ISSUE 308
How’s it going everyone? Thanks for joining us for this edition of Furry Weekly!
As you may know, we always start with some common announcements, so we won’t take much of your time except to say we hope you’ll consider reading what we’ve got, especially the recruiting section below!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
RECRUITING
We’re looking for a lot of help here at Furry Weekly! If you’re interested in getting involved in the fandom, this could be something for you! Here are the roles we’ve got open:
- Art Corner Host
- Furry of the Week Host
- Radical Raffles Host
- Species Spotlight Host
- Fursuit Designing Tips Co-Host
- Available Artists Host
- Cover Artist
- Content Artist
- Content Migrator
- Editor
You can reach out to Yeshua, or Carkas if you’re interested in helping out, or have any questions. If you want a description of the roles, check out this document! If you have any suggestions for other roles or things we could bring into Furry Weekly, please let us know as well, we’d be happy to hear your ideas! We just need a lot of help to make this the best project it can be, so please do consider joining us or sharing with other friends in the fandom if you can! We’d really appreciate it!
SEND US YOUR STUFF
Our goal here at Furry Weekly is to showcase the creativity the fandom has to offer, and if you haven’t noticed, most of our segments center around featuring folks in the community! So we want to remind you that you can submit your content to us! We actually have two new ways for you to send us your stuff:
Email us: Email us at furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com! You can submit your work (e.g. artwork, writing, quote, original species), tell us you are interested in appearing in a segment like Furry of the Week, Fursuit Focus, or Character Interview, or suggest someone to be featured in one of these segments.
Fill out our form: Check out this Google Forms link and fill it out based on the content you want to submit!
Remember that if you either email us or fill out our Submissions Form, you’re giving us permission to feature you or your work here on the magazine! We will always link back to you if you or your work appears on Furry Weekly!
READER SURVEY
We’re always looking out for what you, our readers, have to say about Furry Weekly! Like we said above, 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!
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That’s all for our usual announcements, thanks if you read through it all! Now it’s time for today’s content, so we hope you enjoy! Let us know what you liked the most, too! There are tons of ways to contact us, but you can also reach us on our social media! We’re @FurryWeekly on both Twitter and Instagram.
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SEGMENT LINEUP
[✔] Furry of the Week
[❌] Art Corner
[❌] Writing Showcase
[✔] Fursuit Focus
[❌] Species Spotlight
[✔] Animal of the Week
[✔] Art 101
[❌] Writing 101
[❌] Fursuit Designing Tips
[❌] Photography 101
[✔] Available Artists
[✔] Radical Raffles
[✔] Character Interview
[✔] Convention Calendar
[✔] Furry Quote
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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, or our HR, Carkas, if you’re interested in hosting Furry of the Week.
This week, we have a free to use base that was created by JayJurassic.
Recently, Jay’s mother brought home a drawing tablet from her work that he was allowed to keep. He tested it out on his laptop, and that’s when the free to use canine headshot base was born.
“I decided to make it into a base as I didn’t really have any ideas on what to do with the drawing. If there’s one thing I enjoy doing for others, it is making free bases. I like seeing what people do with them, and I’ve seen so many cool things people have done with my free bases! I enjoy seeing everyone’s creativity,” Jay explains.
If you’ve been looking to color in a base for the fun of it or as a gift to someone, then this could be a base for you! You can download the PSD file on his Payhip or the transparent PNG file on his Google Drive. You’ll find many other amazing and cute free to use bases on his Payhip as well. If you’d like to support him, feel free to check out his pay to use canine and feline icon bases on his Ko-fi shop.
Thank you for creating a great base for everyone to use, Jay! I hope others will enjoy it just as much as you did making it.
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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.
Have someone that you’d like to nominate for Furry of the Week? Feel free to fill out this form with your nominee. You can also submit content by emailing furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com.
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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FURSUIT FOCUS
What’s up everyone? Yeshua here with another Fursuit Focus segment! As I mentioned last week, I’m filling in on this segment when I get a chance since we don’t have a permanent host right now, so while we look for one, I’ll continue doing my best to introduce you to some of the fursuiters here in the fandom, something I really like doing! Thanks again for your patience with this segment!
This time we’re getting to know Nyx!
Check out this fox! It’s actually not terribly common to see natural-colored foxes, and much less a dark brown fox, so it’s neat to see a design like Nyx’s! The dark brown fur is complemented so incredibly well by the orange markings along with the white and black fur in certain parts, like the tail, chest, and ears. Plus, there’s also the orange paw pads and inside of the ears. Nyx also has bits of fluff on his face which are a neat detail! I’m not sure why, but I really think this character design gives off a stylish and laid-back feel that Nyx himself shows off well when he fursuits. In my opinion – Nyx feels like a pretty photogenic fox with cool, chill energy. Huge props to Moodyfurs for a job well done on this partial; it’s a fantastic toony style that’s just pleasing to the eye! Although Nyx’s fursuit is a partial, his outfit choices are a huge highlight when he fursuits, but more on that later.
Nyx doesn’t have anything super specific he likes to do while fursuiting, it’s really just about suiting up and doing whatever he feels in the moment! He says nature and big cities are his favorite settings, and something he always enjoys is hanging out with friends when he’s suiting! If you check out Nyx’s social media, it won’t take you long at all to notice all these things; you’ll usually see him posing in lots of outdoor spaces or with other fursuiters!
Nyx says he doesn’t plan a lot of the fursuiting photos and videos he shares online, it’s mostly just stuff he comes up with when he meets up with friends. Something he really wants to do, though, is to take photos or videos while he fursuits in a lost place. If you don’t know what a lost place refers to, basically it’s just an abandoned place, like a building or factory, which are usually covered with graffiti: “it is in my opinion one of the coolest places for pictures and videos.”
Something I personally found really cool about Nyx is the outfits he wears with his fursuit. For the most part, he uses techwear or streetwear, but sometimes he also wears punk-esque clothes. The reason why I highlight this is because something else you’ll notice on Nyx’s social media are photos where he has these kinds of outfits. While I know it’s not everyone’s style, the way clothes combine with how Nyx poses and the environments he’s in, it makes for some seriously cool photos. Nyx says he pays attention to the outfits he wears so they fit well with his suit, which I think ties in with how he feels while fursuiting: “My suit gives me a lot of confidence and makes me feel more like myself. Plus, I look damn cool in it!” Couldn’t agree more!
Nyx started properly fursuiting in 2023 and in that short time, he has already gone to tons of events! He first found out about fursuiting thanks to friends who were already in the fandom, and it didn’t take long for him to warm up to the idea, saying he was actually overwhelmed because of how cool fursuiting looked! Once Nyx knew he wanted a fursuit, he, along with his suit maker and a friend, ended up coming with the design for his character!
Nyx is a great example of someone jumping straight into the fursuiting scene without a lot of hesitation, and even though it hasn’t been long like mentioned earlier, he’s already experienced a lot! Unfortunately that includes some less-than-ideal situations, like people who pull his tail, or take photos and touch him without asking. Nyx says he wishes more normies would understand how valuable fursuits are to furries when interacting with them, which is definitely a common sentiment in the fandom.
Aside from that, though, Nyx has had overwhelmingly positive experiences while fursuiting! Of course, a large part of that is hanging out with other furries, but he says a lot of normies he has interacted with have been friendly, and respect how valuable the fursuit itself is.
Despite all the fun he’s already had, there’s definitely much more for Nyx in the fursuiting scene! He’s a pretty chill fox who just wants to have a good time with others. In fact, he tells me his favorite memory so far is going to Eurofurence in 2024, where he met, and had fun with lots of new people: “We also took a lot of pictures, joked around and laughed so much together. It was extremely nice.” Like I said, quite a chill fox!
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That’s it for Fursuit Focus this week! Thanks a bunch for reading, and if you think you want to see more from Nyx, be sure to follow him!
If you’re a fursuiter and you want to appear on this segment, just use the tags #furryweekly and #fursuitfocus when you post your fursuit photos and videos to social media! You can also reach out to me or preferably – you can email us at furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com to tell us you’d like to be featured! We also have a Submissions Form you can fill out if you prefer!
Thanks again for reading! I’ve been Yeshua and I hope to have another Fursuit Focus segment real soon! Until then, take care!
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ANIMAL OF THE WEEK
Hello, and welcome to Animal of the Week! This is Danielle once again popping in as a guest appearance.
Animal of the Week is a segment where we highlight an animal that is really cool, cute, creepy, or fascinating. Whenever possible, we do symbolically adopt the animal; unfortunately, only some animals have the privilege to have that as an option. 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 enjoy these amazing animals!
It’s almost spooky time! There are many species that can resemble Halloween in various ways, so let’s examine a species associated with this holiday.
This week, we’re looking at the Halloween crab (Gecarcinus quadratus).
The Halloween crab is a nocturnal and colorful crustacean that goes by a variety of other common names such as red land crab, whitespot crab, moon crab, Halloween moon crab, mouthless crab, and harlequin land crab. They can be found in mangroves, sand dunes, and rainforests along the Pacific coast from Mexico to as far south as Panama. These crabs are largely herbivorous, consuming leaf litter and seedlings.
The carapace of the Halloween crab may reach a length of two inches (five cm). It has a pair of large purple claws, red-orange legs, and an almost entirely black carapace with a pair of yellow, orange, purple, or reddish spots behind the eyes. There is also an additional pair of whitish spots on the central-lower carapace.
As they age, their colors will become lighter and more washed out. The same happens when they are about to molt; the carapace usually loses its brightness. After molting, their colors will be more vivid. Halloween crabs have a gill chamber that is located under the carapace near the first pair of walking legs. As long as their gills stay moist, they can be out of the water.
According to iNaturalist, there isn’t a listed status for this species. Similar to many marine animals, this species likely faces threats such as climate change and habitat loss, but with further research, they can be protected from harm.
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A huge thank you goes out to the animal ambassadors and Animal of the Week supporters who have helped make the world a little bit better for wildlife.
If you wish to help support us, you can find Zed’s Patreon for this passion project here. You can also find free and very affordable bases, as well as other adopts by Zed on their website.
Disclaimer
All of the information was derived from Wikipedia and Aquarium Breeder.
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ART 101
From the gloomiest of shadows to the most radiant of highlights: this duality of black and white begets form, contrast, and visual emphasis. It is that which lies beneath the color we paint upon all our pieces.
Hi all, Shroom here! It’s time to talk about Value!
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Value in its simplest form can be understood as the lightness and darkness of a single hue of color. Take red and create a simple lineup of the hue’s tints and shades, where the former is the hue as it mixes with white and the latter is the hue as it mixes with black, creating colors more pale or more muted in the process. If we leave the untouched red in the middle of our line up and create variants of tints and shades on the sides, we can see the effect of Value.
But more acutely, when we turn the color off.
This is Value at work.
When pieces are presented in color, it's this subtle technique that works in the background. You’ve likely been using it without realizing. Take shading.
In the process of creating a subject’s form, we introduce shading into the mix. As shadows give way to highlights and how a surface interacts with the light source. But, also uses the principles of Value. If we take a subject and choose to introduce form, the shadows will create shades and the highlights will create tints. Oftentimes black works as a baseline for shades, but you can use purple or blue. Why? Purple acts as the darkest hue within our standard rainbow color set, with blue being a close second (and my personal favorite.)
Of course this undertone for the shade might vary based on the environment, lighting, and the subject itself. However, the principle of Value remains.
Form is created by the introduction of shadows and highlights of which Value originates.
Moving beyond, we can see how these concepts bleed into the techniques of contrast and visual emphasis. Of which no one can run from!
Cause here’s the thing, Value exists in the artwork you create and observe. However, it’s one of those techniques that doesn’t require conscious effort to exist. It just does. It simply is.
HOW you utilize Value is how you strengthen your individual techniques. And for me, it’s the basis of how I construct and sketch pieces. So, time for personal examples.
When I start drawing, I do so purely in monochrome or single color hue, tints, and shades. The starting undertone color is #dad1bf or a slightly off-white to help with my eyes. Quick tip: if you draw digitally regularly, change the background color of your canvas to something other than white to reduce the strain on your eyes.
From here, I sketch in a variety of brushes, but mainly a modified 6B Pencil brush in Procreate. As I draw, I want to make sure that the focal point of a piece is in constant focus. That being that it is the greatest point of contrast. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it should be the point of the darkest shade or even the point of the brightest tint. It just means that the contrast between the two should be felt most acutely there.
So, if it’s a shadowed scene, the point of focus should be bathed in highlights. If it’s a bright scene, the focus should contain decently defined shadows. Do keep in mind that you don’t need to play heavily with the extremes of the color’s brightest tint or deepest shade. You can play with the middle ground. The Value underneath will still shine through.
But, let’s look at an example:
This rough concept sketch is what helps define the piece’s points of focal emphasis and forms. What goes where, where should we look, is the form defined: all of these questions are things I keep in mind as I draw.
This is a simple color wash. Think of how traditional artists using acrylic, oil, or gouache might lay a single auburn orange over the entire canvas before painting. This layer acts as a unifier and blends into every layer of paint put upon it. Here, I’m using a mix of gradient maps with select color palettes to give some underlying mood to the piece before I apply any true color.
In this phase Value is at its highest point of integration. I remove the wash to render out every major component of the piece. This process allows me to keep the Values of each subject in mind before color might alter it. Only when everything is rendered do I reapply the color wash and begin adding the base colors of each subject.
With the colors in place, I then experiment with more gradient maps, but at a much lower opacity. When I reach the desired balance, I finally put the brushes down.
But, I do always check if the Values have remained intact and if anything needs to be altered.
Value is a strong technique I greatly rely on. It’s ever present in every piece of art one observes or creates. But how do we get better at it?
In truth, force yourself to work in monochrome tints and shades, or the black and whites. As you sketch, introduce those highlights and shadows earlier on and do so without color for as long as possible.
This exercise will make your mind focus on those contrasting differences. Furthermore, do a few still life sketches. Line of Action does more for us than simply helping in anatomy. We can use the various libraries and archives of photos to help us practice Value. Choose the “Basic Shapes & Still Life” and try to draw the subjects in simply black and white. As you grow in confidence, move onto the “Scenes & Environment Drawing” option.
The more we practice this technique, the more we grow adept in using it. All it takes is a bit of sketching.
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If you have any suggestions for future segments or simply have some questions regarding anything I’ve discussed feel free to reach out to me! Regardless, I hope to catch you all real soon as we further our art journeys together!
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AVAILABLE ARTISTS
Hello fellow furs! Dozu here to bring you some of the best artists the fandom has to offer!
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, or our HR, Carkas, if you’re interested in hosting Available Artists.
Let’s head into the party!
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We start with @ArtsyClaws, a talented artist who employs a cartoony art style with simple shapes and bold shading, along with lighting that gives each piece a special happy vibe. They can create some amazing backgrounds which is something not all of us are talented at, yet they do it so seamlessly and each one fits the complexity of the piece perfectly.
You can find ArtsyClaws or AKA Glitchy in other social media such as all the socials listed at the bottom of their Carrd. You can also see their commission info and Terms Of Service. They are mostly active on Twitter and Bluesky.
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Next up we got @starbovnd_ or Adrian. They are very creative character designer and creates pieces that look almost like pixel art by using a lining brush with very rugged edges, giving each piece a sort of texture that makes it stand out from the rest. They are also a master of expressions and can work well with characters from the most cute baby faced doe, to the most rugged, rough looking scarred hyena.
You can also find Adrien’s work in other social media such as Toyhouse where they have their commission info and TOS. In a separate Toyhouse link they post FREE Bases! They also have Twitter and Kofi which is where they are most active.
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Last but definitely not least is @Mephistofleas or Scoundrel. This artist makes some amazing YCHs (Your Character Here), perfect for individual characters or groups of characters that you can get for your OCs or your friends. Their art is semi-toony but still very cute and they often work with disabled characters such as wheelchair or cane users which is not often seen in many artists.
You can find their commission information by asking them for the price list image via DM. You can also find them on places such as Kofi or Patreon, and others found on their Linktree. They also have a Bluesky and even a YouTube channel!
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That is all I got for today. We’re always on the lookout for amazing artists to put in the spotlight, so do contact us if you’re interested!
Looking to recommend yourself or others for this segment? Feel free to fill out this form if interested. You can also submit content by emailing furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com, or you can directly message me on any of my platforms.
Thank you for reading and checking out these amazing artists. Keep being fang-tastic creators!
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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, or our HR, Carkas, if you’re interested in hosting Radical Raffles.
We have exactly a dozen raffles for you this week! Let’s take a look at them.
First, we have a symmetrical icon raffle by Shibarot!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost. Please be 18+ to enter this raffle.
★ Optional: Comment a reference.
Prize:
★ Symmetrical icon
Deadline:
★ November 15th
There’s plenty of time to enter!
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Next up, we have an art raffle by Hearts!
How to Enter:
★ Follow, like, and repost.
★ Comment your favorite color.
Prize:
★ A gouache painting
Deadline:
★ October 31st
There’s still some time to enter!
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Up next, we have a welcome to Bluesky raffle by Fenrir!
How to Enter:
★ Follow Fenrir.
★ Like and repost.
Prize:
★ Winner’s choice of headshot, bust, or full body with a simple abstract background
Deadline:
★ October 31st at 11 pm PST
There’s still some time to enter!
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Celebrate with a 200 followers raffle by Shiba Chichi!
How to Enter:
★ Follow, like, and repost.
★ Extra entry: Follow Shiba’s Instagram.
Prize:
★ Shaded half body
Deadline:
★ December 30th or at the 1k followers goal
As of October 21st, Shiba has 280 followers. There’s plenty of time to enter!
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Become artistic with an illustration raffle by Squishy!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
★ Comment safe for work (SFW) references of your character(s).
Prize:
★ Full illustration with one to two characters
Deadline:
★ November 1st
There’s still some time to enter!
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Celebrate with a 21k raffle by Piper!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
★ Comment your reference and favorite fruit.
Prize:
★ Full body with a fruity background theme
Deadline:
★ November 15th
There’s plenty of time to enter!
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Next up, we have a traditional art raffle by yakisoba!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
Prize:
★ Traditional headshot (two winners)
Deadline:
★ November 1st
There’s still some time to enter!
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Up next, we have an art raffle by KiRAWRa!
How to Enter:
★ Repost
★ Extra entries: Follow, like, and comment.
Prize:
★ Chibi
(multiple winners)
Open to any kind of character (people, furries, animals, pets, robots, monsters, dragons, bugs, ponies, etc).
Deadline:
★ November 1st
There’s still some time to enter!
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Become a screensaver with a phone wallpaper raffle by CrowParade!
How to Enter:
★ Follow, like, and repost.
★ Comment your character and a theme.
Prize:
★ Phone wallpaper
Deadline:
★ November 1st
There’s still some time to enter!
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Next up, we have an art raffle by aliengutts!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
Prize:
★ Fully shaded bust
If aliengutts reaches 300 followers, another winner will be added!
Deadline:
★ Halloween (October 31st)
There’s still some time to enter!
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Up next, we have a your character here (YCH) raffle by Rudzik!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
Prize:
★ YCH
For each 500 followers, there will be another added winner!
Deadline:
★ November 1st
There’s still some time to enter!
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Last but certainly not least, we have a Pokémon raffle by Moonyfurr!
How to Enter:
★ Follow Moonyfurr and DrawingMay.
★ Like and repost the raffle post.
★ Comment your favorite Pokémon.
Prize:
★ Pokémon YCH (two winners)
Deadline:
★ November 5th
There’s lots of time to enter!
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Those are all the raffles I have for you this week. There's always more out there, and we'll make sure to find them and bring them to you every week.
Would you like us to showcase your own raffle? Feel free to fill out this form if interested. You can also submit content by emailing furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com.
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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CHARACTER INTERVIEW
Hey everyone! This is Yeshua with a new edition of the Character Interview segment! This is where we talk with some of the folks in the fandom about the stuff they get up to in the community, and this time I’ve got someone who’s been around for a decent bit!
YESHUA: Today I have the chance to chat with Bandit from The Raccoon's Den! Thanks so much for taking some time to talk! Now, I'm sure some people will recognize you, but for those reading about you for the first time, tell me a bit about what you do in the fandom and what The Raccoon's Den is about.
BANDIT: Hey there! Thanks for having me! I have a few things I do in the community. I produce music and digital media, mainly through The Raccoon's Den, which is a series that follows the adventures my friends and I share across various events in the fandom along with activities, Challenges, interviews and more!
YESHUA: It's great to meet you! Sounds like you stay pretty busy here in the community, huh? But that all sounds like a lot of fun! I definitely want to hear more about the stuff you guys do so let's see what we can get through. From what I understand, The Raccoon's Den is actually in the middle of its ninth season right now; what can you tell me about the stuff you guys have been doing for it?
BANDIT: It's been a combination of everything we do across the channel. We managed to feature a couple events in the local community before the COVID pandemic began, then we worked around that by doing some activities together like reviewing homemade candy by Bluesugar from Denmark, along with interviews like with Cassmutt for advice on fursuit making and maintenance.
The rest of the group each had an episode for themselves to display their own talents, hobbies and just have fun, and we also hosted an arc of The Spicy Ramen Challenge to raise money for the ALS Association!
YESHUA: Wow, that's a lot of stuff covered in just one season! I definitely remember the Spicy Ramen Challenge, some people may remember we actually featured you guys for that on the Furry of the Week segment here! All in all it looks like you guys have a good bit of variety in the content you make, but it's all about having a good time, huh? How long has season nine been going on for now?
BANDIT: We definitely have a fun time with it, lots of memories to look back on in the years to come! The season dropped in November, so I’d say about 10 months ago! There were some delays here and there. Life happens sometimes, but things eventually work out.
YESHUA: Wow, that's actually pretty close to a year! Although I completely understand how delays go, believe me. Out of the stuff you guys have done so far this season, what would you especially recommend people to check out? Is there a video you feel particularly happy with that you want more people to see?
BANDIT: Yes! There's actually one episode we did with Static the Hyena who shows off her culinary skills by making a triple-layer cake from scratch! She walks the viewers through it and even gives some tips on techniques on certain steps in the process! It was a very fun (and delicious) project! She even has her own business in catering!
YESHUA: Oooh you know what, that's definitely one I'll have to check out because I love baking! I like that you all bring in other furries and just let them show off some of their interests that aren't inherently furry!
Well it definitely seems like there's a lot to check out from this season and of course the previous ones, but before we go on, what do you want people to know about what's coming up for the rest of the season? Any sneak peeks or details you can share?
BANDIT: One detail I wanted to touch on was that this was a season where we featured music across every episode by various musicians in the community, a means to give light and support to several more incredibly talented artists! At least 20!
And I'd say one sneak peek I will share is that the finale is actually going to be coming soon. I know our newsletter didn't mention it, but this is the case. It's wrapping up with a narrative-based finale. Narratives are something we started back in season 7 that's essentially a partially/fully scripted episode following a plot; an experiment that aimed to present furries, our group, dealing with a variety of situations on and outside the community. In this case... I won't spoil exactly how, but everyone in the group is faced with a situation that may have an impact on the group's future. A trailer is going to be dropping November 2nd!
YESHUA: That's pretty neat! There are definitely a lot of folks who make music in the fandom so it's great sharing a bit of what they do!
The narratives you guys do definitely sound like a fun watch! There's definitely some questions that come to mind now that you mention the finale is coming, but perhaps they're better for when it's done. Definitely something to stay tuned for!
I do want to touch just a bit on the history of The Raccoon's Den but before we do, is there anything else you'd like to mention about what you guys are doing now or what's coming up?
BANDIT: Recently the group and I were in talks about hosting a potential second iteration of the Spicy Ramen Challenge, but with some fun changes as to the fundraising! Some furs reached out and expressed interest in wanting to participate in this challenge and I think that it is something we would be able to make happen. We've even gone over new varieties of Spicy Ramen to swap in for the next run!
Another thing that's coming up is the drop of some merch that's also in progress. It's been notably absent and we plan to change that! We've got some pretty nifty stuff on the way, with shirts being guaranteed as requested by some viewers over the years!
YESHUA: Sounds like you guys have some intriguing ideas for sure! I hope putting them all into action goes well!
We've talked a good bit about what's happening with The Raccoon's Den right now, but I do want to ask about how you guys started! I notice you guys call this the longest running furry YouTube series!
BANDIT: To our knowledge it is, we don't know of another content creator or group that's been around since or before 2009 that does serialized content. We know that there's one other furry series called Funday PawPet Show that's been around since before YouTube even existed! I'm sure there may have been others posting some sort of furry content onto YouTube around or before 2009. If there's vlogs on events in the fandom or some skits or some furry news from back then I'd love to know about it!
The Raccoon's Den started with vlogs when I was in high school. Then I went to my first furmeet, The Prancing Skiltaire, and from there I met other furs and went to other events including my first furry con. Those trips got added into the mix and eventually I brought some of my friends from school with me to check the events out. Shortly after, a group formed and from there we started doing fun surveys and activities and stuff. It became a passion project that would be participated in by a growing ensemble of friends. As of this season we've had a total of 15 members throughout the series!
YESHUA: It's definitely still impressive to hear this project has been around for so long! Very cool that so many people have participated over the years. With how long this has been going I know this might be tough to answer, but do you have any particular favorite moments or things you've experienced doing this series?
BANDIT: A lot of my favorite moments are from when we did episodes on taste tests. Food related episodes were always a mystery on how we would all react and food has always been a great way to bond with others; home-cooked meals, out at a good restaurant or just sharing different snacks! It's also one of the few times we all get to be together, since our schedules aren't always aligned to have time off for local events, so it's nice to just have time together and create fun memories! Otherwise I'd say that we tend to have so many laughs and great times when we're able to make it to the events as well!
I'd say one particular experience that stands out the most for me is the time that BcB and I got to interview Sylys Sable and Vinson Mink, the hosts of The Prancing Skiltaire. Also known as founders of the Furry Fandom itself, they told us about how they met, how they were able to get the house the meet is held in, how the meet itself had evolved and what the future would hold for them. It felt fulfilling, after having spent so many years filming our episodes at their monthly meets, to truly understand the significance of that historical landmark. It was, unfortunately, one of the last occasions I got to speak with Sylys before his passing. That interview is still something I look back on fondly.
YESHUA: Food definitely sounds like a great way to bring people together! I'm very happy to hear that you guys have always been able to have fun, regardless of what you all did! And wow, it's not hard to see why that interview with Sylys and Vinson is so meaningful! Plus, it's really cool that you all have been able to film a lot of episodes at their meets!
It's clear that it has been a long road for The Raccoon's Den, so one more thing I'm curious to ask you is, how do you feel looking back at how far this has come and the reception it has received?
BANDIT: Some have said that this show is like a time capsule and I would have to agree. It does make me feel very nostalgic to look back on just about anything across the series. To be doing this for about 15 years feels surreal. We really did connect with the fandom on a lot of subjects and through sharing our adventures across several events every year. There were a few occasions where some had found out about certain events because of our series and they ended up attending them not too long after, and I think that's amazing, to know that we were the link for some to become more active in the community and meet others like them is very heartwarming. I'm thankful for everyone who has tuned in over the years and especially to those who have checked in on us when we were on a hiatus and welcomed us back when we dropped a new video after some time away. Being able to entertain people has always been something I'd like to do and connecting with others in the community is always exciting when it's through doing something you love!
YESHUA: I think you summarize all of this very well with your last sentence; reaching others while doing something you enjoy has to be one of the best feelings and I'm happy you and your friends have been able to do this!
It has been great chatting with you about The Raccoon's Den; it's such a neat and fun project! Before we finish, is there anything else you'd like to add? Or any final remarks?
BANDIT: I can't think of much else, but I definitely want to thank you again for having me and thanks to everyone who has participated in the production of this season! <3
YESHUA: Thank you for taking some time to chat! It was a pleasure having you!
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That’s another Character Interview segment in the books! Thanks a bunch for stopping by! I had a great time getting to know Bandit’s involvement in the fandom through this cool project that is The Raccoon’s Den! If you’re interested in some fun content involving furries like what you read, check out the group’s website to see what they have going on and where to follow them!
As always, I’m looking for other folks in the fandom to chat with! If you know someone you’d like me to interview, or maybe you want to be interviewed, just lemmino through one of my socials! You can also emails us at furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com to let us know you’d like to be interviewed, or fill out our form if you prefer!
Thanks for reading this far if you have! I hope to see you all next time with more interviews, but until then, take care!
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CONVENTION CALENDAR
Hello once again, readers! This is Shetani, your Convention Calendar segment host for this issue. 2024 is just about over, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to get together and have fun with other furries, no matter your location. Are you ready to learn about all the furry conventions and events happening online, around the world, and in your neck of the woods? Well, I’m ready to tell you about them, so let’s get started!
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Continuing from last month, Furry Blacklight starts October 30 and runs through November 3. The Hilton Paris Charles De Gaulle in Tremblay-en-France welcomes furry fans back for the twelfth iteration of this yearly French furcon. Meet furry friends under the neon lights and Ride the Retro Wave - that’s the theme for this year’s convention! Whether you’re into learning how to VJ, watching (or participating in) fursuit dances, improv, or meeting up with like-minded furry subgroups, the schedule offers something for everyone. Last year’s celebrated tattoo parlor will return to the FBL Dealer’s Den, along with nearly 80 other purveyors spread across their regular and After Dark Dealer’s Dens. You must be 18 years or older to attend FBL. At press time, FBL has already hit their attendance cap of 800, so if you missed pre-registration, you’re sadly out of luck - but there’s always next year!
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Instagram
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Everyone’s favorite USA-based Halloween furry convention, Furpocalypse, fittingly starts Thursday, October 31 this year and continues through Sunday, November 4. Always a frightfully good time, their theme for 2024 is Astrophobia. 2024’s iteration will take place at the Armon Hotel & Conference Stamford in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. 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. Peri Pendrake and HorrorHippies, 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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Bask in the radioactive glow at Flüüfff 2024 - Toxic Critters! This Belgian convention boasts an amazing five days full of events, from Wednesday, November 6 to Sunday, November 10. After skipping a year in 2023, everyone’s raring to go and twice as excited to gather for fun and entertainment. Come to the Bedford Hotel in Brussels, Belgium to see everything Flüüfff has to offer, from dancing, to shopping, to panels and meetups, to an entertainment show night, and everything in between. Flüüfff’s charity this time is SEA LIFE Blankenberge, an aquatic zoo dedicated to marine conservation and education, which will be hosting panels, fun games, and a booth at the con to raise donations for their worthy efforts. New to 2024, the con will be combining their previous Show Night with the Closing Ceremony for a spectacular send-off not to be missed. Basic registration to Flüüfff includes a convention ticket, breakfast, and accommodations at the con hotel, though you can buy just a day ticket if you don’t need a hotel spot. Attendees must be at least 18 years old with a valid photo ID.
Website | Twitter | Telegram | Facebook
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Make a splash at AquatiFur from Friday, November 8 to Sunday, November 10! This one-and-only furry con hosted at a waterpark is located at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, USA. This year’s theme is Welcome to Atlantis - sounds like they already have a head start on the decorations! Guests of Honor include fursuit maker FenneCrafts and merchandise producer EagliDots. 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! Feathered Friends Sanctuary and & Rescue, Inc. returns as AquatiFur’s charity partner. This organization provides a safe haven for homeless parrots living in captivity, and will bring feathered friends to the convention for attendees to meet. A Charity Dance-Off will be held to raise money for this great cause, too.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
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PAWCon is coming back to the DoubleTree San Jose Hotel in San Jose, California, USA from Friday, November 8 to Sunday, November 10. The theme this year is “The AF-TAUR Life.” The Guest of Honor is Corkie, sole owner of fursuit-making business Sour Citrus Suits. Events and attractions include a Shopping District of furry wares from 30 vendors, panels, nightly dances with DJs, dance competitions, and an entire party floor of the hotel. PAWCon is bringing back underPAW, an 18+ space for exploring freedom of interests, which is sure to be lots of fun. Other programming will include, among other events, a snack social, LAN party, Greek line dancing, sticker swap, and even a talk about how to navigate the US “Paw-stal” System. At the time of writing, PAWCon had still not announced their 2024 charity partner, so be sure to follow them on social media for updates. Pre-registration closed in October, though day passes and weekend passes will be available for purchase at the door.
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Continuing the trend of Halloween themed furry conventions, we have Howloween, held Saturday, November 9 to Monday, November 11 at the Executive Hotel Vancouver Airport Richmond in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The 2024 theme is “The Bork Collective.” The Wildlife Association of British Columbia is Howloween’s charity partner, and attendees can donate throughout the con weekend or by bidding on items at the charity auction. The Guest of Honor is textile artist Apoxon, and Astra Ether is also spotlighted as a community member. Howloween has put together a fun-filled schedule with events like a fursuit maid cafe, fursuit performance master class, vulture culture meet & greet, and game show. If that’s not enough excitement for you, check out the Dealer’s Den of furry artists and vendors, many dances hosted by talented DJs, dance competition, and gaming galore.
Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram
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Roaring back for their second event is Bangkok Beasts, taking place at the World Siam Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The fur will fly this year on Sunday, November 10, with the con’s theme of Stage Fighter. The artist Cheetahpaws is the 2024 Guest of Honor. Bangkok Beasts offers a Dealer’s Den, Furfreshie fursuit showcase event, a stage show, and more memorable programming. Don’t miss it!
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Discord | Telegram
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After a restructure, FurcoNZ is holding its first hotel event this year from Friday, November 22, to Sunday, November 24 at the Holiday Inn Auckland Airport in Auckland, New Zealand. Animals of all shapes and sizes convene at events like this, so what better choice for a con theme than Safari? Activities are still being finalized, but this writer can confirm they’ll include a talent show, fursuit parade, games of Werewolf and Blood on the Clocktower, nightly dances hosted by local DJs, and even a charming safari of airplanes at the nearby Auckland Airport. Be sure to keep an eye on FurcoNZ’s socials for even more announcements as they come, including news of the con’s chosen Guest of Honor and charity partner. Attendees must be over the age of 18 to enjoy FurcoNZ.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Telegram | Facebook
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The annual furry caravan park event, Furcation, has a new home this year at Sandford Holiday Park, Poole, Dorset, UK. Keep your wits about you Friday, November 22 to Monday, November 25, and try not to get scared at the con themed Tails of Terror! Furcation’s website lists amenities included with each accommodation. Expect a dealer’s den, nightly dances with guest DJs, dance competition, gaming, and attendee-led panels during your vacation stay. One great thing about Furcation is that events are equally open to all, which means that attendees can join in everything, even the group photo and games, without a fursuit. A charity auction and meet & greet will be held to benefit Ferne Animal Sanctuary, which caters to a wide range of animals from horses and goats to cats and dogs. Attendees must be 18 years or older and present a valid photo ID.
Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram
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Our editor Rizou will be attending Howloween, so be sure to say hi if you see him there! Remember to stay healthy by keeping up-to-date on booster shots and wearing 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 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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FURRY QUOTE
Howdy, all! Tide again. I hope everyone is doing well. This week I wanted to pick something that I think all of us love or at least cannot do without; sleep! Well, something adjacent to sleep. Dreams. But not just the ones that get interrupted by our early morning alarms, our goals, our passions, our aspirations.
”Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live.”
Furries are dreamers. Plain and simple. We are people who, when given the chance, dress up as fictional creatures as a form of escapism. In spite of that I think it is important to remember to hold on to the things that drive us. It’s so easy to get caught up in day-to-day living. Working a 9-to-5 and just repeating every single day as though we are in a time loop. Lately, I’ve taken to asking people what their dreams are, or what they would do with life if money wasn’t a concern. So often all I hear is “I just want to be happy,” or “I want to be in a relationship,” or something along that vein. Yet now, I can’t help but wonder what their answer would have been if I asked 10-year-old them the same question. Would they be an artist? Inventor? Do they dream of saving lives as a doctor or maybe designing beautiful buildings as an architect?
It seems to me like age has robbed so many people of the most beautiful and ambitious parts of themselves leaving behind someone whose primary goal has become basic survival, and that scares me. As Thoreau wrote, if you lose hold of your dreams or aspirations, you may still exist but you have ceased to live and regardless of whether or not this is our only life that seems like a travesty. We as furries may be better than the general populace at holding onto a certain level of childish wonder but don’t lose sight of the dreamer. Of the little kid who was going to change the world or be rich or whatever the case may be. Because who cares about “realistic”. I think it is much better to be a Mad Hatter, a crazy kook that no one can understand, than to just accept what the world has told you is attainable.
The world likes to give us limits long before we are given the opportunity to test our potential. From unsolvable math problems that have now been proven to exhaustion to the “impossible” sub-4-minute-mile whose supposed limit has been smashed again and again. So when anyone tells you that your dreams aren’t realistic, that it can’t possibly be done, remember all of the people in human history who have been told the same things only to prove everyone wrong. That the “impossible” is possible because they refused to accept what they were told. So hold onto your dreams and aspirations. Don’t allow yourself to settle with just existing. Make sure you keep on living too.
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That’s it for this week’s Furry Quote. Now that you’re all caught up, take some time to think about what you dreamed about as a child and whether or not those are things you still pursue and if not, why? Who knows, maybe you will reignite your own passion and bring even more joy back to your life.
Do you have a quote or topic you’d like us to discuss next? Feel free to submit content by emailing furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com, or you can directly message me on Instagram.
Thanks for stopping by, and until next time.
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