Review: "Forest Guard" – Comics, created by the Russian Internal Troops

While the Western public is debating the rights and recognition of furry communities at the level of government politicians, the official power structure of the Internal Troops has created a real furry comics with direct government support. The first chapter of the three chapter saga of "Lesguardia" was released on June 2, 2022. This first chapter is entitled "Attack of the Pyros." Each chapter consists of thirty pages of narration about the work of the "Lesguardia" organization, which investigates the case of the "pyros" who are causing chaos in the city with their advanced technology. All of this is covered both from the perspective of the main characters and from the perspective of a squirrel reporter named Olga Orekhovna, who is also the news anchor for the fictional city of Dubrava.

To better understand the uniqueness of this comic, it is important to step back and consider the context. Since 2016, Russia has been home to the Rosgvardia, a military organization tasked with addressing internal unrest and urban protests. The meetings of furry fans for this government organization are also another goal, as any unauthorized gathering in urban areas without their permission is a direct violation of the law. This is why the furry community in Russia does not like the Russian National Guard, as they have banned them from gathering outdoors and even from walking together in the city. However, this dislike is not mutual, and as a result, a good furry comic book was created by the Russian National Guard.

The plot and style of the forest Guard

If we analyze the plot, we can say that it is quite short: we are quickly introduced to a rich world and tits characters, including the main villain, a cyborg bandit whose name is never revealed. After taking children hostage, he releases an army of locust robots and a giant mech that destroys the city. In response, General Medved Potapych, the leader of the Forest Guard, leads his elite troops to face this challenge. All this is broadcast on a television screen and after a while all the enemy robots, as well as their leaders in the form of a lizard and a cockroach, are apprehended. However, the main villain escapes in the end, hinting at an imminent sequel.

As for the details and rating, the comic positions itself as allowed to be read from the age of six and above, so it does not touch on any deep topics and does not show various kinds of horrors. Basically, the comic focuses on the coolness of the soldiers and police officers, who bravely risk their lives to save the citizens of the city. I would like to add that their uniforms are based on real-life uniforms from our world, and the comic also features well-developed elements and techniques from the Russian military. Overall, it is a cute and children's comic that has received some funding from the government, indicating that there are no political issues with the furry community in Russia, despite the attempts by the left-liberal side to convince the world otherwise.

Criticism of "police furries"

As for the style of the comic itself, it is very cheap and resembles furry comics from the 2000s. Early strips of Twokinds was originally drawn in this style. The background objects are poorly detailed, and the outlines and shading look like they were drawn on paper with paint. This highlights the low cost of the project and suggests that the comic was likely created and promoted by enthusiasts within the Russian National Guard. However, the action scenes and battles were drawn decently and as a result, the comic remains visually appealing. It is also worth noting that the comic has not been translated into any languages or transferred to other online platforms, and it remains publicly available on the Rosgvardia website.

The comic has been criticized for being too simplistic for being published by such a large organization. And indeed, it is. I personally redrew the cover for this review because no one wanted to play with excessive detail. However, is it really worth condemning the creators, when the furry comics industry in Russia is much less developed than in America. In any case, such a comic book directly tells us that the state understands the importance of keeping up with the youth and talking to them on their wavelength. Therefore, there will still be new attempts to create furry comics in the future, and this particular example is a pioneer in establishing good relations between the state and the Russian furry community.