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submitted by ajtexasranger
[link] [55 comments]

submitted by dreamingwanderer
[link] [7 comments]

I just wanted to post this somewhere. Sorry. ;w;

submitted by zilchfox
[link] [13 comments]

So i don't know if this is the right place to ask but here i go. I'm looking for new furry stories with anthromorphic characters . I've read some like Off the Beaten Path by Rukis ( get it, it's amazing) and i'm not really interested in Kyell Gold's literature (i hope i didn't offend anyone).

So TL;DR looking for something new and furry to read.

edit: To specify I mean human like animals living in a human like society ( or living wilderness but you get the idea)

submitted by DeDown
[link] [10 comments]

submitted by Big_Red_Hothead
[link] [8 comments]

Dated July 14, here is an article in The Pitt News, the daily student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh:
http://www.pittnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/article_1fcc50f8-2a9b-11e5-af44-9fe24661cd4e.html


Pittsburghers got a taste of the wild side this weekend as ferocious tigers, playful puppies and fox-tailed fursuiters flocked Downtown. The costumed company left behind a layer of fur and dumbstruck awe in their wake.

Anthrocon is the world’s largest gathering of furries — people who belong to a subculture interested in anthropomorphics, which are animals with human qualities, personalities and character. The convention came to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from July 9-12. It featured a slew of activities and events, including a dealer’s room where attendees could purchase furry merchandise, breakout sessions and panels, the first-ever outdoor fursuit parade and a “zoo,” a meeting room where furries could interact and socialize.

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center has hosted Anthrocon since 2006, and the organizers expected about 6,200 furries to show up this year — instead, 6,389 furries attended, up from last year’s attendance of 5,861.

The convention is more than a costumed get-together. Samuel Conway, the event’s chairman and chief organizer, said Anthrocon has a purpose.

“The gathering is a celebration of the art of cartoon animals, be they in animation, in costume, in puppetry, in artwork or elsewhere,” Conway said.

Furry art and costumes filled the dealer’s room in the convention center, where vendors sold everything from art and literature, to tails and pieces of fursuits.

One of the vendors, Jessica Angus, displayed her inventory of resin head blanks and other plaster fursuits parts. She provides the basic components which make up the “skeleton” of a fursuit.

“Starting from the base is the most difficult part,” Angus said.“Once [customers] have the basic parts, they can add accessories like claws, paw pads and fur.”

The dealer’s room also included a charity raffle with donated items raffled off to support the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society.

Brian Harris, charity director and co-founder of Anthrocon, said the board of the convention chooses which charity will benefit from the auction each year.

"All charities are animal-based and located within Pennsylvania," Harris said.

In addition to the dealer's room and charity auction, there was also a lineup of more than 150 panels and smaller breakout events that catered to many niche interests. Some of the panels included advice and tips for first-time Anthrocon attendees, while others included lectures on writing, dancing and singing.

One of the main events of this year’s Anthrocon was the fursuit parade, which, for the first time, the organizers held outside of the convention center, rather than inside. Many local Pittsburghers came out to see the parade and were supportive of the furry convention and the culture.

Furry culture originated in the 1980s and expanded throughout the ‘90s, due largely to the Internet. The web helped connect the like-minded individuals and gave them a platform to interact and plan conventions like Anthrocon.

Misha Krul started attending furry conventions in 2009, and she’s been a part of the online community since 2000. She said the convention feels like “one giant homecoming celebration.”

“Many folks here haven't seen their closest friends in a year or more, so there's always tons of hugging, laughter and cheerfulness,” Krul said. “I like to joke that you know you're at a furry convention when your face hurts from smiling so much."

She added that the community offers its members a tight-knit, accepting community, adding that furries will go to great lengths to take care of their own.

“It is incredibly comforting to go through life having this global support network, and it speaks very strongly of the fandom's values and generosity,” Krul added.

Bob Passovoy, a physician in Chicago, is part of the Dorsai Irregulars, the volunteer organization that provided security for the event. He said he continues to come to these conventions because he likes the people and the excitement.

“These are my family and friends, and this is what we love to do,” Passovoy said. “[Anthrocon] has the energy of the sci-fi conventions of the 70s and 80s that you just don’t see anymore, since the sci-fi fandoms have splintered.”

Furry culture and fandom has generated controversy in the media over the years. Controversy has surrounded the sale of sexual art and merchandise at conventions, and critics stereotype conferees as having sex with each other while in costume.

Television shows, including an episode of “CSI,” which portray furry conventions as costumed orgies, and mentions of furries and sexual behavior on shows like “30 Rock” and “The Tyra Banks Show” have also contributed to the stereotype.

But, Conway said, the public perception of furries isn’t as concerning as it once was.

“The public's perception of ‘furries’ got off to a rocky start, but it is increasingly less of a concern,” Conway said. “We have debunked many myths about our fandom and quite frankly, they are old news by now.”

Krul also said the public perception of furries is becoming more positive.

“As society continues to become more open and accepting, I see no reason why the fandom won't continue to grow in numbers and gain greater support from outsiders,” Krul said. “Someday, dressing up in an animal costume for fun on the weekends might seem no more weird than painting yourself from head to toe in the colors of your favorite sports team.”

Despite the controversies surrounding the fandom, Conway said he has no issue with the tepid public perception.

“People still tend to think that we are rather eccentric,” he said. “That, I cannot deny, and I really do not feel it’s necessary to change it.”

submitted by Rainbolt
[link] [12 comments]

TL;DR ended up in AC fursuit parade - helped a temp. blinded fur out - we lost each other before we could say hello and then found each other afterwards via social networking.

Last Saturday at Anthrocon my friend asked me if I could wear his suit for his fursuit makers photo shoot. The photo shoot took place right after the parade and I planned on meeting in the dealers den to show off the suit to the owner while they were vending. After getting into the main con area I ended up getting separated from his mate and took the wrong line and ended up in the fursuit parade heading outside instead of the dealers den. That is when I saw the fursuiter who was blinded by his hood in his suit - at this pount I am very hot and did not mean to be suiting for so long and out in the sun - I took his paw and guided him through the parade but before I could introduce myself I ran off for some water and lost him. Then, through the power of reddit/twitter we found each other!

I thought it was a cute moment and wanted to share it with you all :3

Link to the fur I helped out's post: https://www.reddit.com/r/furry/comments/3cy1t1/i_was_blind_and_you_helped_me/

Link to my tweet that found him: http://pic.twitter.com/ZurGisxbxk

submitted by iTo
[link] [18 comments]

So I work in food service, usual run-of-the-mill job. So we get these dime-a-dozen work hats, they're pretty darn bland. So my coworkers like to spice them up a bit. Wearing a bandana around the hat, having a button or something on the hat. Hell, one coworker had their hat glittered up a bit.

Which brings me to my topic of discussion. Just recently, I got a small button (3 cm in diameter) of Lucario. I plan on pinning it on my backpack strap when I go back to college in August, but I'm not sure what to do with it now. Would it be a good idea to see if I can pin this on my hat at work?

It's a pretty small button, just Lucario's character portrait from Smash Bros on a red background. Hell, I could even pin it to the back of the hat so less people see it. Plus, Lucario is a Pokemon, so it would look like I could just be wearing it because I'm a fan of those games (plus I took a half a day off to see Symphonic Evolutions last month so my manager knows I'm an avid Pokemon fan)

On the other hand, it could not be such a good idea. Lucario is rather anthropomorphic in design so a coworker or customer who knows what furries are could possibly put 2 and 2 together and call me out. I know that's very unlikely to happen in a public/professional setting, but you never know. People are unpredictable. I also don't really want to wave my furry-ness around for everyone to see (as that'd be impolite and certainly not helping any stereotype), but it's not like I'm wearing a shirt that says "I <3 anthro fox-ladies" on it. It's only a small button with a Pokemon on it.

Whaddaya all think? I'd like to have some subtle personal token of being a furry, but I don't know if this particular one is all that appropriate for a professional work environment, or even that subtle in the first place. Please share your advice, thoughts, opinions, or criticisms! I'd really appreciate it!

submitted by dembrassbeats
[link] [23 comments]

submitted by VentKazemaru
[link] [97 comments]

Dear Papa Bear,

I've "picked up my pen" several times to write to you, and each time I've stopped myself because I don't have a question - not really, I think. And yet I feel that if I don't reach out to someone, someone I don't know, someone who doesn't know me, I'm going to break down, or explode, or do something really quite stupid. I suppose, if I have to have a question, it's --- No. I was going to write, "What am I doing wrong?" but I'm not going to bully myself like that. Instead I'm going to say, "Does it really get better?"

As you can see, I'm an older male. (I'm a dragon, in case you're wondering about my fursona.) I'm older, I'm single, I've never been in the best of relationships, although I was with someone for a while whom I did care about very deeply but we still went our separate ways in the end. I'm also hurt, and lonely, and wanting nothing more right now than to have someone to curl up against and tell me, "It's going to be all right."

There's no easy way to say any of this, so I'm going to be honest. If this comes across as bluntness, then I apologize.

I grew up in a time and place where it was wrong to be gay. Homophobia was endemic, and it was underlined by government, by society and by religion. In 1988, Margaret Thatcher passed legislation which made it illegal for teachers to educate children about anything but normal, heteronormative relationships. People could be fired for being gay, or beaten up and the Police would look the other way. I was raised that being gay was a sin.

I also grew up experiencing a lot of abuse. (There's no other way to say it.) It wasn't deliberate abuse, most of the time, but it was still abuse. I walked on eggshells from age 8 to 18, and even after that to a degree. I was bullied at school, experienced emotional and psychological abuse at home, and yet had some of the most wonderful family members I could hope for --- at times. Because, as we all know, nobody is always abusive, only when that switch in their head kicks in. 

The issue is this: my parents are both also survivors of abuse themselves. When I talk about this (which is rarely), I try to make it clear that the abuse was not deliberate: my parents and family did not set out intentionally to cause me harm. The fact is, however, that it happened, and the results are effectively the same. I can't find it in my heart any more to blame or be angry with my parents for their actions: they did their best, in extremely difficult situations, and they, too, are as much the products of their pasts as I am. In recent times, with the death of the primary abuser (whom we could never work out if they knew what they were doing or not), my family has become much happier and more relaxed, home has become a place which I look forward to visiting and my relationship with my parents is the best it has been for a long time.

I was expected to do well at school, to be the model pupil, to make everybody proud, to get top marks --- and I did, for a while. But it's difficult, Papa Bear, to try to please everyone, and I was 17 when I had my first "breakdown". (The big one was to come at the age of 19, when I fell in love with a guy for the first time.)

I learned early on to read people, and also to try to become what I thought they wanted me to be. And so I did. For my parents I was the good son, for the teachers the dutiful pupil, for the minister the diligent worshipper --- and so on, and so on, and so forth. I tried to please. I strove to please. Not least because the merest thing could set off a major explosion at home, but because by pleasing I had learned I could forestall such explosions. Or the cold, silent treatment, which was even worse. Or the sudden fury which would rise, and raise, and blow, and then be gone, and the person responsible would blink in apparently genuine innocence and claim they hadn't lost their temper at all.

Perhaps it's not surprising that I started eating. And eating. And eating. I always felt tired, too, and I found that consuming food smothered the feelings I had, and that was a good thing: it wasn't done to have feelings. Feelings could so easily get you in trouble.

I should also add that I grew up extremely isolated. My social circles revolved around home, school and the people I met at a church... I have no siblings, and for most of my life no friends. I find it very difficult to make and keep friends, and although I don't enjoy being alone, being in a relationship is equally scary because it's "unknown."

I went to university at 18 and by 19 had found the Internet and fallen in love with a guy. What little strength was left in my mind gave way and I broke into a million pieces. I ended up back at my parents' place for a year—arguably the worst thing that could have happened, in some ways—and finally went back to school. But in between I visited some friends in the US and... and realized something else was wrong. I like guys... so why can't I get hard? Why is it that someone in the shower with me is straining hard, and I'm not? (He later confessed he wasn't really terribly gay, which in retrospect makes it even worse.) And it wasn't only then, it was almost every time I was with a guy—Was? Is. I still can't "perform," as a rule, unless I'm so exhausted I can't think about it and then, for some reason, I manage. But the upshot was that the things I wanted to be able to do, the things that felt most right, simply don't work for me. But that's a whole other issue, I know.

So time moves forward. I fall into and out of relationships, jumping into them with almost anybody who shows me a crumb of kindness and then having my hopes dashed when things come crashing down. And I'm seeing people I know, people I love, moving on, finding relationships, finding joy and happiness, and here am I, still alone. It's difficult enough under such circumstances not to ask, "What am I doing wrong?" I know that it's probably not me that's at fault, though given my background it's hard to break away from that.

A few years ago I moved to the US to start school again—my fourth degree, a graduate degree this time. And I started to work on myself. I've been in therapy for four years now, and even now it doesn't seem like it's enough. I've had hypnotherapy sessions (from a licensed and qualified hypnotherapist) and even so it never feels as though it's enough. I've been diagnosed with several linked endocrine dysfunction issues, and being on medication has helped: my testosterone level is normal, now, instead of being half of what a geriatric man would have (which was leading me to question my gender, on top of everything else), and taking thyroid medication helps my mood and also my energy level, the constant falling of which was at least partly responsible for my overeating.

And yet, all this year, I've been in and out of a funk which I can't escape. I can shake it for a few days at a time, maybe even two weeks, but right now the black shuck feels as though he's tied to my heels. I'm tired, Papa Bear, I'm tired of being alone, I'm tired of having to care for myself, I'm tired of chasing after pennies... I'm tired of not being who I know I can be and who I want to be. Dammit, Papa Bear, I'm just *tired*. I'm tired all the way through to my soul and I don't know how to stop being tired. Maybe it's because I want too much, too much. I'm told that if you stop wanting things then you find it, but that doesn't seem to work, either.

I'm sorry for the tone of this letter, Papa Bear. I know it's a jumbled and disorganized mess but I've got a child's wail trying to get out through an adult's throat and I don't know where to begin. Please tell me it will get better, Papa Bear, because right now I just want to curl up in a corner and cry until the pain goes away, and tonight I don't know if it ever will.

Merrys (age 40, upstate NY)

* * *

Hi, Merrys,

I hear you. Listen, before I write something you've already heard before, please tell me more about what your therapist has said (surely, something more after 4 years than just endocrine issues?) Did you go to a psychologist? Psychiatrist? Or just a counselor? Did you address the obvious issue that sex is in the brain (explaining your problem with tumescence with guys)?

Like I said, I don't want to reiterate what a therapist has said--since that obviously hasn't worked. You can help me target a solution better if you tell me what already hasn't worked in the therapist's office.

Write back soon.

Everyone needs hugs. I'm not near New York, but here's a virtual one.

Blessed Be,

Papabear

* * *

Hullo Papa Bear,

Thank you for your email, and thank you for your hug: I really appreciate it. Hugs are good.

I've been seeing the same therapist for the past two-and-a-half years, and it was the sexual side of things which took me to him. Before that, I spent time with a couple of other therapists, one of whom was absolutely lovely and helped a lot and the next was a little passive and I didn't feel helpful. They all work for my school's Student Health Centre as counsellors, though all of them are highly qualified: my current therapist has a PhD in psychology and 30 years' experience.

To be honest, though, Papa Bear, it's not just about the sexual side of things. I can understand that you picked up on that most strongly: I mean, a gay male dragon who can't mate must be in a bad place, right? (And yes, it sucks.) But equally I think that there's nothing more honest than a person's genitals: they're either into someone or they're not, and I have had times, even when I had the lowest testosterone level ever, when simply smelling the breath of a young male sitting next to me while we ate lunch together was enough to make me fully hard in moments; equally, making love to my ex-boyfriend (who is female-to-male transgendered) I could be fully and achingly hard for him—but usually only when we were both utterly exhausted.

Sex is in the brain, but so are an awful lot of other things, accrued from down the years and which can be terribly hard to get rid of. I don't like to be one of those people who points at others and blames everyone else for their own misfortune, but regrettably I cannot escape that I have been badly damaged by my past.

Right at this moment, I don't even want sex. Right now, inside, there's a scared child who wants to be nurtured and cared for, and it's so painful to admit it: in this world of apparently well-turned-out young people, in this fandom where sex is made to seem easy and everyone is virile and the young are well-balanced, this old dragon feels very much out of place. How can I say, to whom can I say it, that I just want to be held and comforted and tended and cared for, because at the moment I just don't have the strength to be strong? At the moment so many ghosts from my past are coming to the surface, and all I can see, over and over again, is my eight-year-old self—the age I was when everything began to change—and he's hurt, he's confused, he's afraid, he doesn't understand why things are changing, and yet he has to grow up in the space of a few weeks and become a caregiver to someone who should be caring for him. Eight years old and almost an adult. Eleven years old and he has his plushies taken away from him: "Don't you want to be a big boy now you're starting senior school?" How could he answer, "No," and not feel he'd disappointed everyone. Twelve years old and the joy has gone from birthdays and Christmases, and it's another 28 years before he can feel comfortable telling people that it's his birthday, because it's gone from being a day of delight to something he learns is another reason for people to mock him for his naïveté.

It's not just about the sex. I think the sex is a symptom. Perhaps as much from being most of my time alone, and having no confidence when I have been with someone, to also being with the wrong people, quite likely—as I said, there's nothing as honest as a set of genitals.

I just needed to reach out to someone, Papa Bear. I need a Papa to hold me right now—someone to hold me, who won't mock me or laugh at my weakness, or make fun of the "little dragon" who is trying not to cry (and failing). I know I must sound pathetic, and yet right now I don't care. I feel so damned tired, and lonely, and there doesn't seem to be the slightest chance of that changing any time soon. Each time I think I've learned to love myself even a little bit, some voice in the back of my head pops up and I feel as though I'm back in square one, all over again.

Abuse is horrible, Papa Bear. Even when it's not intentional. It's like kudzu, or the ground elder we get back home, or Japanese knotweed. And you can never be sure it's entirely gone, because the worst of it is that you learn to do it to yourself: you learn to believe that you deserve all the things that happen to you, you learn to believe it IS your fault, you learn to believe that there's no other way it can be.

~Merrys

* * *

Hi, Little Dragon,

I understand better now, thanks for taking the time to write out your feelings. Yours is one of those letters that Papabear gets that goes to the front of the line, so I will write to you later today after work.

In the meantime, I am attaching an audio file [inserted a recording from Don Miguel Ruiz]--one of several. If you like the first one, let me know and I'll send more. I think it might help.

Bear hugs,

Papabear

* * *

Hi Papa Bear,

I don't really know what to say. I feel honored that you'd take the time, and yet embarrassed and awkward at the same time: "why should I get special treatment?" is what the voice in my head says. That, and being called "Little Dragon", when I try so hard to be the big, strong, fierce dragon everyone expects a big, long dragon to be... I'm not sure if to be embarrassed by that, too. Expectations, again.

Thank you for the audio file. It was very beautiful. It reminds me of things I've heard before, in particular St Paul's letter to the Corinthians in which he says, "For now we see but through a glass darkly..." I'm not a Christian, or at all religious, but I do remember that.

*leans into your hugs*

Thank you, Papabear.

~Merrys

* * *

You're welcome. Here's another recording to listen to while I work.

Hugs

pbear

* * *

Thank you. *snugs up against your side and puts his head on your chest while he listens*

~Merrys

* * *

Dear Merrys,

I won’t pretend to be able to solve all your problems in one letter, but I will try to make a good start here, and I hope you will correspond with me more in the future if you need to talk.

You don’t go into what your therapists covered (other than endocrine issues, which, in turn, could cause problems with testosterone levels, and, indeed, the original cause of this can be stress), and you don’t explain well what the abuse was as a child, except that you were made to grow up too soon and, evidently, not allowed to be yourself. Your parents, having been abused themselves, did what usually happens in such cases: perpetuated the cycle of abuse on to you (good news being that you have risen above this and now have a good relationship with them). This, it seems, wasn’t because of family being deliberately abusive, but they probably didn’t understand you and just weren’t very good at raising their one child. They may have been good people, but just not competent people.

Because you weren’t allowed to be a child, and because you became a people pleaser—always working to make parents, clergy, teachers happy—you didn’t get to discover yourself. And because you didn’t get to discover yourself, people with whom you were attempting to have relationships with became frustrated because they couldn’t figure you out because you didn’t know who you were. The first step in finding out who you are is to stop trying to be the person you think others want you to be. This doesn’t mean that you should disregard or be mean or indifferent to others, but you shouldn’t hide who you are to please others. Once you have stripped away that false mask and let yourself be you, you being a process that, while it might take some time, will eventually lead you to you.

While, as you say, not laying the blame on anyone, it’s clear that your problems stem from the abuse you had as a child, the fact that you weren’t allowed to be a child (what I call Michael Jackson Syndrome), and that this has all caused you severe stress that has led to endocrine issues and sexual dysfunction. One might also say you wish to return to childhood (or, anyway, divest yourself of the burden of being an adult) because you didn’t get the emotional support you craved as a child. Furthermore, you were not allowed to be gay because of family and society, further suppressing your true identity. Is this what your psychologist told you?

The problem is easy to identify. You could, actually, blame your upbringing, but that won’t solve the problem. So how do you solve the problem?

Well, you’ve found one way to cope, I feel, by being a furry, which is a way to try to relate to one’s child side. Interesting that you picked a dragon as your fursona, the dragon being a strong, tough, loner figure, representing what you are trying to be. In that sense, I suggest that you actually have picked the opposite fursona of the one you need. I don’t see you as a dragon; I see you as a bunny—soft and cute and snuggable ... and vulnerable. Perhaps you might adopt a second fursona. Many do.

You would also do well to try and recapture your childhood. Not the way Michael Jackson did (bordering on insanity, poor man), but to regain the joy of Christmas, birthdays, going to amusement parks, etc. You sound like you need friends. What’s your involvement in the furry community? (And, by the way, your impression of furries that they are all “virile” and sexually confident and well-balanced.... poppycock. Just read through the letters on this site, which is a receptacle of insecurities and sexual and relationship problems. We all need help.) Hanging out with furries is a super way to regain that feeling of childlike playfulness.

So, we now have: find out who you are, rediscover your childhood, and start making friends (btw, this is from one of my favorite sites, Tiny Buddha, on being a friend: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/25-ways-to-be-a-true-friend/). When you are good friend material, you will attract friends to you like moths to a flame.

And what happens when you get lots of friends? Well, chances are that one of those friends will become more than a friend. It starts with cuddles, and you need cuddles more than just about anyone I’ve ever talked to.

“Working on yourself” doesn’t mean working on your appearance, or getting an impressive education, or making lots of money, or, in a relationship, doing whatever the other person wants from you, or working on your conversation skills and trying to be the life of the party. There is nothing really wrong with you, except that you weren’t given a fair chance to ground yourself because you didn’t get the childhood everyone needs. Remember, people don’t transform from children into adults, they are, rather, adult shells encasing the children still inside them. That child, that vulnerability, that need to be cuddled and protected, remains in all of us. It’s the brave ones who admit that they need a big hug or cuddle, and no, it’s not about sex.

One last word of advice. Don’t stand around waiting for that hug. Be proactive and hug someone first. You might be surprised that this can break down walls and one of those people will give you a big hug back. Maybe it will lead to a new relationship; and, yes, relationships can be scary, but it’s better than no relationship at all, if that’s what you’re looking for.

As to your original question, “Does it get better?” It certainly can, although I can’t guarantee it. But it helps to get to a goal when you have a clear, well-paved path to walk on. I hope I laid a few stones on that path for you tonight.

Bear Hugs,

Papabear

* * *

Dear Papa Bear,

Thank you for your considered and considerate reply. To address all your points in any depth is going to take a while, so I hope you'll forgive me if my reply takes a while to complete. I wanted to say "thank you" now, though: reading your words, as I have several times already, I have found both comforting and reassuring, and I feel better already.

One thing I'd like to mention now, though, and I'll address it more fully in later, is that I'm Otherkin, and that's my connection to being a dragon. I didn't choose to be a dragon, I simply am one. And I'd argue that even dragons can be vulnerable and weak and need cuddles, too. I know I did, when I was an eggling, first time around. :-)

Thank you again for your patience, your kindness and your support. I have very much enjoyed writing to you, and also listening to those two audio tracks you sent me.

With very best wishes, and much thanks,

~Merrys

* * *

Hi, again, Little Dragon,

That is, indeed, a vital piece of information you left out, your being Otherkin. And you’re correct that even a tough-looking dragon can need a cuddle now and then. If I had known this, I would never have suggested you change your fursona (though you still might have the heart of a bunny *grin*). That would be like someone suggesting I be something other than a bear. I am a bear, and you are a dragon, and that’s that. You remind me of Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon--a fierce beast with a heart of gold.

This whole conversation is an excellent reminder to readers of this column that appearances can be deceiving. The guy who looks really tough and confident on the outside might be just the guy who needs a good squeeze and a sympathetic ear.

It’s also a reminder of how many—really, most—people in the world go about their lives wearing masks to please others or as a protective measure against ridicule and prejudice. Some might say that furries are all wearing masks, pretending to be animals or anthros, but I feel it is quite the contrary: we are stripping away our false selves and revealing who we really are on the inside, says this bear.

I don’t think this is the end of this particular conversation, but it is enough for now. Perhaps I’ve worn out the patience of the readers of this column with such a long post, but they, as always, are free to wander off elsewhere into cyberspace. I hope that those who have stayed have gained something here.

Bear Hugs to All,

Papabear

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.  This article is a companion to Fred’s series on French anthropomorphic animal movies. The César Awards, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma (Academy of Arts and Techniques of Cinema) since 1976, were frankly designed to be French cinema’s answer to the American Academy […]

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.  This article is a companion to Fred’s series on French anthropomorphic animal movies. The César Awards, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma (Academy of Arts and Techniques of Cinema) since 1976, were frankly designed to be French cinema’s answer to the American Academy […]

submitted by kentkentkent
[link] [22 comments]

submitted by TreeRoo
[link] [3 comments]

submitted by Kerri12
[link] [47 comments]

Hiya guys, I'm looking to make some irl furry friends but I have no idea how to go about that. All of my experience with the fandom comes from this subreddit and a whole lotta second life. Also I haven't been to any furry conventions because I feel like I'd be too embarrassed. What do I do?

submitted by _Z1ggy_
[link] [15 comments]

submitted by ShitArchonXPR
[link] [2 comments]

I'm in the process of making my first ref sheet and I was wondering what should be added to it to make it better. So far all I have is the front and back views of my 'sona. What do you guys think makes a good (or great) ref sheet?

submitted by Foxes-in-space
[link] [10 comments]

1. Tell us about your most recent project (written or published). What inspired it?

I can’t go into too much detail about my most recent project, as it’s in the midst of being published and I don’t want to say something I shouldn’t! What I can say is that it is the first adult piece I’ve ever written, and thus coincidentally the first adult piece of mine to ever see publication. The piece wasn’t necessarily inspired by any one thing, it started off as a personal exercise — trying something new and seeing what I could do with it — and evolved from there.

2. What’s your writing process like? Are you a “pantser,” an outliner, or something in between?

I generally don’t have a specific writing process, so I’d say I’m mostly an in-betweener. If I am specifically writing for an anthology or a certain theme, my process would more reflect an outliner, whereas if I’m writing a story I was personally inspired to write, I more or less build the story as I go. It may not be the most efficient, but it’s what works for me!

3. What’s your favorite kind of story to write?

It’s hard to say with the (what I consider) limited experience I’ve had, but as of now I definitely have enjoyed writing sci-fi the most. It’s also the genre I want to explore more, and rightfully so considering how unpolished I’ve felt my previous work in that genre has been.

4. Which character from your work do you most identify with, and why?

The work itself is long gone from the public eye, as it hasn’t met my standards I set for myself in a long time. But, I most identify with the character Garrett from one of my older pieces since taken down from FurAffinity. He was very much an amalgam of my own life experiences with a healthy dose of fantasy mixed in. Some of his struggles were things I dealt with, and some were inspired by things I’ve dealt with.

5. Which authors or books have most influenced your work?

Outside the fandom, the work of Philip Pullman and his His Dark Materials series was one of the earliest works I can recall that drew me into the concept of anthropomorphic characters. Within the fandom, the work of Kyell Gold was what showed me what could be done with adult scenes in a story, and how they could matter to the plot. Some other books (in no particular order) that have influenced me were: The Society of S by Susan Hubbard, Blasphemy by Douglas Preston, and Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

6. What’s the last book you read that you really loved?

I’m currently in the process of reading John Dies at the End by David Wong, which is a really refreshing read for me. Horror is something I generally don’t read (thought that’s starting to change!) so something so incredibly odd is an incredible departure from what I typically read.

7. Besides writing, how do you like to spend your free time?

These days, my time is mainly occupied with school. When I do have free time, it’s either occupied relaxing with video games or squeezing in some writing. I’ve also recently developed an interest in origami!

8. Advice for other writers?

It might not mesh well with what other writers will suggest, but my personal opinion is be willing to NOT write. The worst thing to ever happen to my writing was when I forced myself to write a story I didn’t want to write. Don’t get caught up in the idea that you MUST write for x amount of anthologies, or write x amount of stories. Write what you want, not what you must. I tried the whole “I’ll write for this anthology and that one and this one and this one too!” spiel, and it got old, quick — and in the end none of those stories got accepted. My heart wasn’t in the words, and they ended up poor quality. So that’s my advice, don’t force yourself to write a story you don’t want to.

9. Where can readers find your work?

At the moment, you can find my story “Sugar Pill” published in Tales From The Guild, Music to Your Ears, published by Rabbit Valley and edited by AnthroAquatic. As I said, I also have a story being published that I can’t get into too much detail about at the moment, but I’ll be sure to make an announcement when I can!

10. What’s your favorite thing about the furry fandom?

My favorite thing has been what it has done for me, honestly. Were it not for certain people in the fandom, I would not be where I am in life or anywhere near the life I live now. And honestly, I don’t know if my life would be nearly as enjoyable if that were the case.

 

Check out Mars’ member bio here!