Dogpatch Press

Fluff Pieces Every Week

Category: Mainstream

November 16, 2014

“New concept for furry events” brings enthusiastic response in San Francisco.

by Patch O'Furr

Last week, San Francisco had a series of back to back events: a street fursuiting “crawl”, a furry photo gallery opening, a fetish party, (a private special interest thing not representing others), and Frolic dance party.  The series drew more furries than my butt attracts fleas.

It was first-time fursuiting for Sketchywolf.  He attended all of the events, and posted about it:

I’ve never seen so much love for furries from random strangers! So many photos! So many smiling faces! … Fursuiting turned out to be even more fun than I imagined it to be! I love the reaction of others when they see a suit. Walking over to Frolic suited, and back to the hotel and the end of the night, I was stopped by people wanting to take pictures!  I danced, I partied, I hugged EVERYBODY. Oh! I had SO MUCH fun!

Before the events, I posted: “Independent shows and festivals offer new concept for furry events”.  Each was organized separately, but with loose ties.  They used special venues and locations to add character beyond the “sterile/consumer” vibe of a hotel (like one comment said).  I called it a model for growing beyond cons, and proposed a new, free-range fair or festival concept.  Judging by the enthusiastic response, the idea was more than hype.  It’s a sign of a burgeoning subculture.  Let’s look at how things went.

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November 14, 2014

Animated features that qualify for the 2014 Oscar: thoughts from Fred Patten

by Patch O'Furr

Oscar-related movie news: 2014 brought a wonderful new level of recognition for furries.  Finsterworld was short listed for German nominee for best foreign picture.  This smart, outrageous and thoughtful art-house drama was developed by consulting furries, who worked with the director to put fursuiters in the film.  It may be a somewhat obscure title to North American audiences, but it makes up with quality. The movie is excellent, not just because it’s furry… it’s worth a watch for anyone who’s into smart movies.

Fred Patten, historian and mega-respected elder fan, sent in the below piece.

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Twenty Animated Features Qualify for the 2014 Oscar – But How Many Are Anthropomorphic?

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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 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 22, 2014

Animated Dawgtown news, cool pandas and creepy clowns. Furry Newsdump (10-22-14)

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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Movies and video

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maxNew updates from Dawgtown, animated movie featuring sympathetic fighting dogs.

It’s an ambitious, traditionally hand-drawn animated drama about captive dogs fighting for freedom.  It has voice acting by George Foreman, and the indie spirit of a Ralph Bakshi movie.  The  director was super cool about providing a great interview to this blog.  Storyboard progress is just posted, and he reports “Getting close to half the film (40 min) complete.”  The new scene shows Max, the hero, lost on the dangerous streets of New York City.  

See a rough animatic of Dawgtown storyboards in motion. 

Here’s the next fursuit music video you were expecting.  NOA NEAL – FULL MOON PARTY.

Call it a modest trend. Here’s a “sexy video full of crazy Cosplayers, playful cheerleaders and a band of exuberant dancers.” It’s from Noa Neal, a Dutch-born, Belgian pop singer since 2003.  In 2009 she had a career boost from a talent show.  Since 2012, she’s known for presenting kid’s content on Euro TV.  In 2013 she moved to the US to write and record with a producer associated with Katy Perry, Carly Rae Jepsen & Miley Cyrus.  Her new single was recorded in London and produced in Finland.  It might not be an Ylvis-style novelty hit, (let’s hope fursuiters don’t have to hear another song yelled at them), but it’s fluffy, harmless fun.

 

noa

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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 10, 2014

The Furclub Survey: introducing the world’s independent Furry dance parties.

by Patch O'Furr

From Howl Toronto.

Howl Toronto.

Furclubbing:   “A repeat/regular nightclub event by furries for furries.”  The concept has been spreading since the late 2000’s.  This kind of dance party is independent from conventions. It builds on their growth but takes things farther.  It’s more established than informal meets or events that happen once.  Those can stay inner-focused for friends who already know each other, but these events bring partnership with new venues that support and host furries. They’re a gateway to the public, so a stranger may walk in off the street and discover their new favorite thing.  It encourages new blood and crossover. It makes a subculture thrive.  There are connections to DJ and rave scenes.  But this is its own unique movement!

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The Survey Questions

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Any party that responds will get their own featured article! (Check back for new responses linked with party names below.)  

Do you know any others?  Please share these questions to them, and send responses or tips to patch.ofurr@gmail.com.

Casual answers are fine (they will get partnership to create and boost an article). Please include graphics, pics or vids. What can you tell the fandom about these?

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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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October 8, 2014

Philly’s “Unleashed” joins a New Thing of independent Furry dance parties. Call it- “Furclubbing?”

by Patch O'Furr

There’s a New Thing happening in lots of places. (And it doesn’t have to do with baby seals. Yikes!)unleashed

This is how it starts.  Furry social life thrives when friends get together informally – like this 2009 meet in Ottawa.  Ahh… I want to go here!

 Frolic, the original Furry dance party, is a model.  (Check this interview if you don’t know it.)  Frolic founder Neonbunny says:

I think society in general, especially when we have the internet and different ways of finding very specific niche culture- I think subcultures are taking off. People like to party, socialize, and be around each other – and use the internet to find new ways to get together and be together in person, not just on the internet.  The internet makes us feel a little isolated, and we try to balance that by going to these crowded events… It’s changed in the last 10-20 years, and more and more people are seeking these crowds rather than getting away from it all.  It’s why countercultures are thriving. It’s about events. Whether it’s a Furry convention, or Frolic, or other get togethers, it’s about events.

“Furclubbing” is the New Thing that I see becoming a trend since the late 2000’s.  It’s been spreading by furries influencing others to start formal events independent from cons.  This builds on the growth of cons, and takes things farther.

Neonbunny defines it as:  “A repeat/regular nightclub event by furries for furries. There’s probably a half dozen events. Then there’s probably been a couple hundred one off furry events done in a bar or other legal (non house) venue.”  As Howl Toronto puts it:  Con dances happen once a year, and “that’s just not enough to fill the need!”

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October 3, 2014

Fox cartoons that make you tingly. Furry Newsdump (10-3-14)

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 and around Furry Fandom…

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berionWhen people become stuffed animals (Wenn Menschen zu Plüschtieren werden)

Furrymedia has the German news article.  It covers Eurofurence, gives a very nice description of what Furries are – and interviews some really cute ones.

Furries! Hack takes you inside the furry community…

“… to find out why people love dressing up as furry animals. Is it a sex thing? A creative outlet? Or, just a way to belong?”  This radio/podcast for young Australians covers their con, FurJam.

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