Furry News Network
Brooklyn Anthropomorphic Taxidermy class sold out
Author: Higgs Raccoon
A class on Anthropomorphic Taxidermy was held last Sunday in Brooklyn, New York, suggesting that the hobby is far from a historical pursuit.
Run by taxidermist and tattoo artist Susan Jeiven, the $ 45 class assumed no prior experience, and supplied each student with a deceased mouse obtained from a snake-feed store. The 15 places quickly sold out.
Find the full article here: flayrah
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Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Heidi the Opossum to predict Oscar winners
Author: Higgs Raccoon
Heidi the cross-eyed Virginia Opossum, resident of Leipzig Zoo in Germany, is to predict the winners of the upcoming 83rd Academy Awards.
After being found as an orphan, Heidi was raised in a North Carolina wildlife sanctuary, before being rehomed at Denmark’s Odense Zoo and, later, Leipzig Zoo. She became an international sensation last December, after photographs of her cock-eyed visage were published in the German newspaper Bild. The images went viral, and led to a hit song (“Opossum Heidi Schielt” or “Opossum Heidi Peers”), Heidi’s own Facebook account, and an upcoming line of plush toys.
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Find the full article here: flayrah
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Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Larry, new Chief Mouser of 10 Downing Street
Larry, a four-year-old tabby cat, become the newest Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office this Tuesday. His duty is to suppress the rats that have been sighted in Downing Street in recent weeks.
Previously, Larry lived as a stray and was recruited from Battersea Dogs and Cats’ home. Larry was recommended as the mouser as he showed “a high chase-drive and hunting instinct”. Although an official spokesman described him as ‘easygoing’, Larry proceeded to scratch reporters who tried to do a story on him.
The first Chief Mouser was Treasury Bill in 1924. The position has been held by a number of cats over the years, although the position has been vacant since Sybil left it in 2008.
Find the full article here: flayrah
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Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Furnal Equinox releases February 2011 newsletter
As the weather begins to warm up, Toronto-based furry convention Furnal Equinox has released its February 2011 newsletter, calling fans to preregister before February 28 and asking them to volunteer at the convention.
The convention has extended its room block and recently announced an expansion at its hotel.
Find the full article here: flayrah
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Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Bolivian lions rescued, sent to U.S. wildlife sanctuary
Author: ringtailedfox
Twenty-five lions have been rescued from circuses in Bolivia by animal rights activist group Animal Defenders International.
The thirteen males and twelve females were taken from what were called “deplorable conditions” after Bolivian lawmakers prohibited animals from being used in performances.
Television personality and former The Price is Right host Bob Barker helped finance a jetliner to fly the lions to Denver at a cost of US$ 200,000, in what was called “Operation Lion Ark”.
When rescued, most of the lions suffered from dehydration, as well as foot and eye infections.
Find the full article here: flayrah
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Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Ubuntu Furry Remix gets paint job, Bamboo support
Remember Ubuntu Furry Remix? There’s a new version out (10.04) with an art software focus.
The distribution ships with GIMP Paint Studio (package) – a set of brushes and presets intended to improve the free image editor’s usefulness for designers and artists. Support for the Wacom Bamboo and many other graphic tablets is included, as are five more furry wallpapers.
Ubuntu 10.04 is a long term release, with full support through 2013.
Find the full article here: flayrah
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Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits
If you have ever wanted to become a fursuiter, you may have thought about constructing your own fursuit. Not too long after really getting my paws wet in the fandom, I decided to research how to make a fursuit. I mean how hard can it be? Glue together bits of foam, cut out a body suit pattern from fur, and then take more fur and cut to fit the head. Then just add finishing details, right? WRONG.
After assisting a friend on his fursuit head construction, and going out and buying a sewing machine, some fur and foam and more hot glue sticks than I can count, I decided that I didn’t have the skills to pull this off by my self. I needed instruction. So I did my research and found “Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits”.
The spiral bound volume is an excellent guide. It gives several techniques for constructing a fursuit. It covers details such as head construction, making a “duct tape dummy” as well as many other useful tips to successfully make your first fursuit.
For me, however, I had the vision, but not the talent. So after all the failed tries, I turned to having a suit commissioned. I’ve been mostly happy with it over the years. There are a few minor details that I need to go back in and fix – my commission was done as a rush job.After all this, I can highly recommend this book. ”Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits” is an excellent guide for first timers, and even a good guide for those who have been constructing fursuits for a while but want to step up their game.
Note: At this time, Critter Costuming is considered “Out of Print”. Amazon has a few left in stock. Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits is the first book of its kind. This ground-breaking book has over 200 pages of detailed directions, hints, and tips for designing, constructing, and performing animal characters. Hundreds of detailed photos and illustrations support the well-researched material. Includes resource listings, glossary, bibliography, and more! From novice costumers to experienced professionals, this book offers new ways of thinking and descriptions of building methods to help inspire your next costuming project. Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Movie News: Red Riding Hood opens March 11
It looks as if wolves, or more to the point, werewolves, are making a comeback. We told you about the new Teen Wolf series coming out. Now you can also look forward to Red Riding Hood.
You might ask, why does this qualify as something of interest to Furries? There are a growing number of Furries who belong to subgroups known as Weres, Lycans and Therians. These Furries have an intense interest in “werewolves” or other were-animals, and shape shifting. Since these movies and tv shows delve into characters that are “Weres”, that qualifies them as of interest and news worthy.
Synopsis:
In “Red Riding Hood,” Amanda Seyfried plays Valerie, a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Max Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village.
For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon’s arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them.
Cast- Amanda Seyfried as Valerie
- Virginia Madsen as Suzette
- Billy Burke as Cesaire
- Julie Christie as Grandmother
- Gary Oldman as Father Solomon
- Michael Shanks as Adrien Lazar
- Quentin Bates as Henri Lazar
- Christine Willes as Madame Lazar
- Shiloh Fernandez as Peter
- Max Irons as Henry
- Michael Hogan as The Reeve
- Lukas Haas as Father August
Shorty Awards Finalists Announced
Among all of the people nominated, the fandom’s own Kyell Gold has been named a finalist in the Author category going up against such names as J. K. Rowling.
Author Finalists:
- Dewa Klasik Alexander @KamarSolusi
- Shawn S. @TreatWomenRight
- John Green @realjohngreen
- Sergio E. Avilés @seraviles
- J K Rowling @jk_rowling
- Kyell Gold @KyellGold
You can see the entire list of nominees here: The Shorty Awards
Get Shareaholic Link to this post!CBS Films new take on Beauty & The Beast: Beastly
As a Furry, I know hundreds, if not thousands of Furs who love the character of the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Likewise, there are a large number of Furs that love the character of Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast. I was excited to see what the new take on the story would be.
Beastly tells the story of Kyle Kingson, rich, handsome and arrogant, with an ugly streak who gets transformed when he ditches a girl at his school. The story is based on Alex Flinn‘s 2007 novel of the same name.
The producers made a huge departure from the book by changing the look of Kyle’s character. Instead of going for a furry look as described in the book, they went with more of a goth look with facial tattoos and heavy piercings.
Though it is disappointing that the producers chose a different direction for the look of the main character, at least from the trailer, the film still looks interesting and watchable. Beastly opens March 4th, 2011.
Here are further details on the film, including details on the makeup effects:
Pettyfer’s appearance in the film mostly features him wearing heavy makeup and prosthetics. The prosthetics differ from what is described in the book. Having no fur or fangs, Pettyfer was pleased with the revision:
I was very happy to know I wasn’t going to be furry. Question is, were you happy I wasn’t furry? Well, I think the audience will be happy. This beast make-up is phenomenal. You’re talking to someone who is a fanatic about it [prosthetics and movie make-up] and I’ve never seen anything that looks remotely similar to this.
The makeup was composed of 67 pieces. There were 7 pieces on his head, as well as 60 tattoos and individual scars applied following application of full-body makeup. The facial prosthetics and tattoos took almost three hours to apply, and to put on the full body makeup took the artists 6 hours to finish. Pettyfer commented on his ‘transformation’:
It really affected me because as soon as I shaved my head it kind of put me in this weird place, the same place [Kyle is in after his transformation] which really helped me with the role a lot. But at the same time, it kind of is a challenge because you are fighting personally with your own problems off set, but then onset you have a great resource to go to.
Tony Gardner and Alterian, Inc. were responsible for the design and creation of the prosthetics and tattoos. Jamie Kelman handled Pettyfer’s makeup application from day to day. Hudgens described the beast’s look as “crazy” and that it moved her in “a really weird and peculiar way.” Several days before the announced production date, several members of the cast were photographed while headed to a wardrobe studio for fittings. The costumes and the wardrobes used in the film were designed by Suttirat Anne Larlarb.
Cast:- Vanessa Hudgens as Lindy Taylor, the main female character of the story. Hudgens remarked that she fell for this project from the moment she read Barnz’s screenplay. Hudgens’ involvement was first heard in early April. Hudgens sported a ‘messy’ hair look in the early scenes of the film. She reveals, “On the first day of shooting, I would not stop fidgeting with my hair. I was trying to make it look messier and messier and messier and messier!”
- Alex Pettyfer as Kyle Kingson/Adrian, the handsome man with an ugly streak who gets transformed when he ditches a girl at his school. The producers released a statement that they were seeking a teen actor in the vein of Robert Pattinson for the role of Kyle. Pettyfer was cast in late April 2009. Pettyfer had gained 12-15 pounds of muscle for the role and had to shave his head.
- Mary-Kate Olsen as Kendra Hilferty, the eccentric girl behind Kyle’s transformation. Olsen was cast in early June, 12 days prior to filming.
- Neil Patrick Harris as Will Fratalli, Kyle’s blind tutor Harris says “I’m the tutor that’s hired to teach him things, and I’m blind. Therefore, I can’t see his deformities.”
- Lisa Gay Hamilton as Zola, the Kingson’s maid
- Peter Krause as Rob Kingson, Kyle’s father
- Dakota Johnson as Sloan Albert
- Erik Knudsen as Trey Madison
- Roc LaFortune as Lindy’s father
- David Francis as Dr. Davis
- Gio Perez as Victor
- Official website
- Beastly at Allmovie
- Beastly at Box Office Mojo
- Beastly at the Internet Movie Database
- Beastly at Metacritic
- Beastly at Rotten Tomatoes
See larger image Beastly (Hardcover) By (author) Alex Flinn
List Price: $16.99 USD New From: $9.79 In Stock Used from: $9.75 In Stock Release date October 2, 2007.
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MTV Filming parts of new Teen Wolf series in Atlanta
There was a casting call put out for extras in the Atlanta area for MTV’s new series, Teen Wolf, loosely based on the 1985 movie of the same name which stared Michael J. Fox.
The production company has rented a warehouse in East Atlanta to use as it’s sound stage. Some location filming is being done at the old Open Campus school on North Druid Hills Road between Decatur and Atlanta.
The recent casting call for extras is for students and lacrosse players.
Details on the new series:Young men who spontaneously transform into wolves are hot right now, especially in the age of “Twilight.” Now, MTV is getting into the shape-shifting business with a modern spin on the cult-classic ’80s hit “Teen Wolf.”
The series is said to be a departure from the film — a campy comedy that starred Michael J. Fox — and is described in a press release as a “sexy thriller set against the drama of high school life with a forbidden, romantic love story at its core.”
The series centers on Scott McCall as the quintessential outsider, struggling to be recognized in a way that takes him out of high school anonymity. One night, his best friend, Stiles, convinces him to go into the woods to join a police search for a dead body. Scott ends up being attacked by a creature in the darkness, narrowly surviving with a vicious bite in his side. When he wakes up the next morning, he is greeted with strange surprises and a life that will never be the same.
“We are always up for creative challenges at MTV,” said Liz Gateley, MTV senior vice president of series development. “We loved the conceit of the original film and knew the title had a great hook. The creative challenge was to take that title and reinvent it as a horror series for the MTV audience. It combines romance and high school to make ‘Teen Wolf’ the perfect thriller for MTV.”
“Teen Wolf” stars Tyler Posey (“Maid in Manhattan,” “Brothers and Sisters”) as the newly bitten werewolf; Dylan O’Brien is Stiles; Crystal Reed is the mysterious new girl in town, Allison; and Tyler Hoechlin (“Road to Perdition,” “7th Heaven”) is the older and possibly dangerous werewolf, Derek Hale.
“Teen Wolf” is slated to begin production this summer for 12 one-hour episodes.
For those interested in being an extra, you can follow the casting calls on Facebook here: Teen Wolf Extras Casting Department
You can find the blog here: TW Extras Blog
Get Shareaholic Link to this post!SportyPup in Surgery
At 1:00pm Eastern Standard Time, Feb 15, 2011, SportyPup was in surgery.
Right now, we do not know his condition. As soon as we hear anything, we’ll let everyone know.
There has been a ton of support for him in this time of need. At this point, I know he can use your thoughts and prayers.
From his FA Journal:
Feb 14, 2011I’m sorry, but I have to keep this kinda short. It has not been a good day. In fact, it has not been for a couple days now. I’ve been feeling worse and worse lately, so I decided to go ahead and head to NC where my doctor is earlier today, just in case. Turns out that was a good idea. It’s back to the ICU with me. Wish me luck everyone. I’ll do my best to give you all a update as soon as I can.
Thank you all for being there for me. *hugs you all tightly*
Hey everyone this is sinabu
I just talked with sporty and he is going into surgery shortly! His condition started to worsen so they are taking him in for surgery now. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. He may be idle a bit on his fa page as he recovers but I will try to keep everyone updated as I hear more.
New Tweet from Sinubu (@SinabuKaru) just as we went live: @SinabuKaru: Sporty is out of surgery now!! He is awake but still very groggy! Thank you for everyone’s thoughts!
You can read more of Sporty’s story here: Furry Needs Our Help For Donations for Heart Surgery
And here: Update on SportyPup’s Condition
As always, you can donate to help offset his medical bills at the PayPal link below. Every dollar counts.
Our best wishes to you Sporty! Get well soon!
Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Final Farewell to Concession
02/15/2011
By: Akira Kestrel
There are things in life that bring us joy in many forms. Simple things like ice cream, warm summer days, or even holding hands with someone you hold close. So many things in this world that bring a smile to our faces and make us feel good inside… and then there’s Concession.
What started as a project in college for a graphic design class, has grown into full scale web comic. Concession has evolved over time from a simple project into something that everyone in it’s wide fan base can relate too.
First launched July 7th 2006, Concession has delighted us for close to 4 and a half years with it’s constant twists and witty humor. In 2009, the creator of Concession, Immelmann, was awarded the Ursa Major Award for Best Anthromorphic Graphic Story, and it’s not hard to see why.
Concession has a very colorful cast that come from all walks of life. Joel Calley, Matthew Gein, Artemis ‘Artie’ Crowley, Aaron ‘Nicole’ O’Connor, and Roland le Fey to name a few. All of which have played a very pivotal role in the stories plot. All the way from Arties cancer, to Rick becoming a plus sized model, to Matt accepting himself for who he is. The story has kept us tagging along on it’s heals waiting for the next installment like children waiting for the candy store to open.
Members of the fandom have even said that Concession has helped them in certain aspects of their lives. As a loyal fan I can say it has helped me in many ways as well. Whether it be spirituality, sexuality, or just everyday life, fans have found consolation, comfort, acceptance, and in some cases, the strength to be who they truly are. I can honestly say that Concession has made it’s way deep into our hearts, and it doesn’t plan on leaving.
However, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Immelmann has ended the comic as of February 15 2011. To some fans, the initial news that Concession was coming to a close weighed heavy on them. As time progressed and the end grew closer, a new form of acceptance and understanding arose to help send Concession off the way it deserved to be in my opinion… as the best web comic ever written.
Fret not though, for this is not the end. Immelmann has announced a NEW web comic, to be unveiled sometime this year. Details are scarce but the excitement is vast and continues to grow. Not too mention another comic of Immy’s, Ballerina Mafia, which updates roughly every 3 to 4 days. As far as our beloved cast, it is said that they will be making the occasional appearance in Ballerina Mafia, so all is not lost. Immelmann has also announced that Concession Collectors Addition will be released to the public later this year with some new slides, some of the older ones redrawn, strip-by-strip commentary, and more.
Concession Chronicles has been revived as well. A blog-format continuation of the series where the cast writes about certain instances in their lives or just random facts that went unnoticed during Concessions life time.
Concession is truly an amazing accomplishment and I feel right in saying that it has done a lot for the fandom. I would like to take this time to say thank you to Immelmann, for taking us on this incredible journey, and to wish him luck in the future. Keep up the great work.
A list of Immelmann’s works…
Concession – http://concessioncomic.com/index.php
Ballerina Mafia – http://ballerinamafia.net/index.php?pid=20110214
Concession Chronicles – http://chronicles.concessioncomic.com/?p=80
Immelmann.net – http://immelmann.net/index.html
Get Shareaholic Link to this post!How to Eat Fried Furries
I wasn’t sure what the intentions were when I read the title of the book. It kind of stunned me. I then pulled the book up on the web to get a look at the cover. Another stunner. The author, Nicole Cushing, put pen to paper and wrote a short book about raising furries as a food source.
Doing some research, I’ve found both positive and negative reviews on the book, as well as a few WTF reviews. There is very little I can find within the Furry community about this book, or even if many are aware of it, outside of a short post on Furtopia about it, the thread started by the author herself.
For the time being, I’ve added it to my queue at Amazon and will be ordering in the next 2 weeks. I’ll reserve final judgement till after I read it.
In the mean time, you can take a look at some of the reviews found at Amazon (below) and you can take a look at her blog – http://nicolecushing.wordpress.com/. She was apparently running a contest to see if she can clear Amazon’s inventory of books. Apparently no one bothered.
As always, your feedback is welcomed.
Update: 2-15-2011
This just in from Nicole Cushing’s Web Site. There were winners, and the Bionic Cow Pope spoke and sent a personalized greeting to 2 of her followers.
Furries--you know, people in animal costumes. You may love them. You may hate them. But chances are, you have not considered eating them...until now! Not since the early days of Monty Python has dark satire so subversive reared its ugly head! From the Hellmouth of the Heartland, Nicole Cushing brings you How To Eat Fried Furries--your guide on how to raise furries as livestock and cook `em up tender and tasty. The cast of characters is as motley and grotesque as one would imagine given such a premise. There's the misshapen, proto-furry cast of the '70s action-adventure show, Ferret Force Five. Extraterrestrial Squirrels. The Amish and the even more despicable Pseudo-Amish. Whether an avid Bizarro fan or a newcomer to this wave of weird fiction, you're bound to be satisfied once you take a bite out of How To Eat Fried Furries. Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Upcoming furry comics for April 2011 (Previews only)
Quite a lot of material this month in addition to the usual; in particular, two impressive hardbacks from Fantagraphics and a new volume of Dungeon from NBM. Also the zombie glut is worse than ever, and an unusual number of manga series come to an end. Most were short-lived compared to Sgt. Frog’s 21 volumes, but Hikaru no Go (non-anthro) ends at 23.
Find the full article here: flayrah
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Get Shareaholic Link to this post!OC Register interviews student fursuit builder
Author: GreenReaper
High school artist and fursuit builder Ludicrousy is featured in an interview with the Orange County Register, in which she describes her move to Orange County High School of the Arts, and the discovery of her passion for costuming:
… as I started to explore my art work, I said ‘You know, I can do a lot more here than just be someone who goes to college.’ [...] I felt like I found what I’m supposed to do with my life.
Watch: Ludicrousy’s red wolf character Kawl entertains students and supports the LGBT Make It Better Project.
Find the full article here: flayrah
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Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Counterfeit Lugaru has been removed from the App Store
Noted on the Wolfire.com Blog -
By Jeffrey Rosen, Wolfire.com on February 10th, 2011
After selling for over a week and reaching #60 on the Mac games chart, the counterfeit Lugaru is no longer on the Mac App Store.
We’re not sure who took it down, or what will happen to the customers who were tricked into buying the fake copy, or the money they paid for it. We still haven’t heard anything from Apple.
We don’t think that the customers should be punished for buying the fake version — they probably just assumed that all the games in the App Store are legitimate. We would have assumed the same thing until last week! If you accidentally purchased the fake Lugaru, you can forward your receipt to [email protected] and we will give you an authentic version of Lugaru HD, as well as a bonus Steam key for your trouble.
Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Movie Preview: Hop (2011)
Hop is an upcoming live-action & computer-animated feature film from Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment and will be released in theaters on April 1, 2011 across the United States and in the United Kingdom. It will be directed by “Alvin and the Chipmunks” director Tim Hill, and stars Hugh Laurie, James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco, Chelsea Handler, Elizabeth Perkins, with David Hasselhoff as Himself and Russell Brand as Easter Bunny.
PlotThe movie tells of E.B. (Russell Brand), the teenage son of the Easter Bunny who, on the eve of taking over the family business, leaves home for Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming a drummer, and is hit by Fred O’Hare (James Marsden) an out of work slacker who was driving home. Feigning injury, E.B. manipulates Fred to take him in as he recovers. As Fred struggles with the world’s worst house guest, both will learn what it takes to finally grow up, as Fred is pressed to partner with E.B. to save Easter.
Cast- Hugh Laurie as Joel O’Hare, Fred’s father
- James Marsden as Fred O’Hare
- Kaley Cuoco as Samantha O’Hare, Fred’s sister.
- Elizabeth Perkins as Lily Bunny, Fred’s female counterpart.
- Chelsea Handler as Mrs. Beck
- David Hasselhoff as Himself
- Russell Brand as Easter Bunny/E.B.
- Andrew W.K. as Craig Bunny, Fred’s male counterpart.
- Official website
- Hop at the Internet Movie Database
- Hop at Allmovie
- Hop at Rotten Tomatoes
- Hop at Box Office Mojo
Video: ‘Cat Shit One: Episode 1?
The first episode of anime series Cat Shit One is available for free this week. [tip: fritzfox]
Note: This animation includes scenes of graphic violence, as well as cute fluffy rabbits.
Find the full article here: flayrah
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Get Shareaholic Link to this post!Early atrocity tourism website Portal of Evil closes
Portal of Evil (PoE) closed down last week after over a decade of “atrocity tourism”.
The site – founded in late 1999 by Cleveland, Ohio-based duo K. Thor Jensen and Chet Faliszek – was a directory of “weird, unusual and evil” websites, each discussed and mocked in turn by PoE forum members. Numerous furry sites were featured, including the website of 2 the Ranting Gryphon (who devoted a rant to PoE), Cub Central, and webcomics such as Sabrina Online.
Find the full article here: flayrah
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