ISSUE 264
Hi you all! Thank you for joining us for this latest edition of Furry Weekly! We’re back after our one week break and we’re ready to bring you some new content!
Like usual, we want to start with our routine announcements. If you want to get into the content for today just scroll past this section!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
RECRUITING
As usual, we want to start by reminding you about some positions we have open. We need help to keep making this project the best it can be, so take a look at the positions below and see if anything catches your eye:
- Furry of the Week Host
- Radical Raffles Host
- Available Artists Host
- DIY Project of the Week Host
- Front End Website Developer
If you’d like to help out or if you want more info, please contact Yeshua, or Carkas. If you want a description of the roles above, visit this document! If you have any suggestions for other roles or things we could bring into Furry Weekly, please reach out as well. We’d love to hear your ideas! We still need lots of help in general, so please do consider joining us or sharing with other friends in the fandom if you can! We’d really appreciate it!
DISCORD SERVER
We want to tell you about a Discord server we recently became active in. It's called The Furry Social! The Furry Social is a new upcoming Discord where artists, commissioners and furries of all kinds can hang out and express themselves! Discover new content and share your own!
This is not an official Furry Weekly server, but we do work with folks there! So if you're looking for a furry Discord server to interact in, whether you're looking to just hang out, show off your creations, or browse and find new people to follow, check out The Furry Social!
There are also a couple of Furry Weekly channels where we can chat about the magazine, and you could even submit some of your content there! Nevertheless, be sure to join the server if it interests you! You can join it by clicking the link below! Just make sure you have Discord open!
The Furry Social Discord
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That’ll do for the announcements. Let’s check out today’s content, and as always, let us know what you liked as well as what you’d like to see from us in the future! We’re @FurryWeekly on both Twitter and Instagram!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
[✔] Furry of the Week
[✔] Animal of the Week
[✔] Art Corner
[✔] Writing Showcase
[❌] Art 101
[❌] Species Spotlight
[✔] Writing 101
[✔] Fursuit Fanatics
[✔] Photography 101
[✔] Fursuit Designing Tips
[✔] Radical Raffles
[✔] Available Artists
[✔] Character Interview
[✔] Convention Calendar
[✔] Furry Quote
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FURRY OF THE WEEK
Hello, everyone. My name’s Danielle, and welcome back to another edition of Furry of the Week!
This week we have a special interaction within the community. Please welcome Malibu!
Artwork by castlesandcollies.
Malibu is an artist and fursuiter who enjoys expressing themselves through fursuit. Recently, Malibu went outside to have some fun by playing around and interacting with anyone that was interested in talking as seen in this post. As soon as Malibu walked up to the little splash area, one family was walking up to them with greetings, and some kids were waving at Malibu with excitement.
This was Malibu’s first interaction with younger children while wearing a fursuit, and they knew they would have to be super gentle and patient with them. “I knew as long as I was friendly that they would accept me. The parents absolutely loved the energy that we brought, and the kids loved getting to run around and play with Malibu!” Malibu explains.
Malibu was only able to stay for a few minutes because it was getting very warm outside, but everyone involved had a super enriching experience overall, and that is what matters.
Congratulations on being Furry of the Week, Malibu! Thank you for sharing your wholesome experience with all of us! It is great to see that all of you had such a fun time together while it lasted as well.
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That is all for this edition of Furry of the Week!
We’re always on the lookout for candidates to feature for their amazing contributions to the community. If you have any questions about this segment or would like to send us a recommendation for a future candidate, feel free to contact Fizzy, Peppermint, or me.
Tune in next time for another mystery Furry of the Week! I’ll see you guys next time. Bye for now!
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ANIMAL OF THE WEEK
Hello everyone! It’s Zed Shirogane and it’s another animal of the week segment!
Animal of the Week is a segment where we highlight an animal that is really cool, cute, creepy, or just plain fascinating. There will be a coloring page illustration for you all to print out and color in at home, as well as an adoptable character inspired by the animal of that week. The best part is all proceeds made by said adopt will be donated to conservation charities!
Whenever possible we do symbolically adopt the animal, but only some animals have the privilege to have that as an option unfortunately; thus we collect extra funds to donate to many different species conservation charities or send funds to scientists so that they can research underappreciated animal species, so we can in turn learn more about the world around us. Join us on this fun adventure!
It’s May, and the animal group for this month is the giraffe!
The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus Giraffa. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its spotted coat patterns. Giraffes usually inhabit savannas and woodlands. Their food source is leaves, fruits, and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach.
The name "giraffe" has its earliest known origins in the Arabic word zarāfah (زرافة), ultimately from Persian زُرنَاپَا (zurnāpā), a compound of زُرنَا (zurnā, “flute, zurna”) and پَا (pā, “leg”). In early Modern English the spellings jarraf and ziraph were used, probably directly from the Arabic, and in Middle English jarraf and ziraph, gerfauntz. The Italian form of giraffa arose in the 1590s. The modern English form developed around 1600 from the French girafe.
Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with nine subspecies. Most recently, researchers proposed dividing them into up to eight extant species due to new research into their mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, as well as morphological measurements. Seven other extinct species of Giraffa are known from the fossil record.
This Week’s Species: Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa reticulata)
Characteristics
The reticulated giraffe, also known as the Somali giraffe, is a species or subspecies of giraffe native to the Horn of Africa. Together with the Rothschild's giraffe, it is the giraffe most commonly seen in zoos. Its coat consists of large, polygonal, liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright white lines. The blocks may sometimes appear deep red and may also cover the legs.
Fun Facts
There are approximately 8,500 individuals living in the wild. Reticulated giraffes are diel – meaning they are active during the day and the night. They are most active during the early and late parts of the day due to their warmer environment. Their sleep patterns are usually short, consisting of no more than a couple hours at a time typically standing up.
Habitat
Reticulated giraffes historically occurred widely throughout Northeast Africa. Their favored habitats are savannas, woodlands, seasonal floodplains, and rainforests. It lives in Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya.
Diet
The Reticulated giraffe is a herbivore feeding on leaves, shoots, and shrubs. They spend most of their day feeding, roughly 13 hours/day. They are ruminant mammals, also known as hindgut fermentation, which complements their high fiber diet. The only competition for food resources G. reticulata encounters is elephants.
Life Cycle
Reticulated giraffes can typically be seen in groups of 3-9, but there are instances of lone individuals. Kinship between females typically drives a group. Females are known to share protection of other young during predation. The gestation period of G. reticulata is on average 445-457 days, producing one offspring. The occasion of producing two offspring is rare but documented. The female will give birth standing up, and the offspring will stand up anywhere between 5-20 minutes post-birth. Weaning age of the young varies anywhere between 6-17 months, and independence occurs at 2 years old.
Conservation
To save the remaining 9,000, or so, Reticulated giraffes, several conservation organizations have been formed. One of these organizations is San Diego Zoo Global's "Twiga Walinzi" (meaning Giraffe Guards) initiative. Their work includes hiring and training local Kenyans to monitor 120 trail cameras in Northern Kenya (Loisaba Conservancy and Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy) that capture footage of wild giraffes and other Kenyan wildlife; developing a photo ID database so individual giraffes can be tracked; informing rangers of poaching incidents and removing snares; caring for orphaned giraffes; and educating communities about giraffe conservation.
Here are some links to articles about the conservation of the reticulated giraffe:
Adopt
All funds from this adopt will go to animal conservation. The goal for this month is to save up to symbolically adopt multiple giraffes through a donation to WWF, San Diego Wildlife Alliance, and GCF, which requires a total of $100. This adopt will be one of four total created to achieve this goal and hopefully more, extra funds are pooled together to be donated to conservation research programs. It will be available for $30 at Shirogane Studios.
Coloring Page
Enjoy this coloring page made by yours truly, for you! Feel free to print it out at home to color in, or if you enjoy the design feel free to purchase it on a multitude of products.
Animal Ambassadors
-Orion the Badger
Thank you to our Animal Ambassadors: our AOTW supporters, who have helped make the world a little bit better for animals. If you wish to join us, or maybe just really like these character designs so you want to get access to some exclusive adopts, you can find our patreon for this passion project HERE.
References
Most of my information was derived from Wikipedia and supplemented from other websites such as the Denver Zoo and the Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
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ART CORNER
Hello, everyone! I’m Multifurse and welcome to Art Corner! I’ve got some great art to share with y’all this week, so let’s get started!
First up this week is a spooky scene by cannedpigeons!
This piece is so atmospheric, I love it! It’s perfect for spooky month, even though it’s just May, heh. What really makes this piece work is the dark, cool colors highlighted by the warm colors from the lantern being held by our spooky forest friend! The dark tones really set us up for a spooky scene, and the warm orange highlights really pop, making this piece insanely atmospheric. Beyond that, I love the details in here. The lantern is excellently detailed, and I can see so many folds on the fabric of the character through the shading, not to mention the details on the skull! The shading is very painterly, too, and I think the strokes in the work just make it look that much more spooky! Well done, Alex!
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Next up this week is a precious headshot by pubbygloom!
I love the stylization in this one! I’m a sucker for toony styles, what can I say? The main thing that catches my eye are— well, the eyes! They’re very big and bright and expressive, and they make a great focal point for the viewer. The highlights in the eyes being semi-transparent is a great touch; it looks a lot more natural. If you really pay attention to peoples’ eyes in light, the reflection of that light is often a bit “muted,” for lack of a better word. That’s because it’s a reflection, and it can’t reproduce the full amount of light! That being said, the semi-transparent eye shines were a great choice! I also really love the way the bottom of this headshot is laid out. The curved cut-off instead of the standard straight line cut-off adds some great visual interest to this piece and makes it stand out. This is a delightful piece, and I adore the art style! Great work, Pup!
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The last piece from me this week is a pair of headshots by nariette.art!
These two are adorable, oh my goodness— First and foremost, I adore this art style so much! It has such an anime-like vibe in the best way, and I love it! I also really like the fact that the lineart appears to be textured; it adds some great feel and interest to the piece. I think my favorite thing about this one, though, is the hair. I love the ponytail on the fox, and the braids on the mouse are precious! The colors also have a watercolor feel to them, especially on the fox, which is really nice and allows the colors to blend together super well. All in all, this piece is adorable, I love the shading and the textures, and I would love to see more from this artist! Excellent work, Nariette!
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That’s all for this week! Many thanks to our artists, Alex, Pup, and Nariette, for allowing us to feature their works this week! If you liked what you saw, check out their pages and drop a follow if you feel so inclined!
If you’d like a chance to be featured in Art Corner, make a post using the tags #FurryWeekly and #ArtCorner so we can find you, or message us directly on our socials!
Thanks for joining us, and see you next time!
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WRITING SHOWCASE
Hello, everybody! My name is Dozu, and I have for you today a tale of travel and adventure!
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The Assassin and The Library
By Reblod
Summary: A seldnac'rae (species by (FelonDog) is tasked with going to a mysterious library in the remote middle of nowhere. He asks for directions in a village and is finally led on his way by an old seldnac. Kane soon realizes though that this journey might just prove to be too much for him…
Highlights: This story is wonderful to read, very well formatted with proper descriptions of its characters and environments. Good Job!
For improvement: Not much to say on this part! The story is well proofread and has little to no spelling mistakes, the paragraphs are nicely formatted and everything fits perfectly.
Question time! Answer in a post and tag @FurryWeekly and @DoggyDozu if it’s on Twitter!
What’s your favorite part of the story? Did you read all the chapters?
Have you ever been to a library?
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That will be all for today folks. I hope you have enjoyed my pick!
Let’s give our authors a round of applause for their hard work! Remember to include the tags #FurryWeekly and #WritingShowcase in your posts if you want us to see your own writing on any platform! See you all next time, and now I'll sashay away.
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WRITING 101
Chattering voices drone in this warm room awash with sanitary white light. A line of workers are stationed along a long counter, divided into booths for serving customers. A hawk sits in one of the dozens of plastic chairs, head bowed and focused on the paper under his gaze. The pen in Tad’s feathered hand traces a wide variety of his personal information: full name, address, Social Security Number, telephone number, his car’s make and model, its VIN, its weight, its odometer reading....
“I’m really glad I already saved all of this information,” he mumbles, hunched over the clipboard as he wrote.
The Camera tilts over to scan the page. It had never visited the DMV before, so having Tad here with his own purpose for visiting made the experience much more bearable.
“We may be here for a bit,” says Tad. He sets down the pen, shakes out the cramps in his hand, and adds, “I do have a nice topic for this week’s Writing 101 though. Let’s cover that.”
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Hello friends, and welcome to Furry Weekly’s Writing 101! I’m Bryce Griffin, here to get all you writers out there the inside scoop on literature tips and tricks. Let’s get started!
Tropes in film and literature crop up time and time again because they are popular ways to depict characters, situations, or ideals. They may be beneficial or detrimental tropes, but they nevertheless allow us to pin creative expressions to concrete definitions. Today’s topic is a close relative to last week’s discussion on The Rule of Cool. As an audience, we understand that authors can exercise their license to bend the rules of what we perceive as a plausible outcome or a normal event. This swings in multiple directions—from an awesome or devastating outcome to one that earns a hearty laugh.
The Rule of Funny applies to many different subtropes that often surface in comedy. Remember Bart’s megaphone prank where he lines up at least a dozen megaphones, turns them all on, and subsequently blows out all of the glass in Springfield? Such a stunt would be impossible in real life; but, like many of the head-scratching but humorous events in The Simpsons, the Rule of Funny succeeds. Windows and automobile glass are shattered for miles around, Professor Frink’s octopus tank is ruined (yet Frink’s coke-bottle glasses are just fine), and all of Homer’s beer bottles explode, including the one in his hand, all thanks to Bart saying “Testing” into the megaphones.
This rule need not apply solely to comedy. It can take place in action scenes, typically where there is no blood, obvious or lasting injuries, or other signs of carnage that would otherwise subvert the Rule of Funny. Say the hero falls from a significant height or tumbles a great distance, only to stumble upright with little more than ruffled clothes and scuffed-up skin to acknowledge their “battered” state. They then deliver a well-timed one-liner to break the tension. This is a perfect example of the Rule at play. These sorts of happenings are better suited for general audiences or even family audiences where injuries and bodily harm aren’t the focus of the scene.
Exercise caution when implementing the Rule of Funny throughout your writing. A character should only have these powers to suspend the audience’s disbelief when the Rule of Funny will work the best and make the most sense. Wile E. Coyote walks on thin air before realizing he’s way over the edge or turns into a pancake when an anvil lands squarely on his head. He doesn’t have these powers all of the time—they only apply when the scene calls for it and the Rule of Funny will be executed appropriately. Take care in your own writing to maintain consistency throughout. Heed your universe’s rules at all times… until the Rule of Funny calls for otherwise.
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Want us to take a look at your work? Got a general question for Writing 101? Just shoot me a message on Discord! I’ll be happy to answer any writing questions you may have, or even critique your work.
Thanks for joining me in Furry Weekly’s Writing 101. I hope you enjoy the rest of the magazine!
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Tad scribbles away on a few more sheets. Right as he put the finishing touches on the last application, a computerized voice calls out, “Now serving: D 60 at Counter 11.”
He stands up, beckons the machine to follow, and proceeds. As he rounds the booth divider, he and the camera spot the scene at the same time.
“Oh, hell no....”
A sloth (at least he’s wearing a nice polo) greeted them with a warm smile that lingers for quite a while.
“Hi,” says Tad, returning the warmth. “Er… new Virginia resident. I have my application for a driver’s license and an application to register and title my vehicle in the state.”
He slides over his papers. The sloth, as if moving through molasses, looks down at the papers, reaches for them, and collects them. The whole process took at least five or ten seconds longer than it should have.
“Thank you…” says the sloth. “Let’s… review… the applications....”
If Tad could have collapsed on the ground from sheer exasperation without making a fool of himself, then he absolutely would have.
“I thought Zootopia was exasperating this!” he breathes, turning to the Camera.
The machine only offers an uncertain whirr.
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FURSUIT FANATICS
Hihi..! Once again, I’m tahlmorra and I’d love to welcome you to this week’s installment of Fursuit Fanatics! This week, we’re going to hop into the Furry Weekly Time Machine (we don’t have one, but we will.. think about it!) and travel far into the distant past to meet our guest. Reaching all the way back to the late Cretaceous period, I’m very happy to introduce you to our newest fantastic fursuiter, UmbreoNoctie the Dakotaraptor!
UmbreoNoctie and her suiter both share the same name, and both prefer the pronouns she/her. They come from the lovely and historical city of Paris, France and very graciously have taken the time to sit down with us and talk about herself. As mentioned, Umbreo is a Dakotaraptor and is a visually accurate one at that, not a hybrid. Umbreo is a first suit, but the second version.
Umbreo got her first suit, this suit, in 2018 and upped it to a ver. 2 in 2021. After COVID, she decided she wanted to give herself a pat on the back and order a new head from Zulayawolf for her own birthday. Arriving in July of 2021, Umbreo was very surprised at how fast she worked! It was after this that she began to commission various other people to have different parts of her fursuit made. The following makers (Twitter handles) made her:
Head - @Zulayawolf
Hands - @Hell_Charm
Arm-Wings - @wing_things
Tail - @SewShiShop
Feet - @creation_ator
She has the benefit of sporting both hands and wings and has a fan in her muzzle allowing her to fursuit for a longer time than without. She also has a very big pencil as an accessory; one that can actually draw and write! Future plans include getting a fullsuit from @SewShiShop.
Umbreo says she really likes suiting outside, particularly for the fresh air because the suit is resin-based and heavy, as well as getting quite hot. She says she doesn’t do much by way of in-suit activities, but she does like to dance while she can because of the weight of the suit. Also, she’s most often found in the Dealer’s Den when she’s at a con.
Regarding conventions, she tried to attend every Parisians pop-culture convention she could -- such as the Japan Expo -- and the furry French conventions Furry Black Light and Fauntastic. The first convention Umbreo ever attended was the Furry Black Light convention in 2018. She felt very alone at the time, not knowing anyone and most furs being in groups. “I felt like this new classmate in the middle of the year.” However, she was in the Dealer’s Den and made her first furry friends there like KaotikJuju, who she describes as “a very bright light in a very bad starting experience!”
Then we began to talk about the when’s and the why’s she became a furry in the first place. Umbreo says she thinks she’s always been a furry, entering the fandom around 2017; a fan of Disney characters, animation and really loving the anthropomorphic ‘universe,’ she says it’s why she draws. “Animals are awesome and thinking about the fact of being half animal / half human is really fun. What would have happened if it wasn’t our ancestors who decided to go full anthro? Silly but funny question.”
Being really into cosplay when younger, she made some of her own outfits, getting her first sewing machine at 18. She chose her character because she considered it to be more of a ‘persona’ rather than just a fursona or “OC.” “It’s my brand, it’s me on the internet.” Umbreo says it’s her only fursona in a kind of way, she’s always represented herself with one character at each step of her life.
Regarding the significance of her fursuit and how she came up with it, she says ”When I created my character, a not very good relationship with someone just ended. Someone who said that dinosaurs were stupid to draw and childish.” They also made fun of cosplay, fat people, etc.. It also happened to be the year the Dakotaraptor was discovered; a new kind of Dromaeosauridae, very big and living alongside the T. Rex. She saw this as fate.
As she had always loved the Blue Tits -- a common bird in France -- Umbreo says she created this blue Dakotaraptor that she still represents herself with, to this day. With her dear friend Djigr, she decided to create dinosaur merchandise to help spread the word about the wonderful world of Paleontology: Chicken Wings Dinosaures, having their first booth at Japan Party 2017. “Funny story, my first Dealer’s Den, I sold only ONE button badge: a Triceratops one. But it was the beginning of a very awesome story in the furry community!”
It was also at this convention that she would discover fursuiting, meeting fursuiters, and decided she wanted one. That was how her ver. 1 fursuit came about, made by Kegawa Creations.
Describing what a typical fursuit outing for her is like, Umbreo says that in a furry convention she usually just goes out with friends if she’s not too tired from working at the Dealer’s Den. She avoids going out alone because she doesn’t see well.
At Pop-Culture conventions, she also goes out with one friend but says it’s really different: “You can hear people talking about your costume and some want photos. Children see you and are joyful or have fear. Adults can also be so excited to see a 'real raptor.'” A funny thing she’s noted is that children always see her as a raptor/dinosaur while adults mostly say that she’s a ‘bird with teeth.’
When it comes to funny or memorable experiences, she’s not lacking, saying her most memorable interactions are with children. As she’s a dinosaur, Umbreo says she has two kinds of reactions from them: passionate love or cry of fear.
Once, on a fursuit break, she got a little bit hot and decided to head back to their booth. It was at that moment that she heard a little voice: “Is this a REAL DINOSAUR MOM?” “And there he was, a little boy with a big open mouth, with the most beautiful joy face I have ever seen. Her mom looked at me to confirm, and then told him that yes, I was a real dinosaur,” Umbreo says. He started to repeat his question, to be sure that he understood perfectly that she was, in fact, a real dinosaur. Getting on her knees, to his level so he could come to her, they got a photo together and he started to ask her lots of questions about dinosaurs. “He was so happy; my body wasn’t the only thing melting in my costume. He even asked me how I survived the meteor that killed all the non-avian dinosaurs!” When they separated, she could still hear him saying “She was a real dinosaur, Mom!” as they walked away.
In 2022, she went to Geek Faeries (Selles-sur-Cher, France) which is, as you might guess, a ‘geek’ oriented convention. She says it’s one of her favorites as people there tend to be very interested in their dinosaur booth. From time to time, she’d take a break by fursuiting all by herself saying, “It’s outdoors and people are really friendly, so I do not fear for my security and if I need help, people will come.”
Considering the popular misconceptions about furries, in brief, Umbreo says that the most common is the “sex part thing.” She had people asking her if she was having sex in her fursuit and had to repeatedly explain that it was mostly a fun acting hobby in a silly costume for the majority of furries. And, for furries: “you don’t need a fursuit. Please be careful and be sure you can handle them before buying some, and do not put you in a bad financial situation. Take your time if you really want one.”
And lastly, here’s some general information about Umbreo:
-Her favorite color is blue, and she really loves to eat, even with food-related OCD. She also likes to discover new things every day and considers herself a “simple person.”
-She greatly dislikes referring to sexual harassment as “Drama” and saying that politics should be out of the fandom. “We need to create the best safe place we can.”
-She would love to be an illustrator on an everyday basis. At present, she works five days a week and illustration, and conventions are her second work to help her live comfortably.
-Try to guess her favorite Pokémon…
Asked if she had any final things she’d like to say, Umbreo replied, “Fursuiting is not consent - please ask before touching or hugging. I’m really not fond of body touching unless we’re close friends, and sometimes I feel guilty about that, but I shouldn’t! It’s ok.”
And that brings us to the end of this week’s visit with a wonderful fur. If you think you’d like to learn more about her, or possibly follow, you can check out her Linktree.
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Thanks for stopping by for another week of Fursuit Fanatics! Remember, if you think you or someone you know deserves to be featured here, post your fursuiting photos and videos with the tags #FurryWeekly and #FursuitFanatics on most social platforms.
Once again, I’m tahlmorra and thank you for spending some time here with us. Be sure to come back next week when we’ll be serenaded by cacophonous buzzing, right on time after a 17-year wait!
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PHOTOGRAPHY 101
Hello, friends and photografurs! Welcome to this week's Photography 101! I'm your host, Jaden (Discord @ Jaden711#0663). Today we’ll be going against the grain and talk about something that's more a showcase of your editing skills than your photography skills!
Glitch photography is something a lot of you have seen before, but I bet you never even considered that it was a form of photography! Glitch photography or “glitch art” can be traced back to the 1970s but it wasn't until the early 2000s that it became its own medium. In the early 2000s glitch photography was used as a sort of counter-culture; an “imperfect” and “flawed” piece of art that contrasted with the perfect, smooth, and glossy aesthetic of Frutiger aero which ruled during that time. Even now with glitch photography being a popular form of art with thousands of photos and hundreds of photographers that have dedicated their careers to it, it still serves its original purpose of countering what's deemed as perfect, and can range from small imperfections to beautifully abstract.
The most simple way to do glitch photography is to download a dedicated app! There are dozens across the internet and app stores that will do everything you could imagine. You may not be able to get the most abstract results but it's still glitch photography nonetheless! The best part about apps like these is you can just randomly move the sliders and press buttons until you get the results you like. The whole point of glitch photography is that it's imperfect right? So why worry about trying so hard to make it perfect? Just download a random app and start hitting things till it looks good!
Glitch photography is an amazing thing for photographers and can even be a fun, cool thing for non-photographers alike to try out with photos they find on the internet. It has a long and non-confirmative history that has existed as long as the internet has been around and will continue to exist for many more years to come.
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That concludes this week's segment! If you have any questions or would like constructive criticism on your photos, don't be afraid to shoot me (Discord @ Jaden711#0663) a message!
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FURSUIT DESIGNING TIPS
Fursuit design tips 2!
Hi all, Olivier again with the fifth segment of Fursuit Designing Tips. In the last big article we started with the designing, and I asked you all to go absolutely wild on markings, colours and ideas.
You probably look back at it going "but Olivier, I can't make this, it will be too expensive, it's beyond my skills as a maker… why did you ask me to go wild?"
And that's why we are here right now. To tame the wild creature you designed. Make it more fursuit friendly, and also keep you from going insane whilst making it. This is what my way to go is by the way, you are 100% allowed to ignore what I'm writing here, or message me if you disagree!
Try and keep your base markings as large of fields as possible, it will be easier sewing and cutting fur that way.
Try to make your markings follow seam lines. Look at other makers and see where they have seams, it will probably be roughly the same with you.
See if you want smaller markings also sewn into fur, or painted on there, painted markings can fade over time and will result in different cleaning techniques. Sewing small markings can be a little tricky but definitely are a bold and rewarding look
Now onto looking at some examples and the challenging aspects of their designs:
Owned by @carkas96 on Twitter.
For Carkas, I would debate if the design needs to be a full suit, or partial given the fact he wears clothing.
The reference sheet shows the character has digi legs, so that adds to the question how he would have to be portrayed. Aside from that, the reference is very clear and easy to read. Carkas would look epic as a slightly grumpy toony suit!
Owned by @Peppermint#6054 on Discord.
Peppermint here has a reference that is also really clear. The most "tricky" part of a gazelle like her is finding a maker who would be up for the species, or finding useful references to make her into a suit!
I've noticed most suit references are for wolves, dogs and foxes but with some creativity everything is possible! She would be adorable as a toony/kemono style suit!
Owned by @Bryce Griffin#2609.
The most difficult part, like Peppermint, is the species. Still, the design is clear and reference is great. The most tricky part of this character to convert into a fursuit would be the feather design. Though having them made from EVA foam is a new technique I see coming up more and more for birds! I think Tad would be amazing if made into a semi realistic suit style.
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And with that we close today's article, and for next week we will be talking about hand sewing techniques!
Hope to see you there and know you can always contact me through Instagram @olivierthespacegoat with whatever questions or comments you might have!
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RADICAL RAFFLES
Hello, everyone! My name’s Danielle, and I’m here to bring you the most interesting raffles. We have a dozen (i.e 12) raffles this week! Let’s take a look at them.
First, we have a character illustration raffle by Izak!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet.
-Comment a cute GIF.
Prize:
-Character illustration
-Humanoid and anthropomorphic characters are welcome!
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on September 30th. There’s quite a lot of time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 1k follower milestone raffle by Ney!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet.
-Optional: Comment a reference.
Prize:
-Full body
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on May 18th. There’s still time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 2k art raffle by user Maney Manex!
How to Enter:
-Follow and retweet.
-Optional: Like the post and comment your favorite color.
Prizes:
-1st and 2nd place: shaded full body with an outfit
-3rd and 4th place: flat colored chibi
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on May 16th. There’s still time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a road to 2k raffle by Jasper!
How to Enter:
-Like and retweet.
-Optional: Post a safe for work (SFW) reference for a chance at a free doodle!
Prize:
-Expression page or bust
Deadline:
-This raffle doesn’t have a set deadline, but Jasper specifies that it’ll end closer to the end of this month. There’s still lots of time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a birthday raffle by user xXFireStarryXx!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet. New followers are welcome!
-Tag friends.
-Optional: Post SFW reference.
Prize:
-Full body
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on May 31st. There’s still lots of time left to enter! Since their birthday was on May 11th, feel free to wish them a happy belated birthday.
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Next up, we have a 3D avatar raffle by Parz!
How to Enter:
-18+ only to join due to Parz’s rules and safety.
-Like and retweet.
-Please read the raffle’s terms of service posted in the comments.
-Comment a movie and post a SFW reference.
-Optional: Follow Parz.
Prize:
-3D avatar for VRChat
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on May 20th. There’s still lots of time left to enter.
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Celebrate with a 6k raffle by user Wiss!
How to Enter:
-Follow and retweet.
-Optional: Post a reference.
Prize:
-$100 commission
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on May 21st. There’s still lots of time left to enter!
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Up next, we have a colored sketch raffle by user kris_tasy!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet.
Prize:
-Colored sketch
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on May 18th. There’s still time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 1k follower giveaway by user Paws & Maws!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet.
-Tag one or more friends.
Prize:
-Custom body harness in your choice of style and color (U.S only)
-An international winner is okay if the winner pays for shipping.
Deadline:
-This giveaway ends on June 1st. There’s lots of time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 5k followers milestone raffle by KayztorDevil!
How to Enter:
-Follow and retweet.
-Optional: Comment your character’s reference.
Prize:
-Freestyle drawing (two winners)
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on May 19th at 12 pm GMT. There’s still time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 1.5k art raffle by Woodes!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet. New followers are welcome!
Prize:
-Half body portrait
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on June 1st. There’s lots of time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 1k follower raffle by Kitten!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet.
-Optional: Post a reference and answer this question: “Why do you follow Kitten?”
Prize:
-Rendered half body
-Additional prizes might be added or new winners considered at 1.5k followers!
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on May 25th. There’s about two weeks left to enter!
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Those are all the raffles I have for you this week. There's always more out there, and we'll make sure to find them and bring them to you every week!
Make sure you use the tags #RadicalRaffles and #FurryWeekly so we can find your raffle more easily.
Thank you for taking a look at this week’s raffles. Stay tuned because more radical raffles are coming your way!
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AVAILABLE ARTISTS
Hello, everyone! My name’s Danielle, and I’m here to bring you the latest and greatest artists to commission. We have five talented artists this week! Let’s dive in.
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We start with Ferwildir. Ferwildir is a digital and traditional artist who specializes in various mediums such as furry characters, fan art, and monsters. They also sell amazing bases on their Ko-fi shop. I’d recommend checking those out!
Currently, they are only open for cleaned up and rough digital headshot sketches, but they are well worth it! If you’re looking to get uncolored sketches of your character or fursona, then these are for you. Be sure to stay on the look-out when Ferwildir reopens for digitally colored headshots!
You can find Ferwildir’s prices on their Ko-fi commissions tab as well as other essential links on their Carrd. Feel free to message them if you have any questions.
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Next, we have Piper. Piper is a writer and artist who specializes in amazingly detailed furry illustrations. She offers sketches, sketch pages, reference sheets, scenes, pay what you want (PWYW) art, PWYW experimental scenes, and PWYW experimental portraits. If you’ve got a different idea for a commission, feel free to reach out to Piper! She’s very open to discussing new commission options and would love to make something for you.
You can find Piper’s commission information on her Google document and other social media on her Carrd. Feel free to message her if you have any other questions and/or are interested in a commission.
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Wilisyourthrill, a voice actor, artist, and PNGtuber, is next. He specializes in furry art, especially Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) characters, and offers lineless, lined, and sketch commissions as headshots/icons, waist ups, and full bodies. If you have D&D or D&D-like characters, then you’ll enjoy this artist!
You can find his prices on his pinned tweet. Feel free to message him if you have any questions and/or are interested in a commission.
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Up next, we have Kimi, an illustrator and designer who specializes in furry art. Her art style is super cute! If you’re looking to get some cutesy art, then you’re in the right place! I’d definitely recommend checking out her headshot, half body, full body, Telegram stickers, and reference sheet commission options.
You can find Kimi’s prices, terms of service, and links to her social media on her Carrd. Feel free to message her if you have any questions and/or are interested in a commission.
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Last but certainly not least, we have Baja. Baja is a freelance illustrator and convention artist who specializes in cute pop culture and fandom based art. They offer your character heres (YCHs), emotes, bust sketches, chibis, and icons as commission options. All of them are worth checking out!
You can find Baja’s prices on their Ko-fi and links to their social media on their website. Feel free to message Baja if you are interested in a commission and/or if you have any questions.
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That is all for this edition of Available Artists!
We’re always on the lookout for amazing artists to put on the spotlight. Don’t forget to use the hashtags #AvailableArtists and #FurryWeekly so we can find you. Feel free to message me directly on any of my social media if you have any artists with open commissions you’d like us to feature.
Thank you for reading and checking out these amazing artists!
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CHARACTER INTERVIEW
Welcome, everyone! Thanks for joining us for another riveting edition of the Character Interview segment! If this is your first time checking out this segment, this is where we sit down with cool folks from around the fandom and just chat about what they’re getting up to.
I’m your host, Yeshua, and heck, I can’t express how excited I am to talk with today’s guests. That’s right, guests!
YESHUA: Today I'm joined by two real cool folks! This time we'll be chatting with Fruitz and Tiberius, or Tibs! Thank you both for being here! For those who are reading about you two for the first time, mind introducing yourselves?
TIBS: Sure! I'm also really happy to be here! I'm Tiberius, I currently live in DFW Texas and I've been a part of the fandom for many years. I've always loved telling stories and making up worlds. Other than that I'm pretty mellow (at least I think so!).
FRUITZ: And I'm Fruitz! I've been drawing and making stories for decades. I used to specialize in comics and manga for the most part, with a simpler art style, but recently, while working on the Simon King Trilogy with Tibs, I've been exploring with a more painterly art style. I loved books ever since I was a kid (especially the hardcovers with beautiful cover art) and that's why my primary motivation for working on this project is to see the hardcover books that I designed being printed and made into physical copies!
YESHUA: Honestly, you both sound like very interesting lads and I'd love to get to know you two more! We'll see what we can get to in this interview, but, Fruitz brought up what I'd like to focus on first: the Simon King Trilogy! I know you two announced the publishing of the trilogy just four days before this interview on April 18, so let's start with the basics. Can you all tell me a bit about what this trilogy is about?
FRUITZ: It's a project that kind of happened by chance. When the pandemic hit, my whole plan for the year had been essentially cancelled, so I was looking at other things to do. While I did enjoy playing furry visual novels like "Echo" and "The Smoke Room," it also made me want to work on something original. And that's when Tibs mentioned wanting to write a story set in Victorian London about a chimney sweeper, which happened to also be in my favorite time period in history (because I'm also a Sherlock Holmes fan), so I suggested that we work together on this story project!
TIBS: Happy to!
Simon King trilogy begins at the tail end of Victorian England in London, centered around an orphaned fox named Simon who, along with other urchins, works as a chimney sweep.
Through a bit of misadventure, Simon and his friends witness a grizzly murder and become the focus of the infamous Spring Heeled Jack that has been terrorizing London.
Books two and three move the setting to the United States and expand on the cast of characters.
YESHUA: Wow, I'm impressed by the relatively simple origin of the project! You both had ideas in mind that aligned with your interests, and embarked on a journey to create something truly incredible! I definitely don't hear about folks coming together to create and publish a trilogy of books in two years, hahah.
As for the plot of the series, it certainly sounds like quite the adventure awaits readers! I'm particularly interested by the shift in setting, makes me wonder how they'd end up in the U.S.!
I'm interested in hearing a little more about the inspiration behind this series, if there is more to it of course! I know you both mentioned you all are fond of the Victorian time period, but is there more as to why you all decided on the plot line that you all did?
FRUITZ: It originally wasn't planned as a trilogy at all, but a simple story that begins and ends in London. But as we discussed more about the potential of expanding Simon's world to beyond the Atlantic, the idea of making him travel to other different locations became more and more intriguing, so we ended up with the current trilogy, with a much larger cast of characters than we began.
TIBS: That's a bit of a funny story. I've always loved history and have a degree in it, and so an idea with a historical setting will almost naturally appeal to me.
But as to the exact origin of the story...that's the funny part. I had been a prolific writer years ago but stopped due to personal issues and thought my muse was gone for good. I read a book by a friend, The Adventures of Peter Gray by Nate Hopp, and it woke something up inside me that I hadn't felt in years.
The only issue was I had no idea what to write.
So one night I'm sitting at my computer with the word document open and I message an old friend of mine. I said to him: "I want to write but I don't know what. Give me a writing prompt."
And he said "Write about a chimney sweep."
And from there the idea took off. It was never originally intended to grow into what it did -- the original spark was just to tell the story about a chimney sweep and how awful they had it in reality (I had to temper some of it for the book).
The story really grew into what it did when I started talking to Fruitz about it. He was the first person I shared my writing with and he did a drawing of Simon...and from there we basically fed off one another in terms of creativity.
FRUITZ: The original drawing was really simple, with Simon sitting on the roof with a bunch of chimneys in the background blowing smoke into the London sky.
FRUITZ: I then did some basic character design for Simon and his two central friends (Avery and Billy), and Tibs worked on his writing using these designs as inspiration.
YESHUA: Ah, so taking Simon's adventures overseas was perhaps a catalyst for the story warranting an extended plot? I gotta say, just with the little I've heard, I am truly intrigued!
And wow! I'm seriously impressed by how such straightforward events led to you guys creating something so complex and complete! It's also very nice hearing that you two were able to push the series forward creatively with your respective talents; you made some wonderful illustrations of Simon and his friends, Fruitz, and I'm sure Tibs was able to then go all out with the writing!
I am curious -- do you two feel it was particularly difficult at all settling with character designs and backstories? Or do you feel it all came together relatively quickly?
TIBS: Fruitz has been an incredible friend and asset for all of this. He helps me refine ideas and will sketch out characters for me — he also helps me give the characters unique physical traits I would never have imagined.
I wouldn’t say it was difficult. I think the hardest part with doing a setting that touches on real history is you have to be aware that the story is for fun so you have to learn where to embellish and romanticize events so the audience isn’t put off to a lot of the brutality of the period. Chimney sweep boys died very young, sometimes burned or smoked to death stuck in chimneys. A lot were much younger than the characters in the book.
With all that bleakness you have to give the characters something to be hopeful for and enjoyable to read, so we aged the boys up as an example. But nothing felt terribly difficult, it was actually a lot of fun coming up with their different traits and watching them grow. There’s a time jump between book one and two, after all.
FRUITZ: Yeah, and before I designed anything, Tibs and I discussed a lot about what the characters' background, personality, and motivation would be, so it was easy for me to come up with their designs. And Tibs is really skilled at creating characters that feel alive and unique in their own right, so I just had to make sure that my design reflected those traits!
TIBS: A funny anecdote is that I always forget my own characters’ eye colors. Fruitz has stopped me from giving everyone golden yellow eyes.
FRUITZ: Haha, yeah! In addition to being illustrator and designer, I'm also the editor and proofreader. So, as any good editor does, I make sure there isn't any inconsistency in Tibs's writing. Sometimes I even rewrite whole sentences or paragraphs to make sure the narration flows smoothly.
TIBS: Which I do try to minimize! But that’s what’s so awesome about collaboration - we complement one another very well and fill in the gaps. We also research lots of things together because we want to get it right and avoid someone saying we got a major event or situation wrong.
It’s actually a lot of fun. It's never felt like work. We also cheer each other on when we’re working on some aspect and we push each other. It’s very rewarding.
YESHUA: Hahah that bit about you giving all the characters golden eyes is indeed pretty funny, Tibs! And I was precisely going to say, it does seem like you two definitely play off of each other very well! It's awesome to see how much you two have enjoyed working on this together, because it truly is a huge project!
It's also interesting hearing that the biggest challenge was finding ways of working with such a grim historical setting, but it's something I personally respect because I do enjoy history, and I love when folks write stories with elements from real history.
You guys have mentioned a lot about how you both worked with each other to develop characters, setting, and plot. Is there anything else about putting together this world that we perhaps didn't touch on that you all would like to highlight?
TIBS: I think the antagonist is worth mentioning a bit more of.
Spring Heeled Jack. They were a real life 19th century English bogeyman. Stories about a demon with red eyes being able to jump 12 feet into the air and had razor claws.
I’ve always been a fan of ghost stories and spooky things, and Spring Heeled Jack felt perfect. A lot of people have assumed we morphed Jack the Ripper, which isn’t it at all.
But behind the mask of Jack is a person, Mordecai Crossbell. A Caracal of upper crust British society. He is charming, handsome, debonair, and he absolutely loathes everyone. He is a special kind of twisted.
When writing him we wanted to make him compelling and scary. I also wanted to avoid giving him any redeeming qualities. I wanted a villain who was awful but could pretend to play nice, who didn’t have a tragic backstory or another situation that made him redeemable.
I wanted a villain who was ruthless but you always enjoyed when he was on “screen” so to speak.
Fruitz actually picked his species. I remember asking him what kind of cat would work.
FRUITZ: It was really fun designing him! I envisioned a caracal with the character traits of Professor James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes's archnemesis and criminal mastermind. I chose caracal because of their unique ear tufts that made them seem menacing and yet so handsome!
YESHUA: Aha, that's a very interesting concept! To me, that combination of irredeemable villain, scary, unnatural qualities, and a refined facade certainly sounds like a proper antagonist. And I love the choice of caracal for the species; seems like a great fit! Just that headshot of him wearing the top hat is a bit eerie! Good stuff. It's so fun hearing such detail about how you guys developed certain aspects of the series!
Is there anything else you guys have in mind about the story that you all would like to share? I'm actually curious, is there anything in particular you two are especially proud of? Or excited about?
FRUITZ: One thing I'm excited about is that Tibs inserted my two fursonas (black fox called Fiz and white fox called Rut, together spelling my name Fruitz) into the cast of characters who appear in the second book of the trilogy, which takes place in New York City!
TIBS: They’re so much fun to write! We basically got to develop their on page personalities together and it’s become this huge amalgamation of funny little stories we’ve come up with. We actually worked on a collection of short stories about the fox twins because we always have some funny misadventure bouncing between us but we couldn’t find a way to make it fit in the books.
They’re also the stars of our current writing project, which is a sequel to the Simon King trilogy.
Fiz also steals the show. Everyone loves Fiz.
FRUITZ: Yes, and the short story collection is to be the bridge between Simon's story (which concludes at the end of his trilogy) and the story of Fiz and Rut, as well as their mysterious background and upbringing. In what we call the "Simon-verse" (the universe that the Simon King Trilogy takes place in), Fiz and Rut are twin brothers, and they are really quirky pair of foxes that I'm sure readers will fall in love with once they make an appearance, just as much as we love drawing and writing about them!
YESHUA: Hah! I love that detail about their names spelling 'Fruitz." But wow, looks like those two brought you both lots of potential for future projects! It's already very exciting to hear that you all are expanding the Simon-verse even more! And the short stories about the twins' misadventures sound like quite the treat too! Do you guys have anything you all could share about the direction you all are taking with the Simon King sequel? Perhaps a sneak peek even? If you all are comfortable sharing of course, no pressure at all!
TIBS: Fruitz may have a picture he could share. But it’s about their mysterious upbringing. It’s a lot more complex than we’ve let on and it’s turning into a wonderful web of intrigue.
Some characters from the original trilogy have cameos. It starts about two years after the third book ends.
FRUITZ: I've finished the illustrations for the short story collection, and this is a sneak preview of what is to come. The short stories will span in tone from lighthearted and comedic to more somber and heavy. This picture is from the more lighthearted stories, and it's showing Fiz being very intrigued and Rut...not so much. What are they looking at, and why is Rut holding a plate and a fork? Readers will have to find out when these stories are released, right after the conclusion of the Simon King Trilogy!
YESHUA: Heeeeck yeah! Love that illustration and truly, the way you guys have developed this world and its characters is just so incredibly intriguing. I'm probably gonna have to pick up the trilogy myself because it really seems like you guys have come up with a series worth following. Thanks so much for that sneak peek!
TIBS: I’ve heard good things about it!
FRUITZ: It's been a real treat to be able to participate in a project that I can really put my heart into because of how captivating the characters and the story surrounding them are. According to Tibs, he won't stop there with the twins' story, and he might have a few more stories up his sleeve! For that, I'm excited as well.
TIBS: I have plans! So many plans. But that’s what I love, telling stories.
FRUITZ: I'm glad to know that Tibs's muse has not only returned, but is singing louder than ever! Haha.
TIBS: When it showed up again I threw it in a cage. It isn’t escaping again!
YESHUA: Heheh I'll take your word for it, Tibs! And I one hundred percent believe you, Fruitz. There's nothing better than doing something you're passionate about! And really now? Hey, as long as it's something you continue enjoying, I say keep it going! I gotta say, it's been so fun seeing how invested you two are in this project as well as how much fun you both seem to be having! It is truly a treat.
Stepping away from the series for a bit, something else I would like to ask is, how do you guys feel about the fact that this series -- which is entirely original literature made by you all -- is published, and people can find it at places like Barnes and Noble? That's something that I at least think is an awesome feat! Did you guys plan for that? Was that a goal you all had when you both first started collaborating on this?
FRUITZ: When we started this project, we weren't planning to do anything more than just to release them on SoFurry for people to read. But when I found out that I can self-publish books on Barnes and Noble Press, I was interested and ended up learning from scratch how to format books for print, as well as doing the cover art and all the other designing tasks that go into making a printed book. I printed personal copies for Tibs and me to keep as memorabilia of our project.
But then Tibs told me how some people were asking if the story would be printed into physical books, so I though, "Why not?" And then I created an imprint on Barnes and Noble website under the name "Fruitzberg Press," and put these books for sale.
Personally, I LOVE hardcover books, but I didn't know if other people, who might have grown up reading more books on ebook readers than in print, would share my passion. But based on how many people told me they were waiting for the books to come out on print, I now see that there is indeed still a demand for physical media. And I'm very happy for that.
TIBS: It surprised me too. But it definitely pushed us to get here. People are asking about ebooks and paperbacks and if we’re going to cons and it’s like…we knew we had readers but since we shared the books online it’s been this outpouring of support and appreciation and it’s been a wonderful and humbling experience.
FRUITZ: Definitely! I'm really grateful for all the people who are genuinely excited to get these books, whether physically or digitally, and we hope to keep making things that will exceed their expectations. I know that only we can tell the stories of Simon-verse, so I'm going to make sure that we tell them in the best way possible, every time.
YESHUA: I think it's always great when people go beyond the goals they have, it's just incredibly inspiring, and hearing that you both took such a bigger step for this project is amazing. I hope those reading this realize just how much love and care you guys have put into this series. These are the kinds of awesome things people do in the community that are just so cool to see, and learning about how far you two have come with this project is nothing short of phenomenal!
Well, it's seriously been a blast chatting with you both about the Simon King Trilogy as well as the things you guys have in store for the future! Before we get ready to wrap up, do you all have anything else you'd like to share or touch on that I perhaps missed, or didn't discuss much?
TIBS: I think we’ve gone over a lot. I want to say more but it gives away plot points! It’s hard to not spoil things, since so many awesome things happen in book three and beyond.
FRUITZ: Well, one funny thing I wanted to mention was, when Tibs and I were discussing how I miss the olden days when book covers were actually painted by artists instead of using stock photographs, and as a joke I made this "modern-style" version of the cover for "Come to Dust." And he loved it! Right, Tibs?
TIBS: Oh lord you brought that abomination out of the woodworks!
YESHUA: Hooooooly heck if that doesn't show how much fun you guys have had working on this series, I don't know what does, hah! I'm glad you all had time to mess around while still working on the trilogy; I feel like taking some time to do lighthearted stuff like that only makes collaborating more enjoyable!
TIBS: Oh we do silly stuff like this all the time.
FRUITZ: Yes, and we enjoy every moment of it, haha.
TIBS: Mostly it’s Fruitz torturing me in some new way.
FRUITZ: Corrected: I enjoy every moment of it.
TIBS: I just suffer in silence!
YESHUA: Heh you gotta get him back somehow, Tibs! Surely!
TIBS: No you see he just finds a way to escalate! And he’s painfully sharp with puns.
FRUITZ: I live and breathe dad jokes.
YESHUA: Oooh no not the puns.. okay I can see how that'd be a little hard to fight, hahah. Dad jokes are pretty powerful!
TIBS: He’s just really good at wordplay. And rhyming!
FRUITZ: It's because of all the days I had to spend learning Shakespeare in school, haha. And as a fun fact: all the book titles in the Simon King Trilogy are taken directly from a line in a Shakespeare play. I'm proud of coming up with those, actually!
YESHUA: Hmm I do love me some good wordplay and rhyming... Oh really? Wow, that's actually pretty impressive how you were able to work that in! Especially for something as important as the book titles! But hey, that's a really cool way to put your knowledge to use!
TIBS: The “come to dust” part actually mentions chimney sweeps, too.
FRUITZ: Yes, it's from the play Cymbeline:
"Fear no more the heat o’ the sun,
Nor the furious winter’s rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust."
The last line made it a natural fit for this book in particular.
YESHUA: You all just keep blowing my mind with how much depth there is to the series! Down to the smallest details! I wouldn't be surprised if you all could make a whole list of just trivia and references you all have incorporated into the series!
TIBS: We try! I look at it as if we give the world all these little tidbits then it helps make it feel alive to the reader, even if they aren’t exactly aware of it.
YESHUA: It seems to me like you all definitely succeeded with that! I personally am pretty uncultured, I won't lie, but it'll be interesting seeing if I can catch anything once I give the series a read!
Well, I honestly feel like we could chat for many more hours, it's been such a good time! But the interview has to come to an end at some point. Before it does though, do you guys have any other remarks? Or any parting words?
TIBS: Just thank you for the interview and allowing us to talk about the world we’ve made. It’s always energizing and honestly it’s made me want to write more! But someone hasn’t read the rough draft yet of the last chapter…
FRUITZ: I'm still working on that, Tibs! Haha.
Thanks for reaching out to us for the interview, Yeshua, it was great fun having the chat with you! And as for my parting words:
"What you see now is only the tip of the Fruitzberg!"
TIBS: I’m just teeeeeasing.
FRUITZ: That slogan is the entire reason why I wanted to name my imprint "Fruitzberg Press." Haha.
TIBS: And the double entendre?
FRUITZ: What, I have no idea what you're talking about, Tibs!
TIBS: As innocent as a war crime!
YESHUA: Heheheh you guys are a riot! Thank you both so much for accepting the invite, it has been an absolute pleasure having you both!
TIBS: It’s been a lot of fun!
FRUITZ: Yeah, thank you!
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That’s all for this Character Interview! This was an unbelievably fun interview and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed doing it! I seriously recommend you all check out Fruitz and Tibs because as you all read – they’ve got more great stuff in the works! And if you want to potentially get the Simon King Trilogy physically and as a hardcover – just follow this link here!
As always, I’m on the hunt for more folks in the fandom to sit down and chat with, so if you have any suggestions about anyone you’d like to see here on Character Interview, lemmino by reaching out on one of my socials.
I’ll be back next week with another fantastic guest, but until then, take care!
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CONVENTION CALENDAR
Welcome back to another edition of Convention Calendar! I’m Shetani, your friendly neighborhood segment host. If you, like me, are feeling the change in weather inspire you to get out there (in meatspace or cyberspace) and mingle with other furries, you’re in for a real treat! In this issue, we’ll be discussing a baker’s dozen of furry events during the entire month of May, happening online, around the world, and in your neck of the woods. Let’s get started!
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Wild Nights is a furry camping convention taking place Thursday April 27 - Tuesday May 2 - in Robbers Cave State Park near Wilburton, Oklahoma, USA. This long-running community staple held itsfirst event in 2009, if you can believe it! 2023’s con, themed Very Superstitious, promises to be a spooktacularly good time. Programming and events have historically included outdoor games such as swimming and basketball, a variety show, fursuit events, and artist sketchbook swaps. The Guests of Honor are musician Matthew Ebel and artist Zola. Take a peek at the “Who’s Coming” list on WN’s website to start networking with the other furries you’ll meet at the con! Lodging and meals are included in the registration cost.
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Come on by the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from Thursday May 11 - Sunday May 14 for Furry Weekend Atlanta! This year’s theme is The Lost City. Plenty of fun awaits FWA attendees, including a Dealer’s Den, Artist Alley, and Moonlight festival. There will also be board and video gaming as well as poker and blackjack, a fursuit dance competition, and more. In lieu of a fursuit parade, FWA will host a group photo and smaller breakout photo ops for special interest groups. If you ever wanted to photograph a bunch of African animals, or purple fursuiters, or all the fursuiters from one specific maker, now’s your chance! The Guest of Honor is Jacato, an illustrator known in the furry community for his colorful slice-of-life paintings. Additionally, FWA supports Animal Park at the Conservators Center as their charity for 2023.
Website | Twitter | Mastodon | Facebook
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Furry Down Under, also known as FurDU, will be held Friday May 12 - Sunday May 14. The con has a brand new venue this time around - the Crowne Plaza Hotel Surfers Paradise & Oaks Hotel on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. With a theme like Game On for 2023, there’s a lot of potential for folks to go all-out with their outfits, costumes, decorations, and events! Three days’ worth of excitement await attendees, such as multiple fursuit games, trivia, dance competitions, a talent show, and dances each night of the convention. On the schedule, you may notice panels hosted by Magicdawolfy and Adler the Eagle, the two Guests of Honor. Every year, FurDU raises donations for Fresh Start Rescue, an organization that assists with rescuing animals from shelters, fostering them, and giving them a new forever home. Pre-registration has closed for the season, but a limited number of day passes will be available on site. Bear in mind that you must be 18 years of age to attend FurDU.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook
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Hear ye, hear ye! Southern Paws returns to the Waipara Adventure Center in Waipara, Canterbury, New Zealand with the theme of Snouts and Sorcery! This year’s event is scheduled for Friday May 12 - Monday May 15. Southern Paws takes a summer camp and a furry convention and mashes them together for one unforgettable weekend. Expect outdoor hangouts, sports, and camping activities in addition to a dealer’s den, panels, fursuit events, and much more. At registration, you can book a specific bedroom to stay with friends, or let Southern Paws assign you a spot - a great way to meet new people and make furry friends at con! Bring a photo ID if you’re staying overnight.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook
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The 24th Mephit Mini Con takes place this year from Thursday May 18 - Sunday May 21 at the Jugendherberge Freusburg in Freusburg, Kirchen, Germany. Bring your kilts and bagpipes for the theme, Highland Games. Workshops, events, fursuit games, a dealer’s den, and an art show are on the docket for 2023. Meals are included with registration - you can’t beat that! Be sure to refer to MMC’s website and socials for more info.
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Furry Weekend Holland will be taking place Friday May 19 - Monday May 22 at the beautiful De Berckt Castle in Baarlo, the Netherlands. For over a decade, this convention has brought furries together for games, dances, markets, food, and fun. If you notice more cowboy hats, lassos, and spurred boots than usual, that’s because the theme for 2023 is Spirit of the West! FWH events have historically included photo ops, raves, an inflatables meetup, fursuit activities, and a dead dog party, so attendees can expect more of the same this time around.
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CozyCon is a fully online convention taking place Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21, and is 100% free to attend! The theme once again is “Cozy Dreams (Lo-Fi Slumber Party),” so go ahead and wear your comfiest jammies as you experience all the conveniences of a virtual convention. For the 7th time running, CozyCon will feature online panels, meetups, workshops, games, DJs, and a talent show, not to mention an online dealer’s den packed with dozens of artists, creators, and vendors from furry and other fandom communities. The magic happens on the CozyCon Discord hub, with events and panels streaming on Twitch. For those who want to get fully interactive, CozyCon will offer a hangout space and art gallery in Minecraft, as well as virtual HQ and Dealer’s Den worlds in VRChat and ChilloutVR! You can’t get much closer to the real-life con experience.
Website | Twitter | Discord | Twitch | Telegram | Mastodon | Facebook | Instagram
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The Oáza srdce hotel in Horní Bradlo, Czech Republic welcomes the furries back for the annual ZodiaCon, from Wednesday May 24 - Sunday May 28. An interesting fact about ZodiaCon is that they choose not only a unique theme, but a new mascot each year, based on a rotation of the twelve zodiac signs - hence the convention’s name. 2023’s mascot is an otter, representing Aquarius, and the theme is Pirates! Last year’s events included fursuit games, hangouts, and photoshoots by a picturesque lake; just imagine what ZodiaCon has planned for this year! Those looking to network with friends and make new pals at ZodiaCon will be happy to know there’s an attendee list on their website, complete with country of origin and even photos. Convention materials, panels, and important announcements will be available in Czech or Slovak as well as English. You must be 18 years old to attend ZodiaCon.
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AnthrOhio is being held Friday May 26 - Sunday May 28 at the Crowne Plaza North in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The Guests of Honor are Velocity the Running Sloth, Yahve Anne, and Dappest. AnthrOhio promises events and decorations aligned with 2023’s chosen theme “To the Fur Flung Regions of Space,” so expect to see astronaut helmets and Starfleet uniforms along with ears and tails! At the charity table, you can meet representatives from Ohio Nature Education, a private non-profit volunteer organization which provides a home for animals that can no longer live in the wild. At press time, the schedule was still being finalized, but you can bet there’ll be board gaming, a dance competition, Dealer’s Den and Artist’s Alley, and tasty food trucks. Don’t forget your face mask and proof of COVID-19 vaccination, as both are required to attend AnthrOhio.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Mastodon
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At the same time, Furlandia is happening just a few states away at the Sheraton Portland Airport in Portland, Oregon, USA. Furries from all around will gather between Friday May 26 - Sunday May 28 for yet another iteration of the annual convention. Furlandia is breaking the mold this year by theming their convention “Your Character Here,” and instead of selecting one or two specific individuals to highlight, every attendee is being celebrated as a Guest of Honor! Fursuit and non-suit dance competitions, a Dealer’s Den, and Artist Alley are planned. Keep an eye on Furlandia’s website for further details, including the schedule and charity of choice, as information is announced. Furlandia requires photo ID and proof of COVID-19 vaccination to register.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook | Instagram
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NomadiCon rounds out the USA furcons for this weekend. After some issues with their venue, this first year event is finally ready and raring to welcome attendees! The fun begins Friday May 26 - Sunday May 28 at the Millennium Maxwell Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Comedian Alkali Bismuth has the honor of being NomadiCon’s first special guest. The staff have been hard at work setting up panels, photoshoots, life drawing sessions, Floor Wars dance competition, a vendor hall, and nightly dances to make the inaugural event unforgettable. Check the Vendors page on their website to see if your favorite furry exhibitor will be there! NomadiCon requires that you be vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear a CDC-approved mask in con space.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Mastodon | Facebook | Instagram
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ConFuzzled is back with its fourteenth iteration from Friday May 26 - Tuesday May 30. The Hilton Birmingham Metropole in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom plays host to the festivities once again. This year’s theme is “Brok in the Multiverse,” sending CFz’s badger mascot Brok and friends through a myriad of crazy crossover experiences with well-known pop culture franchises. The Guests of Honor are artist Fawnspots and musician Tonya Song. CFz promises a packed schedule of events, like fursuit activities, social gatherings, stage shows, and workshops. Don’t forget to stop by the Dealer’s Den as well as the pop-up shops and buy a trinket or two to take home with you. CFz is known for its photoshoot booth all decked out with props to match each year’s special theme, not to be passed up! CFz has already reached its attendance cap for 2023, which is a fantastic show of support for the convention; if you missed your chance to register, it’s never too early to start planning your trip for next year!
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Mastodon
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Last but certainly not least, we have Furizon, an Italian furry convention scheduled for Tuesday May 30 - Friday June 2. As was the case in 2022, the Park Hotel Sacro Cuore in Cavalese, Italy was chosen for the venue. This year’s theme is “Furizon Beyond,” evoking whimsical flights of fancy, steampunk, and space pirates. Hotel lodging and meals for all four days are included in the price of registration. The schedule will be posted on Furizon’s website as soon as it’s available, so you can start making note of all your favorite activities. If you have a fursuit, you can register online to take part in the fursuit games. Nearly 20 dealers will be peddling their wares at Furizon, with info listed on the con’s website should you wish to take an early peek. Attendees must be at least 18 years old.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
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This weeks Con Calender features Carkas from the Furry Weekly team! Art done by The_Real_Wolf_Artist.
I’d like to spend a moment addressing common questions about what we cover in the Convention Calendar segment here at Furry Weekly!
Q: Why do you list conventions for the whole month instead of each week?
A: As you’ve just read, the majority of furry cons happen on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which, coincidentally, is when Furry Weekly releases new issues. If we waited to update Convention Calendar on a weekly basis, many of the cons would be partly finished or have already ended, which wouldn’t give our readers enough time to go to them!
Q: Why leave up the cons from earlier in the month if they’ve already happened?
A: Furry Weekly’s fantastic graphic artists make a calendar image for the entire month. Those event names would still be on the calendar, except without an explanation of what they are.
In addition, when people search online for furry conventions they can attend, Furry Weekly is frequently in the top results - particularly for cons that don’t get a lot of mainstream coverage, or whose sites are primarily in another language. Cons without a large online footprint can be greatly assisted by Furry Weekly gathering all the important details in one place.
Q: Where do you find the conventions you write about?
A: Mostly via word of mouth and a LOT of research! Many established furry cons are well-documented and happen at the same time each year. I also scour the Web to look for upcoming first year furry cons, furry cons outside of North America, and lesser known furry cons. These events often benefit the most from being featured in a publication like Furry Weekly.
Q: How do you pick which cons to feature?
A: Furry events come in all shapes and sizes, and being exclusionary is no fun. Basically, if the event bills itself as a convention and is geared towards the furry community, that’s exactly what we’re looking for! There must be at least one official public webpage with verifiable info where prospective attendees can find details such as dates, location, how to register, policies, and programming.
Q: I help run a furry convention that’s coming up, and we’d like to get the word out. Is that possible?
A: Absolutely! Just contact me before the month in which the con takes place, and I’ll make sure I have all the details I need to cover your convention!
Q: I’m not on staff, but I’m going to a furry con soon - will you write about it?
A: I try my absolute best to give our readers comprehensive con coverage, but I don’t know what I don’t know! Get in touch with me at least a month in advance so I can ascertain your con is on my list.
Got questions or suggestions for Convention Calendar? Feel free to drop me a line on Twitter and the Fediverse, or hit me up at any of the other platforms linked on my website. If there’s an upcoming event you want to ensure we cover here on Furry Weekly, don’t hesitate to let me know. Have fun and stay safe out there!
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FURRY QUOTE
This week, we’re talking about:
Challenges, Mistakes, and Learning
Personal growth. It's something that can be applied to every area of life, from academics, to general behavior, to hobbies. It's challenging, something we all want to do, but we all seem to fall short of where we want to be each time. This gets frustrating and often we want to give up. The effort seems like too much, our mistakes are piling up into what feels like a disaster, and everything feels like it's falling apart. Personal growth is hard.
But life is what you make of it, friends. If you take every little mistake and treat it as a defeat, you won't get anywhere. If every challenge carries with it a negative connotation, you won't face them with enough vigor to surmount the difficulty. If even the slightest bit of effort seems to be too frustrating, the love for what you're doing may drain and become a chore. Find that love again.
Try something new in what you're striving to improve! Give yourself a challenge you want to succeed at and view it as a game, perhaps, one you can't lose. Strive to do better, rejoice in the challenge. Make a mistake? Look at it, analyze it, see what went wrong. Use that knowledge to know what NOT to do next time around. Be willing to put in that effort, and use every little scrap of it to continue to learn how to better yourself. And who knows? After all of that you may find yourself in a much better place than you started off in.
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That’s all for this week! Thank you for joining me to talk about challenges, mistakes, and learning! If you have a topic you’d like me to cover or a quote you’d like them to share, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or DeviantArt.
See you next time!
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That is all for today! Thank you for reading! If you like Furry Weekly, share it with your friends or let us know by contacting us on our social media linked below! We always appreciate your support!
Remember, to submit your content to us, make a post with the tag #FurryWeekly and the tag of the segment you would like to be featured in (e.g. #FWArtCorner, #FWWritingShowcase). These tags work regardless of what platform you're on, whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, Amino, or DeviantArt. These are the platforms we currently look at for user-submitted content!
Once again, thank you for reading and submitting content! We will see you next time!