Dogpatch Press

Fluff Pieces Every Week

Category: costuming

November 11, 2014

Zootopia, ethics, fabulous Tony the Tiger, Andrew WK’s furry interview – Newsdump (11-11-14)

by Patch O'Furr

Here’s links, headlines and little bites of news to make your tail wag.  Story tips are always welcome.

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In the Media…

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Disney’s upcoming animated anthro feature, Zootopia, gets March 2016 release date.

It sounds so promising – it could be the new “furriest movie ever.”  And there’s a tidbit about another feature, “Moana.”

Alkenta at Fangcon.

Alkenta at Fangcon.

Fangcon news: “‘Furry’ frenzy in West Knoxville through Sunday”.

I spy Alkenta Wildcat (who recently left the SF Bay Area for school,) and NIIC the Singing Dog in the slideshow from Fangcon last weekend in Tennessee.

Winnipeggers adopt ‘fursonas’ that become their second skin.

A positive article with good quotes.  “Fur fandom is still very young. It hasn’t hit the mainstream level of Comic Con has enjoyed for a while. But I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s a bad thing. If it stays the same, I don’t think anybody would mind.”

The weird news story you won’t hear because Ethics.

National news and social media recently circulated a minor “weird news” story.  It was about a random low-level crime.  The perpetrator was the weird element.  In a plot twist you’ll only hear from a furry source, the incident targeted an innocent furry who did nothing wrong… but that detail was omitted from every story, while the non-furry was considered weird.  I asked for permission to link the story without names, because it seemed relevant to media attitudes.  The request was turned down to let the story die.  The issue appears to be settled, and I can only comment that the furry deserves a big hug.

Fabulous anthro Tony tiger ruffles fur of anti-gays. Read the rest of this entry »

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November 10, 2014

Fred Patten and Furries in FLAUNT fashion magazine

by Patch O'Furr

Historian and “elder statesman” of Furry fandom, Fred Patten, was recently asked to contribute to a high-end magazine: FLAUNT.  They’re “an international award-winning arts and culture publication based in Los Angeles.”  The editor’s request was for “a feature on cat people/cat culture for our upcoming NINE LIVES Issue.”

Fred sent me the below piece, adding a personal note –

I had hoped that it would contain more material about furry fandom, considering all of the material that I sent them.  But considering that FLAUNT is primarily a fashion magazine, it’s probably lucky that we got as much attention as we did.

COVER-785x1024If you got it, FLAUNT it!
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October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween! Have a furries vs. zombies metal mayhem music video from Skeletonwitch.

by Patch O'Furr

OK, it’s not “real” furries, but I want to see the sequel where they come back hard and kick the zombies’ skeletal butts.  (What happened to their machine gun?)

Keeping this short, because the time is approaching where I have to gear up in fursuit.  I’m going to a Cosplay dance party as a firedog and my partner is going as the fire. Are you doing anything furry for halloween?

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October 30, 2014

Johnny Depp’s wolf and San FURancisco pics. Furry Newsdump (10-30-14)

by Patch O'Furr

Here’s links, headlines and little bites of news to make your tail wag.  Story tips are always welcome.

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In the Media

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Cons in the news:  Anthropomorphic arts, beautiful beasts, and clever critters at Fur Reality 2014 – (From Furrymedia).  Oklacon covered as “The world’s largest outdoor furry convention“.

Johnny Depp reveals his Wolf – (tip from Higgs Raccoon):

Hi Patch:  Here’s the cover of Entertainment Weekly, showing Johnny Depp’s costume for his role of The Wolf in “Into the Woods”.  Not terribly wolf-like, especially around the face. And this being a Disney production, it looks like they decided not go with the sexual-predator look used in some of the stage productions.

into Read the rest of this entry »

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October 29, 2014

Furries & Despair photography show – “An event people are going to love and talk about”

by Patch O'Furr

The show “Furries & Despair” features Ron Lussier’s fursuiter portraits, and Bobby Pin’s photos of Detroit.  The gallery opening is Friday, November 7 in San Francisco.  The press release has gone out, announcing a fursuit crawl to meet at the gallery.  This is an excellent event to support and have fun with the public!

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Bobby Pin tells me:

40 People already got tickets to our show through Eventbrite.  23 People are coming to the show through Facebook and 32 are maybes.  I think it’s gonna be an event people are going to love and talk about for awhile 😛

More about Ron’s portraits:

Here’s a press release to share as PDF:

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October 20, 2014

Five pro photographers advancing the art of furry documentary.

by Patch O'Furr

Fursuit portraiture is getting ambitious.  It’s more than an inward-focused service just to make con-goers happy.  It’s starting to be treated as documentary art to publish and put in galleries.

These photographers often give special focus to fursuiters, a sub-section of this subculture.  Furry is about more than costumes, but it makes sense to emphasize their unique, non-replaceable fuzzy glamor.  News media puts them in front of every furry story because it answers a “show, don’t tell” challenge.

The photo subjects come with fixed expressions, designed by their makers.  Performance brings them to life.  It’s a challenge to avoid stageyness in flat images of a tactile experience.  The best photographers do it by putting something personal in the relationship – a signature approach.

Fursuit-makers don’t require outside notice to be cool.  But this work isn’t “ogling”, it’s inspired from within. It’s win-win for both sides.

Here’s five photographers earning notice for their Furry documentary art. Update: added a sixth at bottom. (This is a nonprofit blog only sharing to promote artists- send questions here.)

Ron Lussier

AeroShep

Project- “Further Confessions.”  Gallery show opens in San Francisco On November 7, 2014.

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October 20, 2014

Creators of furry fetish party “Wild Things” explain “human sized cat box”.

by Patch O'Furr

citadelLet’s be clear:  Furry is an art and fiction thing, not a sex thing.  It’s always been a sensitive topic.  In the earliest days of organized furry conventions, many felt that they were derailed by advertising in bad places.  Media exploitation and nasty “hit pieces” deepened resentments. Without forgetting this background, sex is a topic that can’t be dismissed.

Adult activity is one optional ingredient in a wide open collection of interests.  Some furries prefer clean activity only.  Some prefer adult.  Many express both interests as part of life, in the right times and places.

Such personal interests don’t represent everyone, but they have value.  Adult activities pushed limits to open new freedoms and rights.  They’ve led advances that built the internet and alternative communities.

In San Francisco, some furry fans recognized a demand for adult-friendly space.  An opportunity was caused by overflowing crowds at night life events, that don’t host adult activities. More opportunity came from an invite to join forces with a venue that does.  The Citadel is a BDSM “dungeon” club, with a supportive community of 1000+ members.  It invites other communities including leather and petplay together for this event.

These sparks grew into the first “Wild Things” party, scheduled for November 8, 2014.

Private parties happen among friends – but as far as I know, there’s never been a bold open-invite event promoted like this.  The San Francisco Bay Area has a huge population of geeks and sex-positive subculture, making it more likely to work here than anywhere else.  It’s caused attention and rumors among furries, bystanders and others.  I reached out to “Wild Things” organizer Catarina to get the real scoop.

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October 15, 2014

Biebsuits, fursuits and videos. Furry Newsdump (10-15-14)

by Patch O'Furr

Here’s links, headlines and little bites of news to make your tail wag.  Story tips are always welcome.

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Around Furry Fandom

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Fursuit auction reaches $8,025.

The “Lavender Corgi” is meant to resemble singer Justin Bieber.  At the price, the buyer could have bought a complete boy band.  Too bad they didn’t have enough to get the real singer skinned and sewn into a Biebsuit.  (For the ultimate fan!)  There’s an idea for a trashy horror comedy movie- call it “Fursploitation?”

My son is “furry”–got a problem with that?

A blogger writes a lovely piece about her son.  In the followup, she’s happy that it’s her most popular article.

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October 14, 2014

Creators of a furry fetish party dare to be “Wild Things” (NSFW content)

by Patch O'Furr

fritz-the-catWild Things:  at San Francisco’s Citadel club – November 8, 2014 (18+)

Artists and dealers are invited to show and sell your wares.
Info: (Ask me – patch.ofurr at gmail.)

I apologize in advance for humping your leg. It’s that exciting to share news about a unique, gutsy, sexy, creative, WTF happening for consenting adult friends. But first, have a soft intro.

Is furry a “sex thing?” It’s the #1 topic that furries love to hate.  Some call it a myth spread by media exploitation.  But the internet is bursting with self-generated erotica.  Reddit’s r/yiff community has more subscribers than r/furry.  The media doesn’t have enough imagination to be that dirty.

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October 8, 2014

“Further Confessions” photo project puts fursuiting in an art gallery, and does FUN right.

by Patch O'Furr

keagos / further confusion 2014

“Further Confessions” gallery opening

Canessa Gallery in San Francisco.  November 7, at 7PM – 708 Montgomery Street.

Portraiture of fursuiters can be tough to pull off with as much energy as in person.  That’s why I love promoting “Street Fursuiting,” and candid photos of it.

Fursuiting appeals when it engages viewers to interact.  It’s animated and tactile.  Staging their play can dull that down.  Less-successful efforts can look like a diorama of stuffed toys. Cartoony suit design may not blend with surroundings, turning long views into eye-straining barf.

But no matter how they’re executed, they make memories with meaning to those who were there.  If you’re furry, you get it. Art for the uninitiated is just a different purpose.

Ron Lussier’s “Further Confessions“ project overcomes the “stageyness” barrier in a compelling way.  He juxtaposes portraits with personality expressed in hand-written statements.  They reach through the frame, and greet you as personally as a hug.  This stuff does FUN right.  I have to say it’s the best fursuiter portraiture I’ve seen, and I think it’s an honor to have Furries featured this way in an art gallery.

Fursuiters are invited to the opening!

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