Dogpatch Press

Fluff Pieces Every Week

Month: September, 2014

Starting Frolic: San Francisco’s Frolic party – interview with Neonbunny part 2

by Patch O'Furr

02Interview series:  Artists, animation directors, DJ’s and event organizers, superfans, and more…
Neonbunny is founding DJ and promoter of Frolic. The 90 minute interview has 4 parts, with one a week posting this month.

2) Starting Frolic – Throwing parties, finding other furries.

 

For many furries in the world, the San Francisco Bay Area is the place to be. For many in the Bay, Frolic is THE most furry place. It isn’t the only center, but it’s an influential one. It’s not just the best Furry party… I’d call it the best party San Francisco has, period.  Check out Frolic’s website, and read about it in The Bold Italic magazine.

Neonbunny, founding DJ and promoter of Frolic, met me for a long interview over dinner. His partner Jody who handles tech, lighting and animation was with us.  It was a year ago, just after they got back from 2013’s Burning Man event in Nevada.  Neon’s early trips to Burning Man led to discovering Furries:

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(Patch) – So you got into throwing all these parties in San Francisco, in the early 2000’s…

(Neon) – My second year at Burning Man, I learned about furries.

We had this venue in 2002- a movie theater in San Francisco’s Mission district.  Back then it was called Fandanga.  It’s where Sherilyn Connelly (SF Weekly journalist who covers furry happenings) does her Bad Movie Nights.

I said, hey, lets show some bunny porn.  I went online searching.  Next thing, I was reading all about furries.  I was totally fascinated.  It was just after Fur Con, around easter time.  It wasn’t until next year I went to my first furry event.  That was Fur Con.  It’s where I met Jody.  It was his first Fur Con too, in 2003.

The owner of The Stud came to our first bunny party.  He said it was his favorite party of the year.  He would spend half his time in Hawaii, half in SF.  He always came back for Bunny Jam.

We were into the wild crazy weirdness – more than just a dance party.  If people wouldn’t complain about the music, we were doing it wrong.  It was for the WTF factor. It was more an art happening than a rave.

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Interview series: Movie directors, animators, artists, event builders, superfans, and more.

by Patch O'Furr

Creators and Doers make a subculture thrive. Whether they build it from grassroots – or feed it from outside with stuff that furries like – they have valuable words to say.  I didn’t plan to build a collection of interviews – it grew naturally from one. It will get updated often.  Let’s start with a great top example:

Michel Gagne is one of the giants of the animation world. You may have seen his work on movies for Don Bluth, Warner, Pixar, and more. He was Guest of Honor at Anthrocon 2004. In 2012, Kickstarter backers pledged $57,875 towards his own animated movie, The Saga of Rex. The result was a 4:00 teaser video, released in 2013 as progress towards producing the Rex movie.  What’s he up to since then?

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Mordrude’s Monster Manual hits funding goal, and aims higher.

by Patch O'Furr

What’s that I hear… a bunch of furries celebrating? Mordrude’s Monster Manual hit it’s goal this week.

Learn more in my previous story – A once-a-decade publishing event, for fursuit builders.

Why celebrate yet another crowdfunding plug? As my article mentioned, there aren’t a lot of permanent resources to promote the art of making fursuits. That gap has stayed open for a long time. There’s still only one formally published book: Critter Costuming. The subject is just so specialized, that it isn’t economical to publish to a fan market that’s small – but fiercely devoted. That devotion is what Mordrude brings. It’s a labor of love to publish a reference of low commercial value – but high, long-lasting benefit to suit-makers and their fans.

I agree with her description: it’s “a documentary book that will inspire costume builders for many years to come.”

Chance to pitch in ends on Friday, September 5. Here’s what Mordrude offers those who help now:

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From counterculture to Furry: San Francisco’s Frolic party – interview with Neonbunny part 1

by Patch O'Furr

02Interview series:  Artists, animation directors, DJ’s and event organizers, superfans, and more…
Neonbunny is founding DJ and promoter of Frolic. The 90 minute interview has 4 parts, with one a week posting this month.

 

1) Counterculture to Furry – Neonbunny’s background in the SF Bay Area. 

 

For many furries in the world, the San Francisco Bay Area is the place to be. For many in the Bay, Frolic is THE most furry place. It isn’t the only center, but it’s an influential one. It’s not just the best Furry party… I’d call it the best party San Francisco has, period.  Check out Frolic’s website, and read about it in The Bold Italic magazine.

Neonbunny, founding DJ and promoter of Frolic, met me for a long interview over dinner. His partner Jody who handles tech, lighting and animation was with us.  It was a year ago, just after they got back from 2013’s Burning Man event in Nevada.  It was a nice place to start:

___________

NeonBunnyFull-Suit(Neon)  – We’re still catching up from Burning Man.  Our living room is piled with all our gear – there’s dust in everything.

(Patch) –  My friends showed me videos of all the amazing sights. I hear it’s a week of bad food and good drugs.

And dust storms.

How many people were at Camp Fur?

Camp Fur itself had 45 people.  There were lots of furries elsewhere.

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