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Getting in on the ground floor regarding a new animated film — We don’t even have any images yet! But, here’s what we got from Variety: “Production is now under way at Cinesite in Montreal on Extinct, an animated feature being directed by David Silverman, the co-director of Pixar hit Monsters Inc. The film is a co-venture between multi-territory distributor China Lion Film, which will finance the picture, and China’s Wink Animation, part of Huayi Brothers Media. The adventure-comedy involves an adorable species of fluffy animals, called flummels. When two flummels are transported into the present day, they learn that their genus has become extinct, and travel back in time to try to save their race. The story is written by written by Joel H Cohen, John Frink, and Rob LaZebnik (The Simpsons).” According to the article, look for it in late 2020.

image c. 2018 China Lion Film

 

A very cute animation by Blankie [1]based off of TheFatRat's music track "Never Be Alone" [2]. [1] https://www.furaffinity.net/user/blankie/ [2] https://youtu.be/Ic-gZlPFTkQ
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(Content warning: antisemitic hate)

Altfurry and the Furry Raiders are toxic trolls on the fringes of fandom. These tiny groups claim to be furries, but they align with alt-right hate groups in the larger culture. Their harassment of a subculture comes disguised with bad-faith claims to support “freedom” and oppose “SJW’s.” Here’s a look behind the false front and a reminder that their hate is like oil and water to this community.

Racist hostility can’t coexist with a group full of queer nerds that’s based on tolerance and creativity. This makes altfurries uncomfortable about their alt-right associations, especially when they try to recruit – making them do two-faced, propagandistic denials that they’re “diverse” and not actually hateful. The denials are contradicted by how they look, talk, and act.

The denials are also contradicted by ban after ban for abuse on the platforms that they use for organizing. From early 2017 to February 2018, altfurries relied on Discord servers that hid behind layers of secrecy. Then on February 28, Discord kicked them out along with numerous other alt-right servers. I’ve been in contact with company reps about their investigation. What they found was as extreme as groups being responsible for murders – but Altfurry and the Furry Raiders weren’t let off the hook for the coordinated bans. They were all violating terms of service against hate.

When a company weeds out potential customers like that, money talks and bullshit walks. But if you still hear Altfurry denials, here’s a screenshot to prove beyond a doubt why they’re unwelcome on Discord. This was posted in the group – and then there’s a phone call with organizers who admit making a special channel for this.

The best propaganda move the fash have pulled was reframing their propaganda as a free speech issue.
Instead of "The Holocaust never happened" it's "Why won't anyone let me say that the Holocaust never happened?", and boom, instant support from conservatives for Holocaust denial.

— High Road Taker (@InnerPartisan) March 10, 2018

When they claim to support “freedom”, that includes explicit Holocaust denialism. When they claim “diversity”, that includes for spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories. And when they claim to oppose “SJW’s”, that’s code for evading limits on trolling and rule violation, as well as a tactic to scapegoat their targets (up to and including Jews).

After being banned from Discord, now they’re on a recruiting spree.  That’s one way to compensate for steady losses (you’d be overestimating their intelligence to tell them to give up already). ZeloxQuo, who staffed the group responsible for hate speech, and was previously exposed for assisting white supremacists with trolling, has been baiting FurAffinity users for attention. This calls for pointing out bad faith manipulation.

Giving a heads up to all my followers and friends. Keep your distance from this guy. He's an altfurry artist and recently just started finding a bunch of people to watch that don't align with his views. Just block him and ignore him. pic.twitter.com/qgcq80Rzvy

— Snowball Foxxo (@RussellTehFox) March 19, 2018

These manipulation tactics may work on oblivious or less involved members of Altfurry (and “alt-lite” catchment groups). Exposing exactly what they represent can ensure that the public won’t be fooled too.

For context about bans and recruiting, let’s look at the main organizer for Altfurry Discord, “Len Gilbert”, AKA Casey Hoerth.

Altfurry’s Diet Führer herds the sheep.

Some of Casey’s greatest hits of trolling and hate that he organized: (1) Urging members to attack Califur with swatting calls, contributing to its possible closure. (2) Supporting violence at the neo-nazi march in Charlottesville in August 2017, which contributed to the death of a former furry.

Casey styles himself as a Richard-Spencer type, PR-savvy white supremacist; the oily kind who tries to avoid open slurs and hides racist hate behind plausible deniability, euphemism and code. But sometimes it slips out anyways. Below is a video where Casey admits inviting alt-right hate groups into fandom.

His group shifted between Discord servers to dodge scrutiny, but always maintained a core of the same low hundred or so members. One of their final organizing phone calls happened on February 16, 2018 before Discord banned them. Below is an hour and a half recording plus casual transcript. You can hear Casey admit making a channel for “The Jewish Question” and call Zelox his “Gatekeeper” to help draw young kids into the group.

Transcript

The first 1/3 is all Casey, and worth most attention. It gives a feel of how he is focused on manipulating a group.

Casey was proud of getting 70 or so people to merge with his group from another one run by neo-nazi Blumiere (AKA Romulus.) They were afraid of security because the merger required a public link for a short time but it changed to vetted only. They had a “dummy” server where newbies were contained and vetted in by staff (including Zelox). Casey says his AltFurry server is different from Blumiere’s because it’s not public and has a litmus test for members being right wing, and the other one attracts a younger group, more from the alt right. He talks about lowering age to get in to 16, and how young white kids are “more right wing and tribal minded”. To introduce new members to his group, he shares his idea of what AltFurry is for and sets a goal of maybe posting a mission statement on Twitter.

Next, funny enough, he says there’s no litmus test because they’re open minded. The contradiction with his previous statement doesn’t seem to matter because he’s talking to sheep. (It’s a good example of him manipulating by saying two things at once and picking which one fits). Being “open minded” means herding together with a getting along principle. That’s mentioned at 18:40, and at 20:30, he admits that when Legofreak was going on about the “Jewish Question” and making debate a “contact sport” – he got his own special channel where Holocaust denial was welcome.

Another of their principles is being “creative” (that’s funny, because then they go on about meming, stealing art to do it, and trolling an artist who got upset about it.) They say they all do trolling, but that’s not what the group is really for – it’s really for fighting “SJW’s”. They think the left has been like a united army, and they have had people with big ideas clashing, but will fix it with organization now. (Isn’t it great how that worked out? Back to square 1…)

At the 1/3 point Casey opens channels to everyone, for boring talk about how to have artists in a channel. They stopped trying because of fear of consequences of being openly AltFur. At 1/2 way is trolling talk. One member jokes about getting homoerotic art of Casey and things get very awkward. They laugh about how “it’s all guys there” and that makes things easier.  At the 2/3 point Casey makes jealous, resentful attacks at myself and @Deotasdevil. At the 3/4 point Casey leaves and there is groupie praise for how “alpha” he was (to a tiny group with zero self awareness about being rejected losers). At 85%, a member talks of having worked with database admin and organizing/recruiting members for game servers. He conceptualizes furry fandom as a game with sides and bosses to beat. They use the term redpill about recruiting for AltFurry.

Bonus info

There’s a look behind the false front. It should be emphasized that despite Casey’s oily togetherness talk and euphemisms – the group’s purpose supported a whole channel for hate speech. Here’s some more of what was in it from “Legofreak”, who appears to be Jeremiah Maier, age 19, a Californian living in east Oakland. His Youtube channel was actually started at age 12 for sharing Legos.  (That means Casey, a 30-something year old man, is encouraging teens into Holocaust denialism.)

This hate group keeps spinning their wheels, never accomplishing anything, always looking backwards at bad, dead old beliefs, with jealousy for the truly positive and creative majority of fandom they can’t be part of. There’s a saying that the best revenge is living a good life, so ignoring them is good…  but then they’re targeting kids.  So keep making sure everyone knows it’s the wrong path that will always end in being pariahs, until they grow up and leave it.

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon.  You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward.  They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.

The Trailer dropped for Unicorn Wars, a dark and strange film from Alberto Vazquez [1]'. The NSFW was mostly for language. [1] https://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/meet-spains-hottest-animator-alberto-vazquez-swept-goya-animation-categories-tonight-148282.html
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Imagine if every Google search was measured in sweat. In the 90’s, dead-tree newspapers were the place for movie listings, job ads and more. Delivering them was my first job. The Sunday paper was the size of a log, and it hurt to climb hills on a bike with a sack full of them in the middle of a blizzard or blazing heat. Relaxing afterwards with the comics was a treat, and there used to be a lot of good strips. Calvin and Hobbes was my favorite.

Furry has had zines, newsletters, comic books, strips, and webcomics. But I’m not aware of any fandom news publication with a regular comics or art feature adding to commentary. Dogpatch Press Patreon subscriptions are almost at the goal for that. It asks why furries don’t use the political cartoon format – (Wikifur says it had “some of the earliest anthropomorphic or funny animal art.”) Maybe they need a news source to host it? Doesn’t it seem like a worthy match?

That’s why the site is going to start commissioning an artist a month for a site banner. It will link to a headline post promoting the artist. Eventually regular comics might be added, but just a banner is OK to start.

TO APPLY – submit to banners@dogpatch.press:

• Your page link, one favorite piece, and a one-paragraph bio.
• Your price for a banner for the top of this site.
• (Optional) – Price for one comic with artistic freedom (any format; panel, strip, or page)
• Price for a six month/six comic contract.

Preference goes to pro quality artists with an interesting style, message or story, who might be underexposed. Examples:

• A unique or lesser seen art style like “Toon Grotesque“.
• Nonfiction or political comics (true life stories, or single panel satire.)
• Someone outside of the US or representing a community (Latin American artists have done previous banners.)
• If you do a running comic, go ahead and use existing characters. Self-promoting in the art is great!

This isn’t a popularity contest to commission eye candy from the most-followed artists. Also, a lot of popular stuff is about sex – sex sells, and there’s no problem with that, but this is meant to promote stuff that doesn’t rely on it (that stuff already does well on it’s own). It helps to be worthy for other reasons. This is to showcase fandom potential and artists that deserve a boost.

Here’s some pieces that have previously appeared.

by Jib Kodi

For artists – about the site.

“Furry news” is DIY alternative reporting from a fandom perspective. It’s a direct line to the furry world. There’s barely any “professional journalism” about furries because you can’t get that outside and there is no “objectivity” inside. For example, I write about events I also organize because nobody else will. That isn’t just news, it IS fandom, but it still counts as news the same as zines, columnists, magazine-style commentary, or “gonzo” first-person literary reporting. It can include jokes, satire, rough edges like a band’s bedroom album, RP, and a voice like yours. The concept is “Be The Media”, and it’s for love like artists do their thing.

So go wild!

Speaking of pay and making a professional platform: some writers chatted with me about starting a market-rate-paying furry publishing outlet apart from the Big Three publishers (Rabbit Valley, Sofawolf, Furplanet). Something with a periodical magazine concept. A top furry fiction author (no name, but you know it) confided to me that fandom just isn’t ready – it’s still a small niche that only supports handfuls of “pro fans” (like career fursuit makers) so far. It’s a shoestring budget deal, but fandom is growing, so let’s see where it leads.

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon.  You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward.  They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.

Things do get strange in the world of politics, and likely many people would agree that things have gotten even more strange than usual of late. And now, we can add furries to the mix! Follow us here: Vice President Mike Pence and his family wrote a book, Marlon Bundo’s Day in the Life of the Vice President, which details that very thing — from the point of view of the Pence family’s new pet rabbit, Marlon Bundo. (The text is actually by daughter Charlotte Pence, with illustrations by Second Lady Karen Pence, who is a watercolor artist.) Not to be outdone, upon hearing news of this political comedian John Oliver and his crew at Last Week Tonight created A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, written by Jill Twiss and illustrated by E.G. Keller. Marlon Bundo is bored with his life as a vice-presidential pet, until one day he falls in love with another male rabbit named Wesley. Marlon offers Wesley his paw in marriage, but their same-sex union is loudly opposed by a stink bug — with a suspiciously familiar crop of white hair. Upon its release, the Marlon Bundo book instantly became a #1 best-seller on Amazon. It’s available now from Chronicle Books.

image c. 2018 Chronicle Books

www.draggetshow.com Be sure to check our website for all Things Dragget Show! Podcasts, videos, merch and more! Also, don't forget we stream the D&D sessions Friday at 7pm Central on YouTube! YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/DraggetShow Patreon: www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow 192 - Go Vote, Seriously - www.draggetshow.com Be sure to check our website…

reminder that these stream FRIDAY @7pm on YouTube if you would like to join the chat! for all things Dragget: www.draggetshow.com Here is video of it w/ illustrations and more! -- youtu.be/b7_mOg-Hw3M Our Patreon w/ great new rewards! www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow Telegram Chat: t.me/draggetshow Dungeons And Draggets #08 - reminder that these stream FRIDAY @7pm on YouTube…

I'm not a wolf but I kinda want to be one now.
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Hello,

​I was wondering if you can help me with something. You see, my first experience with the furry fandom was when I was 13 years old or so. But the thing is, I got exposed to the NSFW side of the fandom and became addicted to it for a few years now. I had the idea to join in the fandom and try to stay on the clean side. Unfortunately, it was not the case as still have the addiction. Sometimes I even have had thoughts on wanting revenge on those who make this kind of art material and how a lot of furries don't keep this kind of stuff private on facebook and twitter that makes it really easy for kids to view it. I only just want to be a good person a lay my demons to rest. Also, if I do actually want to be in this fandom, I might be afraid because of being viewed as immature or as some kind of degenerate and whatever terms and labels people have been throwing around, I know some people say furry is also just a label.

Thanks, Anon

* * *

Dear Furiend,

Thank you for your letter, which allows Papabear to address some interesting subjects.  You sound as if you have a lot of guilt over being sexually stimulated by furporn.  First of all, as a teenager it is completely natural that your libido would be on overdrive.  Sex is pretty much on the brain of all young men (and women) because that's when you are the healthiest and most fertile.  It's a Mother Nature thing.  Most people become very stimulated by "normal" pornography on the Internet.  In fact, porn sites are the most accessed of any type of website on the Web.  (Interestingly, the Bible Belt states have the highest rate of porn access in the United States).  Is furporn worse or more "degenerate" than any other type of pornography? No, no it is not.  Do furries look at a lot of porn?  Yes, many do--some more than others, of course.  Is furry all about porn?  Certainly not.  Furporn is just one small aspect of a very interesting and diverse fandom; however, to deny that it is also a fascination for many furries would be tantamount to sticking one's head in the sand.

Why do some furries look at or create furporn? Are they secretly zoophiles? No. I have a number of theories on this matter about which I am writing more in-depth in my upcoming book.  One theory is that fursonas create a mask over our sexual proclivities--a buffer, if you will, protecting us from our culture-promoted embarrassment and anxieties over being sexual animals.  It is the same reason, for example, why I, as Grubbs Grizzly, felt much more comfortable performing on stage in fursuit than I ever would have as myself: you feel less vulnerable, more protected against criticism or guilt.

Another theory is that furporn allows us to be more free in expressing our animalistic sexual desires.  In furporn, no one worries about protection, for example, and there is a sense of liberation in letting it, shall we say, all hang out. It also relieves anxiety over being homosexual ("It's not me doing this, it's my fursona") or having a fetish of some kind. The factor that furries do not exist in real-life places furporn high on the "this is just totally fantasy" list, making it feel safer because one knows that having sex with a dragon or anthro wolf is never going to happen in real life, so there, again, is the relief from anxiety and anticipation.

Seeking "revenge" on furporn artists will not help you, as you likely know. First of all, there's no way you will get rid of furporn, no matter what you do. It's here to stay. Secondly, furporn didn't create sexual desires in you; you already had those and porn just provides you with an outlet.  Thirdly, don't feel guilty about it.  Human sexuality is extremely diverse, and it can be imaginative and highly creative in a good way (the only bad kinds of sexuality involve anything in which sex is forced against someone's will--rape, sex with children, for example). When sex is consensual and done safely, it is actually a healthy practice that fosters social bonds and even love. 

Finally, if looking at furporn made you a reject in the fandom, then yours truly would be a reject, too. I don't think I am, so you should be cool.

Re-examine why you have these feelings of guilt and shame. Is it because YOU think furry sexuality is bad, or is because you feel society thinks it is bad and will reject you?

Hugs,
Papabear

Sex. The biological imperative to reproduce. The thing saving every species from extinction. But some people don't enjoy or have an interest in sex. Why not? Is something fundamentally wrong or is this a new valid sexuality coming to light? Caudle joins Roo and Tugs to discuss the world of asexuality in this episode, while also contrasting it against the openly sexual world of furry. We also have Space News, and olde timey ad, and more!




NOW LISTEN!
Show Notes
Special Thanks

Caudle, our guest
Simone, for the ident
Kit
Kira
Cubz T. Wolfe
Amethyst

Music

Opening Theme: Husky In Denial – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2015. ©2015 Fur What It’s Worth and Husky in Denial. Based on Fredrik Miller– Cloud Fields (Radio Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Space News Music: Fredrik Miller – Orbit. USA: Bandcamp, 2013. Used with permission. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Closing Theme: Husky In Denial – Cloud Fields (Headnodic Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2015. ©2015 Fur What It’s Worth and Husky in Denial. 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!)

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The following people have decided this month’s Fur What It’s Worth is worth actual cash! THANK YOU!


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Artorias Ichisake and Kit


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Lokimutt and Guardian Lion and Cody and HotSauce
Plus Tier Supporters

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McRib Tier Supporters

Ilya / EpicRive

Next episode: Big and small. BIG and HUGE. Teeny and Tiny! Our next episode is MACRO and micro! Send your comments by March 23, 2018! S7 Episode 11 – The Big A - Sex. The biological imperative to reproduce. The thing saving every species from extinction. But some people don't enjoy or have an interest in sex. Why not? Is something fundamentally wrong or is this a new valid sexuality com

Hey, remember Tentacle Kitty?  The little plushie feline with 10 wiggly things?  Well she’s been growing in popularity, enough that now Dark Horse Press bring us the Tentacle Kitty Coloring Book. “Tentacle Kitty, or ‘Pink One’ as she was called in her tribe, is a kitty from another dimension, that happens to have tentacles. After a series of unfortunate event, she is trapped on Earth trying to find a way home. Armed with ten tentacles, an adventurous spirit, and new friends, what could go wrong?” Featuring 96 pages of art by the likes of John Merritt, Amy King, Yishan Li, Brittney Williams, Aubrey Aiese, and Rootis Tabootus, it wiggles its way onto book shelves this coming May.

image c. 2018 Dark Horse Press

To close off the FWG Awareness week for March, we’ve reached out to editors, authors, and publishers in the furry fandom to bring you a short reading list of works touching on post-colonialism and the development of cultural identity in former colonies. While not a common topic both within furry literature and outside it, such themes can be found in the stories listed here. Please bear in mind that this is by no means a comprehensive list, though!

Furry Short Stories:

• “We Are One” by Thurston Howl (from ROAR 8), a sci-fi horror story about finding a paradise supposedly untouched. To say more would give away spoilers.
• “Migration Season” by J.A. Noelle (from Seven Deadly Sins), a story about the clash between cultures and the cost of pride.
• “Long Time I Hunt” by Erin Lale (from ROAR 7), which follows a wild cat spirit through time, starting with its connection to Native Americans through to present day.

Furry Novels:

• Memoirs of a Polar Bear by Yoko Tawada, which follows three generations of polar bears in a circus.
• Barsk: The Elephant’s Graveyard by Lawrence M. Schoen, set in the distant future where humans have vanished and their uplifted animal creations have built their own society.

You can find the furry anthologies and novels here:

• ROAR 8: https://furplanet.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=905
• ROAR 7: https://furplanet.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=877
• Seven Deadly Sins: http://thurstonhowlpub.storenvy.com/products/21737903-seven-deadly-sins-furry-confessions
• Memoirs of a Polar Bear: https://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Polar-Bear-Yoko-Tawada/dp/081122578X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521217819&sr=8-1&keywords=memoirs+of+a+polar+bear
• Barsk: https://furplanet.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=838

Non-Furry Novels and Series:

• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, a novel with two overlapping story arcs, both of which focus on Okonkwo. The first arc focuses on his fall from grace within his tribe, and the second focuses on the culture clash that devastates Okonkwo’s world when aggressive European missionaries arrive.
• Cities of Salt by Abdul Rahman Munif, a story of the disruption to a poor oasis community after oil was found there.
• The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, set in Kerala, India, 1969, this story follows the trials and tribulations of a family as it tries to cope with cultural changes.
• The Alliance-Union books by C. J. Cherryh, an expansive series that follows Earth and its interstellar colonies as they declare independence, expand and encounter other species, and the conflicts that ensue.
• The Ancillary Trilogy by Ann Leckie follows a former ship’s AI trapped in a human body as she tries to learn what it means to be an individual, and uncover the act of treachery that tore her former life away.

(All of these can be found either at your local bookstore or on Amazon.com!)

Many thanks to Mary E. Lowd and Kiris, whose suggestions helped us put this list together!

We have Fred Patten to thank for this: He pointed us in the direction of Kuku and Mey Mey, a new 2D animated comedy series of shorts created by Anish Patel and realized by HopMotion Animation. Here’s how they describe the show: “On the edge of the wildlife sanctuary that is Kuku’s home, is a famous Jungle Inn. This is Kuku’s hunting ground and the comforts of the Jungle Inn are big game. All Kuku wants to do is sneak into the inn and steal the modern day comforts it has to offer. Meanwhile, the territorial Mey Mey will go to any lengths to stop Kuku from trespassing. Her notorious booby traps are set at every corner to do the trick and embarrass the beast out of Kuku. The result is a chaos laden chase comedy that turns the tables on predator and prey.” Now, about distribution: “The first season of the show has 78 episodes of seven minutes each and is available on North America’s OTT platform Toon Goggles and VOD platform Amazon Prime US, under the title Kuku and the Goat.” Got it? The article over at Animation Xpress has more details and a preview video too.

image c. 2018 HopMotion Animation

I flunked out of finishing school. I never could get all the streaks and bubbles out of the wood coating.
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For 15 years, the Ursa Major Awards lacked resources. Costs came from organizer pockets.  This year they tried a GoFundMe, and it’s getting close to the goal!

• It’s not there yet and still needs your help. Please see the fundraiser here.
• Don’t forget to vote for the awards!

Here’s some good news courtesy of Fred Patten.

At a recent Anthrocon Board of Directors meeting, it was approved for Anthrocon to match up to $350 in donations received in the UMA’s GoFundMe campaign to cover trophy manufacturing and costs.

The donation is viewed as a way to support writers. Many publishers release new works at Anthrocon, and the con has a substantial writing track which doesn’t cost much to run. Anthrocon spends a lot to support fursuiters (they can get special souvenir tags, for example), but the writing track has never asked for more.

During the discussion, it was noticed that the ALAA hasn’t gotten other cons to donate yet. It was suggested the ALAA use this opportunity to ask other cons to match a portion of GoFundMe donations too.

There was discussion of making Anthrocon’s donation regular annually – if other cons donate regularly Anthrocon is likely to join in, probably matching their amounts. Now is the time to step up and help.

AnthrOhio has agreed to host the 2019 UMA presentations, and Biggest Little Fur Con the 2020 presentations.

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon.  You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward.  They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.

Newberry Award-winning author Linda Sue Park has a new fantasy series out as well called Wing & Claw. From Amazon, here’s the description of the first book, The Forest of Wonders: “Raffa Santana has always loved the mysterious Forest of Wonders. For a gifted young apothecary like him, every leaf could unleash a kind of magic. When an injured bat crashes into his life, Raffa invents a cure from a rare crimson vine that he finds deep in the Forest. His remedy saves the animal but also transforms it into something much more than an ordinary bat, with far-reaching consequences. Raffa’s experiments lead him away from home to the forbidding city of Gilden, where troubling discoveries make him question whether exciting botanical inventions—including his own—might actually threaten the very creatures of the Forest he wants to protect.” Raffa names that bat Echo, and the two of them — along with other animals of the magical wood — are the main focus of this series for young readers.

image c. 2018 Harper Collins

It looks like Pikachu is solving a case with Yasuko Sawaguchi herself!? (She plays a criminal investigator (Mariko Sakaki) in the tv show Kasōken no Onna) ...the real mystery is why Pikachu can talk.
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Hello Everyone!

We open this week's show with a discussion on our appearance on the wonderful podcast, Life on the Swingset. You can hear us talk about ethical non-monogamy in the fandom on Episode 317 BY CLICKING HERE or by visiting their website, lifeontheswingset.com. 

We also talk about why loving someone else isn't always enough to make love happen. We go over why unrequited love can often feel so strong and certain yet it goes absolutely nowhere. 

Our main topic is on how to maintain independence in a relationship. We talk about why it's important to do so, what happens when you become codependent, and ways to practice independent living.

We close out the show with a question of mismatched motivation drives in a relationship. Is this a relationship killer, or can this be overcome?

For more information, including a list of topics, see our Show Notes for this episode. 

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 102 Maintaining Independence in a Relationship - When do you deserve love? When should you declare independence? When is the opposite of a lack of motivation a bad thing? All this, and more, on this week's Feral Attraction!

Welcome to the second FWG Awareness Week! This is a bi-monthly event, run by the moderators in the FWG Slack group (Searska GreyRaven, ritter_reiter, and George Squares) as a way to bring focus to minority culture and writers in furry literature. Through features such as interviews, reading lists, and author AMAs, we hope to provide ample material and a safe, respectful setting for inter-cultural dialogue within our diverse community.

Our focus this month is on authors from post-colonial nations, and for our second interview we’d like to present Jako Malan! Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, Jako is a computer programmer by trade who has a recurring fascination with the furry fandom. He considers himself a casual furry, enjoying the added aesthetic quality and versatility of working with non-human characters. After a delightful episode of globetrotting—which included an extended stay in the US and England—he now lives with his wife and two young children in Bellville, nestled comfortably behind the Boerewors Curtain. Jako is the author of the post-human anthro novel reWritten, and his anthro stories can also be found in Passing Through and Symbol of a Nation. A member of the Furry Writer’s Guild, he can be found there and on Twitter under the alias Erdwolf_TVL.

Disclaimer: While the Awareness Week project seeks to amplify underrepresented voices and perspectives, please bear in mind that our interviewees comprise one opinion out of many, and do not represent everyone within their demographic.

Tell us briefly about yourself as an author. How long have you been writing?

I see myself as a creator in a more general sense, rather than an author. I allow my imagination to run amok; mashing together ideas that seem completely unrelated and (sometimes) outright ludicrous. I tend to latch onto a specific theme or idea and become completely obsessed by it. I tend to move on to the next theme or idea rather abruptly, though. If I had the time, talent and resources, I would probably make movies. Writing is a quick and economical alternative, though, so it has been my tool of choice.

As a hobbyist writer, I don’t force myself to write a specific quota of words per day. I often go months (sometimes years) without writing a single word of fiction. When the bug bites, however, I tend to be very productive. I wrote large parts of reWritten in the mornings before work and during lunch breaks, checking in well over 2000 words on a good day.

The oldest piece I have in my archives dates from around 1992. It is essentially a piece of fan fiction loosely based on my favorite TV show at the time – Ovide and the Gang.

Creative writing was one of my favorite subjects, though I didn’t produce much work outside of what was expected of me in school. I spent most of my free time being a computer nerd – creating and playing DOOM mods and writing computer programs.

The writing bug bit me in my senior year at high-school. I wrote three fairly long fan fictions based on the Star Wars prequels – Gungan lore with a host of original characters. It was fun, but being fan fiction, it would never be published. I started toying with the idea of creating something original around this time.

Throughout, most of my writing was done in English, despite it not being my mother tongue. Afrikaans is a truly beautiful language, but it takes a lot of work to do really well. It involves a lot more typing (because of accent marks and double-negatives). The potential audience size is also a lot bigger when sticking to English.

After finding inspiration in the Furry fandom in the early 2000s, I started working on an early version of what was to become reWritten. This first incantation – Shadows and Reflections – was written as a script for a graphic novel. It was mostly complete in 2006, though I only managed to get the first 25-odd pages illustrated before funds (and motivation) ran out. I might revive this one day, though.

I took a lengthy break between 2008 and 2016, during which I wrote (mostly terrible) poetry whilst building my career, traveling the world. My wife and I got married in 2013. Our daughter was born in 2015 and our son in 2016.

Despite many sleepless nights during this time, 2017 was my most productive year to date. I was accepted into the Furry Writer’s Guild. My debut novel and two shorts were published.

Right now, I’m stewing over a novel-length furry piece, three or four short stories, and the script for my visual novel, Project Greenfields (the latter being most active). I’d really like to have something done by the South Afrifur Convention in July, but so far this year has been more about fighting fires than stopping to smell the flowers.

How did you encounter the furry fandom, and why did you start contributing to it?

I think that most of us start out as furries. The characters on cereal boxes, sport mascots, cartoons, movies… We literally grow up surrounded by anthropomorphic animals. It is our “normal” as kids.

I remember a particular despair when my father told me that cartoon animals didn’t “live” like we do – I could not meet them nor visit them in their hometowns. I guess we all have that watershed moment where we can choose to continue believing in cartoon animals or not. (Clearly, I chose the former.)

Though I kept my interest in animal people, I spent my young days oblivious to the existence of the furry fandom. These were pre-Internet days, so ideas travelled more slowly.

In the early days of dial-up internet, my sister and I joined the Jar Jar Binks Fan Club Message Board. (I believe this still exists.) Amongst others, I met a dragon scalie from Pennsylvania who introduced me to the furry fandom. I managed to visit him during my first trip to the USA and we are still in contact to this day. I am not sure if he still considers himself a furry, though.

Yerf!, VCL, IRC, and various awful websites hosted on AngelFire became my staples. I did some personal furry-themed illustrations and paintings. It dawned on me that Furry would be a good platform to tell my stories in. Apart from being a genre that piqued my interest, it would also give me an audience to target – one that I considered myself a part of and understood fairly well.

The rest is history, I guess!

Who are your favorite authors? How about furry authors?

As far as mainstream fiction goes, I liked reading Arthur C. Clarke, PJ O’Rourke, Neil Gaiman, and local veteran author Leon Rosseau. Furry authors I like reading include Tempe O’Kun, Watts Martin, Patrick Rochefort, and Mary E Lowd.

I must confess, however, I’m not a big consumer of fiction. (I’d probably be a more prolific writer if I were.) I do consume a lot of poetry, non-fiction, and music with strong lyrical content, though. I adore the work of Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Justin Hayward, and Jacques Brel. Local poets and songwriters whose work I enjoy include Amanda Strydom, Koos du Plessis, Anton Goosen, and Randall Wicomb.

I try to appease my lack of reading by convincing myself that programs are novels for computers. And that writing fiction is programming for the human mind.

By that measure, I guess, I am a prolific writer after all.

You’ve lived in the US and the UK for an extended period, before returning to South Africa. How did life abroad compare to life back in South Africa?

After finishing high school, I spent four months working as a telephone operator at a New England ski resort. This was pre-9/11 – the USA was still the place we knew from watching television as kids. The fabled land of opportunity, yellow school buses, red fire hydrants and Mickey Mouse. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to the USA again hereafter. It is telling how things have changed since then (and, I think, not for the better). I’d love to visit the USA again, this time with my wife – though I’d be hard-pressed to live there long-term. The strong consumerist culture of America is very different from the more conservative norms / austere circumstances most South Africans grew up with. What I do like about the USA, however, is how easy it is to get hold of “cool stuff” and that you never have to travel very far to find that rare record, piece of electronics, or… furry convention?

I lived in Kew Gardens (South East London) between June 2005 and July 2006. I was on a working holiday visa, though I did manage to cement the first of a good nine-year-long career at a large multinational. I really enjoyed my stay in London and really wished I could stay a bit longer. It is not without its share of social ills, but it is a well organised and charming old place.

What I miss most about London is the public transport. The ability to walk around town at just about any time of day, not being bored and being reasonably assured of your personal safety. London is great if you are young and single. Not the ideal place to raise a family, though. London kids are… strange. I also have fond memories of hanging out with the London Furs during this time.

As of today, I am back in Cape Town’s northern suburbs, where I was born and grew up. With my wife and kids, it is convenient to be close to my parents and in-laws. Cape Town is a beautiful and pleasant place. Not as vibrant as Johannesburg. Not as accessible as London and not as ambitious as Boston. It does offer a very decent standard of living and has good amenities.

You once mentioned South Africa as “a setting with unique stories that’s woefully underrepresented in the sci-fi community”. Aside from the distinct choice of species you show in your stories, what would you personally want to see in South African furry or sci-fi fiction?

Little things can make the difference between a narrative that feels tired and done – and something that feels fresh and innovative. There is hardly such a thing as a new story. As writers, we have been pretty good at repackaging these old ideas and distracting the audience with fancy new decor.

Take the movie District 9, for example. It is not African per se. The plot could have worked just as well in another international city. But little nuanced things gave it a distinct local flavour. And I think audiences appreciate this. The animated piece Khumba is also a good example (although in my opinion, it tries a bit too hard to appeal to international audiences).

Many popular period pieces have local equivalents (or local perspectives) that allow a writer to make great use of the local scenery. We had a revolutionary war against Imperial Britain. (Two, in fact!) We had an age of pioneers, which includes a lot of conflict with the indigenous peoples. We had our unpopular war (the Angolan Border War). We had our civil rights movement (against apartheid). The list goes on.

In terms of furry, obviously we have incredible biodiversity. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to species. Our relationship with animals is different to that in other parts of the world. Human influence is still big, but since land is not at such a premium (such as in Europe), animals have less contact with humans and can “be themselves” to a larger extent.

On a grander scale, what I would really love to see is more pre-colonial African folklore, superstition, and culture woven into our stories. I think the emphasis thus far has been too focused on recent history (Nelson Mandela, the fight against apartheid, etc.) I don’t claim to be an expert in African culture, but I DO know enough to know that I haven’t even scratched the surface.

South Africa has had a long history of tension and conflict – examples which come to mind are the Boer Wars and the struggle against apartheid, echoes of which still remain today. Do these conflicts influence your writing, and if so, how?

I always say that my indoctrination program was interrupted at a very critical point. Until the age of 13, I experienced a very different “normal” than I did thereafter. Some of the mind-shifts my generation had to make were rather dramatic. People who were national heroes before were now suddenly the villains. Things that you took for granted before were suddenly gone.

An example of this would be the role of Afrikaans (my home language) in society. Before apartheid ended, you would see both Afrikaans and English on just about every product you buy at the store. Appliances and cars would have Afrikaans manuals and labels. Most things are exclusively English nowadays. There is also a move towards English-only in academic circles, as students believe they will be more employable in the global economy.

Overall, though, I am grateful for a very privileged upbringing, comparable in many regards to that I might have had, were I born in Europe or the USA around the same time.

I think the conflict that has the biggest influence on my writing was the border war with Angola and possibly the Rhodesian bush war. These are recent conflicts where the distinction between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” isn’t as clear cut. These were messy, politically complex wars. Many who died were ignorant to what was really going on.

To say these things do not influence my writing would be ignorant on my part. reWritten doesn’t deal with the above mentioned conflicts in any direct way, however. It is more of a statement on post-humanity (more on this later).

The search for cultural identity is an involved process for furry species created by humankind, as in your novel reWritten. Did growing up in a nation with an analogous background (i.e. a colony created by a powerful nation) affect the way you portrayed this aspect of furry identity?

As a white Afrikaner, the search for identity is very topical. People have very strong opinions about who we ought to be. A pseudo-identity was manufactured for us by the nationalist government. For better or worse, it was forced down our throats. It is probably the closest we’ve had to a true identity, but it is neither authentic nor sustainable.

Ultimately, I think we are heading towards self-discovery, but we are not there yet. Other groupings in South Africa are in a similar process of self-realization: the Lost Generation, the Born Free generation and those I consider to be the “True Millennials” (born after the Internet).

Each of us have a story to tell and a destiny to fulfill. And we also have to figure out how to live together in harmony.

Though there may be undertones of this seeking in reWritten, the Mammalæ world is more post-human than anything else. The sons of man look at the wreckage of the world we left behind for them. They try to make sense of what they see. And try to survive at the same time.

I think we are pretty bad tenants in this world, but Mammalæ have a different perspective on this.

Their society is built in the ruins of our own. They were created in our image, to live amongst us. It is therefore inevitable that they would imitate us in many respects. In other aspects, however, their society is much more complex. With many different species of different shapes and sizes, created for different purposes and with different natural tendencies. Their society inevitably operates differently.

This is a challenge, but it also enables many things that would be difficult to portray in a homogenous society. I alluded to the inner working of their society in reWritten, but I hope to explore this in much more detail in Greenfields.

For non-native writers looking to use South Africa as a setting, is there anything you would like to see them portray more of? Are there also any stereotypes or misrepresentations you would like to draw attention to?

There are parts of South Africa that can be used as a plug-in replacement for other parts of the world, without too much inner knowledge. To make a story truly South African, subtle details will need to be considered. To make a story both South African and one that appeals to an international audience… I think this still needs to be done well.

With regards to Africa as a whole, I’d like to echo something that is often said. People need to realise that Africa is a continent and not a country. Africa has many languages, many cultures. Many histories. There is room for The Lion King and derivatives. But to think that Africa is just about savannahs with animals running around is like thinking that London is the entire United Kingdom. Or that New York City is the be-all and end-all of the USA. Or that Germany is one big year-long Oktoberfest.

Which of your works are you proudest of?

Naturally, I am very proud of reWritten. It has been a long and exciting journey to get my work in print. However, the piece I had the most fun writing and re-reading (to date) is “The Savage Caravan” (Passing Through anthology by Weasel Press). It sets the tone for a spicier kind of story that works well in the furry market. The Gentler Times canon which it belongs to is also a lot more accessible than that of Artisans and Opportunists (the universe of reWritten). It is more Zootopia-like, in that it uses the existing world we live in, but where humans are replaced with anthropomorphic animals.

Any parting words of advice for aspiring writers in the fandom?

As an author, you have a duty to explore. Expose yourself to new ideas. Learn to absorb without feeling an obligation to change yourself (or the others). If you only expose yourself to that which you are comfortable with, your writing will be boring and predictable.

Furthermore, I encourage you to find your own measure of success. Not everyone who writes a piece will get published. Not everyone who gets published will sell a million copies (or make any money to speak of). Unless you are a professional writer, write for yourself first, everyone else second.

When the time comes to show your work to the world, take the time to polish your work and make it accessible. Get an editor. Have your stuff beta-read. Be willing to make changes you don’t necessarily agree with, if they will make your work more accessible.

Make use of all the wonderful free resources that are available online. Visit tvtropes.org. Join the Furry Writers’ Guild. It is a small community with many folks willing to help. Often for free.

Lastly, play nice. Don’t be a primadonna. It is a small community and hardly anything nowadays happens without everyone knowing about it.

 

Discuss this article on the Guild forums, or check out Jako’s page on Goodreads.