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After several entries for young readers, now it’s time for something truly different…! “Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, the Loch Ness Monster. All are age old folklore fodder, but could they actually be real? In recent years the myth of Man Goat and The Bunny Man has grown locally, and many have claimed sightings of the two unique creatures; yet no concrete evidence exists… And that’s exactly how they want it! Dealing with the things nightmares are made of so we don’t have to – deranged mutants, satanic cults, demons, summer vacationers – Man Goat and the Bunny Man protect us from the evils that hide in plain sight. But they don’t want your adoration, they just want to be left alone!” Issues of Man Goat and the Bunny Man (created by Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Dave Franchini, and Edgar Salazar) are available now from Zenescope.

image c. 2021 Zenescope

Another month of the year has passed by. This month was Pride Month, and I hope people enjoyed reading the Pride Month Spotlights that were featured over the last few weeks. The Furry Writers’ Guild is blessed with so many members who identify as LGBTQ+, so in truth there could have been any number of people interviewed. We at the guild encourage everyone to continue supporting LGBTQ+ people and causes.

For this month’s newsletter, there will be three main topics to cover.
– The Leo Awards winners.
– Open anthology markets.
– Book promotion opportunities.

The Leo Awards are run by the Furry Book Review. They are a little different to other awards as there is never one single winner of each category. Instead, the awards seek to honour and highlight all exceptional furry fiction. As a consequence of this, all nominations that pass a benchmark score across a panel of judges is considered a winner of the award. This can be shared amongst the entire field of nominations, if all are considered worthy. (Note: I was one of the judges for this year’s awards, which were judged in March/April.)

The winners for the 2020 Leo Awards were as follows:

Novels

Disbanded, by Frances Pauli

Entanglement Bound, by Mary E. Lowd

Qoholeth + Gallery Exhibition, by Madison Scott-Clary

Fox Spirit: A Two-Tailed Adventure, by Amy Clare Fontaine

Whip and Boot, by Herr Wozzeck

Ritual of the Ancients, by Ian Madison Keller

Symphony of Hunted Truths, by Leilani Wilson

​

Novellas

What Makes a Witch, by Linnea Capps

Rightful Salvage, by Frances Pauli

Spin the Bottle, by Dajan Tafari

​

Anthologies

Difursity, by Weasel

Selections of Anthropomorphic Regalements, vol. 1, by KC Alpinus

Sensory De-tails, by Thurston Howl

Burnt Fur, by Ken MacGregor

OhMurr, by Weasel

The Haunted Den, by Tarl “Voice” Hoch and Thurston Howl

The Electric Sewer, by Thurston Howl

​

Short Stories

“The Battler” by Cedric G! Bacon in Even Furries Hate Nazis

“The Fire in Her Claws” by Mary E. Lowd in Daily Science Fiction

“Paths” by Kyell Gold in Sensory De-tails

“Water” by Utunu in The Voice of Dog

“Summer Strawberries” by Mary E. Lowd in The Voice of Dog

“Loving You is Wrong” by NightEyes Dayspring in The Voice of Dog

“Ember in the Night” by BanWynn Oakshadow in SPECIES: Wildcats

“Sharp” by Thurston Howl in Electric Sewer

“Keep Breathing” by Karter Mycroft in Zooscape

“Too Much Play” by TJ Minde in Give Yourself a Hand

“The Pine Lesson” by Ian Madison Keller in Ironclaw: Book of Legends

“These Are the Days of Our Lives” by Weasel in Sensory De-tails

​

Poems

“On Meeting My First Fur” by Chazz Chitwood in Furry Slut

​

Nonfiction

“Furry Erotica and Pornography: Art, Sex, and the Self” by Katav in From Paw to Print

From Paw to Print, compiled by Thurston Howl

​

Book Covers

Disbanded, by Ilya Royz

Once Broken, by Nomax

Selections of Anthropomorphic Regalements, vol. 1, by Jonas Jödicke

When a Cat Loves a Dog, by Idess

Furry Slut, by Jessica Hart

Fox Spirit: A Two-Tailed Adventure, by Paola Tuazon

Purrgatorio, by Joseph Chou

Please support these wonderful writers by clicking through the links and buying what stands out to you. Trust me, they are all deserved winners!
Nominations are also open for the 2021 Leo Awards.

As always, the Furry Writers Market is the go-to place to find out which markets are currently open for submissions. Here is a quick rundown of the open calls.

• Untethered – Deadline: July 15th 2021
• Wolves Gay – Deadline: July 30th 2021
• Furward Slash: A Furry Adult Techno-Horror Anthology – Deadline: November 30th, 2021
• Pirating Pups – Deadline: November 30th, 2021
• The Nightmurr Before Christmas – Deadline: October 1st, 2021
• #ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
• Zooscape – Reoccurring submission period.
• Isekai Me – Deadline: When full.
  
  An important note to add as well: The Submission Grinder now has a search category specifically for furry calls. This will mean another important tool in finding furry-specific anthology calls.

The Furry Writers’ Guild is also looking for books to promote.
If you are a guild member who has a book release coming up, then please get in contact with us so that we can help share this news through our social media outlets. We will be keeping an eye out for new books ourselves, but if you don’t want us to miss it, send us an email or message and we can make a note of it.

For now, we will only promote self-published books if they are from a guild member. All books through a publisher will be considered. This scope may well change in the future, so keep checking back to our social media feeds and blog posts for more information.

The second half of 2021 is upon us. Things may not have been easy so far this year, but hopefully the next six months will see a gradual return to a better normal.
Keep writing, keep reading. Make it all furry!

J.F.R. Coates

Hey, Papabear,

For the last year or so I've been feeling sexually attracted to animals (mainly horses). Whenever I see one, I get an erection, or when I see a picture of one.

Do you have any advice so I can set these thoughts apart and don't have to live with them?

Anonymous (age 18, the Netherlands)

* * *

Dear Furiend,

Perhaps this letter that I wrote back in 2013 will help. My advice directly to you would be this: First, sex with animals is strictly banned in your homeland of the Netherlands as of 2008. This means that if you are caught indulging in your equinophilia, you could go to jail. The same is true if you are caught with pornography depicting sex with animals.

There may be a couple reasons for your sexual thoughts. One is that you are genuinely a zoophile, a subject I talk about in the article linked above. The other is that images of horses--their genitalia, rumps, etc.--may be a psychological tool to disguise other sexual impulses. For example, you are a male and you are attracted to the large penis of a horse, so it could be that you are disguising homoerotic feelings by covering them up in the idea of a horse rather than admitting you want sex with a man. This might sound counterintuitive, as one would think zoophilia would be worse than homosexuality, but the brain works that way sometimes. Also, if you have OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior) or PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), this can make your condition worse.

The best thing for you to do at this time would be to find a professional counselor to advise you, since Papabear is not a trained professional. You should really figure out what is going on in your head before you decide what to do about it. Follow this link for tips on where you can seek some help in your area.

I would like to end by saying there is nothing "wrong" with you. Human sexuality is complex, to say the least. At 18, you are at a time in your life when your hormones are raging and you are also going through many physical and mental changes. There is no shame in asking for help, and if you can't open up to a family member, then your best solution is to find a good counselor.

Good Luck!
Papabear

Faces familiar and new come your way in the latest work from Joey Weiser. “On your mark, get set, GO! Dive into the graphic novel sequel to Ghost Hog [we talked about it before!] from the Eisner Award-nominated creator of Mermin [that too!] full of action, adventure, and speed! Following the events of Ghost Hog, Truff, Claude, and Stanley are joined by a new friend, Vern, as he gears up for the big race back home in Dragon Racer! He’s never won the race before…but this could be his year! Vern’s been practicing and practicing, both on and off the road. But when the other racers start to tease the fast driving dragon about his abilities on the track, he’ll have to put the pedal to the metal and prove he’s got the speed and finesse to compete in this year’s race… Zoom into this fast-paced graphic novel full of friendship, teamwork, and believing in yourself.” Dragon Racer is available now in trade paperback from Oni Press.

image c. 2021 Oni Press

TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 18 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show.

Welcome to the June edition of Digging Up Positivity! This month we cover some animation, of course charities, and our featurette is a Paco Panda from Mexico. This episode you will have a chance to win a lovely hard cover comic book by him. How? I will explain near the end of the video together […]

Klik and Sammy talk with Talarus and Syber of Made Fur You about keeping your fursuit in the best condition possible, from light performance to full-on performance grade wear and tear!





NOW LISTEN!
SHOW NOTES
SPECIAL THANKS

Talus
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Check out Made Fur You for more details on fursuits!
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MUSIC

Opening Theme: RetroSpecter – Cloud Fields (RetroSpecter Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Closing Theme: RetroSpecter – Cloud Fields (RetroSpecter Chill Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Chill Out Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!) S9 Episode 10: Frazzled Fursuit Upkeep - Klik and Sammy talk with Talarus and Syber of Made Fur You about keeping your fursuit in the best condition possible, from light performance to full-on performance grade wear and tear! - NOW LISTEN! SHOW NOTES SPEC

There’s a new full-color graphic novel out that’s both informative and timely. The Way of the Hive by Jay Hosler is actually an updated re-do of their book called Clan Apis. The new one goes like this: “The life cycle of the honey bee is given a whole new twist in this graphic novel that follows the life of a Nyuki (Swahili for bee) from her early days as a pupa until her death at the base of a flower. She is mentored by her older sister Dvorah, who tries to hold back Nyuki’s early urges to explore. A premature sojourn from the hive results in some close calls with a praying mantis and a spider, and Nyuki returns home vowing to never leave again. Now Dvorah has to find a way to lure her out, and her success is bittersweet. As Nyuki grows older, she becomes a beloved member of the hive and ends up in the role of mentor herself, helping out a younger bee named Melissa.” Jay Hosler is a biology professor, so they know their stuff! Kids Book A Day has a review with some preview pages as well. The book is available in hardcover and softcover editions from Harper Alley.

image c. 2021 Harper Alley

Welcome to the third and final Pride Month spotlight. This time we talked to Kayodé Lycaon (he/him), who has kindly answered our questions about his identity and his struggles. Please note that there is a content warning for some abusive subjects in some of these answers – Kayodé has highlighted them at the beginning of the relevant answers.

FWG: Tell the guild and our readers a bit about yourself.

Kayodé: Hi! I’m Kayodé Lycaon, a gregarious painted wolf living in the questionable habitat of southwestern Ohio, and I like to talk. A lot. So, steal a seat, grab someone else’s drink, and get comfortable.

I’ve done and learned a lot of things in my life. To misquote a phrase, I’m a wolf of many trades, master of one. I’m a senior software engineer who has worked in insurance, education, and now online sales. I’ve run a furry convention. I’m excellent at logistics. I read scientific papers, court cases, and textbooks. I run and play tabletop rpgs with friends. I leave dishes piled up next to the sink until I’m out of forks, but the kitchen table is always clean.

It’s a bit of a crazy life. (More on that later.)

FWG: What is your favourite work that you have written?

Kayodé: This is where I plug my wares, right? My story Dark Garden Lake in The Reclamation Project – Year One (Available in paperback from FurPlanet and ebook from Bad Dog Books.)

Shameless plugging aside, I really do love it. The setting of The Reclamation Project is full of moral and technological complexity. There’s a lot of room to explore ideas and characters. It’s a really good anthology that I was proud to contribute to.

The story itself is a huge milestone for me. It is the first story I consider to be “good”. Many of my previous dabbles at writing have had good concepts and ideas, but this was the first to have good execution. There are flaws, but for being so early in my writing career it’s better than it has any right to be.

When I finished writing Dark Garden Lake, I knew I had created something special. Every time I feel like a failure, I can look back at it and know that I’m both a writer and an author. Even if I never write again, I will still be those things.

FWG: What do you think makes a good story?

Kayodé: A good story engages with the reader’s imagination. All art has an audience, even if that is just the artist. Every reader has their own experiences to bring to the table. Every word the author doesn’t write, gets written by the reader.

In my own works, I’ll paint a scene with a few choice details and give the audience room to imagine. I drop a hint or two at a backstory that only exists in my notes. I slowly give the reader’s my characters’ thoughts, fears, and motivations so when the action hits, they know how the character feels without me having to say it.

FWG: How long have you been in the guild, and what changes have you seen with regards to how writing is handled since joining?

Kayodé: I haven’t been around here all that long. I officially became a member December 2019 about a year after I had started hanging out in the Telegram channel. A few months later, I was asked to fill in the Vice President role due to my prior experience in similar positions. Then the fire nation attac…the pandemic happened.

People stepped up to help run Oxfurred Comma. The newsletter is going out regularly. The guild has a number of volunteers who have come on board. It’s all very exciting and I’m looking forward to the future.

FWG: Can you give us a little insight into your identity, and how you fit onto the lgbtq+ spectrum?

Kayodé: I’m asexual, panromantic, and very much interested in sex. That last part throws people. (More on that when I talk about discovering my identity.)

There is an assumption by many people that asexuality is about lack of interest in sex. This belief is so pervasive that asexuality is seen as “opting out” of the LGBTQ+ community. The truth is, for some people, they identify as asexual because they have “opted out”. Since these people may later change their identification, this adds weight to this idea.

This incorrect belief is compounded by what asexuality actually is. Asexuality is about a lack of sexual attraction, not lack of interest in sex. For allosexual (non-asexual) people, sexual attraction is a fundamental experience. It is difficult to imagine what something feels like when you lack equivalent or applicable experience.

When I try to explain what asexuality feels like, I describe it as being horny without a target, but this leads people to imagine being frustrated or thwarted. This could not be further from the truth. When it comes to sex, I have plenty of choices, some being multi-player. I don’t feel any special connection to sex, it simply is, and I can do whatever I want with it.

This last part has led to many misunderstandings as I am also panromantic. I crave deep, meaningful relationships regardless of a person’s sexuality or gender, but those relationships have nothing to do with sex. This becomes a bit of a problem, as I can’t tell when someone thinks I’m flirting with them. It’s been a source of some painful misunderstandings and the butt of insensitive jokes.

It would be easier to deal with by “opting out” and just being on the sidelines as an ally, but I shouldn’t have to opt out. My experience is fundamentally different from a heterosexual person’s, and I have to deal with the same societal prejudices. Sexual attraction is pervasive at every level of society and culture. I’m constantly reminded that “your kind doesn’t belong here.” Whether I want sex or not, that makes me part of the LGBTQ+ community.

FWG: What does Pride mean to you?

Kayodé: Honestly, very little. I’ve always felt excluded from it as Kayodé and my memories prior to changing my name in 2019 are extremely spotty.

The one thing I do remember is being in fursuit on a float in a pride parade. Seeing all of the people in the crowd made me feel like I was on the outside looking at something beautiful within.

FWG: Was there a bit of a journey or story to you uncovering your identity? If so, would you be comfortable sharing with us?

Kayodé: It’s a long story inseparably linked to being bipolar and growing up in an emotionally abusive home. I’ll do my best to keep my descriptions brief, but my answer is long and may be triggering to some readers. Feel free to skip to the next bolded question.

I grew up in a family that considered mental illness to be at best a lack of character and at worst demon possession. “Try harder,” “suck it up,” and “you have no right to feel that way” were the messages I grew up with. Sexual desire of any kind was an unforgivable sin.

My struggle with identity started when I was nine years old and started having hypersexual episodes. Hypersexuality is terrible. At worst, hypersexuality is an unrelenting, insatiable need for sex. There is no relief from it. At best, sex consumes hours of each day just to stay sane. As I write this, I haven’t gotten to bed on time in weeks. Doctors and psychiatrists like to treat this as an addiction even though it is a well-documented symptom of mania. My parents were less charitable.

When I was twelve and other children were starting to go through puberty, I learned about how boys desire girls. It was all around me. At one point I got punched in the face by a jealous boyfriend getting mad for me talking to the person they had claimed. I didn’t understand any of it. I was constantly accused of being gay (an unforgivable sin) by my classmates because I wasn’t lusting after girls like they were.

By the time I was an adult, I didn’t understand what was wrong with me. I wanted to have sex, but there was no one I wanted to have sex with. I wanted to focus on my schoolwork, but I couldn’t. I wanted to write, but I couldn’t stick with it. I wanted to have self-control, but I didn’t. This was all my fault.

When I moved to Ohio, I attended my first furry convention and finally found a community where I belonged. The next year I was on staff. Slowly, through my first fursona, I started to explore who I was. The end result was depressing. I was a fatally flawed person condemned to fight the same struggles and make the same mistakes over and over again. My sexuality and gender were empty, null values that were assumed to be “straight” and “male” because that’s how everyone expected me to be.

Eventually, I started to discover my lack of sexual attraction had a label, but I was too busy with year-long cycles of depression and mania. In 2018, I made the mistake of letting someone talk me into being chairman of a convention. In August of that year, the accumulated stress of a lifetime caused something in my brain to snap and thus begin a four-month long descent into madness. Prior to this I’d long avoided engaging with the sexual side of the fandom. I embraced it fully and read everything furry and erotic I could get my paws on.

In Feburary 2019, I was diagnosed bipolar and started treatment. At the time, I described my brain, identity, and memories as a vase thrown against a wall and I was sitting on the floor looking at the pieces. My fursona was the only thing I could cling to remember who I was.

In June, he died. Slowly, medication gave me the self-control I had always lacked, and I began to realize it wasn’t me that was flawed. My previous fursona proved to be nothing more than a false mirror. And I broke. I became nothing.
In the aftermath, I had to build a new self. I sifted through the shattered pieces of who I used to be. I built a new fursona and gave him those pieces to carry. Slowly, Kayodé emerged. I read about asexuality and learned there was nothing wrong with my sexuality. I read about romantic and aromantic people and understood why I wanted the relationships I did.

I’m still grappling with who I’m becoming. My psychotic break severely damaged my long-term memory and I’m sure bipolar medication isn’t helping in that respect. I don’t have much to connect me to my past. My identity still has no gender. It is a complete blank that I have no strong feelings about. I’m used to being treated as male, so I use male pronouns. When I hear Kayodé or my legal name, I don’t recognize them as referring to me. When I hear my previous fursona’s name, it brings up a past I want nothing to do with.

But I know the important things. I know the things I want to do. I know why I feel the way I feel and I know there is nothing wrong with what I feel. That’s good enough for now.

FWG: How do you think being lgbtq+ has inspired or affected your stories? Have you written lgbtq+ characters into your works?

Kayodé: My own struggles with identity and relationships has more than inspired me—they are the entire purpose that drives my writing. Every one of my characters deliberately embodies a struggle or experience I have. It is somewhat unfortunate that I have an endless supply of source material.

Bipolar is defined by extremes. I have lived and experienced more in thirty years than a dozen neurotypical people would have in a lifetime. Mania fuels every extreme of emotion, from rage, to paranoia, to indescribable joy. Depression is an all-consuming emptiness. Psychosis is imagination unhinged, indistinguishable from reality. In four months, I lived an entire lifetime as an anthropomorphic wolf. Sadly, his experiences were worse than my own.

As a result, my (mostly male) characters span the entire rainbow: ace, bi, gay, trans, and more. I’ve found common experiences with all of them. With every story, I hope to give my audience a glimpse into a perspective they might not otherwise have seen.

FWG: Do you have favourite queer authors and has their literature affected your writing in the fandom?

Kayodé: I have limited experience with furry literature and none with any queer literature outside of the fandom. But since I’m here… I’ll embarrass the hell out of NightEyes, because that’s always fun! His short story A Moment of Darkness in Knotted (Available in paperback from FurPlanet and ebook from Bad Dog Books) was a story I really connected with. It’s taken me a while to notice, but reading it made me much more comfortable writing the stories I like to write. If he can write about cancer, I can write about mental health.

FWG: If you could convince everyone to read a single book, what would it be?

Kayodé: Without a doubt, Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland. I particularly like the audio book. It’s a book about the process of making art—“ordinary art”, as they call it. How many times do we sit down in front of a keyboard and get nothing done? This book won’t fix that, but it will explain, in depth, how art gets made (or not made). There are pitfalls everyone falls into. Insecurity about the things we create is the rule, not the exception.
If you want to have a better relationship with your writing, Art & Fear is a good book to read.

FWG: Any last words for our readers and guild members?

Kayodé: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading my answers as much as I enjoyed writing them. (Also, buy the books!)

That is the last of the Pride Month spotlights for this year. We will be doing more spotlights throughout the year, of course.

The furry fandom is a special place because of (amongst other things) how open and welcoming it is to lgbtq+ people. It is a safe haven for many to explore and develop their identities, and this is something we need to cherish and embrace. This month and every month.

We at the Furry Writers’ Guild encourage everyone – our members, future members, and readers – to embrace and explore the myriad of identities that make us so special.

Stay Proud. Stay safe.
Happy reading.

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

Bearly is back from his trip and joins Taebyn for another fun filled episode. We explore another Taebyn Word and Bearly sings a song.  We hear from Bixby during 5 Minute Furs, and Bearly's mom sits down with Bearly for a visit about furs. We chat about fractals, and tell some really bad jokes. So tune in and join us for a spell. Bless yur heart! Moobarkfluff!

www.fractalfoundation.org

Support the show

Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.

You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com

Bearly Furcasting S2E9 - Bearly Sings, 5 Minute Furs, A Tennessee Visit, Math, Really Bad Jokes

Netflix continues to present us with animation that is at very least worth checking out. The latest is called Dogs in Space. “In this animated comedy adventure, in the not-so-distant future genetically enhanced dogs are sent across the universe in search of a new home for the human race. It’s a giant cosmic game of fetch, as the canines seek a planet that will save humanity and — more importantly — let them return to their beloved owners… The series is created by Jeremiah Cortez, who is also executive producer alongside Adam Henry. The voice cast includes Haley Joel Osment (Kominsky Method), Sarah Chalke, Kimiko Glenn (Into the Spider-Verse), Chris Parnell (Archer), David Lopez, Debra Wilson (MADtv), and William Jackson Harper.” According to Animation World Network, Dogs in Space is due on Netflix this fall.

image c. 2021 Netflix

Aardman Animations are coming back, with an unusual entry in their portfolio this time. Once again it’s stop motion animation — but in this one the characters are made of felt. Here’s what Animation World Network said: “Netflix has just dropped first look images and a teaser trailer for the upcoming stop-motion animation musical holiday special, Robin Robin, which will debut November 27. The special is produced by Oscar-winning Aardman Animations, stop-motion pioneers known for their animated movies starring fan favorite characters including Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. The 30-minute special, Aardman’s first original production done with Netflix, stars Golden Globe winner Gillian Anderson and Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant… In the special, when her egg fortuitously rolls into a rubbish dump, Robin is raised by a loving family of mice. As she grows up, her differences become more apparent. Robin sets off on the heist to end all heists to prove to her family that she can be a really good mouse – but ends up discovering who she really is.” Take a look at the preview video on YouTube also.

image c. 2021 Aardman Animations

In this show we chat to music producer Rhythm Bastard, about the music production process, working on games, and how he got wrapped up in the furry fandom! Find him on Bandcamp! https://rhythmbastard.bandcamp.com/ And Twitter! https://twitter.com/rhythmbastard Find us on Twitter: @South-Afrifur, https://twitter.com/southafrifur, on Tumblr, http://south-afrifur.tumblr.com/, and on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/southafrifur Also, for more local news, check out the Zafur forums! http://forum.zafur.co.za/

Resources, Social Media & Donation Links
Follow Strypz
Berry Unusual Youtube
Facebook (Photography)
Mixcloud
Facebook (DJ)
Join Rhyner’s Telegram Channel
Guest Application Form
BIPOC FURRY EVENTS
Wife’s Music: YOUTUBE & FACEBOOK
The traumatic experience ( Trigger warning )

On March 22nd 2021 I interviewed Strypz, aka Berry Unusual, a darkly inclined individual with his paws all over the set from the lights, the cameras, and the action! He (sometimes she) is a mixture of Christian, goth, black, furry, and more that may have you scratch your head and give him another look. Don't let that distract you though, Strypz proves to be one of the most interesting and down to Earth people I've had the pleasure of speaking with. 

He goes on to tell me how he came to fall out of his faith, and regain it stronger than ever. The journey he takes us on really opened my eyes to how it can bring us together - pagan, atheist, Christian or whatever. However, this isn't the only side to this talented feline. Since the age of 13 Strypz has been working in media, and his experience shows as he goes on to talk about the passion he has for his Youtube channel. 

And that's not even the tip of the iceberg. Creating a fursuit from scratch? Check. Creating clothing line? Check. Music producer? Check. Jump in, you won't wanna miss this one!

As always. Thanks for listening! 

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Interview With Strypz - Gothic Style, Religion, & Media Mastery

After four months of nominations, the results are out for the 2021 winners of the Good Furry Award, an award that recognize furries for their outstanding contributions to the fandom. Furry YouTuber and musician Cassidy Civet, famously known for her appearance on the Eurovision Song Contest, is named award winner for this year. Nomination testimonials […]

Moving online, Discord-based furry convention CozyCon recently has unveiled milk caps, or popularly known as pogs as part of their merchandise series this year. On that, in a recent announcement, the convention is looking for artists to help in the design of the five remaining limited-edition stickers; designs in line with their 80s-inspired convention theme […]

In sight of local conditions, American convention Painted Desert Furcon, or PDFC, is set to hold their event over the New Year. Postponed registrations will be transferred to this year’s event and refunds will not be given; though when another postponement happens, attendees can either choose to transfer again or request a full refund. The […]

TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 17 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show.

Things have been changing rapidly in the world of My Little Pony since Friendship Is Magic ended its TV run in 2019. Now comes the news from IDW Publishing that the comic book tie-in to MLP-FIM is coming to a close very soon… while at the same time, they announced what’s coming next. “Since its very inception in 2012, the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic monthly comic book series from IDW has captured the hearts and minds of filly fans everywhere. Now, after almost a decade of publication, we bid a fond farewell to Friendship is Magic with September’s issue #102, the oversized conclusion of the official ‘Season 10’ storyline that picked up where the beloved animated series left off… But friends, never fear! Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity will return in a new series beginning in October: My Little Pony: Generations! Written by Casey Gilly and illustrated by Michela Cacciatore, the new five-issue miniseries will see the Ponies of two separate generations collide, as the familiar faces from Friendship is Magic must call upon the original G1 Ponies of the 1980s for help against a new witch threat erupting from the Volcano of Doom!” So, will this go beyond five issues? We’ll find out soon.

image c. 2021 IDW Publishing

For the second Pride Spotlight of the month, we interviewed George Squares (he/him). Though George has had several short story credits to his name, he has recently been writing in a very different medium to most within the Furry Writers Guild.
This is what furry and queer writing means to him.

FWG: Tell the guild and our readers a bit about yourself.

George: Sure. I go by George Squares. I’m a gay man, I tend to focus heavily on writing horror, romance and erotica, and I’ve been in the furry writer’s guild for a long time. I’ve had stories published in anthologies such as Arcana and Dissident Signals for various presses.

Though I started out selling my writing for short story anthologies (one of the first things I published in the furry scene was a story called Interchangeable Parts in Will of the Alpha 2), these days I make a living off of script writing for various games studios. One of the biggest projects I’ve ever undertaken is managing and writing a visual novel for Echo Project called The Smoke Room, which updates approximately every month and a half. 

FWG: What is your favourite work that you have written?

George: Hard for me to say. I really enjoyed writing a highly risque transformation story that I put up on fur affinity called Something to Trade (it’s probably not a read for everybody), but I think my short story in Arcana, which was for The Sun’s Major Arcana, really stuck with me. But I think my strongest work is going into The Smoke Room at the moment.  

FWG: What do you think makes a good story?

George: A lot of things can make for a good story, but at the end of the day, I think that the most important thing is emotional resonance. We remember how something made us feel the strongest, so if a story can make its audience feel, it will leave an impact. 

FWG: How long have you been in the guild, and what changes have you seen with regards to how writing is handled since joining?

George: I think I’ve technically been in it for around six to seven years. My involvement with the Guild had generally been around the periphery as my interest in publishing print media diminished. But what’s exciting for me to see more of recently is visual novels and interactive games getting embraced as “writing” in writing communities. People are opening up to supporting accessible multimedia projects that have as much depth as many books do.
 
FWG: Can you give us a little insight into your identity, and how you fit onto the lgbtq+ spectrum?

George: I call myself a gay man out of convenience (and I still consider that to be fairly accurate in terms of my identity), but if I went into the nitty gritty, I’m a masculine nonbinary person with some agender-leaning identity.
 
FWG: What does Pride mean to you?

George: It means many things to me, but it mostly means a celebration of the perserverence of Queer (Or LGBTQIA+) identity over institutional hegemony and police brutality. I know we can trace most of the original celebration’s significance back to Marsha P. Johnson’s thrown brick at Stonewall. 

I’ve never had the chance to attend a pride event or celebration in person, but I know how important it is to people who are like me.
 
FWG: Was there a bit of a journey or story to you uncovering your identity? If so, would you be comfortable sharing with us?

George: A lot of it was pretty uncomfortable, as, no doubt, many folks in the same boat will tell you. My parents were devout baptists, so a lot of my adolescent and teen years had to be spent in secrecy and suppression. But a part of that was self-imposed due to religious indoctrination. 

It wasn’t until college, where I got to be on my own and explore who I was, until I felt ready to embrace something I already sort of knew from as early an age as 13. My parents were more accepting than I thought they would be at first. I still talk to them about this to this day, but our relationship is still rocky.

FWG: How do you think being lgbtq+ has inspired or affected your stories? Have you written lgbtq+ characters into your works?

George: Well, the graphic sex between men is impossible to miss, for starters. But when I’m writing without explicit sexual depictions, yeah, my sexual and gender identity always comes into factor. I think about what’s depicted as attractive or desirable to the PoV character. I think about what a touch is like between characters with chemistry vs. characters without it. And I think about what I would want to see in a work as a reader when I’m writing something, because even though we can’t always write only for ourselves, we can manage to write for people who are like us who are hungry for relatable stories.

FWG: Do you have favourite queer authors and has their literature affected your writing in the fandom?

George: Well I definitely have to mention Howly, who created Echo, which eventually led to the entirety of Echo Project. He’s very kind, he works hard, and he undervalues himself considerably, but I wouldn’t have been able to make games without him.

I also want to mention Redd the Shibe, who is my co-writer for The Smoke Room. We have banged our heads together on plenty of walls figuring out how to code and how to make a game but I really think we managed to get past our major hurdles, and I’m proud of us.   
I also need to mention some Devs in the MLM furry VN scene who I think are doing interesting work:
-Grizz (Password)
-Eddio (Killigan’s Treasure)
-Basket (Tennis Ace)
-Xarishro (Fuelled by Insanity)-Raus (Shelter)

My earlier influences in terms of MLM representation in furry stories were K.M. Hirosaki/Rikoshi, Kyell Gold, and Ryan Campbell, and I’m looking forward to reading God of Fire in the near future. 
Robert Baird, and Ian Madison Keller are also really lovely writers who are enthused about their craft.

I have never asked my good friend and fellow writer Jess E. Owen’s private thoughts on her identity, but I would not be as good of a writer today without her, and I needed to mention her. 
I also need to mention my husband Cafealopex, whose early work in the Redwall Online Community over a decade ago inspired me to write in the first place.

FWG: If you could convince everyone to read a single book, what would it be?

George: Tough question, considering I want everybody to read widely, and I think everybody reading the same single book could lead to pop cultural problems (what’s that saying I keep hearing again and again about…. ‘read another book’), 
But… I think “Into the Wild” is a pretty solid nonfiction book that almost feels like it’s written like fiction, and I think anybody could get into it. It’s entertaining, it’s shocking, it paints a really good picture with scenes, and I think it has an important lesson.

IT is another book that I think would benefit a lot of people probably but it is very dark and very upsetting. 
If I had to choose a narrative game for everybody to play, it would be “Night in the Woods.”
If I had to pick a book for pride month for everybody to read? How about Wolfsong by T.J. Klune. Can’t go wrong with gay werewolf men. 

FWG: Any last words for our readers and guild members?

George: Remember that lots of things can be considered writing and that there’s lots of ways that you can make a living as a writer inside and out of this fandom. Don’t let anybody who tells you otherwise keep you in their shadow.

Celebrate pride month in your own way. 

George is one of the writers with visual novel company The Echo Project. Updates for all the visual novels can be found at The Echo Project’s Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/EchoGame
You can follow George on Twitter @georgesquares

We have one more Pride Spotlight to come before the end of the month. In the meantime, please do check out George’s work. You will not be disappointed.