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Dear Papa Bear,
​
This particular issue has been on my mind for a long while, and today I can no longer bear the thought of this daily. I’m not too sure whether you’re the right person to talk to or whether there’s any way you can help, but I don’t really have anything to lose so I thought I might as well try. (You might want to grab a cup of coffee, as this will take a little while to explain. Also, it’s a bit heavy, just thought to warn you before you read further.)

I’m an 18 year old furry from the not-so-sunny land of Wales. I’m known by my friends and family for being a pessimist and sadly that couldn’t be more true. I have a medical condition which means I was born with only a single ear. Obviously, that means I cannot hear as well as other people, but also, I was bullied a lot while I was growing up. The option was presented to me to have a prosthesis attached to implants to make it look like I had two ears to help me “fit in”, and another implant that poked outside of my head to attach a hearing aid, so I could hear. For the most part, this worked as intended and was a great help, however this was not to last.

Back in October 2015, due to the growth spurt in my teenage years, a layer of skin had grown over all of my implants, and the hospital decided they were going to sort out the implants for my prosthesis first. They cut away at the skin around the area to uncover the implants again, then grafted a piece of skin from my thigh to replace it.

Soon after, a new model of hearing aid was introduced that involved a magnet under the skin. The doctors presented this to me as a solution to fix my hearing aid implant as it being covered by skin would be okay, and I wouldn’t have to worry about having it uncovered. After a bit of looking into things, they discovered that the hearing aid implant I currently use (installed in around 2008) was too old and therefore couldn’t have a magnet attached to it. So they said I’d need to have another implant a little further up. This would be an exact repeat of the surgery performed in ‘08, and they said as the procedure would only take around 30 minutes, I would most likely be discharged the same day I was admitted.

And here’s where we get to my problem.

After that surgery in 2015 to uncover my prosthesis implants, everything was fine, until about a week after.

Unbeknownst to me, a small section of graft was not bonding with the surrounding tissue, leaving a small pocket. At around 3am that night, it started to bleed heavily, and despite both me and both of my parents being medically trained, we could not stem the bleeding. The paramedics were called as I was going into shock and I was losing consciousness. Although it seems like half of the event was never recorded in my memory, my parents told me I was saying things like “I’m going” or “I can see my great grandparents”. I was rushed off to hospital and I remember my mother praying on a rosary, as the doctors took a sample of my blood and assessed what happened.

The thing is, they found nothing. Their response was “we can’t find a reason why this happened, but for some reason, it happened.”

After two days in hospital, I was discharged again, and after another bleeding episode a few days later that we managed to take care of ourselves, that was the end of it. I was told by my parents that three were told I was very lucky to be alive. The whole near-death experience was extremely traumatizing.

The scary thing is that no-one ever found out why. I have a few guesses, but that’s all they are—guesses.

I’m going in for this new operation in the autumn and all I can think about is the same thing happening again, and me not being so lucky this time around. I’ve been living this past year (since January) in a downward spiral, believing in my heart I only have a few months left to live. I’ve been assured by everyone around me (including my conscious self) that I’m going to live through it, but it’s just not getting through deep down. A voice inside of me just keeps saying “you’re going to die”. Depending on the grades I get at results day on August 16th, I could have finally realized my dream of studying engineering at university, but have it snatched away from me at the last second. That’s what I feel like will happen.

My impending death is all I can think about right now, and it’s just getting worse and worse with each passing day, so ... what do I do?

Yours Faithfully,

Glyn (age 18, Cardiff, Wales)
 
* * *
 
Dear Glyn,
 
That is quite a story, and I am sorry about all you have had to go through.  It is quite amazing that medical science has progressed to the point where they can help you with your ear and hearing issues.  Medicine, though, is also sometimes referred to as the "medical arts" for a reason.  Medicine is not just about knowing anatomy, physiology, epidemiology, etc. Even now, doctors and researchers are still struggling to grasp that every individual is slightly different than everyone else in how their body reacts to medicines and medical procedures, as is apparently the case with you.
 
I'm sensing a reason you are frightened is that you might have a feeling of powerlessness. That can certainly happen when one has been faced with a life-threatening event such as the bleeding problems you have had. Being nervous about another procedure is perfectly understandable and normal. There are a couple things I would suggest: 1) ask to speak with your surgeon and talk to them about the procedure and ask them what they have learned from what happened the first time and if they are going to do anything differently with a second procedure (do not let up until ALL of your questions are answered), and 2) contact the hospital where the procedure was performed and ask to talk with a hospital counselor. Speak to them frankly about your worries and fears. I'm not sure about Wales, but in the USA this is called presurgical counseling.
 
It is very important, too, for you to realize that patients have rights and your decisions on how to handle your health are paramount. They are YOUR decisions, not the doctor's. Often, patients simply bow to whatever their doctors say without question. They fail to ask questions. They fail to tell doctors when they believe the doctor is not listening to their needs or if the doctor is dismissing their symptoms too readily. 
 
You can ease your mind by realizing YOU are in control, not the doctor. The doctor works for you, not the other way around. One thing this means is you are in control of the schedule. If you are not comfortable with the surgery scheduled for this autumn, then tell the hospital you wish to cancel or postpone it.  If I am reading your letter correctly, this is not a life-threatening need right now. That is, you will still be able to live and function without the surgery. Do you feel that you will be able to attend university? I am guessing you can, and if you have trouble hearing lectures, make sure you sit in a front-row seat (you can also record lectures and listen to them later with the volume turned up); if you need a hearing aid in the one ear, get one.
 
Only after all your questions have been answered about the surgery and you are mentally and emotionally prepared for it should you schedule a date. In other words, don't push yourself because pushing yourself about deadlines will only increase your anxiety levels.
 
You, Glyn, are ultimately in control of your own health and body. You have the right to be comfortable and well-informed about any medical treatments and surgical procedures involving your own body.
 
Hope that helps reassure you.
 
Hugs,
Papabear

Furries are everywhere! "Welcome to Menceriakan on the MARCH, which took part in the middle of summer in a quiet Village where the animals gather and live. So we can join Garujix, Clef, Bima, Tigre, Antares, Hopesa, Chirros, Shirou, Benjamin, Frans."
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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

The Demon and the Fox, by Tim Susman. Illustrated by Laura Garabedian.
Dallas, TX, Argyll Productions, July 2018, trade paperback, $17.95 (277 pages), ebook $9.95.

The Demon and the Fox is subtitled “Book Two of The Calatians”. Book One, The Tower and the Fox, was published last year, and The War and the Fox, the concluding book of the trilogy, will be published next year.

Kip Penfold is a teenage fox-Calatian in a world analogous to New England in the early 1800s where the American Revolution failed in 1775. The Calatians are magically uplifted anthro animals, legally considered full humans but prejudiced against as inferior by most humans; at the bottom of society. (Along with women. And the Irish. Don’t ask about the Negroes or the Native Americans.)

There have never been any but White Caucasian (which doesn’t include the Irish) male sorcerers before, but an unexpected, almost fatal attack from an unknown enemy has forced Prince George’s College of Sorcery in New Cambridge, Massachusetts to open itself to a wider call for applicants to replace its murdered students – “any Colonist of magical inclination and ability may apply” – and Kip, along with an otter-Calatian, a woman, and an Irishman take advantage of it.

In my review of The Tower and the Fox, I said that “In a sense, this is a typical British schoolboy novel in a fantasy setting.  […] Despite the official call for applicants, there are those among both the college faculty and the other students who consider it disgraceful that non-Whites (including Irish), animals/Calatians, and women are allowed to become students. They are determined to make them fail. […] The Tower and the Fox covers the first semester of the College of Sorcery’s new class.”

The Demon and the Fox begins with the start of the second semester. All four have survived, and Kip is now the apprentice of Master Odden, one of the College’s full sorcerers and teachers. Their work, both for Kip’s learning and for the College’s defense, is to discover who was behind the magical attack on the College about six months ago that almost destroyed it.

The first sorcery Kip learns horrifies him, and almost breaks up the quartet:

“Kip’s indecision over whether to tell his friends about the calyx ritual lasted all of four minutes once they were again all together in the basement. ‘They drink the blood of Calatians!’ he said, pacing back and forth through the old papers and dusty stone floor.

Coppy, the otter-Calatian who’d also become an apprentice, didn’t react with the horror Kip had hoped. ‘I thought it might be something like that,’ he said.

‘You never said. We talked about it for months!’

‘I know.’ Coppy rested a paw on Kip’s arm. ‘Didn’t want to upset you. People do horrible things to Calatians in London and I heard summat about blood when I was a cub there.’

Kip’s tail lashed back and forth. ‘I wish you’d told me.’

‘I couldn’t.’ Coppy squeezed his forearm. ‘It was your dad. If he wouldn’t tell you, ‘twasn’t my place.’

‘You don’t have to protect me all the time,’ Kip said.

The otter lifted his paw and rubbed at his whiskers. ‘But I really didn’t know for sure. Why start trouble with rumours?’” (p. 13)

As the semester advances, the quartet begin to drift apart, not only because of their different attitudes to what magic really entails. (Do they have to engage in blood magic? What if they can discover an alternate to blood magic?) It is immediately after 1815 and Britain’s New World colonies are still seething with political tensions about Loyalism and revolution. Should the Colonies fight London for better rights? Should they fight for complete independence? Would an independent nation accept Calatians as full citizens? Should the quartet stay neutral or become involved?

“Later that week, as Kip was poring over the instructions of Jaeger’s spell and sounding out the pronunciation, Emily came to him. ‘Kip,’ she said with excited urgency, waving a sheet of paper at him, ‘Master Hobstone’s written me again. He says he and Mr. Adams [John Quincy Adams] would like to meet with you at the Founders’ Rest Inn on Friday next!’

Kip had sat down cross-legged on his bedroll with the spell in front of him, while Neddy snoozed on the stone nearby. Next to him, Coppy practiced levitating a group of five small marbles; Malcolm was either studying with Master Vendis or off on his own somewhere. The fox finished reading through Jaeger’s words one more time and then lifted his head. ‘Thank him for me. I really don’t wish to.’

‘Kip.’ She put her hands on her hips. ‘I don’t think you understand what this movement stands for. They simply want to explain their goals.’

‘I’m not interested in their goals.’’ Kip folded his arms. ‘Mr. Adams simply asking about me last time made Patris furious.’

‘He knows. That’s why he asked to meet at the Inn. Patris need never know.’ She waved the letter again. ‘They want you to be part of the movement. This is bigger than learning fire spells.’

‘It’s my future!’

Coppy’s marbles fell to the bedroll. The otter looked up, but Emily’s focus remained on Kip. ‘This,’ she thrust the paper at him, ‘could be the future of our country!’

‘That’s all very well for those who have the freedom to be concerned about it.’ He didn’t like the edge his voice got, so he breathed in and pushed fingers through his tail fur to calm himself.

Coppy reached over to touch his arm. ‘Back in London,’ he said, ‘often we had to worry foremost about our survival, but we also knew we had to think about our Isle. For who else would?’

‘New Cambridge is doing fine,’ Kip said. ‘Better if I remain a student here.’” (p. 60)

Instead, Kip decides to ask his teachers to send him to King’s College in London to learn fire magic from the only other sorcerer who can teach it. That will remove him from the politics in the Colonies; it will make it harder for his detractors to accuse him of being a secret independence supporter; and it will make it harder for the College to expel him. It will separate him from his friends, but that may be for the best if they are going to get involved in the independence movement.

That is up through Chapter 7. In Chapter 8, page 82, Kip goes to London. The next hundred pages describe Kip’s experiences in London; what happens to him and what he learns there. He meets the sorcerers of King’s College and many of London’s Calatians. Kip’s sharp fox sense of smell reveals more than he can see.

Kip assumes that he is far removed and free of the actions of the Colonial revolutionary movement, but then the mysterious deaths among his acquaintances start:

“The light was plenty for him to make out Albright’s troubled expression. The sorcerer put his hands behind his back and drew in a breath. ‘Please leave the window shut, Penfold. In addition to keeping out the chill, I have taken measures to ensure that we cannot be heard here, which will be slightly less effective with an open window.’

‘I was just checking the latch.’

‘Indeed.’ Albright paced over to the table, looked down at it, then paced back to the door. ‘I must confess, Penfold, that I have not been entirely truthful with you. The sensitive nature of my work means that I cannot place my trust without a good deal of investigation, and even then only to a select few.’

Kip’s ears perked. ‘I understand,’ he said, though he didn’t quite, yet.

‘You are investigating the attacks on your school. So am I. I am working under the direct order of Lord Castlereagh – the Foreign Secretary. We had been working under the assumption that it was the work of a foreign power, but recently have uncovered some evidence that the attack may have been planned in part in the colony of Massachusetts Bay itself. You are aware, I believe, that there are factions there promoting revolution?’” (pgs. 184-185)

Kip experiences agony, betrayal, and tragedy. The Demon and the Fox (cover by Laura Garabedian) comes to a definite conclusion, but The War and the Fox is waiting.

– Fred Patten

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At San Diego Comic Con we came across the works of Shelley Daniels Lekven and her new book Lily Pond. Here’s what her web site says about it: “Elaborate illustrations and fabulous frogs fill this charming picture book about a little frog’s daydreams and hopes for her future. The scenes were created from colored modeling clay by Shelley Daniels Lekven, a character sculptor on The Nightmare Before Christmas and Toy Story and sculpting supervisor on James & the Giant Peach.” And speaking of (two of!) those movies, here’s what director Henry Selick had to say: “On the eve of her eighth birthday, a young frog dreams of her future in Shelley Daniels Lekven’s new book, Lily Pond. Ms. Lekven’s remarkable illustrations – all sculpted by her hand in colored clay – are eye-opening works of wonder and imagination that should make this sweet tale a children’s book classic.” After a successful Kickstarter, Lily Pond is available from Claytown Press. The web site has a video about how the book was made, too.

image c. 2018 Claytown Press

This cute student film has a very Le grand Méchant Renard feel to it and I approve. So cute.
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Adler caught my eye with his animation. It got a lot of sharing on Twitter and helped him build a following of 6K+ (and rising fast) because of how fun it is. Thanks to Adler for taking time for this interview. (If you like this, you might also like How furry animator Jib Kodi found his art or the interview series with many other furries.) – Patch 

Patch O’Furr:

Hi Adler! I really love your vids you have been posting, and your fursona is super memorable. That’s why I got in touch. There’s tons of furs who have cute suits, but it’s easy to lean on the suit or just one talent like good dancing. I like how you round things out like a multi dimensional character who has good stories to tell. The voice acting and performance timing are big ingredients to make things so rad and fun. You kind of remind me of a mascot who hasn’t had a cereal made just for you yet.

If someone made a cereal just for Adler what kind would it be?

Adler Eagle:

Wheat based with little hard sugar bits mixed in. Probably Called Eagle Bites. They would be good, wholesome, and contain low amount of sugar, but a high amount of family fun and value.

Patch O’Furr:

I get the idea you’re into professional animation, maybe with a few years of experience prior to doing furry stuff. And is there any pro performing experience there too?

Adler Eagle:

Ya caught me! I’m actually not a super pro, but I would say I am at a least a professional! I graduated from Ball State University in May of 2017 with a degree in Animation! I haven’t ever worked for an animation studio per-se, but I used to work at Holiday World and Cedar Point as their Digital Media producers. That was in summer of 2017. After that I started to pursue Adler Animates more, as it aligned better with the type of content and work I wanted to create!

Patch O’Furr:

How did you get into furry, and what do you think about it now? Have you only been into it since your Twitter account was made in early 2017, or does it go way farther back?

Adler Eagle:

Oh goodness, I was a closet furry for YEARS, I would say since at least 2008. HOWEVER, beyond just knowing about it and drawing my own furry comics I honestly wouldn’t describe myself as a furry then. I think in order to be a furry you kinda have to accept it first? Like I just happened to make comics in high school with animals, but never actually considered myself a furry until 2017 when my Twitter started. Blazen the Dragon (My boyfriend) was the one who kind of roped me in. He saw the animation work I was doing and suggested I join the fandom and do animation! Within the first month I had ordered my suit and started work on Adler stuff! I was also my college mascot, which helped with the acting portion and being in suit bits.



Patch O’Furr:

What’s your local fur scene like?

Adler Eagle:

Our local community is actually pretty big! Our college has a LOT of furries in it!

Patch O’Furr:

How did you start planning to make a fursona and a youtube presence? Did it just happen for fun, or is it part of ambition to do something bigger?

Adler Eagle:

My original fursona was a little orange dragon kid. I liked the Pokemons and the How to Train your Dragons and squished them together. BUT I had a lot of people tell me that in my normal life I naturally moved around like a bird. I was also my college mascot, who was a cardinal, so I was already used to acting like a bird!  In one of our animation classes we all had to make Animal Crossing versions of each other, and we worked together to make everyone’s. Basically we picked the species type of character, and the class worked together to make an animal that we could pick out from a big group. And they drew this for me!

I couldn’t get over it, so I decided that he would be my new character that I would draw myself as. I knew that going into this I would want to do a YouTube channel where I tell stories, and I actually made a TERRIBLE prototype which will be released someday. And this is honestly all for fun, but I would’t mind doing it for a living. The animation scene in the Midwest is not the most thriving career path, so for now I’m kind of carving my own way! My sort of end goal is to create good accessible content. I want my stuff to be furry, but also be something that anyone from any background could watch without any furry background!

Patch O’Furr:

How did you get into animation in the first place? What do you think about it so far? Where do you see it taking you?

Adler Eagle:

I actually got into animation on a whim. In high school I drew these horrid comics of my ‘sona, and fell in love with the movie How to Train your Dragon. Originally I wanted to be a music teacher, but I decided to apply for the art program at my school to see if I would even get in. I was picked for some weird reason, and then applied for the animation program, which I did NOT get into at first, I had to work hard, and re-apply about 6 months later but I finally made it in. Animation is SO REWARDING, but it takes so much time. I spend nearly 200 hours alone on one 4 minute episode of Adler Animates. I would love to see this taking me to a studio, where I can work and get paid to animate, then come home and animate more of my own stuff for fun!

Patch O’Furr:

What inspires you, and who do you work with, in fandom or out? (Are there other furry animators you’re close to?)

Adler Eagle:

The little things in life inspire me. Like the other day I saw a bird taking a bird bath in a pothole and it was so cute and innocent and using this thing that we would normally think of as a negative as a positive. That kind of nonsense. I also get a lot of inspiration from games I played when I was younger (Animal Crossing, Earthbound, Paper Mario) and from my Boyfriend Blazen, who helps me see new things everyday. I actually have a little sound team made up of @yaisor and @regdeh on twitter, and I talk to Jib Kodi a lot and Blue Wolf Studios too!

Patch O’Furr:

For the videos I’ve seen from you, I really like the freshness of seeing them use cartoon characters on live backgrounds, and, mixing cartoon art with live fursuit acting.  Do you overdub the voice acting for best results? Another thing the live stuff adds is cartoon-gag like presentation, in the editing and sound. Can you say anything about your approach? Like for the TV ad style of the funny furry underwear ad video you made?

Adler Eagle:

Yeah! The live backgrounds thing is actually a coping mechanism for my hatred of drawing backgrounds! In college, my main focus was character animation, not background or concept design, so instead of leaving the background blank I would just throw a live picture in there, and it slowly became my “Style”. During my time at Cedar Point I got REALLY GOOD at After Effects and Premiere, and incorporated those skills to making Adler and everyone else look like they are actually in the space! I script out and overdub EVERYTHING. I hate the muffled sound a lot of suits have, it takes me out of the video super quick. What I do with that is record it, cut it up shot by shot, send it to my phone and play it from a Bluetooth speaker. I have a little robot countdown before each audio piece, and then act out the line at least 6 times. I’ve never done TV work – I would say my time at Cedar Point and Holiday World were the only two true creative jobs I’ve had!

Patch O’Furr:

Want to say more about your work process? When you get an idea, how do you sit down and prepare for it? What are the steps of making it?  Do you use a lot of reference? How productive are you for getting those vids made, like is it for a regular schedule?

Adler Eagle:

I “storyboard” and time out all of the shots in Premiere, and export each shot out to put in each Toon Boom Scene. I use Toon Boom Premium for all of my animation. BUT THAT’S JUST THE ANIMATION PART. All the characters are rigged and animated there. Next, I send it into Adobe After Effects, where I do all the real life treatment, the camera shake, the lighting on the characters and the camera blurs. Finally I export that into Premiere and re-align the now animated footage. Usually it takes a really long time for me to get an idea going, because I don’t really want to waste my time on an okay idea, I want to make great ideas! I script out EVERYTHING, and if I don’t like it I re-script and re-script until I think it’s finally good! I record my own reference for hand animated shots, but for the rigged stuff I kind of just wing it now. I work another part time job, so I don’t have as much time to work on stuff as I like, but I would say I put in about 40 hours a week on Adler stuff.  I also don’t have a schedule for the whole project, but more a schedule for each part as they come up. So like first it’s “Okay this week I’m going to record audio”, and then “Okay now I need to get the live footage” and so on and so forth.

Patch O’Furr:

Congrats on getting good views and rapidly rising followers, based on that I’d compare you to animator furs like Jib Kodi and I think you’re well on the way to Youtube stardom. Can you say anything about promoting your work?

5K SPECIAL!

So I roller bladed 5153 feet (Basically A mile) to show just how many people that is!

Full video at https://t.co/qHyq9j1qm8

Thanks to @YaiSor for the music, to @Blazen_07 for being my rock, and you all for supporting my work!

Help Someone Smile today!

Love, Adler pic.twitter.com/ZV7lzfmJoy

— Adler the Eagle @ IFC (@Adler_the_Eagle) July 20, 2018

Adler Eagle:

Thanks! It has been CRAZY the reception this stuff has received! It feels great to finally have an audience! I have an ad on FA which is HILARIOUS because all of my stuff is so pure and wholesome, and I am in the process of deciding what the best plan of action for more advertising should be. I always think cons are great place, and also word of mouth.

Patch O’Furr:

With furs like you, I sense a growing “furry animation scene.” However there can be tensions with furriness if you are working in the mainstream (even if it’s less than in the past.) Do you have any thoughts about that? Is there potential to overcome the tensions based on sheer quality and support? Or can fandom stay it’s own independent thing that also launches creators to greater things?

(A holy grail for me and maybe others, would be seeing something like a TV series or feature film, low budget or not. And I’ll tell you I HAVE seen signs it can happen, including professionally pitched projects in the crossover between Japanese “kemono” furry and TV anime. If I happened to know of furry crews already working in Hollywood, that’s for them to talk about, haha.)

Adler Eagle:

The mainstream animation community does have a very negative perception of furries, which is something I’ve known and accepted. But I believe that my work is good enough and high enough quality that people could over look that. My whole kind of goal with this is to help change that perception in the animation community. I am a hard working dude with lots of skills and talents, and I’m also a furry, and that’s cool. I hope that this fandom can help people find jobs in the real world too, it is going to take some time, but in the end I think it will all work out. There is so much raw talent in the fandom, and people would be silly not to let that shine.

Patch O’Furr:

Anything else you want to talk about?

Adler Eagle:

I get a lot of people who ask about the “Help Somebody Smile” phrase at the end of my videos. My high school band director once told us that the least we can do in our daily lives is Help Somebody Smile. We can’t MAKE anyone do anything, but we can HELP each other feel better. A smile is like a little sign of happiness, even for a moment, and it’s so simple. So my goal through all of this is to keep doing that. To help people laugh and get away from the pressures of the real world, but be able to go back to it and make it a better place.

Visit Adler the Eagle on Patreon to support his furry animation.

Happy #fursuitfriday!

much like @peppercoyote and @FoxAmoore I'm "Spreading thy Wings" and taking off!

With all the support on Patreon, and other opportunities I have been able to leave one of my jobs and do Adler Animates as a job now!

Help Someone Smile today!

Love, Adler pic.twitter.com/Km0G8274C2

— Adler the Eagle @ IFC (@Adler_the_Eagle) July 27, 2018

Scruffy Puppies is a full-color science-fiction adventure come created by Brent Trembath (and friends). It’s available now on Comixology. “In the future where humans and mutant animals alike walk the earth… Armor and his pack of Scruffy Puppies are ambushed in a back alley for reasons they can’t comprehend. Power struggles and inner strife underlie the coming of an impending threat.” And that’s just the first issue! The web site has much more information.

image c. 2018 by Brent Trembath

Another illustrator we came across at San Diego Comic Con. Ash Evans is an artist and designer who refers to her work as “The Art of Happiness”. Steeped in fantasy, her paintings feature not just animals in general but special creatures like Fortuna the Cat, the Mewnicorns, the Zodicats, and the Kit-teas. (Yes, there’s a feline theme going here!) All of these are available as prints and a variety of other products you can find at her wet site.

image c. 2018 by Ash Evans

Keys and Neeko join us for a more laid back set of news and emails.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• New XBN show pilot
• Super 8 Film of Anthrocon by Biogodz
• NYU Local Opinion: I Should Be Allowed To Fuck The NYU Bobcat
• Fuzzjobs: Tech jobs for the furry community
• Bigfoot Erotica affecting virginia election
  • Vox Article
• AnimalWonders: Fox as a pet?
• BGP Leak affects Telegram
  • Similar BPG leak story
• Orlando Weekly: Megaplex 2018 comes to Orlando
• Canid_canid on Twitter temps ban with fake ad on Howlr
• Daily Mail’s thirsty sensationalist headline gets basic furry fact wrong
• PinkNews writes slightly uninformed article about SonicFox5000
• SonicFox5000 asks Wendy’s what their fursona is

News:

• Two Doctors Figured Out How To Treat A Centaur Having a Heart Attack
• Movie version of “Cats” to begin shooting this year
• CDC Strongly Suggests People Not Reuse Or Wash Condoms
• Florida Man Asks Cops To Make Sure His Meth Is Up To Speed
• Man With Gun Forehead Tattoo Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm
• Aging Headbangers Escape Nursing Home To Hit Heavy Metal Festival

Emails:

• Ziff Cackatoo – Fursuit
• Timberwulfy – Tolerance in the Fandom
• Phaex – Hey From SA

FC-303 Cardboard Computer - Keys and Neeko join us for a more laid back set of news and emails.

This looks cool but dammit I want to play the wolf.
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King K. Rool is going to be on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!
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It’s that time – the time where we recap the season behind us and get ready for the season ahead! Simone, our friendly Chinese fox, returns to join Roo and Tugs as they relive the memories! Don’t despair, we have Space News and new Get Psyched, plus some surprises! NOW LISTEN! Show Notes Special Thanks […] S7 Episode 18 – Season 7 Recap! - It’s that time – the time where we recap the season behind us and get ready for the season ahead! Simone, our friendly Chinese fox, returns to join Roo and Tugs as they relive the memories! Don’t despair, we have Space News and new Get Psyched,

Finally a new Marvel animated series with the omega level mutant that is actually unbeatable, Squirrel Girl! Yes, she has the proportional strength, speed, reflexes, agility and leaping ability of a squirrel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjNf34CwlC4
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Submitted by guest Duncan R. Piasecki – don’t miss his articles The Forgotten History of the Furry Musical – and Talking Animal Films In South Africa (Part 1) and (Part 2.)

As some of you might know, South Afrifur happened quite recently, the biggest one yet. Unusually for furries from this part of the world, however, was the media coverage: the convention was featured in an article in the Afrikaans magazine Huisgenoot, in their July 26th issue. Of course, being Afrikaans (quite an obscure language outside of this country) means the readership potential is limited internationally, but it’s a pretty big deal for local furries: the magazine is one of the most popular in the country.

So, for all the international furries out there, I present to you a reproduction of the print article, and then my own translation. Please keep in mind that Afrikaans and I don’t agree (it was my worst subject in high school), I’m very far from fluent in it, so this was done with Google Translate, a dictionary, and my own extrapolation. The results might not be exactly accurate, but I feel they give the general idea if not the exact translation. As you will see, some things just don’t cross-translate.

But first, a new development: furries on the radio.

A couple of the people covered in the Afrikaans article went on to one of Pretoria’s biggest radio stations to talk about being a furry (it sounded like it was because of the article, in fact), and I thought the interview went quite well (if ticking off a few of the usual boxes of annoying “but it’s a fetish, right?” questions the media loves to ask). Quite weird, this sudden boost in interest, considering everyone’s ignored this community in this country before now.

Article: https://www.jacarandafm.com/shows/scenic-drive-rian/furries-take-over-scenic-drive/

Videos of the interview:

• Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/JacaDrive/videos/2127397137291982/
• Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/JacaDrive/videos/2127441103954252/

I ripped an audio recording of the whole interview. It comes to about 24 minutes and has quite a bit more than the videos (a lot is not in English). Here’s a Google Drive folder of it, including videos from Facebook: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Rkcm6dNAIxfe0p-lMj9WdtcwzY3AuNU5

Tweets:

• https://twitter.com/JacaDrive/status/1023968799685570561
• https://twitter.com/jacarandafm/status/1023968377784754182

Now, here’s the original article as it appeared in print:

Here’s my (possibly fairly crappy) translation:

WHAT A FAIRYTALE!

Not really, because these people are serious ‘furries’, who live like an animal in cute packages.

By HILDA VAN DYK

Photos: DINO CODEVILLA and PAPI MORAKE

SHE IS not a kitten that you handle without gloves, as you will be warned immediately. Especially when she dresses her cat suit this day, because then she becomes a lion.

Who is she? In her cat form, she is Sudan, her fantasy character that she created herself. When she is not in character, she is a Pretoria police officer working with serial killings. She won’t say her what her real name is.

“I have a very serious job,” she explains. “But here I can just relax. When I’m on my mask, I’m a lion. Then I’m no longer a police officer. I’m one of those bliksempies you don’t look for trouble with.”

Does it sound like a fairytale? Do not believe so, because Sudan is just one of 43 furries who recently gathered at a destination outside Pretoria. There were wolves, tigers, dragons and even a reindeer. And it’s a loving animal kingdom, because they are gently touching each other gently with their nails, paws or hooves.

Furries are an international phenomenon. It’s men and women who develop an animal personality for themselves and live it up in animal suits.

Furries are misunderstood by society, says a Johannesburg entrepreneur. In character he is Yukon (34), half-husky, half-wolf. “If you’re looking for the internet, you’ll see all the bad of the furry community first. There is a perception that they are a lot of perverse people and a community based on sex. And it’s not” he says.

As Yukon, he can enjoy daydreaming about a free, adventurous life in the wild, “like others when they imagine they are superheroes.”

Her character is not only teeth and claws, says the lioness Sudan. “I also have a soft side where I want to care for and protect my family. My character is a big part of who I am.”

***

OF the 43 furries here on the farm – where more conventional fun like birthday parties and quad bike rides are usually offered – there are seven international furries from America, Austria and Switzerland. The rest are South Africans.

Among them are lecturers, teachers, police officers, computer programmers and accountants. Some prefer not to mention their true names – just their fantasy characters.

They swing their hips when they walk so that their tails swing just like that. There’s barking and growling and howling and snorting to each mimic his animal nature. When games are played, they run around “on all fours”. Others scratch each other on the chest or back.

One exception to the “herd” is Jako Malan, (36), a computer programmer from Bellville. He walks in his bleached old army cap and smokes a pipe while watching the antics. He explains that he is of the kind of furries who do not wear animal suits. But in his spare time he writes stories in which he gives human characters human characters. He has already been honored for his work in the furry community.

“It’s hard to explain. It’s something you’re born with,” Jako says. “My wife does not get it.”

Sudan adds: “We are people who never grew up. We did not lose our childhood wonder. But like most geek hobbies, it’s not socially acceptable for adults to wear animals and have fun” she says.

“I’m 38 and I still look at comics. People do not understand you can be older and still childish.”

At the bar there is a man in a one who looks like a cross between a wolf and a fox. He sips on a beer while looking at the characters around him.

“That guy’s husky suit makes me jealous. It was the first time he made a suit and looked incredible. It makes me look very bad,” he says.

“I have 14 heads at home, heads I start making and just left because I just get it right. I’m very jealous.”

He puts his hands in the glove paws that are tied to his suit’s sleeves, take another swig of beer and makes a claw.

Sim, one of the Americans, orders a brandy and coke. His leopard tail swings behind him.

Each of the furries has a different explanation for their furry animal passion.

Ryno Lombaard (23) from Krugersdorp is fond of making the suits. He’s studying to become a chartered accountant, but when he gets the chance he is busy with the sewing machine.

“Before I saw a furry outfit for the first time, I never did sewing in my life. I wanted to have such a suit, but no one in South Africa makes it.”

He went his grandmother Lenie Booysen in the evenings to learn sewing before starting his first suit.

“Every suit has its own object and detail, and every little detail is yours. I have a mark in my right eye. My character also has such a mark in his eye.” he says proudly.

The wolf mask of Heinrich van Rooyen, (25), a chef from Pretoria, has a mark on his cheek. Just like him. He made the wolf suit was made specially in England. It’s his alter ego, says Heinrich.

“When I’m in character, I’m who I feel internally,” Heinrich says about his character, Ironwolf Tempest.

He struggled growing up, says Heinrich. He was that kid in class who nobody knew. And those who knew about him usually bullied him.

But when he dresses his wolf suit, these things are things of the past. Then he has self-confidence.

Then he is that guy who is not bothered by anything.

***

THERE were furries who did things that were not acceptable in society, acknowledged Conrad Albertyn (30), a lecturer from Johannesburg.

“But those people had issues before they became involved in the furries, and will after they’ve left the furries. When one finds someone who has a criminal intention, things are worked out,” Conrad said.

In South Africa there are about 1 000 furries. They regularly talk to online platforms about everyday things, such as the latest animation films, careers and philosophies of life.

The furries are moreover animal friends, tell the group – during their gathering, they raised R12 000 for a dog protection organization.

It’s his kind of people, says Equifox (27), a building contractor in Pretoria. Not even his parents know he’s a furry.

“Most are ordinary people of all walks of life. There are a few weirdos, but they just ignore you,” he says.

“One feels like an outsider if you’re a furry. Your character is something that is part of you. That’s something people do not understand. But among other furries you feel at home because here you are not alone. ”

And as if they want to assert his words, the characters scratch each other compassionately with their furry animal paws.

Photo captions:

Page 1:

LEFT: Heindrich van Rooyen got his wolf suit specially made in London, while Ryno Lombaard made his outfit himself.

FAR LEFT: Hendrich as his alter ego, Ironwolf Tempest.

Page 2:

MAIN PHOTO: Furries from all over the country, and even a few from overseas, recently gathered outside Pretoria for their annual assembly.

LEFT: The furries play a small pot of Uno together.

INLAY: Rags Wox (left), Vidan and Ironwolf Tempest (right) relax at the bar and enjoy a beer.

BOTTOM: The lioness Sudan should rather not be handled without gloves.

A transcript of the original text in Afrikaans is available. It’s withheld from here for copyright concern about putting it on the open web – please email to ask for it via the About page. The article author was emailed to ask for an OK to post the English translation, but there was no reply. It’s posted here as info that would not be seen without original translation work, and most likely will mainly benefit viewers who would never be in the viewership for the Afrikaans source or see it any other way.

Thanks a million to Duncan for the guest post – Patch

At San Diego Comic Con we came across an artist named Krister Eide. According to her web site, “When he’s not drawing or painting, he helps injured animals return to health at a wildlife rehabilitation center.” We like that! Her Etsy Store has several of her illustrations on cups, prints, and other items, but the web site also has illustrations from her “passion project”: An all-animal version of Jules’ Verne’s classic 20,ooo Leagues Under The Sea. Let’s “sea” where that goes…!

image c. 2018 by Krister Eide

Today we have a furry outsider music video by Ozuna [1], a Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap singer. Today I Learned: Reggaeton and Latin trap. [2]     [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozuna_(singer) [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggaeton
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Papabear,

When I was first became a furry, I also became an artist, and the two have been inseparably linked for me. I was also bi sexual at the time. During that time I had enough male companionship, but no female companionship that I craved. I eventually chose to be hetero and met a woman. When she found out that I was previously bi, I had to swear that that part of my life was in the past. She also did not like that I was a furry, and after a year, I eventually left the furry fandom. We ended up doing the American Dream bit, getting married, graduating college, getting steady jobs, getting a house with white vinyl fence, dogs, and eventually had a kid together. My partner's health started to really deteriorate once we had a kid, to the point where she was disabled and unemployed.

After 11 years, I happened across one of my old friends from way back in the furry fandom, who had become a successful illustrator and comic book artist. With only a little encouragement, she gave me homework assignments and I started getting back into art, and pretty quickly, into the furry fandom as well. And I have to say, it felt satisfying, deep down to my soul, to be producing art again. 

Not going to lie, I didn't make the smartest of decisions. I tried to keep that a secret from my partner. Two years later I ended up checking out a local major furry convention, and I ended up getting bit by the fur suiting bug. About this point in time I started ramping up my participation in the furry fandom, and it starts spilling into other aspects of my life. I also started spending less time exclusively with my partner so that I could work on art and projects as well, and have become chronically sleep deprived. Being an artist is a funny thing. You could have spent the whole day doing things that needed to be taken care of, but if you don't put a pen to paper, the whole day feels unproductive. I digress. My partner at this time had told me that she did not want to hear _anything_ furry related for 6 months. Not my most mature decision, I tried to keep my furry passion underground during that time, and it wasn't until closer to the end of the 6 months that i realized tha t really, my partner just wanted me to spend more time with her. 

After the 6 months were up, I was starting to try to strike a balance between the two, spending time with my partner, and trying to be honest and open about my increased presence in the furry fandom. I really want to make a fursuit. But then a major life altering event occurred and my partner was the victim of a crime. My partner reported this crime, and the police then made her a victim a second time by victim blaming her. It's a great injustice my partner has suffered, but the topic itself has also become a very polarizing issue in her life. People either believe she is innocent, or that she is not the victim. 

Anyway, a year from the previous furry convention, and I'm allowed to be as involved in the furry fandom as I want to be. I end up making a group of friends who all come to attend the convention, and I have managed to make a tail by this point and attended the con with my friends. My partner, after 2 days into the 4 day convention, basically tells me that either I can continue to attend the convention and she'll divorce me, or I can miss the rest. Tough pill to swallow, but I'd rather not let a furry convention be the reason I get divorced. 

A couple weeks later, and we're out having dinner together as a date, and she mentions that she can never accept the furry fandom or me for being part of it. She has a confirmation bias that the furry fandom is all a bunch of perverts. That was basically my breaking point. I've had multiple people tell me that I am in an abusive relationship, even though my partner always tells me that I am the one who is emotionally abusive to her. Having lost our primary source of income when she became disabled, we were on a financial precipice, and at this point in time I can accept that we may finally lose the house and a lot of other stuff. She had made it very clear that if we didn't have a child together, she would have already left me long ago as well. She has repeatedly issued me an ultimatum, do I want to get back together with her or do I want to get a divorce. The first time I did say yes on the divorce, and she did _everything_ in her power to get me to change that statement. No w I simply don't have it in me to tell her that even if it is what I wanted. 

I know ultimately, the only person who can make that decision is me, stay or leave. And I know that the reason my life is in financial ruin is from that relationship, but I also know that I have my responsibilities to my child and will not just walk out on my child's life. Sorry to have to give you the whole life story, but I could really use some outside advise right about now. What is your thoughts on staying married vs getting divorced?

Anonymous

* * *

Dear Furiend,

When it comes to the question of getting a divorce, I think you already know the answer. The issue you have come across is not about your being a furry. It is about control and lack of acceptance. You could substitute "I enjoy doing furry stuff" for many other things (e.g., "I am a fanatic about playing golf" or "I really enjoy going to Star Trek and Dr. Who conventions") and she would put an ultimatum on those things, too. Why? Because she feels you are not paying enough attention to her. One might think it is because of her bad impression of furries, but you tried showing her a convention and you have probably told her until you are blue in the face that you aren't having fursuit sex or whatever and she has not listened, has she? Again, it's about control.

Healthy relationships are not about one spouse controlling the other, but you already know that, too. Being a furry is part of who you are, and if she can't accept that then she can't accept you for being you. If that is true, then it is already over, whether or not you divorce.

Next terrible thing is how she is using your child as a weapon. This is unfair to you and it is unfair to your child. Back when I was in high school, my parents were getting ready to break up. I was told several times, "We are only staying together because of you." What a horrible thing to say to your child!  In other words, it was my fault that my parents were miserable?  If I didn't exist, they would be happily divorced?  Holy crap! This is an act of her extorting you, as well. There might be an implication here that you won't get to see your kid?

This all said, I am very sorry for her legal troubles. I believe her and you when you say she was the victim and the police are part of the problem. My sympathies. That is a different issue, however.

It is possible for you to continue to support her and to be a father to your child after a divorce. When my wife divorced me after I realized I was gay and came out to her, we had a rough time of it, yes, but we are now friends, and we still support each other as friends. And if you get divorced, you and she will always be the father and mother to your child, and you can and should always be there in the father role.

My recommendation? Find yourself the best attorney you can afford, and if you are confident in your decision, file for divorce before she does. Why? According to the Washington State law firm McKinley Irvin, there are several reasons to file papers first, according to their website:
​

• You get to plan in advance and take your time selecting a lawyer, rather than having to scramble to find a lawyer to meet with you and file a Response within 30 days of being served.
• You have time to be mentally and emotionally prepared for the financial cost of divorce.
• You have the first choice of which court will hear your case. Depending on where you live, having your case heard in one courthouse over another could be a significant advantage. For example, if your spouse moved to another county, he or she could file in that county once they meet the residency requirement.
• You are in control of the timeframes.
• As the petitioner, you get the first argument at trial.
• By initiating the divorce process, you have the opportunity to start protecting community assets.
• It prevents possible stalling by the other party.

Be honest with yourself as to what you want and why, and be prepared for the legal consequences to follow. After the emotional and legal difficulties you will endure, make sure your heart is always in the right place by maintaining your rights to be a father and by trying, if you can, to remain friends with your ex. After all, there were reasons why you married her in the first place, so she can't be all bad.

Good luck!

Papabear

One of Nick and Judy's earliest role was in the umbrella show "The ZBC Mystery Movie" which they were the detective show Nick Wilde and Wife. (What a typical 70s title, right?) Turns out the stand out hit show that outlasted it was Columbo starring Peter Fox. He played that role all the way into 2003. I believe this was recorded from a later rebroadcast but not sure. "The ZBC Mystery Movie was a "wheel show", or "umbrella program" that rotated several programs within the same time period throughout the season. For its initial 1971–72 season, it featured a rotation of three detective dramas that were broadcast on Wednesday nights for 90 minutes, from 8:30–10:00 p.m. in the Savannah Time Zone." Ok, this parody is a bit esoteric and as one roommate said "Nice! Nobody under 50 is going to get this" What inspired this was looking at the wonderful art by  Kosmo Wolf Fox's  where he is taking old Columbo episodes and redoing bits as a Don Bluth-esque character, Peter Fox. You can see that stuff here: https://twitter.com/columbofox His main Twitter is: https://twitter.com/Kosperry Also this was an excuse to learn After Effects and I've got to thank Sylys Sable for donating a copy to me. He's my executive producer and I appreciate his criticism during this editing even if I don't always agree.  We are pedantic about different things and that is probably a good thing. Also here is a bit of making of notes.   To replicate the look It helped to pay attention to how the original was made.   Being it was film and all the layers were done on an optical printer [1] the first step was to make this at 24 FPS.  Film Grain and  varying amounts of gate weave was added separately to each layer to keep the right feel.    Each layer wobbles randomly just as the film would not be perfectly held when the images were projected on to it. It would be more than a decade before really accurate optical printers would make special effects become more accurate. The ad's at the start were produced at 29.976 fps to keep the look of video.   All of this was pushed though a VCR to not only give it a constant frame rate but to get the right look of analog tape. For the whole Making off I also posted a side by side comparison from the original: https://youtu.be/iLbtvsaXvOg   (Yes, I'm a very pedantic video nerd) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_printer
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