Dogpatch Press

This week on Culturally F’d we go into a thorough history of nerd conventions and the gathering of a community. It’s all about how Furry branched out of Science Fiction and Anime conventions and into it’s own flourishing community. We also look at the emergence of all-furry living arrangements and how it is Toronto ended up with dozens of all-furry houses. Community and coming together is the theme.

After exploring fan-zine culture in our episode on comics, and then online communities in our episode on the internet we’re now looking at the organized event spaces that solidified the furry community in an in-person convention setting. By meeting each other in the real world we created real and tangible relationships with other furries, making our group stronger and giving us a setting to get to know one another much more intimately. Allowing us to shed our online personas and revealing our true selves (and allowing the blending of the two).

This week is the longest episode yet!  Arrkay will be going to Camp Feral this year and so the next episode is postponed into September. But when we get back the episode will look into what furries actually DO by looking at where we spend our money. The theme for the next one is “Furryconomics”!

 Official trailer for the documentary – Furry: A Fandom, A Lifestyle.

“At Home With the Furries” photographer Tom Broadbent did a Symposium about the project and his work.

Shared at his blog: “I gave a talk at the annual The Institute of Photography Symposium at Falmouth University.”

There’s another Furry News blog in Austria!  It’s modest, but spread some love.

There are very few writers doing this.  So, it’s very pleasing to find one covering the Euro corner.  Dogpatch Press wouldn’t exist without help to make a regular posting schedule from guest posters like Fred Patten, volunteers like Poppa Bookworm, tip senders, and every reader.  This message helps spread the appreciation:

Hey fellow Blogger ^^
I just noticed you linked to our Austrian furry blog over at melangeafurry.wordpress.com. I did follow your blog as well for quite some time now and I’m quite blown away by the effort you guys put in it. Especially the interviews must take quite some time to prepare. Keep up the great work and I will certainly return the favor. ;3
Cheers, Mailylion “Furry Stammtische Österreich”

“Furries For Kids” debate involves the German/Austrian community.

Here’s the website for a Furry philanthropic organization. It has a great article in the Eurofurence con book.  I’ll just leave the link that shows a debate about it, because I’m not familiar with anyone in this.  I’d love to know more – would anyone share opinions or a guest post?

The short: It’s a noble goal to set up a legitimate charity with fursuiters, like “Clown Care” (a program to bring the healing power of laughter to hospitals). Fear of adult content in the fandom is causing some internal friction.  Personally, I believe that adults are capable to keep a wall between leisure and professional behavior… a strict code of conduct for the group would be key.  Gay people used to face false criticisms about safety around kids, but that has changed (not an exact comparison, I know.)  Whether this group can succeed or not, I hope society continues abating neurotic attitudes about sex.