ISSUE 289
Hi everyone! Welcome back to another edition of Furry Weekly, your one stop for anything and everything about the furry fandom! Thank you for joining us!
Before we get started, we would like to take a moment to recognize Mark Merlino, also known as Sylys Sable. Mark unfortunately passed away on February 20, 2024 after suffering health complications. Mark is known as one of the fandom’s original members, most notably helping organize ConFurence, the first furry convention in 1989 which set a model for the future of furry events and gatherings. We would like to dedicate this issue to Mark as well as share a GoFundMe started by his loved ones to now help with expenses related to his passing. Rest in peace, Mark Merlino. Your contributions to growing the fandom will always be remembered.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
RECRUITING
We’re still looking for folks to join our team to help make the magazine as best as it can be, so please check out the positions we’re looking to fill, and if something catches your eye, please contact us! We’d love to work with you!
Here are the roles we currently have open:
- Art Corner Host
- Furry of the Week Host
- Art 101 Host
- Species Spotlight Host
- Radical Raffles Host
- Available Artists Host
- Front End Website Developer
- Editor
- Content Migrator
If you’d like to help out or if you want more info, please contact Yeshua, or Carkas. If you want a description of the roles above, visit this document! If you have any suggestions for other roles or things we could bring into Furry Weekly, please reach out as well. We’d love to hear your ideas! We still need lots of help in general, so please do consider joining us or sharing with other friends in the fandom if you can! We’d really appreciate it!
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. So 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 take it and give us your feedback! You can do this multiple times as well! The link is below!
Click here to take our reader survey!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
That’s all our usual announcements done! As always, let us know on our social media what you liked the most or if you’d like to see something or someone in a future issue. We’re @FurryWeekly on both Twitter and Instagram!
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
SEGMENT LINEUP
[✔] 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
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
FURRY OF THE WEEK
FURRY OF THE WEEK
Hello, everyone! This is Danielle once again coming back to shine some more positivity onto you from the furry community. We have another special feature for you this week!
Before we put the spotlight on this week’s feature, I wish to remind all of you that we’re still looking to recruit more hosts for this segment. If you like spreading positivity, then this might be for you! Feel free to message our boss, Yeshua, if you’re interested in hosting Furry of the Week.
Get ready because we’re here to take you towards a spicy ramen challenge hosted by The Raccoon’s Den!
The Raccoon’s Den is hosting a spicy ramen challenge to raise money for the ALS Association, but they need your help. You can help them decide on the next contestant by selecting up to three nominations out of the 12 by visiting their Google document form.
For each round completed, the contestant earns a $20 donation towards the ALS Association. If the contestant completes the entire five-round challenge, their donation gets doubled. Woo-hoo! The rules of the challenge are as follows:
On behalf of Furry Weekly, we wish all of the contestants the best of fun and luck!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
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 reach out to me on any of my platforms. 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!
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
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, donate towards wildlife rehabilitation programs, or send funds to scientists so that they can research underappreciated animal species. Join us on this fun adventure, and I hope that you, too, will fall in love with these amazing animals!
We’re continuing our series on Doves today!
Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills. They primarily feed on seeds, fruits, and plants. Pigeons and doves are distributed everywhere on Earth, except for the driest areas of the Sahara Desert, Antarctica and its surrounding islands, and the high Arctic. The family contains 344 species divided into 50 genera. Thirteen of the species are extinct. In English, the smaller species tend to be called "doves" and the larger ones "pigeons." However, the distinction is not consistent, and does not exist in most other languages. Historically, the common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation between the terms. The bird most commonly referred to as just "pigeon" is the domestic pigeon, which is common in many cities as the feral pigeon.
The doves’ wings are large, and have eleven primary feathers. Doves have strong wing muscles and are among the strongest fliers of all birds. Doves have unique body feathers, with the shaft being generally broad, strong, and flattened, tapering to a fine point, abruptly. In general, the aftershaft is absent; however, small ones on some tail and wing feathers may be present. Body feathers have very dense, fluffy bases, are attached loosely into the skin, and drop out easily. Possibly serving as a predator avoidance mechanism, large numbers of feathers fall out in the attacker's mouth if the bird is snatched, facilitating the bird's escape. The plumage of the family is variable.
This Week’s Species: Cinnamon ground dove (Gallicolumba rufigula)
Characteristics
Cinnamon ground doves are medium-sized ground doves of lowland and foothill forest. They have a reddish back and wings interspersed with pale blue-gray, diagonal bars. They are white from throat to belly, edged with black and a messy yellow-orange smudge in the center of the chest. Pale, diagonal bars in the wing differentiate it from any other ground-dove.
Fun Facts
Species may be partially nomadic, based on population fluctuations in response to bamboo seed-set. They are almost entirely terrestrial, except when nesting and roosting in low vegetation; typically seen walking quickly over forest floor, head bobbing rapidly; if flushed, quickly alights and continues to flee on foot.
Habitat
It is native to New Guinea in primary rainforests and monsoon forests.
Diet
The cinnamon ground dove's diet consists mainly of insects but also feeds on fallen fruits, seeds, and even ground worms. Its way of scavenging is through the leaf litter that lies on the ground to find most of its food. This particular bird relies heavily on foods that are mostly found on the ground.
Life Cycle
Nests typically consist of a few twigs and leaves arranged on a firm foundation. It seems that they lay one egg at a time.
Conservation
Precise data not available, but cinnamon ground doves appear to be uncommon to fairly common, though often overlooked because of retiring behavior. Only recently recorded in Yominbip area, despite considerable previous work in this region. They are held in several zoos and collections.
Here are some links to articles about the cinnamon ground doves:
New or confirmatory information on some species of new guinean birds
A Bird Community of Lowland Rainforest in New Guinea. 4. Birds of Secondary Vegetation
Adopt
All funds from this adopt will go to animal conservation. The goal for this month is to save up to help fund scientific research on the effects of climate change on bird species, through a donation to the National Audubon Society which requires a total of $100. 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. If you enjoy the design you can also purchase it on a multitude of products like shirts and stickers: links to these options can be found at Shirogane Studios.
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 ebird.
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
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!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
bryony6210 starts us off today with a lovely pony full body!
We start off today with a gorgeous full body of a My Little Pony character called Princess Luna, and she is fittingly flying in front of the moon with a solemn expression. The body shape has lots of fluff and rounder shapes to convey how sweet of a character she is.
The colors look stunning! The different shades of blue work together really well and she stands out against the background nicely. The white sparkles and stars in the sky and on her mane and tail are not too bright so as to not blind the viewer, which I think is a lovely touch.
Lastly, the shading is really pretty; the way the harder shading curls and twists around – especially in the mane – is great. The semi-soft lighting also looks cute, though maybe a fully soft version could look stunning as well.
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
We continue with RiverRain, presenting a stunning scene!
Night In The Woods is my favorite game/experience in the world so I’m a sucker for art like this. The whole vibe of the piece is so peaceful and autumnal; it is stunning. The character’s positioning looks accurate to game style and very proper to the anatomy of the characters in the game.
The colors are soft, warm, and pleasing to the eyes. The lineless style only adds to the cozyness of the piece. The background is simple but showcases the field very well with its layers and details like the grass blades.
Lastly, I want to mention the shading in this work which is really gorgeous and soft. There’s mostly lighting rather than shading with the autumn evening sunlight washing over the whole scene, and the characters gently creating mood and ambiance beautifully.
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
mudsquelcher follows through with a sweet pastel full body!
This piece is really sweet-looking with the pastel tone of the colors. The pinks and whites look lovely, and the rainbow on the skirt and the background are very soft and pleasing to look at.
The star of the show is definitely the outfit this pink kitty character is wearing. The ruffles and folds in the fabric are simplistic, yet look nice and accurate to real life clothes folds.
Lastly, I want to mention the cloud and rainbow in the background; really soft and cute, though a little hidden and overtaken by the character which is not wrong in any way, but if you’d like them to balance with the character, I would stretch the cloud across the whole bottom of the picture and make the rainbow a teensy bit more opaque. Still, this piece looks lovely as it is!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
neroshi finishes us off today with a lineless headshot!
Last for today we have a sweet lineless headshot of a puppy-looking character with a silly expression. The little blep is adorable and adds a dash of color to the mostly yellow face.
The lineless style is not easy to dominate, but here it is done beautifully with strategically-placed shading and lines in key points that show the shapes of the character – especially around the neck and muzzle.
The collar is simple, but really cute, and the purple works lovely with the yellow since they are nearly opposites on the color wheel. This piece has strategic shading in the neck area to give volume to the character, but not much more, and it really doesn’t need any more, it’s really cute on its own!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
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!
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
WRITING SHOWCASE
Hello, everybody! My name is Dozu, and I have for you today a story about undead animals!
WARNING: This story will have graphic gore so be warned!
⊱────⊰✯⊱────⊰
VANTABLACK
By RottenFruitz
Summary: A wolf named Play has sadly died…but he lived! Somewhat. He is revived by a mysterious hairless cat, and he rises again as an undead creature. The hunger that consumes him is ravenous and turns him into a monster, but is he at peace with this turn of events? Read the story to find out what happens!
Highlights: This story is very nicely formatted and the way the smaller sentences are separated at the end of it really brings home the suspense and weight of the scene. Really good job!
For improvement: There were a few tiny little mistakes here and there but nothing that hindered the story at all and it’s all stuff that a second or third read could easily fix.
Question time! Answer in a post and tag @FurryWeekly and @DoggyDozu if it’s on Twitter!
Do you like zombies or mummies better as monsters?
If you suddenly woke up after death, what would you do first?
⊱────⊰✯⊱────⊰
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.
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
SPECIES SPOTLIGHT
Hello readers, and welcome back to an exciting week of Species Spotlight! This is Danielle making a guest appearance for this segment. Sadly, Species Spotlight has been on hiatus since around issue 256, but we’ll try to bring it back gradually.
Before we put the spotlight on this week’s original species, I wish to let all of you know that we’re still looking to recruit more hosts for this segment. If you enjoy diving into species lore and/or find original species fascinating, then this might be for you! Feel free to message our boss, Yeshua, if you’re interested in hosting Species Spotlight.
This week we will be peering into the quirky felines called Kyattts by SinisterGutz!
What are Kyattts?
Kyattts ("key-yats") are feline beings with a quirky twist: their heads are flipped upside down. Sporting tusks that resemble horns atop their unconventional craniums, these creatures boast massive, fluffy tails that conceal an unexpected surprise: a mouth.
Beneath their captivating appearance lies a delicate secret. If a Kyattt's head is turned right side up, their fragile necks risk snapping, leading to a tragic demise. Due to this vulnerability, Kyatts tend to shy away from perilous tasks, preferring the safety of their unique existence. Their fragility adds an air of caution to their already intriguing nature, reminding all who encounter them of the precious balance between curiosity and preservation.
Lore
In the realm of Enthralia, where magic intertwines with the natural world, there exists a species known as Kyattts, guardians of the ethereal forests and keepers of ancient secrets. Legend has it that eons ago, when the world was still young, a cosmic event imbued certain feline creatures with extraordinary powers, thus giving rise to the Kyattts.
At the heart of Kyattt lore lies the tale of the Great Shift, a cataclysmic event that forever altered their existence. It is said that during the height of a celestial convergence, the very fabric of reality was warped, causing the heads of these creatures to invert, resulting in their iconic upside-down appearance. This transformation was both a blessing and a curse, granting them unparalleled insight into the mysteries of the cosmos while simultaneously burdening them with a vulnerability that made survival uncertain.
In the grand tapestry of Enthralia, the Kyattts stand as both protectors and enigmas, their presence a testament to the enduring power of magic and the boundless potential of the natural world. With each flick of their chomper tails and each whispered word from their ethereal mouths, they remind all who encounter them that there are realms beyond our own, waiting to be explored and understood.
Anatomy and Physiology
To thrive in their new reality, Kyattts adapted, evolving unique traits that became synonymous with their species. Their oversized ears, adorned with plush fluff, serve as conduits for the whispers of the spirits that dwell within the enchanted forests they call home. Their heads, suspended in defiance of gravity, boast teeth that have morphed into formidable horns, symbolizing their connection to the primal forces of nature.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Kyattt physiology is their tails. Draped in luxurious fluff, these appendages conceal powerful jaws capable of rending prey with ease. Yet, it is their secondary mouths, located at the tip of each tail, that hold the true mystery. These mouths are said to possess the ability to speak in the language of the ancient ones, granting Kyattts unparalleled insight into the secrets of the universe.
Despite their otherworldly gifts, Kyattts are not without their vulnerabilities. Their slender pupils, reminiscent of those of nocturnal predators, betray their sensitivity to light, making them creatures of the shadows. Their feline noses, while keen, serve as reminders of their mortality, grounding them in the physical realm even as their spirits soar among the stars.
Diet
Kyattts have a carnivorous appetite, relishing in the consumption of meat and fruits, with greens serving as an occasional supplement rather than as a dietary staple. In the wild, their survival hinges on a protein-rich diet that is essential for their well-being. Ingeniously, they employ their tails as hunting tools, utilizing the mouths nestled within to shred prey, while their conventional mouths handle the feasting. Remarkably, the tails sustain themselves solely on blood, rendering the act of hunting both efficient and sustainable for these enigmatic creatures.
Gender Differences
In the world of Kyattts, gender distinctions are a matter of choice rather than necessity. However, for those who opt for differentiation, masculine Kyatts may exhibit larger tails and neck fluff compared to their feminine counterparts. Additionally, males often boast larger claws and tend to take on a more active role in hunting. The presence of optional breasts and reproductive systems further highlights the flexibility and diversity within the Kyatt community, where individual expression and identity reign supreme.
Required Traits
The essential characteristics defining a Kyattt encompass a combination of distinctive features:
These attributes form the core identity of the Kyattt and are integral to any portrayal. This offers artists a canvas for creative expression while maintaining the species' unmistakable essence.
Obtaining a Kyattt
Kyattts are a completely open species, which means you’re welcome to create any type of adoptable designs featuring them without having to ask for permission. Feel free to share your creations with SinisterGutz so that they can check them out.
There are currently no bases available, but the concept art at the beginning of this segment will be a great starting point to help you with creating a Kyattt character or base. If you have any other questions about this species, feel free to ask SinisterGutz. They will be eagerly awaiting and anticipating your questions.
Ready to embark on a journey through a realm teeming with SinisterGutz’s diverse open species? Feel free to join the Discord server to immerse yourself in the vibrant universe.
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Thank you for tuning in to this week of Species Spotlight! I hope you enjoyed learning about the Kyattts today.
There are plenty of creative original species out there, and we’ll be sure to hunt them down. If you’d like to recommend any open or closed original species to us, please feel free to reach out to me on any of my platforms. As Coyote Peterson from Brave Wilderness says, stay wild, and we’ll see you on the next species adventure!
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
WRITING 101
In the Furry Weekly office, one particular workstation is suspiciously more tidy than everyone else’s. Where papers, pencils, and notes litter adjacent desks and their associated computers, this particular desk boasts none of that. The void opened up so quickly. It needed to be filled… but how could you fill the resident bird’s spot at the snap of a finger?
Situations can change quickly, and nobody knew this fact better than Yeshua. So, not for the first time, his clawed fingers fly across the keyboard, drafting up a Help Wanted advertisement for a position he never imagined would need it.
“Why?” the puma murmured to himself. “I know duty calls… but on such short notice…?”
He glances over at the camera case—no, THE Camera’s case—on his desk. It had been in Furry Weekly’s possession for so long, and it was taken care of for all that time. Now it came under his control… yet he didn’t have a clue on how to use it. Its memory card must have been full of footage for Writing 101 and beyond....
“Oh, shoot…! Shoot, shoot, shoot!”
Yeshua couldn’t leave the Writing 101 segment unfinished! He races to finish the advertisement and posts it wherever possible, then dives into the sea of his employees’ work. Thankfully, Writing 101 was always fairly organized.
He’s a heartbeat away from drafting up an entire new document, but sees that he wasn’t left completely high and dry. There’s a segment prepared for this week!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
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!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Farewells
At some point, us writers will have the opportunity to give a character a send-off. Whether it’s an adventurer’s glorious ride into the sunset or a somber burial for a fallen friend, the farewell marks the end of a character’s journey. Naturally, we’re tempted to make it a spectacle. We want to orchestrate a goodbye as grand as the story we built for countless hours. Sometimes, this is completely appropriate. Sometimes, it’s simply an unrealistic outcome.
Consider the following: not everyone can receive the goodbye they want. In fact, rarely does such an event occur. We often do not know that we are seeing someone for the last time when we are in the moment, excluding the obvious like passing a stranger on the street. So how should we know to treasure the moment? Or ask any lingering questions, or let the departer know of some vital fact?
Extend these considerations to your knowledge of the story. While you as the author may know that two people or parties are to never cross paths again, they do not know. It can be easy to forget this fact. As a result, avoid providing a long and drawn-out goodbye when the situation doesn’t call for it. It can be confusing for the reader. More importantly, it can break the story’s immersion if a regular meeting turns into a sudden exchange of unprompted information, secrets, or dramatic goodbyes.
Of course, when the situation calls for such a big to-do, then you should also strongly consider its impact on the narrative. If a great hero saves a planet from an invasion and must leave shortly afterwards, then a royal celebration of such heroism and a proper farewell may be in order. But remember: if you’re going through the painstaking effort of drawing up the entire celebration complete with attendees, events, and lovely descriptions, then the story should still receive some sort of important plot progression. It doesn’t make much sense to go through all that effort and fail to move the story forward!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Want me 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!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
The puma breathes a sigh of relief. Of course he’d be willing to cover for extraordinary circumstances like this… but there was a fat chance he could cobble together something respectable on such a tight time budget.
Yeshua’s computer speakers chime. Somebody messaged him on social media… probably one of his interviewees replying to a question he asked several hours ago. He goes to check his messages, but quickly discovers that this isn’t the case.
“What…?”
He already received a response to the Help Wanted advertisement! He looks closer at the screen, trying to parse out the message as a whole, but he had never seen this anthro anywhere before now.
“Who is… Phoenix Bowman?”
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
FURSUIT FOCUS
How’s it going, everyone? I’m Yeshua and I’ll be bringing you the Fursuit Focus segment once again! This time I’ve got not one, but two fursuiters to share with you! So let’s take a look at who they are!
Today we’re meeting Finn and Tikaani!
Look at this canine duo! Finn is the Aussie Shepherd and Tikaani is the lightning wolf. Interesting combination, isn’t it? Finn is a natural-colored doggo with different browns dominating his design, signature floppy ears, and lovely dark green eyes; Finn also tends to dress a little, but more on that later. Still, Finn’s look is wonderful, so big props to the maker, Water Dog Wharf! As for Tikaani, the bright blue immediately stands out against his dark gray and white fur, and the the bits of purple on his chest and hair complement his dynamic design quite well. The semi-toony style of the suit is a good fit for the character, and along with the excellent craftsmanship all around, gotta give huge credit to the maker, WolfSkin Studios for creating such a nice suit! So you’ve got an Aussie with a very cozy feel and a somewhat imposing-looking wolf, but they get along nicely and have a big thirst for adventure!
These two live in the frigid state of Alaska in the United States which is a bit unique given its location; the nature and wilderness is breathtaking, and there are towns of all sizes. Naturally, Finn and Tikaani take advantage of all this! Tikaani in particular likes to make inspirational content that incorporates the stunning landscapes in Alaska. You can often find him posing outside during blizzards, in front of glaciers, on snowy mountain peaks, and all the snow-filled landscapes under the beautiful northern lights! Tikaani doesn’t back down from the extreme cold, sometimes suiting in temperatures as low as -40 degrees! If you scroll through his social media, you’ll find plenty of incredible photos of Tikaani in these environments; you can tell he’s right at home!
Finn also enjoys making his own content outdoors! His favorite time to get some photos is between the time leaves start changing colors and the golden autumn season, so you can often find him in the forest or anywhere where there are lots of trees! In addition to his love for the outdoors, there are two other things you’ll tend to notice about Finn’s photos: vintage sweaters and peanut butter! Finn absolutely loves peanut butter – as most doggos do – and he’s very fond of vintage sweaters, which you’ll always find him wearing! Finn just enjoys making fun content that can make others smile and laugh, especially with his jar of JIF peanut butter. If you enjoy calm, and sometimes silly energy, you’ll probably like Finn’s adventures!
Although they do have their favorite environments for fursuiting, Finn and Tikaani do enjoy fursuiting together outdoors, whether it’s in the winter when it’s snowing, or when the leaves are changing in autumn! As mentioned earlier, they also like to go fursuiting in different towns. The duo likes to spread positivity to anyone they encounter, so you’re likely to find them interacting at and supporting local businesses, concerts, and events! It wouldn’t surprise me if some locals are used to seeing these two canines roaming around!
Finn and Tikaani had slightly different paths to getting involved in the fursuting scene. Pretty appropriately, Tikaani grew up with his grandparents on an Alaskan mountainside where he often saw wolves roaming outside. Pair that with watching movies like Balto and the Lion King on opening day, and his interest in anthropomorphic animals grew pretty quickly. He created Tikaani the wolf as a kid, and his grandmother actually got him his first fursuit! He later commissioned his second and current suit at the start of 2023 and he now tries to suit up just about every day to feel as close as he can to becoming Tikaani while spreading joy around Alaska.
Meanwhile, Finn had been a furry for some time and saw how fursuiters were able to express themselves and put aside any kind of anxiety when they suit up, which inspired him to get a fursuit of his own. Not only that, but Finn says a certain red dragon once told him directly about how suiting up helped him calm all his nerves and worries as well make him feel like he could embrace his character more. This truly resonated with Finn and it’s pretty safe to say he values that confidence fursuiting gives him – something that indeed, many fursuiters agree with! Finn actually adopted his suit in the fall of 2022, saying that as soon as he saw it, he knew it was the one for him! Much like Tikaani, Finn tries to fursuit any chance he gets!
⊱────⊰✯⊱────⊰
That’s it for today! I hope you all enjoyed this slightly different edition of Fursuit Focus; it was really fun getting to write about a fursuiter duo! Very nice to see good friends in the fandom do stuff together! If you wanna keep up with them, be sure to follow Finn and Tikaani on their social media!
As usual, we’re on the lookout for other fursuiters to feature, so just use the tags #furryweekly and #fursuitfocus when you post your fursuit photos and videos to social media if you want to be featured! You can also reach out to me or our usual host, tahlmorra and tell us you want to be featured, or you can also suggest your friends or favorite fursuiter!
I’ve been Yeshua, and thanks again for stopping by! I hope to see you all next time, so until then, take care!
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
PHOTOGRAPHY 101
Hello, friends and photografurs! Welcome back to this week's Photography 101! I'm your host, Jaden. We are surrounded and influenced by the fashion industry -, but have you ever stopped to think about the photographers behind those advertisements?
Fashion photography is defined as a style of photography that puts fashion and clothing at the forefront of its focus. Without fashion photography, most of the magazines we read and fashion brands we know of wouldn't exist! Fashion photography is necessary for the ever changing influence of fashion styles in the modern world and is constantly used as a medium to push social change in how we view fashion on a cultural scale.
Fashion photography can be traced back all the way back to 1850, but it didn't become a staple in the photography industry until famous photographer Edward Steichen produced the first publicized images of fashion photography for the magazine Art et Décoration in 1911. Steichen continued to produce incredibly influential works during his time as head photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair, his most popular work of his career being a headshot of actress Gloria Swanson for Vanity Fair magazine.
But what separates fashion photography from the genre of portrait photography? Since fashion photography usually involves models, this is a question lots of people find themselves asking. Simply put, the intention of fashion photography is to showcase the skills of fashion designers or advertise current fashion trends; the focus is on the clothes the person is wearing, not the person itself.
From haute couture to techwear, there's guaranteed to be a style of fashion that's right up your alley. If fashion photography seems like something you want to experiment with, try putting together a groovy outfit and posing in front of your own camera! It would give you an excellent basis to experiment with lighting and what poses work the best!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
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 a message! (now available on Bluesky)
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
FURSUIT DESIGNING TIPS
Hi everyone, Olivier the space goat here with the segment on fursuit making and fursuiting in general.
For this week, we are picking up the topic of fursuit care again with…
Cleaning Fursuit Parts
This time I will go over handpaws, arm sleeves and tails, as that is what we have made together at this point. In a later segment we will cover cleaning heads, body suits and all other accessories.
Handpaws
Cleaning your handpaws depends on what material they’re made of. If you have a fursuit maker, I would at all times advise you to contact them to figure this out.
If your paws are all textile, then a pillowcase or delicate laundry net will be of great help as that way they can go in the washing machine. If you have clay, resin claws, or silicone paw pads, I would advise washing them by hand.
Also something to note: if your paws are painted with acrylics do know this will fade a bit over time.
Arm Sleeves
Arm Sleeves can be washed by machine most of the time as well as long as everything is made of fabrics.
I personally put my machine on 20°C (68°F) and a normal cycle for my fursuit items. Since I want them CLEAN, the fur can handle a bit of a rough wash as long as you take proper care afterwards. Still, do know some people prefer a delicate cycle for their suit bits. It is to your comfort and what you think would work best for your items.
Cleaning a fursuit can be absolutely terrifying, for this reason I always make a test scrap of the furs and fabric i use in my suits that I wash first before washing anything else, just to see how the fur and fabric holds up to the machine and if i need any extra measures like adding bleed preventing fabrics, or add a little less detergent than I usually do; things along those lines.
Tails
Your tail might be a lil tricky to wash; it might be too large to throw in the washing machine or have resin spikes. If it is too large, go the same route as hand washing for the paws. With large tails I often opt to wash it in the shower or bathtub and have it on the floor to deep clean it.
Once your parts come out of the washing machine they will look a lil scruffy, but fear not! A careful brush can help that problem and have your fibres look perfect as can be again. I personalt brush my suits after washing, before hanging and laying everything to dry just to make sure matting will be minimal. When I wear them, I usually wipe the shorter fur to look nice, and the longer fur I brush. Now I do need to add that four of my personal suits are required to look like untamed monsters, so they often don't get the pretty treatment at all, but it's up to you as owner to see about that. i'll go into brushing suits at a later date too, so keep an eye on that!
Do know brushing is required for your suit to stay looking nice, but also be aware that suits age, and brushing can actually damage your suit! I try to get away with a good shake and fluff up rather and only brush if absolutely is required.
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Next time I will be talking about fursuit making with disabilities! So I hope this tutorial of sorts was useful for you all.
Till then, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me through Instagram or join my Discord server!
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
RADICAL RAFFLES
Hello, everyone! Danielle here once again, and I’m here to bring you some fun raffles to potentially participate in.
Before we get into the raffles, I wish to remind all of you that we’re looking to recruit more hosts for this segment. If you enjoy coming across raffles, then this might be for you! Feel free to message our boss, Yeshua, if you’re interested in hosting Radical Raffles.
Feel free to stick around because we have seven raffles for you this week! Let’s take a look at them.
Get snuggly with a snug-alongs giveaway by Little Softs!
How to Enter:
-Follow and repost.
-Comment with your favorite animal of all time.
Prize:
-Snug-Alongs backpack for three winners
Deadline:
-This giveaway ends on February 29th. There’s a few days left to enter!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Next up, we have a raffle by PinkBites!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and repost.
-Optional: Share PinkBites’s pinned post.
Prize:
-Full-colored full body
Deadline:
-This raffle ends once PinkBites reaches 4k followers. As of February 21st, PinkBites has 2.5k followers. There’s plenty of time left to enter!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Celebrate with a road to 50 followers raffle by Revie!
How to Enter:
-Follow Revie’s Twitch and like the post.
-Comment your Twitch username.
-Extra entry: Follow Revie on Twitter/X.
Prize:
-Illustration
Deadline:
-This raffle ends once Revie reaches 50 followers on Twitch. As of February 21st, Revie has 16 followers. There’s lots of time left to enter!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Celebrate with a 2.5k raffle by Doqqo!
How to Enter:
-Follow and repost.
-Comment your favorite animal.
Prize:
-Icon
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on February 28th or earlier if Doqqo reaches 3k followers before the 28th. There’s a few days left to enter!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Celebrate with a 5k followers raffle by Sour Citrus Suits!
How to Enter:
-Follow, like, and repost.
-Fill out this form.
-Comment your favorite animal.
Prize:
-Custom fursuit head
Deadline:
-This raffle will end once Sour Citrus Suits reaches 5k followers. As of February 24th, they have 3,727 followers. There’s plenty of time left to enter!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Dress up with a fursuit raffle by Kabber Creations LLC!
How to Enter:
-Follow and share the raffle post on the platform of your choice.
-Comment on the platform of your choice.
-To fully enter the raffle, please go here.
Kabber’s Platforms:
-DeviantArt
-Instagram
-Twitter/X
Prize:
-Custom fursuit partial (head, hand-paws, and tail)
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on March 15th. There’s lots of time left to enter!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Last but certainly not least, we have a 4.5k raffle by Cookie!
How to Enter:
-Like and repost.
-Comment a cookie emoji.
Optional:
-Follow Cookie.
-Post a safe for work (SFW) reference in your comment.
Prize:
-Character sketch page
Deadline:
-This raffle ends on March 4th. There’s a little over a week left to enter!
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
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!
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
AVAILABLE ARTISTS
Hello, everyone! Danielle here once again to bring you the latest and greatest artists to consider commissioning.
Before we get started, I wish to let all of you know that we’re looking to recruit more hosts for this segment. If you’re a connoisseur of furry art, then this might be for you! Feel free to message our boss, Yeshua, if you’re interested in hosting Available Artists.
We have two artists this week! Let’s dive in.
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
We start with Cattelopeart, an artist who specializes in cute furry artwork. They offer your character heres (YCHs), Telegram/Discord stickers, PNGtubers, and more as commission options on their Ko-fi. If you’ve been looking to get any of those lately, then this is a potential artist for you!
Feel free to message Cattelopeart if you’re interested in a commission and/or if you have any questions.
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Last but certainly not least, we have Mya, a freelance artist who specializes in neat paleontology (dinosaur) art. If you have a dinosaur character, then this is an artist for you! She offers icons, half-bodies, and full-bodies as commission options.
You can find Mya’s prices and other important links on their Linktree. Feel free to message Mya if you have any questions and/or if you’re interested in a commission.
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
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 platforms if you have any artists with open commissions you’d like us to feature.
Thank you for reading and checking out these amazing artists. Keep being creative!
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
CONVENTION CALENDAR
Hello again, readers! I’m Shetani, your Convention Calendar segment host for this issue. There’s plenty to celebrate in February, from Black History Month to Valentine’s Day to Mardi Gras to Groundhog Day, which I’m sure all you woodchucks have been waiting for. We’ve got our own festivities happening here in the furry community! Keep reading and I’ll tell you about all the furry conventions and events happening online, around the world, and in your neck of the woods.
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
AnthroExpo is at the Sheraton OKC Downtown Hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA from Thursday February 1 - Sunday February 4. This year’s theme is Eight-Bit Heroes! Zero the Kangaroo, Odyssey / Eurobeat Brony, and ChappieFrog are your 2024 Guests of Honor. AnEx’s charity partner is Pivot, which provides temporary housing, food, and resources to 2SLGBT+ youth. Lock in your quests with the panel schedule, now up on AnEx’s website!
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook | Instagram
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Avast and set sail for Get Out the Float, coming to the sunny Seaside Civic & Convention Center in Seaside, Oregon, USA! This event began as a celebrated series of annual furmeets at various locations in Oregon, and its debut as a full-fledged convention is Friday February 2 - Sunday February 4 this year. Attendees are sure to enjoy a great charity raffle, the proceeds from which benefit Sunset Parks and Recreation Foundation. GOTF promises a great weekend of shopping at the Dealer’s Den, excursions to Seaside Lasertag and the Carousel Mall, a live podcast recording, and panels galore. It just wouldn’t be GOTF without an inflatable pool party, of course, hosted at sunset on Sunday evening of the con! Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required to attend.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Instagram
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Scotiacon takes place Friday February 2 - Monday February 5 at the Crowne Plaza Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. This year’s theme is Prehistoric Panic, so keep an eye out for fearsome and fascinating creatures from yesteryear! Scotiacon will have tons of panels, games, “Cave Rave” dances, an art auction, and fursuit events. Renowned fursuit maker Kloofsuits is this year’s Guest of Honor. There will be a charity auction and donation drives to raise money for Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust. Attendees to Scotiacon must be at least 18 years of age with photo ID.
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Furcamp is a furry camping convention located at Intervales State Park in Ribeirão Grande, São Paulo, Brazil. This year’s edition is scheduled between Saturday February 10 - Tuesday February 13. Furcamp 2024 is themed Neon Nights, featuring a Miami Vice flair with 4 gangs of street racers competing for control of the fictional city of Furtropolis. Events include a scavenger hunt, talent show, dance club, and plenty of standard furry con activities like fursuit events, vendors, and games. One would do well to pack a swimsuit - the park’s amenities include natural and artificial pools, in addition to a restaurant, guided nature trails, and caves to explore. To attend Furcamp, you must be over 18 years old, and present proof of at least 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccination.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
NordicFuzzCon is scheduled for Wednesday February 21 - Sunday February 25 at the Clarion Hotel Malmö Live in Malmö, Sweden. This celebrated furry convention is packed with unique and exciting opportunities, which include a maid cafe, snack exchanges, excursions to points of interest in Malmö such as parks and museums, fursuit charades, nightly dances with DJs, and a dead dog party. Visit NFC’s website to view the stunning animated trailer introducing 2024’s theme, Ragnarok! Charity auctions and a concert by The SnOwOflakes will be held to benefit UAnimals, an animal welfare organization sheltering and rehabilitating animals during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This year marks the comeback of the fan favorite NFC Party Bus, a ticketed event taking furries around the city on a Bolt-themed bus for drinks and fun. NFC attendees must be at least 18 years old and present valid photo ID.
Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | Mastodon | Facebook
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Furry Ski Weekend will be held at Copper Mountain, Colorado, USA from Thursday February 22 - Sunday February 25. If you’re thinking this sounds like a chance to enjoy the comfort of a snowy lodge with friends and hit the slopes in fursuit, you’d be absolutely right! FSW self-describes as a laid-back communal environment that feels like one big room party. Unlike a standard hotel convention with programming, your day is fully up to you, so attendees can tailor their experience to their own preferences and create their own fun. Breakfast and dinner meals, snacks, and unlimited drinks are included free of charge to FSW attendees. If this is your first time hearing of Furry Ski Weekend, 2024 registration is unfortunately closed, but there’s always next time! You must be 21 years old to attend. Website | Twitter
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
You’ll be in a World of (Fur) Innovation at Fur Squared, from Thursday February 22 - Sunday February 25! The con returns to the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel in Brookfield, Wisconsin, USA. The con’s charity since its inception has been the Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) of Waukesha County, and many scheduled events afford an opportunity to learn more about their mission and donate to this great cause. The schedule is chock full of excitement this year, with events ranging from basic law by Boozy Badger, recording a song in 1 hour, latex crafting, and video game Name That Tune. As you’re checking out the panels and events at Fur Squared, be sure not to miss those hosted by the Guests of Honor, Rhubarb and Cosmik. In lieu of a fursuit parade, Fur Squared will have staff photographers available for photoshoots near the headless lounge and roaming around the con floor. Tabletop and video gaming, a dealer’s den, artist alley, and night market are planned as well.
Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | Mastodon
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Melbourne Fur Con is ready to go Friday February 23 - Sunday February 25 at the Novotel Melbourne Preston in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Let those neon lights streak past you with the con’s theme, Cyberchase! 2024 panels include a graymuzzle meetup, VR furs panel, puppet workshops, and pin trading. 8 performers and DJs are ready to put on a great show for you throughout the con weekend! A dealer’s den, dancing, and fursuit walk are planned too. This year, the MFC charity auction will support Mount Rothwell, the largest predator-free ecosystem in Victoria, which manages high conservation value species through breeding and research initiatives. Bring along proof of 2 COVID-19 vaccinations and a face mask to wear in the dealer’s den - both are required to enjoy MFC.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook | Instagram
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
Gdakon 2024: A Space Odyssey blasts off from Wednesday February 28 - Sunday March 3 at the Novotel Gdańsk Marina Hotel in Gdańsk, Poland! This year brings a lot of firsts, including a dance competition, talent show, and door sign contest. Gdakon will take a break from the fursuit photoshoot, providing a photo backdrop and props instead, so you can shoot your own pics to your heart’s content! While at Gdakon, keep an eye out for representatives from their charity Help4herps, a reptile shelter in Gdansk, and donate to assist them in continuing their great work. Gdakon requires a valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Mastodon | Facebook
⊱───⊰✯⊱───⊰
We’ll be back with a calendar graphic for you next month! Despite being the shortest month of the year, you can certainly find ways to connect with the furry community this February, no matter where in the world you live. 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!
────────⊱◈◈◈⊰────────
That is all for today! Thank you for reading! If you like Furry Weekly, share it with your friends or let us know by contacting us on our social media linked below! We always appreciate your support!
Remember, to submit your content to us, make a post with the tag #FurryWeekly and the tag of the segment you would like to be featured in (e.g. #ArtCorner, #WritingShowcase). These tags work regardless of what platform you're on, whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, Amino, or DeviantArt. These are the platforms we currently look at for user-submitted content!
Once again, thank you for reading and submitting content! We will see you next time!
Instagram
Twitter
DeviantArt
BlueSky
Disclaimer: You cannot take any image on any Furry Weekly issue and claim ownership of it or alter it in any way. Every image and some of the contents in them may have one or multiple owners, and some images may be subject to copyright.