Special Features and Top Articles at Dogpatch Press.

by Patch O'Furr

• Did you hear about President Obama’s meeting with furries?
• What happens when our biggest subcultural convention draws $7 million in tourist spending?
• Want to read interviews with TV and movie directors as high as Pixar, plus the most creative and devoted insider furry fans?

Dogpatch Press has hundreds of articles, and this collection has the very best.  They highlight a thriving subculture.  Traffic shows that these are the most interesting topics that readers want to know about.  Some might draw views for a long time to come.  Others are underrated and could use more notice, or they’re just personal favorites that took deep digging for original source info.  With new articles every weekday, check here often for updates.

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THE REGULAR NEWSDUMP:

Several times a month, a digest shares carefully curated links and “list worthy” small stories from around the web.  A browse can tell you something about the state of Furries over time, from the borderland between subculture and mainstream media. See the “Newsdump” tag.

INTERVIEW SERIES FOR FANS AND FURRIES:

Creators and Doers make a subculture thrive. Whether they build it from grassroots – or feed it from outside with stuff we like – they have valuable words to say.  Read their interviews to get inspired.

• Movie directors, animators, artists, event builders, superfans, and more. From Pixar’s Michel Gagne, to Anthrocon’s Uncle Kage.

FRED PATTEN PRESENTS:

Fred Patten is the most valued guest here, with a long resume as a fan historian and reviewer.  Check his latest posts.

• What the Well-Read Furry Should Read. – Hundreds of book reviews covering the huge variety of Furry fiction.
• Furry publishing, animation, and history. – From someone who was there at the beginning of organized fandom.
• More of What the Well-Read Furry Should Read. – Update. 

FURSUITING – THE MOST FURRY ACTIVITY.

Fursuiters get love here as the expressive, theatrical soul of furrydom.  It’s the most original Furry-generated activity, with it’s own coined name.  Nobody else does it the same way.  It’s arguable that nothing represents the group better, even though only 20% own these expensive pieces of custom wearable art. Writers and other worthy members may get irked by their scene-stealing glamor, but a picture is worth a thousand words.  It’s hard to deny their appeal and huggability (proving the touch-based name of this subculture!)  Fursuiting has an “ambassador” role, and a booming cottage industry.  Makers are pushing the craft so high, that they’re being looked up to for commercial mascot design.

• “Fursuits are furry couture – high art furry fashion”.  Racked.com consulted furries for their article.
• Opinion: Street fursuiting is the most fun furry experience. Celebrating spontaneous street theater.
• Renegade fursuiting is BEST fursuiting: chat with Sakura Fox. Wisdom from a superfan. (3 parts.)
• “Further Confessions” photo project puts fursuiting in an art gallery, and does FUN right. It’s challenging to catch on camera.
• Enough squeaker abuse- let’s upgrade fursuit sound effects! – New technology will lead to a “future fursuiting” article soon.
• Edmonton Oil Kings hockey hosts fursuiter race. “It’s looking hairy at ice level!” – A showcase event.
• Fursuiting, pro sports, and The National Mascot Hall Of Fame. – Looking at mainstream crossover. (3 parts.)

THE “FURCLUB” SURVEY – WATCHING A SUBCULTURE RISE:

Since around 2010, there’s a growing movement of independent Furry dance parties.  They build on the growth of cons, and take their own direction beyond inner-focused activity.  They bring more established venue partnerships, encouraging new support, promotion, and crossover.  Howl Toronto says:  Con dances happen once a year, and “that’s just not enough to fill the need!”   

• Call it- “Furclubbing?” – Introduction.
• The Furclub Survey: introducing the world’s independent Furry dance parties. – The most comprehensive list anywhere.

THE INDEPENDENT FURRY ECONOMY: 

Cons are expanding at a healthy rate.  There’s an internal economy of professional makers, who exclusively work fan-to-fan. Furaffinity’s sale was a turning point, with an independent fan project acquired by a venture-capital funded company.  It’s growing beyond a full-fledged subculture, to commercialization.  How will it develop?

• About the sale of FurAffinity – a Q&A with IMVU – the Value of WTF. – A milestone and what it means, 3 part series. 
• Measuring the Furry Economy.  – Summary of topics and metrics at Flayrah.
• $11,575 record fursuit sale and $17,500 top price. – Indicators for a creative market.
• $3 million sale raises furry auction topic. Now that’s an expensive fursuit! – Comparing with mainstream memorabilia.
• Furry, not an obscure little fandom any more.  – For reference, Flayrah’s 2011 article.

“PALEO FURRIES” – ANTHROPOMORPHISM IN HISTORY:

There are hidden threads connecting Furry fandom to a rich history of art and performance.  A “museum of furry” could show exhibits that look like they came from a parallel universe.  Writer Phil Geusz has his own term for it – Paleo Furries.  A “Panto-animals and Paleofurs” convention panel could put depth and substance into what we love. It’s exciting to uncover lost connections that may be overlooked.

• If there was a Museum of Furry, theatrical “Panto-Animals” would be a major exhibit. – Discovering an amazing lost tradition.
• Theatrical Panto-animals, Part 2: Feedback, history and sources roundup. – Searching for more.
• Theatrical Panto-animals, Part 3: History book reviews by Fred Patten. – Very little was ever published about this.
  

FURRY GOOD IDEAS – IMAGINING HOW TO GROW FOR THE FUTURE:  

There’s a lot of room for ambitious proposals, in a subculture that has a convention every weekend of the year, somewhere in the world.  Here’s ideas to develop – from building organizations, to starting events and projects with popular demand, appeal, or opportunity.

• Furry Good Ideas: Fursuit of the Year award and fashion show, and more. – Events, festivals, books, guilds, or galleries that could exist.

STREET CRED AND “CELEBRIFURRIES” – INFLUENCE BEYOND FANDOM:

This group has more influence than members even realize.  Advertisers covet “street cred”, and subcultures have it.  Did Disney really wink at Furries in the Zootopia trailer?  Are there any secret furry celebrities?  Who likes furries in the mainstream?  How do other subcultures overlap?

• The President’s fur meet – The “Celebrifurry” List, PART 1: Politicians and VIP’s. – Encounters with national leaders.
• Mainstream advertising: “More and more, Furries are being hinted at in marketing media.” – Visuals to catch notice.
• Five pro photographers advancing the art of furry documentary.  – They’re making books and gallery shows.
• VNV Nation, Skinny Puppy, industrial music and furries: an inexplicable multi-nerd connection. This brought thousands of outside views.

LIMITS, LIBERTIES, AND YOU – HOW A HOBBY BRINGS FREEDOM:

Acceptance is a main feature of furry subculture. It draws special interests together, but no one group represents others. Being a furry is self-defined by anyone who says they are. Some interests draw conservative social disapproval. It makes tension between limits and freedoms, or individuality and collective interest. It may even involve prejudice, laws, and times for a hobby social group to stand up for itself.

• Vermont town selectively bans fursuiters: Prejudice complaint and update. – A public conflict.
  
• Mask/hood bans:  haters and control-freaks love this excuse for war on fun and freedom. – Killing expression for security.
• Anniversary of the New Jersey FurBQ Hoax – this bullshit cost $185,000. – A look back at a trumped up attack.
• Fight the Beigists! Furries defend the National Fun Reserve. – Ranting and praise.
• Oklacon is canceled, and you might want to call Oklahoma’s Tourism Department. – Prejudice and misbehavior.
• Costume bans and security: Bad news for fans who plan to see highly anticipated movies in costume. – (3 parts)

WHEN FURRY MEETS FURRY – INTIMACY AND “THE TOPIC THEY LOVE TO HATE”:

It’s not an urban legend.  Some furries can get wild.  But sex isn’t a definer.  They’re just as often here for a family friendly hobby, while media spreads misinformation about romantic themes that are part of being human.  Furries differ by having extra rich imaginations.  Being unusually open and expressive is required, for a spectrum of interest that goes beyond the default.  It can cause controversy. It also causes first-time visitors to call them the most friendly people that you could ever party with. This blog is anti-prude, and not shy about sex-positive discussion.

• “Hugs are the handshake of furries” – Artists explore cultural meaning of touch. – Thoughts about “furriness.”
• Furries share worries about pay-dating fraud: spotlight on FurFling.com.  – This caused a commotion at Flayrah.
• SEX! Researchers, journalists, and furries debate The Topic They Love To Hate. – Controversy.
• Creators of a furry fetish party dare to be “Wild Things” (NSFW content). – Few events of this kind have ever been promoted.
• Creators of furry fetish party explain “human sized cat box”. – The truth of an urban legend.
• “Wild Things” will fluff your fur with a second fetish party in San Francisco. – Success brings a sequel.
• Exchanging Fluids on PBS: Your eyes will bug out at this WTF furry video from 1992! – An astonishing subcultural stunt.
• It was so much fun to be in an outrageous Rap CD and a live comedy show! – “Live Sex” was the name.

DOGMA, BIAS, AND MISINFORMATION:

Furries are used to being a target for mocking.  Sensational media exploits them as freaks.  It comes with bias to only look for the worst in people.  There’s stigma, shaming, scapegoating, and a streak of homophobia.  There are even enemies within, motivated by authority, kissing up, insecurity, or misplaced savior complexes.  Isn’t it absurd?  Negativity doesn’t build anything, and that’s why it’s losing power with time.  It calls for pointing out the positive, creative, and accepting nature of this group.

• Furry fandom: all humans welcome. – Complaints of “sexism” neglects to see that exclusion can happen anywhere, but furries do it MUCH LESS than elsewhere.
• “Nerd culture” debate reveals agendas. – Exposing false beliefs.
• Why are “nerdy” groups male-populated?  Revisiting a debate full of dogma. – Positive self expression is the best explanation.
• There’s a persistent rumor that Furry fandom was perverted by a bad ad for ConFurence. – It spread for 18 years. Here’s the source.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Some crimes get media notice and overlap with furries in some way, but are less fandom-centric than above topics.  Of course, harmless activities draw little notice – but rare, marginal stories can get sensationalized out of proportion.  In that way, these may involve judgementalism looked at above.

• Abuse against man in “tiger porn” case shows contempt for rights. – Small dramas come from the same bias behind bigger abuse of authority.
• Minor crime in Michigan makes major media ogling. – Heavily biased reporting implies orgies based on owning a dog collar.
• Murder and the furry community – the untold story of ‘Night Horse’. – Investigating truth of a sad event.

TOP ARTICLES OF 2014 – WITH THE HIGHEST TRAFFIC IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THIS BLOG: 

1. San Francisco’s “Wild Things” party (NSFW). – The announcement drew thousands of views.
2. John Waters and furries. – Encounter with a freaky creative hero.
3. A photo art gallery show in San Francisco. – It’s notable that 1-3 involved local, live events.
4. Talking with the directors of College Humor’s “Furry Force”. – Outstanding “Fursploitation” comedians tease with love.

SPECIAL FEATURES COMING SOON:

• “Future Fursuiting” – will discuss advance of the craft.

Goddess, by Arilin Thorferra – book review by Fred Patten.

by kiwiztiger

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

Goddess, by Arilin Thorferra
Dallas, TX, FurPlanet Productions, January 2015, trade paperback $9.95 (141 pages).

“This is a mature content book.  Please ensure that you are of legal age to purchase this material in your state or region.”

When furry fandom began to develop in the 1980s, one of the first “subgenres” to be seen in traded cartoon art was the furry macros – giant anthro animals striding Godzilla-style through cities of tiny-by-comparison furries. Yet when furry literature appeared, this subgenre quietly vanished.  Or went underground.

Here is what may be the first professionally-publicized furry macrophile novella: Goddess, by Arilin Thorferra, “the founder of ‘The Giants’ Club’ and an acclaimed macrophile storyteller.” (blurb)

Russell Rittenhouse (cougar) is the young librarian at Bennett University, one of the leading West Coast private universities. He wants to become a literature professor (with tenure), and has just begun the slow climb of the academic social-political ladder there. He gets a courtesy invitation to an exclusive reception for the visiting King of the small Pacific island of Uli Hahape, near Hawaii. Cornelius Bennett (rabbit), a sixtyish railroad and hotel multimillionaire and benefactor of the university, has arranged the reception to unveil his model of the ritzy superhotel that he hopes to build there, if the king will permit it. King Aremana (otter) is polite but clearly not impressed.

Russell drops out of the social soiree to a sofa to reread one of his favorite novels, The Great Gatsby. He is joined by the king’s daughter, who is also a Fitzgerald fan. They spend the rest of the evening discussing literature. The next day Bennett corners him in the library. Bennett suspects that King Aremana is about to reject the hotel, and he noticed Russell’s and Princess Kailani’s friendly conversation at the party. If Russell will continue to see the Princess, and subtly promote the hotel project, Bennett will make sure that he gets that professorship.

Controversy and success: San Francisco’s Frolic party – interview with Neonbunny part 4

by Patch O'Furr

Interview series:  Artists, animation directors, DJ’s and event organizers, superfans, and more…
Neonbunny is founding DJ and promoter of Frolic. The 90 minute interview has 4 parts, with one a week posting this month.

• Intro: The most furry place in the universe?  
• Part 1)  Counterculture to Furry – Neon’s background in the SF Bay Area.
• Part 2)  Starting Frolic – Throwing parties, finding other furries.
• Part 3)  The furry scene – Frolic’s venue: The Stud – Promoting and operating Frolic.

4) Controversy and success – Music, DIY culture, Furry events, sex, drama, and more.

 

For many furries in the world, the San Francisco Bay Area is the place to be. For many in the Bay, Frolic is THE most furry place. It isn’t the only center, but it’s an influential one. It’s not just the best Furry party… I’d call it the best party San Francisco has, period.  Check out Frolic’s website, and read about it in The Bold Italic magazine.

Neonbunny, founding DJ and promoter of Frolic, met me for a long interview over dinner. His partner Jody who handles tech, lighting and animation was with us.  It was a year ago, just after they got back from 2013’s Burning Man event in Nevada.  Neon’s early trips to Burning Man led to discovering Furries in the early 2000’s, and making friends to help throw parties.  It turned into a scene connected to local counterculture.  Since Frolic started in 2010, it’s had nice success.  We talked about the wide roles of such events and their makers:

___________

(Patch:) I thought DJing would come before promoting shows, but it’s the other way around for you.

(Neon:)  I’ve always been musically inclined, just like I was inclined to wear animal costumes. When I was a kid, for Halloween, it was always a cat costume. My parents got me keyboard lessons. I was in a high school band, played drums, messed around with a punk band with some friends, and always into new music.

I pay attention to lot of electronic music, and gothic kind of stuff.  I hang out on a forum that has people who are almost legendary. It’s like, “I was listening to your album when I was a kid.”   This week I saw Gary Numan and met the guy from Cold Cave.  Some is going strong since then, some is having kind of a renaissance. 

I was into a lot of that in high school.  I was always into punk rock as a kid. Electronic music has some of the same aspects, it’s about self publishing – there’s a DIY aspect.  You don’t need a record label – it’s people publishing their friends.

The furry scene: San Francisco’s Frolic party – interview with Neonbunny part 3

by Patch O'Furr

Interview series:  Artists, animation directors, DJ’s and event organizers, superfans, and more…
Neonbunny is founding DJ and promoter of Frolic. The 90 minute interview has 4 parts, with one a week posting this month.

• Intro: The most furry place in the universe?  
• Part 1)  Counterculture to Furry – Neon’s background in the SF Bay Area.
• Part 2)  Starting Frolic – Throwing parties and finding other furries.
• Part 3)  The furry scene – Frolic’s venue: The Stud – Promoting and operating Frolic.
• Part 4)  Controversy and success – Music, DIY culture, Furry events, sex, drama, and more.

3) The furry scene – Frolic’s venue: The Stud – Promoting and operating Frolic.

 

For many furries in the world, the San Francisco Bay Area is the place to be. For many in the Bay, Frolic is THE most furry place. It isn’t the only center, but it’s an influential one. It’s not just the best Furry party… I’d call it the best party San Francisco has, period.  Check out Frolic’s website, and read about it in The Bold Italic magazine.

Neonbunny, founding DJ and promoter of Frolic, met me for a long interview over dinner. His partner Jody who handles tech, lighting and animation was with us. It was a year ago, just after they got back from 2013’s Burning Man event in Nevada.  Neon’s early trips to Burning Man led to discovering Furries in the early 2000’s, and making friends to help throw parties.  It turned into a scene connected to local counterculture.

___________

(Patch) – The Stud adds a lot of history to Frolic.  One of the bar tenders, Bernadette, wanted to talk more about this.

(Neon) – Michael is the owner.  He was the manager in the early 1990’s when The Stud was going into financial trouble.  It came close to shutting down.  He and a few bartenders got together.  They would have been fired.  The owner needed to sell – it was near going bankrupt. They took out a loan to buy- Michael did most work to be the major shareholder.  Maybe not initially, but others sold their shares or died.

It’s important for culture to have places you know you can go where people care.

San Francisco’s Folsom Street area used to have dozens of gay bars. Now it’s down to a couple.  It used to be a whole mile stretch from SOMA to the Castro, full of gay bars and clubs back in the 1970’s.  AIDS killed a lot of people.

A friend who I know (through dancing in a furry music video together) took me to Powerhouse.  He’s connected with the Radical Faeries.  It’s one of the only places that still has the old school 1970’s vibe.  You go in the back alley – it’s closed off but not technically under the roof, so people do whatever they want back there.

The Stud has history before Michael and the owners bought it.  It’s the oldest gay club still still operating.  It was established in the late 1960’s, where the Holy Cow is now.  It moved to the new place in the 1980’s.  It has a history of encouraging counterculture in show and costumes.

Starting Frolic: San Francisco’s Frolic party – interview with Neonbunny part 2

by Patch O'Furr

Interview series:  Artists, animation directors, DJ’s and event organizers, superfans, and more…
Neonbunny is founding DJ and promoter of Frolic. The 90 minute interview has 4 parts, with one a week posting this month.

• Intro: The most furry place in the universe?  
• Part 1)  Counterculture to Furry – Neon’s background in the SF Bay Area.
• Part 2)  Starting Frolic – Throwing parties and finding other furries.
• Part 3)  The furry scene – Frolic’s venue: The Stud – Promoting and operating Frolic.
• Part 4)  Controversy and success – Music, DIY culture, Furry events, sex, drama, and more.

2) Starting Frolic – Throwing parties, finding other furries.

 

For many furries in the world, the San Francisco Bay Area is the place to be. For many in the Bay, Frolic is THE most furry place. It isn’t the only center, but it’s an influential one. It’s not just the best Furry party… I’d call it the best party San Francisco has, period.  Check out Frolic’s website, and read about it in The Bold Italic magazine.

Neonbunny, founding DJ and promoter of Frolic, met me for a long interview over dinner. His partner Jody who handles tech, lighting and animation was with us.  It was a year ago, just after they got back from 2013’s Burning Man event in Nevada.  Neon’s early trips to Burning Man led to discovering Furries:

From Fur Con 2003

___________

(Patch) – So you got into throwing all these parties in San Francisco, in the early 2000’s…

(Neon) – My second year at Burning Man, I learned about furries.

We had this venue in 2002- a movie theater in San Francisco’s Mission district.  Back then it was called Fandanga.  It’s where Sherilyn Connelly (SF Weekly journalist who covers furry happenings) does her Bad Movie Nights.

I said, hey, lets show some bunny porn.  I went online searching.  Next thing, I was reading all about furries.  I was totally fascinated.  It was just after Fur Con, around easter time.  It wasn’t until next year I went to my first furry event.  That was Fur Con.  It’s where I met Jody.  It was his first Fur Con too, in 2003.

The owner of The Stud came to our first bunny party.  He said it was his favorite party of the year.  He would spend half his time in Hawaii, half in SF.  He always came back for Bunny Jam.

We were into the wild crazy weirdness – more than just a dance party.  If people wouldn’t complain about the music, we were doing it wrong.  It was for the WTF factor. It was more an art happening than a rave.