Remembering Tugrik (1970-2025)

"My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today." --K'has, quoting Richard Adams, Watership Down

It is with heavy heart that we must report the passing of Tugrik d'Itichi, aka Tug, real name Tori (or Tor) Amundson, a much-respected figure from the early years of the fandom.

[Editor's note: Much of this was gathered from things said at the memorial service held on FurryMUCK, from social media, from people who responded to my inquiries, and with the help of the wizards on FM. Thank you all for sharing your memories.]

Tugrik was born on July 14, 1970. During the 1980s, his late teenage years were spent in the area of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was a computer nerd, exploring BBSes and soon the early Internet. Along the way, he found Furry fandom and MUDs. He was an early member of FurryMUCK, and became one of its wizards (an admin/moderator) in the Spring of 1991.

Tug's online character was a large, four-legged blue creature incorporating aspects of dragons and equines, with hands that could serve as hooves. It was unique, personal, and a species he'd developed over the years: the Monoceri. You can read what he wrote about them on their info page.

Tugrik's ref sheet, by @Airukitsu (click to enlarge)

Matching his online self, in real life Tugrik was a huge person. Even if obesity hadn't been part of it, he was tall and stocky to begin with. FurryMUCK admin Drew compared him to Stoick, Hiccup's father from How To Train Your Dragon. Though his physical stature required adjustments to his living style, he adapted and accepted himself as he was. Kaliffio recalled that artist Phil Foglio, upon seeing Tugrik pass by, realized that Tug looked like one of the Hoffmanite characters from his Buck Godot comic and shouted out "Stop! I need to draw you!"

In the summer of 1992, Tugrik organized a great multi-day birthday party for his friend Hatch. At the time, large furmeets were a rare event outside of California, and something like 30 furry fans attended what became known as CedarCon. We first gathered at Tug's family's place in Michigan, then drove to Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. People came from as far as California, Florida, Canada, and there was even someone from Britain who happened to be visiting. Tugrik was wonderfully warm and welcoming, something that came easily to him. Wherever he went, online or in person, the friends he attracted felt like communities.

As with many people in information technology, Tug gravitated to California in the early 1990s. An early home of his was the Voops-n-Lupes household in the San Jose area, and in the late 1990s he moved into his own place with his friend and collaborator Revar. They remained roommates for the many years that followed. Tugrik certainly wasn't the only person who helped make the Bay Area and FurryMUCK a welcoming environment to people in the fandom, but it also wouldn't have been the same without him.

Outside of furry fandom, Tug was primarily employed as a contractor in network engineering / architecture, sometimes for large corporate projects. He believed strongly in user privacy and security. If you have a LinkedIn account, you can see his resume, which included working with Netflix during their transition from DVD rentals to streaming services.

One of his biggest passions was what become known as Maker culture. Tugrik loved to create, make, program and build. He attended Burning Man for several years - one of his projects was a laser that would point into the night sky to point out passing satellites, as their solar panels reflected the sun. Or he'd bring his more whimsical Hippo cart.

At his online memorial, Revar said, "He built one of the very first WiFi to cellular hotspots, and a bit of his code is in pretty much all the hotspots built since." This was the Stompbox, that made it into volume 3 of Make Magazine (pages 60-67; you may have to scroll down or wait to click through an ad). Or in Todd Knarr's words, "If you have a Wi-Fi hotspot with cell backhaul? He built the first one for Burning Man. You like how well GPS works on your phone? He was a key part of the AGPS installs that allow that."

For a couple of years in the 2010s, Tugrik rented out a workshop space where he and his friends could do projects, that they called Monoceros Media. Wood and metal work, 3D printing, etched circuit boards, large-format color printing, laser cutting and engraving... If you attended furry cons during this time, there was a good chance you might have seen badges, tags or awards that had been made in his shop. He was also a keen photographer, and for several years ran the fursuit photo booth at Further Confusion. Then of course there was the Nuka-Cola vending machine. (Give the images some time to load.)

Tugrik pursued his hobbies with great enthusiasm, and this passion was infectious, encouraging people around him to try new things. Chip Unicorn said, "He enjoyed life to the fullest, sought out what he wanted with laser-like focus, and went for that." Drew said, "Meeting Tugrik was an exercise in watching someone who pointed themselves in a direction, and turned all the jets on. [He] did things with full effort, regardless if it was work, hobbies, or play." And he had so many interests! Photography, road trips, motorcycles, amateur radio, computers and networking, audio equipment, cooking and barbecuing, flying drones, and much besides. He travelled to Japan. He liked tiki drinks. He loved thunderstorms.

Tugrik was also generous, from little things to big things. He took care of a friend's cats and would surprise people with gifts. When he got his own place in San Jose, he had a spare room that he offered to a succession of friends who had moved to the Bay area, while trying to get settled. He ran a furry node on FidoNet. In 1999 he took on the responsibility of running the server for FurryMUCK. He hosted domains for people, such as Revar's Belfry WebComics Index and Mark Stanley's Freefall web comic.

There was perhaps another side to Tugrik, less often seen. Flossi said, "Tugrik was deeply worried that he was putting on a mask to his friends and hiding parts of himself. He was much more of a quiet introvert than I think a lot of people knew. He never sought the popularity he had, and really just wanted to pursue his hobbies and have fun with friends. To be inventive in the things that intrigued him. To pursue some interests for a time and then move onto some new hobby. But he had a kind heart, and he kept giving what he could back to the fandom and his community. Sometimes doing far too much than he really should have, and exceeding his own reserves."

And from Glumilan, "Living with him, I saw many of the things that people have mentioned here... his generosity, his gregariousness, his easygoing charisma, his astonishing intellect, and his drive to learn and discover. ... In those times, I saw another side of him. He's remembered as boisterous and gregarious, but he also had a kind of shyness to him, somehow. A sensitivity and vulnerability, a yearning for genuine connection ... While that yearning could make him vulnerable, it was also one of his many great strengths, what drove him to build so many important friendships and networks. He was a singularly remarkable person, and that really made you want to be his friend. And when social connections weren't as successful, he had extraordinary grace and resilience in handling those."

As an admin on FurryMUCK, if you were being immature or annoying to other players, Tugrik would let you know. He was a calm presence. Over time, if you grew as a person, he didn't hold your past behavior against you. Many who felt intimidated by his online reputation would discover, years later, that they could have heartfelt, genuine personal conversations with him, and even forge a friendship. Introverted or shy people would be surprised when he'd talk with them or be spontaneously asked if they wanted to hang out.

Interacting with Tugrik, there was a genuine feeling of his intelligence, empathy and authenticity. There was no pretense. In his more personal moments, he enjoyed inhabiting his monoceros self online, and could share intimacy. Luagha noted his being on another system: "While his play and chat on Furrymuck was extensive; he was also very happy with his play on a Pern-mush, where he played a runner-beast - a Pernese descendant of Terran horses; naturally long-legged with coarse, shaggy hair. Of course, runner-beasts can't talk, so he was more of a presence in roleplay scenes; cropping grass, accepting treats, and hauling heavy objects as needed."

Around 2018, Tugrik and Revar moved to a house in Portland, Oregon. Tugrik added gardening to his many hobbies, and had pet cats. Unfortunately he ran afoul of Long Covid which exacerbated his pre-existing medical conditions, and in his last year he had issues with mobility and formerly easy tasks such as typing.

He passed away on July 31, 2025, and a service was held for him on FurryMUCK on August 8. Around 100 friends and colleagues both old and new gathered, and we spent over four hours sharing our stories, feelings, impressions and experiences. There was talk of creating a memorial item on the system, or re-naming something in his honor.

For one brief shining moment, it felt like the FurryMUCK of over 20 years ago. A time when the Internet was younger, when it felt like the potential would continue to grow and flourish. For many of us, there was deep regret that we hadn't kept in touch with Tug or each other, and that it took such an event to bring us together again. And yet that renewed togetherness spoke so strongly of the effect that knowing Tugrik had had on our lives. Whether he wanted it or not, the waves he generated have not been forgotten, and he enriched us all from the experience, even from the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

For more about Tugrik:

• If you didn't know him, you can get a feeling for what he was like from his Livejournal, with posts from 2010 to 2016, and its photo section.
• His Twitter account, followed by his Bluesky account.
• His FurAffinity page (may include some NSFW content).
• He was Big Blue Tug on Flickr and on YouTube.
• If you have an account on FurryMUCK, you can visit areas he built by using the command "tport #7121", then heading north.

Because much of this obituary has been gathered from multiple sources online, we apologize if there are significant gaps or errors. Please feel free to correct or expand upon details in the comments section below, or share your reminiscences. And most of all, our heartfelt condolences go out to all his friends and family.

We miss you. Galumph and run free, Big Blue.

Sunset photo by Araquan.