with you? If any of the answers is “No,” then you do not desire that monster. These are hard lines you do not cross because it makes you a pedo, zoophile, or rapey. Pokémon are a good example of disagreement. We don't share Pokémon that AREN'T anthros/gejikas because they are considered animals. Even though they're shown to be intelligent and are able to communicate with us. You cannot give a proper age for them as Pokémon because of their animal status. You only know what a baby is because it hatched. For sake of clarity, the groups require humanized Pokémon, but there are many that may disagree.
 
Papabear: My understanding of Pokémon is that they are smarter than many animals but not human-level smart, although that Pikachu movie made him seem human smart. I'm not much of a Pokémon fan myself.
 
Tristan: And that's why there's a hard line! People can't truly agree about the intelligence or ages of Pokémon. So it’s one case where anthro is important.
 
Papabear: Fascinating. This has been extremely educational, thank you. Oh, and one more question: could you describe the composition of Monster Lovers in terms of fans? What is the mix of males and females, different ages, education, etc.? As you know, the furry fandom skews to young white males, although it is diversifying.
 
Tristan: Lot of male/masc presence, but a lot of vocal female/femme and nonbinary sharing. Nonbinary masc presenting is also VERY common. Age range is tricky, since the Facebook groups do not allow under 18, but a good deal of us seem to be mid-20s and up. From what I see, looks like we have folks in their 40s who are vocal, too. I'm 33 myself. Nonbinary. We have a lot of parents and married/partnered folks in my groups as well. Overall, very Rainbow Party, though. Most people are some flavor of LGBT and nonconforming. Its great when I see folks talk about supportive partners. It makes me happy to relate.
​
Education. As I hazard by the groups I'm in, standard is high school grad or equivalent. A lot of the personal art shared (I’d say upward of 75% of group photo/art content) is from college students. A lot of us are working adults in various job details. It really reaches. Have blue-collar and white-collar folks. Got kitchen dogs like me. I'm a college drop out due to an abusive relationship at the time. (Thriving and safe now with a supportive spouse.)
 
Papabear: Can you list a couple of monster lover groups that you would recommend so if people reading this interview would like to look them up and maybe join in?
 
Tristan:

• There Is No Mere Mortal: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nomeremortal/?ref=share this is a neat group of cosplay folks that many of are considered monster level. I aspire to their level of design.
• Jokes on You, I Protec Monsters: https://www.facebook.com/groups/392201675020466/?ref=share is about loving monsters wholesome and wanting to cherish and protect them. Its one of my favorites.
• Jokes on You, I Only F*ck Monsters after We’re in a Committed Relationship: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2972623246163705/?ref=share is another of the Jokes on You line. If it starts with "jokes on you, I" then its probably part of the family. Izzy Bizarre is a cool monster content creator, non spicy.
• Izzy Bizarre: https://www.facebook.com/IzzyBizarre/
• Thorns and Flames https://www.facebook.com/thornsandflames is also an amazing content creator! Sometimes spicy. 

Papabear: Thanks, Tristan!

Barq is a social media website for furries. Then in an incident, furries got angry when a Barq admin banned the term ‘ACAB’. ‘ACAB’ means All Cops Are Bastards. This made some furries feel like Barq chose sides in US politics. Warning chit sparks outrage A furry on Twitter showed a picture of a warning […]

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Moobarkfluff!  Taebyn is missing this week, so Rayne Raccoon, Ticktock, and Misha B. Barkin' stepped up to substitute for him. We chat about stupid things, play some trivia, tell some jokes and read a story in Taebyn's absence.  Moobarkfluff!  

Duquesne University article:  https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2022/07/04/duquesne-university-research-on-furries/stories/202207040036  

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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 S3E12 - Where's Taebyn? Rayne Raccoon and TickTock co-hosts

Past The Last Mountain is a new full-color alternate reality series from Comics Experience. It’s written by Paul Allor, with art by Louie Joyce and Gannon Beck. “Half a century ago, the United States rounded up and imprisoned all the fantasy creatures that live amongst us. Now, a faun, a dragon and an adorable troll boy have escaped confinement, and are on the run from the United States Army!” Also featured in each issue are other short stories by the same writer.

image c. 2022 Comics Experience

Dear Papabear,

​Hey, there. My name is William and I had been lying about my age on my Twitter for about a couple of months. I came clean to my online friends who were 18+ artists just yesterday. A big reason I lied was due to how the fandom treats minors who are just trying to enjoy themselves. But I still felt icky and guilty doing it. I told it publicly. Some were hoping to see me when I was 18, but I hurt one of my biggest friends and supporters, and I don't know if I could come back after 4 years knowing what I have done to my most loyal followers. Do you have any advice?

William Blur

* * *

Dear William,

To be frank, you have a lot of damage control in store for you. As you know, you violated people's trust, and it sounds like you did so for months (or years?) That ain't good.

​There are several steps you need to take in order to try to repair this and move forward. Oh, and don't expect this to go quickly. You lied for a long time, and now it will take a long time to get back what you've lost.

1. Confess your lie not just once but two or more times--publicly.
2. Apologize profusely for what you did.
3. Explain why you did it, honestly, but also do not say that this is an excuse for lying. 
4. Invite those you lied to to tell you how they feel about what you have done and read (or listen to) every word they say. Don't interrupt. Listen. Don't argue.
5. Make a promise and commitment to yourself and others that you will never ever repeat this mistake or lie again in any other way.
6. Do NOT indulge in creating a new fursona or other identity and then try to pretend you are not the same person because that is yet another lie, and, as a lie, it will eventually be discovered, and THEN you will have NO HOPE of recovering any legitimacy to your good character ever again. I've seen furries try to do this, and what happens is they end up on furry beware lists and become anathema to the community.
7. Learn from the comments you hear. Really listen to how you have affected others. Use this as an opportunity to grow as a person.
8. This step takes the longest: spend the next months and years being an honest furry, one whose word is as good as gold. You must rebuild your reputation not just with words but with actions. Be very patient because, as I said, it will take a loooooong time, but, eventually, people will begin to trust you again with enough evidence provided by you of your good character.
9. Accept that, no matter what you do, you will lose at least some of your friends. Not everyone will forgive you no matter what you do.
10. Finally, learn to forgive yourself. What you did does not necessarily mean you are a bad person, just that you have flaws. We all have flaws. The good news is that if we allow ourselves to acknowledge these flaws, we CAN change. I do not believe in the old saw that people don't change. They do; they can, if they are willing to put in the effort.

The good news? You're young. You have time to recover from this.

Good luck!
Papabear

Didn’t hear about this coming, but here it is: “Disney Channel has dropped the official trailer for its upcoming 2D animated sibling superhero comedy Hamster & Gretel. From Disney Branded Television and produced by Disney Television Animation, the series introduces Kevin and his younger sister Gretel, who are prepped and readied to become a superhero sibling duo. In the show, the super siblings are about to receive superpowers from space aliens. But alas, things do not go as planned, and Gretel’s pet hamster, who happens to be named ‘Hamster,’ suddenly has new abilities. So now Kevin must figure out how to work with Gretel and Hamster to protect their city from mysterious dangers.” Check out the trailer at Animation World Network. It hits the air (ha ha) on August 12th.

image c. 2022 Disney Branded TV

Protogen Fursuits: Everything You Need To Know

Xege Kheiru, Writer, Furry

11 July 2022

What Are Protogen Fursuits?

Protogen fursuits are suits reserved for the protogen species of furries. They are a partly artificial species, being around 40% cyborg and 60% animal, they are a predominantly mammalian species. For the most part you’ll see these in furry art more than you’ll see them in actual fursuits, but protogen fursuits do exist. However, there are a few rules that must be followed when creating a protogen fursona. They must not bear any dinosaur traits / anatomy, they must have biological ears, they must have a short round visor, they must be bipedal and they typically shouldn’t have wings unless they are part of a rare variant.  

Protogens are what is known as an open species which means that anyone can make one and as many as they like. This is in contrast to a species like Primagen, which Protogens are a predecessor of, which is a closed species meaning that you can only obtain them by purchasing them from the creator of the species. This is a way of regulating the number of a species in circulation. 

These fursuits attempt to capture the intergalactic vibe of the concept art it is based off but this can be hard for obvious reasons. For one, the suit has a mask / visor that is tightly stuck to the face of the fursuit. These aren’t just any masks though, these are masks with lights in them, lights which make up a face that sometimes can even move. They have also been known to have robotic limbs, in the lore, which serve a practical purpose for space exploration such as jet-powered legs or rocket-boosted arms.

Where Can I Get A Protogen Fursuit?

 

If you’ve done any research at all into getting a protogen fursuit, you’ve probably realized that it is not the easiest task in the world finding a fursuit maker who specializes in protogen fursuits. To make a high-end protogen fursuit, it requires someone who is both competent in the construction of a fursuit and circuitry for the most important bit, the visor. Alternatively, teams of people can work on it together but once again this is hard to find. We’re going to list a few places you can buy suits but the worst thing you could do is get distracted by the flashing lights and bright colors of the first site you see and immediately settle for one before looking into the others. So instead, we recommend browsing through other sites and deciding your favorite. So where do you get one? 

Well, to start, Kaiborg Studios have some absolutely stunning work in their portfolio if you’re looking to get any vinyl / epoxy based products outside of protogen fursuits. They’ve done work on several League of Legends cosplays like Project: Kindred (which is technically a protogen lamb fursuit) and have quite a few nonspecific protogen fursuits on their resume including a protogen leaf-nosed bat. These guys are experienced to say the least and it definitely shows in their work, so if you’re willing to put some money down on a suit, give them a look. 

If you’re looking for a protogen fursuit made by someone who specializes in making fursuits as opposed to general cosplays, then you should check out Tiko Wolf Protogens. For the most part, their specialty seems to be (as you might’ve been able to guess from the name) wolf fursuits judging by their portfolio. However, one thing that Tiko Wolf makes clear from their home page is that there is a very apparent waiting list for fursuits. As you could imagine, protogen fursuits take longer to make than a standard fursuit because of the circuitry and there’s a whole list of people willing to wait for this service because of it. 

However, a lot of protogen fursuit makers don’t have a website and instead carry out their transactions and commissions over sites like Etsy and Furaffinity as an alternative. If you aren’t happy with the aforementioned options, try checking these two out where you can get in touch with a variety of artists.

Protogen Fursuit Head

Image by Jting-F via YouTube

How Much Does A Protogen Fursuit Cost? 

Chances are if you’re looking to buy a protogen fursuit you’re already aware that fursuits in general require you to break the bank a little bit if you want a high quality one. So we hope that this eases the blow a little when we say that if you’re looking to get a good protogen fursuit, you’re probably going to be paying upwards of $3000 for a head alone. If this puts you off buying a protogen fursuit you can check this article out for more information about standard fursuits. However, the good news is that the head is typically the most expensive part of protogen fursuits because of the skills and materials required to make them. So in total you’ll probably be paying around $6000 – $7000 for a full protogen fursuit including a body, four paws and a tail. Let’s break down the specifics though for those who are still curious. 

Kaiborg Studios pricing for a protogen fursuit head starts at $3165. From there, pricing for a full bodysuit starts at $4900 meaning by the end with the cost of paws accounted for you’ll be looking at a total price of around $7500. Tiko Wolf Protogens on the other hand do not do more than protogen fursuit heads but are considerably cheaper than Kaiborg Studios, with their head pricing starting at $2200. However, extra bits such as the expressions that the LEDs display, LED colors, more fur colors and bigger power banks can bump up this price quite a bit. 

As for the sellers on Etsy and Furaffinity, it’s the wild wild west. It’s hard to pin down the pricing to just once price but we found that it averages in the ballpark of $2500 for a protogen fursuit head and around $5000 for a full suit.

Kaiborg Studios’ Super Galaxy Kindred Head

Image by Kaiborg Studios via KaiborgStudios

How Long Does It Take To Make A Protogen Fursuit? 

Just like with normal fursuit commissions or commissions in general, the amount of time it takes to finish the piece varies from artist to artist. It depends on the nature and complexity of the piece, the amount of people commissioning before you, how accessible the materials are etc. However, that’s not why you came here so we’ll try to give you an average. Considering that a normal fursuit can take around a year to finish, with the extra bits and bobs required to make a protogen fursuit, you will probably be waiting around a year and a half to two years if you’re looking to commission someone to make the suit for you. This will especially be the case if you order from the aforementioned sites as their commissions are often pretty stacked.

 

Full Protogen Fursuit

Image by Dr. Wildlife via AminoApps

Can I Make A Protogen Suit Myself? 

 

Of course there is no harm in trying, we’re not going to put our foot down and say “no you shouldn’t make a protogen fursuit yourself” but if what you’re asking is “can I make a professional looking protogen fursuit myself?” then the answer is a possible no. If you’re confident in your abilities with both craftsmanship and circuitry then by all means go ahead and make your dream fursuit. However, logistically, if you aren’t that adept with electronics, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to make a professional looking protogen suit so it might be better to save yourself the expense.

The post Protogen Fursuits: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Fursonafy.

Robert “Magnus Diridian” Sojkowski

The 2014 Midwest Furfest chemical attack is one of the biggest unsolved crimes in furry fandom. It has a main suspect who was raided by the FBI, and they found physical evidence (read below). His name is Robert “Magnus Diridian” Sojkowski, also known as the Confederate Fursuiter.

In separate news from July 2022, two men in Asheville, North Carolina face terror charges in a bomb incident. One is a furry and subject of online rumors. His name is Chioke “Tech Coyote” Fugate.

That’s two separate crimes, with two separate suspects… but when the news about Fugate came out, rumors named him as the Confederate Fursuiter. This is critically misleading. Sojkowski made the suit in 2015 and stayed the ongoing owner and wearer, so the identity belongs to him. The mixup came from a meeting in 2017 where Fugate took photos with the suit and possibly wore it once. Why is it a big deal? It led to falsely naming Fugate for the Midwest Furfest attack he had nothing to do with (he was 14 in 2014).

Huge Twitter accounts fueled rumors that Fugate “was the one behind the MFF Chlorine bombing years back” (1) (2) (3), causing many deletions and corrections (4) (5) (6). It’s critical to untangle the two suspects. Remember, the mixup would help both to deny and mislead — and both have records of doing exactly that — so let’s set the record straight.

Mistaken info is going around that mixes up 2 nazifurs. Tech Coyote is not the confederate fursuiter. Tech took a photo with it in 2017 but Magnus Diridian is the maker and regular wearer. We have a unique video from Magnus in 2020 suiting in an empty parking lot. Screencap here. https://t.co/oK5oezeZhL pic.twitter.com/5MSP7YWrcS

— Nazifur Receipts (@NazifurReceipts) July 9, 2022

Chioke “Tech Coyote” Fugate and the Asheville bomb incident – the reason for the hype

• 6/30/22: Man accused of being armed at Asheville protest is arrested; second man still sought (WLOS)
• 7/4/22: Asheville PD calls ‘ANTIFA’ email threatening (WJHL)
• 7/5/22: 2 accused of igniting explosive devices in downtown Asheville; Persons of interest sought (WLOS)
• 7/5/22: Demonstrators arrested for explosion at Asheville park, police say (WYFF4)
• Reddit r/asheville post with 97 comments including some local witnesses

The Asheville news concerns protesting about Roe v. Wade, and the arrest of Florida man Duncan Small for a weapons charge. His then-unknown associate (Fugate) was sought for being armed. The next week, police received a threat about protests signed “ANTIFA” from a hotmail address (indicating a ruse or prank-type sender). Then Duncan Small was arrested again with Chioke Fugate, on terror charges for exploding devices “similar to pipe bombs” at the empty base for a dismantled monument to a Confederate general. Small had zip-tie restraints and an anti-government pamphlet. There was a flare gun and replica gun believed to be Fugate’s and his body armor, gas mask, and more. Fugate was quickly out of jail on a $15,000 bond.

DOGPATCH PRESS OPINION ON FUGATE’S CHARGES: Tech Coyote was known in fandom, so we can go beyond mainstream news with inside reporting. Tech is back in the fandom now, with help from right-wing group owners. His posts cite lawyer advice to avoid talking too much. Questions sent to his account were read and he chose not to explain his side. From inside sources and a receipts channel:

• Tech was a kid with development issues and social problems in life and fandom.
• He gained a bad reputation and community bans while joining Nazifurs like the Furry Raiders and other Altfurry hate groups on the right-wing fringe.
• His motivation included collecting and displaying Nazi and Confederate symbols, guns and military gear.
• Tech protested his reputation by claiming to oppose nazis and the left equally and saying he was just a collector for the aesthetic.
• It’s partially true because his social problems rose inside fringe groups, they fell out, and at one point he burned his Furry Raiders armband.
• It’s not true because he wants things both ways to sympathize with the far-right while posing as more separate than he is.
• He chronically confabulates fake stories about being in gun or knife fights, with injury photos taken off the web to glorify himself.
• Ideologically this looks like an unreliable person who can’t fully compute his beliefs, behavior, groups, and reputation – a classic fringe group follower.
• The takeaway: it’s hard to guess the true motivation behind his current trouble… false-flag provocation or naive bumbling?
• The truth could come from learning about his relationship with Duncan Small (it’s unclear if he is furry). Background indicates Small is personally pro-choice, anti-Confederate, and anti-government, and got in trouble from bad judgement. Tech may have been helping his left-ish friend as an excuse to blow things up on July 4. It could make him less of a terrorist than a fool who got in trouble for Beavis and Butthead stunts — as the small $15,000 bond hints — but his history speaks for itself, and everyone saw this coming.

Robert “Magnus Diridian” Sojkowski and the 2014 Midwest Furfest chemical attack – the suspect who got mixed up

Three Dogpatch Press articles from 2017-2018 make extensive reporting on Sojkowski. The sources are police investigation and reporting about it in mainstream news, like the Vice story CSI Fur Fest: The Unsolved Case of the Gas Attack at a Furry Convention by Jennifer Swann (which made the Ursa Major Awards list.) There’s Sojkowski’s long crime record, furry con ban letters, personal journals, and exclusive interviews. His hotel roommates during the 2014 Midwest Furfest attack had never been questioned by police or anyone else, until they were interviewed by Dogpatch Press. Multiple of Sojkowski’s other roommates and associates provided info. Sojkowski was an associate of Furry Raiders founder Foxler, whose admins tipped the FBI and leaked info about Foxler’s alleged knowledge of the attack. Sojkowski’s boyfriend sent personal messages, and Dogpatch Press interviewed Sojkowski himself.

• Sojkoswki admitted being raided by the FBI, and questioned 4 times by police about the Midwest Furfest attack.
• At Sojkowski’s home, the FBI found red duct tape used in the chemical device (he claimed it belonged to his roommate.)
• His roommate posted a journal about being harmed by the attack and questioned by police.
• Sojkowski worked as a lifeguard, who would have access to large amounts of untraceable chlorine.
• He drove to Midwest Furfest from Wisconsin, so wouldn’t need air travel to have chlorine.
• Sojkowski had a long felony crime record going back to the 1990’s, including jail for a chemical attack on a bank.
• The bank chemical attack was a prank for petty revenge (about an overdraft fee) that did serious harm, which Sojkowski downplayed.
• A petty revenge motive against Midwest Furfest was found in the exclusive interview with Sojkowski’s hotel roommates; he was mad at con staff for threatening to yank his badge for running drunk in the street in suit.
• The attack caused a diabetic emergency to his hotel roommate’s friend, but in Sojkowski’s journals afterward, he only focused on the media attention.
• After the attack, he kept being banned for nuisances and crimes at cons.
• When Anthrocon banned him, he said his Confederate Fursuit was a protest at takedown of Confederate flags after the Dylan Roof mass shooting.
• Sojkowski was banned from Midwest Furfest, but came back to stir up a nuisance after his Anthrocon ban and was arrested for trespassing.
• An info leak from the Furry Raiders connected to FBI tips that the founder Foxler boasted of knowing who did the Midwest Furfest chemical attack.
• In Colorado, Foxler was visited by the FBI. He posted the agent’s card, who wasn’t local, connecting Chicago and the Midwest Furfest case. This pairs with subsequent evasion by Sojkowski.
• When Sojkowski was questioned about Foxler, he wouldn’t answer, then admitted knowing Foxler before the attack (when it was much rarer to know him.)
• Sojkowski gave a baseless name for the 2014 chemical attack (Skrat), and also tried to evade admitting arrest for trespassing at Midwest Furfest in 2018.

DOGPATCH PRESS OPINION FOR WHY SOJKOWSKI WASN’T CHARGED: This evidence could have gotten bolder featuring in the 2018 Sojkowski interview. The article hedged, because the police investigation was allowed to go cold and nobody was charged:

• Police botched the chemical testing, according to Vice News; this could be crucial to prove motive, even though they knew it was deliberate.
• There were no cameras at the Midwest Furfest hotel, and the hotel had masked people everywhere.
• A crime scene like that makes highest deniability for a single suspect acting randomly, which fits Sojkowski’s history of petty revenge.
• It’s easier to get a group to snitch on each other; proving “beyond a reasonable doubt” on one person is the hardest burden.
• It’s expensive to try one person on major charges, which could backfire and clear them with acquittal.
• Assume low priority for weird gay furries, with less concern for minority and alternative groups from the police.
• Not charging Sojkowski or letting him clear his name in court leaves suspicion to keep watching him.
• He WAS still watched: after his interview, an angry Sojkowski tried to get a Dogpatch Press home address and was visited by police to warn him off.

What are the alternative suspects? Rumors named Foxler, Skrat, Ryan Hill, and a theorized latex chlorination accident. None of these work. The latex chlorination theory is the most commonly accepted, but the type of chlorine used for latex is not the powdered kind used in the attack, and “authorities deemed it a deliberate, criminal act“. Foxler wasn’t in Chicago. Skrat was baselessly named by Sojkowski himself. Ryan Hill is a mentally disabled man who had no connection besides a history of threats that got him briefly looked at by police before they ruled him out. This leaves only Sojkowski. It’s obligatory to say he’s not convicted but you can use personal judgement about the evidence.

How the mixup spread despite immediate correction

The arrest of Chioke Fugate was ripe for culture war controversy, with terror charges, supposed “Antifa” activity, and his own furry and far-right absurdity. It quickly fueled falsehoods from Andy Ngo, a discredited right-wing propagandist. Ngo called Fugate Antifa while obviously not knowing much about him. Ngo lied; Fugate was a fan of Ngo himself. Ngo misled over a million Twitter followers.

Meanwhile, left-wing accounts were misleadingly identifying Fugate as the Confederate Fursuiter. That was set off in a Youtube video by Labb Ratt. (It did have good intentions to feature Fugate’s 2017 meeting with Sojkowski without knowing the full context). Labb Ratt was contacted right away with more context, and helpfully posted a correction, but the Midwest Furfest attack mixup was already out and boosted to hundreds of thousands of left-wing Twitter followers.

This mixup was a combination of bad intentions to lie on the right, good intentions without context on the left, and Twitter’s inflammatory nature to spread bullshit beyond containment.

It’s a cautionary story about hot takes and knee-jerk reactions, verifying and trust, the danger of unmoderated media platforms, and the importance of keeping records (especially with coordination between mainstream news and furry news).

Update: Tech was arrested again with a new charge and higher bail shortly after this report. The charge didn’t say why, it indicated “flight risk” so it’s not clear if it means he did something else or it was just part of the investigation process.

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.)

A dog from the future explains a pleasant interstellar society in this sci-fi audio series. This series explores the topics of transhumanism, animal uplift, space travel, realistic artificial intelligence, terraforming, and a future you'd want to live in. Allison & The Cool New Spaceship Body https://shipfolk.neocities.org/Shipfolk.html Music: "Dew" by Jinpa https://soundcloud.com/user-975748551-495337716 Writing & Narration: Tempe O'Kun https://www.furaffinity.net/user/tempo321/ Merch, Sweet Tees and stuff: http://www.culturallyfd.com https://teespring.com/stores/culturally-fd-merchandise Support Culturally F'd: https://www.patreon.com/culturallyfd Plus a Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/gsz8us7 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_ #hopepunk #scifi #science #fiction

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Moobarkfluff!  Taebyn is on vacation this week, so Misha B. Barkin' stepped up to substitute for him. We chat about stupid things, play a little this or that, and share a Grimms Fairy Tale. Bearly tells us about being an altar boy. Do crabs wear hats? Moobarkfluff! 

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Bearly Furcasting S3E11 - Misha B. Barkin' Guest Co-Host

Hello!

I had a bit of a weird / sexual question I wanted some affirmation on… So, I’m aroused by furry porn and porn of furry-like monsters. I feel really intense guilt about this. How do I get over it?

I didn’t used to feel bad at all about it, but when I look into the fanbase, I see people who are secretly into things like zoophilia, and it just makes me feel really guilty for being sexually attracted to furries. (Even though the amount of zoophiles are very low, it still really disturbs me.) Like, am I bad for being attracted to them? Is there some sort of psychological problem when I’m attracted to animal-like humans??

I struggle with OCD a lot, and my intrusive thoughts include a lot of what I’m worrying about… How would you recommended I cope with this guilt?

P.S. I see a therapist and I talk to her about my OCD … but the furry porn thing is really hard to bring up tbh. I feel so embarrassed about it.

Thank you!!

Jack
​
* * *

Dear Jack,

Thank you for your fascinating question. Let's step away from the zoophilia topic, since I don't think you are a zoophile, and talk about monster porn and attraction to monsters in a sexual fashion. In the world of psychology, this is called "teratophilia," a term that applies not only to monsters but also an attraction to deformed people. There is also something called "exophilia," which is having sexual fantasies about extraterrestrial sex. In this bear's opinion, the two are related closely enough to be basically the same thing, only differing on minor specifics. 

In both cases, the fantasy tends to involve a powerful, alien creature that exhibits sexual prowess over the fantasizer (correct me if I am wrong, but I am guessing that in your fantasies, the monster is dominant over you; in alien dreams, it usual involves space beings performing "sex research" on human subjects). This dominance aspect of the fantasy, too, makes teratophilia related to such fetishes as S&M bondage, macrophilia, and vorarephilia. Bottom line of this is that the most common explanation for such a fantasy is that you desire to be dominated. 

So, you ask, why don't you just fantasize about a dominant, muscular human? This is where feelings of guilt and shame come in. Sexual fantasies often disguise desires with symbolism, masks, and other obfuscating strategies. The "monster" is a symbol that is used to conceal your true desire for some form of forbidden sex with a real person. This, on the surface, might sound silly, I bet, because you're saying to yourself, "But I'm embarrassed about a dream involving sex with a monster! Why would that be better than a dream about sex with a hunky man?" Because you know, intellectually, that sex with a monster is impossible and, therefore, the dream fantasy is also impossible. Since the dream can never be a reality, it actually eases the moral tension you are feeling because you know you can never act out such a fantasy in real life and you will, consequently, never be "guilty" of the sin for which you yearn.

When psychologists talk about monster fantasies, they usually do it in terms of women having fantasies about monsters, but I feel this can apply to anyone with submissive tendencies, whether they are 100% submissive or only feel that way on occasion.

There might be some other underlying reasons for monster sex fantasies. Psychologists note that, in surveys, women who are more sexually open-minded respond that they have such fantasies more often than those who are conservative. Certainly, furries tend to be more open and willing to explore outside the boundaries of social standards in their sexuality, so--although I don't believe this has ever been tested--furries probably have monster fantasies more than normies. One might also, I suppose, characterize anthros as a type of "monster," though fursonas run the gamut of personalities from dom to sub to everything in between. I do, however, believe that furry sex fantasies also occur as a way of concealing feelings of guilt about sex in some--not all, by any means--cases.

To answer the question at the heart of your letter: no, you are not psychologically disturbed (and you are not a zoophile). Your brain is coming up with coping mechanisms to resolve your feelings of guilt about sex. The source of this guilt is, duh, society, which loves to impose guilt on us for being sexually open rather than repressed. The solution for you, my furiend, is to work on not feeling guilty about your sexual desires. As long as you aren't hurting anyone (and the sex is always consensual), you should pursue whatever sexual desires you wish. 

Will this get rid of your monster fantasies? Well, if they are purely guilt-generated, it might. Or, it might loosen you up to create even more lurid monster dreams, but these will be dreams you enjoy rather than feel bad about.

Hope that helps! Sorry for my slow reply!

Hugs,
Papabear ​

Young beginning readers can check out the Ollie and Bea series of graphic novels, written and illustrated by Renee Tremi. The set up is as simple as can be: “Ollie is an owl who wears glasses. And Bea is a bunny with very big feet. They don’t know it yet, but they are about to be best friends. Can they help each other to find their otter-ly awesome inner superhero?” It’s Owl Good and other books in the series are available now from Allen & Unwin Book Publishers.

image c. 2022 Allen & Unwin

And once again, thanks to Animation World Network for pointing us at something we might have missed otherwise — Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience. (Top that for a title!) “Get ready because a rock opera like no other is coming, based on Mo Willems’ New York Times best-selling picture book of the same name… The animated musical event is a fun and funny tale about a sensitive, curious, and rockin’ Naked Mole Rat named Wilbur (voiced by Jordan Fisher) who ‘scandalously’ decides to (gasp!) get dressed! See what happens when Wilbur’s newfound love of rocking outfits rocks Naked Mole Rat society to its core.” It’s already up and running on HBO Max. Seriously, you have to see the trailer to believe it! And even then…

image c. 2022 Cartoonito