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FA 017 Emotional Blackmail - What is Emotional Blackmail and how can you protect against it?
Hello Everyone!
We begin this week's podcast with a discussion on "ghosting" furry conventions: What exactly is ghosting, what are the ethics of con attendance, and who is ghosting really hurting (spoiler: everyone).
For our main topic this week, we kick off our Mental Health Month by talking about emotional blackmail. We here at Feral Attraction believe that emotional blackmail can be one of the most insidious poisons in a relationship, and as we have mentioned it in the past, we wanted to dedicate an entire episode to it.
Emotional blackmail can take many forms, and everyone is vulnerable to it — whether you are the child of a passive aggressive parent, or the dom in your D/s relationship. The good news is that there are warning signs of emotional blackmail that you can look out for, and ways to de-escalate and resolve these situations without them turning into a relationship cold war.
We do discuss some topics relating to abuse and self-harm in this episode, so please be advised of this content. We also would like to reiterate that if you find yourself in an abusive relationship, please seek the appropriate level of care and assistance to get you safely out of that situation.
After our main topic, we take a listener question that is in response to our STI Prevention and Risk Mitigation episode, pertaining to anxiety after being informed of a partner's STI status. Though the asker understands the low risk associated with his partner's STI, he is still a bit nervous when it comes to having a full-blown sex life with his partner. What should he do?
Finally, we close the show with some feedback in which a listener shares resources that may be helpful to the non-monogamous community, focusing on one of our favorite books, More Than Two.
For more information, including a list of topics by timestamp, see our Show Notes for this episode.
Thanks and, as always, be well!
FA 017 Emotional Blackmail - What is Emotional Blackmail and how can you protect against it?Is It Too Difficult to Fursuit If You Are Heavy?
I love the idea of walking around, wearing a fursuit, making merriment &c. However, I have read that it is not for everyone due to concerns about overheating and claustrophobia. I would like to make sure they are non-issues before I proceed with any commissioning.
I understand that people are reluctant to loan others their fursuits, so I'm not sure how feasible it would be to try one on. Would you recommend an experiment to help determine whether fursuiting is an option.
Also, I'm fat (183 cm 100 kg). Does this present an issue when fursuiting? I read from your reply to the letter entitled "Fursuiting Tips" that one should act lively (as opposed to standing there), so I am not sure how endurance might come in to play.
I appreciate your insight in to this matter and look forward to your reply.
Diogenes
* * *
Hi, Diogenes,
It’s great you’re getting into the fun :-3 Trying on someone else’s fursuit could be a real problem, though. Not so much because you can’t find a nice person willing to loan you a fursuit, but because each fursuit is custom made to the exact measurements of that person. So, unless you are the exact same size, weight, and even shape as the other fursuit wearer, it’s not going to work for you.
Being large isn’t so much an issue as your stamina. Skinny or chubby, you are going to sweat, no question about it. So, if you DO get a custom fursuit some day, there are things you can do to ease the discomfort. My bear fursuit has padding all over it because my fursona, Grubbs Grizzly, is stockier than I am. These things help:
1. My fursuit maker, Beastcub, installed a fan in the head. It is battery operated. I use lithium batteries, which last longer. Helps a lot.
2. I wear underarmor. This helps wick sweat away from the torso and also helps keep sweat from the fursuit somewhat. People also wear balaclavas.
3. I wear cooling vests. There are a variety of these you can get online. I put ice packs in them and that lasts a couple hours.
With the above, I can fursuit for 2 hours comfortably and have been known to go for as long as 4-5 hours before needing a break.
If you’re still not sure about taking this step, there are other things you can do. You can get a partial fursuit, including head, arms, tail, feet, keeping your torso free. If you like to wear costumes, such as a wizard’s outfit or Medieval armor or a samurai outfit, this is actually a better way to go and will look very cool.
If you really want to experiment around, try this: buy some long underwear and put that one with snow pants, a down jacket, and several other layers of clothing and a wool cap. Do some physical activity while wearing all this stuff and see how you feel.
That all said, if you are having health issues because of your weight, I would definitely talk to your doctor and see if this kind of stuff is okay. You might tell him a white lie and say you have been asked to wear a mascot outfit, if that helps. It’s important to have a healthy heart when you fursuit. Heck, the first time I did it, I wore the fursuit too long at a parade and almost fainted. Oh! And it is a good idea to have a fursuit handler, too, especially for newbies. That is someone who helps you not bump or trip on things, helps keep people from harassing you (e.g. kids pulling on your tail), and so forth.
Hope that helps! Good luck!
Papabear
The 2016 Furry Poll
The Poll is up! The Poll is up! Tell all your friends, the poll is up! Check here!
No pressure! (Art by Grey)
That’s right, it’s time once again for the furry survey, the fandom’s largest marketing survey. Completing the survey helps to give us a more complete picture of the furry fandom, because otherwise, it’s just some critters writing about themselves. Remember, you can take the survey once per year! If you’ve got a few minutes to spare, take some time to fill out the 2016 Furry Poll.
The poll is up here!
DreamKeepers, Volume 4, Descent to the Archives, by David & Liz Lille – Book Review by Fred Patten
Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.
DreamKeepers, volume 4, Descent to the Archives, by David & Liz Lille
Monroe, MI, Vivid Independent Publishing, July 2015, trade paperback $24.99 (117 [+ 11] pages).
“Dreamkeepers is a supernatural fantasy adventure series for teens and up.” (publishers’ advisory)
After two years and an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, here is DreamKeepers, volume 4, Descent to the Archives, containing Chapters 10 through 12. By now, so much has happened that you have to first read What Has Gone Before; either page-by-page for free on the DreamKeepers website or as albums from Amazon.com.
To rephrase what I have said in my reviews of the first three volumes, “The Dreamworld is a mysterious reality that parallels our own,” inhabited by funny-animal DreamKeepers, one for each person in the world. They guard us from the nightmares that would drive us mad. “Everyone’s DreamKeeper is completely unique – your personality and subconscious influence your DreamKeeper’s appearance and abilities.” Since there are now over seven billion people in the world, that’s a lot of almost-all different funny animals; but David Lillie has shown in large crowd scenes that he can draw that many DreamKeepers. Most DreamKeepers live in “Anduruna, the largest DreamKeeper city in the DreamWorld.”
“The protagonist is Mace, a young puppy (or is he a kitten?) in Grunn’s orphanage, a Dickensian hellhole along Anduruna’s eastern seacoast. Mace, the equivalent of a ten- or eleven-year-old human boy, is always getting in trouble for his practical jokes. He doesn’t care that he makes it easy for the orphanage’s real troublemakers to blame their tricks on him. But when his best friend is brutally murdered and he is blamed, he is forced to flee with Whip, his little blue companion (don’t call him a pet) into Anduruna’s lower-class throngs. There he meets Lilith Calah, a female counterpart from the aristocracy’s elite Sabbaton Towers who has just escaped a murder attempt (with the help of her half-sister, Namah) that apparently is connected to a black magic plot (and believe me; Dave & Liz can draw really gory and frightening black magic!) by the Dark DreamKeepers to overthrow the DreamKeepers and bring the nightmare hordes into the ascendency.”
The first three volumes, especially volume 3, Intentions Entwined, establish the original quartet of Mace, Whip, Lilith, and Namah; Bast, who seems to be Mace’s violent enemy but helps them because he has romantic feelings for Lilith; and the trio of Woods, a deer, Bill, a cat, and Damon, a dog. All four albums are “wall-to-wall full-color gorgeous art (no margins) on glossy paper”, printed in China.
This poster shows (front row, left to right) Mace, Paige (Mace’s best friend – she’s murdered in vol. 1), Whip, (second row) Bast, Randy (a bad guy), Lilith, (third & fourth rows) Grunn, Tinsel, Wisp, Namah, (background) Scuttles.
Chapter 10, “Throat of Stone”, begins with Woods, Bill, and Damon having escaped underground, where they are drafted into the Underground to fight the Nightmares (which they don’t believe in). Viriathus (Vi, shown on the cover) teaches them against their will how to fight guerilla-style. But she tries unsuccessfully to get them excused from any action, feeling that they would only be cannon-fodder. Lilith’s group of herself, Namah, Mace, and Whip, with the tagalong Bast, tries to sneak away from the Underground to go even deeper underground, into the caverns beneath Anduruna to find the lost Archives and its books. Meanwhile the Nightmare Lord Nabonidus orders the turncoat DreamKeeper Tinsel Nanaja to go into the caverns (despite her extreme reluctance) to find and get captured by Lilith’s group and get taken by them to the Archives, as a spy to get whatever they learn.
This synopsis omits several other things that are going on. (What is Operation Guillotine?)
Oh, I didn’t mention that each character in the DreamWorld has a superhero psionic talent (Whip = telekinesis, Lilith = healing, Namah = ‘ether tendrils’, Tinsel = ‘burning hair tendrils’, etc). It is illegal in Anduruna to use these, so they are usually undeveloped. In Chapter 11, “Echoes”, Nabonidus wants his agents to start using their powers. He sends the childlike but evil Wisp to train them. Lilith’s group go down and down into the caverns and eventually reach the Archives, but Bast’s legs are broken. After Lilith finds what she needs to fight the Nightmares, they are ready to return except for Bast’s broken legs. While they argue over abandoning Bast or not – he orders them to; they refuse – Lilith suddenly discovers that there is a level lower than the Archives.
In Chapter 12, “Tomb of the Forsaken God”, everybody fights. The Good Guys seem to win, but is it a real victory or just a breathing spell?
“It appears there’s a distinct probability of life as we know it horribly ending.”
“Well … at least we won’t have to file taxes anymore.”
To be continued.
It’s all terribly confusing, but so beautiful that you won’t care. The colors are so vivid (the publisher’s name has been chosen carefully) that they practically glow. The cavern sequences abound in deep purples and fiery reds. There’s a lot of commando action with plenty of bloodshed among cute funny animals, some of whom are so fluffy with such long, flowing tails that it’s impossible that they could keep from tripping over them or keep them from getting slammed in doors.
Children of Steel and Interregnum, by John Van Stry – Book Reviews by Fred Patten
Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.
Children of Steel, by John Van Stry.
North Charleston, SC, CreateSpace, February 2012, trade paperback $12.99 (350 pages), Kindle $3.99.
Interregnum, by John Van Stry.
North Charleston, SC, CreateSpace, May 2015, trade paperback $9.99 (198 pages), Kindle $2.99.
John Van Stry first came to the notice of furry fandom with the story “Changes” in Yarf! #51, December 1997. But he began writing before that under the pen name of Banner Von Trippen, with “Waiting for Shadamehr (or Someone Like Him)” in Yarf! #49, July 1997. His serialized Dialene, beginning in Yarf! #64, April 2002, under the Von Trippen name, featured a foxmorph living in his Children of Steel universe. Since then he has been publishing through CreateSpace under his real name. Most of his stories have been published as science fiction, not furry fiction, even when they feature anthropomorphic animals.
Children of Steel is set in a familiar-to-furries future. To quote its rear cover, “Raj is just your average everyday genetically modeled and artificially created anthropomorphic worker for one of the many corporations of the future. Extensively trained and conditioned from birth he’s now indentured for the next fifty years of his life; assuming he doesn’t die first, or somehow manage to pay off his creation and training debts. Created by the corporations to deal with the harsh labor shortages of the twenty second century when humans will no longer take on the dangerous jobs Raj finds himself now in the harsh world of space exploration, trading, corporate maneuverings, and sometimes the even more dangerous fanatics that hate Raj and his fellows.”
Raj Rakir is “‘a sentient leopard-man of .7 human norm on the Rourstat scale,’” created by the Tri-Star Mining and Manufacturing corporation. He is presented “‘with your bill for creation and training by the corporation. As covered in the created species act of 2069 you must now work for above said corporation until you have either paid this bill, or completed a term of 50 years indentured servitude.’” (p. 4) The bill comes to three-plus million new dollars. Even with an expected lifespan of a hundred years – assuming he isn’t killed in one of those dangerous space jobs first – Raj can expect to spend most of his life working for Tri-Star. But he’s not worried about it.
“Simply put, the bottom line was that if it wasn’t for Tri-Star I wouldn’t exist. I did owe them that much.
I flexed a bicep and grinned toothily at my reflection in the mirror, and they did design well. I was the biggest leopard in my class, and the strongest. I’d graduated at the head of my advanced combat classes for a reason: I enjoyed kicking ass. Whatever was coming, I’d find my way through it one way or the other.” (p. 5)
Raj’s first assignment is as the junior shuttle pilot on the Tri-Star space freighter Astra, a transport and cargo ship. Even though the Astra is a commercial ship in peacetime, Raj can see how it can be quickly converted into a troop transport if necessary. He meets other “animen” such as a tiger, a fox, an opossum, and a raccoon. There are frequent mentions of twitching tails. The difference between free born animen versus the crèche-born, raised, and trained animen who are indentured servants to their companies, is shown. Raj is talking with Gabriel, the other junior pilot and a more experienced foxmorph.
“‘How’s it going, Raj?’ He asked setting down some paperwork and pulling up a chair.
‘Not too bad, Gabe, just looking over the new changes. What’s with you?’
‘Same shit, different day. I hear we’re supposed to make Hobson’s Choice in twelve weeks. Any info on that?’
‘About what I’ve heard.’
‘Great, I’ve been there before; you’ve got to check it out. It’s really something.’
‘Well, I’ve never been on another planet, so that in itself sounds pretty thrilling to me.’
‘It’s not just that, Hobson’s is thirty percent animan.’
‘So?’
‘Man you really are fresh from the crèche, aren’t you?’
I glared at him a little, my ears going back a bit. ‘I never claimed otherwise.’
‘Hey, don’t get your fur in a ruff! If you had got out more you would have noticed that on Earth, we’re not well liked. Heck in a lot of places we’re not even allowed.’
‘Well, I will admit that I did lead a pretty sheltered life in that aspect. Maybe the company does look out for us?’
‘Oh, there’s no doubt about that. Tri-Star actually treats us like we rate. But on Hobson’s the vast majority feel that way. They still got some Auntie-anns, but you won’t dance with the hangman for defending yourself in a fair fight.’
Auntie-ann was slang for the anti-animen people. On Earth they made up a pretty sizeable chunk of the population and we’d been warned continually to avoid them. It was nice to know that my instructors had been honest about their being less of them on the other planets.
‘And you think you would on Earth?’
‘Damn right, Judge Lynch is out there and waiting!’” (p. 15)
There have been brief mentions throughout this that Raj had a sister and best friend among his siblings from the crèche, Cassandra, another leopardmorph or Lepman; but she has already graduated and gone out into space. Raj hopes that he’ll run into her. In addition to getting to know the rest of the crew, Raj is expected to join “his clan” – the other leopards in the Astra’s crew. There are ten of them – Balizar, Herza, Mist, Katrina, and others — and they become Raj’s new close-knit family and important secondary characters in Children of Steel. He misses Cassandra, though.
That’s the setup. Children of Steel is good interstellar military space opera with a furry cast, mostly anthro leopards, told in a pleasantly chatty style. Raj’s experiences begin mildly – a couple of interesting but non-exciting shipboard incidents – and work up over 200+ pages. After carrying cargo, the Astra switches to carrying troops.
“After telling him [a tiger commando] about the makeup of the hundred or so troops we had on board, he told me about his group. They turned out to be tough sounding group all right. About two hundred big cats, almost a hundred Rhino’s, about another hundred wolves, and the remaining hundred made up of specialists; Eagles, Weasels, Badgers, and Beavers mostly. The last two groups being sappers.” (p. 93)
(The above paragraph is a good example of the poor proofreading in Children of Steel. Other examples are “What not in two months?”, “So tell us about yourself Raj”, and “I found my quarter’s pretty quickly, I was sharing a room with three other’s.”; but it’s not too bad.)
From being a pilot on a ship carrying troops, Raj becomes a soldier himself; then the Astra goes to one of the human-supremacy planets. Much more happens, including exploring new planets and a lot of bloody military action. Tri-Star gets involved in a full-scale war. There are surprises for the reader.
Raj is constantly getting into trouble because of his leopard’s nature. Children of Steel is more than a funny-animal novel, and leopards like Raj have a reputation as hot-headed and troublemakers.
“‘I’ve seen your records, Raj, you’ve got a real classic leopard’s temper. If you don’t control it, you’re going to end up in real bad trouble and I’d hate to see that happen to someone as talented as you.’” (p. 157)
Leopards also have less inhibitions about incest, and it soon becomes clear that Cassandra and Raj are more than brother-and-sister crèche-mates.
That’s Children of Steel (cover uncredited). Interregnum (cover by Amanda Rozga) is more of the same. The war is over, but as the winners, losers, and survivors of World War II could have told you, the transition to peacetime isn’t immediate and isn’t all smooth. Tri-Star is a winner and has inherited several new worlds from the losers and defunct neutrals. The Astra is assigned to investigate them. There are enemy holdouts. There are survivors to be rescued. Raj is kept busy. Readers who enjoy Children of Steel (which will include most fans of military s-f, and s-f about uplifted animals) will enjoy the sequel.
One Crazy-Brave Raccoon
Christopher Locke has worked for many years in the television industry. In 2004 he read the book Fast Food Nation and went through a personal transformation… emerging as a passionate animal rights advocate. He also decided to have a go at writing full-time for a living. The result is a new trilogy of fanciful fiction for young adults called The Enlightenment Adventures. The first book in the series, published in 2015, is called Persimmon Takes on Humanity. “What would you do if you saw someone committing unimaginable acts of cruelty? Turn the other way or defend those in need—no matter the cost? That’s the dilemma thrust upon Persimmon, a clever and compassionate raccoon, and her loyal forest friends. Instantly, the courageous critters spring into action, risking their own lives to rescue any animal they see suffering at the hands of humans. What the team doesn’t know is just how rampant this violence really is, and soon their exciting rescue missions turn shockingly dangerous and deadly. Will they succeed in saving the animals of the world from humans’ brutality, or will they fall victim to the powerful system of abuse they’re trying so desperately to end?” Persimmon is available now at Amazon, and you can find out more about the series at the author’s web site.
image c. 2016 Fathoming Press
TigerTails Radio Season 9 Episode 42
Ep 64 – Technically Correct - Characters, plots and themes are all important but all require glue to put them together. We discuss that glue which is known as the aspects of writing technically well: sentence and paragraph structure, grammar, word choice,
Characters, plots and themes are all important but all require glue to put them together. We discuss that glue which is known as the aspects of writing technically well: sentence and paragraph structure, grammar, word choice, punctuation, etc. How can you learn to write technically well and how will it help your stories? To help tackle this topic we bring on editor at Sofawolf, Fugue, to sit down with us and discuss.
Send us your feedback, questions, concerns, complaints:
@FangsAndFonts
Facebook.com/FangsAndFonts
Fangs and Fonts
Click below to Listen http://www.fangsandfonts.com/FnF/Episodes/Ep64-Technically_Correct.mp3Download here | Open Player in New Window
Ep 64 – Technically Correct - Characters, plots and themes are all important but all require glue to put them together. We discuss that glue which is known as the aspects of writing technically well: sentence and paragraph structure, grammar, word choice, punctuation, etc. How [...]Guild News: May 2016
Welcome to our newest members Marshall L. Moseley, Gre7g Luterman, Thomas “Faux” Steele, Televassi, and Angela “LemurKat” Oliver!
Member NewsIn short fiction news, Mary E. Lowd’s flash fiction “Take Them To The Happiness Zoo” appeared in Theme of Absence last month, and Rechan’s story “The Monster Next Door” can be found in Creepy Campfire Quarterly #2.
In poetry news, the Second [adjective][species] Poetry Collection is now live, including poems from several FWG members, and [a][s] also featured a selection of animal-themed poems by the collection’s editor, Renee Carter Hall (day 1, day 2, and day 3).
(Members: Want your news here? Start a thread in our Member News forum!)
Market NewsUpcoming deadlines: Issue 3 of A Glimpse of Anthropomorphic Literature is open until May 15.
New markets: The third volume of the charity anthology Wolf Warriors is seeking wolf-themed fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction (deadline June 15), and the second volume of the poetry anthology Civilized Beasts is open for submissions from now until October 1 (see this thread for guidelines and updates).
Remember to keep an eye on our Calls for Submissions thread and our Publishing and Marketing forum for all the latest news and openings!
Guild NewsMembers, beginning on May 16, we’ll be voting on this proposal to change the FWG by-laws by adding two new officer positions. Watch your inbox for the ballot!
The FWG University is now open! Our first workshop, the FWG Poetry Workshop and Primer, begins tomorrow, May 2. It’s being held entirely in the forums, and all poets are welcome to join in.
Voting is now open through July 1 for this year’s Cóyotl Awards.
Want to hang out and talk shop with other furry writers? Come join us in the forum shoutbox for the Coffeehouse Chats, Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Eastern and Thursdays at 12 p.m. Eastern. More info on the Coffeehouse Chats is here. (Remember, our forums are open to everyone, not just FWG members. Come register and join the conversation!)
Elsewhere on the Internet, we have a Goodreads group with a bookshelf featuring books by our members. Feel free to add any members’ books we’ve missed so far (see the instructions here on how to do that).
Remember, we’re always open for guest blog post submissions from FWG members — it’s a great way to help out fellow writers. See our guidelines for the details.
Have a creative and successful month! If you have news, suggestions, or other feedback to share, send an email to furwritersguild@gmail.com or leave a comment below.
S5 Episode 14: Online and Long Distance Relationships - Are online relationships and long distance relationships are REAL? Roo and Tugs are joined by Hobbes and Amy to pursue these questions. We explore these questions, then take a quick detour for the 50
NOW LISTEN!
Show notes coming soon! S5 Episode 14: Online and Long Distance Relationships - Are online relationships and long distance relationships are REAL? Roo and Tugs are joined by Hobbes and Amy to pursue these questions. We explore these questions, then take a quick detour for the 50
Ruh Roh!
If you haven’t caught the word, this May DC Comics and Hanna Barbera plan to take Scooby Doo and the gang in a very… different direction, with the premier of the new full-color comic book series Scooby Apocalypse. “Those meddling kids — Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and their dog, Scooby-Doo — get more ghost-debunking than they bargained for when faced with a fundamental change in their world. The apocalypse has happened. Old rules about logic no longer apply. The creatures of the night are among us, and the crew of the Magical Mystery Machine has to fight to survive—because in the apocalyptic badlands of the near-future, the horrors are real! This new monthly series takes Scooby and the gang to a whole new level and features character designs by comics superstar Jim Lee!” Plus writing by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, with regular art by Howard Porter. Read an interview with Mr. Giffen over at Newsarama.
image c. 2016 DC Comics
Does Taking Parents to a Furcon Help?
I am a 16 year old youngfur who discovered his furry side not that long ago. I first told my brother I was a furry (I'm happy I can confide in him with private stuff). Anyway, as time went on, I finally managed to go through the trouble of telling my father that I'm as furry. He seemed to understand it, though he is a little cautious about the subject (I explained him it's not what he thought). But I eventually did bring up that there's a convention being held in grand rapids, and that I liked to maybe go. He says if I do, it would just be me and him. He has not told my mother yet, or my older sister (thank god), so that helps a little. Anyway my point is, in the chance I do get to go, I have been told bringing your parents to a furcon can help them better understand the fandom, I like to believe this but I'm not sure how exactly this is the case. Can you maybe explain how this might help him understand better, and maybe some tips on what I should do to help things be less awkward if we do go.
I apologize for this long long paragraph of writing.
Thanks for your help, I appreciate what you do for us people and am looking forward to the furry book!
Sincerely,
Scar
* * *
Dear Scar,
Thanks for writing :-3 Yes, I have mentioned this before in earlier columns about taking one’s parents or guardians to a furry con. While there have been one or two exceptions, most parents have a great time and learn to understand better what a furry is.
I have not been to the Great Lakes Fur Con because it debuted in 2012 after I had already moved to California. But, checking on the website there, it looks to be like most furcons. I see there are forums, games, a fursuit competition, a charity, a guest of honor, and so on. This is all very typical of a furry convention.
The reason it will help your parents is that they get to meet furries in real life and see that we’re just people (oooh, shocking, I know). Mostly younger people, yes, but also some greymuzzles. We go to school, many have jobs, and we’re just trying to have some fun and maybe blow off a little steam by being with people who share our interests.
My suggestion to you is you approach it like any other convention, such as a comic book convention or a Star Trek convention. All of these have things like forums, guest speakers, and places to shop for things of interest, as well as people dressing up in fun costumes. Really, the only significant difference between a furcon and, say, a Star Trek convention is that the attendees are creating characters who are not part of a franchise owned by a huge corporation like Marvel or Disney. Therefore, there is a lot more freedom involved, and a lot more creativity and adventure.
Go. Take your parents. Have a blast. I hope y’all have a fun time!
Hugs,
Papabear
Is It a Furry Movie? - What makes a furry movie? Is it the subject mater, the creator, or something else? Join the WagzTail crew this week to talk about movies in general, but especially every furry's favorite recent movie, Zootopia.
What makes a furry movie? Is it the subject mater, the creator, or something else? Join the WagzTail crew this week to talk about movies in general, but especially every furry’s favorite recent movie, Zootopia.
Metadata and Credits Is It a Furry Movie?
Runtime: 39:39m
Cast: Braniff, KZorroFuego, Levi
Editor: Levi
Format: 128kbps ABR split-stereo MP3 Copyright: © 2016 WagzTail.com. Some Rights Reserved. This podcast is released by WagzTail.com as CC BY-ND 3.0.
Is It a Furry Movie? - What makes a furry movie? Is it the subject mater, the creator, or something else? Join the WagzTail crew this week to talk about movies in general, but especially every furry's favorite recent movie, Zootopia.
What makes a furry movie? Is it the subject mater, the creator, or something else? Join the WagzTail crew this week to talk about movies in general, but especially every furry’s favorite recent movie, Zootopia.
Metadata and Credits Is It a Furry Movie?
Runtime: 39:39m
Cast: Braniff, KZorroFuego, Levi
Editor: Levi
Format: 128kbps ABR split-stereo MP3 Copyright: © 2016 WagzTail.com. Some Rights Reserved. This podcast is released by WagzTail.com as CC BY-ND 3.0.
The Dream Team Won’t Make You Scream
Brendan McCarthy is an artist and designer well known as one of the creators of 2015’s hit movie Mad Max: Fury Road. In the meantime he also created a full-color comic called Dream Gang, which was serialized in Dark Horse Presents. “A group of psychics project themselves into the dream worlds at night, exploring other people’s dreams. But they uncover a conspiracy to invade and enslave humanity from within by a malevolent force from the dark side of the mind.” As you can see, anthropomorphic characters also play a role in the gang! Now Dark Horse have assembled the complete Dream Gang series into a single trade paperback graphic novel. Check out Dark Horse’s preview over at their web site, and look for Dream Gang this July.
image c. 2016 Dark Horse Comics
Fake Furry News 6 of 6 PLAYLIST
ep. 37 - Masterbation Isn't Cheating - old episode that didn't transfer over for some re…
old episode that didn't transfer over for some reason, so re-uploading! ep. 37 - Masterbation Isn't Cheating - old episode that didn't transfer over for some re…
The Second [adjective][species] Poetry Collection
The moon hangs full and heavy over the clearing, and a bonfire crackles in the still night, sending up swirls of orange sparks as each log falls into ash and ember. Its smoke carries the fragrance of white sage and cedar, of sandalwood, of myrrh. Its light dances over the pattern of stripes, the white ruff, and at last the burning eyes, a wash of gold over emerald as the tigress’ gaze catches and holds.
Greetings, traveler, and welcome. You have the look of a seeker about you — how well I know that restless heart!
There are others of your kind here, ancient and modern, their songs dreaming, wondering, praising. Here, in their words, you might find a moment’s peace, or perhaps there will only be more questions. On a night like this, who can say? Those might be spirits gathered out there, beyond the reach of the flames — but then again, it may only be a trick of the light. That might be a drumbeat; it might be a heartbeat; it might only be your own.
The fire is lit. The smoke is rising. In the end, all questions become one:
Will you come and join the dance?
Faith
Feather swept incense
A shadowed trance
Invite the animal inside
Totem dancing, dream drumming.
Here now, here now, here now be.
Axolotl
I was born inside a mountain with a feather on my tongue,
chanting anthems of ekphrastic static, empty as a drum.
The sun was my umbrella, all the stars: my lemonade:
The comets were my bossa nova bubble serenade.
As an infant, I was infinite.
I stretched across the cradle with an angel’s appetite,
Brighter than a quasar’s eyes, and strobing with delight.
I danced with lonely Ganymede, rode Cygnus to the moon,
played jacks with panthers, stoats and jackals, darts with a baboon.
As an infant, I was infinite.
As an infant, I was infinite.
In time, I grew beyond my measure, shed my astral vision,
Learned to view the day-to-day with clinical precision.
I built myself a cage of paper, silicon, and bone,
Crawled inside to hunker down, and reckoned it a home
Alone inside my brittle skin, as slick as any lie,
The rictus grin I glibly spin became my alibi.
Every thread of every life weaves death in its design–
But to die is to be born again: an endless pantomime,
And as an infant, I am infinite.
–Morris Astricannum Stegosaurus
Cernunnos
Your white-bone tips
Curl, from brown locks
And braided hair,
Gleaming with morning dew.
You come silent
Before the birdsong stirs.
I know many would cut
Those boughs free,
But you keep wild, ungroomed,
Tossing your head, to and fro,
Finding weight
Only from the golden torc
Clasped about your neck.
I wish to know what it is
To be unashamed,
Reborn from a sick half-beast,
That has no horns to shed in spring.
Every Fall I saw them off.
On Furred Knees
My eyes see not the colours of stained glass windows,
in reflections of broken bottles in the street.
My paws follow the shifting shades of seasons past,
in the leaves rustling around my feet.
My nose smells the ragged people picking through the refuse,
seeking the lives they’ve lost.
My eyes, but they could weep at all that I have claimed,
while ignoring greed’s cruel costs.
Gates of Heavens closed to me, against my fur and claws.
Bloody baptismal waters flow when thrice I wash my paws.
Shadow creatures feeding on sin and ever more demands.
I’m told this is religion, and I don’t need to understand.
My words are prayers; the fuzz of dandelions,
plucked, puffed upon, lost to the mourning breeze.
My tail makes prayers unheard from here, outside the dome,
though I kowtow, praying on my knees.
My words climb to the spire, there shattered, thrown down,
to rain upon my grey fur. . . cruel, and sharp, and broken.
My ears hide beneath the kippah, for the words
that can build bridges have yet to be spoken.
My teeth, my mane, my harem, my tail and my roar,
Chapel doors close to me, God’s child I am no more.
Life laid open. . . on my knees, thus The Book commands.
These are symbols of religion, I don’t need to understand.
My paws, a beggar’s bowl, held out for the answers
to questions lost in the surging crowd.
My paw touches the word of God, graffiti,
asking awful questions I dare not speak aloud.
My paws reaching from faith to faith,
finding faded shadows of endless broken dreams.
My paws hold memories I use to flay myself,
to hear Him heckling in my sobbing screams.
Genetic miracle of recreation within sacred vessels held,
Caretaker of animals failed, so man and animal meld.
“Mea culpa? Tua culpa! Four Horsemen your true children planned!”
There is no questioning Religion, I don’t need to understand.
‘Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear, that a wretch I be.
Made by Him, like unto Him, so doth a fearful wretch be He?
Faiths beneath this stained shroud, as countless as the sands.
Finally comes the knowing. Let there be light!
At last I understand. . .
No more “Please”. . . for Truth I’ve found,
Hidden away from where I wept upon my knees. . .
No Divine to hear me. . . no Holy Host to hear me. . .
God chooses not to hear the changed ones. . .
Not even one of us, praying on furred knees.
-BanWynn Oakshadow
Little Bird
The sickened earth, there I was born
To live the many lies forever;
To seek through sinful skies for home
So I could make my nest with thorns
Of painted gold that none would sever.
There came a day when I had roamed
Unto some bush of thorns all gold.
I flew into that bush; my beak
Was set to seize this glittered growth,
But I was snared within its’ hold.
My savior stopped along the street,
And pulled me free. I gave a tweet.
The Butterfly Effect
“Believe with all your abdomen,” they say,
“And flap along with every confidence
That you’re the reason night will follow day
Without a break: we stir the turbulence.
“Destruction dances where our tarsi flex;
Antennae twitching, we command the world!
Our duty? Both to comfort and perplex.
So fly your colors proud, your wings unfurled!”
I try. I do. I flit from bush to tree
Imagining the force that I exert
Has toppled walls and stilled the swelling sea,
That I dispense the pleasure and the hurt–
But really, all I want’s a little sip
Of nectar. You can keep dictatorship!
Muezza
A man washes, he’s heard the call to pray
In night’s vestige, before approaching day,
But once he’s done, with mild alarm he notes
His loved cat sleeps on the sleeve of his coat.
He wills she not wake, deftly quick is he,
A snip and a flick, his sole robe is free.
That morning, close amidst folk who believe,
Muhammad leads prayers with a missing sleeve.
Centuries pass. In a dream-laden nap,
I see my lost cat by Muhammad’s lap.
Climbing up, she settles and cutely purrs,
Secure in whatever scant thoughts are hers.
-Dwale
The Dogs Assure Me
The dogs assure me:
There are volumes of meaning –
Life and death –
And time;
Past, present, future –
In the scent of a rotting fish left after the flood,
Or a trace of scat,
Or the coyote, long passed,
But not everyone reads poetry.
I’m not so lucky, all told:
The rich scent of meaning –
Heady, intoxicating –
Rises only from words
And the way you rest your hands on the table.
Cave God
As you made fire,
so you made me.
From the skull of a bear you killed
not because she was attacking
or had attacked before
but because she might attack
From the skin of a sleeping lion
you tracked and speared and thanked
From these things, you made a god.
From nothing, you made the idea of god.
You named me as you name your children.
In me you pour your prayers
your fears
as you store meat in your clay pots.
I am your bear-lion-god.
I am dead things. Empty space. And power.
What do we make next?
Thanks once again to Renee Carter Hall (“Poetigress”), who is a writer and poet whose work has been published both inside and outside the furry fandom. She is the current president of the Furry Writers’ Guild and was Writer Guest of Honor at RainFurrest 2015.