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The annual awards of furry fandom are open. Getting an award is only a pat on the back… the real reason is to gather things that furries love, and promote them as a creative community. Don’t be sad if something you love isn’t on the list or doesn’t win an award, because it’s not so much a contest as a celebration for everyone.

Or maybe I’m not revealing the Ultimate Power of the award before I ask this…

Please vote for Dogpatch Press for Best Anthropomorphic Magazine.

The precious award will be mine!  Actually ours.  Fred Patten’s writing makes it possible to put out a post every week day.  Managing the editing and writing other original articles is really hard work.  It’s basically a part time job.  Not just for me, but also with help from Pup Mathias and great guest posters (most recently Dronon.) It’s a team effort to maintain an info source this active.

So please do give a minute to vote, and throw one our way if you liked or shared any article from here in 2015.

Fred shares more…

Voting for the 2015 Ursa Major Awards, for the Best Anthropomorphic Literature and Art of the 2015 calendar year in eleven categories, is open from now until April 15.  The awards will be announced at a presentation ceremony at What the Fur 2016, in Montreal, Quebec, on May 20-22, 2016.

The eleven categories are: Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture, Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series, Best Anthropomorphic Novel, Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction, Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work, Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story, Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip, Best Anthropomorphic Magazine, Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration, Best Anthropomorphic Game and Best Anthropomorphic Website.

Voting is open to all! To vote, go to the Ursa Major Awards website and click on “Voting for 2015” at the left. You will receive instructions on how to register to vote. You do not have to vote in every category. Please vote in only those categories in which you feel knowledgeable.

This final ballot has been compiled from those works receiving the most nominations that were eligible. Please check the dates of publication next year to make sure that your nominations are only for works published during the calendar year (January through December) in question.

Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture

Live-action or animated feature-length movies.

• The Good Dinosaur (Directed by Peter Sohn; November 25)
• Inside Out (Directed by Pete Doctor and Ronaldo Del Carmen; June 19)
• The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (Directed by Howy Parkins; November 22)
• The Peanuts Movie (Directed by Steve Martino; November 6)
• Shaun the Sheep (Directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzak; February 5)

Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series

TV series or one-shots, advertisements or short videos.

• Danger Mouse (Directed by Robert Cullen; Season 1 episodes 1-16)
• Harvey Beaks (Directed by C. H.Greenblatt; Season 1 March 29 to November 15)
• Littlest Pet Shop (Directed by Joel Dickie and Steven Garcia; Season 3 episode 17 to Season 4 episode 9)
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Directed by James Thiessen, Jim Miller, Denny Lu; Season 5 episodes 1 to 26, April 4 to November 28)
• Tiger’s Eye (Audio Drama Podcast) (Directed by Alexander Shaw; episodes 1 to 25, May 13 to October 29)
• We Bare Bears (Directed by Manny Hernandez; Season 1 episode 1 to episode 25, July 27 to November 19)

Best Anthropomorphic Novel

Written works of 40,000 words or more. Serialized novels qualify only for the year that the final chapter is published.

• GeneStorm: City in the Sky, by Paul Kidd. (Kitsune Press; May 19)
• Heart Behind the Mask, by N.”Karmakat” Franzetti. (Smashwords; May 4)
• In a Dog’s World, by Mary E. Lowd. (FurPlanet Productions; July 9)
• Tiger’s Eye, by Alexander Shaw. (CreateSpace; November 5)
• Windfall, by Tempe O’Kun (FurPlanet Productions; July 9)

Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction

Stories less than 40,000 words, poetry and other short written works.

• The Analogue Cat, by Alice “Huskyteer” Dryden. (in The Furry Future; FurPlanet Productions; January 15)
• Lunar Cavity, by Mary E. Lowd. (in The Furry Future; FurPlanet Productions; January 15)
• Pocpsin, by Ursula Vernon. (in Apex Magazine, #68, January 6)
• Thebe and the Angry Red Eye, by David Hopkins. (in The Furry Future; January 15)
• Tow, by Watts Martin. (in The Furry Future; January 15)

Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work

Story collections, comic collections, graphic novels, non-fiction works, and convention program books.

• Furries Among Us, edited by Thurston Howl. (Thurston Howl Publications, essay anthology; July 4)
• The Furry Future, edited by Fred Patten. (FurPlanet Publications, short story anthology; January 15)
• Inhuman Acts, edited by Ocean Tigrox. (FurPlanet Productions, short story anthology; September 24)
• The Necromouser and Other Magical Cats, by Mary E. Lowd. (FurPlanet Productipns, short story collection; September 24)
• ROAR volume 6, edited by Mary E. Lowd. (Bad Dog Books, short story anthology; July 9)

Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story

Includes comic books and serialized online stories.

• Endtown, by Aaron Neathery. (Internet; January 1 to December 31)
• The Golden Week, by Douglas Kim. (Internet; January 2 to December 24)
• Lackadaisy, by Tracy J. Butler. (Internet; Lackadaisy Congregation to Lackadaisy Inspiration)
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, by various. (IDW Publishing; Issues #27 to #38)
• TwoKinds, by Tom Fischbach. (Internet; January 4 to December 23)

Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip

For newspaper-style strips, including those with ongoing arcs.

• Carry On, by Kathryn Garrison. (Internet; January 2 to December 30)
• Doc Rat, by Jenner. (Internet; January 1 to December 31)
• Housepets!, by Rick Griffin. (Internet; January 2 to December 30)
• Peter & Company, by Jonathan Ponikvar. (Internet; page 223 to page 243)
• Savestate, by Tim Weeks. (Internet; January 7 to December 30)

Best Anthropomorphic Magazine

Edited collections of creative and/or informational works by various people, professional or amateur, published in print or online in written, pictorial or audio-visual form.

• Dogpatch Press, edited by Patch Packrat. (Internet; January 5 to December 24)
• Fangs and Fonts Podcast. (Internet; podcasts #37 to #56)
• Flayrah, edited by crossaffliction and GreenReaper. (Internet; January 2 to December 31)
• Heat, edited by Black Teagan, Dark End. (Volume #12; Sofawolf Press; July 9)
• In-Fur-Nation, edited by Rod O’Riley. (Internet; January 1 to De ember 31)

Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration

Illustrations for books, magazines, convention program books, cover art for such, coffee table portfolios.

• cover of EuroFurence 21 Program Book by Kenket. (September 26)
• cover of Lost on Dark Trails by Rukis. (FurPlanet Productions; January 15)
• cover of ROAR volume 6 by Teagan Gavet. (Bad Dog Books; July 9)
• front cover of Tiger’s Eye by Antonio Torresan (Amazon, November 5)

Best Anthropomorphic Game

Computer or console games, role-playing games, board games.

• Armello. (League of Geeks; September 1)
• Five Nights at Freddy’s 3. (Scott Cawthorn; March 2)
• Ori and the Blind Forest. (Moon Studios; March 11)
• Undertale. (Toby Fox; September 15)
• Yo-Kai Watch. (Level-5; November 6)

Best Anthropomorphic Website

Online collections of art, stories, and other creative and/or informational works; galleries, story archives, directories, blogs, and personal sites.

• Culturally F’d. YouTube Channel; furry videos)
• E621. (Furry fandom art community site)
• FurAffinity. (Furry art specialty site)
• SoFurry. (Furry artist/writer community)
• WikiFur. (General furry information/history)

​Good afternoon, Papabear:

I'm a new member of furry community, and from what I've seen so far everything looks amazing, However since the last few months I may have discovered the "adult" side of the furry fandom and by that I mean the furporn. I have never seen something like these and from what I have read in your answers to other people's letters, you know everything that is about the fandom and so here is my question. 

Is the furporn considered in a sense bestiality and since I have seen it does that mean that I have seen and committed the sin of bestiality? And if it wasn't, could you please tell me in what capacity does this furporn begin to enter the domain of bestiality like I saw what I think people call "feral and anthro yiffing" together and it is bothering me due to my Catholic background. So if you could please give me your honest opinion of my situation that would be incredibly helpful .... so in case you need anymore details please feel free to ask any question and thank you in advance for your help

Anonymous
 
* * *
 
Dear Furiend,
 
I guess we should start with some definitions here, just to be clear. Bestiality is committed when a human has any sexual relationship with an animal, ranging from actual intercourse to masturbation, to naked rubbing (frottage). A second definition of bestiality means "cruel and depraved behavior," but that's not as relevant here. Zoophilia, which you don’t mention, is feeling aroused by the thought of sex with an animal and having sexual desires for such animals.
 
It doesn’t sound like you are aroused by the images you saw, nor have you committed a sexual act with an animal, so, no, you have not committed a sin of bestiality in my opinion anymore than a man who accidentally sees a nude image of a woman in, say, an advertisement is guilty of adultery. Don’t worry.
 
Are there images of bestiality and zoophilia in the fandom. Yes, there are, and “feral and anthro yiffing” would likely qualify since anthros are quite similar to human beings. If you don’t like seeing such images, you can easily avoid them and still be part of the fandom. You can even join Christian furry groups online. Also, if you are not familiar with this, if you go to FurAffinity there is a button at the top right side of the page that says “SFW.” SFW means “Safe for Work,” which means it will automatically filter out any explicit images on your screen and leave you with the more wholesome images without fear of stumbling on the other stuff.
 
I hope you will stay with the fandom and enjoy the more G-rated stuff. There’s lots of it and many good authors and artists who are clean.
 
Hugs,
Papabear

This is the final of three days of animal-themed poetry by Renee Carter Hall. Renee is curating the 2016 [adjective][species] Poetry Collection, which is open for submissions until 22 April.

The Unicorn at the Zoo

They put it among trees and rose bushes,
ringed a dry moat with an iron fence.
They’re still not sure if it’s
male or female; the ultrasound
goes to static and freezes every time.
They tried to test its blood,
but the silver serum in the tube
swirled and shimmered into nothing.
They held a contest to name it anyway,
and a third-grader won with Moonflower.
Tourists gather at its enclosure with
strollers and cameras,
whinny at it like a horse,
hold their children up to see.
In their snapshots, it is only
a vague white blur, a bit
of pearly horn here, a hint
of cloven hoof there.
The gift shop has no postcards of it,
but the plush horned ponies sell out every week.
The keepers aren’t sure what it eats.
Some say the flowers, but they’re untouched.
Some say water, some say air.
Some say love, but they’re laughed at
by people who feel guilty for it afterward.
The keepers hold somber meetings
with scholars and art historians.
Every day they worry it seems a bit thinner,
its coat a touch paler, more translucent.
The words on the sign at its enclosure
are starting to fade.
Sometimes the zoo director stands
before it in his three-piece suit,
slow tears tracing the lines of his face.
Some say he’s only thinking about
the money he might lose.
Others aren’t so sure.

Pulse

The world
drifts.
Bear sleeps
beneath snow

in the deep dreaming,
the warm dark
of fur and tooth.
Within,

spring’s cubs
slumber, lulled
by the slow rush
of blood and breath.

Outside, the cold
a lullaby;
inside, her heartbeat
a promise.

(Readers can find more of my poetry, on various subjects, at http://www.reneecarterhall.com/poetry.html)

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Soldiers of Ice, by David Cook. Map. (Forgotten Realms – The Harpers, Nº 7)
Lake Geneva, WI, TSR, Inc., December 1993, paperback $4.95 ([2 +] 312 pages), Kindle $7.99.

There are anthropomorphic novels hidden among the authorized books of popular fantasy-role-playing games. Case in point: TSR’s 1987 Forgotten Realms spinoff of Dungeons & Dragons.

According to Wikipedia: “Forgotten Realms is the name of an imaginary fantasy world that exists somewhere beyond the real world. The setting is described as a world of strange lands, dangerous creatures, and mighty deities, where magic and seemingly supernatural phenomena are quite real. The premise is that, long ago, the Earth and the world of the Forgotten Realms were more closely connected. As time passed, the inhabitants of planet Earth have mostly forgotten about the existence of that other world—hence the term Forgotten Realms.”

The Forgotten Realms merchandising includes well over two hundred novels and short fiction anthologies from 1987 to September 2012, in hardback and paperback editions, from TSR, Inc. (Tactical Studies Rules) and its successor, Wizards of the Coast (including one by furry author Paul Kidd, The Council of Blades). Soldiers of Ice by David Cook, the seventh in the subseries about The Harpers, features the fierce doglike gnolls of the valley of Samek.

“A semi-secret organization for Good, the Harpers fight for freedom and justice in a world populated by tyrants, evil mages, and dread concerns beyond imagination.” (blurb)

“In a snow-bound valley, beyond the aid of even the Harpers, a lone village sits in the path of the relentless advance to ice and the fleeing gnolls, pushing ever southward. Of all the Harpers, only the headstrong Martine of Sembia refuses to abandon the gnomes of Samek to their fate.” (another blurb)

The tomboyish Martine of Sembia is a novice Harper, an acolyte of the foppish wizard Jazrac in the Harper center in Shadowdale. Martine has been getting low-level messenger assignments, and is impatient for some more dramatic mission that will demonstrate that she is ready for full Harper membership. She sees her chance when Jazrac asks her to go to the far northern wastes of the Great Glacier with a talisman that he has prepared, to close an ice volcano dimensional rift.

“’Sometimes things cross over and enter our world. If it’s only one or two of these elemental creatures, it’s not much our concern, but if the rift should expand, it could prove to be a danger. You’re going to go up there and seal it.” (p. 12)

Martine assumes that she can easily fly north on Astriphie, her loyal hippogriff mount; a journey of about a week toward increasingly sparsely inhabited lands and suspicious peoples.

“By this subterfuge, Martine passed through Damara and found herself at last flying over the snowbound ridge of an isolated valley, the last before the walls of the Great Glacier itself. Samek, it was called, home to a village of gnomes, or so the garrulous frontiersman farther south had claimed. ‘Be the last outpost afore the wilds,’ he swore. ‘Mebbe they can guide you to the glacier, though ‘tain’t a harder-headed batch than them little folk. ‘Taint got no trade, an’ they put up with no truck at all from outsiders, big folk especially.’” (p. 19)

Martine lands in the valley of Samek, claims hospitality from Vilheim, the only human settler living there, and asks him to introduce her to the village of gnomes.

“The object of their courtesy was a little man who stood no taller than Vil’s waist […] Despite his stocky build, Martine knew the little man was actually lean for one of his kind. Airy strands of long white beard escaped from the top of the collar […] The gnome’s face seemed ancient, reminding Martine of a shriveled apple. The doorkeeper’s rheumy red eyes were barely noticeable behind his bulbous nose, a pronounced characteristic of his race. Tikkanen’s nose was limned with thin red veins and colored with age spots.” (pgs. 31-32)

Martine asks the gnomes to guide her to the Great Glacier. They decline, but Vil volunteers. Martine and Vilheim, flying on Astriphie, notice a tribe of fierce gnoll warriors at the base of the glacier; the real reason that the gnomes do not want to move further into Samek. The ice volcano on the glacier is more dangerous than Martine expects; Astriphie is killed, marooning her and Vil. The latter returns on foot to the gnomes to get supplies, leaving Martine alone to carry out her mission.

Martine does, but is captured by soldiers of ice, invaders from the other side of the dimensional rift.

“Towering over both of them, a good two feet taller than Martine’s five-foot frame, was an overgrown version of the mephit that had captured her. The beast had the same armor-sheened skin, smoothly flowing over its body to taper off into sharp-edged flares. The icelike carapace rendered the creature insectoid, even though it stood like a man. The look was further enhanced by the fact that its frame was overly thin and elongated […] The creature’s head was triangular, tapering at the chin into a beard of icicles that grew out of its flesh. The barbed ridge of its brow was crusted with more of the same, veiling the deep pits of its eyes. A mouth, small and precise, set below two narrow slots that were its nose, gaped eagerly, revealing a formidable line of spinelike teeth.” (pgs. 70-71)

The cold-blooded creatures dub Martine Hot-Breath because of her warm-bloodedness.

“‘Vreesar, I captured it,’ the mephit boasted with a prattling squeal. The ice-bred imp sprang forward to show off its conquest […] ‘It breathes smoke and steam, hot enough to burn me, but I captured it.’ With these words, the mephit danced about in triumph, waggling its long claws overhead. ‘I captured the Hot Breath! Me!’” (p. 71)

Martine uses her burning warm breath to escape from Icy-White and the other mephitis (ice imps), and is promptly captured by the gnolls. It is at this point that the novel gets furry.

“The leader tore back its parka hood and sniffed the air in suspicion, its glistening muzzle quivering to catch the scents of the night. Its black lips curled back from yellowed fangs as it barked orders to the others. […] The five dog-men acted quickly to take control of their prize. […] ‘What do we with it?’ the smallest gnoll in the group yipped finally. The fur of its hide was still raw beige and downy. It was barely more than a cub, Martine guessed. […] None of the hyenalike men ever once slowed its pace or suggested concern for the struggling human.” (pgs. 78-79)

The hunting pack take Martine back to their longhouse which blends into the snowy moraine at the glacier’s base.

“The fire illuminated a tangle of furry bodies that covered the floor, a carpet that drew back before the blast of winter air that accompanied her entrance. Tawny, spotted arms stretched curiously while muzzles raised to sniff the new scent that had suddenly intruded upon them. Ears twitched; fleshy lips curled back from needle-sharp fangs.” (p. 81)

Martine is about to be killed and eaten by the Burnt Fur [!] tribe when she is saved by Krote Word-Maker, their shaman.

“Martine’s first impression was of a skeletal mockery of a living thing, even of its own kind. He appeared emaciated, with a sunken muzzle and bony pits for eyes. […] From this distance, Martine could see that fully half his taut face was etched with tattooing. Two purple-black scars radiated from one eye, the first cutting a wedge from his matted hairline, the other running down the length of his muzzle.” (pgs. 84-85)

It is obvious to Martine that there is a tribal power struggle going on between the shaman and Hakk Elk-Slayer, the burly chieftain and Brokka, his chief hunter; and that Word-Maker wants to save her for his own ends. Since the alternative is the Burnt Furs’ cookpot, Martine plays along with Word-Maker’s scheming, although his immediate ploy to keep her alive is to persuade chief Hakk to make her part of his harem.

Martine and Word-Maker have just become uneasy allies when the ice warrior leader, Vreesar, arrives to kill Hakk in combat and take over the Burnt Furs. Martine and Krote Word-Maker escape to the village of the gnomes, but Vreesar leads the gnolls after them, on his first step in world conquest and to get Martine to reopen the rift so he can call for more ice soldiers. A grand battle develops of everyone: ice soldiers, gnolls, gnomes, wizards, and Harpers. Of importance to anthro fans is that the focus always remains on Martine and Krote. At first bound by mutual self-interest, they gradually develop a grudging respect for each other that turns into real friendship.

Soldiers of Ice is slow getting started as an anthropomorphic novel, but once Martine joins the gnolls, there are plenty of descriptions of the dog/hyena-man tribe. The original paperback is long out of print, but still available cheaply as a used book, and there is a new Kindle edition.

The somewhat confusing cover by Fred Fields shows Vreesar, the ice elemental (dark blue; he is always described in the novel as icy white), and Martine looking at the body of a gnoll warrior.

– Fred Patten

• On Amazon
• ISFDB.com entry

 

New Members

Welcome to our newest members Shaun “Gnarl” McGrath, Arian Mabe, Jeeves the Roo, Eric M. Witchey, and KC Alpinus!

Member News

It’s awards season, so first of all, congratulations to all our members whose work was nominated in the Ursa Major Awards and the Cóyotl Awards!

In book news, Kyell Gold has released Black Angel, Over Time, and the collection Twelve Sides. In short fiction news, Mary E. Lowd’s “High School Dogs” (a prequel to her novella In a Dog’s World) is now online at Deep Sky Anchor, and issue 2 of A Glimpse of Anthropomorphic Literature is now available, featuring stories and book reviews from several FWG members.

In crowdfunding news, there are 21 days left in Jess E. Owen’s Kickstarter for By the Silver Wind, Book IV of the Summer King Chronicles.

If you’re into gaming/RPGs, check out Paul Kidd’s A Fistful of Quidloos and Heroes of Morhost, and if film/comic reviews are your thing, Dronon has published several recently at Flayrah. Like poetry too? Check out Weasel’s poem “Midnight’s Starving” in Yellow Chair Review.

(Members: Want your news here? Start a thread in our Member News forum!)

Market News

Upcoming deadlines: The anthology Gods With Fur closes May 1, and issue 3 of A Glimpse of Anthropomorphic Literature is open until May 15. For conbook deadlines, we have five conbook listings with deadlines ranging from April 15 to May 1; check out all the details at our conbook page.

New markets: Poets, get your work in before April 22 for the second [adjective][species] poetry collection. Full guidelines here. For short stories, we have a new listing for The Society Pages, an anthology seeking stories exploring “civilized furry society.” The deadline is June 1, but you must submit a query before sending your story; see their guidelines for full information.

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 News

Voting is now open for this year’s Cóyotl Awards! Voting ends July 1.

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). We also have a Telegram group, and you can find more info on that and a link in this thread.

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.

More new stuff found at WonderCon last month: Houndstooth is a new self-published comic written by Kristen Brown and illustrated by Sam Rusk in a monochrome wash style. “Houndstooth follows the adventures of Bandit, an orphaned boy who exists in an animal’s world, along with his fellow human and best friend, Pan. The only adventure Bandit has ever wanted to have, are the ones printed inside his favorite books. But fate brought an unwanted adventure to his feet when Pan is kidnapped! Her only hope of rescue is Bandit and a couple of unlikely tag-alongs.” Issues are being released bi-monthly, both in physical (paper) form and on-line at Comixology.

image c. 2016 by Sam Rusk

Tonight on unfurled we discuss a man innocent of charges being claimed guilty anyway, a turtle gets the rock star treatment and a boat being publicly named! Listen in and enjoy our sultry tones molesting your ears. Episode -43 - Fuck a door

This is the second of three days of animal-themed poetry by Renee Carter Hall. Renee is curating the 2016 [adjective][species] Poetry Collection, which is open for submissions until 22 April.

Comanche

I had seen enough of battle.
Again and again I had carried the man into the fighting,
into the storm men make that nothing survives.
Now the thunder was gone, and their bodies
lay scattered, pale and still, across the field.
Only the river moved.

I went toward it–careful,
so careful, where I put my hooves.
At last I stood by the water, too exhausted
even to swish the flies from my wounds.
I felt nothing.
I was ready to die; I was hoping
it might be as if I were a foal again,
before I knew bit and bridle,
before I carried any weight.

Then they found me.
And they called me brave.

They made me remember.
Every parade, every ceremony took me back,
made my scars burn like half-healed wounds.
When they cheered me, I heard only
the cries of the fallen.

They gave me the best of everything,
made me the pet of the cavalry,
the mascot of the fort, the symbol
of courage and honor in defeat–
never thinking that all I wanted

was sunlight on my mane,
a mare to groom with gentle teeth,
the scent of grass instead of fear and gunpowder,
and the peace of that slow, cool river
to wash all the blood away.

February 1: Groundhog Goes to the FoodMart

Mrs. Fox, pushing her cart
in her best Sunday dress, string of pearls
at her red throat, reminds him
of the tenderness of spring chickens,
gives him a smile, white and sharp.

The Rabbit family crowds the cereal aisle.
As he chooses a plain cylinder of oatmeal,
Mother Rabbit says hello, steers the small talk
toward the petunias she’s planning
to brighten up the burrow,
the rows of cabbages and carrots
Father’s mapping out for the field.
The kits tug on Groundhog’s overalls, eyes bright,
whispering to him, one more snow,
one more afternoon of sledding, one more fort,
one more snowbunny with mittens for ears.

Sleepy-eyed Bear shuffles in, only nods
when anyone speaks, gets in line
with a quart of milk and a canned ham.
His bleary gaze meets Groundhog’s,
and he adds a can of coffee, economy size.

Groundhog waits in line, stares at the tabloids
while the chattering squirrel cracks gum
and rings up the shoppers ahead.
He feels their eyes on him, all watching as if
he could melt the gray slush outside with a glance,
could give them warmth and new life on a whim.

Even in this harsh fluorescent light,
he will not look at his feet.

(Readers can find more of my poetry, on various subjects, at http://www.reneecarterhall.com/poetry.html)

Cathair Apocalypse: “A post-apocalyptic drama where humans are extinct and cats have risen to rule the wasteland left behind by their former masters.” That’s the description from the creators of this new full-color comic book series — which combines photo-realistic GGI backgrounds and props with actual photos of the creators’ cats! It’s up on line at Taptastic, plus the creators have their own web site where you can purchase the first collection (By Cutlass Or Corsage) as well as t-shirt and other goodies.  Not made out of cat hair, thankfully!

image c. 2016 Cathair Apocalypse

​Hello Papabear!

I'm in quite a dilemma here, and I will try to make this short and sweet.

I commissioned a seemingly talented yet not very well known fursuit maker for a fullsuit in April of 2015. We agreed in writing of a deadline for December of 2015. I was given excuses all up to a month before the deadline, then was told that I was not going to be receiving my product. I understand, life happens. I was cordial and kind and gave no issue. It is now 3 months past deadline and I still have absolutely no update on the progress. I wholeheartedly believe it has not even begun. I was not told of supplies being purchased or work beginning on it.

Now, I don't mind waiting. I really don't. My issue is, that I have now come to learn a few concerning facts after I have commissioned them. I am behind a list of 20+ other paid off fullsuit/partial commissions, all of which seem to have no significant progress for months now, as shown by their public queue and social media. Instead, they are working on side projects that are not in the queue, namely pre-mades so they can make a little more money. I have also learned that they have a pretty bad habit of frequently asking urgently for money because of emergencies, yet buy unnecessary luxury items that same day such as art, plushies, or expensive fursuits, as proven by a few people. I have also spoken to people personally who have had bad experiences with this person. I have lost a lot of trust in this maker because of this.

They also have a reputation of refusing refunds in full, or adding on "service fees" or refusing chunks of the refund for "work completed" with no proof or real basis.

I have proof of all payments sent, along with corresponding messages to go with them. I have proof of commissioning the fursuit, the deadline, the missed deadline, them admitting that I will not be receiving my product at the intended time.

I have not yet asked for a refund, as this person has a reputation for becoming hostile and blacklisting and creating loads of drama once a refund is requested. I have personally been witness to this. I want to make this as smooth and quick as possible. I would like to take this to small claims court, but my only issue is, we live in completely different states quite far apart and I am unsure of what to do to keep them from going off the deep end and me losing out on money that I trusted to them, when I fully believe that none of it has even went to supplies or creation of the fursuit. I just don't know where to go from here.

Any advice is greatly and sincerely appreciated.
 
Anonymous (age 24)
 
* * *
 
Dear Furiend,
 
Sadly, what you are experiencing is nothing new and is a good example of what not to do when commissioning a fursuit. Sounds to ol’ bear you only heard about this maker’s bad rep after you started experiencing problems. Did you not research this person before sending money? That was mistake number one. Mistake number two was not getting a written receipt for the money you sent, although it sounds like you have some email proof, which is something, at least. Mistake number three was sending, apparently, ALL the money to the fursuit maker up front. Respectable fursuit makers only ask for a deposit to pay for materials and then ask for the rest upon delivery of the completed fursuit. Now you are not only out part of the money but all of it. It has been suggested by some furries that one solution would be to set up an escrow account, but this seems needlessly complicated and also means the fursuit maker would not have money for materials at first.
 
You mention small claims court. That’s a good idea, but, as you noted, works best when you and the maker are in the same state. When we’re talking different states, then it gets hard, especially since pretty much every fursuit maker I have heard of does not operate an incorporated business. That leaves you with having to get to the maker’s state and suing there, which is not very cost effective, or trying to sue out of state. From the legal sites I have looked over, intrastate small claims judgments are mostly restricted to cases regarding things like real estate, property damage, or suing an actual business that is an incorporated entity (here's some information about small claims in other states: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/small-claims-book/chapter9-2.html). Again, the informality of traditional fursuit commissioning makes this severely problematic, as far as I know. Then again, I’m not an attorney (anyone?); you could hire an attorney, but good ones will cost you as much as the fursuit or more.
 
So, then we get into the subject of reviews. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be nice if there were a review site such as Angie’s List or Yelp for furries? Turns out, there are. They are still in the process of being developed, but one is here on Tumblr http://makersdatabase.tumblr.com/, and another is being worked on here: http://fursuitreview.khat.us/ with a more up-to-date version on FurAffinity:  http://www.furaffinity.net/user/fursuitreview/. Papabear is pleased that there are furries out there going to the trouble and time to try and help their fellows in what can be a frustrating process.
 
Here are a couple possible ways to proceed:

1. Try the “let’s start over” approach. Contact the fursuit maker and suggest that you begin the commission anew as if you were just now asking for it. Ask them to print, sign, and mail you a receipt acknowledging your payment and specifying a completion date for the project. Since you are of legal age, this can be considered a legal contract of sorts. Have them include in the contract exactly what you will be provided for the completed project. Tell them you want a realistic deadline, and that you will be patient and wait for that date before taking any other steps.
2. If you just want this debacle over, contact the maker and tell them you are tired of waiting and wish a full refund. Tell them that if they give you any lip about it, that this will be reflected in your review on one or both of the above review sites. However, if they are cooperative, you will not post a negative review of their work and let bygones be bygones. BUT! If they give you the money back (or if they don’t) and begin trashing you all over the Web, then you will compose a scathing review of their work and warn people not to commission with them or else risk being attacked by this unprofessional fursuit maker.

 
Always start off trying to be nice as possible and giving the person a benefit of a doubt, but don’t be afraid to fight back. If enough people do, this fursuit maker will soon become so notorious that they will never receive any more commissions, and that will be deservedly so. It really irritates me that there are such dishonorable people out there, but there it is.
 
Good luck,
Papabear​

This is the first of three days of animal-themed poetry by Renee Carter Hall. Renee is curating the 2016 [adjective][species] Poetry Collection, which is open for submissions until 22 April.

Panthera tigris

Your stripes on my skin are foolish,
garish colors on a flattened face–
you were never meant to walk on two legs,
to sacrifice your rolling-smoke stride
for my half-falling, unbalanced gait.

I will not flatter myself to be
even your poor imitation,
your ridiculous reflection,
no matter how much I long for your form.

I will borrow your fire instead,
the deep, fierce light of your eyes.
I will learn how to crouch and wait
and trust that the right moment will come.

I will learn to hunt
what I need to survive.

Grizzly

How he rested
his massive head on the log —
the easy curve of his claws —

I have never seen anything
so casually powerful
yet so open to endearment,
so likeable in the eyes,
no feline “I’m beyond you” gaze
that lions and jaguars cherish —

just bear,
a thousand pounds of bear,
all weight at rest —
and it’s enough.

Lord Tiger’s Answer

The question, he said, is not
why some of my kind
prey upon man.
It is why all of us do not.
Your hide is thin, your flesh
is soft, you are blind as
wet cubs, and the wind
says nothing to you.
Men stumble like chital fawns
through this jungle,
bleating their complaints
for any hunter to hear.
Why, then? Not pity:
We feast on the young,
the unsteady, the trembling;
they are as gifts to the hungry.
It is not, even, the weapons you carry
that crack the sky with their fire.
No.
It is your very strangeness
that closes our jaws–
of this earth, but not walking in it,
you carry the movement of worlds
in your stride, carry the heavens
in your gaze, carry so many swirling
confusions in your heads,
where we are bone and teeth and claws.
Easy meat, oh yes,
but it sits sour in our bellies,
fouls our breath,
and muddies our minds.

(Readers can find more of my poetry, on various subjects, at http://www.reneecarterhall.com/poetry.html)

WagzTail had a live show at TFF2016! We had a decent turnout, answered audience questions, and engaged in mild insanity. We recorded it too, so those of you who couldn’t make it can hear what you missed!

Metadata and Credits WagzTail Show @ TFF 2016

Runtime: 56:26m

Cast: Wolfin, 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. Podcast thumbnail by Levi.

 

WagzTail Live @ TFF 2016 - WagzTail had a live show at TFF2016! We had a decent turnout, answered audience questions, and engaged in mild insanity. We recorded it too, so those of you who couldn't make it can hear what you missed!

WagzTail had a live show at TFF2016! We had a decent turnout, answered audience questions, and engaged in mild insanity. We recorded it too, so those of you who couldn’t make it can hear what you missed!

Metadata and Credits WagzTail Show @ TFF 2016

Runtime: 56:26m

Cast: Wolfin, 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. Podcast thumbnail by Levi.

 

WagzTail Live @ TFF 2016 - WagzTail had a live show at TFF2016! We had a decent turnout, answered audience questions, and engaged in mild insanity. We recorded it too, so those of you who couldn't make it can hear what you missed!

My Pony, by Liam Rector follows Shining River’s article about cowboy poetry yesterday. It is from Cowboy Poetry Matters, From Abilene to the Mainstream, Contemporary Cowboy Writing, edited by Robert McDowell, Story Line Press, Ashland, Oregon, 2000.

 

My Pony

Coming back to you, my pony, whom I had to leave
To make money, I proffer up the dire smidgen,
The torn thing I managed to lug back with me,

Along with the big bucks: World is made of bologna.
Like the pressed woods of my ascetic bookcase,
Like the traffic jam full of air conditioning

And grieving music, world is pressed together
As if my impossibility, my pony, as by poetry…
How long I have loved thee to see you now grown old

Though still able—under all this weight—
To put your foot to the far off, to the going…
Carry me now, my pony. Carry us to where we buried

Those Clydesdales who once in soggy spring,
In early morning, plowed those furrows which fed us
Before I could no longer afford the farm.

I think we laid them down, me scrounging money
For the backhoe, over there in the west field.
I think we should go over now to the west field…

And the cats who used to run with us back
In the olde days: Sartre, Huck, and the others—
None lived to see fourteen, though all stayed relatively

Long for cat lives—blessings to them now, my pony ;
Blessings to them who used to run and sit with us!
And will I ever get to hold my father as he dies

And will he release me then from the fear of dying?
Not likely. Probably not, my pony.
Probably much more mulling through this membrane

Which passes so quickly, which stuns me and makes me
Wonder how much longer we’ve both got here to ride…
Ride on while we’re here, my pony, and next spring

I’l bring Virginia, whom I’ve left back in the city.
I’ll bring her to you for her safekeeping.
She needs the hurl and arc these fields have put in us,

Out looking: she needs the kind of joking past grieving
We’ve come to together, thrown through the pressed world
Where I went off to earn being hers and yours, your Liam.

​Hello Papabear, 

So I have a question... My family is religious, we're Christians and I am religious along with them... but my problem with this is that because we follow the bible... anything except for normal human, male goes with female sex is a big no no... I am transgender and furry... though only one other person knows...

My fursona, Silvia the orca, is part of me and my personality. I roleplay but I'm worried that my parents will only see the bad side of the fandom... if I come out as furry the other problem is that I'd have to come out as trans as well and I know I would never be looked at the same again...

Please help D:
From Silvia (age 15)
 
* * *
 
Hi, Silvia,
 
I was going to write you a long spiel about coming out to Christian parents (or else link you to earlier articles), but I found someone who did it better. Read this article http://www.gaychristian101.com/Coming-Out.html by a conservative Christian that is most excellent. Among his points are that God loves you, whether or not your are gay or trans or whatever, that parents often misunderstand the Bible, and that if you are in a bad situation you might not want to come out just yet. Read it, it will help.
 
As for being furry, you might conceal this in addition to not coming out (if you so choose), or you can explain to your parents that this is just a fun hobby and is no worse than watching a Disney movie such as, say, The Rescuers. You might also try joining the Christian Furs at http://christianfurs.net/. You don’t say whether or not you are still a Christian, or if you have turned to some other belief system, but do know you can certainly be both a Christian and a furry, just as you can be a transgender Christian.
 
Please take a look at these links and let me know if you have further questions. Good luck!
 
Hugs,
Papabear

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

La Saga d’Atlas & Axis, t.3, by Pau.
Roubaix, France, Ankama Éditions, November 2015, hardcover €12.90 (60 + [3] pages).

Once again, Lex Nakashima & I present our conspiracy to get you to read French animalière bandes dessinées that aren’t likely to be published in English.

Has it really been 2 ½ years since I reviewed tomes 1 & 2 for Flayrah? Well, Jean-Marc Pau has been busy. Not only has he written & drawn this volume, he has made a “movie” of the whole series. If you look closely, you can find a little animation in it. The 3:25-minute “movie” starts with images from the first two albums; tome 3 starts at 2:09 minutes.

I described La Saga d’Atlas & Axis as “Their world looks like a doggy version of Astérix & Obélix …” Cutely drawn but without the humor. The setting, allowing for the anthropomorphic animals, is around the 9th & 10 centuries when the Vikings were taking over Armorica so thoroughly that it’s been called Normandy ever since. This series also differs from Astérix & Obélix in being one continuous adventure rather than standalone albums.

This tome 3 begins right where tome 2 ended in 2013. To repeat my translation of the blurb of the first two volumes:

In the world of Pongeo, where all the animals talk and walk on two paws, Atlas and Axis are two mutts of very different characters and pedigrees: the first is intelligent and rational, while the second is controlled more by his feelings. One day when the two companions return to their village for a festival, they discover it ravaged by the cruel Vikiens, bloody brutes from the North who pillage and kill all who fall under their claws. So begins the saga of Atlas and Axis, the astonishing epic of two friends overflowing with courage, who leave to brave the great North to avenge their folk. In the grand tradition of adventuring duos, prepare to live a story funny and terrible, tender and epic …

I thought that Atlas is a golden retriever, but the dialogue establishes that he’s an Afghan hound. Axis is a mutt; mostly a terrier mix. Atlas is the cool, thoughtful one of the pair; Axis is the hothead who rushes into trouble.

To quote again from my review of tome 2:

But after only a couple of days [in Miel’s tavern], they can’t help overhearing a noisy argument between two traveling scholars. The older claims that dogs are evolved from wolves, while the other insists that dogs were created by the god Toby in his own image. The believer in evolution offers to outfit Atlas and Axis for an expedition to bring back proof of the Tarses, a legendary missing link tribe halfway between wolves and dogs, which incidentally is connected to the magic bowl of Khimera. The quest leads to what is clearly central Asia, a canine Genghis Khan, and living mammoths and dinosaurs. The volume ends with Atlas and Axis impressed into a barbarian fleet en route to conquer a thinly-disguised Constantinople. Obviously the story is to be continued.

Volume 3 begins with Atlas & Axis learning that they’ve been tricked. Their canine armada isn’t heading for Constantinople and rich loot. It’s going to the fortress of the rival Maka raiders, to kill them all and annex their territory. “We’re finally going to annihilate the Makas and take their lands. No more of their pillaging and unpunished murders! Today marks the end of these criminals! This time, we’ve got the larger army… and if you’re tempted to spare them, think of our assassinated families and our pillaged homes! Remember them? Are we going to let these murderers see another day!? NO! It’s now or never! To the Maka fortress! Don’t take prisoners… I don’t want to see a single Maka alive! And we’ll take their lands!” (pages 5-6) As far as Atlas & Axis are concerned, one tribe of ruthless (and penniless) barbarian dog warriors is no better than the other.

The first 22 pages are Viking longboats landing and the siege of the Maka fortress. Attacks! Arrows! Sword killings! Beheadings! Boiling oil! Battering rams! (with live rams tied to them) Catapults! Battle axes! Atlas’ & Axis’ side kills deserters so the sneak away during the battle, killing anyone who comes after them.

They are successful, sort of, until they meet Vulk, the king of the Makas. (That’s him on the cover.) He’s not a dog; he’s a wolf. (You can’t tell the difference in Pau’s cartoony art style.) He sneaked out of the doomed fortress through a secret passage. He tells Atlas & Axis how he was a homeless wanderer who gradually collected dog robbers and built them into an unstoppable army with himself as their king. He was a bloody conqueror (I’m sorry I can’t include one panel in the review; you never saw such a berserk, blood-soaked – but cute – cartoon wolf warrior before), but he was fair to his own people (as long as they paid their taxes). Atlas & Axis leave Vulk to his destiny, and after several more adventures while getting further and further away, they are totally lost – but in sight of what is probably a clue to the magic bowl and lost dog-wolf mix lost tribe that is their original goal. A caption promises that tome 4 will be the climax and final volume of the series.

If you haven’t started La saga d’Atlas & Axis yet, get it from the beginning rather than jumping into the middle of the story. It’s a funny-animal fantasy, but it’s also good history in presenting how northern France came to be settled by the Vikings in the 9th & 10th centuries. The animalicity is mostly in the vocabulary; the dogs call their wives and girlfriends bitches and their children puppies. The peasantry is helpless prey animals like rabbits, goats, and sheep, and the dogs including Atlas & Axis casually oppress (eat) them. You won’t find anything like this in American cartoons.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon
• Buy on BD Gest

Over at Animation Scoop they have word about a new TV series adapted from Dreamworks Animation’s successful (some might say keester-saving) movie Home. “Developed by Ryan Crego (Sanjay and Craig, Shrek Forever After) and Thurop Van Orman (The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack), and executive produced by Ryan Crego, DreamWorks Animation’s Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh, an all-new Netflix Original Series, answers the question: What happens after a misfit alien conquers Earth, befriends an adventurous teen girl named Tip and together they save the day? Picking up where the hit 2015 animated film left off and building upon their enduring friendship, this animated buddy comedy follows fearless Tip and overenthusiastic alien Oh, as they navigate the combined human and alien culture they live in, finding adventure everywhere they go… The first season will be available exclusively to Netflix members in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the Nordics, Benelux, and France beginning July 29.” Heard it here did you.

image c. 2016 Dreamworks Animation