ISSUE 271
Hiya everyone! Welcome once again to another installment of Furry Weekly! This issue is a tiny bit more special because our seventh anniversary just passed on August 4th! So before we get on with today’s issue, we’d like to thank every one of you who tunes in each week to read the magazine! Everyone at Furry Weekly puts in a lot of work to make this project something the community will enjoy, and we’re going to continue to do our best to deliver, because that’s our main goal! Just making something all of you will like and want more of. That said, we’re always listening for your feedback, so remember you can always reach out to us if you have something you’d like for us to do, or even just to tell us what you like and don’t like about the magazine. All of our host’s links are in each issue at the beginning of their segments, but you can also always reach out to Yeshua, or Carkas if you have any comments, questions or concerns about anything regarding the magazine.
Still, we’re very thankful we can all come together to do this, and we wouldn’t be able to do so without all of you in the fandom, because at the end of the day, a large part of the magazine is just showing off what you all have to offer to the community! So we want to keep doing that! And as a small thank you, we do have one tiny little thing planned, so keep reading to find out what that is!
Thank you all again for your support, and here’s to many more years!
Now let’s get on with the usual magazine content, starting with our announcements!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
RECRUITING
We’re still looking for a lot of help! Check out the roles below and see if anything catches your eye:
- Art Corner Host
- Furry of the Week Host
- Radical Raffles Host
- Available Artists Host
- DIY Project of the Week Host
- Front End Website Developer
- Editor
If you’d like to help out or if you want more info, please contact Yeshua, or Carkas. If you want to know what the roles are about and what you would for each, just 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’re still on The Furry Social Discord server! It’s a server where artists, commissioners and furries of all kinds can hang out! You can find 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’s all for our announcements! There’s tons of content waiting for you so let’s get into it now! We hope you enjoy, and please let us know what you liked the most by hitting us up on our socials! We’re @FurryWeekly on Instagram, Twitter, and now Threads!
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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 Focus
[✔] Photography 101
[❌] Fursuit Designing Tips
[✔] Radical Raffles
[✔] Available Artists
[❌] Character Interview
[✔] Convention Calendar
[❌] Furry Quote
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ANNIVERSARY RAFFLE
If you guessed we were gonna have a raffle to celebrate our anniversary, you were right! We’ve done a couple of raffles before, but this one has the most prizes we’ve offered, so we hope you all will be interested in taking part! All you need to know about the raffle is below.
HOW TO ENTER
TLDR that’s also below all the bullet points: For one entry, follow Furry Weekly on Instagram OR Twitter, and share our raffle post on your Instagram story OR retweet our raffle tweet on Twitter. For more entries, read on below:
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We’ll be posting the raffle information on our social media, but we’ll be focusing on Instagram and Twitter/X. First, you must be following either the Furry Weekly Instagram or Twitter page.
Second, you have to either retweet our raffle tweet or share our raffle post on your Instagram story.
That’s it! Doing those two actions will get you one entry for the raffle. As for additional entries...
Follow the Furry Weekly Instagram AND Twitter page.
Retweet our raffle tweet AND share our raffle post on your Instagram story.
Comment how you found us, and how long you’ve known about us!
If you also comment what you like most about Furry Weekly or something you’d like to see, you’ll also get an extra entry!
So just to recap, you can get a total of FIVE entries if you do all the actions above! If you want just one though, you just need to follow Furry Weekly on Instagram OR Twitter, and retweet our raffle tweet OR share our raffle post on your Instagram story. That’s two actions you gotta do to enter with just one entry. Now, what can you win?
PRIZES
There will be first through third place winners for our raffle. Below you’ll find what each winner gets!
THIRD PLACE: Your choice of a free adoptable by Danielle, headshot by Eevee, basic shaded bust by Sevven, headshot by Vaki Animation
SECOND PLACE: Your choice of a free adoptable by Danielle, half body by Eevee, basic shaded half body by Sevven, headshot by Vaki Animation
FIRST PLACE: Your choice of a free adoptable by Danielle, full body by Eevee, basic shaded full body or fully rendered half body, headshot by Vaki Animation
As you can see, no matter what place you get, you’ll be getting a bundle of stuff! So don’t miss out on the chance to get a bunch of art goodies for yourself! Check out examples of each person’s work below!
Vaki Animation’s examples are on the top left, Sevven’s are bottom left, Eevee’s are top right, and Danielle’s bottom right! You can also find more examples from these folks by following their links that you just read!
Now for the final piece of information: when does the raffle end?
DEADLINE
We will no longer be accepting entries on Friday, August 25th at 11:59 p.m. CDT. So you have plenty of time to participate, but don’t let time sneak up on you!
That’s it for our anniversary raffle! It’ll be here for a bit, and we’ll keep it in this little section of the magazine until it’s over. We hope you all take part, and thanks again for allowing us to reach seven years of doing Furry Weekly!
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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? 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 August, and the animal group for this month is the eels!
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually predators. The term "eel" is also used for some other eel-shaped fish, such as electric eels, spiny eels, swamp eels, and deep-sea spiny eels. However, these other clades evolved their eel-like shapes independently from the true eels. Eels live both in salt and freshwater, and some species are catadromous: where they live in both depending on the seasons.
Most eels live in the shallow waters of the ocean and burrow into sand, mud, or amongst rocks. Most eel species are nocturnal, and thus are rarely seen. Sometimes, they are seen living together in holes or "eel pits." Some eels also live in deeper water on the continental shelves and over the slopes as deep as 13,000 ft. Eels begin life as flat and transparent larvae, called leptocephali. Eel larvae drift in the sea's surface waters, feeding on marine snow, small particles that float in the water. Eel larvae then metamorphose into glass eels and become elvers before finally seeking out their juvenile and adult habitats. Many eels remain in the sea throughout their lives, but freshwater elvers of eels in the family Anguillidae travel upstream and are forced to climb up obstructions, such as weirs, dam walls, and natural waterfalls. Eels face a number of threats including pollution, environmental changes and overfishing. Dams and other mechanisms threaten eel habitat and migration corridors.
Eels are characterized by their elongated, wormlike bodies. Unlike most fish, eels do not have pelvic fins, and most species do not have pectoral fins. Eels have a continuous dorsal, anal, and caudal fin that runs around the tail tip. To swim, eels generate waves that travel the length of their bodies. To swim backwards, they reverse the direction of the wave. The body covering of an eel is typically scaleless. Their color ranges from drab gray or black in deep-sea species to colorful and patterned in tropical reef species. Eels are primarily predatory fish with carnivorous diets.
This Week’s Species: Electric Eel (Electrophorus electricus)
Characteristics
Electrophorus electricus is the best-known species of electric eel; however, electric eels are not really eels, they are actually ostariophysians but have a strong physical resemblance to true eels. Their coloration is dark gray-brown on the back and yellow or orange on the belly. They have no scales. The mouth is square and positioned at the end of the snout. Electric eels grow to lengths of 6 to 8 feet.
Fun Facts
As obligate air-breathers, E. electricus must rise to the surface every ten minutes or so to inhale before returning to the bottom. Nearly eighty percent of the oxygen used by the fish is obtained in this way.
Habitat
This species is widely distributed across northern South America. Its range spans across Brazil, the Guianas, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Electric eels inhabit the quiet, slow-moving waters of ox-bow lakes, streams, pools and flooded forests of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers, preferring side channels but also living further inland. Both of the rivers these fish inhabit are subject to a natural fluctuation of water driven by precipitation patterns, which results in two distinct seasons: wet and dry. The two seasons bring about drastic changes in available habitat for electric eels. During the rainy season, the rivers swell, re-connecting lakes and ponds as the forests flood. Juvenile electric eels disperse and expand into new territories. As water recedes in the dry season, large groups of fish become isolated in the pools and smaller streams that remain.
Diet
E. electricus has three pairs of abdominal organs that produce electricity: the main organ, Hunter's organ, and Sachs' organ. These organs occupy a large part of its body, and give the electric eel the ability to generate two types of electric organ discharges: low voltage and high voltage. These organs are made of electrocytes, lined up so a current of ions can flow through them and stacked so each one adds to a potential difference. The three electrical organs are developed from muscle and exhibit several biochemical properties and morphological features of the muscle sarcolemma; they are found symmetrically along both sides of the eel.
When the eel finds its prey, the brain sends a signal through the nervous system to the electrocytes. This opens the ion channels, allowing sodium to flow through, reversing the polarity momentarily. By causing a sudden difference in electric potential, it generates an electric current in a manner similar to a battery, in which stacked plates each produce an electric potential difference. Electric eels are also capable of controlling their prey's nervous systems with their electrical abilities; by controlling their victim's nervous system and muscles via electrical pulses, they can keep prey from escaping or force it to move so they can locate its position. Electric eels feed on invertebrates, although adult eels may also consume fish and small mammals, such as rats. First-born hatchlings eat other eggs and embryos from later clutches. The juveniles eat invertebrates, such as shrimp and crabs.
Life Cycle
Female electric eels lay between 1,200 and 1,700 eggs during the dry season. Males construct nests made of saliva and guard the larvae until the rainy season begins. This parental care may be the result of increased food competition and potential for predation during the dry season. More research on the reproductive cycle and behavior of electric eels is needed to determine exactly how spawning takes place. Some researchers posit that spawning occurs in successive batches throughout the dry season, while other accounts document that all eggs are deposited at once. The average lifespan of electric eels in the wild is still unknown. In human care, males typically live 10 to 15 years, and females generally live 12 to 22 years.
Conservation
E. electricus have very little economic value to humans. Occasionally they are eaten by locals of the Amazon area; however they are commonly avoided due to the electrical shocks that can be given out up to eight hours after death. Small specimens are also collected for the aquarium trade, they are harvested for human consumption and also for science although none of the collections are causing a decline in the population. In terms of eels, they are one of the most stable populations, with their biggest threat being changes in their habitat as their reproduction cycle is linked heavily with consistent wet/dry seasonal changes in the rivers. Here are some links to articles about the conservation of the electric eel:
Fish fauna of a temporary lake in an Amazonian Conservation Area.
Subsistence hunting among the Waimiri Atroari Indians in central Amazonia, Brazil
Adopt
All funds from this adopt will go to animal conservation. The goal for this month is to save up to symbolically adopt eels through a donation to Zoological Society of London to help fund the European eel conservation project, the The Nature Conservancy to help fund the American eel conservation, and the Adopt An Animal Kit for the symbolic adoption of a green moray eel: which requires a total of $120. This adopt will be one of 4 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
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 support this project, or maybe just really like these character designs and want to get access to some exclusive adopts and bases, 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 Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute and Animal Diversity Web.
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ART CORNER
Hi you all! Welcome once again to the Art Corner section! I’m your host, Yeshua. Before we start I want to remind you all that we’re looking for someone to host this segment, which means writing it! So if you particularly enjoy looking at all the art the fandom has to offer, and perhaps writing about it, this will be a good fit for you! Just contact me on one of my socials if you’re interested in hosting this segment!
Now, let’s see what art we have this week! Super excited as always!
Up first is Naerysartist with a lovely bust piece!
This style leans towards the toony side for sure, boasting some great features that make the piece a treat to look at! The linework is one element worth highlighting because it has some interesting details throughout the piece; some parts like the hair and parts of the hoodie have black and white lineart while others have either a thick, black outline, or a thin, black outline. It’s not something I personally see too often but I think this helps the character stand out more, especially with all the gray and black shades on both the character’s design and hoodie.
Speaking of things that stand out, the character’s golden eyes look stunning; arguably the most detailed part of the piece in terms of color. I think the choice to have yellow roses complements the character wonderfully in part because of the eye color, so it’s another feature worth highlighting! I also want to point out that the slight smile expression is a good touch for a piece that gives off a pretty mellow feel. This was such a delight to see, keep at it, Naerys!
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Next up we have DeathKylin with a super cool symmetrical bust!
Lots of elements make the piece as good as it is, one of them being the anatomy! I think the artist combines animal and human features incredibly well; the hands, paw pads and claws are a great example, and so is the snout and the facial expression! Then of course there’s the fur and fluff! I absolutely love the detailing on those aspects because it makes the character look very soft, which at least in my opinion is great for furred characters. All in all, the anatomy is just spot on and makes for a very appealing semi-realistic style – if I can call it that!
Next I want to highlight the colorwork. There’s a good bit of depth throughout the character along with some excellent highlights and even some shadows – everything really elevates the piece to make it look more complete and detailed! Plus, I think these effects are particularly good for making the fur look soft! This is a seriously striking piece and I’m happy I was able to share it with you all! Good stuff, Kylin!
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Giloski is the last featured artist today along with – you guessed it – a bust piece!
The character is so full of life here which I’d argue stands out the most! The open maw showing off the fangs and tongue along with the pointy eye shape and the inner brow lowered to form a somewhat fierce-looking expression all contribute to how lively the piece is, since they make the character show emotion well! Add to that the simple, but flashy effects like the curved lines next to the maw and the thin stars surrounding the character, and you’ve got a pretty neat piece!
I also want to mention that the linework is another really great part of the piece as it defines the character’s features very well, and it gives the style its toony look! The detailing is relatively simple but also contributes to the toony look while still making the character look good! Everything from the fur, to the scarf, to the hair, and more, just looks nice! And the coloring is nice and smooth, boasting some subtle but very good lighting effects and highlights that make the character pop quite a bit! Don’t stop making art, Giloski! Would love to see more in the future!
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That does it for another Art Corner segment! I hope you all enjoyed seeing these pieces as much as I enjoyed writing about them! Sorry they were all busts, but they were all wonderful and I really wanted to show them off.
Please show some love to the artists, they’re all linked above! If you liked anyone’s work in particular, definitely go follow them on their socials!
As always, I’m looking for more artwork to share, so if you want to see your art here, just use the tags #furryweekly and #artcorner when you post to social media, or just tell me directly that you’d like your work featured!
Thanks again for stopping by! I’ll probably be back next week as the host of the segment, so until then, take care!
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WRITING SHOWCASE
Hello, everybody! My name is Dozu, and I have for you today a story about sea bunnies and plush dragons!
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Sea Bunny Beach Day
By WolfSystem
Summary: Cone and Scoops are two heads of a plush dragon who just heard that the local beach is overrun by creatures called “sea bunnies.” With no idea what a sea bunny is, they race off to the beach to see the creatures for themselves.
Highlights: This story is adorable! It is very well written too, well separated in paragraphs and having the dialogues in quotations, good job! It is fun to read because the way it’s written makes it read like a movie scene where the two heads take turns talking to each other!
For improvement: Not much to say here, the story is well formatted and there’s little to no spelling mistakes.
Question time! Answer in a post and tag @FurryWeekly and @DoggyDozu if it’s on Twitter!
Have you ever seen a sea bunny?
What’s your favorite thing to do at the beach?
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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
A hawk and a camera carve their way through rough wooded trails somewhere just south of the nation’s capital. Nobody could have asked for a better July morning—clear skies, comfortable temperatures, and low humidity pull everyone outside. But in this remote nature reserve, these two have all of the trails to themselves.
Tad looks a little silly with a large black digital camera hanging around his neck, a silver film camera strapped to his shoulder, and a gimbal for his phone in his hand. Not to mention the perfectly friendly and functional Camera just a few feet behind him.
“I swear I’m just testing my phone’s cameras,” says Tad flatly. “I’m not trying to make you upset or replace you. Promise.”
The Camera buzzes lowly. If it could give a stinky side-eyed glance at its friend, it certainly would.
“Can’t hurt to bring along some extra gear in case we see something cool, right? And you’ll be the first to get it on video.”
A resigned whirr.
“Maybe we’ll end up seeing something. Until then, I do have something I wanted to run by you....”
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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!
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Some of our stories will take our characters around the world, leading them to fantastically exotic locations and all sorts of colorful people. There is a very good chance that your protagonist’s new destination will be one where English (or whatever language is your protagonist’s mother tongue) is an exotic language. A language barrier is an interesting way to throw a hurdle into your protagonist’s path; however, it can easily become an unenjoyable diversion.
If you have ever read any other stories that feature interactions between characters that speak different languages, then you’ll know that every author chooses to handle these interactions differently. Sometimes the dialogue will be written out verbatim. Sometimes the protagonist will know that another language is being spoken, yet they won’t understand a lick of what’s being said. Maybe they’ll pick out a few recognizable words and get the gist of what’s being said. In any case, the language barrier is constructed so that it impedes both the characters’ understanding of each other and the reader’s grasp of the entire situation. This is a deliberate strategy—the protagonist will not understand a language in which they are untrained.
This begs the question: can you write any part of your prose in a foreign language? It depends on what you’re trying to show. Reason dictates that a spoken foreign language won’t fully land on the protagonist’s ears (and thus make it intact to the page, where the reader will see what was actually spoken). There may be snippets that the reader picks up because the protagonist will also pick them up, but almost never the whole picture.
Another question is if you can insert non-Roman characters (e.g., Cyrillic, Hiragana or Kanji, Arabic, etc.) into your writing. This is largely personal preference; however, I suggest saving non-Roman writing for something like written messages or important signage that your protagonist encounters. Even then, it will likely require a program that is capable of inserting these special characters exactly how you want. For example, Adobe InDesign will allow you to lay out images of this special writing into your printed layout (or even let you manually input the text, given that the font is installed on the publishing computer). Such tactics can provide a great visual break in a novel and convey the importance of such text.
Mind the following: should you choose to write out complete sentences in the language of your choosing, ensure that it makes sense! If it’s a language of this reality, try to check with a native speaker. Google Translate likes to provide inaccurate translations. If it’s a fictional language, then at least maintain consistency with word structure, names, nouns and verbs, and the like. You don’t need to channel Tolkein’s spirit and create the framework for an entire language… but some thought behind how it reads on paper will go a long way.
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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 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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“Thanks for being a cool machine. Seriously.”
The Camera perks up at the compliment. Tad meant it, too; they had been pals for a good while now, and he certainly doesn’t intend to replace his aging friend any time soon.
“Ooo....”
They pause. A long and narrow trail, splashed with dappled sunlight, winds up and through the trees.
“This will be cool for a video.”
Tad raises his gimbal. It snaps into position, pointing his phone forward. The hawk pushes the record button and slowly walks forward. The machine keeps his phone perfectly stable and level. It looks like quite an impressive work of cinematography, right up until Tad walks straight into a massive spiderweb.
“Oh—Eurgh! YUCK!”
He flails around, desperately batting away the silk threads ensnaring his face. The gimbal loses its bearings and goes limp, picking up a few threads of web in the process. By the time Tad successfully picks off most of the silk stuck to his beak and feathers, the Camera is snickering away at its friend’s mishap.
“And that’s all on film?”
An enthusiastic nod.
“Great.”
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FURSUIT FOCUS
Hihi, everyone! My name is tahlmorra and I’m your host for Fursuit Focus on this special anniversary issue of Furry Weekly. Be sure to enjoy the rest of the issue and everything we have to offer this week (if you haven’t already) when you move on from here. Today we have a very colorful guest to talk with, (not who I originally planned, re - last week’s teaser, but a delight to have join us) coming to visit us from away across the pond in jolly old England and continuing our unplanned tour of Europe, where we’ve been for the last little bit.
Hofrer (she/her) is a giant, fluffy raptor-like creature who was originally created as a self-made species called Deriarcus, but now, when asked, is simply said to be a dragon. Hofrer is bright orange and blue in coloration, with yellow stripes. Originally inspired by an orange and yellow striped Hofrer guitar, from which she takes her name. She also has dark brown paws and ears, with a blue tuft at the end of her tail.
Hofrer is Ashley’s first fullsuit, purchased in February of 2021, from red_crocodile_creations, though she made the current head herself using a lingris cybernetics base. Before Hofrer, she made three other fursuit heads of which she’s rightly proud. Ashley says she’d highly recommend using 3D-printed bases to new fursuit makers because they are “so user friendly.” Hofrer’s head has a moveable jaw which makes it “lots of fun to bite friends with,” and ample space inside for her to wear her glasses while in-suit. She notes that she wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up making more fursuits.
Bringing up the subject of public suiting, Ashley and Hofrer love fursuiting at conventions where she can stomp around and be a little chaotic even though they say they’re not very confident fursuiting outside of attending conventions. Working on trying to build up the courage to go to one of her local fur meets, Ashley notes she’s still a little nervous about being observed by the general public in a non-convention space. I’m sure there’s many out there who can relate to that concern and work against it regularly.
Now, they’ve only attended one convention: the October ComiCon in London. Still, since she joined the fandom in 2015, she’s attended the same for many years and enjoys it greatly. She hopes to get the opportunity to go to one of the big furcons in England like Confuzzled this year in 2023. “I think I’ve missed out on it for so long,” being nervous of getting there and knowing no-one. She hopes that by the time she actually does go, she'll be meeting friends that she can spend time together with and have fun. With favorite fursuit activities like acting chaotic and playful, making mischief with other furries, and, of course, TikTok videos, I don’t think she’ll have any problems making new friends at all.
Moving on to the ever present topic of ‘why did you become a furry,’ she says that, for her, it was all but inevitable. “I'm always building, making or drawing something and thanks to a few Dreamworks and Disney films. I just had to design my own furry critters.” She finds that having the ability to make a fursuit and escape into the characters of her creation to be extremely freeing, to be able to look like and be who she wants to be. “If it wasn’t for the heat, I’d never take it off!” As for why she made Hofrer specifically, she simply says, "she's just my favorite. I was so desperate to get a fursuit when I first joined, li’l me would be so proud.”
Moving on, I asked what she thought about the popularity of fursuits in the furry community and the roles they fulfilled. “Fursuits play the role of bringing your characters to life and becoming them,” she said, going on to describe it as “fantasy escapism and art and just everything!” The popularity is a reflection of the need to express oneself in play and pretend (“..and for that dinosaur kid inside us to get out and be the little monster they are!”)
Hofrer says the one thing she likes the most is seeing everyone’s fursuits in the fandom. She finds it “crazy” how everyone can turn from regular people into dragons, wolves, and so much more. She very much looks forward to seeing how fursuit making continues to evolve and improve over time.
On the opposite side of the coin, Ashley says the one thing she thinks to be sad about the fandom is that she – and likely many others – used to find it very difficult to feel involved without having a fursuit. That feeling is definitely what pushed her into learning to build her first fursuit when she wasn’t able to afford it, at the time.
Should you decide you’d like to learn more about Hofrer or perhaps even follow them, you can find them at:
- @_Hofrer on X (formerly known as Twitter)
- @hofrer.bsky.social also on X
- @hofrer on TikTok
And that brings us to the close of the interview and our anniversary segment! Don’t forget, if you think you could be featured here, or know someone who should, use the tags #FurryWeekly and #FursuitFocus when you post on social media, and who knows? You could be seeing yourself here one day! Thanks once again, I’m tahlmorra and I’ve been your host for today. Remember: Stay safe, stay well, stay furry!
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PHOTOGRAPHY 101
Hello, friends and photografurs! Welcome back to this week's Photography 101! I'm your host, Jaden (Discord @ Jaden711#0663). And we’re talking about polaroids again!
Back in issue 266 we talked about using old Polaroid cameras to take interesting photos. But after I got my hands on Polaroid's newest camera, the Now+, I wondered how it compares with the sx-70 OneShot, which is what I used as my main camera for Issue 266, and it's the camera the Now+ is inspired by. So after getting my hands on I-type film, I tested the two cameras to see how they compare.
First, for the sake of transparency, I wanted to talk about human errors that arose during my testing. The Now+ has an app connection and this is something I struggled to use. Don't get me wrong, the app is incredibly user-friendly and has an excellent UI, but I really struggled with the manual mode on the app. This was a personal failure on my part. Despite preferring manual modes on my DSLR, for some reason, when it came to graphic sliders on a separate device it was difficult for my brain to grasp how to correctly balance my settings. Perhaps when I get less worried about wasting film, the manual mode will be something I revisit, but for now, I will be using their pre-set modes or skip the app connection altogether.
But enough about that, let's get into what makes the Now+ better than the older cameras! The biggest improvement by far is the autofocus. Polaroids like the Spectra System did have autofocus, but that used a sonar, which means it wasn't always the best. But the Now+ uses a slightly more modern digital focusing system, which makes taking photos a lot easier, especially compared to older Polaroid cameras that didn't have a focusing system at all! The next pro is the camera is charged by Micro USB, which means the I-type film packs don't contain any batteries like the 600 and SX-70 film, which would usually retain a lot of residual charge after all your film was used. Charging the camera directly means you'll be producing a lot less electronic waste, even if you'll still be producing a lot of regular waste from the plastic film packs. And while we’re on the topic of film packs, the I-type film is a lot easier to find online and in physical stores compared to the SX-70 or 600 films, which I usually have to resort to buying directly off the Polaroid website and pay expensive shipping and duties fees. Altogether, the Polaroid Now+ is a much more convenient camera compared to its older counterparts.
A negative I experienced with this camera is it seems to demand a lot more light, meaning your photos turn out darker in less desirable lighting outside. I didn't run into this problem as often with the SX-70 film. Despite this, however, the I-type film also seems to be more sensitive to light after it ejects. I had a lot bigger and detrimental artifacts appear in my photos with the I-type film than the SX-70 film.
So what would I recommend for your first Polaroid? The Polaroid Now+ is more expensive than vintage cameras, but the film itself is cheaper and readily available. The images are clearer and more crisp, but they are a lot more sensitive to light, and you have to be a lot more careful with them. On the other hand, vintage cameras are cheaper, usually going for around 20 dollars, but the film is more expensive and less accessible. The film is less crisp, but your photos will have a better brightness. During my testing, I found that one is not truly better than the other, as each of them have equal pros and cons. My best advice would be to weigh their pros and cons and pick which ones best suit your budget, style, and journey.
Polaroid cameras are slowly becoming my favourite medium in photography. I hope that, whether it's through an old camera or the newest, you discover the same love I have for them too.
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That concludes this week's segment! If you have any questions or would like to share your photos, don't be afraid to shoot me (Discord @ Jaden711#0663) a message!
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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 seven raffles this week! Let’s take a look at them.
Celebrate with a 3.5k followers raffle by user Scabrosa!
How to Enter:
-Follow and retweet. New followers are welcome!
-Comment a safe for work (SFW) image of your original character (OC).
Prize:
-1st place: full body sketch
-2nd and 3rd place: gremlino (chibi-like version of your character)
-One gremlino winner will be added for every 150 retweets! As of July 30th, the second gremlino milestone has been reached, which means there will be five gremlino winners.
-If Scabrosa reaches the 4k followers goal during the time the raffle is up, every single category winner will be doubled! This means that there could be a chance for two full body sketch winners and eight gremlino winners.
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on August 13th. There’s still a bit of time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 1k raffle by Randy!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet.
-Optional: Post a SFW anthro or feral OC reference.
Prize:
-Chibi full body (two winners)
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on August 10th. There’s about a week left to enter!
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Celebrate with a road a 60k art raffle by user Ryker!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet.
-Optional: Comment a reference sheet.
Prize:
-Chibi full body
Deadline:
-This raffle ends when Ryker reaches the 60k follower goal. As of July 30th, Ryker has 56.6k followers. There’s plenty of time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 78k followers raffle by Frencore!
How to Enter:
-Follow and retweet.
-Comment your character, and plant something in your garden.
Prize:
-Character illustration (two winners)
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on August 30th. There’s lots of time left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 11k followers raffle by user Zeikyz!
How to Enter:
-Follow and retweet.
Prize:
-1st place: full-colored illustration
-2nd place: chibi
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on August 19th. There’s still a bit of time left to enter!
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Next up, we have an art raffle by user Wushruw!
How to Enter:
-Follow and favorite the post.
-Comment on the post to receive an entry number.
Prize:
-Rendered half body
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on August 15th. There’s still a bit of time left to enter!
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Last but certainly not least, we have a 3D printed dragon raffle by user RKW!
How to Enter:
-Follow and favorite the post.
-Comment on the post to receive an entry number
Prize:
-3D printed dragon
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on August 15th. There’s still a bit of time 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 two artists this week! Let’s dive in.
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We start with Kavdragun, also known as Kav, a Maltese illustrator, character designer, and aspiring storyteller and game designer who specializes in anthro characters. Kav has a cute art style! They offer sketches, colored sketches, flat colored art, and shaded art as commission options.
You can find Kav’s commission information and links to their other social media on their Carrd. Feel free to message them if you are interested in a commission and/or have any questions.
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Last but certainly not least, we have Gale, also known as Abigail or Zukitz, an illustrator and designer who specializes in cute character illustrations. They offer chibi drawings (non-colored and colored), headshot sketches, full body sketches, colored headshots, and colored full bodies as commission options. Gale also offers Twitch emotes, Telegram stickers, icons, and vector illustrations. Feel free to discuss these options with them.
To place a request for a commission, or to simply view their prices and terms of service, you can fill out or view Gale’s form here. Feel free to message Gale with any inquiries via email or Twitter.
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That is all for this edition of Available Artists!
We’re always on the lookout for amazing artists to put in 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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CONVENTION CALENDAR
Hello again, readers! I’m Shetani, your Convention Calendar segment host for this issue, here to inform you about all the furry conventions and events happening online, around the world, and in your neck of the woods. We have a packed roster of worldwide furry events this August to go through, so without further ado, here we go!
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Let’s get things started with Reffurence! After being delayed a year, the con is officially taking place Thursday August 3 - Sunday August 6 at the Mercure Antwerp City South Hotel in Antwerp, Belgium. The theme for the first ever Reffurence is Rumble in the Jungle, with Khatir and Truffel as Guests of Honor. Group photos, fursuit walks, dancing, panels, and a fashion show await attendees. The con even obtained special permission from the city of Antwerp for fursuiters to legally wear their costumes in certain areas of the park, so don’t miss the opportunity for public suiting and great photo shoots! You must be 18 years old to attend Reffurence.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Instagram
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CanFURence is coming to town Friday August 4 - Sunday August 6. The Delta Hotels Ottawa City Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada plays happy host to the furries this year. Fancy yourself a cool cat or hot-to-trot pony? You’ll get a real kick out of this year’s theme, Fire and Ice. The Guests of Honor are Ookami Kemono, Soryane, and Felinaeus of Dark Bunny Sauces. A charity auction is being held to benefit Stronger Together, a local charity and pet food bank for pet owners in times of need. Check out the con website for an up-to-the-minute look at the schedule, packed with more events, panels, meetups, and gaming than you can shake a stick at. Don’t forget your proof of COVID-19 vaccination and a face mask, as you’ll need both of those to attend CanFURence.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Mastodon | Facebook
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Looking for a relaxing way to beat the Texas heat? Mosey on down to the Hyatt Regency Dallas in Dallas, Texas, USA between Friday August 4 - Sunday August 6 for Furry Siesta! This smaller sister event to the larger convention, Texas Furry Fiesta, has been running since 2015. Despite its more laid-back atmosphere, there’s still plenty for folks to see and do at Furry Siesta, including gaming, a vendor hall, meet and greets, DJs, and even a drag show this year. 2023’s theme is Crystal Frequencies, evoking a retro arcade feeling.
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From Friday August 4 - Sunday August 6, the Astico County Park in Columbus, Wisconsin, USA will be hosting Wisconsin Wilderness Campout. The theme for this year is Adrift Among the Stars. Registration includes three free meals along with access to events and activities. Said activities have historically included cookouts, kayak races, movies, group fires, and mini fursuit games, so it’s sure to be a roaring good time! Please check out WWC’s website for info about reserving a campsite.
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Next up, Fur Raymi is being held on Saturday August 5 at Club Lawn Tennis Jesús Maria in Lima, Peru. This event bills itself as Peru’s first ever furry convention! Planned events include trivia, gaming, stand-up comedy, panels, and of course, a fursuit group photo. As special guests, Fur Raymi has invited comic artist Kaohto and Perú Tiene Talento participant Canguro Max. There will also be a live demonstration of soft-combat LARP from Immortals. Make sure to keep an eye on Fur Raymi’s social pages for more info about this brand new furcon!
Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | Facebook | Instagram
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Yet another national first! Anthro Irish, Ireland’s first ever furry convention, will happen on Saturday August 5 and Sunday August 6. The beautiful Clayton Hotel Cork City in County Cork, Ireland was chosen as the venue for the inaugural event. Anthro Irish proudly welcomes as its Guest of Honor the Twitch streamer Casey Explosion, who will also host a Q&A panel during the con. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet and donate to the con’s charity partner, Irish Blood Transfusion Services. Don’t miss your chance to show up and start off this brand-new con on the right paw! You must be at least 18 years old to attend Anthro Irish.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Instagram
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A continent away, Super Furry Fusion is also happening Sunday August 6, at the Crowne Plaza Shanghai Qingpu Xiayang Lake in Shanghai, China. This will be the sixth anniversary for the con, whose theme in 2023 is Apple Theory. Prospective attendees can check out the con’s website for a list of exhibitors and information about registering your fursuit. At press time, schedule details were not available, so be sure to keep an eye on Super Furry Fusion’s social links for updates as they come in.
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After a successful first year, Weekend Furry Retreat returns on Friday August 11 - Sunday August 13. Weekend Furry Retreat is a fully online, all-ages event that is free for all to attend. Attendees can expect panels from artist and furry event organizer Tiffany "Foxy" Fox as well as artist and graphic designer Quack Quack Honk, both of whom are this year’s Guests of Honor. Funds will once again be raised for Tapestry, a non-profit organization providing sexual and reproductive healthcare, food access, and family nutrition and harm reduction. If last year’s con is anything to go by, attendees can expect to enjoy live streamed panels, workshops, music, and an online dealer’s den.
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Next is Wild Prairie Fur Con, taking place Friday August 11 - Sunday August 13 at the Radisson Hotel Winnipeg Downtown in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 2023’s theme is Adventures in Furry Land, so take care not to fall down any rabbit holes and be suspicious of smiling cats! WPFC’s Guests of Honor include musician Cassidy Civet and cartoonist/visual artist Black’s Sideshow. From fursuit building panels to live music, dealers to DJs, you’re sure to find plenty of exciting amusement at WPFC.
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Wild Times is a furry con hosted at the Kulturhaus in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Germany, taking place Wednesday August 16 - Sunday August 20. Whether you’re a goody two-shoes or a bad guy, you’ll get a big kick out of Wild Times’s theme for 2023 - Heroes and Villains! Basic registration includes five days’ admission to the con with breakfast, dinner, and snacks included, and registrants can opt-in to a 4-night stay at the Kulturhaus for an additional fee. The con has an extra fun achievement system where you can unlock special features for your attendee badge by completing certain goals over the course of Wild Times, which carry over to future years! The panel schedule is not public, so please visit the Wild Times website and sign up for an account if you plan on attending. To attend Wild Times, you must be at least 18 years old.
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Outdoors furs rejoice as Campfire Tails will once again welcome adventure enthusiasts to the Ogden Group Camp near la Pine, Oregon, USA. This outdoor community adventure will take place from Thursday August 17 - Monday August 21. If you’re eager to get the spooky season underway, you’ll be pleased with their chosen theme, Summerween. In lieu of the traditional panels, Campfire Tails will host attendee-run happenings, ranging from workshops, to tournaments, to stargazing and much more in between. Each attendee will be able to tailor their experience to their preferences as the campsite is divided into three based on noise level. Whether you prefer to be alone with the sounds of nature, in the middle of the hustle and bustle, or partying until the sun comes up, you’re sure to have a great time here! Keep in mind that you must be over the age of 21 and provide proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination to register for Campfire Tails.
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From Friday August 18 - Sunday August 20, the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel in Denver, Colorado, USA plans to welcome DenFur. This con hosted just shy of 3,000 attendees in 2023 and seeks to smash that record this year. Dust off spurs and hang on to your ten-gallon hat - the theme for 2023 is Wild West Rocky Mountain Gold Rush! Artist TiggerPup, fursuit maker Sparkle Creation, cartoonist Toivo Kaartinen, and tech innovator Atlas (whom you may recognize as a previous Character Interview subject here at Furry Weekly) will be the Guests of Honor. DenFur’s schedule is jam-packed full of events including stand-up comedy, public fursuiting workshops, concerts, VR zone, an entire pool toy track, and escape rooms all three days of the con. Take a look at their website to plan out your fun-filled weekend in advance.
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Woodstock will also take place Friday August 18 - Sunday August 20. This isn’t what you may be imagining, though - it’s a brand new furry convention at De Brink Hopper in Herentals, Belgium! Woodstock’s mission statement for 2023 is to unite furries and bring everyone together for friendship, creativity, shared interests, and most of all, a fun time. Planned events include a rave, furwalk, auction, panels, dealer’s den, and group picture. As this is a small first-year event, not too many details are available, so keep your finger on the pulse of this sprightly newcomer to the furry con scene.
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The inaugural SloFluffCon is happening at the Hotel Evropa in Celje, Slovenia from Saturday August 19 - Tuesday August 22. Perhaps taking inspiration from some earlier 2023 global furcons, the chosen theme is Secret Agents. Though it’s only their first year, SloFluffCon staff have prepared a jam-packed 4 days of entertainment, including dances, a coffee-tasting panel, fursuit programming, games, and dealer’s den. Have a look at SloFluffCon’s website to see a list of registered attendees, including which countries they’re from, and get excited for all the other furries you’ll get to meet and hang out with at con!
Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | Facebook | Instagram
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If you're looking for something a bit different than the typical urban furry convention, Camp Feral! is happening from Thursday August 24 - Monday August 28 atAlgonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. This event boasts the honors of being the first furry con in Canada as well as the first furry summer camp. 2023's theme is Business Casual, and the “not-guest-of-honor” is Blazen the Dragon. The Camp Feral! site is quite remote, far from the typical creature comforts, and the only ways to get to the campsite are by driving or taking the Feral Bus, which you can sign up for online. Attendees to Camp Feral! can unwind in the outdoors with classic camp activities like swimming, canoeing, s’mores, and nature hikes. But what would a furry con - even an outdoors one - be without furry programming? Fear not, you can also participate in furry improv, pin trading, fursuit events, music, and gaming. If you're a furry who prefers to walk on the wild side, Camp Feral! would be right up your alley!
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
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Is that menacing laughter coming from your computer? No need to worry (or, actually, you probably should), it’s just Digital Villainy Summit! This online, queer villain themed furry convention is back with a brand-new moniker from Friday August 25 - Sunday August 27. DVS is a fully online convention that can be attended for free by folks around the world, from the comfort of your own home! This year, funds will be raised for the England-based charity akt. Attendees can expect panels, live art tutorials, Q&A sessions, interactive gaming, and talks hosted by Guest of Honor Mabel Greysmoke. Programming will be broadcast live on Picarto and Discord, where folks can chat and interact with each other. Unique to DVS is their online Dealer's Den, where each dealer draws their own original table art! It really captures the feel of browsing the wares at a furry convention, right down to taking home your own art commissions, stickers, apparel, and other souvenirs - all without ever leaving your chair! Though registration is free, you must be 18 years old to take part in DVS.
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Furrydelphia will host its sixth iteration from Friday August 25 - Sunday August 27. As you may have guessed from the name, this con is held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, specifically at the Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia. This year, the con has chosen a very whimsical theme evoking a certain Swedish furniture store. Furrydelphia will welcome as its Guest of Honor Stripe Kazama, executive chef for NordicFuzzCon, who’ll be hosting multiple panels throughout the weekend. Merch hounds will be delighted to hear that Furrydelphia is offering not just a Dealer's Den, nor an Artist Alley, but also an 18+ Night Market where you can shop 'til you drop and take home art and goods made by members of the furry community. The schedule is still being finalized, but previous years have seen a dance competition, floor wars, talent show, panels, and DJs, so folks can expect more of the same this year at Furrydelphia. Attendees must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination, and masks are required in the Dealer’s Den.
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IndyFurCon is back from Friday August 27 - Sunday August 29 in Indianapolis, the state capital of Indiana, USA. This year, the con is trying out a new venue, the Wyndham Indianapolis West. “Mission: Impawssible” is the theme for 2023, and I’m starting to sense a certain recurring thread among these furry conventions! In keeping with the theme, the schedule will include panels about spy cars, dueling talks about why bunnies are the best or worst spies, “stirred not shaken” mixology, a “laser dodge” maze game, and a con-wide game of I Spy with prizes. IFC’s charity, once again, is the Exotic Animal Rescue and Pet Sanctuary (EARPS), and the con will hold a charity auction on Sunday to raise money for the EARPS’s mission to save unorthodox pets. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and at least one booster is required to attend.
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Last but certainly not least, Big Sky Camp Paw takes place at the Hellgate Campground near Helena, Montana, USA from Thursday August 31 - Tuesday September 5. This furry camping con started way back in 2012 and grew over the years to the 6-day event it is today. Basic attendance does not include the cost of camping, of which there are a limited number of available spots at the campsite. BSCP attendees should expect to bring their own food, cooking equipment, sleeping unit, and weather-appropriate gear and attire. Be aware that the location is remote, and cell service may be spotty or unavailable. The schedule is still being finalized, so if you’re looking to go, don’t forget to check BSCP’s online platforms closer to con time. All attendees must be at least 18 years of age.
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Remember to get vaxxed and wear your face mask when meeting up with any furs in person.
As my fellow segment hosts have mentioned, this issue celebrates Furry Weekly’s anniversary. On a more personal note, August also marks my first full year as Convention Calendar segment host! I signed on in 2022 with the hope to record our community’s gatherings for posterity and help furries get connected with their peers, no matter where in the world they may live. The Furry Weekly staff welcomed me in with open arms, and week by week, I felt inspired to take on more roles behind the scenes and bring fresh ideas to the table. I never expected how much experience, stress, and pride I would get out of being part of the Furry Weekly team. Above all, I’m glad that my segment has brought enjoyment to so many readers, and I’m looking forward to continuing for years to come!
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 con 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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Once again, thank you for reading and submitting content! We will see you next time!