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June 2010

FA: United attains landmark attendance, bacon consumption

Your rating: None Average: 3 (4 votes)

FA: United may have skipped a year, but it's clearly not done any harm, with a one-third rise in attendance and nearly triple the fursuit turnout.

500 pieces of bacon were provided for registration, but the final figure exceeded that by 10. The convention raised $2458 for the New Jersey SPCA.

Combination anime/furry/steampunk event NakamaCon was also held for the first time this weekend in Madison, Wisconsin, drawing somewhat less than 400 attendees. Huntsville's Rocket City FurMeet attracted 328 – a slight fall from last year, but they got good press.

How would you fund a furry community site?

Public donations
13% (4 votes)
Private donations
6% (2 votes)
Premium memberships
16% (5 votes)
Sales commissions
6% (2 votes)
Merchandise
28% (9 votes)
Advertising
22% (7 votes)
Something else (comment)
9% (3 votes)
Votes: 32

Madagascan grebe extinct, while urban foxes bite back in UK

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The Mayor of London has called for a focus on pest control after a reported fox attack in the London borough of Hackney left twin nine-month girls hospitalized.

According to urban wildlife expert John Bryant, such attacks are extremely rare, and a recent poll by the University of Bristol found 65.7% households in favour of urban foxes, which number around 33,000 in the UK (as compared to 225,000 adult rurual foxes).

No such luck for the Alaotra Grebe, recently reported extinct by conservation experts. The birds – which made their homes on Lake Alaotra in Madagascar – are believed to be victims of a combination of poaching, the introduction of carnivorous fish and other invasive species, and the use of monofilament nylon gill-nets for fishing.

ThunderCats on the loose, again

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A new series of Thundercats is to be made (in a distinctly different style) by Tokyo-based Studio 4°C in collaboration with Warner Bros. Animation.

According to a press release, the series will retell the "grand origin story of Prince Lion-O's ascension to the throne – and of those who would thwart his destiny at any cost."

The news comes just weeks after the suspicious death of ThunderCats writer Stephen Perry.

Ohio plays catchup, bans human-animal hybrids

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Not wanting to let Arizona get all the glory, the Ohio Senate has passed a bill banning the creation of "human-animal hybrids."

The bill was supported by the Ohio Christian Alliance and threatens violators with up to a year in jail, and a minimum fine of $250,000 if they make a profit.

Photos: Curious animal-shaped hairstyles

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Swandog says it best: "Can't afford a fursuit? Just style your hair!" (or use a hairpiece)

Video: The Fursuit Portrait Project

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Painter and "meta-furry" Jay Van Buren's fursuit portrait project is covered in a video in which he describes fursuiters creating "a kind of bubble of Disneyland":

I'm trying to paint both the human that I know […] and also the fursona that they are projecting when they are in the suit.

The coverage appears to be from two years ago, but is only recently making the rounds.

Jay also featured in the student documentary A Tail of Identity, and helped to organize the recent fursuit video shoot for Higher Than the Stars.

New Manhattan merry-go-round offers "really furry" ride

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Raccoon Merry-Go-Round

The golden age of carousels may be a century past, but apparently Carousel Works is still at it, with a newly-opened merry-go-round at Pier 62 outside the Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.

Rapid T. Rabbit reports the rides on offer "[represent] the natural wildlife that can be found all the way up the Hudson Valley […] [including] foxes, raccoons, rabbits, bears, deer, coyotes, ducks, turkeys, and even assorted fish."

The project cost $482,477 and is open 11AM-7PM daily, weather permitting. Rides are $2.

Animal rights activist convicted for blocking biologists from bear

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An animal rights activist has been convicted under hunting law after interfering with state wildlife biologists, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports. Susan Kehoe was found guilty after preventing Division of Fish and Wildlife personnel from tranquilizing a black bear to change its radio collar.

Kehoe, who is 60, was also convicted of resisting arrest after refusing to put her hands behind her back. Judges ruled her defense of arm surgery in 1999 unconvincing given her practice of hiking and climbing with recording equipment.

Inkbunny art community launches; offers prints, downloads

Your rating: None Average: 3.8 (6 votes)
Inkbunny

A new furry art and story community has launched, offering artists a way to sell digital downloads and prints.

The site – Inkbunny – permits non-human artwork of all ratings; however, only adults 18 or over may join.

Site founder Starling outlined the sales philosophy:

At Inkbunny we believe two revolutionary things about selling art; that people want to buy your work even if they can get it for free, and that you should not worry too much about piracy of your work.

Development took over a year, with nearly 800 works uploaded in a four-month private beta.

Upcoming furry comics for August 2010 (Previews only)

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Mostly the usual, with a bunch of juveniles I decided to include anyway. Also Fosgitt.

30-Second Bunnies Theatre takes hiatus

Your rating: None Average: 4.3 (3 votes)
30-Second Bunnies Theatre

Jennifer Shiman, proprietor of Angry Alien Productions, has announced an indefinite hiatus on the production of new episodes of 30-Second Bunnies Theatre (Wikipedia link).

Over the last 6 years, Shiman and her team have produced 68 flash videos of classic and current films, re-enacted by bunnies in 30 seconds. Many of the videos were sponsored by the Starz! cable television network. Shiman thanks all of her loyal fans for their kind words over the years, and states that Angry Alien will continue to work on other projects. She leaves open the possibility that there may be more bunny shorts in the future.