Dogpatch Press

Congratulations to Made Fur You (@MadeFurYou) on their record breaking auction! Make your own dreams real with us @TheDealersDen!https://t.co/sKup8KvMEG pic.twitter.com/eGjCMzCdwn

— The Dealers Den (@TheDealersDen) January 30, 2018

Some highest fursuit auction records: 

• $8,025 for Lavender Corgi by AlbinoTopaz, sold on Furbuy with 73 bids on 10/11/14.
• $11,575 for Sniper Angeldragon by PhoenixWolf, sold on Furbuy with 187 bids on 2/14/15.
• $13,500 for commission slot by Made Fur You, sold on The Dealer’s Den with 82 bids on 1/29/18.

Those are public auctions, but I also confirmed a private $17,500 commission and a $25,000 one that would involve special electronics. Other prices for personal builds and commissions may not be known. The Dealer’s Den told me:

With 82 total bids, the $13,500.00 Made Fur You auction that ended yesterday is our new record winner, beating out our previous record of $10,100.00 on a Mishka Silver Fox fursuit auction by Howl Yeah with 37 bids back on 9/08/16.

If anyone was curious as to what the suit will be. This is the character I am looking to get done. I was debating between this one and my bunny; but there are some other makers I would prefer to have my bunny done by, so Sage is the choice. pic.twitter.com/fzy1kzto55

— Desafinado (@DezziFae) January 30, 2018

To the winner of the Made Fur You commission, Dezzifae, I asked:

• Were you surprised at how the bidding went? Can you talk about why it rose so high – are you just that big a fan of the maker, or did you win the lottery?
• Can you talk about your plans for the commission?  How about fursuiting in general – do you have other suits, and what will you do with this one?
• What have you heard from others about this? Got any hate mail?
• What do you think about high priced suits?  Do you think this is a top record?  As far as I know, it is for auctions.
• Did you have any chat with MFY about it yet, and what are they saying? How about with The Dealer’s Den?
• Do you think this has any implications for fandom in general – like if people spend more on custom creations, do you think fursuiting and furries will get more appreciation for being creative and supportive? And how about people lacking the money to spend… is it good or bad for them?

Dezzifae answers:

DezziFae

Honestly, I wasn’t too surprised that the auction got so high. MFY is easily one of, if not the most popular makers out there. I don’t honestly know why the auction got so high. I had a lot of people telling me I was bidding against trolls, etc; and that could have been it. I will give the other bidders the benefit of doubt though and say they were probably just as big of fans of MFY as I am.

As for why I went so high, I make a good living; and I do tend to spend and donate more than my fair share in the fandom. This isn’t my first suit, nor is it the first suit I’ve paid much over what a maker would generally ask for a suit.

My plans for the commission will be me getting a new character done, one I actually bought as an adopt after the auction had already started. Other than that, just taking the suit to cons, and getting involved in whatever shenanigans play out there along with suiting around downtown Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip.

I have 2 other suits, both by Mischief Makers. 1 is my main fursona, a fox named Dezzi, and the other is a premade coyote they were raffling off at Itty Bitty Fur Con named Lancelot, which I generally just use for partialling or loaning out to friends at cons.

I have heard a wide spectrum from friends and people I haven’t even heard of before. Most of it is positive. I can put the responses into 3 main categories. The first being people happy that the suit got so high, and they seem very happy for me and the maker. The second being people responding to negative responses with messages and tweets like “Ignore the haters.” And the third, which I will go into the most depth on, are the angry people.

Let me just start by saying this. I have not, nor will I ever be responsible for increasing the price of fursuits over this auction. It is the most ludicrous statement I have ever read, and I have gotten it a lot. No one needs to worry about the price of suits from MFY going up from my auction alone. Hardly anyone has the kind of cash to drop on a suit, and MFY knows that. I will also say this. The people making threats to me, I’m not scared of you, nor will I ever be. The hate has actually gone way farther than it should have for it just being the first 24 hours and for being something so trivial as just me buying a suit, and some of it has already crossed over into illegal activity; and I cant say anything more than that. And to those people that will take it that far, you are the biggest cowards I have seen in my life. You don’t scare me, and you wont stop me from doing the things in this fandom that I love. Your hate has not scared me off, nor has it hurt my love for this fandom in the slightest. Bad people are out there. I’m well aware of this fact. I wish it would not affect the fandom, but such is the way of things. The overwhelming number of positive and loving people in this fandom greatly outweighs any of the hate; and I think the bad people know that, which is why they act like they do.

That is all the more in depth on that I will go, but I think some people are WAY overreacting. I’m just a rich man that bought a suit. I like supporting my fandom and the people that make it happen, and MFY is definitely one of the people that make this fandom how great it is, which is why I am happy to make such a large purchase from them.

As for high priced suits. If you have the money and you’re willing to drop it on a suit, go for it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I love suiting, and I will continue to suit and buy new suits as time goes on. Nothing will stop me from that. This isn’t the first high priced suit I have bought; and honestly, having a high priced suit doesn’t make me better than anyone else. I still make friends and hang out with said friends like any other person in this fandom.

I honestly have no idea if this is the record for an auction. I know for fact it’s not the record for most expensive suit; but as far as I can tell the 11,575 auction was the most expensive I have seen. Someone did tell me there was one that sold for 15k, but they couldn’t provide me any proof; so as far as I know, this is the most expensive fursuit ever sold in an auction.

Of course I have chatted with MFY already. I sent in the design and got my invoice for the purchase. They seem very happy that it went so high; but other than that, not much chatter with them. Nothing from Dealer’s Den, but I didn’t expect to hear from them.

I think the only implication this has for the fandom is that it is growing, and that’s good. I haven’t been in the fandom for long. Maybe 5 years or so, and I didn’t go to my first con until MFF 2016; but I have seen it grow massively in that small time, and I think it’s a very good thing for everyone. More people means more cons and events, in more locations, which means more accessibility to those outside bigger furry towns like LA, Phoenix, Chicago, etc.

For the people without money for an expensive suit, I think this is also a good thing. More growth means more fursuit makers, and the ones just starting out won’t charge massive prices. I’m trying to say that people have no need to worry about furry getting too expensive. More people just means more creators. It’s a free market. If there is demand for cheap art and cheap fursuits, new makers and artists will fill those slots.

Overall I don’t see this auction being a bad thing for the fandom in the slightest; and despite the massive uproar I’ve seen against it, the people sharing love and support will always outnumber those. The fandom is changing, I will say that, but it’s changing for the better, and people need to realize that. Anything else you want to know, do not hesitate to ask. Always happy to chat with people in the fandom and partake in their work.

– DezziFae

Thanks to Dezzifae for the chat, and enjoy the suit.

The Dealer’s Den sent even more comments:

The Fandom as a whole is growing and becoming more popular, more mainstream, year after year – and with all of the adorable fuzzies running rampant through the streets, it’s easy to see why! Fursuits are becoming more fashionable as our creators rise in number and in talent. As the skill level and work required rises, so should the compensation. Should they all be priced this high? Of course not. If they did, we wouldn’t have the amazing fursuiting community that we do. But for an artist in extraordinarily high demand, we don’t see this as unreasonable.

Fursuit makers and artists make up the heart of this fandom. Without them, our characters and creations would only exist in our own imaginations, and we are glad that a few of them are starting to get paid what they deserve. Running a business is very hard and it takes a lot of work with many years of dedication, sweat, and tears. We are lucky to have an abundance of very talented artists in this fandom. We have been spoiled, we think, with some of the low, low prices we’ve been charged in the past due to the tough competition between all of these artists we have to choose from. Months and months of work go into each custom fursuit creation. Hours upon hours of labor get put into each piece of artwork. When art from your favorite artists just pops up in your inbox every day, it’s easy to forget the amount of work that went into each submission.

A lot of the artists and creators of the fandom do this full-time and still struggle to get instant noodles on the table. We are attempting to change that by offering a place for buyers and sellers to connect more easily, allowing for a more robust marketplace that supports our artists and creators more, while also giving our consumers a wonderful platform for comparing pricing and art styles. We are very happy to see that we are breaking into new ground for creators. As the profit potential of these business types increase, you will find more and more artists drawn to the community and we believe that this will actually bring prices down in the long-term. More options means less people commissioning the same individual at an inflated rate, less time waiting for your custom fursuit to be completed, or even to get on the queue, which translates into a healthier marketplace with stable and fair pricing for everyone.

The Dealers Den – Fandom Stores & Auctions
http://www.TheDealersDen.com

Serious thought on fandom money:
Guys. Fursuit makers aren’t like pfitzer or GE or APPLE or something. Where do you think they’re gonna spend that money? Think they’re giving it to shareholders or Focus on the Family?

That money goes to bills and likely back into the fandom.

— PepperCoyote (@peppercoyote) January 30, 2018

Just so you know MFY isnt like a huge business. I work from inside my studio home in the woods. I do 90% of the work. I get additional help from friends on occasion. Everything I make gets turned around to improve MFY and a comfortable life for me to do so. Im grateful pic.twitter.com/BcKEZmMyma

— Syber Cup (@SyberWuff) January 30, 2018

Everyone is bent out of shape over a $13,000 fur suit.

Here is a $13,000 phono cartridge

It was made by an 80 year old Japanese man who has known only this work his entire life.

Its body was hand carved from a piece of jade. The coils wound by hand using watch making tools. pic.twitter.com/dt2vJPxGrT

— House of Squeak (@Lionel_Toy) January 31, 2018

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

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

Dogworld: Operation Stray Cat, by John Woods. Illustrated by Miro Dimitrov.
Los Angeles, CA, Out of the Woods Publishing, July 2015, trade paperback, $10.99 (358 pages).

This is a military novel with dog and cat soldiers, or Canoids and Feloids, emphasizing the species’ senses:

“Enemy detection in the field was the job of big-nosed bloodhounds, stubby-legged Basset Hounds in a pinch, or even those spastic little beagles the suits in the Capitol somehow deemed fit for military service. Sure, there were better scent hounds in the ranks, and if he really needed one, he’d get one, but what he was looking for in this cornfield even a flat-nosed pug with a head cold should be able to sniff out,” (p. 3)

The setting is a planet with two suns and three moons, where civilization is represented by the Canoids and Feloids. The enormous homids are dumb beasts, only good for their dung for fertilizer.

That’s assuming the Feloids can be considered civilized. Lieutenant Colonel Angus Rex, a Canoid commander (Rottweiler), doubts it.

“As far as the colonel and most of his people were concerned, cats, as Feloids were more commonly called, had no place in modern society. The self-serving and savage Feloids seemed only to exist to foul the land his people toiled to cultivate, more importantly, to civilize. Destiny favored the technologically and intellectually advanced dogs. Everyone knew that. Everyone but the yellow-eyed devil cats themselves and the remnants of their army now gathered somewhere out there beyond the corn.” (p. 4)

The war has been going on for ten years.

“The colonel lowered his binoculars and looked back at his army. A thousand pairs of eyes looked to him and awaited his order to begin the final push of the decade-long fight the country’s newspapers were starting to call The Great Cat War. The Rottie huffed at this exaggeration and wondered if future historians would indeed label a ten-year mission of unapologetic, organized slaughter an actual war when every major battle fought was a near-total rout. Some would argue putting fifty-caliber canon [sic.] fire against simple bow and arrow could not possibly be considered an actual war, but the motive-spinning nose-breathers in charge deemed it a war, so the colonel long ago reasoned what he was doing was just. Besides, he rationalized, his duty was not to argue the political, philosophical, or even moral aspects of the mission; but to simply follow orders and get the job done. And, like most of his people, he was obedient; he would do whatever was necessary to complete the objective.” (pgs. 5-6)

The protagonist of Dogworld is “Corporal Cooper Bigby, a likeable young beagle-sheltie mix” (p. 9). He is in awe of the final battlefield. “Bigby imagined the grand concrete and steel memorial certain to be built, probably exactly where he now stood.” (p. 10)

If Bigby had been a wolf, he would be an omega. As a puppy, when he and his friends played Cats & Dogs, “he always ended up being picked to play one of the Feloids, never a triumphant Canoid. […] Having only been assigned to his first combat unit just days earlier, Bigby had never experienced battle, never fired a single shot in anger, and figured he likely never would. He had qualified at the range, but just barely. The army required proficient marksmanship of all its soldiers, and he had made the cut by the narrowest of margins, but with his small frame and short arms, it was difficult to steady an assault rifle obviously designed for a much larger Canoid.” (pgs. 11-12)

Bigby spent the war “as radio operator for the Supply company to which he had been attached following Basic Training.” (p. 13) But although the war is officially over, lines of communication on the enemy side were lost at the end. Bigby’s company is assigned to go with the Canoid troops sent into the vast, inhospitable desert of the Western Territory, the last area of the fighting, to contact the last Felinoid soldiers and convince them the war is over. “He [Bigby] and his new squad now had the opportunity to venture out and explore a faraway land where no one really knew what might unfold. Maybe he would even get a chance to encounter an actual Feloid, something he had yet to do in his young life.” (p. 21)

Bigby is second in command to Staff Sergeant Rufus Rocko (bulldog) in squad Bravo One Zero Charlie. Other members of his squad are Private Ronin Axis (Doberman Pinscher), PFC Archie Duke (Great Dane), Specialist Jedidiah McCoy (bloodhound; scout), and Specialist Sam King (German Shepherd; armored truck driver); with Simon, their official Felodian translator.

“The team – or pack as they were called in the army – continued listening to Rocko, and, just as Bigby had thought, the packs were tasked with the military’s effort to inform, register, and prepare for transport any surviving Feloids still unaware of the war’s end. After ten years of lopsided Canoid victories, no one expected much, if any, resistance.” (p. 26)

Bigby begins Operation Stray Cat imagining “himself as a daring explorer about to embark on a grand adventure”. Sgt. Rocko is aware that his troops are all losers in some respect – McCoy is a top sniffer, but with thick-lens eyeglasses who could not see much beyond his own snout; and Bigby is a hopeless idealist who has never experienced battle – and Simon, the Felinoid, loathes them all and can’t be trusted.

Their assignment is to enter and explore a deep “hidden valley” that “headquarters had simply designated WT-V437-02.” It takes them over an hour to maneuver the ten-ton armored truck precariously along a narrow ledge to the valley floor. Once there, they are on their own. “Because the valley was located so deep within the high canyon walls, Rocko knew before the pack descended into it that communications with the outside world would likely be difficult, if not impossible.” (p. 50)

What happens in the valley is the rest of the novel.

Dogworld (cover by Yevgen Kaminskyy) is an unusual blend of animal anthropomorphization and reality. The cats, dogs, and homids are their real sizes:

“Bigby watched the cat effortlessly hold the [cigarette] smoke in his lungs, fascinated that the fearless creature actually seemed to be considering further antagonizing the dog easily three times his size.” (p. 36)

Their life spans are also realistic. The ten years of the war is almost a lifetime for most of the dogs, and is more than a lifetime for the short-lived Great Dane. The result is a bizarre military melodrama that is certainly more than a standard war story with funny-animal soldiers.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon

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

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

Housepets! Let Instincts Do Their Thing (Book 8), by Rick Griffin
Seattle, WA, CreateSpace, November 2017, trade paperback $13.95 (52 pages).

Ta-Dah! Here is the latest annual collection of the Housepets! online comic strip by Rick Griffin. Housepets! has appeared each Monday-Wednesday-Friday since June 2, 2008. It has won the Ursa Major Award for the Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip for every year since! – for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and now 2016.

Book 8 contains the strips from June 8, 2015 to June 3, 2016; story arcs #91, “The Plot Against Spot”, to #100, “The 4 Animals You Meet In Heaven”, plus the one-off gag strips between these.

Housepets! presents the adventures of the dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, and other pets of Babylon Gardens, a typical residential suburban neighborhood – in an alternate universe. The animals are larger than in our universe (but not human-sized), can talk, are usually bipedal, and address their human owners as “Mom” and “Dad”. Their status is somewhere between pets and children. Points established over the years are that humans can bequeath their belongings to their pets, who do not need a human guardian; human storekeepers are not allowed to sell catnip to cats; human police forces have an auxiliary of Police Dogs who are not all police dogs; the pets comment sardonically on how they can go naked in public but their human “parents” can’t; and – lots of other stuff.

But in Book 8, the housepets’ adventures often take them outside their suburban locale. Story arc #92, “All’s Fair, part 2”, is set in the huge back yard of the Milton ferrets’ estate, which Keene Milton has turned into a big amusement park and “Annual Foodapalooza Jamboree!”; maybe in Babylon Gardens but hardly part of a typical neighborhood scene. Arcs #93 to #95, “Housepets 5000 BC, parts 1-3”, introduce the large jackal Satau of the Merimde, Dragon’s second avatar, who gets sent from Ancient Egypt into the future and is drawn to Tarot the Pekinese dog, the demigod Dragon’s current (150th) avatar. Their attempt to send Satau home lands all of them (Satau and the dogs Peanut and Tarot, and the cats Grape, Maxwell, and Sabrina) in 5000 BC, the Neolithic Era, long before the building of the Pyramids and the Sphinx (to Max’s disappointment). There are rival kingdoms of the dogs and cats, and Grape is kidnapped by Ptah, the chief-king of the cats, to be his queen. (That’s Ptah and Satau arm-wrestling on the cover, with Grape and Peanut in the background.) #98, “Flip That Den!”, is in the forest outside Babylon Gardens, and #100, “The 4 Animals You Meet”, takes place in Heaven. Or a dream. Or somewhere.

A major event that takes place through the first half of the book is Bailey’s pregnancy, and King’s learning that he will become a father, from its beginning (“I just learned today … Bailey is pregnant.” “Oh? Who’s the father?”) to the fourteen-strip Arc #96, “Special Delivery!”, where Bailey gives birth to three puppies.

Book 8 is really for those who are familiar with the online strip. It begins with one of the “Spot (Superdog)” arcs, which are practically incomprehensible except to regular readers, and is followed by “All’s Fair, part 2” – part 1 was in Book 7. Many of the familiar characters are here, both the housepets and the forest wildlife: Peanut, Grape, Tiger (dog), King and Bailey (dogs), Duchess and Bino (dogs), Zach (rabbit), Spoo (mouse), ferrets (Keene, Pit, and Lana), Karishad (fox), Jessica (opossum), raccoons (Falstaff and Truck), the wolf family, and more; although some appear only in a single strip. Two new characters are the partners Cory (skunk) and Trinket (bird). And Housepets! fans will not want miss the appearance of Mr. Milton in Heaven (or Keene’s dream) as a ferret. (“Why are you a ferret?” “The real question is, why wouldn’t I be a ferret?”)

Book 8 presents four rows of full strips to a page in full color, as usual, with some brand-new illustrations to make story sequences come out evenly. (One of the best illustrations in the book is the fill-in picture on page 13 of Karishad painting Egyptian symbols over Satau’s eye in gold paint.) I have said before that those who are not familiar with Housepets! should start at the beginning to get familiar with the cast, but that really true with this volume. The series is: Book 1, Housepets! Are Naked All The Time; Book 2, Housepets! Hope They Don’t Get Eaten; Book 3, Housepets! Can Be Real Ladykillers; Book 4, Housepets! Are Gonna Sniff Everybody; Book 5, Housepets! Don’t Criticize Your Lovelife; Book 6, Housepets! Will Do It For Free, and Book 7, Housepets! Don’t Ask Questions. They’re all great, and they’re all still available on Amazon.com.

– Fred Patten 

• Buy on Amazon

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

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

Jackal, by Joel Gallay
San Jose, CA, Gallanic Media, November 2017, trade paperback $12.00 (321 pages), Kindle $4.99.

Don’t be misled by the title. That is not a jackal on the cover but the narrator, Jobe Pungushe (pungushe is “dog” in Zulu), a battle-scarred dog-human hybrid soldier in late 21st-early 22nd-century warfare in southern Africa:

“‘And in local news,’ a newscaster proclaimed, somewhat dimmed by the white noise in my ears, and I went for my tinnitus meds in my wallet pocket. ‘A crime advisory is forecasted in Bulawayo’s northeast burrough given the influx of refugees from former South African states. As we know, officials in New Salisbury announced that they planned to accept the old South African Western Cape province’s offer to join Rhodesia. Offers made by Northern Cape, Free State and Lesotho are still pending. Rhodesian law enforcement predicts that, with the current, nearly anarchic state of the former South African provinces, that by taking in said provinces too quickly may result in adverse effects, from simple crime spikes to the reactivation of extremist cells and assorted loyalist violence, and thus must be undertaken carefully. The final lift on Martial Law in Western Cape is said to go into effect on September fifth. As we know, remnants of the International Kingdoms of Man, the racialist paramilitary group involved heavily during the Independence War, linger in various balkanized South African provinces, and many fear that they still receive support from their overseas comrades in the Greater Argentine Federation to operate as paramilitaries here in Rhodesia and in result, tensions in southern Rhodesia, such as Bulawayo and New Beitbridge, are on edge, especially with the horrors of the Independence War still fresh in many a Rhodesian and South African mind, human or hybrid. Local police urge residents to above all remain civil, and to report all suspicious behaviors to the police and not seek vigilantism or violent organization.’

A scowl met my face as I heard the name of the IKM once more, as my tinnitus subsided. I shuddered a little, despite the heat. My leg ached some more.” (p. 5)

Gallay says Jackal is set “in a world parallel to ours in the close future.” Jobe is a combat veteran, one of many returning to a civilian life in peacetime.

“‘Shit, Jobe.’ The foreman chuckled. ‘You were ready to slot that fucker, ain’tcha? Your fur’s all raised ‘n shit.” The foreman turned to look at me. ‘Kinda funny though. He kinda looked like you, didn’ he? You being a canid hybrid, I mean. Same color’a fur, spots ‘n all’” (p. 7)

But this prologue takes place about ten years before the main story. New Rhodesia has prospered since the war, and is more high-tech than the prologue makes it seem:

“Walking towards the convenience store, I brought up my holowatch, making a few motions with my opposite hand to bring up the display, haptic sensors spotting my movements. I brushed past the menus to my notes, seeing my shopping list. Carton of milk, smokes, dinner for the rest of the week. Frozen dinners were what I defaulted to. Maitabella pudding too, along with some cereal for breakfasts. I quickly paced my way inside, eager to get out of the coming rain. The store was manned by an older-aged draconic hybrid man with wrinkled red skin like dyed leather, wings drooping behind him as he eyed me with tired orange-yellow eyes. Draconics always seemed to draw my eyes, hard to be inconspicuous with those big wings of theirs stuck out like radar dishes.” (p. 8)

Jobe has a top-end electromagnetic flying hoverbike. He works for a pest control company in Bulawayo and the near countryside. He is allowed to carry an automatic rifle as part of his job.

Jobe foils a robbery at the convenience store, but he is arrested for using unnecessary violence against the robber, continuing to beat him after he is unconscious. Jobe, a standoffish loner at his company, is ordered to attend a friendly biweekly support group for anger control issues.

Instead, Jobe explodes at his first group meeting. Why does he need to change his attitude? It’s the rest of the world that needs to conform to him.

Jackal segues from two parallel stories; Jobe’s descriptions of the present and of his past, to his future. It’s from his peaceful youth that the reader learns about the Independence War; and from his future that the reader learns about the rest of the world:

“My [adoptive] parents were huddled around the television screen, sitting in silent concern, my mother’s draconic face washed in concern, wingtips quivering, dad’s arm around her waist with a hand gripping the top of her hip fearfully, though his face only portrayed a concerned distain. My schoolbag dropped to the floor as I watched with them. It was the national news channel, but it looked a lot different. I didn’t see the usual symbol in the corner, our national flag. Instead I saw the flag that I’d seen a couple of times on the news- the new flag of South Africa. It seemed to be an emergency service broadcast rather than news, repeating a phrase in a kind, female voice.

‘Attention: In Accordance to the Zimbabwean-South African Treaty of 2027, the nation state known as Reformed Rhodesia and all her provinces, including those of the annexed territories of Mozambique and Botswana, are hereby under the jurisdiction of The People’s Republic of South Africa, and Salisbury is now under our total control. The 2043 Reunification Act is recalled. A curfew is now in effect. All people found in active dissent with South African Command Forces, and in extension, the IKM-CTF, will be death with harshly. In accordance with South African law, all firearms must be turned in at your nearest police station or you may face the harshest penalty of South African justice. Please do not panic and cooperate with your officials, and together we can create a better tomorrow for the Greater Southern African States.’ The looping audio paused, before a few seconds later, the recording began anew.” (pgs. 48-49)

“‘…Do we really have that many ships?’ I asked.

‘Nah, a lot of those are Texan and from the Floridian Archipelago,’ Elliot explained, pointing to some of the ones looking a little different, more seaworthy. ‘Since we’re allies with ‘em they’re sending their Expeditionary forces to help us. Same with the Alaskans- I hear their navy will be here by next week. So far they’re letting us use their recon satellites and ionosphere platforms.’” (p. 138)

The present New Rhodesia seems like a hybrid’s paradise:

“‘Now, today, I think we’ll have a good discussion,’ Ono began, smiling ever so slightly at all of us in that circle of seats, every humanoid sitting, save for that canidtaur Mark and that orange serpentine, having bodies not really accommodated for chairs. Matter of fact, that serpentine hybrid girl sat right beside me, coiled up on her tail and sitting down on it the way their kind did. The very tip of her tail strayed close to my foot, quivering softly every now and then.” (p. 43. Ono Zelwaya, probably Jobe’s best friend, is a black human from Liberia.)

“‘… Lotta ‘taurs don’t wear shoes, Mark said.

‘Well, maybe you don’t because you’ve got metal legs,’ I said. ‘Most ‘taurs I see wear those shoes, the more shoe-like back ones and the kinda glove-y front ones. Maybe in the city they don’t, but out in the bush they sure do. Four legs just means two more to keep from getting bitten by snakes. But you know what I don’t get?’ I asked. ‘’Taur pants. Shit always looks weird, no matter what. I mean I get that sometimes you don’t want to be underdressed, but it just looks like a hassle. Like if I was one of you, I’d probably just stick to a shirt, a utility harness and the shoes.’

‘…Nuts’re hangin’ in the breeze, tho, that’s the thing.’ Mark added.” (p. 59)

But Jobe’s own history, his actions and his thoughts, are really fucked up. Eventually, even though peace has returned, Jobe wants, he needs to go on fighting:

“‘So you want to keep fighting. I get that. South Africa is 100% out of your Rhodesia but the war ain’t over. You’ve still got ass to kick if you want them to get the point, huh?’ He chuckled.” (p. 218)

That’s the leader of the Bloody Dogs, a PMC (Private Military Company) – mercenaries – talking as he recruits Jobe. That’s the Jackal talking.

Jackal (cover by Jason Cai) is 321 pages of teeny-tiny type that would be 400, maybe 500 pages in a normal book. I can’t decide whether to recommend it or not. It’s quite well-written, and it’s furry enough, but boy! is it a downer! Jobe isn’t just emotionally fucked up; he is FUCKED UP! (As he puts it, he hasn’t wagged his tail since he was a child.) If you like lots of descriptions of military hardware and action, and details of mental depression, mixed in with scenes of humans and anthropomorphic animals (some pretty exotic, like the serpentines) living happily together (except in IKM territory), go for it.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon

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Furry hugs are amazing medicine, but sometimes you need something more. Here’s two guest submissions from two awesome furries who love the community and have something more to give.

Eye candy is best to start an article, so check out this adorable puppy Taebyn. He’s silly but has something serious to bark about. Even a fantasy world of talking animals has members affected by suicide. It can even be a special issue because of how surveys show this fandom has many young and LGBT people. When I met Taebyn in person at Further Confusion, the local community of the con just lost a young member who took his own life, but I wasn’t able to share about it for privacy. So this post is for remembrance as well as help and good vibes.

The Fur Health Training Guide – a message from TaxBeast

My name is Drew, or better know as @TaxBeast. The past few months have been what I feel to be some of the most rewarding I have had in this community. Through my years on twitter, i’ve always been known as “the guy who posts fitness” furry. It’s always been a hobby of mine. However I felt like I wanted to give something back to the community after having a lot of positive memories over the past decade. There has always been a somewhat consistent flow of of people asking what I do to to stay in shape, how to build muscle, or just how to get a better self image. For a while, I wasn’t sure how to answer. I had worked years in the nutrition and supplement industry, and even worked as a personal trainer for a bit.

In the Fall of 2017 I had a plan. I wanted to get like minded people together, and start a group with the goals of knowledge and motivation in mind. I talked to @FaarTheRam on twitter after seeing that he too was a fur into fitness, with a similar drive to want people to succeed. Less than a week later the original channel “The Furry Fitness Chat” was made. A month or two went on, we added admins, and in no time we reached over 100 members.

This led to making a guide to share everything I knew and for people to take as they wanted. I wanted to make something that was clear and to the point, something that I felt, and still feel that most of the health industry lacks. I began writing the “TAXBEAST WEEKLY GYM PROGRAM”.

Fifty-three pages of information to help you get your diet, exercise, and nutrition in line.

I wrote this for all of you. All I ask is you spread the word and Retweet this to help me help others. Google Drive Download will be in the link below.https://t.co/ScBvOI150z
pic.twitter.com/XX6dDDPllD

— TAXBEAST @ ANE 2018 (@TaxBeast) January 13, 2018

Within is an explanation of why I wrote the guide, an introduction to terminology and training terms, a four day workout plan, a way to find your nutritional needs, diet routines and tips, and finally supplements that I get frequently asked about.

It’s taken a mere 6 months to write this guide, created a safe and toxic free group for people to have an extra drive to better themselves, and help guide a twitter page for like minds to share and discuss their experiences.  Follow us at @Fur_Health.

Here’s a few words from individuals I’ve worked with:

“Comprehensive, no nonsense, and passionately written–Tax’s Weekly Gym Program is THE guide for anyone aspiring to be the best they can be.” – Fengalon

“Both the group and guide has helped me get the results I wanted. I feel more confident about myself and how people approach me to talk to me without me intiating conversation. I never experienced such a positive atmsophere with the group and Tax displaying his expertise on nutrtion and exercise. Also, both has helped me to be more knowledgable about fitness and my depression. With the group, I feel encouraged to continue in my endeavor to a better me and with the guide to understand what goes on in the fitness world. I never felt such a positive group and guide as this one.” – @Stryker_Fox 

“In the course of a week I went from stagnated to decimated.” – @SickleVox

Art by Tihusky

Thanks guys for sharing your good vibes and knowledge! Furries have some of the most creative people I know – add successful and healthy too. That’s what comes from following your passion far beyond what ordinary people do.  If anyone gets good results or help from this, please share in comments or on Twitter.

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

The director of Rukus wrote in with a new trailer:

I’ve been reading Dogpatch Press for a long time and am a big fan. The film is called Rukus and it’s a feature-length doc-fiction hybrid, centered around my friendship with a furry from Orlando, Rukus, who took his own life in 2008. It goes into his life, and childhood, and some of the people he was close to in the furry community, but then also goes into my teenage years in Memphis, and stories relating to mental health, sexuality, and the politics of documentary filmmaking.

I hope you enjoy it, and I would love to hear what you think!

Brett Hanover
www.bretthanover.com

Movie synopsis:

A hybrid of documentary and fiction, ‘Rukus’ is a queer coming of age story set in the liminal spaces of furry conventions, southern punk houses, and virtual worlds. Rukus is a 20-year-old furry artist, living with his boyfriend Sable in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida. In his sketchbooks, Rukus is constructing an imaginary universe – a sprawling graphic novel in which painful childhood memories are restaged as an epic fantasy. Brett is a 16-year-old filmmaker with OCD, working on a documentary about kinky subcultures in spite of his own anxiety. After an interview leads to an online friendship, their lives entwine in ways that push them into strange, unexplored territories.

facebook.com/rukusmovie/
bretthanover.com/rukus/

Written and Directed by: Brett Hanover
Assistant Directors: Alanna Stewart and Katherine Dohan
Additional Art and Writing: Rukus
Animation: Karolina Glusiec, Ben Holm, Eusong Lee
Original Music: Brian Saia

A preview was provided for a guest review, with thanks to Marbles:

Rukus is a film that is simultaneously familiar and unexpected. Director and writer Brett Hanover transforms a story about a lost member of the furry community into a series of moments that are so very human, while also depicting the struggles of feeling inhuman. There is a beautiful balance between reality and fantasy in which the documentary aspect takes the foreground and the narrative melts into it, the fiction becoming a part of the reality.

Brett Hanover takes advantage of the documentary style of filmmaking to fuse the stories together into a coherent message of feeling different and lost. The varying styles of camera work and editing set a pace for the film that is anxious yet comfortable. The audience is not ready to relax, yet can not help but relate to one or more of the issues that are involved in the lives of the characters and people in the film.

The story itself is a portrait of a bittersweet reality with moments of uncertainty and pain, but also discovery and bliss. The quiet dialogue between the story and the connection to the furry fandom itself is a brilliant one, connecting the idea that there is a sense of anxiety or loss in the human world, yet there is still hope in the realm of animals. However, this concept does not take the foreground, decidedly stating that sometimes there is no escape for those that need it.

Brett Hanover masterfully captures raw emotion in a well constructed and carefully crafted piece of cinema. The symbiotic relationship between the art of the film and the reality within it create a unique experience that is a delight for a cinephile, and an emotional experience for just about anyone else. Rukus is not a film only meant for those in the furry fandom. While others may be more hesitant due to the relation of the community within the film, I believe it can easily be overlooked by anyone who truly enjoys a good film and an impassioned story.

– Marbles

For anyone near the San Francisco Bay Area, join our furmeet for the movie premiere on Feb 2 – there will be fursuiting and dinner with the director.

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

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

Skeleton Crew, by Gre7g Luterman. Illustrated by Rick Griffin.
Lansing, MI, Thurston Howl Publications, September 2017, trade paperback $11.99 (215 [+ 1] pages), Kindle $2.99.

The title page says Skeleton Crew. The cover says The Kanti Cycle: Skeleton Crew. The spine says The Kanti Cycle. 1 Skeleton Crew. Which is the definitive version?

Probably the latter. Skeleton Crew is the first book of Kanti’s adventures. There will be at least a trilogy.

I am more uneasy about calling this a “First Edition, 2017”. I reviewed Luterman’s CreateSpace edition a long time ago. This new version contains minor revisions and all new illustrations by Rick Griffin, so it may be a preferred version. Thurston Howl Publications’ smaller type size has reduced it from 259 pages to 215 pages. But it is not so different that the plot synopsis in my earlier review cannot serve for this edition as well.

“This is the first hard science-fiction novel I’ve ever read with absolutely no humans in it. The cover […] shows two of the main characters; Commissioner Sarsuk, a kraken, holding Kanti, a geroo. All of the other characters in the novel are geroo. There are […] full-page illustrations […] by Rick Griffin of Housepets! fame, showing such geroo characters as Kanti, Saina, Tish, Captain Ateri, Chendra, and more.

The geroo are unclothed, with thick tails and fur. There are frequent mentions in the text of twitching ears, tail rings, and the like. Kanti is called Shaggy for his unruly fur.

Skeleton Crew is set entirely on, or within, the huge generation exploratory starship White Flower II in interstellar space. […] Four centuries earlier, the krakun came to the primitive planet Gerootec and offered to hire thousands of the overpopulated geroo as their starship crews. The geroo who went into space and their descendants would never see Gerootec again, but they would live in luxury compared to the backward geroo on their homeworld. Technically, the White Flower II belongs to the krakuns’ Planetary Acquisitions, Incorporated, with a mission of finding new planets that can be colonized.

New planets for the krakun. Never for the geroo.

After 400 years, some geroo are asking if the krakun are their employers or their slavemasters. Commissioner Sarsuk is Planetary Acquisions’ representative to the White Flower II. As you can guess from the cover, he is the novel’s villain.

“Strictly speaking, all krakun vessels prohibited alcohol. But enforcement of that law was half-hearted at best. Showing up to work drunk might land a crewman before a judge, but only the krakun really cared if anyone drank during their down-time.

If a krakun caught someone drinking, he’d probably toss that geroo in the recycler. But that’s how the monstrous creatures handled most problems they encountered. Fortunately, the White Flower II seldom hosted anyone from Krakuntec. The commissioner visited periodically to check on the ship, but he wasn’t liable to stroll down any of the decks – not any of the ones with a three-meter clearance, at least.” (p. 14)

“Kanti headed off to the gravity down-wells and hopped back to deck twenty-four. The wells were essentially stairwells without the stairs – simple platforms that geroo could jump off to reach the level below. The artificial gravity in the wells was turned down to a tiny fraction of normal, so each hop was slow and gentle.

Each platform shadowed the opening down to the next level; so to travel multiple levels, one simply hopped, turned around, and hopped again until reaching the desired deck. The overlapping structure ensured that a geroo could not fall multiple levels accidentally.” (p. 15)

The White Flower II has a crew of ten thousand geroo. Exactly. 10,001would be overpopulation, and the krakun’s policy for overpopulation is – messy. And that’s one “law” that Commissioner Sarsuk enforces ruthlessly.

Both the tech-talk and the plot are fascinating. This review is heavy on the novel’s technology, and reveals almost nothing about its plot, because the plot is full of twists and surprises. Even revealing this much of the technology probably gives away some major spoilers. But Skeleton Crew is a real page-turner. I could hardly put it down for wanting to find out what would happen to Kanti and his friends next.

“A well-placed kick into Kanti’s stomach dropped him back to the deck, grasping his gut and gasping for breath.

Ateri knelt before the shaggy geroo and whispered in his ear. ‘Listen very closely to me, kerrati. You will not discuss what was said here today—ever. You will never, ever, say the words, ‘skeleton crew’ again. Is that understood?’

Kanti nodded. Tears streamed down his muzzle.

‘If you do, I promise that I will find out,’ Ateri said calmly. ‘And when I do, I will rip chunks of you out with my bare paws … and toss them into the recycler one by one … until all that remains of you … is your blood in my fur … and your screams in my ears.’” (p. 133)

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon

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

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

Red is the Darkest Color, by Brett A. Brooks
Atlanta, GA, Pandahead Publishing, June 2016, trade paperback, $15.95 ([4 +] 280 [+ 2] pages), Kindle $2.99.

The Devil Was Green, by Brett A. Brooks
Atlanta, GA, Pandahead Publishing, January 2017, trade paperback, $15.95 ([3 +] 278 pages), Kindle $2.99.

Pussy Katnip owns and is the popular chanteuse at the Kit Kat Klub in Mutt Town. But she’s not reluctant to step outside her club to help someone in need – especially if this involves clashing with an old enemy:

“With more than a slight jag to his turn, Todd looked back at the stage, and then back to the bartender. ‘Does … well, that is to say, do you know if Miss Katnip ever sees any of the people who come to see her?’

Robby snorted softly. ‘Depends on who it is and what they want. You a fan?’

‘I … truthfully, I’ve never heard Miss Katnip sing before.’ He picked up the scotch and took a small sip. ‘I was hoping that I might …’ There was a moments [sic.] pause, followed by Todd taking a much larger sip and then looking Robby in the eye. ‘I’ve heard that Miss Katnip can help people. Sometimes at least. I was truly hoping that she might see me tonight.’

‘Oh.’ Robby nodded. ‘Well, y’see, Miss Katnip tries to keep a low profile, y’know? She’s not the type who goes out and gets in trouble herself.’ Casually, Robby scratched under his chin. ‘But, just for conversation purposes, what is it you was wanting to talk to Miss Katnip about? You got law troubles?’

‘What? No. No, nothing like that.’ Todd sat up straight. ‘The police and I … they haven’t been an issue. In fact, they haven’t been willing to talk to me much at all.’” (Red, pgs. 4-5)

When Todd Crocker comes into her club looking for help against a mob boss who is threatening him, he is told not to worry. Boss Dogg and his chief enforcer Mugsy are familiar adversaries. Pussy visits Boss’ rival night club, the Dogg House, during the day when it’s closed and persuades him and Mugsy to leave Todd alone:

“Faster than the eye could follow, Pussy grabbed the chair and raised it up, smashing it against the brute attacking her. Splinters of wood showered down as Mugsy flew up into the air, landing hard on the ground.

She was on him instantly. Grabbing him by the shirt, she spun around, flinging him over ten feet into the seating area. The table and chairs he met did not respond well, and the sound of cracking wood filled the space.

Pussy looked to Boss. ‘Don’t move.’ He didn’t.

[…]

‘Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to drop everything that Mr. Crocker owes you. You aren’t going to bother him, or even remember that he exists. Your dealings with him are through. Am I clear?’   She stopped inches away from him.

‘Yeah. Yeah, sure.’ He nodded rapidly.” (Red, pgs. 20-22)

Pussy seems to be the clear winner, until a mystery vixen, Foxy Kitt, offers to take care of Pussy for free. All that Boss Dogg needs to do is to get Foxy hired as a singer at the Kit Kat Klub.

Their plot involves getting rid of the Kit Kat’s other singer, Jenny Foal.   Foxy Kitt appears to be an innocent replacement when Jenny abruptly quits and leaves Mutt Town. Pussy, suspicious, goes after her, leaving Foxy free to work.

Pussy finds herself confronted in Big City by crooked Bulldog Baxter and more of his goons than she expects. She needs her super-strength potion.

“In the hours that she waited at the station for the noon train, Pussy swirled the bottle in front of her countless times. There was barely enough to even register. One dose. That’s all she had left. No way that she could handle all those goons with just one dose. She needed to get back to the club. To her supply.” (Red, p. 85)

But it’s not there. Foxy has been busy. She has the fizz now, and she knows how to use it.

• §         §         §         §         §         §         §         §         §         §

Pussy Katnip is not Brett A. Brooks’ creation. In a Foreword to Red is the Darkest Color, he explains how he found her in an old comic book of the 1940s. Pussy Katnip was probably the most obscure, most forgotten, most improbable, and ugliest funny-animal series ever created. Brooks considers it his one-man mission to rescue her from obscurity.

Brooks isn’t a cartoonist, so he has done this through a series of novels and short stories rather than comic books; the two novels reviewed here, and the Kindle short stories Under the Gray, A Hand of Gold, and The Hillside Murder Club. (The protagonist in the last is detective Lila Ringtail, a supporting character in The Devil Was Green.)

Brooks can do this because the comic books that Pussy Katnip appeared in have long been discontinued. Their publisher went bankrupt in 1950; nobody knows anything about the signed “Len Short” (it may be a pseudonym); the copyrights have all expired; and nobody cares, anyway. Look at the sample here from the original comics and decide: would you want to claim responsibility for this?

The combination of crime noir thriller and superheroes never worked well before, although Brooks does a much better than usual job of blending them here. He has made a couple of slight changes: he has turned Pussy’s Katnip Kafe into the Kit Kat Klub (“Kafe” was not convincing as the name of the night club shown in the comics). He has turned Robert the bartender from a pig into Robby, a bird (robin?), and Mugsy from a fox into a wolf. And he has lessened the funny-animal atmosphere by describing background characters as “men”: a hog-like man, the bull-like man, a cute little lamb of a girl, a wolfish man. But this works against the nature of the Pussy Katnip stories as funny-animal stories. If you are not familiar with the 1940s comic books, you’ll never know that the bartender was originally a pig or that Mugsy was a fox. And there is no way to know what new characters like Todd Crocker are supposed to be.

• §         §         §         §         §         §         §         §         §         §

Red is the Darkest Color (cover by Valentina Barmina) appears to be somewhat inspired by one of the original comic-book stories; the four-page “Eviction Enigma” in All Your Comics, a December 1944 132-page one-shot. Brooks has combined that with his own origin story of Pussy and of the Katnip clan’s ancestral fizz.

The Devil Was Green (cover by Toth “Darbaras” Dávid László) begins with an old friend of Pussy’s appearing in the Kit Kat Klub:

“The sixth row. Table eighteen, to be precise. She weaved her way to it without pause, and before she arrived the only person at the table was already standing.

Pussy stopped three feet away from her. The other woman stood shorter than Pussy. A delicate white covered her body. Long ears lopped down on either side of her face, peeking out from under a stylish coiffure of platinum blond hair. If you knew where to look, you could see a dark brown patch over her right eye, hidden by a good bit of makeup. Pussy knew exactly where to look.

‘Of all the clubs in all the world …’ Pussy shook her head. ‘I never expected to see you here.’

‘Sorry, Princess,’ the bunny’s voice was soft but clear. ‘I didn’t see a sign telling me to keep out.’

‘It’s been a long time, Spot.’ Pussy shook her head.” (Green, pgs. 2-3)

Pussy introduces Spot, Coney Hase, to Robby and tells him how they used to be old friends; that when Pussy came to Mutt Town, they shared a room in a cheap rooming house and were waitresses together in a diner. When Robby leaves, Coney gets more intimate:

“Her hand stayed wrapped around the drink in her hand, but Coney did look up at Pussy. ‘I’m sorry. I … I really am happy to see you, Pussy. I wanted to come here. Honest. It’s just …’

‘Just what?’ Pussy prodded.

‘It’s kinda difficult to come in here and see,’ Coney’s head turned as she took a quick look around, ‘all of this. It’s hard to know your friend is a big star when you’re as much a … a loser as I am.” (Green, p. 9)

Coney gets drunk, makes a big scene accusing Pussy of being a false friend, and storms out. Pussy goes to the apartment house where Coney is staying, just in time to find her being murdered:

“Pussy blinked and shook her head. A moment later she put her shoulder into the door a second time. The door exploded off its hinges, falling to the ground in three pieces.

A female figure lay on the ground. She was bruised and beaten, but Pussy recognized her at first glance. Above her stood a man. At least Pussy thought it was a man.

He was tall. Well over seven feet. His skin was alabaster in color, with an obvious rough texture. At the end of his hands were long, curved claws. Similar claws were at the end of his long, three-toed feet. A thick, scaled tail slid back and forth over the floor behind him. Running from the tip of the tail, up his back, and onto his head were a series of raised black spines. These spines became hundreds of smaller quills, curling back off his head like jagged black hair. Two brilliant yellow eyes stared towards her above his snout. And it looked as though smoke rolled out of his nostrils.” (Green, pgs. 16-17)

Pussy is suspected of Coney’s murder. She escapes from Mutt Town’s police to find Coney’s fantastic killer and prove her own innocence, but she is closely pursued by relentless police detective Lila Ringtail (featured on László’s cover):

“She leaned out the window, looking at the glass. Clean shards of glass scattered all the way to the edge of the platform. She pulled herself back inside.

‘Anybody been down below?’ Lila asked.

‘I don’t know,’ the officer [a pig] answered.

‘Okay, well, then stop what you’re doing and go down to that alley. Let me know if you see any blood down there.’ She pointed out the window.

‘I’m supposed to look for prints,’ he responded.

‘Okay. Then go look for prints down in the alley. And while you’re down there, do me a favor and see if there’s any blood.’ She took the cigarette out of her mouth and tapped the ashes outside the window.

‘I’m not –’

‘Do it!’ Any hint of request was gone. This was an order.” (Green, pgs. 29-30)

Will Pussy be able to stay ahead of Lila long enough to find the real killer – whatever it is?

The Pussy Katnip novels and short stories are funny-animal crime noir/superhero fiction that you can’t find anywhere else. Brett A. Brooks has four other books out from his Pandahead Publishing, including Edible Complex featuring teenage zombies, and a set of seven art prints featuring the Pussy Katnip cast.

– Fred Patten

• Buy Red is the Darkest Color on Amazon
• Buy The Devil Was Green on Amazon

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

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

Intimate Little Secrets, by Rechan
Dallas, TX, FurPlanet Productions, March 2017, trade paperback $9.95 (163 pages), ebook $6.95.

Intimate Little Secrets is a collection of nine “sensual” short stories by Rechan, published for Furry Fiesta 2017. The book is publisher-rated NC-17, for adult readers.

Robert Baird describes the nine stories in his Introduction as “alternately touching and titillating; tantalizing and tender. They invite us to explore the inner lives of characters consistently defined firstly by their refreshing believability.” (p. 7) Some of these stories originally appeared online, on Rechan’s SoFurry and FurAffinity accounts.

Indeed. I have complained before about authors whose characters are only funny animals; animal-headed humans. Rechan never lets that happen. His characters are anthropomorphic animals; a blend of humans and the species that they are described as.

“Fanservice” features Robin and Dean, two shy young mink, office workers on their first evening date. Robin dresses as Veronica Tamas, a TV actress she knows Dean likes. “Part of the problem was Tamas, as a deer, had wonderful legs put on display by the mini-dress lab coat and the sleek knee high black boots. With the longer torso and shorter limbs of a mink, Robin wasn’t pulling it off.” (p. 9)

Robin tries to make it up in other ways:

“For a moment Dean only squeezed her shoulder, then his digits inched up to graze her throat. A faint chirr bubbled up as he stroked her so-soft fur, and she reached out to caress his wrist and forearm.

When his touch moved up to her cheek and muzzle, Robin closed her eyes and tilted into it, a soft breath escaping from her. The scent of him drew her in, her body easing closer to his until they bumped.

That caress lasted only a moment longer before he cupped her cheek, her whiskers brushed his, and she instinctively moved into the oncoming kiss.

Their teeth knocked together.” (p. 14)

They eventually get it right. They never get out of their office that evening. The most unrealistic aspect of “Fanservice” to me was that Robin would go all the way on a first date.

Marjani, a serval in “Strange on a Train” is having a very unpleasant ten-hour nighttime train trip. She can’t get to sleep.

“Well, if she wasn’t getting any sleep then she needed some distraction. Marjani leaned back and tried to get comfortable, sliding her tail through the hole in the seat’s back and into the tail-pouch. A perk of having a shorter tail meant she had more room to flick it. She popped in her headphones, started an audio book, and tried to relax. Of course breathing in to calm her nerves just reminded her again of this miserable train; whatever filters they used to clear the air of mixed-species smells must have been broken, as the collective scent of the passengers, both past and present, had become potent. At lease she wasn’t canine.” (p. 28)

The erotic audio book that she is listening to makes Marjani horny. Another discomfort – or is it? It’s 3 a.m.; most of the other passengers have retired to sleeping cars, and she’s alone except for a handsome skunk who is already eyeing her.

“Like that hunky skunk. How big was he? How would it feel with him on top of her? Dwelling on that, she decided there was no harm in letting him see a little bit more. She even gave him a name in her mind: Hunk.” (p. 31)

See Teagan Gavet’s cover. As they fuck, Marjani can’t help comparing Hunk with Amadi, her absent husband. They have an open relationship, so she has Hunk take their photo while in coitus with her phone to share with Amadi.

“Missed” features Miss Pendigrass, the border collie librarian, and

Beth, her mink assistant, in a BDSM lesbian relationship. The setting seems to be a military academy; “The click-clack of Miss Pendigrass’ riding boots echoed down the hall in her wake, the sound helping to transform her walk from a stately stroll to the confident, no-nonsense prowl more suited to an executive.” (p. 43) Miss Pendigrass is clearly the dominatrix in their meetings in a disused storeroom. All goes well until Beth admits she’s tempted to end their relationship because she’s just met Connor, a golden retriever youth. “He doesn’t make me feel like the way I feel around most males, but the way I am with you, and the girls before you.” (p. 51) Since Beth is undecided about what she wants, Miss Pendigrass determines to experiment with bringing Connor into their relationship; to turn it from a BDSM couple into a sex triangle.

In “Fireworks”, Desiree is a gazelle who works for an escort service. Jacob, a deer who is tired of his family nagging him to find a girlfriend and get married, hires her to pretend they’re dating at a family dinner. The dinner is not a success, but Desiree persuades Jacob to get therapeutic counseling about developing a higher self-esteem.

“Teeth” is a three-page mood piece between Carli, a lioness, and the unnamed narrator who can’t climax until he feels about to die:

“In that moment Carli’s muzzle closes enough to stop my breath. Realizing I can’t breathe, my stomach jumps and I fight. Even as I fight, I come, and muffled as I am I cannot wail my delight. I’m not finished before she lets me breathe, and I spend the last moments of the rush clinging and pushing against her, in echo of a fight and in approval.” (pgs. 76-77)

“When the Paint Dries” is the most complex story here. Luis Rojas is a cacomistle high-school teacher and a would-be artist. He was married to Angelita, a nurse, another cacomistle who divorced him three years earlier because of his refusal to have children. He feels likehislife has been on hold since then. She has since remarried Doug, a rat. Now Angelita has returned to Luis with a request. She and Doug want a family, but they cannot breed together because their species are incompatible. She asks if Luis would be the sperm donor of their child, scientifically or the old-fashioned way. Luis must consider this carefully. He still has artistic aspirations to paint Angelica’s portrait. Does he still have any romantic feelings for her? Would he still have any moral obligations to the child? Luis’ decision lets him get on with his life.

“Rickety V” is a sequel to “Missed”. Connor, the golden retriever, is introduced by Beth, the mink, to Janie Pendigrass, the border collie:

“Dipping his nose to her wrist and sniffing, he picked up the scents of books and tea. She didn’t smell him in return, crossing her arms when he was done.” (p. 98)

Janine is frigid toward Connor, but when the women explain their BDSM relationship to him, he’s willing to try it:

“‘What?’ they said together.

‘If that’s something Beth likes, then I want to at least given [sic.] it a try, so that maybe I can do it too.’” (p. 101)

The three are determined to be open and reasonable about whether Connor should join the two, or whether Beth should drop her feelings for Janine and go with Connor. The story is about what they work out.

“Three to Tango” is a sequel to “Strange on a Train” from Amadi’s viewpoint. Amadi and Marjani sure do like their sex games, the lewder the better, especially in a threesome with Kahlua the chipmunk.

In “TLC”, Margaret and Henry are an older fox couple. Henry is dying of ALS; he has already lost the use of his arms. Their children and grandchildren take him out in his wheelchair, but Margaret has learned to masturbate him to an erection at night so they can keep up a pretense of a sex life for the little time he has left.

The stories in Intimate Little Secrets all have sex in them, but it is consensual sex between adults. They are more about the intimate little secrets behind the eroticism. The sex is secondary; Rechan concentrates upon the minds and souls of his furred characters.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Fur Planet
• Buy ebook on Bad Dog Books
• Follow Rechan on SoFurry
• Follow Rechan on FurAffinity

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

Furclub: “A repeat/regular nightclub event by furries for furries.” It’s a dance party independent from cons. The concept has been spreading since the late 2000’s. It’s a movement! See the list of parties at The Furclub Survey. Featured here is a new event in Alameda, CA. 

• SpaceCampParty.com
• Tickets on Eventbrite
• Twitter
• Meetup
• Facebook
• Faction Brewing – the venue

Space themed costumes, dancing, DJ’s, fursuiting, craft beer, and waterfront views on San Francisco and the Bay Bridge! This is happening at a massive 1200+ person hangar converted to a brewery.  There’s 10,000 sq. feet of indoor fursuit-friendly naturally cooled space, free secure parking, and a huge outdoor patio with food trucks. Space Camp joins Frolic party, Wild Things, and Party Animals as events for SF Bay Area furry night life.

For San Francisco Pride 2017, I organized with the Burning Man art car “Unaverz” to be our furry float in the parade. They’re coming to Space Camp as a mobile sound system with DJ and upper deck hang out space. Not just furries, but Burners and anyone who wants an amazing party should come check this out. Tell your friends!

@NachoHusky (contact on Telegram or Twitter) is the organizer. Roman Otter, the volunteer coordinator, wants to hear from anyone interested in volunteering. (A short shift gets free entry – sign up on the main site). Those interested in doing photos or videos should get in touch.

The pre-party fursuit photo shoot and volunteer meet:

Nacho Husky – photo by Pup Leo

Photo by Pup Leo

Photo by Pup Leo

At Faction brewing it was a clear Sunday afternoon on the bay. The breeze smelled like garlic fries from the food truck. 40-some furries including 30 fursuiters turned out for the pre-party meet. The place was packed with all ages, including dogs and kids on the patio. They loved running around and laughing at sight of the fursuiters. We had to shoo them away from the indoor fursuit lounge. When we came out, they challenged a 6-foot Dalmatian to a race (the kids won.)  A family waved me over to say hi to a baby who was probably 10 months old in a teddy bear outfit: “he’s in training to be one of you guys.”

Marbles and Cheesecake, a happy young woman with green hair and a guy wearing her patched jacket, were there to do videos. It was their first furmeet. Being new to the community and under 21, they had heard of how popular Frolic party was and were longing for a chance to go. They were extra excited to find out about local bowling meets for all ages.

Blue skies were more than just the mood for Toby, a pilot fur. He joked with me about wanting to fly over the party and buzz the shore – I told him to come do sky writing, or take us up for some fursuit skydiving to really turn up the space theme.

TopDawg, a raver fur I know as an event promoter, told me about planning to bring 3 loads of lighting for Space Camp. I asked if he had other parties going on in the last year. “There’s no parties after your friends die in a warehouse fire” he said sadly, talking about the Ghost Ship disaster that I wrote about in December 2016. He was almost going to be security for it. It was an exceptionally extreme case of mismanagement, but even so – “now they think all underground parties are like that”. Impossible costs were why they were underground in the first place and then crackdowns made things even harder. A new venue inviting us is a great thing for the community.

How does one get into such a great place when furry events don’t happen just anywhere? Nacho told me about helping to save the brewery business by upgrading their electrical system and getting owed a favor. The owner told me that any time they need computer help, she calls Nacho. Hopefully he has good success that leads to repeats (and more budget for ideas like bouncy castles outdoors.)

“This meet was a great idea”, Roman Otter told me. “The owner has been walking around and meeting us, and she gets to see who is coming. It’s really easing any tension.” In fact this isn’t just taking a chance on inviting furries – it’s Faction’s first after hours party for anyone.

A parade of fursuiters headed next door to Hangar One Vodka. While we got group photos by the equipment, we talked about their flavors. “One day collectors will search out this batch”, I told a friend – “It’s the recipe they can’t repeat, specially infused with wet dog”.

See you there on March 10, 8PM – 2AM.  Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch Street, Alameda CA.

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

An unresolved issue

You may know Magnus Diridian (AKA Rob Shokawsky) as “The Confederate fursuiter” who’s banned from furry conventions. What happens after being arrested for trespassing at Midwest FurFest 2017, and featuring in a news article about troll activity? How about a challenge to clear the air and explain things. That is, if a simple case of people being bothered by unwanted behavior needs any further explanation at all.

There don’t seem to be many people asking for it. But long story short, Magnus got in trouble and wanted to explain. I took the opportunity to talk, but not in the way he hoped. Honestly I’m not interested in rehashing what everyone already read about the 2017 arrest. He’ll have his day in court.  Something else was an open and bothersome issue, and I focused on that instead.  The previous article only hinted about it. Now I’m going to be really direct.

A crime suspect

Magnus was a suspect in the unsolved Midwest Furfest 2014 chemical attack, where chlorine gas hospitalized 19 people and made national news. In public discussion, it was called attempted murder. I spent most of a two hour live chat asking probing questions about it. (A screencast was recorded for proof, but only the text is here to protect names in it). The interview isn’t super conclusive, but it did confirm from the main source most everything I already knew. Some of it is sure to make your whiskers twitch. Some might raise new, unanswered questions.

It’s interesting that Magnus was convicted and jailed for a terroristic chemical attack on a bank in 2004. (There was a reader tip about it.) As requested, we didn’t discuss his past record, but it’s relevant to at least link it.

For someone with this history, wouldn’t it be sensible not to come back and act out in 2017? That was a choice leading to the story now.

Digging up background info

Before doing direct questions, I researched and chatted with sources close to the events at MFF in 2014. Three sources, including a con staffer, independently confirmed he was a suspect. An FBI agent from Chicago manages the case.

This came up again in 2017 because of a tangential issue on the FBI radar: the Altfurry/Furry Raiders groups, and FR founder Foxler. Magnus isn’t a member, but has known Foxler for a while.  According to ex-Raiders members, Foxler bragged that he knew who did the chemical attack before it happened, and told a fanciful tale of being blackmailed into silence by “anti furry terrorists”. I took that with a huge amount of skepticism and said nothing, because Raiders troll their own members (some of them left the group when I showed them proof). But it got out from ex-Raiders, and the FBI went to Foxler’s house for a knock and talk. Furry Raiders activity is under surveillance. Foxler tweeted the FBI agent’s business card with a fake excuse about the reason.

(Much more info showing the FBI were tipped by an ex Raider)

Meanwhile, I found and chatted with Magnus’s roommates from the MFF hotel in 2014. They had never been interviewed about the night of the attack and hadn’t talked to him since 2014. I learned that shortly before the incident, Magnus ran out into a busy road while fursuiting. A staffer yelled at him and his spotter and almost took their badges. Magnus was mad at staff for ruining the fun. I asked if they had ever suspected Magnus of involvement in the attack (perhaps for revenge?), and it was a thought at some point but no more than briefly, and there was no chlorine in the room anywhere. However Magnus drove from Wisconsin to Chicago, so there must have been a vehicle besides what was in the hotel room.

Livejournal posts by Magnus from 2014

First post about the attack at MFF. (They’ll think about murder?)

Second post about the attack at MFF.

More sources

• MFF statement about the chemical attack
• Victim statement about the attack
• VICE: CSI Fur Fest: The Unsolved Case of the Gas Attack at a Furry Convention
• Post from MFF roommate of Magnus
• Frost Cat questioned by authorities about the attack

When the 2017 MFF arrest happened, Magnus’ boyfriend contacted me to defend him. They immediately anticipated that I might post about him because of the previous Dogpatch Press article about his Confederate fursuit (“Arkansas”), which involved a ban from Anthrocon. I won’t share that chat to keep relationship stuff private, but on Facebook, they tried downplaying the arrest like it didn’t happen. That became impossible after I posted about it.

Magnus followed up with a GoFundMe for his legal defense that was deleted, and the Facebook response that challenged me to interview him. So I did. It’s important to emphasize that I think what turned up in the research is circumstantial at worst, and doesn’t remove presumed innocence.

 

The interview

[Names redacted only, army discharge info came from a source.]

Magnus 

Heyos, are you Dogpatch?

Patch

Hi yes, this is my account
Left you a note
Interested in an interview?

Magnus

I’d like that. I thought maybe we could do it as far as you sending me a list of questions, and I answer them. I wanted to do a video like that, actually.

Patch

We could just chat right now if it’s ok!

Magnus

well, this is all I have at the moment, just this IM
I think you guys have the wrong impression of me, so I’d like to clear the air

Patch

That’s perfectly fine, I like how IM is a good way to think about things, it’s a little nicer than video
I do have some questions, mind if I go ahead?

Magnus

You didn’t want to do a whole interview format?
Believe me, I know that pretty much everything I say has a fine chance of getting twisted around

Patch

This is just great – I usually do it this way, it does go into a written article – I’m not a video maker
And don’t worry, I would not be taking anything out of context or altering any words – all 100% verbatim

Magnus

mmm, for the readers to disseminate, but I digress

Patch

I can actually provide a live screencast of the chat showing no editing

Magnus

That’d work for the viewers, but this is media, so I’m buying no insurance on the outcome.
But, yes, I get that there are things that need to be said

Patch

Well, that is an interview right… no editing, just what you choose to say. I do have questions if you feel like going ahead

Magnus 

Do it.

Patch

OK, your facebook post mentioned you don’t want to be asked about a crime record that happened in 1991-2004, I think those were the dates. Can I ask, have you been clean of any crime since then?

Magnus

There was that one incident in 2015, but the charges were dropped. The person known as [Redacted name J.], who has left a comment on that one story you posted, was the plaintiff. His real name is [Redacted name R.], but he goes by Oru in the fandom.
Also, his Boyfriend, Chanur, real name [Redacted name C.], is on the board of directors of Anthrocon.
But as to the question, yes, I have been free of all crimes since then.

Patch

Huh, sounds like some interesting drama… we don’t have to get into it at all though.
Can you talk about what you did in the army, and what was the dishonorable discharge about?

Magnus

There was no dishonorable discharge.
I went in, did my time, and got out.

Patch

OK, thanks for saying. Moving on… You have been employed at the same job for 5 years, is that true?

Magnus

Let’s just say I’m living a stable life outside of of the fandom.

Patch

Good, everyone likes one of those! [Redacted name M.M.] your boyfriend did chat me and volunteer some stuff in your defense… I actually did try to keep his side in some stuff that was written before… in case you’re curious
Anyways, can I ask, ever get in trouble at the current job for anything?

Magnus

Just curious, who is everyone?

Patch

Just speaking for myself actually… a very general comment. Stable life is good
I’m chatting at home hanging out with a beer, caught me at a good time.

Magnus

but no, never had any troubles at the job.

Patch

What was your experience like when you went to Midwest Furfest in 2014?

Magnus

I enjoyed it until that incident.

Patch

Can you explain more?

Magnus

When I was in Macleod’s room and the sirens went off
[Redacted name M.]

Patch

Scary time… Did you talk about it after you went, and do you remember what you said?

Magnus

We left the room and went our separate ways, much as I can remember about that night 3.5 years ago.

Patch

Ever talk to anyone else about it?

Magnus

I’ve had the opportunity to talk to people about it at least four time over the last 3.5 years.

Patch

I’ll bet everyone there talked a lot, it was dramatic. Was this a certain four times, like with anyone in particular?

Magnus

Hmm.
What I’d like to know is that why I was ever a suspect in that incident in the first place.

Patch

I think a lot of people were

Magnus

But why am I the biggest?

Patch

Here’s a screenshot of something you posted to Livejournal – you said furries would be remembered for something besides sex. Can you explain?
It seems like kind of an interesting take to focus on what the media says.

Magnus

Was talking about politics

Patch

That was about something besides the chemical incident?

Magnus

oh, that context was talking about how big that incident hit the news
The gas attack was all over the news

Patch

Yeah – they weren’t all nice about it, there was that one lady who started laughing and ran off screen.

Magnus

Yeah, I saw that.

Patch

Were you raided and interviewed by the FBI?

Magnus

Oh…THAT
It happened three days later, after MFF 2015.

Patch

What did they ask you about?

Magnus

The gas attack at MFF 2015, and they searched the apt.

Patch

Did the FBI confiscate electronics or anything else from you?

Magnus

Found nothing, except a roll of red duct tape, which belonged to one of my roommates at the time, [Redacted name T.], also know as Frost Cat, who is Blazger’s mate, real name [Redacted name M.].

Patch

Why would they want red duct tape?

Magnus

It was believed that it was used in the construction of the gas bomb, and Frost Cat admitted to it being his.

Patch

Did the FBI ask about your job as a lifeguard at the waterpark?

Magnus

They asked me if I had any chemicals in the apartment.

Patch

Did the FBI ever ask you about taking chlorine from work?

Magnus

I told them that I’ve been working there so long, it has probably bonded to my DNA
This is a very strange interview.

Patch

Well, I guess there’s different ways of getting DNA mutated into a furry, ha

Magnus

It reminds me of a police interrogation.

Patch

Where were you between 11 and 12:30AM on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at Midwest Furfest?

Magnus

Well, I was on one of the higher floors, eating Chinese food with Syber fox. then I came back to the room and talked to macleod wolf, and then the sirens went off.

Patch

Do you think they interviewed people you were with, like Syber?

Magnus

probably. it’s been three/four years

Patch

Thanks… I’m getting down to a last few questions, maybe 6 or 7
Did you get in trouble for anything earlier during the con?

Magnus

at mff 2015? I recall doing a photoshoot outside near the Christmas lights
the variety show went off without a hitch
but other than that the con was quite good.

Patch

How long have you known Foxler?

Magnus

I knew him under a different name.

Patch

His real life name, or a screen name?
Still there? We could do some casual chat in a little bit and clear the air more… just had a few more questions. You did say ask whatever on Facebook

Magnus

ok back now

Patch

Cool… take your time

Magnus

I thought you were going to ask me about Lemonade Coyote, or Arkansas, or that suit I wore at MFF 2017

Patch

We can chat casually about all that, and even give you the mike pretty much. I do have just a few more questions, if we can pick up from the one about Foxler

Magnus

I’m not part of the furry raiders. I’m not even sure what their agenda is.

Patch

I was curious about time period… did you know Foxler in 2014?

Magnus

his name was known to me a different one
and we just had casual conversations

Patch

Did Foxler tell you that the FBI knocked on his door, and why?

Magnus

The FBI knocked on many people’s doors after mff 2014
skrat was one of them.
I mean, who really knows?

Patch

Did you ever tell Foxler that you were behind the chlorine attack at MFF?

Magnus

No, never told him that.

Patch

Do you think they’ll ever figure out who did it?

Magnus

I have no idea. Was it a prank? I can’t even say.

Patch

Do you remember MacWolf’s friend having a diabetic emergency during the incident?
Don’t know if you were there

Magnus

It was just me and him in the room at the time.

When the sirens started, we left the room, and I went out to find friends.

Patch

I was curious if you ever regretted anything about that whole experience?

Magnus

I regret not having enough energy to fursuit more, I regret the lost opportunities that were lost that night because of that.

Patch

After MFF 2017, in December, did you try to downplay your arrest or act like it might not have happened?

Magnus

Well, this situation is still ongoing…you understand.

Patch

Yeah it is reasonable not to say much
Do you ever tell anyone the police are crooks or liars?

Magnus

I believe they do what they have to do.

Patch

Any idea why [Redacted name M.M.- boyfriend] was saying that to me in chat?

Magnus

You’d have to ask him.

Patch

OK, sure. Lastly, feel like just saying what you think about all this?

Magnus

You never did ask me about the other drama. I really wish the interview had revolved more around that, instead of this. But, I understand what you’re trying to get at. And it wasn’t me.

Patch

Do you think it’s unfair to be a suspect?

Magnus

I think one questioning should be enough.
It’s now been five, counting you.

Patch

That’s quite a lot… I dunno, it seems like clearing things should be easy if there’s nothing to it. But we can drop that. Did you want to put anything out there about all the other drama?

Magnus

I’d prefer the interview format, if that’s ok.

Patch

OK. Honestly, I think the other stuff is … kind of drama-y and not as serious an issue… the only thing about it is, it seems to just keep happening. Do you think that’s going to change?

Magnus

After what happened at mff 2017, it made me realize
cons have gotten shut down because of this, I didn’t read about it till later
MFF is too serious of a con to do much at any more.

Patch

Is it less fun with the history of things happening there? Planning to make a change and go to different places?

Magnus

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who got heat at mff 2017
One costumer had a WW1 outfit that they stopped him for wearing a gas mask, and there was another who was stopped at registration for dressing as a north korea military officer

Patch

Was it unexpected to get heat though?

Magnus

As long as I stayed in the non convention space, I believed there was nothing they could do.
I never once tried to enter convention space

Patch

Isn’t it kind of disrespectful to their wishes though, to go there at all, if it involves going right up to some line that’s supposed to be there?
Was there some reason that had to be done?

Magnus

I have always preferred to talk to people one on one
And I didn’t get that when they asked me about Arkansas at MFF 2015

Patch

It seems like they have to have some rules, and wishes that involve just expecting people to respect them without having to talk…

Magnus

That’s what this is all about
MFF 2015
The confederate flag fursuit

Patch

It’s their con… lot of people work hard to put it on… if they have some rules and wishes, why not just let them have those?
Isn’t it kind of obvious people aren’t happy about having lines pushed?
Is there something about it that’s not easy to understand?
Not trying to argue or anything, just honestly curious.

Magnus

It’s given me a lot to think about, this is for certain.

Patch

I have to say, I love cons. It’s a great way to meet people, make friends and just have a nice time with them. I’m wondering why push lines, or have people get mad… maybe it’s hard to get why they do? But anyways, if you think about changes, what about something like inviting people to you – like throwing an event just because it’s nice? Think that would be a good change? Like even, volunteering for another con.

Magnus

I used to do that years ago

Patch

On a whole other topic, Fur Con just happened… tell you a small story. I chatted [Redacted name R.H.] right before the con. I know he is a disabled guy who has a really hard time making friends, and his mom has to work hard to take care of him, and she takes him places. I tried asking him more than a few times if I could talk to his mom – was going to invite him and her to hang out or something and make it a better experience in case they were going to be by themselves or lonely. But he must have been too suspicious after having everyone hate him so he wouldn’t put me in touch. It’s really tough to get people out of having problems sometimes.

Magnus

He talks to me on a regular basis.

Patch

So anyways, I threw a bunch of tough questions at you. Thanks for taking them. It was a little frustrating that I’m not sure the answers were totally clear, but that’s stuff from the past and the future has all kinds of possibilities.

I think this is enough chatting for now, have to go to bed soon. No plans for what to do with the interview but it might go out with some light context but not too heavy writing, can just let it speak for itself.

Magnus

I’m not worried about the future, pretty much. I’m just wishing we had kept to more relevant topics.

Patch

There might be future issues if the Lemonade or Arkansas suits come out, other than that, you have some talent making suits… lots of possibilities for stuff that will get taken more positively.

Magnus

We’ll see. You have a good night.

Patch

You too

(End)

 

(EDIT) TL;DR – Why would Magnus be suspected in the 2014 attack at MFF, raided by the FBI and questioned 4 times?

• Convicted of a previous chemical attack
• History of trolling and acting vengeful
• Had a dispute with MFF staff
• Was at the location on upper floors of the hotel at the time of the incident
• Wrote strange journals focusing on the attention, and barely mentioned people getting hurt
• Drove to the con & had access to large amounts of chlorine
• Had the same tape at his apartment
• His acquaintance said he knew something
• Less than forthcoming about some of the questions

New questions: At the time of the attack, what was the path back to his room after hanging out with Syber on the upper floors of the hotel? Why refuse to say how long he knew Foxler or his other screen name? Why the extra long pause when I asked?

Troublingly, I think none of this clears Magnus, but crucially, it’s so circumstantial that I can’t assume guilt. That leaves it open ended. He was already questioned 4 times by the authorities, and if they haven’t proceeded, there can’t be a case worthy for trial. Benefit of the doubt for something so serious shouldn’t be taken away. That’s what I can say about the 2014 incident so far.

The 2017 arrest, and the connection to Altfurry

Now let’s address his wish to explain the arrest at Midwest Furfest in 2017. It seems like that’s why he asked for an interview (but he did say to ask ANY questions.) The story is pretty clear, isn’t it, when someone is told not to come to a convention in the first place and they come anyways?

Well, that’s not how Magnus sees it. Cons were interfering with the freedom of his confederate flag fursuiting, so they needed to get confronted. He said in the interview: “That’s what this is all about”. That leads to explanations he has posted: his defense is “where is con space?”  Pushing right up to the supposed line, but not into it – (if being in the hotel and surrounded by con-goers isn’t “con space”) – in his mind, that’s a rightful grievance about what someone is free to do.

In this interpretation, “technically legal” makes a blanket license for any activity you can possibly do. But what about respecting wishes of the event organizers, or the intentions of a direct message not to come?  Those are pushed aside by lawyering about the legal technicalities of social protocol.  Of course there’s a huge gap between what’s legal, and what’s nice, good, or acceptable. It’s legal to refuse to take showers and smell like a truck stop toilet on a hot day… but it’s not nice. If you do that, you can’t call people too easily offended about the stench. It might get you hosed. It sure won’t win welcome (unless they’re into that).

This describes every controversy and trolling incident ever involving the Furry Raiders and Altfurry groups. The only defenders for Magnus I’ve seen (besides his boyfriend) happen to be Altfurry, the same people responsible for attacking cons like Califur and lying about it.

Added 2/1/18: leaked from the altfurry “Mead Hall” private staff chat, posted by “Len”/Casey Hoerth AKA @altfurrydiscord

It all makes a shining example of the contortionist logic behind their claims to represent free speech in any and every form. If it’s legal, it’s needed, all nuances thrown in the trash; racist hate speech is nice and good for these purposes (“this is why we need altfurry!”) Remember, these aren’t lawyers in courts – it’s pushing an agenda in your face socially. For them, it’s entirely congruent that the hero for freedom is simultaneously an FBI suspect in attempted mass murder.

The Dylan Maxwell of Furry Fandom?

One of the best TV shows I’ve seen is American Vandal on Netflix. It’s a mockumentary about a video producing geek who does a true crime investigation at his high school. The best thing about this show is how perfect the parody is, with style like Making a Murderer. It looks at a fellow student, Dylan Maxwell, who is expelled for doing graffiti dicks on cars. He says he didn’t do it. Each new clue makes him look like he’s lying, then telling the truth, then lying again. He’s a fuckup and a stoner, he’s known for playing pranks, and his defense is absurdly unsympathetic… but even if he lied about other things, could he be telling the truth about his innocence? Should he be punished just for being a bad student? Maybe Magnus is Dylan. I won’t spoil the scene where Dylan confronts a smarmy little tattletale for Ultimate Revenge of the most ridiculous kind.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to deserve a flaming bag of poo on my doorstep for pursuing the interview questions too far. No matter what happened in the past, let me repeat that what’s written here leaves presumed innocence about what happened in 2014.

UPDATE – click through for thread.

"It's legal" is not a good reason to harass convention staff and attendees every year. They work hard to make cons a good time for everyone.https://t.co/Hl4j1ZZO6F

— ChipFox (@chipfoxx) January 23, 2018

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

There seemed to be a tipping point when outsiders started looking deeper into furry fandom, more than tapping on the zoo window and making lazy jokes. They started writing things better than “those freaks” or “Furry 101”. Then there was a change beyond warmer media (whose approval isn’t needed, anyways). Members started standing for a growing and more grown-up community by ditching some excess baggage. It was the best of both worlds – people caring more and all the fun and freedom too. Of course failures tag along when you have more people getting involved. For example, at Midwest FurFest 2017, there was drama about one guy being arrested for trolling. But that was just one. The real story was about success of the con heading towards 10,000 happy attendees.

Making room for more and better things means caring in many ways. Here’s a look at one way. Thanks to Whiteclaw for the guest post. (- Patch)

Why furries should care about politics – by Whiteclaw.

Politics + anthropomorphism = great art

“Keep politics out of furry.”

You’ve probably seen this type of comment. Maybe you’ve made it yourself. Given its polarizing nature, talking about politics is a fast way to lose friends and make enemies. And that’s just with regular people. So why bring it into the fandom?

Furries are a group of people that love anthromorphic animals. But the key word there is “people.” Because behind every fox/wolf/cat/badger/dragon/etc. is a person. And that person is affected by politics. The fact that we roleplay as animals online doesn’t change this.

“Furry is an escape. I shouldn’t have to talk about politics here.”

There’s a valid point here in that we can’t and shouldn’t be focused on politics every second of every day. Yes we sometimes need to take a break from the awfulness of the world and furry is a great way to do that.

But an escape in this sense implies a break or a time-out. It suggests that we’re involved in dealing with these issues at some point. And if we never do, if we’re always “escaping” politics, then furry isn’t an escape, it’s an excuse.

More than that, furry doesn’t have to be just something you do, it can be something you are. In the 1990’s there was a split between fans who only looked up to professional artists, and ones they looked down on as “lifestylers” for acting like their own community. Now it is one. Politics affects our community the same way it does any other. The sheer diversity of the fandom means that, in some ways, it affects us more.

“I don’t care about politics, and I don’t see the point in talking about it.”

Well that, my friend, brings us to that very pesky word we all know and hate: Privilege. Yes, I know you’ve all heard it. White privilege. Straight privilege. Male privilege. Cis privilege. Privilege, privilege, privilege. Sick of hearing about it yet?

But the sad reality is that it exists. And the most insidious thing about it is this: Not having to think about privilege is the greatest privilege of all.

If you’re not a minority, or more importantly if you aren’t treated as one, it’s a lot easier to sweep all this talk about rights and status under the rug. You can say, “I’m just a big, dumb, fun-loving dog on the internet,” and ignore things like systemic racism and double standards. But the further down the totem pole you are, the more it affects your every-day life, furry or otherwise.

So before you declare politics a non-issue, consider that not everyone else in our community has that luxury. And when you say, “All I care about is furry,” what you’re also saying is, “I don’t care about problems that don’t directly affect me.”

It also means you don’t care about what happens to your fellow furs who don’t share all the same privileges as you.

“Okay, but I deal with politics outside of furry. Can’t furry be a safe space?”

The worry that came true

Well, yes and no. First, let’s talk about the big problem we have in the fandom: The Furry Raiders.

Once upon a time, if you had someone in the fandom that was problematic, we could pretty easily blacklist them. But the furry community has grown. The reason con attendances go up every year is because the size of the fandom has also increased. While that’s largely a good thing, it comes with its own set of problems.

If for every 100 furs, there’s 1 problematic person, then having 1,000 furries means we only have to deal with 10 people who are a problem. Up that number to 10,000 furs and suddenly we have 100 toxic people to deal with.

On their own, these people aren’t that big an issue, but with changes in the current political climate, these people have banded together, and branded themselves AltFurry (a play on the term AltRight) as well as creating a group called The Furry Raiders.

Put simply, this is a hate group that calls itself furry. In reality, many of these people aren’t actually furries. The fandom’s open and inclusive nature and the fact that we’re often looked down on, even by other subcultures, makes us an easy target for hate groups to infiltrate and recruit.

But it’s not just AltFurry we have a problem with. More and more, furry has started to develop its own form of celebrities, popufurs as they’re often called. While some of these people use their platform for good, others regularly and casually spout hateful rhetoric and bigoted views against minorities.

A furry might be popular because they’re an artist, have a cute fursuit, or regularly organize events for furries into other activities like sports, camping, or crafts. But when that same furry uses their platform to spread hate and bigotry, we can’t just ignore these statements because we enjoy the other content they provide.

In short, politics has come to furry whether we want it to or not. And ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. If anything, supporting someone who has a hateful stance, just because you like the content they put out, only helps to spread their messages of hate.

But let’s say you’re just here to look at cute animals and have a good time. Maybe furry truly is an escape or safe space for you. And there’s nothing wrong with that, per se. But if that’s the case…then the furry fandom doesn’t mean that much to you.

WAIT! Put down your torches and pitchforks! Or at least give me a chance to address that comment you’re already composing. I’m not acting as the furry gatekeeper here. I’m not saying you can’t be furry or that you somehow aren’t a “true furry.” There’s not a lot in the way of strict definitions for what even makes someone a furry.

And there’s nothing wrong with furry not being that important to you. If you’re younger, there’s probably a lot more going on in your life as you try to decide who you are and the directions you want to go. If you’re older, you probably just have higher priorities.

But if you’re someone that could take or leave furry, who doesn’t find it a dominating factor in your life, then consider that others do. And we care about making this fandom a safe, inclusive environment.

So if you care about this fandom, beyond simply enjoying the content it produces, then understand that we have to address these issues within furry. Politics isn’t something we can just ignore. It affects all of us, whether we like it or not.

– Whiteclaw

More thoughts:

Hey so I don't remember if my old thread about fandom complacency and "leaving politics at the door" was caught in my tweet purge but here's a reminder: politics affect everyone, everywhere and for some of us the effect is detrimental as hell. THREAD:

— SOY JIGOKU (@edgedestroys) January 17, 2018

I hate that talking about real world issues is considered "drama" to most furries. Not all of us can pretend that the real world doesn't exist when we log on to twitter, stop patronizing people for talking about shit that matters for the sake of your fuzzy wuzzy escapism.

— Betting Over It With Genet Foddy (@CMYKGenet) January 18, 2018

check it out guys, I found a living example of why @DogpatchPress's article about "apolitical furry" is so accurate! https://t.co/9fiHrgBtIg pic.twitter.com/pANWFjXfRO

— obligate aerobe @ ANE (@JUNIUS_64) October 17, 2017

Imagine being the kind of person who is racist "for fun."

Like you have a choice to be _anything_ you want, and you decide to be racist to try to upset people who don't like racism.

This is why "ironic" racism isn't "just a joke." It's actually just racism. pic.twitter.com/xvPSSLvjU5

— Be Good Have Fun Launch Nazis Into The Sun (@XydexxUnicorn) January 17, 2018

Happy Holidays!

In this time of giving, we think there's no better gift to give than peace. As such, we're happy to present to you with an updated list, downloadable as a CSV file here: https://t.co/w7wYcgmhzV

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and enjoy the quiet!

— AltFurryBlocker (@AltFurryBlocker) December 23, 2017

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

RUKUS at the 20th annual SF Indie Fest

February 2, 7:00 PM / February 5, 9:15 PM

Roxie theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco

RSVP at Meetup to join the furmeet – 2nd show – fest info

Rukus – a fiction/documentary hybrid by Brett Hanover

Birth of an indie furry movie scene

Videowolf’s documentary Fursonas [2016] was a landmark, even if it split watchers between love and hate. (Wag your tail if good movie making comes before “does it make the fandom look good?”) It wasn’t the first feature-length indie production by furries – that was the only-fandom-seen Bitter Lake [2011].  It wasn’t the first high quality movie that had them in it – that was the German arthouse gem Finsterworld [2013].  But it was a movie that broke through to more than only a “furry movie” by aiming for a thoughtful, critical look at subculture and identity. It just happened to be directed by and about furries. Now they don’t just follow behind mass media that many claim not to depend on. They also make it and play on bigger screens.

At roughly the same time, Zootopia [2016] was a huge event. Animation may be the holy grail for furriness on screen, but a behemoth budget from Disney is light years from the cottage industry where fandom gets its strength. Zootopia was merely a “furry” movie, as in, one whose directors won’t let you call it that. Journalist Joe Strike had a story about that in his book Furry Nation (another first for publishing in 2017.)

I was invited to a Zootopia press junket the week before the film premiered and was granted one-on-one time with Byron and his directing partner, Rich Moore. I immediately — and perhaps not too wisely — asked if the teaser was a “dog whistle” to the furry community. Howard deftly dodged my questions, and not long after the interview I received an email from my upset editor, who’d been contacted by an upset Disney PR person. – (Joe Strike, Furry Nation, p. 333)

This is about capital-F Furry. The kind that feeds itself, knows itself and doesn’t hide it. I’ve always wanted to see DIY furry creativity have a scene with film and video, like it does with art and costuming. I wrote about how cool it would be to have a Furry Film Fest. Of course, dance vids and music vids (and even web series) have done relatively well. In 2017 furry Youtubers rose on their own merits to silver Creator Award level (100,000 subscribers and up). But fandom originals are more based on costuming and performing than refining a voice in storytelling and directing. That’s where I want to see furries come out with a roar.

In 2016, Fursonas set the stage for it. Then Eric Risher’s short documentary Furries won a regional Emmy. Recently there was a short mockumentary that went in festivals, Mascot Fur Life [2017], but there hasn’t yet been another feature movie that catches the spark. I’m sniffing around for it.

The premiere at SF Indie Fest 

Brett Hanover is coming to the Roxie to present his 86 minute movie. Brett will be at both shows and hopes furries will come out in support.  That happened in 2016 for Frameline Film Fest – the largest/oldest festival for LGBT cinema. The festival enthusiastically welcomed furries and fursuiters to showings of both Videowolf’s and Eric Risher’s documentaries. It even brought us to the stage and let us promote local cons. That was right down the street from the Roxie. We had a wonderful event host nearby at Relay Raccoon’s apartment, and a busy downtown street for a fursuit walk and dinner. Let’s do it again and make it a night to remember! (RSVP on Meetup.)

Brett’s site describes Rukus:

Frameline Film Fest furmeet

Furries, filmmakers, kinksters, survivors. A fictionalized personal account of coming of age in Memphis at the turn of the century. This feature-length video project is based on work begun in collaboration with furry artist Rukus, left unfinished after his death in 2008.

SF Indiefest says:

A hybrid of documentary and fiction, Rukus is a queer coming of age story set in the liminal spaces of furry conventions, southern punk houses, and virtual worlds. Rukus is a 20-year-old furry artist, living with his boyfriend Sable in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida. In his sketchbooks, Rukus is constructing an imaginary universe – a sprawling graphic novel in which painful childhood memories are restaged as an epic fantasy. Brett is a 16-year-old filmmaker with OCD, working on a documentary about kinky subcultures in spite of his own anxiety. After an interview leads to an online friendship, their lives entwine in ways that push them into strange, unexplored territories.

Brett tells me:

I should say, the movie can be heavy at times – it deals with trauma, mental health, and suicide – but it is ultimately, in my opinion, hopeful, optimistic, and encouraging – it’s about survival and friendship. And sometimes it’s even funny. But, I just want to make sure that people know that even though it’s the premiere, and I am excited to have a party, it’s not a light movie. It is really cool to see my film put in context with other furry films, and it’s great that you are pointing forward to other possibilities for unapologetic furry indie film. I am getting so excited!!!

I have access to a screener copy but haven’t watched yet (review coming soon).  However I have long believed that someone needs to do a hybrid approach… Disney budgets don’t fund bold weird queer subculture, so how do you make a convincing fantasy world without even people in it? You can frame it as story-within-story directed with gonzo, surreal or stylish personal expression.

There’s a wikifur page for Rukus, the furry who inspired the movie. And I’m proud to be a favorite link at Brett Hanover’s site. There you’ll see continuing fascination and dedication to this awesome fandom thing. His work in progress gives confidence about knowing it from within. Can’t wait to see it.

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

Thanks to Rex and Flash for their reviews! Dogpatch Press welcomes community access writers – get in touch. – Patch

A review of Mascot Fur Life

I have just watched a film titled Mascot Fur Life (2016 German with English subtitles). To be honest I was a bit apprehensive to watch another “furry film/ documentary” – the last one I watched left me feeling betrayed and hollow inside. Anyway, on to this film.

The main character is a Lion named Willion Richards.  Willion’s dream is to be the mascot of a soccer team.  He trains very hard with the help of his coach Berk.  Life is difficult for Willion, who struggles as a greeter in a large hardware store.

The film is professionally made, with excellent editing, good camera angles, great sets, and most scenes being shot on location.  I’m sure none of us will argue that the costumes aren’t first rate!

Can Willion make the tryouts?  Will this lion be happy, or forever doomed to work at a hardware store?  Will he overcome despair and the prejudice against him? Can he even pay the rent for his flat?

I found this film to be most enjoyable; in fact, I highly recommend you see it!

It most assuredly receives a Five Paw rating from this old dog.

– Rex Masters

Hard Work Fur the passionate

A review of the YouTube mockumentary Mascot Fur Life

By Jeremiah “Flash Hound” Stanley

Ever since I entered the furry fandom in 2014, as I got further and further into it, I’ve seen content from a range of media and points of view such as musical furries – like NIIC and Pepper Coyote – along with sports furries, like Huscoon and myself.  I recently watched the newly released Mascot Fur Life from Willion. I think it’s one of the best furry films since Disney’s popular Zootopia (2016) made the mainstream take a little notice about the fandom. I’d like to go deeper into the film, and break it down from different aspects.

● Story

The meaning of the story is something everyone can relate to in their own special way. It’s a similar story to Rocky films from the last few decades, and features a variety of fursuiters such as Keenora, who is shown in the film at the mascot auditions. The meaning of the film is to never give up, and work hard for that one thing you’re passionate for and determined to get in your lifetime.

● Characters

Every character in the film, whether speaking or mute, plays their roles perfectly as directed. The one character I have many questions about is Berk. I’m certain that he’ll raise questions for other viewers too. Some questions I have about Berk would be: “How can he hear what Julia is telling him through his cell phone if he put his cell phone at his fursuit cheek instead of his fursuit ears which are obviously higher than his cheek?” and “How did Berk and Julia agree about settling a walk-in mascot audition for Willion so quickly?” The only way to get the answers would be to ask Willion directly.

● Music

The music in the film is well put together to fit every situation faced by Willion, the main character, in each scene. It’s created beautifully to capture the viewer’s attention. It nearly puts the viewer in the fur of the main character, Willion, to share his experiences in the storyline of the film.

● Overall rating

The film is well put together and all the fursuiters who took part in the film give it a family friendly feeling. I’m certain between most recording sessions that the fursuiters were treated to healthy food and drinks. The one thing I didn’t like was the drinks that were shown in the film – thankfully I don’t believe they were told to drink them. Despite that one complaint, I would give Mascot Fur Life a 9.5 out of 10 rating.

– Flash Hound

Follow the film on Facebook or Twitter – and watch for their next project, a web series called Wolfgang Doe that starts filming in summer 2018.  But first, here’s a notice about supporting the film makers:

You can help “Mascot Fur Life” to win a prize!!!

To be nominated for the Ursa Major Award, we need your vote by February 15th! Go to the linked page and register to vote for our film. We want to be nominated in the category “Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work or Series.”

The Ursa Major Awards are prizes awarded annually by the furry community for the best media / literary works dealing with Anthrophomorphism (Animal-human) content.

The Mascots are counting on you!

http://www.ursamajorawards.org/nominations.htm

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

Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr, by John Crowley. Illustrated by Melody Newcomb.
NYC, Saga Press, October 2017, hardcover $28.99 ([4 +] 442 [+2] pages), trade paperback $16.99, Kindle $7.99.

This is the story of Dar Oakley, “the first Crow in all of history with a name of his own” (blurb). It is told by a nameless human narrator in the time of death, when both humans and Crows are all dying. The narrator’s wife Debra has just died, and he is sick, delirious, and alone in his country house. He finds a sick, obviously dying Crow in his back yard:

“I approached it warily – those bills are sharp – and heard from several directions the calling of other Crows, so close I thought I ought to be able to see them, though I couldn’t. The sick one made no attempt to get away, and didn’t even watch me come closer. Or so I thought then. It would take me a long time to understand that Crows, courting or walking a field together, never turning heir heads to observe one another, aren’t indifferent to or unconscious of their neighbors. No. A Crow’s eyes are set far apart, far enough apart that he can best see very close things out of only one eye. Crows beside one another are, in their way, face-to-face.” (p. 4)

The narrator brings the dying Crow into his house on a shovel. But the Crow does not die, nor does the narrator. During the next two years the Crow and the narrator, always alone, both get well, and the narrator learn to talk to the Crow. The Crow, Dar Oakley, tells him his life story. All two thousand years of it:

“He tells me now that he can’t remember much at all of the worst days of his sickness, and the story that I tell – the backyard, the Crows, the shovel, the bathtub – will have to do for him as well as for me. The one thing he knew and I didn’t was that he wouldn’t die. That would take more than a bout of West Nile, if that’s what this was.” (p. 6)

Ka pages 13 to 442 are Dar Oakley’s story. It starts long before the days of Julius Caesar, in the lands of the Celts in northern Europe. One day the Crow who would become Dar Oakley was boasting to a wandering Vagrant Crow:

“‘You’d probably not believe me,’ Dar Oakley said one day to the Vagrant, ‘if I told you how far from here I’ve been.’

The Vagrant, poking in the mud of a pond’s edge for larvae or Frog’s eggs or whatever else might turn up, said nothing in response.

‘I’ve been where there are no Crows at all,’ Dar Oakley said. ‘None anywhere but me.’

‘No such place,’ the Vagrant averred,

‘Oh no?’ said Dar Oakley. ‘Go as far as I have,’

The Vagrant stopped his hunting. ‘Listen, fledgling.’ He said, in a low but not soft voice. ‘Long ago I left the places where I grew up. I was run out. Never mind why. Always between then and now I’ve been on the wing.’” (p. 17)

Dar Oakley flies far to prove the Vagrant wrong, but he never does. He returns to the home of his parents and siblings and his murder, where they watch the two-legs and their rolling carts come into their woods and settle. But there is always something a bit different, more adventurous about him; a willingness to go farther than the others.

One day Dar Oakley visits a farther land yet (the human Underworld). When he returns home, he is immortal.

Centuries pass. The Celts become Irish monks, and Dar Oakley travels with them to the unknown lands of the West.

More time passes. Eventually Dar Oakley’s and the narrator’s lives become intertwined.

Ymr is the human world, and Ka is the land of the Crows. Of all animals, actually, but Dar Oakley is corvid-centric. Ka has other talking animals among Dar Oakley’s adventures:

“The Owl looked around itself with its mobile head as though for a definite answer to give. Then it said, This is possible.

Yes, Dar Oakley cried. I knew it must be, and it is!

It is possible, the Owl went on. Because you have been a friend to Death, I will tell you how.

Yes, Dar Oakley said. (Had he been a friend to Death? Where, in what land, among whom?)

To do it, the Owl said, you must do exactly as I say.

I will.” (p. 327)

“The two Ravens turned to one another with a look that seemed to say, Has a question been put to us? Then one bent forward a little toward Dar Oakley. ‘Of Crows,’ it said, ‘there are gnone.’

‘Where have they gone? There are Crows everywhere.’

‘As you say,’ said the other Raven. ‘But gnot here.’” (p. 379)

“Night should have fallen by then but somehow hadn’t, as though the sun hovered just below the horizon and sank no farther. Dar Oakley followed the beast through the wilderness of the riverbank ruins, they passed among People unnoticed, the People seeming dim and hardly present. It was light enough to fly, and sometimes he flew, unable otherwise to keep up with Coyote’s ceaseless trotting.

He wasn’t from these places, he told Dar Oakley; not city-bred, no: he was unwelcome in the city, and if he was caught by the People, he’d be got rid of without hesitation.

Of course they have to catch me before the trial can start, he said, if there’s a trial, which there wouldn’t be, because they don’t catch me, so on we go.” (pgs. 420-421)

Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr (cover by Sonia Chaghatzbanian) is not as much a furry novel as a mainstream talking-animal fable. John Crowley is a World Fantasy Award-winning author who was originally classified as a science-fiction writer – see his 1976 s-f novel Beasts with bioengineered leos (lion-men) and one fox-man – but today is considered to write in general fiction, science-fiction, fantasy, and experimental writing.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon
• Buy on Simon and Schuster

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

On Sunday evening at Further Confusion, I chatted with Mark Merlino and Rod O’Riley of the Prancing Skiltaire furry house, founders of ConFurence, the first furry con. We talked about how a certain fandom controversy today is dragging on one that started all the way back with the divide between fans and “lifestylers”. That is, people who only liked furry stuff – vs. people who dared call themselves Furries, with a community beyond simply being a consumer for anthropomorphic animal media. It looks out for its members like any other.

This community recognizes contributors with annual awards. The awards are funded by Rod and Mark, and they need help. It’s a modest 3-digit cost… but still the help has to happen. We discussed the monthly model of Patreon vs. a one-time cost of GoFundMe or IndieGogo. Expect more info on that soon. Furry readers: is this something you would contribute to? Please speak up in the comments! – Patch  

Fred Patten tells more about those awards:

Nominations for the 2017 Ursa Major Awards opened on January 11, the first day of Further Confusion 2018. The awards celebrate the best anthropomorphic literature and art first published during the previous calendar year.

Visit their site to participate: http://www.ursamajorawards.org/

The awards are selected through a two-stage process of nomination and voting. Members of the public send in up to five nominations in each of the twelve categories. The top nominations in each category are then presented for a public vote.

Award categories:

• Motion Picture
• Dramatic Short Work or Series
• Novel
• Short Fiction
• Other Literary Work
• Non-Fiction Work
• Graphic Story
• Comic Strip
• Magazine
• Published Illustration
• Game
• Website

Many nominations are likely to come from the ALAA’s Recommended Anthropomorphics List, which has been built up through prior suggestions; however, inclusion on the list is not necessary nor sufficient for a work to be nominated.

Nominations close on February 15, and will be tallied during the end of February. The final ballot will be announced on March 1 and voting will take place until the end of March. All those who register for nominations may use the same registration key to vote in the final ballot. Those people who did not send in nominations may still vote on the final ballot. The ballots will be counted, the trophies made, and the results will be announced at the award presentations in Surfer’s Paradise, Queensland, at FurDU 2018, scheduled for May 4-6.

Please note that the nominations period has been shortened to only the first half of February, instead of the entire month of February as is usual. This is so the final ballot may be concluded at the end of March.

The awards are sponsored by the independent Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association.

Fred added that the Fursuit category is not active at this time because substantiating information is needed, and only one person made the effort to provide it since the time of the category started, so it will not be on the Recommended List for 2018. 

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

Arcana: A Tarot Anthology, Madison Scott-Clary, ed. Illustrated by Joseph Chou.
Lansing, MI, Thurston Howl Publications, November 2017, trade paperback, $17.99 (xi + 423 pages).

The tarot cards, according to the Preface by editor Scott-Clary, were introduced to Europe in the 15th century. They have been used for fortune-telling since the 16thth century, if not earlier. There are four suits of 14 cards each, plus 22 “major arcana” cards. The arcana have individual names: The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Hierophant, and so on. Arcana: A Tarot Anthology presents 22 stories, one for each arcana card, featuring anthro animals. Each is illustrated by a full-page portrait in the style of an anthro arcana card by Joseph Chou.

The first story, “The First Step” (The Fool) by editor Madison “Makyo” Scott-Clary, is less a story than a tutorial on how tarot fortune-telling works. Avery, a shy young mountain lion, is sent by his mother to a nameless older badger fortune-teller by his mother. Avery, the narrator, is just about to leave home for college, and his mother insists that he find out from the tarot cards what the future will bring. The motherly badger is as much a lay psychologist as a fortune-teller. “The First Step” is unusual in being narrated in the present tense:

“She leans in close to me, stage-whispering, ‘I’ll let you in on a secret. None of the cards in the swords suit – in any suits – show blood. Death, yes. Change, definitely. But no blood.   It’s hardly hacking and slashing.’

‘But they’re still –‘

She holds up a paw. ‘They’re still swords, but they’re tools. Swords show work. Strife, sometimes, sure; striving toward a goal. But what they is show work. These swords aren’t working right now, they’re just standing there. So where is the striving?’

‘Behind them?’ I ask. “They figures are all facing away from something.’

‘Or toward something.’

‘So,’ I say hesitantly. ‘I’m going to go on a journey?’” (p. 11)

“Cat’s Paw” (The Magician) by Mut is narrated by a nameless desperate were-dog who accosts a lion-man wizard and his date in a bar to get his curse removed. But nobody is what they seem. Very sardonically amusing:

“So here’s the secret to spotting a wizard: look for the one with a body that’s just too perfect. There’s a stud who’s six three, muscles fighting to escape his shirt, not a hair out of place? Wizard. Or a porn star, maybe, but probably a wizard.

[…]

I’d been trawling through bars for a wizard all evening, ad it was getting close to the deadline. I’d found a couple of almosts and one obvious poseur, but nobody with real magic. This guy, though, he was unmistakeable. He hadn’t even bothered to keep it human – too green to know better, or too powerful to care. He was a lion, with a mane and golden fur and whiskers and everything. There was even a tail flicking away under the barstool.” (pgs. 21-22)

“Catalyst” (The High Priestess) by Kristina “th ‘buni” Tracer is good, but it suffers from being too similar to “The First Step”. The narrator, unnamed until the last page, gets stinking drunk and into a fight at the Unicorn Chaser nightclub. His date, an impala named Ndidi, walks out on him. He is sobered up the next day at the nearby home of an also-unnamed porcupine “spiritual consultant”. She uses the tarot, but her “fortunetelling” is more lay psychiatry than anything else. Her counseling solves the narrator’s emotional problems that led to his drunkenness. A feel-good incident.

“Domestic Violence” (The Empress) by Frances Pauli features a modern domestic home of dinosaurs; George & Anni Raptor, and their daughters Ellie & Emily. Were raptors really this short-tempered?

“Anni peered through the glass oven door and tapped one oversized sickle-claw against her linoleum tiles. Her casserole bubbled happily away on the rack inside. One half pound of gooey melted cheese almost near perfection, and George was late getting home again.

It would be cold, ruined, by the time he finally dragged his tail through the front door.

She squinted at the bubbles and raked her claw against the tiles, digging an angry rut in the floor that George was bound to notice. That, he’d see. Her new nail polish or the dress she’d picked out for their anniversary, however, he’d likely never even acknowledge.” (p. 51)

“George warbled deep in his throat and walked into his house to see a ring of disapproving expressions. They sat around the dining table, in the alcove just off the kitchen, and it looked like they’d fully stuffed themselves without him.

You’re late again,’ Anni snapped. Her toe tapped an irritating staccato against the flooring and he could already see a spot where she’d damaged it again. More remodels he could barely afford.” (p. 53)

Two angry, frustrated raptors.   A perfect recipe for domestic violence.

“Domestic Violence” is the first story here that has no obvious connection to the tarot arcana. Anni is certainly the Empress of the Raptor household, though. Arcana or not, this is one of the most wickedly humorous stories in this anthology. Pauli never lets you forget that these are ferocious, hissing raptors in a business suit and a dress.

“Joseph and the Technicolor Fur Coat” (The Emperor) by Stephen Coughlan is a sweet tale of confronting modernity:

“It used to be that he [Joseph T. Macintosh, a human] rented a bull from one of his neighbors for a month or two, got most, if not all, of his herd pregnant and then sent the bull back to its home on a trailer.   Nowadays, Joseph had to contact the breeder industry and then within hours of ordering a stud, a half-human/half-cow creation, a recent creation of science, would pull up in a fancy automobile, lurch his way to the field, and commence, ahem, ‘meeting’ every cow in the vicinity.” (p. 63)

Joseph, sixty years old, is the Emperor of his farm, but he’s resigned himself that he’s behind the times. He’s satisfied that his three “wayward children” have created modern lives of their own. Peter will come home to take over the farm. Susan is a university graduate with a good job lined up, and a reliable fiancé. David … well, Joseph has a hard time accepting David’s lifestyle, but at least David is a successful hair stylist. Joseph is even ready to grit his teeth and accept David’s homosexual marriage to another man. Then he learns that Felix is a hybrid:

“‘Yeah I’m sure.’ Felix finally purred. His voice was deep and guttural. He was a cross between human, black leopard, and Himalayan housecat. His dark fur shone n the morning light, and painted highlights, which had been lovingly applied by his fiancé and covered his body from head to foot, sparkled in a brilliant Technicolor display.” (p. 73)

Can Joseph accept Felix as David’s “husband” or is this Too Much?

“The Lunatic” (The Hierophant) by C. M. Averin may be the most subtle story in this anthology. “‘I need it,’ she whispered. ‘Kill him.’” (p. 85) Rafael, a wolf in a bar, hears her voice and follows a coyote out into the snowy forest to the river to kill him. Who is Rafael, the coyote, listening to? Who is “her”? Consider the title and the meaning of “hierophant”.

In “Love Not Misplaced” (The Lovers) by Hypetaph, Annette (cheetah) confesses her doubts about her husband Keiran’s love for her and the stability of their marriage, in the cathedral’s confessional. Father Joseph (fossa) reassures her. The story has a stinger at the end.

In “Avoiding the Subject” (The Chariot) by TJ Minde, the chariot is the car that Robert (rabbit) and Danny (pika) drive to Robert’s Midwestern childhood home for a family reunion dinner. As they drive back to the city afterwards, Robert asks Danny why he never talks about his family.   Danny tells him. A nice slice-of-life story.

“Chasing the Dragon” (Strength) by Baxil is narrated by Regan, a dragon suffering hoard-withdrawal in Pangaea, where he’s lived for 18 days on a visa granting asylum. Regan’s native Draconia is on the verge of declaring war on Pangaea, and Regan, a pacifist, has emigrated. Pangaea is a herbivore nation, but determined not to back down in the face of Draconian aggression. Regan can take the prejudice of most Pangaeans against dragons, but he’s afraid of succumbing to addiction to his hoard of coins, which he had to leave behind in Draconia. Will Regan have the emotional Strength to survive in Pangaea without it?

The Hermit in “While It Lasts” (The Hermit) by John Kulp is Curtis Vintner, a southern possum (presumably an American opossum, not an Aussie possum) living alone in a cabin with his shotgun. The narrator is his nephew Trevor, a gay teenage punk full of piercings who has been sent to his uncle for a week for punishment for having been caught with weed. Trev hates his uncle’s redneck lifestyle, but he hates government bureaucracy more. When the government tries to seize Uncle Curtis’ land for non-payment of taxes, Trev plans to fight the government’s lawyers in court. But first he has to convince Uncle Curtis not to fight them from ambush with his bear traps and shotgun. A nice funny-animal tale of two different generations and lifestyles bonding.

“The Dragon of Volcano Island” (Wheel of Fortune) by Madison Keller is a short-story prequel to her Dragonsbane Saga series. Riastel, a dragon youth, is turned out of his mother’s cave to find his own home. His search leads to a perfect cavern on a volcanic island, already occupied by a larger dragon who has amassed a hoard of gleaming gold. He just has to figure out how to get rid of the older, deadlier dragon. Riastel’s story leads to Keller’s The Dragon Tax, where he meets Sybil Dragonsbane.

In “Red” (Justice) by Searska GreyRaven, four lycan (wolf) teens dare each other to call Bloody Mary, a supernatural lamb whose fleece is soaked with blood, who (according to urban legend) comes through a household mirror if summoned at midnight on Halloween. So they call her through the bathroom mirror at Jason’s house. Is this supposed to be a Halloween horror story? The writing is okay, but the mood is just of four teens goofing off on Halloween night. Totally un-scary. What’s more, this is the most “funny animal” story in the anthology. The “lycans” and lambs never feel like anthro animals instead of modern urban humans.

The Hanged Man means reversal. In “Unbound” by Chris “Sparf” Williams, is Finn (wolf) gay or transgender? Finn feels fucked up several ways. His father hates “queers”. His mother doesn’t care what gender he is; she just wants him to become a successful corporate office climber instead of the independent artist he wants to be. Finn’s older brother Blair is supportive, but he’s ultra-straight and Finn can tell he doesn’t really understand what Finn wants. What does Finn want? He doesn’t know himself. In “Unbound”, Finn struggles to discover what he really is.

“Unbound” is a really strong story, but it kept flagging my hangup about funny-animals vs. real anthropomorphs. Mentions of anthro wolves, foxes, otters, and other species shopping at IKEA, drinking beers or martinis, eating meat loaf, “a pine marten chewing on his morning pastry” (p. 231) at a coffee shop, kept me seeing them as just animal-headed humans despite Williams’ frequent mentions of fur and tails. (Would a wolf order a Caesar salad at a restaurant?) “Unbound” is great if little details like this don’t bother you.

“St. John’s Bridge” (Death) by Rose LaCroix also has a transgender theme. The first-person focus is developed through back-and-forth incidents in Allen’s/Erica’s life between 2014 and 2010. Death is involved, but how? Again, this is a better story if you aren’t bothered by hangups about foxes, deer, hyenas, and ocelots living together in real cities like Las Vegas, driving cars of real makes like Mustangs, and so on.

“A Temper for Order” (Temperance), a second story by Frances Pauli, is set in a seaside community of birds. Piper, a sandpiper, is a herbalist. Trudy, a neighboring shopkeeper, is a weaver bird. Dash, a stork, collects and sells pretty seashells. Trudy, a matchmaker, is trying to set up a romance between Piper and Dash, but Piper is a neatness freak and Dash appears to be a sloppy drunk. “A Temper for Order” dramatizes that Temperance means moderation in all things, not just drinking.

“Faux” (The Devil) by Atrum is highly unusual in never saying specifically what the protagonist is. The reader has to piece together clues in the story: “The practice opened at seven, closed at six, five days a week; he spent months becoming primarily diurnal, there weren’t enough nocturnal species in that area to cater to.” (p. 296) Ian, a doctor (Chou’s arcana portrait shows him as a raccoon), has built a successful practice, but he’s obsessed with displaying that success. He works longer hours to make more money to buy flashy signs of wealth for his home and office. Iker (husky), his receptionist, argues that he should get more rest, hire more help; Iker is less worried about Ian’s health as that he’s starting to make mistakes from overwork. But Ian can’t cut back because that might look like he was less successful. The Devil is a symbol of obsession with material things.

“The Storm” (The Tower) by J. S. Hawthorne is so vividly written that you don’t need Chou’s illustration to see the action:

“The rat called Paladin – the only name left to him – stood at the end of the craggy pass, staring up at the tower. It was a huge monolith, and its black-marble façade was alive with blue-green light from the electric sensors embedded in its surface. Sparks and electrical arcs lit the night from the Tesla generator on top, and threw him into sharp relief against the obsidian around him.” (p. 315)

Paladin is part of a team of revolutionaries attacking a major bastion of the oppressive government, a tower disguised as a Weather Monitoring Station. He fights his way to the top despite fierce resistance wielding both swords and electric weapons. A tense, exciting story.

In “No Peas in My Garden” (The Star) by Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen, narrated by a nameless priest, it is the Church that is bioengineering Nhab experiments like Lucia the lioness assistant curate, and the public that protests against them. After all, the Church teaches that we are all – all – God’s children, and it was a priest who first discovered the laws of genetics with pea plants. The priest is about to soothe the crowd, but Lucia asks to speak for herself. This is a different viewpoint from one often heard in furry fandom, but quietly, powerfully expressed.

In “Who Fights With Monsters” (The Moon), Kyell Gold packs a novel’s worth of plot into a sixteen-page short story. Czoltan, a teenager, has been a werewolf for eight months. The U.N. has ruled that the werewolves in the Balkans should have their own country, but the armies of the former Yugoslav nations try to “ethnic cleanse” the area of werewolves before that can happen. There is silver dust as a weapon to kill werewolves, and the “fact” that if a werewolf stays in wolf form for too long, it becomes normal wolf permanently. Czoltan wants to fight for the werewolf nation, but should he do it as a human, a half-wolf, or a full wolf?

In “Remembering Sisyphus” (The Sun) by George Squares, Salim (Tiger), Chrissy (Border Collie), and Victor (Yellow Labrador) are attending an endless party throughout the resort city of Cape Carolyn. They pick up the nameless narrator (Spathy, a Squirrel), alone, and he and Salim go off together.

“I took him to the pier which held the biggest Ferris wheel in the city. Its lights dazzled in day glow vivacity that sparkled and shined as a spinning medallion. The twilit horizon line of the ocean made the wheel appear god-like, Aztec, holding attentions immeasurable as they passed us, shrieking with delight and rapture. A dapper weasel in a boater hat handed us change and two ticket stubs as we entered our cart.” (p. 375)

Will Salim ever realize that they are trapped in a sunny, endless party that really does go on forever?

“A Time for Giving” (Judgment) by Allison Thai focuses on Sonya, a Soviet wolf who awakens from a freezing wintry train wreck in the tent of Batu and his family of Mongolian horses. As Sonya heals and the weather improves, she has time to compare the worlds of the ruthless NKVD with that of the peaceful nomadic peasants.

Diamma, in “The Unification of Worlds” (The World) by Mary E. Lowd, is one of a party of hybrid spacemen; a lion-lizard. Others are Aggem, a deer-bird, and Mundo, a turtle-elephant. They are sent to the perpetually pink-snowy world of Snomoth, inhabited by a tiny, mouselike civilization.

“‘Wait,’ the mouse squeaked. ‘Take me with you. The universe is ending: take me with you!’” (p. 404)

What can Eip, the yellow Snomoth mouse, teach the galactic civilization?

Arcana: A Tarot Anthology (cover by Joseph Chou) contains 22 stories. Only “The First Step” and “Catalyst” are visibly tarot-arcana oriented; the others are related to the theme in more subtle ways. Some stories are naturally better than others, but almost all are worth reading; some are unforgettable. The anthology may be better than I make it seem by emphasizing my own prejudice against “funny-animal/animal-headed human” stories; if you don’t mind these, Arcana is really good. The 22 arcana-card illustrations by Joseph Chou, each featuring the protagonist of its story, are almost worth the price of the anthology alone. Do not just glance at them; study them. Arcana will bring you reading pleasure for days.

– Fred Patten

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

Myre: Chronicles of Yria, volume 1, by Claudya Schmidt and Matt W. Davis
Berlin, AlectorFencer, January 2017, hardcover €35,00 (unpaged [172 pages]), softcover €29,00. Shipping to North America: add €8,00 for the hardcover; €5,00 for the softcover.

Claudya Schmidt and Matt W. Davis are better-known in furry fandom as the artist AlectorFencer and the stand-up comedian 2, the Ranting Gryphon. They, primarily AlectorFencer with 2’s help in plotting and writing, have been working on Myre for seven years. Now, thanks to long work and the financial aid of many Crowdsourcing supporters, the first volume of a planned trilogy is out. It’s only available from AlectorFencer at her home in Berlin, but they have published the English edition first. A German edition will be available in 2018 at the same prices.

Myre is a monumental undertaking. The hardcover edition is 13” x 9”; the softcover is almost as large at 12” x 8”. It is in full glossy color, 160 pages of story and 12 pages of concept art. Both editions come wrapped in cellophane. The hardcover has a sewn-in ribbon bookmark. The total price (book + shipping) is about $US55.00 for the hardcover or $US40.00 for the softcover.

Myre is a cigarette-smoking, hardbitten maned-wolf wanderer who comes out of Yria’s desert. She rides her dragon-mount Varug. Obviously, “dragon” here means something other than traditional flying, fire-breathing reptiles, although just what Varug is will be developed in the story. She is more than a Yrian horse, though. She and Myre are close friends. Yria is a huge world. This part of Myre’s adventure takes place in Yria’s desert wastelands; there is much more elsewhere.

(Well, AlectorFencer says in the FAQ on yriachronicles.com that Yria is a fantasy world. Many characters look like anthropomorphic Earth animals, and many are completely original. So calling any of them a maned-wolf, a badger, a lion, or any other Earth animal is too simplistic. For practical purposes, though, Myre is a red-haired anthro maned-wolf.)

Chronicles of Yria begins with a creation myth. “Long ago, when all was verdant and alive, there lived a race of people who were as old and as wise as the lands in which they lived. They were the children of the Ylducian, the dragons of old, and they lived in peace when Yria was vast and green.” Here are the winged, fire-spewing dragons that we are familiar with. The myth goes on to tell how Yria fell from glory, the dragons disappeared, their treasure was lost, and today the world is dry and desolate.

“Who will carry on seeking for what we almost forgot? Who will begin the journey that will restore the life of Yria? It was her.”

Myre doesn’t know where she came from, except the desert. “I lived in the desert with my uncle. He raised me. One night, the bastard just walked out… left me. I woke up and the only thing left was footprints into the desert. That’s the last I saw him. So, I left too. Didn’t have anyone to stay for.”

The world through which Myre wanders carries “a wretched hive of scum and villainy” to a new low. She is alone except for Varug. The only two supporting characters who might be important – they aren’t yet, but they may return – are Boozer, a wise old (when he isn’t drunk) badger, and Lutz, a young street urchin. Myre wanders from place to place, each worse than the one before, until she meets the legendary monsters of whom everybody is afraid: the Dwellers. Volume II will be The Lore of the Dwellers.

But the plot is just an excuse for AlectorFencer’s fantastic art. Myre: Chronicles of Yria is not available from Amazon or any standard bookstore. She drew and published it herself, and is selling it herself. See the yriachronicles.com weblink. In addition to the books, there are collectable cards, art prints, and gift-wrapping paper. There will be more in the future, including Haunter of Dreams, a comic book about “the tales and lores of Yria”.

AlecterFencer is a very popular German furry artist. She has done furry art commissions for years. Her art can be seen on DeviantArt and FurAffinity, including a photograph on DeviantArt of herself holding a printer’s proof of a sheet (4 pages) from Myre.

– Fred Patten

• Myre’s Goodread Page
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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Project Anthro, by Dallin Newell
Raleigh, NC, Lulu Press, October 2017, hardcover $28.80 (264 pages), trade paperback $12.00, Kindle $9.00.

I am confused. This book says both that it is printed by Lulu Press and by CreateSpace in North Charleston, SC. It also says “First printing, 2017”, but the Barnes & Noble website shows it with a different cover (but the same blurb), published by Page Publishing, Inc. and dated December 2016. Newell has a Facebook page devoted to Project Anthro, where it is described as “A Book Series”. Newall says, “Project Anthro 2 is written and ready to go out to publishing,” and that it is a planned quartet.

Whatever. The premise as described in the blurb seems furrier and more exciting than the novel itself. “During the Cold War, a project that was introduced during WWI has been revived, which involves weaponizing and creating anthropomorphic animals to become operatives, known as anthros. Chance Logan is a red fox, standing at five eleven, born in Australia [Newell says on Facebook and in the novel that Logan was born in London and raised in Canberra], and worked for ASIS (Australian Secret Intelligence Service). […]”

Chance learns that a high-placed American CIA executive, John Lance, has gone rogue and is planning to use America’s secret agentry “to completely obliterate the two world superpowers, the USSR and the USA.” Lance is also a human supremacist who believes that all anthros are bioengineered to “do nothing but kill.” Logan recruits “a whole team of anthros” to stop Lance and prove that anthros are more than killers dominated by their animal instincts.

That’s a great premise. Unfortunately, Newell develops it as a substandard Mission Impossible action thriller with funny animals. It’s wacky enough without wondering why funny animals? Chance Logan is introduced in the midst of a firefight with the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. He’s one of only two anthros (the other is a cougar) in a U.S. Army unit caught behind enemy lines. They don’t do anything that human soldiers (like John Rambo) couldn’t do, plus Chance gets his bushy fox tail caught and he has to be freed. Under what conditions is a bushy fox tail an asset in jungle warfare? This also makes the reader wonder if Chance is wearing a complete Army uniform with a tail hole, or (as the cover implies) only a helmet and Army jacket, and nothing below the waist?

Whoa! Here’s the answer. “‘By the way,’ he [a human lieutenant] said, ‘you guys may want to try on some pants when we get back to the States. Just try it.’

‘Nah,’ Kay [the cougar] said as he swiped the air with his paw. ‘We’ve got fur to cover our junk, right Chance?’

‘Yeah, right,’ I agreed with a forced chuckle.

All of us anthros never wore pants; it was a lot more comfortable to go without them. Even Katie [Chance’s girl friend, an Army nurse; also a red fox] wouldn’t wear them.” (p. 15)

But cougars don’t have much fur over their junk. Even an anthro fox standing up might want to wear pants when closely mixing with humans in social situations. It’s especially unlikely that anthros would go nude below the waist and not wear shoes or boots in jungle combat conditions.

“The cool water felt so good as it ran down my body. After sweating for many long hours in the hot and humid weather of Vietnam, nothing felt better than a cold shower. I scrubbed myself with a strong-smelling men’s shampoo that made my nose tingle whenever I smelled it.” (p. 19)

This is a furry red fox taking a cold shower. I may be obsessing too much about this, but to me Newell’s constant switching from calling attention to his anthros having fur and tails and not wearing anything below the waist, then being described as having smooth skin and apparently nobody noticing that they’re pantsless animals, keeps destroying the believability of the situation.

Oh, Chance has a flashing device that he shines in civilians’ eyes to make them not remember him as a fox. I think Newell has watched too much Men in Black, but that might enable anthro foxes with bushy tails and not wearing any pants to go about unnoticed in big, crowded, human metropolises. Maybe?

Whatever. Chance, Katie, Kay, and several regular soldiers are air-rotated back to the USA.

“‘Chance,’ Katie said, breaking the silence between us. ‘I really want to know; do you love me?’

I smiled, put my arm around her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.” (p. 23)

Are fox muzzles capable of kissing? Licking, maybe. But to bioengineer the foxes to talk normally, the muzzles would have to be eliminated entirely … I get a headache trying to reconcile all the differences.

Whatever. During their plane’s stopover in London, Chance and Katie are warned by a friendly MI6 agent that someone is trying to maneuver the USA and the USSR into declaring nuclear war on each other, and America’s CIA is ready to make Chance its scapegoat. Chance decides to stay in London instead of returning to America (I thought he was Australian), but “they” come after him:

“‘You can’t come in!’ I said, blocking his way. That was when he pulled a pistol on me.

I quickly and vigorously slammed the door on his hand and he dropped it, then I kicked him against the wall. He hit his head on the wall and was knocked unconscious.

I began to walk out when someone with a pistol came out of the room across from me. I grabbed his arm with my left paw as he fired a wild shot, punched him in the gut with my left, and kneed him in the head as he bent own from the impact on his stomach.

Another guy came from behind me. He hit me in the back of the head and kicked […]” (p. 27)

It goes on and on. “[…] He screamed in pain as he fell […] another man came out […] Another came out […] yet another guy was waiting […] Another guy came from behind me […] I began to run down the hall, and a guy with a pistol came out of the next room […]” Even James Bond usually only faced one adversary at a time.

How about this:

“I looked at the [bullet] wound, carefully examining it. ‘It missed the heart,’ I said, ‘you’ll be fine.’” (p. 29)

Presumably getting shot anywhere except through the heart is only a mild flesh wound.

People keep coming out of rooms or down halls or staircases after Chance with pistols and knives for another three pages. All are human secret agents except a one-eyed anthro tiger with a big red star on each shoulder. Guess which country he’s from.

And I’m only up to page 34. Project Anthro (cover uncredited) reads like a James Bond movie scripted by the Three Stooges. Is it worth reading? Hey, the Three Stooges are popular.

If you don’t read Project Anthro, you’ll miss the scene where Chance and his team of anthros hide out in Disneyland disguised as Robin Hood and other animal characters, with their Berettas, Walther PPKs, Kalashnikov AK-47s, Uzis, katana and shuriken out of sight. Chance/Robin, of course, can carry his bow & arrows openly.

“‘Oh, my God,’ the girl said, ‘your costume is so cute!’” (p. 213)

Project Anthro comes to a definite, satisfying conclusion, but Newell says that there are three more volumes coming.

– Fred Patten

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

Jack Wolfgang. T.1, l’Entrée du Loup, by Stephen Desberg (story) and Henri Reculé.
Brussels, Les Éditions du Lombard, June 2017, hardcover €13,99 (62 [+ 2] pages), Kindle €9,99.

Thanks, as always with French bandes dessinées, to Lex Nakashima for loaning this to me to review.

The Jack Wolfgang series looks like it’s designed for the Blacksad market. The main differences are that John Blacksad is a private investigator, and his cases are crime noir with excellently drawn anthropomorphic animals. Jack Wolfgang is a C.I.A. secret agent, and his adventures are, well, too light and too exaggerated for the James Bond market. Say they’re Kingsman clones, with a mixture of funny animal and human secret agents saving the world from megalomaniac funny animal and human villains.

The introduction states that the four Brementown Musicians in the late Middle Ages were the first animals to be recognized as having human intelligence. “They were the first animals to receive a charter from the local authorities guaranteeing their autonomy and freedom among humans.” (my translation)

 

Jump to the 21st century. Humans and animals are social equals. Well, not quite. The carnivores still have to eat meat, and this creates problems with the herbivores, who can eat only a vegetarian diet. The humans are omnivores, and some of them feel that this makes them superior to the animals.

But in the 20th century, true equality was established with the development of Qwat, a food based on tofu that both the carnivores and herbivores, and humans could eat. Finally, all animals and humans could live as equals.

Jack Wolfgang is a young C.I.A. agent with the cover identity of a famous food critic for the New York Times. Enter the Wolf begins when he is assigned to infiltrate a large, exclusive party at the estate of mega-rich Wilbur Carnavon. He’ll be told his real mission by his recruiter & trainer, Rocky Dakota (puma), once he’s past Carnavon’s armed bodyguards and inside. It’s to get Carnavon’s guest list of those invited – but a mysterious panther-woman is also after the list.

You can count on lots of laser booby traps, gunshots, explosions, and an eagle with poison-dipped talons. Rocky Dakota is killed, and whatever is going on is so top-secret that the C.I.A. fires all its animal agents and reassigns their cases to humans only. But Jack feels that he has to avenge Rocky, so he continues alone in secrecy. The adventure takes him from New York to Paris to Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, with car chases, muggings, gunshots, furbreath escapes, and a deadly cooking contest.

To give away a major spoiler, the “Mister X” has gained control of the world’s manufacture of Qwat by turning it into the popular and tasty Super Mega Tofu. He plots to spike it with a deadly addictive drug, so everyone has to eat it – on his terms — or die. The villains Jack faces on a daily basis are Podny, a Russian-French rooster turncoat, a giant one-eyed polar bear called just the Bear, and Sissy and Dave, two laughing-hyena assassins.

If you like Kingsman-type only-the-secret-agents-can-save-the-world adventures, with the main good- and bad guys being anthro animals, you’ll like Jack Wolfgang. The French is simple. Jack is wearing shoes on the cover, but is bare-pawed inside. The adventure comes to a definite conclusion, but the last page promises that “Jack Wolfgang reviendra dans “Le Nobel du Pigeon”. There are several trailers for Enter the Wolf on YouTube.

– Fred Patten

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