May 11, 2015

Q&A with Biohazard, artist of the infamous “Too Hot for PBS” auction video.

by Patch O'Furr

[March 2020] — Hi John Oliver and friends!

Here’s a followup to a previous article – Exchanging Fluids on PBS: Your eyes will bug out at this WTF furry video from 1992! The artist Biohazard has more details on his page: “Too Hot for PBS”. (Update: page went down — the linked archive embedded videos you may find on Youtube.)

Biohazard answered my request to talk about this crazy subcultural stunt. Here’s our Q&A:

(Patch:) The PBS art auction video is epic and classic. I’m curious how the whole thing went down… beyond the stuff you have already posted, and what you can see in the video.

Can you set the scene to give us a little “furry history”? What was it like to be making naughty furry art in the 1980’s, when that was a more daring thing than now? How did you start making it? How did you start sharing it? Who inspired you or gave you courage to share? What were the reactions? Who were your fans and how did you interact? Was it all by mail or was any in person? How much real-name/real-face interaction was there beyond your fan names? Was there much of a “furry scene”, and did they find you, or did you find it first?

I noticed you said something about donating to that auction for 14 years before they stopped taking the naughty stuff. Was your stuff always cartoony, and did it get more naughty over time? Did you get any funny reactions besides a “tense phone call” with the manager? Any other interaction with “the normals” before they changed their rules to ban your stuff? Did you continue donating tame stuff afterwards, or just move on?

(Biohazard:) Gallery 33 was not my original foray into TV Land; the first television appearance of my (non-furry) art was at the age of eleven! My winning entry in a 1977 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra poster contest was announced and displayed on the local children’s show ‘Captain Chesapeake’. (I was even invited to City Hall where I met crazy ol’ Mayor Schaefer.) Read the rest of this entry »

47 comments

April 27, 2015

Furries get best seat in the house for MC Crumbsnatcher’s toilet rap.

by Patch O'Furr

Nerdcore rap and furries: it’s a match made in the demented mind of MC Crumbsnatcher, a guy who taught me a thing or two about how to rock out and be silly. That’s what I did for his disgustingly catchy song, “Boy I Don’t Think It’s Sleazy (Cuz We’re In a Bathroom).” The new video is fourth in the ultra-gay, only-from-San-Francisco series that you definitely shouldn’t watch if you’re easily offended.

Fursuiters included Neonbunny, and me as a blinged-out Husky, complete with gold grill. Todd wore the toiletsona suit. (Shhh, don’t tell… at 3:09, I got caught drinking from the bowl. Bad dog!) This video finally lets Crumby marry his penguin boyfriend. Is that a tear in my eye… or just backsplash?

Read the rest of this entry »

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April 13, 2015

What The Fluff!? Fur dance in the UK – Q&A for The Furclub Survey, from Moco Rabbit.

by Patch O'Furr

Furclubbing: “A repeat/regular nightclub event by furries for furries.” It’s a New Thing that’s been spreading since the late 2000’s. This kind of dance party is independent from conventions. This builds on the growth of cons, and takes things farther. It’s more established than events that happen once, house parties or informal meets. Those can be inner-focused, or gather cliquish friends to only seek each other. This brings partnership with venues that aren’t hotels, and new supportive interest in the kind of events they host and promote. It crosses a line to public space. A stranger may walk in off the street to discover their new favorite thing. It encourages new blood, and crosses over to other scenes. It makes subculture thrive.

See the list of parties at The Furclub survey. Any one that gives a Q&A will get a featured article. Moco Rabbit (Weremoco) tells you about this new event:

What the fluff!? (2014- now)

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(Born after the end of the UK’s popular Frantic Eufuria dance, 2010-2014: “The first WTF!? was held on 1 November 2014. The second was held on 7th February 2015. The next will be held in October 2015, with 2 planned per year initially.”)

Founders and promoters: Weremoco, Taelion, Freddypanda.

Event details: Rave/dance party, free to attend, dance floor, fursuit changing area. WTF1 had ~40 attendees.

Read the rest of this entry »

April 11, 2015

Goddess, by Arilin Thorferra – book review by Fred Patten.

by kiwiztiger

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Goddess, by Arilin Thorferra
Dallas, TX, FurPlanet Productions, January 2015, trade paperback $9.95 (141 pages).

“This is a mature content book. Please ensure that you are of legal age to purchase this material in your state or region.”

When furry fandom began to develop in the 1980s, one of the first “subgenres” to be seen in traded cartoon art was the furry macros – giant anthro animals striding Godzilla-style through cities of tiny-by-comparison furries. Yet when furry literature appeared, this subgenre quietly vanished. Or went underground.

Here is what may be the first professionally-publicized furry macrophile novella: Goddess, by Arilin Thorferra, “the founder of ‘The Giants’ Club’ and an acclaimed macrophile storyteller.” (blurb)

Russell Rittenhouse (cougar) is the young librarian at Bennett University, one of the leading West Coast private universities. He wants to become a literature professor (with tenure), and has just begun the slow climb of the academic social-political ladder there. He gets a courtesy invitation to an exclusive reception for the visiting King of the small Pacific island of Uli Hahape, near Hawaii. Cornelius Bennett (rabbit), a sixtyish railroad and hotel multimillionaire and benefactor of the university, has arranged the reception to unveil his model of the ritzy superhotel that he hopes to build there, if the king will permit it. King Aremana (otter) is polite but clearly not impressed.

Russell drops out of the social soiree to a sofa to reread one of his favorite novels, The Great Gatsby. He is joined by the king’s daughter, who is also a Fitzgerald fan. They spend the rest of the evening discussing literature. The next day Bennett corners him in the library. Bennett suspects that King Aremana is about to reject the hotel, and he noticed Russell’s and Princess Kailani’s friendly conversation at the party. If Russell will continue to see the Princess, and subtly promote the hotel project, Bennett will make sure that he gets that professorship. Read the rest of this entry »

April 8, 2015

“Wild Things” will fluff your fur with a second fetish party in San Francisco.

by Patch O'Furr

Wild Things 2: at San Francisco’s Citadel club – April 12, 2015

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

(Art: Boiler)

Spring brings the birds and bees… and a surprise almost too hot to bear! The uncaged, unleashed Wild Things party is back. A special group of furries are partnered with a BDSM dungeon to top their daring experiment from November.

The first party was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. It beat all expectations… (and some naughty dogs who deserved spankings too). The announcement here broke traffic records. It was this blog’s top article of 2014. The party went so well, they had to hold back from promoting it.

With a short few days left, the surprise is here…

Get pre-sale tickets:

Wild Things 2: Spring Fever

It’s an open invite, Furry/petplay sex party. It’s “a special evening play session with dirty art, lights and music, fun and games.” It’s a “unique, gutsy, sexy, creative, WTF happening for consenting adult friends”. Yes, it’s really everything that giggling rumor-spreaders fear… and fearless freedom-lovers dream about.

DON’T FREAK OUT… Sex is just one sub-interest in the creative subculture of Furry. It’s a wide umbrella covering “everything from Disney to Dirty.” The “topic everyone loves to hate” doesn’t define it. But it’s valuable to push limits and grow freedom of expression. Sex is just an optional ingredient for some grown-ups who want it. Do you want it? Come get it.

There’s accommodation for shy people. The roomy club has space for dancing or cuddling, with fur and fluff. Other chill space is set aside for no-touch socializing and party snacks. Smoothies and snacks are included with admission. (There’s no alcohol due to licensing of this kind of club.)

This is meant to be an art and performing event, with creative animal costumes and play… not like a dirty movie where people sit around looking bored. You won’t find anything like this anywhere else. If you’ve seen “murrsuits”, they’re here. Costumes are heavily encouraged.

Read the rest of this entry »

4 comments

April 1, 2015

Frolic’s Menagerie: “the most furry place in the universe” gears up for a new party.

by Patch O'Furr

That’s a grandiose title I gave for a mere dance party. But give a little credit to the hard working Neonbunny. Or a lot…

Frolic, the party he started in 2010, is fairly called “the original” (for North America, anyways.) It’s inspired an entire movement. The post-2010 “Furclub” thing is rising with a full-fledged subculture. Furries aren’t just hosting cons for each other- they’re independently forging a new night life scene, in partnership with adventurous venues.

Now the original is trying something else. What’s new?

The venue (it’s just a couple of frisky leaps and bounds down the street) – and the attire: “fursuits, leather, harnesses, leashes, kigurmis, rubber, zentai, onesies, body paint, latex, and more.” OK… like usual, but more so. You can’t go wrong with that!

Read the rest of this entry »

March 31, 2015

Community > Commodity, and the value of WTF. Part 3 about the FurAffinity sale to IMVU.

by Patch O'Furr

A series of three articles:

The conclusion brings it all back to commercialization. I’ve reported this for a while: Measuring the Furry Economy. – Mainstream advertising: “More and more, Furries are being hinted at in marketing media!” – And the recent $11,575 record fursuit sale and $17,500 top price. Also try: Furry, not an obscure little fandom any more. I often say that the thriving growth of this subculture is built on WTF weirdness that can’t be digested by the mainstream. Will that stay true?

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3) Community > Commodity, and the value of WTF.

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You could write a whole book about a subculture’s place in the larger culture. (There’s a “Furry coffee table book” waiting to be written.) Here’s a very loose topic about it, with a point:

Commercialization makes some furries fear losing what they love. But the normals-scaring, freedom-raising, limit-pushing, WTF part of it may save the rest. The more fringe it is – the more it holds Furry back from acceptance, but keeps it strongly independent. More notice could be a win-win.

Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments

March 30, 2015

IMVU does a Q&A with me. Part 2 about the sale of FurAffinity.

by Patch O'Furr

A series of three articles:

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2) Speaking with IMVU.

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FurAffinity just posted a Q&A with IMVU’s CEO Brett Durrett. A furry responded: Ashamed for the fandom; an apology to CEO Brett Durrett.

While seeking graphics, I just noticed they tweeted me from Fur Con in January! (Not endorsement, just spreading furriness.) Yay! Can you spot me among the eye-blasting pink, sparkles and rainbows? I was in camo.

Last day @furcon! We hope to see our #IMVU users at our booth and new FURiends too! #SundayFunday pic.twitter.com/leKpAJvNoF
— IMVU (@IMVU) January 18, 2015

My Q&A started:

This is for both IMVU and Dragoneer (Mr. Piche). I assume that some details may be kept private. I’ll build a news article from the answers, aiming for positive information not gossip. I’m curious to know: 1) The story of how IMVU and FurAffinity came together. 2) Terms of ownership now. 3) The future and your roles in leading users.

They responded to my long list:

Attached is the interview completed by Sean Piche, Fur Affinity Community Leader, IMVU; Kevin Henshaw, SVP Business Development, IMVU; and Varsha Pande, Director, Community Experience and User Safety. You’ll note a few of your questions were left unanswered as a matter of company disclosure policy. Thanks for the opportunity to talk about the Fur Affinity acquisition.

Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments

March 27, 2015

FurAffinity’s new ownership makes a turning point. Should fans fear commercialization?

by Patch O'Furr

(Via Greenreaper):

From 2008. Anthrocon has grown to generate $7 million in 2014.

A comment from 8Chan:

The furry community is loaded with cash compared to other niche internet communities and it’s been exploding in popularity over the last decade. Nowadays it’s becoming more apparent with kickstarter and patreon making the figures public and internet companies are starting to move in on their turf to get a cut before it really goes mainstream.

And for those doubting that it’s about to enter the mainstream just wait until “Zootopia” from Disney comes out in 2016. Even Marvel giving prominent roles to a furry character in their recent major Hollywood movie would have been unthinkable 10 years ago, people who study the furry phenomenon are expecting it to explode soon. Universities and marketing groups are preforming surveys and studies on the fandom, this is considered a legitimate field of study.

A series of three articles:

Read the rest of this entry »

2 comments

March 12, 2015

SEX! Researchers, journalists, and furries debate The Topic They Love To Hate.

by Patch O'Furr

Just published in the media: SF IS A HOTBED OF ONE KINKY-CREEPY-CUTE SUBCULTURE. And: SAN FRANCISCO – A FURRY FETISH EPICENTER. More on that shortly. (I apologize if this post is jumbled to read all at once- a lot of related topics just happened.)

1) Researcher Debra Soh recently wrote about Furries in Harper’s Magazine. I invited her to submit a piece here. She sent:

“A Lesson Everyone Can Learn from Furries”

Read the rest of this entry »

10 comments

Category: Subculture

by Patch O'Furr

by Patch O'Furr

by Patch O'Furr

What the fluff!? (2014- now)

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by kiwiztiger

by Patch O'Furr

Wild Things 2: at San Francisco’s Citadel club – April 12, 2015

by Patch O'Furr

by Patch O'Furr

A series of three articles:

___________________________

3) Community > Commodity, and the value of WTF.

___________________________

by Patch O'Furr

A series of three articles:

___________________________

2) Speaking with IMVU.

___________________________

by Patch O'Furr

A series of three articles:

by Patch O'Furr

“A Lesson Everyone Can Learn from Furries”