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Spencer & Locke is a new full-color comic series that slipped on by last summer, but we finally caught up with it! Locke: He’s a hard-boiled police detective. Spencer: He’s Locke’s imaginary childhood friend, now grown up into a 6-foot tall panther. Together, they fight crime. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) Writer David Pepose describes it as ‘Calvin & Hobbes meets Sin City‘, and that sums it up pretty well! Illustrated by Jorge Santiago, Jr. and Jasen Smith, it’s available now from Action Labs. And check out the spoiler-free review over at Pop Cult HQ.

image c. 2017 Action Lab

Fayroe and Paradox are back after a two week break to churn through a plethora of news and links.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Fayroe was an extra for a film called Pottersville, coming out soon
• Paradox’s Flickr including Fursuit Photo Shoot photos
• Blue fox marketing
• Telegram Live Locations
• Hyatt Hotel credit breach
• Hiyu Explains Rocket Science
• Map divided into sections based on furry con
• SwiftOnSecurity continues to make fun of furries
• Fursuiters mock American Dad
• Wikihow: How To Be A Furry
• 14 Times People Tried in Vain To Understand Furries on Tumblr
• Anthro Northwest
• Furry’s grandmother loves fursuits
• Boozy Finds A Furry School Bus

News:

• Scientists Have Made Genetically Modified Low-Fat Pigs
• First Wild Bison In Germany For 250 Years Is Shot Within A Day
• Wild Badger Sneaks Into Home, Impersonates Family Cat
• Man uses blowtorch against spider left homeless
• First Evidence That Online Dating Is Changing The Nature of Society
• Bad News About Oral Sex
• Weird Science Studies
• Smart toilet’s bidet hacked via Bluetooth, gives new meaning to ‘backdoor vulnerability’

Emails:

• Avery – Becoming a Part of the Fandom’s Community
• Wisperkity – Fond memories for you, and interesting question.
• 0101 – Fanmail
• Wolfe – Went to my “fur-st” con

FC-282 Wildlife Wrestling Federation - Fayroe and Paradox are back after a two week break to churn through a plethora of news and links.

Fayroe and Paradox are back after a two week break to churn through a plethora of news and links.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Fayroe was an extra for a film called Pottersville, coming out soon
• Paradox’s Flickr including Fursuit Photo Shoot photos
• Blue fox marketing
• Telegram Live Locations
• Hyatt Hotel credit breach
• Hiyu Explains Rocket Science
• Map divided into sections based on furry con
• SwiftOnSecurity continues to make fun of furries
• Fursuiters mock American Dad
• Wikihow: How To Be A Furry
• 14 Times People Tried in Vain To Understand Furries on Tumblr
• Anthro Northwest
• Furry’s grandmother loves fursuits
• Boozy Finds A Furry School Bus

News:

• Scientists Have Made Genetically Modified Low-Fat Pigs
• First Wild Bison In Germany For 250 Years Is Shot Within A Day
• Wild Badger Sneaks Into Home, Impersonates Family Cat
• Man uses blowtorch against spider left homeless
• First Evidence That Online Dating Is Changing The Nature of Society
• Bad News About Oral Sex
• Weird Science Studies
• Smart toilet’s bidet hacked via Bluetooth, gives new meaning to ‘backdoor vulnerability’

Emails:

• Avery – Becoming a Part of the Fandom’s Community
• Wisperkity – Fond memories for you, and interesting question.
• 0101 – Fanmail
• Wolfe – Went to my “fur-st” con

FC-282 Wildlife Wrestling Federation - Fayroe and Paradox are back after a two week break to churn through a plethora of news and links.

Fayroe and Paradox are back after a two week break to churn through a plethora of news and links.

Download MP3

Link Roundup:

• Fayroe was an extra for a film called Pottersville, coming out soon
• Paradox’s Flickr including Fursuit Photo Shoot photos
• Blue fox marketing
• Telegram Live Locations
• Hyatt Hotel credit breach
• Hiyu Explains Rocket Science
• Map divided into sections based on furry con
• SwiftOnSecurity continues to make fun of furries
• Fursuiters mock American Dad
• Wikihow: How To Be A Furry
• 14 Times People Tried in Vain To Understand Furries on Tumblr
• Anthro Northwest
• Furry’s grandmother loves fursuits
• Boozy Finds A Furry School Bus

News:

• Scientists Have Made Genetically Modified Low-Fat Pigs
• First Wild Bison In Germany For 250 Years Is Shot Within A Day
• Wild Badger Sneaks Into Home, Impersonates Family Cat
• Man uses blowtorch against spider left homeless
• First Evidence That Online Dating Is Changing The Nature of Society
• Bad News About Oral Sex
• Weird Science Studies
• Smart toilet’s bidet hacked via Bluetooth, gives new meaning to ‘backdoor vulnerability’

Emails:

• Avery – Becoming a Part of the Fandom’s Community
• Wisperkity – Fond memories for you, and interesting question.
• 0101 – Fanmail
• Wolfe – Went to my “fur-st” con

[Live] Wildlife Wrestling Federation

Papabear,

​​First off, I apologize if I sent a version of this letter that is similar. I had a problem with my browser.

So, seven days ago (October 20th) I was feeling bad, possibly depression-level bad. I ended up self-harming using a rather sharp boxcutter. I've only cut three different times, causing a few cuts each time. I cut on my upper thigh high enough that my boxers cover them well. I had been considering cutting for quite some time before my first session. It's a way to show control over myself and I've started to enjoy the pain afterwards. I'm willing to risk the scars.

Now, to my question. Is this a truly unhealthy, unmanageable behavior that I need to stop? I don't want to stop.

AFoxThatIdentifiesAsADoggo (age 15)


* * *
 
Dear Doggo,
 
Thank you for your important letter. Cutting and self-harm is a subject I have touched on in other columns, but now I get to do so directly, so this is something that is good to add to the “Ask Papabear” column.
 
Cutting, by its very nature, is not healthy, but it is understandable and treatable. It is also quite common. Statistics show that nearly 1 in 5 Americans have harmed themselves in this manner at some point in their lives. Typically, self-harm occurs during adolescence.
 
There are a couple reasons why people cut themselves. One, as is the case with you, is depression or anxiety. If you are in a situation where you can’t express those feelings openly to others (family etc.), cutting affords a kind of release of emotional tension. The pain caused by cutting also distracts one from emotional pain, which provides some relief.
 
Another reason for cutting is self-punishment. People who feel unworthy of love and compassion become angry at themselves and feel they deserve pain. I don’t think this is what is going on with you, however. I think the former is more likely. I also don’t believe you are in danger of committing suicide; such drastic acts are usually not part of the self-cutting paradigm.
 
Answering your question, any time you cause trauma to your body, it’s not a good thing. It would be best if you stopped. You don’t want to stop because cutting yourself is offering you relief from your psychological and/or emotional pain.
 
The best solution, therefore, is to figure out what is causing that pain and put an end to it. You don’t explain what is causing it, so I would need more information there. You will stop cutting once you stop your emotional pain. This might come with a personal revelation, or with help from a therapist, or simply by outgrowing the need to cut.
 
Hope this helps. Feel free to write again if you wish to discuss what is really going on behind the cutting.
 
Hugs,
Papabear

We got this right from Animation World Network: “Belgium-based studio nWave Pictures has teamed up with French sales company Charades to help sell its upcoming 3D animated feature The Queen’s Corgi… With a budget of more than $20 million, The Queen’s Corgi is being directed by nWave chief Ben Stassen with Vincent Kesteloot. The screenplay is by Rob Sprackling and Johnny Smith. The movie follows the adventure of Rex, the British monarch’s most beloved dog, who loses track of his mistress and stumbles across a fight club with dogs of all kinds confronting each other.” With films like House of Magic, Wild Life, and Son of Bigfoot already in their repertoire, it looks like nWave are trying to be a very furry production company. This new film is due in 2019.

image c. 2017 nWave Pictures

This is the season ... Rhino produced this music video for Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London. Ok, Somebody needs to do this properly with fursuits. Also, Going to have to fine them $350.
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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer

Furry Nation: The True Story of America’s Most Misunderstood Subculture, by Joe Strike. Illustrated.
Jersey City, NJ, Cleis Press, October 2017. Trade paperback, $17.95 ([ix +] 342 pages), Kindle $10.99.

Yes!

Here it is! What we’ve all been waiting for! The book about furry fandom!

Full disclosure: I’m quoted by name on a back-cover blurb, and cited as “a founding father of furry fandom”.

Is it perfect? No, but it’s probably better than any of us could have written. I gave up writing a book “all about” furry fandom long ago. If I may be permitted a moment of “I told you so”, I told those who asked me to write such a book in the late 1990s that it would take me around ten years to fully research and write such a book. They turned from me to find someone else who could do it right away. They couldn’t.

Joe Strike has been in furry fandom since the 1980s. He has been working on Furry Nation for at least fifteen years. It’s full of both his own knowledge and the interviews that he conducted. He has interviewed not only all the earliest furry fans, and the current leaders of furry fandom – Mark Merlino, Rod O’Riley, Jim Groat, Mitch Marmel, Dr. Sam Conway, Boomer the Dog, leading furry artists like Heather Bruton and Kjartan Arnórsson, fursuit makers like Lance Ikegawa and Denali, academics like Dr. Kathy Gerbasi, and so on – but those outside the furry community who have impacted it. The writers of newspaper and TV news stories about furry fandom? He interviewed them. The executives of Pittsburgh’s tourist bureau? He interviewed them. The directors of TV programs and theatrical animation features that have used furry themes? He interviewed them.

What Furry Nation covers: a definition of furry fandom, the influences that gave rise to it back to prehistoric times, the history of how it started, profiles of the earliest furry fans, how the rise of the Internet affected it, a description of furry fandom in North America today, with emphasis on its conventions and a profile of Anthrocon in depth, its artists and furry art, its fursuits, its public perception, an acknowledgement of its seedier side, and how it has grown from a tiny, unnoticed subgroup to an important influence on popular culture today. The book has 189 footnotes throughout it. There are over two dozen photographs and samples of furry illustrations from the 1980s (early fanzines and Furry Party flyers) to the present.

This flyer is an illustration in the book – by Mark Freid, from Loscon XXIII in 1996.

Some chapters: The Many Flavors of Fur. A Fandom is Born. Pretty as a Picture: Furry Art. Together is Just What We’ve Got to Get: The Convention Age Begins. Walk a Mile in My Fursuit. I Read the News Today, Oy Vey. Anthrocon: The Convention that Conquered Pittsburgh.

What Furry Nation does not cover: furry fandom outside North America, and areas of furry creativity in addition to its fursuits and art, especially its literature: the furry specialty publishers, the novels and anthologies and collections, the furry writers’ organizations, and the literary awards. This is deliberate and really nobody’s fault. I can confirm personally that Strike interviewed me at length about furry literature. Allyson Fields, the Marketing Manager at Cleis Press, apologized that Strike’s manuscript was so huge that whole chapters had to be edited out. A look at the attractive but small book tells why: Furry Nation is only 5” x 7.9” wide, almost a pocket book (most standard hardcovers are 6” x 9” or slightly larger) but nearly 1” thick; bulging for its size.

The result has unfortunately reinforced the stereotype that furry fandom is primarily an American subculture, and that most furry fans are only interested in wearing fursuits, and drawing or collecting furry artwork. There are mentions still in the book of the furry conventions outside North America, and of activities besides the furry art and fursuits; but they are so small that they are easy to miss.

A further flaw is that, as Strike alludes to in his first chapter, “And quite a few people who enjoy anthro characters no longer call themselves furry […]” (p. 5) Specifically, a few people who were crucial or influential in starting furry fandom in the 1980s and 1990s refused to be interviewed for this book, or to answer any of Strike’s questions. I know personally of one who hopes that it fails. For potential legal reasons, they are not mentioned in Furry Nation. Yet they were very important furry fans twenty and thirty years ago. Any history of furry fandom that does not even mention them is badly flawed.

So what are the merits of Furry Nation (cover photograph of “Madelein the Lynx” fursuit head constructed by Temperance, by Temperance; cover designed by Scott Idleman/Blink)? It’s always flattering to read an entire book that presents a favorable picture of your self-adopted hobby or lifestyle; that pats ourselves on the back. (Or should that be, scritches our fur?) For the furry neofan who wonders when and how it all got started, here is the answer! For the adolescent fur whose parents want to know what furry fandom is before giving permission to go to that convention or to attend that rave, here is the book to give them.

The main physical drawback of Furry Nation is its small size and paperback nature. Libraries tend not to get such books, so you probably can’t refer anyone to it. If you want to show it to anyone, you may have to buy your copy, or show it on Kindle.

Joe Strike has said that if Furry Nation sells well, he will write a second book that contains all of the material cut from it: Furry Planet. So what are you waiting for? Get it now!!

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon
• On Cleis Press

Don't forget sub types like baby furs.

— Been Doxx (@PupRylee) October 27, 2017

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.

Bonus video from Cartoon network Asia! "Ever dreamed of being a car racer? Let Paddle Pop show you how!" Damn, I want to be a car racer lion now. Also I want a Paddle Pop now. [1] [1] https://furry.today/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/rejected-4-300.jpg
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This is just adorable.
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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Civilized Beasts, Poetry Anthology, volume II, editor-in-chief Laura Govednik. Foreword by Jonathan Thurston Howl.
Manvil, TX, Weasel Press, August 2017, trade paperback, $8.00 (126 pages).

Well, this is a bargain. The 2015 Edition, volume I, was $8.99 for only 86 pages. This is only $8.00 for 126 pages. Let’s hope this trend continues.

This poetry anthology contains 84 poems of mostly one page or less. Several authors have two or more poems. There are many familiar furry fan names among the poets: Makyo, BanWynn Oakshadow, Thurston Howl, Televassi, Donald Jacob Uitvlugt, Thomas “Faux” Steele, Altivo Otero, Searska GreyRaven, Dwale, and Frances Pauli, among others. It is another charity for the Wildlife Conservation Society. “All proceeds from this anthology go towards the Wildlife Conservation Society.”

The poetry ranges from classic couplets to scintillating stanzas; from imaginative iambic pentameters to sparkling sonnets; from fantasy free verse to honorable haiku. (But do “rules” and “school” really rhyme?) The poems are divided by animal species: “The Carnival of Canids”, “The Festival of Felines”, “The Bolero of the Beasts”, “The Rally of the Rodents (and Rabbits)”, “The Aria of the Avians”, “The Circus of the Scales and Fins”, “The Interlude of the Insects and Arachnids”, and “The Menagerie’s March”.

As with the first volume, these are mostly not poems about anthropomorphized animals. They are more about the beauties of nature, or the probable thoughts of real dogs, cats, horses, deer, and others. In fact, only one is clearly about an anthropomorphic animal: “The Natural Order Disordered” by J. J. Steinfeld.

“What more evidence do you need?”

the well-groomed articulate fox says

to the slovenly tongue-tied hunter

with the newly-purchased rifle.

[excerpt]

Except for featuring a fox rather than a rabbit, it reminds me of an old Warner Bros. cartoon.

Anyhow, whether the animals – that’s any beast that isn’t a vegetable or a mineral – are anthropomorphized or not, for only $8.00, how can you go wrong? The cover by Darkomi is worth $8.00 by itself. And it’s for the Wildlife Conservation Society. Buy copies to send to your relatives and friends (like my sister did).

Full disclosure: I have two poems in this.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Weasel Press

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.

Cucumber Quest is a popular on-line fantasy adventure comic for young readers, written and illustrated by Gigi D.G. Now it’s been assembled by First Second into a new full-color graphic novel, Cucumber Quest: The Doughnut Kingdom. It goes like this: “What happens when an evil queen gets her hands on an ancient force of destruction? World domination, obviously. The seven kingdoms of Dreamside need a legendary hero. Instead, they’ll have to settle for Cucumber, a nerdy magician who just wants to go to school. As destiny would have it, he and his way more heroic sister, Almond, must now seek the Dream Sword, the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Queen Cordelia’s Nightmare Knight. Can these bunny siblings really save the world in its darkest hour? Sure, why not?” The first volume is available now, in hardcover or trade paperback.

image c. 2017 First Second

Shut up and take my money. "Rivals of Aether is an indie fighting game set in a world where warring civilizations summon the power of fire, water, air, and earth. Untangle the mysterious conflicts of the planet Aether in Story Mode or take your combat skills online and challenge your friends across the world."
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Hello Everyone!

We open this week's show with a discussion of a recent article in the New York Times concerning the rise of anxiety amongst American youth. We look at recent studies done that try to explain the sources of anxiety that we face in the modern day, as well as ways we can work to counteract it in our everyday lives.

Our main topic is on Communication Mismatches. After a discussion in our Telegram group concerning relationships where communication styles are not complementary (especially in regard to Nonviolent Communication), we wanted to go over this in more detail. What are the more common types of communication styles, how can they be improved on, and what do you do in a relationship where the communication styles are so different the relationship turns combative more often than not.

We close out the show with a question on breaking up. A younger questioner is blocked from talking to his boyfriend by potentially homophobic parents. Should he break up or not? 

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

Thanks and, as always, be well!

FA 091 Communication / NVC ability Mismatches - How bad is YOUR anxiety? How great are you at talking? Is young love forever? All this, and more, on this week's Feral Attraction!

Hello, Papabear.

Well,I want too say that I have a problem with my fathers,I`m gay and My fathers are very strict and they are too awful with this things and I don`t know if I can say them that I`m gay or what

I want they too still love but I dont know what to do

AGH!! I really need your help,pretty please

I already have my beautiful boyfriend

please ,answer me the most fast you can

Kiss and hugs papa bear

Bye!

Sater (age 17, Mexico)

* * *

Dear Sater,

Apologies for the slow reply. I am still behind on my letters.

Being gay in the USA is difficult, but I have heard it is even more challenging in Mexico because of the culture there. Anyway, my advice to you is that you need to find a circle of supporters. I would not advise you to try coming out to your father all on your own. You need help and resources.

You don't say where you live, specifically, but if you are near Mexico City that would be lucky because, in Mexico, that is where you will find the most community and government support. I recommend you do a little research and contact some people for advice in your native land. Here is a helpful link: https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/mexico/mexico-city/family/lgbt/lgbttti-organizations that provides everything from legal help to community information.

Hope this helps!

Take Care,
Papabear

Tempo (Tempe O’Kun) is a furry author in North Dakota.

Art: Rattusdingus

~ ~ ~

If you support white supremacy…

If you play dress-up in the uniforms of genocide…

If you mock people who just want the same rights you enjoy…

…you don’t belong here. Not in my fandom. Not in my country. Not in my world. You cannot possibly play the victim enough for me to consider your murderous opinions valid. So cry all you want, but we’ll be here in the furry fandom having fun without you.

To the rest of you, to actual furries: this is our fandom, a place on the Internet that’s nobody’s but ours. We decide who gets to play here, and what the rules are. The offline world’s pretty messed up right now, but kicking the Nazis out of furry is a concrete, realistic, and powerful move toward justice.

I’M JUST HERE FOR THE TALKING ANIMALS

Let me tell you why to care.

I had one grandfather flee Germany before WWII and another fight his way in during it. Both were white, blue-eyed, straight Christians—yet they opposed Nazism in every form it took, because they believed every person had worth. They are dead and cannot tell you why Nazism isn’t safe to ignore. They are dead and I’d be a coward if I didn’t give you the lessons they paid for in blood spilled and horror witnessed. For them, I strive never to be a coward.

Until last year, I tried not to “bring politics” into furry. I consider the fandom a place for healthy escapism. But you can only afford to be “non-political” so long as the things you care about are safe. I’m making an exception because of these people we’ve been excusing in our fandom, who post comics crying about how black people want equality, who whine that Nazis “should be tolerated.” No. They are committing real-life terror attacks, literally murdering people on the street in the name of Trump. We would not allow open ISIS supporters here—we cannot allow neo-Nazis and KKK types here.

Sociologists call this problem a “tolerance paradox”—if you allow toxic people to twist your group’s tolerance to condone their hate, your group becomes less tolerant overall. Then more and more moderate people are driven out until only the hate group remains, having eaten your group from the inside out. This isn’t a flaw with tolerance. True tolerance is active. It’s sticking up for people with less power, attesting to their right to be different. Passively letting genocidal bullies take over your fandom others isn’t tolerance—it’s being a lazy jerk.

Charlottesville is a wake-up call to any furry who thought Nazifur was harmless make-believe. Anybody who sticks with Nazifurs now is showing you their true character. Publicly associating with that community after the terror attacks means you’re okay with what they did, that it’s no big deal to you.

CAN’T WE JUST GET ALONG?

I believe in tolerance. We can’t live in harmony with people who want to kill us. “Tolerating intolerance” isn’t tolerance at all, it’s putting your comfort above somebody else’s safety.

I believe in compassion. You do not serve the cause of compassion if you let murderous thugs gain power. Bullies rely on our desire for peace and tolerance, which is why the cry about being persecuted when called out for persecuting others.

I believe in diversity. The fandom is lucky to have people from diverse backgrounds, and we benefit from their unique perspectives when solving problems. But listening to different viewpoints only makes sense when both sides have merits. There’s no merit to “let’s kill everybody who’s a different race/orientation/religion than me.” What would a compromise there even look like? Only killing some of those groups? Idiocy. It’s treating self-described wannabe serial killers as having a legitimate philosophy we should learn from. Again, no furries have argued to me we should “just get along” with ISIS.

I believe in harmless fun. But Nazis are murdering people in the streets because we’ve been lulled into thinking it’s a weird fetish we shouldn’t kink-shame. It’s not. It’s literally the idea we should murder everyone who disagrees with white supremacism.

I believe people can change—some already are. And I spent months talking to folks in that community. But, for all their claims of being reasonable and logical, I got led around and around, having every logical fallacy thrown at me in the hopes of tiring me out and having me slip up so they could claim victory.

BUT BOTH SIDES!

Black Lives Matters is not shutting down furry cons. Feminists are not shutting down furry cons. Communists are not shutting down furry cons. Anti-fascists are not shutting down furry cons, doxxing, swatting, or costing $10,000s in legal fees. Nazis are. Our minds love binary opposites, but we can find no symmetry here. Pretending some balancing force exists only keeps us from confronting the problem, since it allows us to tell ourselves the two will cancel out without our having to do anything. I wish.

The time for smugly saying “what about?” and “both sides!” or “I never see it…” or “it doesn’t affect me!” is over. Nazis love these supposedly “centrist” excuses. Refusing to condemn Nazis doesn’t make you a savvy centrist. It doesn’t even make you coolly detached. Let me tell you about apathy. Apathy is fearful rationalization. Apathy is an emotional defense mechanism—and not a healthy one.

“Everything’s fine…” Apathy purrs in addictive tones. “Because if it weren’t fine, you couldn’t justify doing nothing. You’d have to Do Something. And where would you start? It’s such a complicated mess. And ya might fail. That would suck. And you might look stupid for changing your mind. Better to do nothing. Better to crouch here with me, between good and evil, and hope that’s enough to save your pride and your life. It’s fine. Both extremes are the same, anyway. They have to be, right? They’ll cancel out. +1 and -1 equals zero. We’re smart here in the middle. Everyone else is just stupid. That’s why they’re worked up. It’s fine. You couldn’t change anything anyway. Everything’s fine…”

But it’s not fine. We are past the point where you can be “not into politics.” Every furry in every nation is responsible for who we are as a fandom. Stand up. Either you oppose white supremacy in the fandom or you’re fine with it. (No, I’m not over-simplifying. There are literally just two positions. You either believe some races as sub-human or you don’t.)

And you can’t just wait for it to blow over. This isn’t just another fandom spat. It’s not “just online drama” when real-life people are being murdered. The Nazis in the fandom and the ones out marching with torches are the same people. They visit Stormfront, worship Trump, make death and rape threats to minority and female furries, and participate in the coordinated attacks. Some of them even traveled to Charlottesville to join in the terrorist attacks.

If you’re different, it’s their stated goal to literally murder you—no matter how much they say it’s for the lolz. They aren’t real furries.

WHY DO THEY WANT TO BE NAZIS ANYWAY?

Basically: because it filled an emotional void for them, at least in the beginning.

In another life, I worked in a drug rehab center. Hate’s like a drug. It pumps you up, makes you feel sure of yourself, gives you a rush of endorphins. It’s a powerful neurochemical response, designed to help you fight off physical threats. And you can get hooked on it. It follows the same pattern as any other addiction. Back in rehab, we called it “the only addict story.”

– First, you think you can use it casually, socially. You’re just playing around. You can quit whenever. Whoever supplies you frames it as users versus people not in on the fun. You feel like you’re one of the cool kids. (In the case of hate, we’re talking about “non-PC” memes and jokes about minorities and women. If you’re older: Fox News and talk radio.

– Then your brain acclimates to those endorphins. You need more to get the same rush. you think you’re clever enough to outsmart their own brain chemistry. Nobody has ever succeeded. (Moving on to harder stuff: racist articles on InfoWars, Breitbart, Stormfront—racist videos on YouTube.)

– Next, your brain acclimates so much, you feel like shit at your natural endorphin baseline. You start building your day around the fix. You keep it on you. You sneak a little during other activities. (If you’re addicted to hate, you bust out your phone and cruise the Nazi image boards or chats. Older folks just leave Fox News on all day.)

– Finally, your friends and family start to notice you’re addicted and freak out. They try to get you to stop using. So you hang out almost exclusively with the one group who won’t ask you to quit: other addicts. You tell everybody who’ll listen that you’re a rebel, because really you’re surrendering control. On some level, you know this is a bad move, so you shut yourself away from anything that makes you feel bad about using so you don’t have to think about it. (You start only listening to news sources that validate your hate, no matter how flimsy or convoluted the logic has to be to do that.)

– Then you’re really in a bind. The cool stuff in your life starts falling apart, so you’re depressed and crave fixes even harder. People start really taking advantage of you, since you’ve got nobody reliable to fall back on. Plus, you’re super easy to manipulate since you’ve built your identity around the fix and your brain chemistry is all over the place. (You get roped into doing stuff the “old you” would’ve rejected because it’s stupid or fucking evil—online harassment, doxxing, swatting, and, in the case of our own local Nazifurs, actual real-life terrorist attacks.)

Some asshole always benefits from these latter stages, and it’s never you. Like I said, this is the only way addiction goes down. Ruthless people who know how this goes down can get money, willing pawns, or heck even cult members by hooking vulnerable people. Addiction is vital to recruiting terrorists, but, since we don’t think of hate like a drug, it can seem like only someone inhuman to start with could be radicalized. Cult leaders punish those who drop out or speak up. Again, you don’t see antifa furries doxxing people. Remember: the human mind is wired to see mirror opposites, even when none exist—just like it’s wired to see faces in the clouds or the moon.

I don’t hate addicts. If I did, I never would’ve gotten into the business. I feel bad for them—they’re using to offset something they’re not getting in their lives. But you can’t let addicts run the show. Eventually, nothing is important as their next fix. Not their job. Not their family. Not their friends. Not another human life.

Thing is, you can’t force an addict to get clean. Even if you lock them away from their fix (and other potential fixes) for a few months —i.e. rehab— so their brain chemistry normalizes and they build new habits, they’ll fall back into addiction unless they fix the underlying emotional problem they had. Only they can decide to do that.

In the case of Nazifurs, I’ve seen the same underlying causes a lot. These sync up pretty well to other terror groups.

1) They don’t feel as powerful as they think they’re supposed to. You see a lot of young men there because we have this idea in society that men should be impossibly tough, strong, and aggressive. It’s called toxic masculinity. It’s also why Nazis idealize masculinity and get really threatened by trans folks, powerful women, gays, and anybody else who doesn’t fit into traditional gender roles. Hence why you see so much “SWJ” hate. Ever notice why so many GamerGaters got drawn into voting for a pseudo-manly strongman and now into Nazism?

Society is more accepting than ever before. We’re starting to see gender and race not as absolute categories, but as spectrums. This is threatening to the almost uniformly white and male Nazifurs because they feel like they’ve had power stolen from them. They throw a tantrum when they’re not the star of the show—when we get female Ghostbusters or a black gunslinger or a queer X-wing pilot. The openly-idiotic doublethink of “white genocide” resonants with Nazifurs, since it justifies horrible acts since you’re suddenly the victim.

2) They feel like they don’t fit in. Remember being a teenager? Yeah, pretty much any of those reasons. Ever wonder why there are non-white Nazifurs? Because they don’t feel American enough (or whatever country), and white nationalism sold to them as a way to be more so. Of course, they’re still brown, so they can fall out of favor with their new “community” dangerously fast.

3) They have a mental condition —anxiety, depression, et cetera— and are “hacking” their brain chemistry with endorphin rushes. We call this self-medicating. (We all self-medicate to some degree, relaxing meditation or video games or whatever. When it’s healthy, we call it a “coping skill.” Or, you know, getting real meds from an actual doctor. That’s also better.) But hate is really difficult to manage, even by drug standards. Mental illnesses get worse, not better, when you’re pissed off all the time and not learning to deal with your problems.

You’re probably feeling bad for Nazifurs. You should. That means you have empathy. Being an addict of any kind sucks, but being radicalized with hate is super insidious because there’s no physical external drug to blame or even notice—just your own brain chemicals. Pity these guys. But don’t let them use that pity to manipulate you: deflections, excuses, playing the victim. (Addicts quickly learn to be master manipulators, helped by the fact that you’re nothing compared to the craving.) Don’t let them off the hook. They’re not smoking pot. They’re addicted to being pissed off—pissed off that Jews and black people are alive. That’s really dangerous, because the brain is wired for violent confrontation, not peaceful cooperation, when doped up on hate chemicals.

Here’s the problem: we can’t lock Nazifurs up to break their habit. We can only lock them out. And we should. They don’t have the right to hurt people. Letting addicts hurt others only pushes them deeper, because guilt catches up to them when they’re not using, so they use more. The good news is the furry fandom isn’t the entire world, so their family and real-life friends may notice they got booted from that talking animal thing the liked. Or they might have to get arrested. Addiction sucks like that. In the meantime: fandom quarantine is best for everyone. Seriously, they’re fucking around with their brains and obsessing over the idea of murdering people.

WHAT CAN I EVEN DO?

First off, follow AltFurryBlocker on Twitter. Install the blocklist. Even if you don’t normally like blocklists. Even if you aren’t seeing the problem on your feed. The more regular furries who use it, the quieter the Nazifurs get. They may not have targeted you, but you’re helping to protect women and minorities in the fandom. Right now it’s just a basic blocklist, but they’re updating it into an auto-updating one that adds/removes accounts as Nazifurs make alt accounts or have changes of heart.

Next, learn about how fascist groups work. For those who haven’t seen it yet, this short video is a very good analysis of how fascist groups work.

Don’t be scared off by the creepy preview image.

After that, talk to your friends. Tell them you can’t believe this bullshit. If they make shitty racist jokes, remind them who they’re associating themselves with. If you have a friend who leans right, make sure they know where the line is and if they cross it. A conversation with someone you trust is miles better than avoiding arguments on the Internet. Talk to the people in your life, even (or especially) if they disagree with you. You don’t need to debate them, you don’t need to “win” an argument. Just talk to them and empathize and get them to see you and your concerns. Your moment of bold empathy inoculates them against this sickness.

Don’t debate Nazis. They’re just going to string you along. It takes way less energy for them to spew talking points than for you to refute them—and by the time you do, they’ve moved the goalposts. And don’t let them fool you with their newest sanitized hashtag. Tolerating intolerance isn’t tolerance at all.

Block users who spread hate. Report them. Delete their comments. Oppose them on every platform you use. Stick it to them in a thousand little ways. It makes a difference. We outnumber the Nazifurs 10,000:1. They can’t stop us. And they won’t try. I’ve been bullied to hell and back. Bullies are cowards. Always.

Don’t give money to artists who celebrate or excuse Nazis. Don’t favorite or share bigoted art.

Write to your favorite furry conventions. Tell them to ban white supremacist gear from cons, if they haven’t already. Don’t let Nazifurs shut down any more of our cons.

And sign on with your local Indivisible group if you live in the US—there are now at least two in each US congressional district (see Twitter and Facebook). That’s never happened before, and it’s all happened since the election. You might have noticed the largest sustained protest movement in US history. That’s us. If you live in another country: vote, protest, and stop this hatred in your country. Get organized.

If you found this journal compelling, share it with your furry friends. Spread the word. The world changed and Nazis can play the victim no longer. The free people of the world won’t play those games anymore. We’ve seen them kill six million people.

WAY AHEAD OF YOU

If you’re already in this fight, I give you this:

– Resist them in the streets and parks—with bravery, with organization, with solidarity.

– Resist them in your daily life—with compassion, with tolerance, with humor.

– Resist them in your heart—with beauty, with love, with self-care.

You rock, and I’m in this with you. If you want a daily dose of Liberal Cowboy Activist Tempo, please see my Twitter: https://twitter.com/tempowrites

See you out there. #resist

– Tempo

~ ~ ~

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I like this flow ... also I want whatever the animators were on.
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Rune’s Furry Blog showcases people within the furry community, issues and media plus personal blogging. Rune joins other guest posters here – Welcome Rune! – Patch

“It’s a sleepy day in the sleepy town of Fur City Bluff…” begins the narrative of ‘The Furry, Furry West’ within the ACFI con-book. It sets the tone, bringing us to a dusty town under the watchful eye of the Sheriff and his team, to a place where there is a fair coming up, and the looming threat of the Red-Mask-Gang.

Boots, badges, masks, and moneybags…this was the stage for San Antonio’s first-ever Furry Convention.

As someone living in Texas, I first heard of the San Antonio community back in 2016. I had just gone to a comic-con in Alamo City to meet the Power Rangers and I took my fursuit head with me. I thought this would be a great opportunity to suit for a little while, and get used to wearing my character in a crowded place…Needless to say that there were not as many furries there as I thought, and I quickly became intimidated. Long-story-short, this got me noticed (after the con) by a local who mentioned the furmeets happening within the area, and she asked me to add her on facebook so that she might invite me to said-events so I could attend.

While I was never really in the area to go to any of the meets (as I live over 2 hours away) I did research on them. This lead me to videos, and photos, to chatting with Adam King occasionally, and it really gave me an idea of what a Furry Community really looked like. Never did I think that such a tight-knit community could evolve into something so much greater…but after this weekend, I realized that myself along with 737 other people made history as we celebrated and experienced San Antonio’s new Furry Convention!

• Standing out from all the rest:

—Since there is already a Furry Convention held in Texas, a lot of people were wondering how ACFI stood apart. On the Official Website, their statement said: “We are working to bring more of the fandom to the state of Texas. We believe that by holding Furry Invasion on the dates we do, we will be offering more options to those that wish to participate in furry conventions rather than competing for attendees with limited time and resources.”

There were other ways in which ACFI tried to distinguish itself as well. First was with a narrative: not just the one written in the con-book…this was a “live narrative” that followed the story from the con-book and would pop up during events around the convention. It followed the takeover of the town by the Red-Mask-Gang and the efforts to stop them. It ended with a ransom being collected to free one of the staff at the closing ceremonies, and then ended with a cliff-hanger when we learned that someone had taken the safe-box. This narrative would then pick up at ACFI 2018. Also, to set itself apart… the con-book was also made to be something like a yearbook. Attendees could have people sign their books or use the spaces to fill in their favorite memories. All of which I thought was an amazing and unique idea that would appeal to a large amount of those going.

(Top left): Avisiris Minnowgulper/ (Top Center): Captain/ (Top Right): Rune/ (Bottom Center): Escap’e

Benefits of a brand-new convention:

• –There are several benefits to participating in a newer convention. Some reasons might be more selfish than others but it’s still fun to think about. I think the more ‘selfish’ reason is that you get noticed a lot more and its much easier to be social in a smaller crowd. One thing I noticed about TFF was that there was already established ‘groups’ of friends… and there was so much going on, it was often hard to get pictures, harder to stop and socialize, and it was much harder to stand out. But, with a smaller convention… you get noticed more often which means more pictures, more hugs, more people you actually get to talk to and get to know. But, the main reason that I like the idea of a new and smaller convention is because you get to see how it will change! You get to see the convention grow and evolve into something bigger, something better, something greater than you ever imagined… and you do so knowing what the first-ever convention looked like. You are written in as part of that convention’s history, and it’s something really neat to think about. I think it makes those memories in particular stand out all-the more.

Fursuit Parade- Group Photo 2017

• Breaking records:

–ACFI ended up placing 2nd place for first-year attendance. There were 737 furries that attended this convention with 100 fursuiters. We raised over $1000 for charities, and this all stemmed from only 200 people originally being invited to the con. So, while we may not have placed first, there were still records broken which ACFI should be proud of!

• Helping Charity:

–This year, ACFI chose a local charity called: Pets Alive! Their mission is that they are a life-saving organization that only rescues cats/dogs that have been selected for euthanasia. They are working hard to make San Antonio a no-kill community which is something I think we can all get behind! This organization provides a neonatal kitten nursery, parvo-ward, ringworm ward, medical clinic, foster and adoption programs, and a transport program- as well as other amazing things! ACFI was able to raise over $1000 for charity and if YOU would like to help too, links will be provided down below.

Rune giving high-fives

• Bringing smiles to people’s face:

—I have always said that while Furries have become more normalized than they were before, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding the fandom. That is why I think that conventions are really important. It is a chance for us to mingle with the general public… to show them what we are about, and to really make a positive impression on the surrounding community. I loved walking off the elevators and the hotel staff asking for pictures. I also loved all the kids running around, asking for hugs and high-fives. I always love seeing the smiles that fursuits put on everyone’s faces. It shows me that we are setting the right example and really putting the fandom in the right light. Furries, to me, means fun and happiness… that is why I love dressing up in a fursuit for conventions such as this one.

• Scheduling Errors:

—Since it was a new con, one has to expect that things like scheduling might get a little out of hand. I guess that there was an issue with the schedule being printed in the book versus what was on the website. The schedule of panels that was posted on the website was correct, but, the schedule posted within the con-book were incorrect. This lead to a lot of people missing their events as well as some events having been cancelled that people were trying to attend (as well as events overlapping and such). It was not so much ‘bad’ as it was inconvenient… and luckily, we still managed to make most of what we had planned to do.

• Very Small and Understaffed:

—New Conventions are very small, and so one can not predict what may or may-not be there. At this con, there were a few vendors, but nothing on the scale of TFF or Anthrocon. Same as with the panels. They were small and kept simple. There are not so many rooms to utilize at the El Tropicano so panels were few and far in-between, but what they did have to offer was still fun and would still appeal to a majority of their attendees.

However, the bigger problem was the fact that ACFI was obviously understaffed. I often saw people running around like crazy, there was mixed-info on what was happening at any given time, and sometimes the staff did not know what was happening at all. The Fursuit Parade was one of the biggest examples where the time got pushed back twice, and staff did not know what to do with us in the meantime. People in suit were getting hot and had no idea what was happening… and no one really had any answers for us. There was a booth where they were asking people to volunteer for teardown, and my wife and I (as well as my group) put their names down because they really had no one and we did not want to think that they would be there all night working if they did not get a little more help. Short staff and poor communication between the staff was also apparent in the closing ceremonies where, they asked for shaving cream pies and a tarp… only to then get the pies but no tarp because: “No one asked for it”. Small mistakes, but things that can definitely be improved upon for next year.

(Left): Captain/ (Center): Escap’e/ (Right): Rune

• Etc:

—One thing I find that was also poorly coordinated was the group photo for the fursuit parade, and then seating for the dance competition. When they smooshed us all together for the group photo, my buddy and I already knew we would not be seen. There was no lift for the photographer so there was no way that everyone was getting in. The room was much too small. Sure enough, when the group photo was released…people were sad because they were nowhere to be found.

The same could be said (in a sense) for the dance competition. My wife was standing behind my chair and though she got to enjoy the show, I saw more of the judges than I did the dancers until finally enough seats opened so that I could move in closer. The room was just too small for all those chairs… and it made it very difficult for short people like me to see. This same scenario could apply to the opening and closing ceremonies. I thought the narratives were hilarious but I could not see them and could barely hear them. I could barely see people getting a pie in the face at the closing ceremonies even though I was near the front.

Another small complaint happened before the convention… I was told via the team that there was nothing I needed for the convention except an ID card. I asked them whether I needed a confirmation e-mail (and whether I would get one) and they said ‘no’. But, the first day that I arrive, I am asked about a confirmation e-mail and whether or not I had one. Then I have to go through a registration process AGAIN just to get my badge and bag. It seemed like this took a lot of unnecessary time and, I feel like this is something they should fix for the next convention. Also, I contacted the department about the use of “props” – I contacted the team via their website and through the facebook page which said they typically reply within an hour. I even messaged Adam King himself since I had friended him on facebook. I got no reply from any of the 3 outlets. The question about registration I had received in a day… but a question about props got no response. So, if they are not going to respond to questions about it, they need to at least include cosplay props and such as a section within their code of conduct since I could not find it anywhere.

• Suggestions:
  
  —The Headless Lounge needs to be bigger or at least needs more water and more “trees” for the fursuit heads. One is just not enough.

—Seating for the Dance Competition should not include chairs unless they are in the back- suiters should be warned of this ahead of time so they can make whatever adjustments they need.

—People doing the narratives need a microphone, and narratives should maybe just get their own panel or their own little event? Just seemed weird how they were shoved into opening and closing ceremonies, although the ransom thing was hilarious.

—I think next year should focus on getting more staff and working to make better communication between the teams.

—Code of conduct needs to include a section on cosplay props ( as there currently is none.)

—ACFI needs to work on getting back to people messaging them through the website with questions (and messaging their facebook page as well). Also, I was given some false information which made my process of getting through registration longer than necessary. This is also something that needs to be fixed for next year if possible.

Mummy Furs! (From Left to Right): Rune, Escap’e, Captain, @thatstupidsnowfox

• Favorite Memories:

—ACFI really was a blast, even with all the snags. I have a lot of amazing memories from it, so it is really hard to narrow down my favorites. My biggest and most favorite memory would have to be the Drag Show! Slay Queen was amazing and it was so much fun!!! I was grinning like a goober the entire time and I really hope they continue to bring them back for years to come!!!

—My second favorite moment was actually making a new friend! We ran into @thatstupidsnowfox and he asked to tag along with us. Then we ended up spending a huge majority of the con together and he made for some amazing company. He is an artist and his work is amazing, so if you wanna check it out, his Twitter will be listed down below!!! But it was really great meeting someone new, and really developing what could be a lasting friendship with someone else in the fandom. We had a lot of laughs and adventures together, so here’s hoping we can meet up at cons in the future!

—My third favorite memory was getting to be mummies. There was a panel where people volunteered to be wrapped up as mummies and the other people did the wrapping. In Rune, I got covered in paper towels and toilet paper and then attempted to walk in it. Everyone got a lot of giggles out of it, and we all had a blast walking around like monsters! My wife, Captain, and even my new buddy Nick got to be mummified. We all got a kick out it!

• Least-favorite Memories:

—I can not really say that there was a part of the convention that I “didn’t like” because there was nothing that was really ‘bad’ so much as it was probably just short or poorly planned. So, this one was really hard. But I guess if I had to pick something, I would say my least favorite part of the convention was actually the fursuit parade.

So, usually the parades look better on YouTube… people add music and make them seem magical and fun. But, in reality they are quiet, kind of awkward if no one is cheering, and they tucker out the fursuiters. But this one was silent, awkward, and also extremely short. Not to mention it got delayed a lot… so it just made for a lot of unnecessary confusion. But I think that is something that will be fixed in the future, and it will be better once we get more attendees to go, and there are more suiters participating.

(From Left to Right): Captain, Omnom, Splat, Rune, Escap’e

• Conclusion:

—It was amazing laying in bed after the convention and looking at my wife as we talked about all the things that made this convention special. This was her first convention with me, it was also her first time being in a fursuit, and that’s when we realized that we were part of something special. By being there at that first convention, we were part of ACFI’s history. We both agreed that this convention is something special, and, we can only see it getting bigger and better in the future. We already plan to attend for 2018 and we wanna see what new things it brings to the table. We want to support this convention and really help it grow. We want to keep making memories and look back fondly to this time when it was all new and all starting out.

So, if you’re in the Texas area, ACFI is worth checking out and taking the time to see. The El Tropicano is great hotel, and as the convention grows, we can only imagine what new venues might host us in the future! Give it a go and I think you will have a lot of fun.

As always… what do YOU think? Did you go to ACFI? What was your first impression of the convention? What did you love about it and what did you dislike about it? Where do you think they should focus their improvements? Let me know your thoughts and opinions in the comment-section down below. Also, if you got any pictures of myself (Rune), Escap’e, Captain, or our friend Nick… feel free to link those to me in the comment-section as well.

Rune & Captain

Thank you all so much for reading. I will see you all in the next blog

LINKS:

1. Alamo City Furry Invasion (website)
2. San Antonio Furries (facebook group)
3. Alamo City Furry Invasion (facebook page)
4. @thatstupidsnowfox Twitter (click to see awesome art!)
5. Captain’s FA / YouTube
6. Rune’s FA / YouTube / Facebook
7. Pets Alive Website / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

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.

WE REALLY LIKED THIS ONE. No, seriously, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did. DON'T FORGET, LIVESTREAM FRIDAY the 27th, 8pm Central! We really want to get 100 watching at once. Tell your friends! It will be here: https://www.youtube.com/user/DraggetShow Our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow Telegram Chat: https://t.me/draggetshow Also mentioned: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/cobaltfoxie/ ep. 177 - Pius Peter's Pumpkin Pizza - WE REALLY LIKED THIS ONE. No, seriously, we hope…