ISSUE 276
Hey you all! Welcome back to Furry Weekly, your weekly magazine for anything and everything in the furry fandom! Apologies for the absence during the last two weeks of September. We’re working through some stuff internally, but we’re back and ready to bring you your weekly dose of the fandom!
We’ve got our usual announcements to get through, and we still want to call your attention to the ‘Recruiting’ section directly below. We’re looking for help to keep making this project the best it can be, so please consider joining us! Got those details below, but if you want to head straight into today’s content, just keep scrolling!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
RECRUITING
Below are the positions we’re looking to fill! Give them a look and see if something interests you!
- 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 a description of the roles, 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!
READER SURVEY
In addition to recruiting, we want to listen to what you, our readers, have to say about Furry Weekly! Our goal is to showcase a little bit of everything in the fandom, especially giving a small spotlight to all kinds of creators and folks in the community. So we want to know what you think about what we’re doing now as well as what you might want to see from a furry magazine. Whether you’re an avid follower of Furry Weekly, or maybe you just found us, we want to hear what you like, what you don’t like, and what you would like us to do in the future! That’s why we have a short survey on this topic. We would seriously appreciate it if you took just a few minutes to give us your feedback! You can do this multiple times as well! The link is below!
Click here to take our reader survey!
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That’s all we have for announcements, so let’s take a look at today’s content! As always, let us know on our social media what you liked the most or if you’d like to see something or someone featured in a future issue. 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 Focus
[✔] 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! We have a special feature for you this week.
This week we’re here to talk about Eurofurence.
Eurofurence is one of the biggest furry conventions in the world. This year in 2023, it was held from September 3rd to the 7th this year in Hamburg, Germany, and it made a huge impact for its charity organization. Eurofurence raised money for their UAnimals charity, a Ukrainian organization whose mission is to reduce animal suffering and provide them with protection. Ever since Russia attacked Ukraine back in February of 2022, UAnimals has been actively helping animals within the war zone. Over 769 tons of feed was distributed to the animals of Ukraine with over 15 shelters being rebuilt. But wait; there’s more! More than 2,600 animals were evacuated from the war zone as well. That is incredible! As of September 20th, Eurofurence raised a stunning amount above €40k (Euros). That is super amazing!
If you’d like to learn more about UAnimals, or if you’d like to help by donating, feel free to check out their website here. For donations, please go here. You can also check out Thabo Meerkat’s YouTube video that showcases the opening ceremony for this charity.
Thank you very much Eurofurence and UAnimals for your devotion towards helping the Ukrainian animals! When united, we become stronger!
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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 or me. Tune in next time for another mystery Furry of the Week! In the meantime, please enjoy the rest of this week’s Furry Weekly issue, and I’ll see you guys again. 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? 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 October now, but we’ve still got a couple of species from September to look at, so today we continue with more Foxes!
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail. Twelve species belong to the monophyletic "true fox" group of genus Vulpes. Approximately another 25 current or extinct species are always or sometimes called foxes; these foxes are either part of the paraphyletic group of the South American foxes, or of the outlying group, which consists of the bat-eared fox, gray fox, and island fox.
Foxes live on every continent except Antarctica. The most common and widespread species of fox is the red fox with about 47 recognized subspecies. The global distribution of foxes, together with their widespread reputation for cunning, has contributed to their prominence in popular culture and folklore in many societies around the world. The word fox comes from Old English, which derived from Proto-Germanic *fuhsaz. This in turn derives from Proto-Indo-European *puḱ-, meaning 'thick-haired; tail'. Male foxes are known as dogs, tods or reynards, females as vixens, and young as cubs, pups, or kits, though the last name is not to be confused with a distinct species called kit foxes. Vixen is one of very few words in modern English that retain the Middle English southern dialect "v" pronunciation instead of "f" (i.e. northern English "fox" versus southern English "vox"). A group of foxes is referred to as a skulk, leash, or earth.
This Week’s Species: Fennec fox (Vulpes zerda)
Characteristics
The fennec fox has sand-colored fur which reflects sunlight during the day and helps keep it warm at night. Its nose is black. Its tapering tail has a black tip. Its long ears have longitudinal reddish stripes on the back and are densely haired inside. The edges of the ears are whitish, but darker on the back.
Fun Facts
African horned owl species such as the Pharaoh eagle-owl prey on fennec fox pups. Anecdotal reports exist about caracals, jackals, and striped hyenas also preying on the fennec fox. But according to nomads, the fennec fox is fast and changes directions so well that even their Salukis are hardly ever able to capture it.
Habitat
The fennec fox is distributed throughout the Sahara, from Morocco and Mauritania to northern Sudan, through Egypt and its Sinai Peninsula. It inhabits small sand dunes and vast treeless sand areas with sparse vegetation such as grasses, sedges and small shrubs.
Diet
The fennec fox is an omnivore, feeding on small rodents, lizards (geckos and skinks), small birds and their eggs, insects, fruits, leaves, roots and also some tubers. It relies on the moisture content of prey, but drinks water when available. It hunts alone and digs in the sand for small vertebrates and insects. Some individuals were observed to bury prey for later consumption and searching for food in the vicinity of human settlements.
Life Cycle
Captive fennec foxes mate between January and April. They usually breed only once per year. Females give birth between March and June to a litter of one to four pups that open their eyes after 8 to 11 days. Both female and male care for the pups. They communicate by barking, purring, yapping and squeaking. Pups remain in the family even after a new litter is born. The oldest captive male fennec fox was 14 years old, and the oldest female 13 years.
Conservation
In North Africa, the fennec fox is commonly trapped for exhibition or sale to tourists. Expansion of permanent human settlements in southern Morocco caused its disappearance in these areas and restricted it to marginal areas. Human activity is rising rapidly in many parts of the Sahara. Construction of new roads, bettering of non-asphalted roads and new human settlements increase the disturbance and risk to some populations. Ongoing seismic surveys, exploratory drilling and oil field developments, coupled with increasing development of commercial transport and migration routes across recently remote parts of the region, create further pressure. The impact of major oil field development on local populations has not been assessed. Direct impacts include increased risk of ‘roadkills’ and risk to naïve desert living Fennecs, which can show lack of fear and curiosity when approached by vehicles.
The fennec fox is bred commercially as an exotic pet. Commercial breeders remove the pups from their mother to hand-raise them, as tame foxes are more valuable. A breeders' registry has been set up in the United States to avoid any problems associated with inbreeding. The fennec fox is listed in CITES Appendix II; it is protected in Morocco and Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt, where it has been documented in several protected areas.
Here are some links to articles about the conservation of the Fennec fox:
Adopt
All funds from this adopt will go to animal conservation. The goal for this month is to save up to symbolically adopt two foxes through a donation to Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, the two foxes currently in their care are Jade and Storm, a red fox and a marbled fox, totalling to $100 for their care. This adopt will be one of 5 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 USD 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 IUCN RedList.
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ART CORNER
How’s it going everyone? This is Dozu here to bring you another edition of Furry Weekly’s Art Corner! If you enjoy the art the fandom has to offer, then stick around!
Before we get into it though, I want to remind you all that we’re still looking for a permanent host for this segment. That means we’re looking for someone who is interested in writing it every week, so if you not only enjoy seeing furry art, but also maybe writing about it, this could be for you! Just hit our boss up, Yeshua if you’re interested in hosting Art Corner!
Now, let’s not waste more time and see what we’ve got today!
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Tiny-Grim will start us off with some gorgeous birds!
These birds are stunning! The colors on them are bright and saturated, it’s gorgeous! The form of the birds is also very realistic though stylized to look more cartoony. That takes some impressive talent to pull off.
The lack of background actually helps the piece since the whiteness doesn’t distract from the birds’ colors. A very smart choice from the artist. Their expressions are also to note since they are all connected by looking at each other, smiling with their eyes and not just with their beaks.
Lastly, the rough-edged brush used to paint these is just what the piece needs to make the birds look more natural and almost like they have a certain movement to them. Really amazing work!
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Nebanan follows with a stunning sketchy full body for Arcori_the_wolf!
Very stunning piece! The sketchy lines give the whole piece movement and make it look almost animated; amazing job on that. The outfit is gorgeous and fits the character perfectly with all its dangling gold charms and hanging fabrics. The purple color also complements the character’s brown fur beautifully.
The shading also helps a lot, especially when it comes to the fabrics. Fabric is one of the hardest things to draw, but with the proper shading you can get the dimensions and depth of it to look almost real, just like in this piece!
Lastly, I want to highlight the character’s expression and body language. Her sassy attitude is conveyed perfectly through the pose she is doing and the gestures she is showing with her hands along with her facial expression. Her little wink and smirk is so adorable and sassy, it looks great!
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Heebjeeb is last with an amazing screenshot redraw of one of my favorite movies!
Okay, let me start this by saying that I agree, Brother Bear is a criminally underrated masterpiece of a movie that deserves so much more love than it gets. This piece truly does justice to the scene. The characters’ facial expressions convey the feeling of fear and helplessness perfectly just like in the movie if not better!
The colors in this piece are also to be highlighted; they are nice and bright without being too oversaturated and the brush used for the shading is stunning. The rugged edges of it give a kind of texture to the whole piece that almost makes it look three dimensional, especially in the rocky areas.
Last thing I wanted to highlight is the fur and grass textures on the piece. They are both very simplistic but get the job done really well. This approach to drawing things that come in strands like grass or fur makes it easier on the artist while also looking beautiful in the finished piece.
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That will do for today’s edition of Art Corner! Thanks for checking it out and please, if you liked what you saw, go give the artists some love and give them a follow if you want to see more!
If you’d like to see your work showcased here or maybe you’d like to see a specific artist’s work featured, just let us know by reaching out on one of my boss’s socials, or if you post on Instagram or X/Twitter, just use that tags #furryweekly and #artcorner! You can also reach out to me if you want to submit your work!
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WRITING SHOWCASE
Hello, everybody! My name is Dozu, and I have for you today a story about Pokémon and leaves!
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Quest: Cleaning up the leaves
By Leafster
Summary: A story about a little Pokémon called Cremini who is tasked with cleaning up the leaves from the trees around town. Unintentionally, it ends up eavesdropping on a couple of other Pokémon having a conversation as they walked through the forest.
Highlights: This story is short and sweet. There’s little to no spelling mistakes and the flow of the story runs smoothly! great work!
For improvement: There is a spot where there’s a stop that could be a comma but other than that this story is pretty much flawless. I would also suggest adding some separation to the paragraphs, even though there’s few of them, just to make the text look a little longer.
Question time! Answer in a post and tag @FurryWeekly and @DoggyDozu if it’s on Twitter!
Are you excited for Fall?
What’s your favorite season?
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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
Back in a familiar basement apartment, The Camera holds steady as it watches the hawk shuffle through countless packages in the closet. A mailing sleeve here, a graphics card box there… anything kept “just in case” lived here, and it certainly made sorting through everything a pain.
“How did I even lose this thing when it’s so bulky?” mutters Tad. He briefly ruffles the feathers on his head. “Maybe it’s still in a box…?”
He digs for several more seconds.
“Aha! There you are!”
A square box, faded thanks to age, slides out with a hearty tug on its handle. The Camera tilts its body quizzically. It eyes up the hawk as he lifts the box with a grunt—clearly no easy task.
“I’ll show you in a second.”
He carries the box a short distance to the common area and sets it down by his desk. The Camera offers a confused whirr, having never seen the box previously.
“I present to you,” says Tad as he opens the cardboard flaps, “my… uh....”
Inside is an old computer monitor, finished in beige plastics long-since yellowed. He hauls it up into his arms and catches the Camera’s clear bewilderment.
“It’s a computer experiment,” he says sheepishly. “I know it looks dumb. I’m just having some fun.”
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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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It’s that time of year again. School is starting back up, students are looking for job opportunities, and college applications are rolling in. There’s a good chance you’ll need to send out more than a few emails in the coming weeks, and they’ll need to go to people that you don’t know. We’ve discussed email etiquette in previous Writing 101 segments numerous times, but it never hurts to have an occasional refresher course.
When I speak about professional emails, I mainly refer to messages that go out to people you don’t know very well. In my profession, for example, collaboration between outside design teams is very common, whether dealing with schedule coordination, exchanging drawings and files, or asking and answering design questions. Nobody expects flawless writing, including myself—my boss would hate it if I pointed out the many tiny mistakes in his writing that I’ve seen. However, everyone expects a clear message that offers no ambiguity. Ambiguity is where confusion arises, and confusion can lead to costly delays or mistakes.
How do you create clear and well-written emails while also retaining a natural diction and tone?
Before anything else, always address who you’re talking to, even if you have nobody else in the address line or carbon copied in the email. Aside from being a courtesy, this simple addition clearly defines the intended recipient. Emails can get busy and numerous people may belong to the email chain. Everyone knows the email’s intended target when the intended recipient is in the message greeting.
Be conscious of what you are talking about and how you’re explaining it in the email body. Be especially mindful of dangling participles, ambiguous modifiers, or any other moments that don’t explicitly relate to your intended sentence subject. It’s very easy to fall into a mistake that results in people questioning what you’re talking about. Avoid shortcuts in your writing where possible; these ambiguity problems usually arise when we don’t take a few extra seconds to be clear. At the same time, don’t drag on with unnecessary information.
Things can get heated in email exchanges. It’s okay to be bothered or upset if someone is getting snippy with you. Don’t fire back with passive-aggressiveness or snide comments just because a computer screen separates you and your recipient. Keep professional and keep a cool head, even if the other person isn’t. Tone can get lost in text. If something rubs you the wrong way by just a hair, try to give the benefit of the doubt. They may have no intention of being rude. Some people simply write differently, and the same message can be interpreted very differently by other people.
Remember that you don’t have to be perfect in most professional emails. You just need to be clear so that others know what you’re communicating. A warm and friendly tone goes a long way as well. If you’re ever in doubt, you can always rely on a friend, colleague, or higher-up willing to proofread your writing.
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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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“Now… let’s see if we can get this working with a modern computer. Hopefully all of the adapters I just got will help out.”
Indeed, one does not simply plug an old monitor into a new graphics card. Tad spends several minutes connecting cables, finishing by plugging the power cord into a free wall outlet. He turns on his computer, sits down, and begins to surf the settings.
“We have power… but do we have a signal?”
The Camera watches over Tad’s shoulder as he presses the power button. The monitor snaps, hums, fizzles, then finally clicks to life. A glowing image—dim at first, then steadily brighter—displays his desktop.
“Yes!”
He glances back to see the Camera. It remains still, staring at this dinosaur of a monitor displaying a modern Windows operating system. Such a combination simply felt illegal.
“Like I said…. Er… computer experiments.”
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FURSUIT FOCUS
Hihi, readers new and old! I’m your host, tahlmorra, and I welcome you to this late-summer edition of Fursuit Focus! As the season changes, so can plans and the guest I hinted at last week is unavoidably absent and that interview will have to wait for a future issue. In their place, I have a very friendly, very colorful fur to talk with today; a fuzzy feline from South Florida: Astra, the snow leopard-housecat mix!
Astra (same name and he/him for both suit and suiter), as mentioned above, is both a big/little cat and anything but drab. Splashed with bright blues, purples, and pinks – self-described as ‘galaxy coloring’ – with black rosettes scattered throughout, and a bright white belly, Astra is certainly very eye-catching. A point to note is Astra’s colors – they are airbrushed to achieve their brilliance, not sewn-in color. Also, he sports fiber optic whiskers to give a flash of light to the whole, removable eyelids, and a built-in fan because, well, fursuits get hot. I’m sure that’s very relatable to many of you out there. A new first suit, first version, Astra (the fursuit) was received in April 2023 and was made by DeLeon Fursuits, who appears to be currently closed for commissions but with a hopeful return sometime in early 2024.
Astra mostly enjoys public suiting when attending conventions as well as local meetups and, in fact, hosts (mostly) monthly meetups in his stomping grounds of South Florida. As far as in-suit activities are concerned, he loves ice-skating, Top Golf (an innovative golfing experience), karaoke, and especially meeting and making new friends. He has gone to Megaplex 2022 and ’23, MFF 2022, AC and FWA, and he hopes to attend many more. Additional favorite in-suit plans include making funny videos for various social media and giving out as many fluffy kitty hugs as possible.
A very new fur, Astra says he really began his furry journey back in August of 2022. Saying that he never would have imagined himself as furry or part of the community, his main experience with the fandom was enjoying and appreciating the artistic creativity of some of the more popular furs from afar on Instagram. But, to him, the furry-sphere was little more than an intriguing, yet distant world to which he felt little connection. However, he says, fate apparently had other plans for him; a good friend from Sweden had come from overseas to Florida to visit and ended up convincing Astra to attend Megaplex 2022 with him. Reluctant to go, Astra decided to wear his costume from the previous Halloween (Guy Fieri) so as to “maintain some anonymity” within the crowd.
He found the beginning hours of being at the convention to be somewhat uncomfortable as he ‘navigated this unfamiliar territory.’ As the night wore on, however, he found himself becoming more and more drawn into the ‘sea of colorful, charismatic fursuiters dancing their hearts out at the rave’ and says he began to immerse himself in this new, vibrant world of furry fandom. Describing the change as ‘magical,’ he soon found the experience to be completely captivating.
Along with the ‘incredible costumes’ and ‘dazzling displays of creativity,’ Astra also found attractive the deep sense of community and acceptance that he felt with every encounter. Referring to it as the unofficial motto of the furry community, he found “zero judgement and self-expression” to be all but magical in its ability to foster personal growth and connection. So much so that he feels it’s fair to say that the furry community has both enriched his life and played a pivotal role in making him a better person. Having begun his journey into all things furry in August 2022, it still wasn’t until April 15 of 2023 (on his birthday) that Astra was completed.
When it came to making the decision to become a fursuiter, Astra says he was driven by the motto “if it makes you happy, you can’t put a price tag on it.” To be honest, he related that this mindset has led to some insane credit card bills over the years but, when it came time to think about getting a fursuit, it just felt like the next natural step to becoming a more integral part of the furry community.
Motivation extended beyond his own personal enjoyment, however. Astra wanted to immerse himself in the community, make positive contributions, and become someone who could be a role model for others. Having a fursuit of his own both allowed him to experience the fandom in all its ‘vibrant glory,’ while also positioning himself as someone others could look up to. Astra says he wanted to create enjoyable content for other furs, share his growing body of experiences, and hopefully serve as a guide for newcomers to help them navigate the intricacies of the fandom and, like him, grow into better individuals through the power of the community.
For the suit’s manufacture, he entrusted the work to DeLeon Fursuits for a combination of compelling reasons. First and foremost was the breathtaking designs of some of her previous works, notably FaoTheChee and Nightzy. It was the level of craftmanship in such suits that left Astra in awe, convincing him that she had the talent to bring his vision to life. What truly set DeLeon apart was her exceptional skill set, specifically in advanced airbrushing and electronics. Those were elements that he really wanted to incorporate in his fursuit to make it exactly as he had envisioned it. A glowing review given by Fao ended up being the final push he needed to make the decision and he wasted no time in applying for a commission slot the ‘absolute second’ that one opened.
When it comes to attitude surrounding in-suit activities, Astra feels that becoming his fursona makes him more of a social person than without, even though he considers himself to be decently extroverted most of the time. He loves suiting for the fun reactions he gets in and aside from conventions; the ‘awesome’ interactions and plenty of hugs he receives certainly don’t hurt at all.
As far as fursuit care and maintenance goes, Astra acknowledges the difficulties. Because his suit is airbrushed and contains sensitive electronics in the head, he carefully (Little) Green Machines the inside and very sparingly spot-cleans the outside, using a lot of fursuit spray in the process. The whole process takes him hours to complete, but Astra finds the end result to be well worth the effort.
Astra has a wide stable of likes and hobbies. Pinks, blues, and purples are his favorite colors and sushi, fried chicken and Chipotle are his foods of choice. He also likes to listen to progressive House EDM and is a huge rollercoaster enthusiast who also considers himself a pretty decent ‘car nerd.’ Dislikes are comparatively few; he doesn’t like people who are mean (especially to service workers) and, of all things, tomatoes. His goals are both simple and ambitious; to leave the world a better place than he found it and to help out those who find themselves in similar spots to himself.
For my penultimate question, I asked if he had any advice he might give to someone considering becoming a furry. He said, “Do it. You won’t regret the amount of openness and acceptance [that] is waiting for you.”
Finally, I asked Astra if he had anything to say that we’d not already gone over; “I wouldn’t be where I am today without friends like Jay, Blizz, Fao and Amber,” he replied, “Love you all so much and thank you all for reading my story and following along. <3 =^.^= THANK YOU..!!”
If you’d like to learn more about Astra, or think you might want to follow him, you can find him at the following socials:
- Instagram: @Astra__ (two underscores)
- TikTok: @Astra.The.Kitty
- X (Twitter): @Astra_The_Kitty
And, on that note, we come to the end of another wonderful week’s installment of Fursuit Focus. I hope you enjoyed meeting Astra as much as I have. Remember, if you think you could be featured in Fursuit Focus or know someone who should, use the tags #FurryWeekly and #FursuitFocus on most platforms, and who knows? Maybe you could be our next special guest! Be sure to stop by next week when we circle back to the previously promoted fur, you won’t be sorry you did!
Once again, I’m tahlmorra and I’m happy to have been your host for today. Stay safe, stay well, and 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. In Issue 274 we talked about the basics of shutter speed, so to finally end our back-to-basics week we’ll be talking about aperture
Aperture controls the size of the opening created by the “diaphragm” of a camera lens to control the amount of light that enters the camera which affects both the exposure and depth of field.
As a recap, exposure refers to the brightness of a photo. An underexposed photo will be too dark and an overexposed photo will be too bright which are both undesired effects. Ideally, you want your photos exposure to be perfect so the photo is pleasing to look at and so no details are left unseeable.
But the exposure of your photo won't matter if your subject is blurred beyond recognition which is why depth of field is just as important. Depth of field controls background blur and what parts of a scene will be in focus. A deep or “high” depth of field means you'll have minimal to no background blur, keeping the foreground nice and sharp which is ideal for landscape shots while a shallow or “low” depth of field means you’ll have a large amount of background blur while the subject closest to you stays sharp and in focus which is useful for portraits, or cases where you want a subject to stand out.
This is an example of using a large aperture number to decrease the depth of field; increasing the background blur.
Most shooting modes will automatically adjust the aperture for you to get the desired outcome. Portrait mode will typically use a larger aperture number to blur the background and make your subject stand out, while landscape mode will use a smaller aperture number to increase your depth of field and ensure your entire photo stays crisp and in focus.
This is an example of using a small aperture number to increase the depth of field; decreasing the background blur and keeping the whole image in focus.
Aperture's main use is controlling the depth of field in your photo, however since aperture controls the size of your diaphragm, it will also control how much light is let into your camera, naturally affecting the exposure levels of your photo. Generally, every time you increase your aperture number you will want to decrease your shutter speed and when you decrease your aperture number you'll want to increase your shutter speed.
Understanding aperture can take a little bit of time to get used to. To put it in simple terms, a smaller aperture number will increase your diaphragm size, make your photo brighter and increase the distance of your depth of field while a large aperture number will decrease the size of your diaphragm, darken your photo and decrease the distance of your depth of field.
Between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, manual mode can be very overwhelming for new photographers. If you’re having a difficult time understanding how all these settings affect each other, this Manual Mode simulation will give a more visual hands-on experience where you can experiment with ISO, shutter speed, and aperture without draining your camera battery.
Aperture is an incredibly important tool that can draw your viewers' attention to the subject and message you're trying to convey, and can make or break a perfect shot. If you're interested in giving custom aperture a try, I would recommend shooting in aperture priority mode, which will give you full control of your aperture while automatically adjusting the other settings for you.
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That concludes this week's segment! If you have any questions about aperture or would like to share your photos, don't be afraid to shoot me 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 three raffles for you this week! Let’s take a look at them.
First, we have a foam head base raffle by ConjureCreature!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet.
-Comment to enter.
Prize:
-Foam head base (winner pays for shipping; international shipping is accepted)
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on Sunday, October 1st. Be sure to enter while you can!
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Get cuddly with a Carewere plush giveaway by mcmadmissile!
How to Enter:
-Retweet and comment with a gif that makes you laugh.
-Extra entry: Tag a friend.
Prize:
-Carewere plush (color of your choosing)
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on Tuesday, October 3rd. There’s a few days left to enter!
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Celebrate with a 700 followers raffle by Phol_69!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and retweet.
-Comment your character or fursona’s reference.
Prize:
-Half body
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on October 15th. There’s about two weeks left to enter!
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Those are all the raffles I have for you this week. I apologize that this week’s featured raffles weren’t as many as usual. Though 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. Please stick around because we have five artists this week! Let’s dive in.
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We start with Mocapon, a freelance plushie maker from Peru who specializes in cute custom animal-based plushies. Whether you want a stuffed animal of your pet, your favorite character or fursona, or from your own imagination, Mocapon makes it happen with their various materials and patterns. If you’ve been searching for a plush maker, then this one might be for you!
You can find Mocapon’s plushie commission information, shops, and links to their other social media on their Carrd Feel free to message Mocapon if you’re interested in getting a custom plush and/or if you have any questions.
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Next, we have VibingTanuki, an artist who specializes in furry-based characters. He doesn’t offer any specific art commission options, but he works with the customer on what they want with exceptions. His prices are quite affordable as well. If you’re a first-time commissioner, then this would be a great artist for you!
You can find his prices on his pinned tweet here. Feel free to message him if you have any questions and/or if you are interested in a commission.
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Peachy Bats, also known as Achilles, is next. Achilles is an artist who specializes in furry-based characters with a cute art style. He offers flat-colored art, references and custom designs, badges, doodle pages, chibis, and flat-lay art. Unfortunately, his doodle pages, chibis, and flat-lay art are closed at the moment, but his other options are still open.
You can find his prices, terms of service, and his online store on his website, as well as links to his other social media on his Carrd. Feel free to message him if you are interested in a commission and/or if you have any questions.
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Up next, we have LiloLi. LiloLi is an artist who specializes in anthro-based characters. They offer three commission options: colored sketches, medium-colored art, and full-colored art. Each of these may go up to the hips, knees, and full body, and they are worth checking out. The details are amazing to look at!
You can find LiloLi’s prices and terms of service on their Google site here. Feel free to message them if you have any questions and/or if you’re interested in a commission.
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Last but certainly not least, we have Shadow-Lightning Wolf, a self-taught artist who specializes in neat furry-based art. Get ready for the spooky season because Shadow is currently open for werebeast and werewolf Shadow your character here (YCH) commissions! These YCH commissions will be open until October 10th. Feel free to grab a slot while you can.
You can take a look at these YCHs on his pinned tweet here. Feel free to message Shadow if you’re interested in commissioning for one 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 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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CHARACTER INTERVIEW
How’s it going everyone? Yeshua here, and I’m psyched to bring you another chat with someone from the fandom! This time, we’re diving into one of the main creative avenues that define furries, so we’ll get to that in just a second!
YESHUA: Today I'm delighted to welcome Sym, an incredibly skilled and creative crafter! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat! I'm sure some folks out there already recognize you, but for those who are reading about you for the first time, mind telling us about yourself and what you do in the furry community?
SYM: Heya, thanks for having me! I'm the creator behind DrowsySeal. I specialize in making cute, feminine fursuits, and accessories to go with them. I especially love making crazy sparkledogs and other critters in a rainbow of colors!
YESHUA: Heck yeah! I'm definitely interested in talking more about the work you do as a fursuit maker. I can tell that your suits turn heads because of how cute and lively they are, so tell me, what is it that draws you to focus more on bringing these cutesy and colorful characters to life?
SYM: I've always loved colorful designs, especially since I was drawn to the fandom by the sparkledog scene in the 2000s. I wanted to mix that aesthetic with cute fursuits, so here we are!
YESHUA: Ooo, getting a bit of lore there on how you got into the fandom! I do wanna touch on that later! Sticking with your fursuit work right now though, I definitely think you do a fantastic job in working with so many colors and bringing them together to make some very aesthetically pleasing fursuits! Something I'm very curious about is a commission you posted back in June 2023 just a few months ago. It looks like a sparkledog gal with UV reacting fur? I gotta say, that is one of the coolest features I've seen on a fursuit! What can you tell me about that?
SYM: Oh yeah, Wrath! She was a blast to make. She was made using UV reactive furs from BigZ and Howl, so she glows under blacklight. Her eyes also glow too, because of the special ink I use. I absolutely love messing around with UV reactive things, so I'm honored I was able to bring her to life.
YESHUA: I think those are simple, but absolutely phenomenal ways to take those colorful character designs a step further! Are there any other features about your suits or maybe accessories you're particularly fond or proud of when it comes to your fursuit making?
SYM: I’m a bit biased towards my fursuit eyes. They’re the soul of the fursuit, so I spend a lot of time making sure that they convey the character as well as I possibly can.
Other than that though, I take pride in focusing on the details. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I want everything to be as clean as it can be. That can best be seen on the bottom cross of the plush bells I make. It’s a miserable seam to match up, but it’s worth getting right, and I make sure to keep that level of detail on everything I do.
YESHUA: I will say, your fursuit eyes are some of the most colorful and complex I've seen, and they just look marvelous! So I don't blame you for saying that!
But heck, there really are a lot of small details to take in from your work! I'm sure folks appreciate that level of dedication, because your suits and accessories just look wonderful!
I'm also curious to hear your take on the one other species I noticed you recently worked on for a fursuit: the seal! Tell me about that one, if you would!
SYM: Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!
Well, I am DrowsySeal, so I figured that it was about time for me to live up to my name a bit and remake my original fursuit. The last time I had made myself a suit was four years ago, so it was definitely overdue. It was really neat seeing the improvement from my second fursuit ever to my current standards.
Remaking Sym was also an excuse to mess around with some new techniques that I’d been thinking about. They were a success, so now I’m more comfortable with branching out into other species, such as my next premade. A little sneak peek for you and your readers: it’s a cat, and I’m super excited about it!
YESHUA: Heck yeah! I gotta say, I came across Sym's remake and wondered if you also specialized in seals. I guess in a sense you do since you did so well! So if any seals out there are looking for a suit, I feel like you'd probably be their top choice, hah.
Happy to hear your new techniques worked out as well! And a cat?? Okay that is especially interesting to me because, well, felines are kinda the best species out there -- no bias at all! Not gonna lie, I'm actually very excited to see what a cat will look like in your style!
Looking back at the stuff you've created, is there a project that is perhaps your favorite that you've done?
SYM: Sym is definitely my favorite. I hope that’s not too obvious of an answer, but she is my fursona after all! Close second would be Cantrip though. I’m thrilled with how he turned out, especially since it was my first time using measurements and 3D modeling to create a fullsuit (as opposed to using a duct tape dummy). Plus I’m always biased towards a blue and black color scheme.
YESHUA: Nothing wrong with that, she's a neat character and a species that isn't really seen too often! Can't go wrong with a black and blue color palette either, so I'm with ya there! As you continue your fursuit work, do you have any particular goals in mind? Any other projects you're excited about, whether they're ongoing or not started yet?
SYM: I just want to continue creating art. That’s always been the goal at least, to keep making new things and challenging myself.
I do have a project I’ve been thinking about for a while now, and it’s going to be a ton of work, but I’m very excited to get started on her soon. I can’t say too much right now, but she’ll be absolutely divine when she’s done!
YESHUA: With a mindset like that and talent like yours, it's very exciting to think about what you'll do in the future! Lots of reasons to keep tabs on you!
Hmm you've got me curious about this project you're talking about, but that's yet another reason to keep up with your work! If you say she's going to be divine, I can only imagine what exactly it'll be!
Going back to what you mentioned about how the Sparkledogs aesthetic led you to focus your time and skills on that aesthetic, what exactly interested you about fursuit making itself? How'd you get started on that, and what's your trajectory been like going from your first crafts, up to bringing so many memorable characters to life now?
SYM: I’ve always had the drive to create costumes. I started off with making cosplays, and then evolved into making fursuits when I fell harder into the fandom.
Honestly, the beginning stages of learning to make fursuits was very difficult for me. I had a very hard time with my first two fursuit heads, which frustrated me enough to stop making more for almost 3 years. I ended up focusing on making parts instead.
I only started making fursuit heads again about a year and a half ago, and I really went back to my cosplaying roots to do so. I incorporated a lot of the techniques I had learned from making elaborate cosplays, such as 3D modeling and printing, as well as creating papercraft templates for foam. I just had to find a method that worked for me, and now here we are!
YESHUA: You mean that you just started to make heads seriously again less than two years ago? Wow, it looks like you've definitely made some awesome progress! Very cool that your cosplaying experience came in handy for fursuit making too. It might've taken some time, but you're doing great! How do you feel about your improvement looking back at your fursuit-making journey so far?
SYM: I love seeing the difference between my older suits and current ones, and it really motivates me to keep pushing to see how much further I can go. There’s always room for learning and improvement, after all!
YESHUA: Heck yeah! I'm happy you've got that drive; I'm sure it'll help you keep making some phenomenal creations! Before we shift gears a bit, is there anything else you want to share or bring up about you and your fursuit-making work? Anything we might've missed?
SYM: I just wanted to say that I sincerely appreciate everyone’s support and interest in my work. It’s a dream come true that I’m able to do this for a living, and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to do so!
YESHUA: It's always great seeing talented makers like you be able to go all in and make this a career! Not often you see that in most fandoms so it's just incredible when you stop and think about it.
Moving onto the last few bits of the interview, I'd love to know more about how you got into the fandom! Was it only because of sparkledogs like you mentioned before, or was there more to it?
SYM: I love virtual pet sites, and my favorite is themed around sparkledogs. When I was just starting out as an artist, I offered commissions on the site to earn in-game currency, and I noticed I was drawing a lot of things called a “fursona.” I looked into it, found the furry fandom, and fell in love with the art and creativity of the whole community. I’ve never looked back since!
YESHUA: I love when people find the fandom through things they enjoy, in your case virtual pet sites! Super glad you had such a neat introduction into the fandom because it sounds like you were able to ease in pretty easily!
As for your fursona.. why a seal? Very curious to hear about it because it's definitely one of the most unique choices I've seen!
SYM: I’ve always loved the ocean. I’ve always wanted my fursona to be aquatic, but I could never figure out the correct species until I went to the zoo one day and saw the seals. I knew immediately that they were meant to be my fursona, because they’re just so silly and goofy, terribly clumsy on land, and are just wonderful little creatures.
Deciding on what kind of seal was a bit of an adventure, but I eventually settled on ribbon seals because of their incredibly shy nature, and they have such striking markings. All around wonderful!
YESHUA: Awh that's pretty straightforward but neat way that you went about picking your fursona's species! Not only that, but I love how part of your brand as a fursuit maker involves a seal!
Now, we have talked a lot about your work as a fursuit maker which is of course the main way you're involved in the fandom, but outside of that, do you get up to anything else in the community? I'd love to know what other stuff aside from fursuit making draws your attention in the furry fandom.
SYM: I’m an artistically inclined person in general, so artwork is a huge part of the furry fandom for me. I love to draw, and to see what other people create. The community of artists here is absolutely priceless and so wholesome, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
YESHUA: Couldn't agree more with you! I love art but I absolutely adore anthro art more than anything else, and I feel you can connect so well with most artists in the fandom! What do you personally like to draw, and is there any particular kind of art or artists you especially like to follow?
SYM: I love drawing in a digital painting style, with any kind of subject. Mostly furries of course, though my D&D characters have gotten a lot of love lately.
I generally follow a lot of artists who have a painterly style, as I’m definitely biased towards that. It’s inspiring to see all of their artwork, and it gives me something to work towards.
YESHUA: I do hear often about artists inspiring other artists, and I think that's a wonderful thing about such an artistic fandom like this! I love me a good painterly style too so excellent taste ya got! Hahah.
Anything else about the community you're either involved in, or enjoy? Or would you say crafting and art are your main interests in the fandom?
SYM: Crafting and art are definitely my main interests. Of course, I enjoy a good con and going fursuiting, but the artistic community is definitely my favorite part.
YESHUA: Heck yeah, that's great! Sounds like you do enjoy quite a good bit in the fandom which is definitely good!
One more thing I'm interested in hearing from you: looking back at your entire journey in the fandom so far, from fursuit making and having tons of people who love your work, to interacting with folks online and at cons, how do you feel about your trajectory and where you are right now? When you were newer to the fandom, did you expect to do so much?
SYM: It’s absolutely unbelievable. I never expected to get here, and it’s very intimidating, honestly! Having all these eyes on my work is incredible, but at the same time, I’m super shy and am not used to it at all. I am incredibly grateful that people enjoy my work though, and I’m hoping to keep doing this for years to come. Even if it does force me out of my shell a bit, aha!
YESHUA: Hey, that's honestly fair! Folks enjoy your work and you seem to be enjoying what you do, so as long as you keep doing what you love I'm sure it's all gonna keep going swell! Just in this little bit of time I've talked to you, it's clear that you have a fantastic attitude, and I can only imagine how much more you'll end up doing!
Before we end here though, is there anything else you'd like to share at all? Or any closing remarks?
SYM: I’m just so grateful that I have the opportunity to do this, and I can’t wait to keep creating more art for everyone! It’s a dream, and I’m super excited to see what the future holds. Genuinely, everyone's support means the world to me, so...thank you!
YESHUA: I'm sure you have a ton of people excited to see what you create next, and I hope folks see how much passion and love you have for what you do and the fandom as a whole! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat, it's been a real pleasure!
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That’s all for this edition of Character Interview! Thanks a bunch for reading! I hope you all enjoyed getting to know a little more about Sym! I definitely recommend giving her a follow on one of her socials, especially if you’re a fan of stunning, cute and colorful fursuits! You won’t be disappointed.
As always, I’m keeping an eye out for folks to bring on for a chat, so if you have any recommendations, please reach out to me and lemmino!
I’ll be back next week with another phenomenal guest who is mainly known for his silly, and sometimes serious but relatable comics and art as he works toward impacting the fandom positively! He does this on a pretty small scale as he bears some resemblance to a fruit in more than a few ways…
Until then though, take care!
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CONVENTION CALENDAR
Hello again, readers! I’m Shetani, your Convention Calendar segment host for this issue. Read on to learn about all the furry conventions and events happening online, around the world, and in your neck of the woods!
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Furry Takeover is just wrapping up at Fontana Dam, North Carolina, USA from Friday September 29 - Sunday October 1. This is a camping style convention first established in 2018 for those who wish to enjoy the amenities and beauty of a natural setting while fursuiting and hanging out with others in the community. Though you’re generally able to spot critters of all kinds at a furry convention, 2023’s theme is Safari Takeover, perfect for capturing rare and unique beasts - on film, of course. Prospective attendees should be aware that while wi-fi is available at the lodge and some areas around the resort, there’s little to no cell service in the mountains. However, you’ll barely miss it due to FTO’s jam-packed programming, including panels, karaoke, dance competitions, DJs, gaming, Nerf wars, a dealer’s den and artist alley - and what outdoors furcon wouldn’t be complete without nightly bonfires for roasting marshmallows and hot dogs? All attendees must be at least 13 years old, and minors under 17 require parental supervision.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook | Instagram
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Western PA Furry Weekend returns to the North Park Lodge in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, USA from Friday October 6 - Sunday October 8. Often abbreviated to WPAFW, this con has all your favorite events: sketchbook swaps, dances, karaoke, fursuit photos, gaming of the tabletop, board, and video variety, and panels galore. Paws Across Pittsburgh, an all-volunteer home based foster organization for dogs and cats, will be the convention’s chosen charity partner once again. Cartoonist AC Stuart, of “Awoo Comics” fame, is 2023’s Guest of Honor. This year's WPAFW Super Sponsor event is a three-hour long carnival, with games, prizes, funnel cake, and deep-fried Oreos galore! Pre-registration quotas have already been met, but you still have a chance to get a day pass at the door. WPAFW attendees must be at least 18 years of age to register.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook
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The Marriott San Antonio Airport will welcome furries back to San Antonio, Texas, USA for Alamo City Furry Invasion, Friday October 13 - Sunday October 15. The theme this time around is Dr. Virginia’s Island Paradise. ACFI’s three Guests of Honor are DJ Recca, Marks Barks, and It’s Probably Mars. Sherbert will also return as a special guest for 2023. Dancer furs should be happy to hear that the con hosts a non-suiter dance off in addition to traditional and junior fursuit dance competitions. Unique to ACFI is their Fursuiter Dog Show, in which fursuiters (all species welcome) and their non-suited handlers compete in an agility course similar to those run by our less-anthropomorphic counterparts in competition! On a less furry-related note, ACFI will provide protective wyewear for any attendees who wish to watch the once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse during the con! ACFI’s full panel schedule is still in the works, so keep your eyes on their official channels for up-to-the-moment announcements.
Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | Facebook | Instagram
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Arizona Fur Con takes place Friday October 13 - Sunday October 15 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Arizona, USA. Look out for ghouls and goblins as you explore the venue this year with their theme “Welcome to the Haunted Manor.” Fursuit builder Copper Sprite, dancer fur Humphrey O Wolf, artist Stella Kitty, and content creator The Fuzz are all honored guests at ACFC 2023. Be sure to stop by the charity table and toss a dollar or two to Any Rat Rescue, a non-profit dedicated to finding loving, forever homes for any pet rat in need. ACFC’s schedule is packed full of exciting events like a tail building workshop, furry flea market, graymuzzle meet & greet, and even a workshop where you can make your own rat toys with representatives from the charity! Plenty of standard con programming such as a fursuit parade, gaming, dance competition, and concerts await attendees as well.
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Get ready for a monster mash at Confuror from Thursday October 19 - Sunday October 22. 2023’s theme is Science Madness, muahaha! Confuror will have a new venue this year, Hotel Barceló Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico. In lieu of a Guest of Honor, Confuror chooses to highlight multiple featured artists, many of whom are to host panels and sell their wares over the convention weekend. Confuror will have a Dealer’s Den, Artist’s Alley, and Night Market for you to get your shopping fix while supporting artists and craftspeople within the furry community. In addition to panels and activities yet to be announced, check out the exclusive Drink and Draw event, where 18+ attendees can sample craft beers while enjoying artist interviews, charity auction, games, and a welcome party hosted by RadiOso and Rudderbutts in the lounge. A separate ticket is required for this, but if you know your way around a pen, you can win free admission by entering the “Draw My Beer” art contest on Confuror’s website! Their charity for 2023 is Nutrias de México, an initiative seeking to promote the conservation of otter populations in Mexico.
Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | Facebook
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Can’t get enough of furry literature? Check out Oxfurred Comma, an online furry convention over the weekend of Saturday October 21-Sunday October 22! Brought to you by the Furry Writers’ Guild, this free event dedicated to anthropomorphic literature will be streamed on Twitch, and prospective attendees can join the Discord or Telegram channels to get started. Oxfurred Comma 2023 will run a furry flash fiction contest, with the winner announced at the conclusion of the con. Writers can also submit self-published works to one of two general audience and adult-rated story bundles. The panel schedule is yet to be announced, so make sure you’re following Oxfurred Comma or the Furry Writers’ Guild for updates as they come.
Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | Mastodon
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Golden Leaves Con will celebrate its 13th anniversary from Wednesday October 25 - Sunday October 29. The theme will be “Spacedock GLC13 - A Space Odyssey.” Experience the beauty of the Hasliberg valley of Switzerland from the C’est La Vie Guesthouse and Hotel Panorama, both of which will exclusively host furries for the span of the weekend! Amenities include authentic Swiss food catered by an all-furry staff and free cocktails from the bar during the nightly furdances. Golden Leaves Con is known for its full-length puppet show put on by the Swiss Pawpeteers, an event not to be missed! Attendees can also expect to enjoy a Dealer’s Den, two fursuit lounges, fursuit dance contest, nightly lantern walk, and heated outdoor pool. Due to overwhelming interest last year, GLC is switching to a lottery-based attendance system for registration, so if you’d like to attend, check out their website for more details about what you need to do to enter. Finally, guests must be 18 years old to attend GLC.
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Something lurks in the shadows this Halloween season… it’s Furpocalypse! This spooky themed furry convention is always a frightfully good time. 2023’s iteration will take place from Thursday October 26 - Sunday October 29 at the Armon Hotel & Conference Stamford in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. As a Halloween convention, Furpoc is known for its frightful flair, and this year’s theme - Summercamp Slasher - does not disappoint. Take your experience to the next level by participating in hotel-wide door-to-door trick-or-treating, fun no matter which side of the candy basket you’re on! A charity auction and raffle will be held to benefit Q Plus, a Connecticut nonprofit dedicated to uplifting and empowering queer youth. Possessed Opossum and ZucchiniFuzz, the two artist Guests of Honor this year, will be introduced at Opening Ceremonies to crown the surprise Furpocalypse Guest Host. Furpoc has historically featured a masquerade, fursuit parade and group picture, dance competition, fursuit games, nightly dances with DJs, art show, and last howl afterparty. Of course, no Halloween con is complete without a costume competition! All costumed attendees of Furpoc are welcome to enter, though fursuits alone don’t count and suiters will have to wear a costume over their fursuits.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook
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Make a splash at AquatiFur this year from Friday October 27 - Sunday October 29! This unique furry con is hosted at a waterpark: the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, USA. This year’s theme is “Oktofurfest.” Guests of Honor include fursuit making company Fursewna Studios and freelance artist Wooperworks. AquatiFur boasts a Dealer’s Den, Artist Alley, dance competitions, nightly dances with DJs, panels, workshops, meetups, and let’s not forget access to a fantastic water park with all the thrills and rides that come with it! AquatiFur’s 2023 charity of choice is Feathered Friends Sanctuary and & Rescue, Inc., which provides a safe haven for homeless parrots living in captivity. Attendees can watch and take part in the Charity Dance-Off to raise money for this great cause while enjoying the talents of dancer furs in the community.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook
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Infurnity will return to the Fullon Hotel Tamsui in Taiwan from Friday October 27 - Sunday October 29. There’s plenty of potential for fun with their theme of “The Taiwanese Furstival.” Should you plan on fursuiting at Infurnity, you can add your fursuit photo to the online registry at their website, so everyone knows who to look forward to meeting at the con! Infurnity’s Guests of Honor include artist Racoonwolf, cartoonist Zisak, and dancer & video creator Wolvinny, all three of whom are hosting panels and meet & greets at the con. In addition, the con will raise donations for Raptor Research Group of Taiwan, which will have a presence in the Dealer’s Den, charity auction and raffle, and panel schedule. Infurnity hosts a unique Fursuit Debut show, where fursuiters whose costumes were made between November 2022 and October 2023 have a chance to strut their stuff onstage for their first ever public appearance! New this year is a furry boating trip where attendees can enjoy a scenic sunset tour along the Tamsui River. This year’s schedule has just been announced, so head over to Infurnity’s website for details on their Dealer’s Den, art shows, dances, fursuit parade and group photo, talent show, panels, and events.
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A convention that certainly lives up to its name, Biggest Little Fur Con hits the scene at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, USA. In an unexpected move that polarized social media, BLFC selected midweek dates of Monday October 30 - Thursday November 2 for 2023’s iteration; only time will tell what the furry public thinks of a non-weekend convention. BLFC’s theme is Curse of Coeurasa, about which attendees can learn more by reading the expansive lorebook and listening to the podcast on the theme page of the con’s website. Events and attractions include a dealer’s den, art show, dance competition, escape room, and even more fun planned. Attendees must show proof of initial COVID-19 vaccination and one booster or equivalent.
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This month’s calendar features DarlingTheDoe rocking a fall-themed outfit!
Remember to get vaxxed and wear your face mask when meeting up with any furs in person.
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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