In all creatures, great and small, there exists the spirit of athletic competition...
With these words, uttered by Keen Hacksaw, Zoo network correspondent, the TV coverage of the first Olympic Games dedicated to the animal kingdom begins.
Animalympics, a pair of animated TV specials created by Steven Lisberger, famous for his later work, Tron, were commissioned by NBC to air during the 1980 Olympic Games. The winter games, then happening the season right before the summer games, aired in February 1979. Noting the announcement in TV guide, and having an early VCR I taped the show.
It was like nothing I had ever seen before, though I was a huge fan of animation in general. The style was somewhat Saturday morning, not Disney nor WB, but much better then typical TV fare. The character designs were clever, attractive and even obviously sexy. The art direction and effects were also very good, and the dialog and voices were amazing. The show was a spoof of the latest trend in sports reporting, the 'up close and personal' style with edited interviews and added other content besides the actual sports coverage. The overall effect was spot-on! Even the original music score was amazing, created by Graham Gouldman of 10CC.
Unfortunately the hour-long summer game show was never shown, due to the US boycott of the Moscow games. A few years later, a 90 minute feature, made by cutting together the separate shows started airing on cable and other pay TV services. A friend taped it for me as a birthday present, and it was wonderful! Not only was it more of the same great content, but there were weasel characters! A mink, a sable and an otter. My cup runnith over!
A year later, a friend and co-worker who worked in an audio visual company suggested that we could re-edit show. Since I had my tape of the original winter games, e could make a summer games show by dissecting the feature. We used the Umatic cassette editing system in the studio to create the new version, which we premiered at the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization (the first US Anime fan club I was involved with) screening, and it was a huge hit! After that, I screened the 'C/FO' version at SF and comic conventions all over the world, including CobFurence. Animalympics was the ultimate furry entertainment, with attractive, sexy characters in a clever story with a realistic setting, Fans would memorize the dialog and repeat it during certain scenes, and make clever comments and remarks. It became known as the Rocky Horror of furry fandom.
Eventually the tape copies became so worn out as to be unwatchable. But technology marches on... My mate, Changa, and I began to work on restoring the recreated version of the show. He used modern software to clean up the original winter games, and found a DVD collectors addition of the feature made in Germany by fans. We worked for several weeks in our spare time, processing video, adjusting frame rates, normalizing round... Till in February, 2014, 35 years from the original airing of the winter games, a restored version of the C/FO Animalympics is complete!
This Friday, 5-30-14, in the CaliFur 10 Video Theater, Michael Fremer, co-creator, music editor, and voice actor of the production will be our special guest for the premier of the restored Animlympics. I hope you will be there to share this wonderful furry experience with us.
...and now... Live, via satellite... Animalympics!

One of the things I loved about Disney when I was growing up, besides the animation (mainly the animal characters) were the amazing visionary concepts of the future, a tomorrow where technology would make it better for everybody in the world. I loved the TV shows about man in space, the eye in the sky (about weather control), the journey to the moon and mars and beyond! Like the Bell Labs Dr. Baxter films, it didn't seem like science fiction, it was like seeing documentaries of the future. This wasn't speculation; it was all really going to happen. Arriving at Tomorrowland, first in 1959, and after, when new attractions opened, it made it all seem even more real. I was sad when I discovered the plans for what Epcot was supposed to be scrapped after Walt's death. The resulting theme park was not "Progress City", but still had a positive outlook on the future. My mind was blown over and over again when I visited in the early 80's, and I arranged for my friends and mates to share the experience. Those were some of the most cherished times in my life.

A lot has changed about the Disney attitude and their concepts of the future, but sometimes, there is a glimmer of the good old days; when tomorrow was something to look forward to. Recently I stumbled on an article by Cory Doctorow on Boing Boing with a link to The Optimist, an Imagineer-designed alternate reality game that lead up to the D23 Expo, the convention for the official Disney fan club.

It started with a Blog by a college student in Rhode Island, Amelia, who had discovered that her grandfather, who had recently passed away, had a treasure trove of 1964 World’s Fair memorabilia in his apartment. Digging deaper reviled correspondence that suggested that Carlos, her granddad, had not just been a storyteller and unpublished SF/Fantasy author, but was involved with the original Disney Imagineers, and their work on the Worlds Fair and the future WDW. She found letters, telegrams, notes and photos, as well as several 33 records of songs from the Disney attractions at the Fair. She mailed some of the albums to her on-line friends (the players), and it was discovered that there were hidden tracks on the records that were an alternative narration to Carousel of Progress... for 'special' VIPS, covering advanced topics like direct mental communication and inter-dimensional travel. She wanted to make a documentary about it, and asked other Disney fans for help.

Some of the correspondence led to the web site of Michael Lott's family construction company. (M.T.Lott was the joke real estate company that purchased land in secret for WDW). Eventually, Mr. Lott provided some documents of his own that indicated that there was far more going on in the exhibits his company built for Disney. With a 'client code', it was possible to obtain copies of blueprints of Tomorrowland, with notes that also indicated advanced secret projects.

The appearance of a graphic artist, Wallace, and his web site Disney Cartography, broadened the scope of the quest. His interesting posters held clues to locations around Southern California where Walt and his Imagineers had been known to visit. The Tam O' Shanter and Charlie's Chili restaurants, the carousel in Griffith Park, the barn and combine rail car at the live steamers park all had their mysteries to uncover. Wallace arranged meetings at Disneyland, and players were allowed to visit Club 33 and Walt's private apartment. It all began to point to a secret society of futurists that existed through the years, with diverse members like Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Gustave Eiffle, Amelia Earhart, Nicoli Tesla, Thomas Edison, Ray Bradury, and Walt and his Imagineers. Apparently, Amelia's grandfather, Carlos, had been a member, too.

At the D23 Expo, Wallace had a table in the collector’s forum hall. You could talk to him, and if you mentioned the password "Progress" (found in the program book in 'code' on his add page), he would give you a brochure/map and send you on a scavenger hunt around the convention and Disneyland. The brochures were not all identical, and you had to find other players and compare notes to find all the clues that lead you to the next location...

I had signed up and followed the on-line content of the game since June. Unfortunately I was not able to visit the locations in LA, nor the meet-ups at Disneyland, but players have posted details and videos on YouTube for those who couldn't be there in person. On Saturday night, Amelia's mother (another character in the game) met up with a group of players at the Opera House at Disneyland for a special presentation. She had been reluctant to discuss her father, and had been upset about her daughter posting all his personal information on-line. The crowd of excited players changed her mind, and she joined in the excitement.

I was at D23 on Friday. I talked to Wallace and ran around the convention, meeting other players and filling-in clues on my map. I could not make it to the park on Saturday, it was the PS Party day, but I did head over on Sunday. I started out at the opera house lobby, where i met one of Wallace's assistants (wearing his company T-shirt). I gave him the password and he circled two icons on my map, and placed an 'x' between the New Orleans Square train station and the Haunted Mansion. I headed over there and met a couple of young ladies that also had a map, but with different icons circled. We eventually drew lines linking the icons, which made an 'x' over Fortune Red, the pirate fortune teller. I went to see Fortune Red, paid my quarter, and got a fortune that was obviously for players. It told me to go to the 'nearest port' and take the 'steam engine' marked by the Lilly at the ringing of the Belle. The Lilly Belle is the special car on the Disneyland RR train that Walt would meet VIPS on.

I headed to the train station and met a group of people with their own maps; a family with their young daughter, and couple of women. The conductor said she would escort us to the Lilly Belle when the train arrived, which she did. The car was done up in Victorian style, and i noticed a wooden box on a table with the societie’s symbol, the '+u' mark. Inside were gold-embossed cards, each with 4 letters on them. We all took one, and the conductor said we needed to have all 14 for the puzzle. A recorded narrator told us to solve the puzzle and report to a person with a blue-striped tie at the Disney Showcase store. We laid the cards on the floor and get them in order... "Hold this ticket up when the time is right. The codeword is steamboat" was the message.

We headed to Main Street, and met the lady with the striped tie. She told us that we had to remember to hold our cards up as if to show them to a crowd, and she escorted us to the Main Street Cinema. It was closed for a 'special engagement', but we were led in. We stood on the raised section in the middle of the room, with the silent cartoons playing on the screens. We noticed the screen playing "Steamboat Willie", and held our cards up. All the films stopped. Then the screens started playing other films, which all tied together into a multi-screen presentation about the society and the future. The narrator said the society to plan and make the future must continue, and that people like us would be the new members. Then as the screens dimmed, a small platform raised up in front of the main screen, highlighted with a spotlight. On the platform were 6 pins, one for each of us. We were now part of Walt's secret society, just like Carlos, Amelia's grandfather. I hope that Amelia will complete her documentary project, now that her mom understands her father was not just a daydreamer.

It may not seem like much, but for me it was a wonderful experience, which was made more fun because you had to collaborate with others who were strangers, but quickly became friends. It was a totally non-completive game that brought together people with the same attitude about Disney that I had since I was a kid. The game was clever in that you didn't have to have all the clues, and you could start at any time and still finish. The experience brought back the feelings I had when I watched the Disney TV shows, or when I would go to Disneyland, and later, WDW and Epcot. I am very happy to have been involved, and my hat's off to the creators of this game. It really didn't promote anything, it didn't cost anything (if you were already going to D23 and Disneyland), and you could enjoy it on-line, too.

Now, it's up to me and the other members of Walt's society to make the future better for everyone. I believe we can do it!

The furballs over at MAD (the Marten Army of Doom) are conducting a survey of us martes types:
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4693298/

This is my response to why I chose the best animal for my fursona...

What does being a Marten mean to you?

Being unique, and being a part of an incredible family (weasels). Being smart and adaptable, and having the confidence to try new things and excel at them. Being “cute”, too.

Why did you choose to be a Marten?

When I was in grade school, I was the kid that ran the projector. We would show films in the Cafeteria during lunch on rainy days, and one of my favorites was “Beaver Valley “, the Disney True-Life Adventure. The beavers were cool, but what really got my interest in the film were the otters! It was my first experience with wild animals that played just for the fun of it. I started reading all I could about otters, and even found one at a pet store and another at a local animal rescue place that I could meet in person. Later, I visited a family that had kept otters and wrote books about them. Otters in person are Awesome! All my otter research became weasel research. I found a book, “Fur and Fury”, all bout the weasel family. On the cover was this cute, fox-like guy staring out at the viewer. I had never seen such a cute animal. I learned it was a pine marten, and I decided to find out as much about them as possible, too. When I began making friends in Science Fiction and Comic fandom, and started a fandom for Japanese Animation with some friends, some of the artists in the group started drawing themselves as animal-people. I had created an alien species, the Skiltaire, which were based on Earth weasels (otters and martens), and I started to turn my friends into Skiltaire. Most of them had more traditional Earth species as personal animals, so my mate and I decided to find our own animal personae. We both loved otters, but each of us thought that we really didn’t quite fit that species. He chose a mink, which he called and otter, with attitude. I wasn’t a big fan of water, and I loved how martens looked, so I picked an American Pine Marten. My personal Skiltaire was called “Sy”, because he was ½ of the mascots of our anime club (The Carftoon/Fantasy Organization). The female mascot was “Fanta” (based on my girlfriend) and I was “Sy”. I liked the name, and my mates and friends had started to call me Sy, so I came up with the name Sylys (I had a great uncle named Syrus) Sable (which, though a Eurasian species, is basically the same as a marten), since most of my friends were being lazy and just using their animal names as their last name. (Ken Cougar, Andre Tiger, Vinson Mink, Zjonny Fox, etc.). Sy was my Skiltaire, and Sylys Sable, the American Pine Marten, became my fursona.

What makes Martens appealing?

For me? I like weasels, I like tall places, I like how confident and clever they are. A predator designed to hunt on the ground and in burrows of their prey, adapting to hunt in the trees? They are curious (and sometimes easy to catch live because of that), but some are smart enough to avoid trappers, and can even hunt and eat porcupines successfully (Fishers, the big NA marten) Amazing! And, they are damn cute!

For everyone else? They are damned cute. They are related to ferrets, which are cute pet animals. Most people don’t know much about weasels, or about martens (the Internet is changing that), but the more they know, the more they will probably like martens. (one article about the return of the Fisher to NE America (which has panicked some residents) called them “big, beautiful weasels”)

What is your personal Marten story?

I have many, though most are about the general weasel attitude. I met my first mate at a Science Fiction convention. I had some of my Skiltaire art in the art show. I was sitting outside the video screening room (which I was in charge of), and this guy comes over and says that someone in the art show referred him to me. He asked me why my pictures of otters and martens had antenna. Now, most people would see a Skiltaire and say “what cute cats”… but not this guy. We’ve been together for 33 years.

Otherwise, I am in the telecommunication business. When I started out, the independent telecom companies were pretty common. I was an engineer (BS-ETE), and had worked for a piece of the old Pacific Bell company, after the anti-trust breakup. I had the knowledge and experience, but I was striking out on my own. I managed to get some work and even some big contracts, which I won away from much larger, better established companies. I might be small, but I was agile, adaptable and I could compete head-to head with the big guys. I had marten confidence, and it got me business (and meat on the table).

Marten Philosophy?

Really, this is more of a general weasel philosophy. Once, one of my co-workers asked me about how I managed to get work in a tech field that had so many other companies competing. I explained that even if the job required some knowledge I was unfamiliar with, I had the confidence that I could learn what I needed and could equal or exceed the abilities of anyone else in the field. It was my “weasel philosophy”. I used the line from “Ghostbusters” as an example:
“If someone asks you if you’re a God… say YES!”

Occasionally these days I run across a comment by some fur(s) who are curious about what Furry was like "in the old days"... Or, how furry is different from what is was in the past. When I respond to these comments, I usually say that as far as I'm concerned, it hasn't changed all that much. I expect many of these curious younger fans are asking about the "dark times" they have heard about, usually from the same sort of people that started the stupid rumors about Furry, often based on stuff others just made up whole cloth, or exaggerated out of all logic. Unfortunately, these tall-tales are still being told, by various trolls who do it for "the lulz", or want to re-write the history of the fandom to make themselves (them being late to the game) more "important". Oh well...

There were some important differences in Furry and what became furry in the early years of the community. A lot had to do with the contributing artists and the art they produced. Since there was no "furry" as we know it before the 1980's (furry, not funny animal or underground comic fandom), the artists were into funny animals and underground comics. They became the giants upon who's shoulders the younger furry artists eventually stood. The art back then was different, too. It was much more "traditional", that is, it was usually sketched on some kind of paper, and colored with some physical medium like paint or colored pencil. The art produced was physical, usually an original work, a hand colored print, or is some instances, a high-quality print that cost a lot to produce. This meant that if you wanted to have furry art, you either had to make it yourself, or acquire it somewhere. The eventual place (starting in 1989) to get art was at Furry conventions. Besides the social networking aspects, the single most important reason for a Furry convention was the Art Show, and secondarily the Dealers Den. Back then, few artists (Terry Smith comes to mind) had the ability to make acceptable quality prints to sell in any quantity. Terry went through a painstaking process of color testing her markers so she could get acceptable results from color Xerox, the first "cheap" (it wasn't that cheap, either...) process for easily making prints of art. Photo prints were also made by some artists (Steve Marten, for example), at much greater expanse. Those who purchased these early prints discovered that they weren't exactly archival quality, either. Other artists followed their example, and it became possible, finally, to collect furry art.

But... it you wanted to see and purchase the real thing, you had to buy the originals and few archival prints available at a Furry convention Art Show. Some ConFurence art shows had over 400 pieces of art, from hundreds of artists. Organizing an Art Show of that size was a daunting task. Finding and paying for ample function space, providing transportable panels for display, setting everything up, dealing with the shipping and receiving of non-attending artists, and the paperwork, not to mention having to deal with 100 or more artists... It was amazing we were able to pull it off! Current Furry conventions have art shows, but it appears that the really big Art Shows are a thing of the past. Convention organizers should be grateful...

I believe that Furry Art is one of the most creative and amazing genres of 2-D and 3-D art in existence. I may not be a professional art critic, or have a PHD in art, but I do have some art history educational background, and I do know what I like. I have always thought that Furry art belonged everywhere other traditional art existed. This includes in public accessible commercial art galleries. Amazingly, with the tremendous amount of traditional medium Furry art available, there have been very few real gallery shows highlighting Furry art. Some professional artists, Alicia Austin comes to mind, have had gallery shows and sold their art in stores. Her art is considered by the art distribution industry as American Native or fantasy art, though we (and she) considers it also to be Furry. A few years ago, somebody arranged to have Furry art displayed in an independent gallery in San Jose. The show dates corresponded to the dates of Furthur Confusion, and many convention attendees made the trip to the gallery to view several Furry artist's work, along with the general public. It was really cool! I don't know if anything else like this has happened since... except for today.

Today, I got to install a gallery exhibit of art from 5 local Furry artists, in a commercial gallery. This is a dream I had for over 30 years, and it today, it finally came true! It's a small display, only 11 pieces on one long wall in a small gallery, but it's there for everyone to see, along with other art by famous and not-so-famous local "fine" artists. I certainly cannot take all the credit, nor even that much of it, for this monumental event. My mate, Rod, made the initial contact with the owner of the Avantgarden Gallery in the Artist's Colony of Santa Ana, California. He made all the arrangements, then relentlessly pursued, cajoled, badgered and poked local Furry artists to submit their work. Anyone with any experience dealing with Furry artists can attest that this is close to an impossible task, and certainly not for the feint at heart. Rod also took care of the paperwork, collected the fees, paid the gallery, and created the information cards for the show and the individual pieces. Certainly, Rod is responsible for the lion's share (even though he is a mink...) of the work, and deserves the credit for making this possible.

I (and my mate Changa (who is a lion...) , who I convinced to enter a small sample of his incredible photography) got to transport the art to the gallery and install it. The gallery owner was amazed at how well we were prepared for the task and how good the display turned out. This was no accident, since I had a lot of previous experience with art shows, from my big Art In Animation show at Cal Poly Pomona in 1975, to helping out with ASIFA Hollywood art shows, Comic Con and SF con art shows, and of course, Furry con art shows. When we stood back and looked at the finished display, the different mediums and styles and presentations, and then looked around the rest of the gallery, the Furry art didn't look out of place at all. It was just as legitimate as any other art in that gallery or any other gallery in the world. But, this was Furry art... and it was in a real art gallery. Finally.

The art is part of the current show at Avantgarden Gallery, located in the Santora Building, Suite B-7B, 207 North Broadway Santa Ana, CA 92701. The announcement, from the gallery's web site, including the dates adn times, is below. I hope you can make it!

AVANTGARDEN is proud to present "Women Desperately Seeking Escape...a Series" photographically captured on film and digitally by ELLEN SEEFELDT. We also welcome JAY RIGGIO'S hand cut pasted collage work, SHARLYNORA WILKINSON'S paintings, and The Art of Furry Fandom, curated by RODNEY STANSFIELD. This exhibit runs June 1 - 29, opening reception June 1, 7 - 10 pm during the First Saturday Art Walk.

We are open the First Saturday of each month in conjunction with the Santa Ana Artists Village Art Walk, 4 – 10 pm. Friday 5 - 9 pm, Saturday 1 - 10 pm, Sunday noon - 4 pm

"Animals United" is a CGI (3D I believe) animated feature from Germany, with some assistance from other EU countries, and funded by a bunch of EU groups. Many new films are made this way, including "Missing Lynx". The English version of the film, made at same time as the original, has an all-star cast. You can read all about the film on IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620449/ , or Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_United.

The film did not find distribution in the US (big surprise), but will be available on DVD in April 2012. The reviews I have read of the film aren't great, with most reviewers agreeing "young children will like it", and some preaching about the film's preaching about protecting the environment and animals. We certainly don't want to be teaching kinds that sort of thing... This bit of "follow the Right-wing troll" behavior is getting really old (and it was always pretty stupid). But, that's not important now... this is about my impressions of this very furry film.

I liked the characters. The designs are more realistic then the Madagascar and Open Season franchises, being "cartoony" versions of real animals. When the camera pulls away to a long-shot, they look "real". The designs are cute and sometimes even sexy. The voice acting is very good, and the characters match the voices well. The characters and the overall look (art direction/design) were my two most favorite things about the film. The story, well... 2 out of 3... There are a lot of "main characters". Too many, really. A few short vignettes at the start of the film show various characters dealing with man-made environmental crisis that cause them to travel all the way to Africa, where the main story takes place. These little prologs don't really work for anything besides introductions, though. A lot is left unexplained and vague. The main character (main-main character?) is a male meerkat slacker (with a very cute/pretty wife) and 3 kits. He hangs out with a rogue (retired?) vegetarian lion, and usually messes up anything he is supposed to do, or just forgets about it, distracted by his desire to play "golf", or beat the drums all day. The BIG problem is that the river that provides the water to the animals area of the veldt has been dammed... to provide water, and power, to a luxury human resort. The dam is in The Canyon of Death, the lair of a black leopard (and comic vultures, of course). There is also a Hunter... who plays an important part in the lion's back-story, and is the OBVIOUS villain.

One of the running gags in the film is a human news reporter that keeps announcing the "167th Global Climate Conference"... or the 168th, or the 169th... Obvious the humans are just talking about the problems, and not doing anything about them. This is pointed out by the daughter of the resort owner, who helps some of the animals that get lost in the resort when they come to find their stolen water. They are also helped, though reluctantly, by the chimpanzee mascot of the resort. (the animals can understand each other, but they can't talk to humans, or course). The ensemble cast includes: our unlikely meerkat hero, his mate, his kit(s), his vegetarian lion friend, a beer drinking wallaby and koala, and a Tasmanian devil (who eats anything, only makes animal noises, and has killer flatulence (sound familiar? Taz-Pumbaa anyone?) ... all from Down Under, or course), a female polar bear (very nice), a mated pair of Galapagos tortoises (very sweet), a French cock (rooster), a red-haired monkey (Gibbon) hairdresser/oracle, A red-haired/goateed rhino, a punk water buffalo, a well-grounded female elephant (leader of the herd), her ditzy giraffe friend, the chimpanzee "mascot" , and the resort owners daughter. Have I missed anyone? Probably. The bad guys are the black leopard, the Hunter, and the entire rest of the human race, I suppose, though not directly. The central tale, which involves restoring the flow of the river to the animals home, is the closest thing to the actual story of the film, and every character has his role to play (more or less). However, the climax of the film involves the animals traveling to the next Global Climate Conference at the UN in NYC... inside blue whales. Yes.

One thing that really didn't work for me were the songs. Yes, it's animated, so it has to be a musical, right. The score was not bad, and there was even an original song... over the credits. The musical numbers in the film were all classic (American) pop and rock tunes, performed by reasonably skilled cover bands. Some of the characters sung, but mostly it was just background music for song sequences, though most of them were cleverly animated. I expect this sort of thing would work better overseas then in the US. It didn't work for me at all.

Pixar is known to say, when discussing the secret to great animated films, "Story Story Story!" I believe that means you need a Good Story, not 3 times as many stories crammed into one film, like in Animals United. I have seen rock and pop music work well in the Shrek franchise, but it didn't work in Animals United. The overall timing of the film, I have to say, was "European". I had the same problems with El Arca (though that was South American), and Missing Lynx (though not as noticeable). I wish I could explain what I mean by that term, but I really can't describe it. You have to experience it for yourself, I guess.

So, I watched the film, loved the characters, loved the "look", survived the music and story. I'm glad I watched it, and didn't consider it a waste of time. It's REALLY Furry, after all!

One of the mot enjoyable things that happen at the Prancing Skiltaire parties are the interesting conversations I have with others about subjects I like... like animation.

One of the party attendees I spoke with a few months ago is working on a project about adult animation, and asked me to answer some questions based on the conversation we had. I was very flattered. :)

> I don't know if you remember me, but I've met you a few times at Prancing Skiltaire parties. To help you remember, I was the female. (Oh, also I'm tall, blonde, Slender-Horned Gazelle Fursona.) We talked a lot about animation, and you seemed very knowledgeable about the subject; I believe you said you met Tex Avery and interviewed Ralph Bakshi.

Yes, I certainly remember you. I enjoyed talking with you about animation, and would love to continue our conversation some time.
>
> I'm writing an alternative story form article on animation for my blog/journalism class. I thought I'd write about adult animation, and it's due Monday. Yes it's short notice, but headlines and deadlines are the way of the journalist. Would you mind answering these questions for me? I would be really grateful.

I'll give it my best shot...
>
> 1. What is your name, age, and occupation? What are your credentials related to animation? Work, interest, people you've interviewed or met?

Mark Merlino, 58, Communications Engineer. I'm an animation fan. I was interested in animation from the time I saw "Art in Animation" at Disneyland in 1959 (I was 7). While attending college and Cal Poly University, a met Chuck Jones at a lecture, and joined ASIFA Hollywood (The International Animated Film Society). During my last 2 years at Cal Poly, I spent my spare time in LA, visiting animation studios and tracking down the legends that were, surprisingly, still around and quite interested in speaking with me. I met and spoke with Bob Clampett, Fred (Tex) Avery, Chuck Jones, Mike Maltese, Stephen Bosustow, Ralph Bakshi, Don Christiansen, June Foray, Bill Scott, Carl Bell, Robert Klein, and many others. I collected art from 30 studios and artists for an art show at the Cal Poly student union gallery for my "Art Of Animation" show in June 0f 1975. Since the 1990s, animation fans have contributed their interest and knowledge to projects like the ASIFA archives, so the importance of fans is now well recognized by the education establishment and the production industry.
>
> 2. What do you think are the best animated movies for adults? Why?

This is tricky. I believe animation is a medium that can tell a story to anyone, of any age. It's only in the US where animation is considered "kids stuff". Films like "Fritz the Cat" and other Bakshi films like "Heavy Traffic" and "Coon Skin" broke the barrier of animation for adults with controversial content and earned R and X ratings. The quality of these films is open to debate. One of my favorite animated films is "Lupin III, Castle of Cagliostro". It's one of the famous Japanese film director Hayao Mizaki's films, and is an action/adventure story with no "adult" content (possibly PG), but it stands alone as a fine film that just happens to be animated. "Wings of Honneamise" (Royal Space Force) is a brilliant science fiction film with a documentary feel that would not be rated 'R', but is not a "kids film". The German animated feature based on the animal noir detective story "Felidae" is definitely NOT for children, with it's horrible scenes of animal cruelty, violence and sex, but it is a great film, and very loyal to the international best selling book. Both of Richard Adam's animal novels "Watership Down" and "Plague Dogs" were compelling dramatic stories (best selling novels) that became excellent animated films, but not for young children. These are some of the titles that I am familiar with. Certainly there are many more animated films that are targeted for young adults and adults, many coming form Japan and Europe.
Why? Because animation is the ultimate creative medium for film. The creators have complete control over every aspect of the work. The only limitation is imagination.
>
> 3. What do you think are the best animated shows for adults? Why?

Animated TV shows for an adult audience is a restrictively new thing, though prime-time animation for TV is not. Shows like "The Flintstones" were designed for family viewers, and based on classic sit-coms like "The Honeymooners". The humor in Jay Ward shows like "Rocky and Bullwinkle", George of the Jungle", and "Hoppity Hooper" was often way over the heads of younger viewers. Shows like "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" are the new prime-time animated comedy shows, with even more content designed for older teens and adults. Cable networks had much more latitude when creating content, so after shows like "Ren and Stimpy" pioneered gross-out humor, shows like "South Park", "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law" and "Drawn Together" played can-you-top-this with off-the-wall and tasteless referential humor that was specifically not for a young audience.
Why? Once again, animation allows total creative control. It is possible to create entertaining shows with very limited animation, so the production costs may be lower in some cases then live action.
>
> 4. Which ones do you think were particularly pivotal in the animation industry? Why?

Certainly Disney proved that it was possible to create full-length animated films that audiences would enjoy, and would make back their cost of production. UPA studio proved that limited animation could be as good a story teller as the expensive Disney feature product, and studios like Hanna Barbara, Jay Ward and Filmation proved it was possible to make animated TV shows that would be inexpensive to produce and still be popular. Today, the studios aren't as important as individual creators and teams that develop shows like Gargoyles, Swat Cats, Sponge Bob Square Pants and Samurai Jack. The studios only produce the shows, and just about any production house can make any kind of animation, much the process has been in Japan for decades.
> 5. What kind of effect do you think adult animation has on the public?

In the US, the huge output of animated media is creating an audience that either appreciates animation, or treats animation as a universal medium, not simply Kids Stuff. I doubt we will see animated pornography show up on major TV or even cable networks in the future, but we will continue to see animation that is aimed at more mature viewers. Comedy will be the majority, but perhaps we will see more action/ adventure and even dramatic productions as animation becomes more ubiquitous.
>
> 6. Are you glad that Adult Swim exists as a hub for adult animation?

Adult Swim is not the first such experiment in providing a place for alternative entertainment. The most positive aspect of the special network is that it created a demand for new shows and would actually buy them. The same can be said of Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Nick JR, too.
>
> 7. Whenever I say "adult animation" people think I mean porn. (While porn is great, this article isn't about it.) Netflix refers to it as "Animation for Grown-Ups." What do you call it, or suggest calling it?

Well, since animation is really just a way of making films, and it never should have been segregated to any particular age-group in the first place... I would juts call it animation, if someone wanted to know the method of production. Until the mistake has been corrected, "Animation for Grown-Ups" seems about as good as any label. Or maybe something like: "This show was made for Young Adult/Adult viewers.
>
> 8. Anything particularly salient you learned from any creators of adult animation, or the animation itself?

It's important to remember that the creators of animation which we regard as legendary were creating animation for adults. The famous theatrical short cartoons made at Warner Bros, MGM and Universal were not considered "kiddie fare" at all. It wasn't until TV stations began showing hacked-up versions on after-school shows that people started thinking of them as kid's stuff. People like Chuck Jones and Tex Avery were creative and brilliant artists and comedians. They were much like stand-up comics that could entertain and audience with bits of everyday life squashed and stretched into hilarious situations. I have spoken with Chris Sanders ("Lelo and Stitch", "How to Train Your Dragon") and he reminds me of Chuck and Tex a lot, though he reveres people like them and doubts he will ever reach their level or quality. When it comes to the creators of animation, most don't consider the age of their potential audience at all. They just wnat to tell their story and entertain.

> 9. Anything else you want to add?

Thanks you for asking for my input on your project. I hope you will find it useful.
>
> Thank you so much, and hopefully I will see you some time at PS!

This was written for the Cartoon Brew site: www.cartoonbrew.com

Long before there was a Furry community, I was an animation fan. I went to every college animation festival and bought tickets to every animation screening at FILMEX (remember when LA had their own everybody's welcome film festival? I do... *sigh*) I told everyone (and myself) that I would see ANYTHING that was animated. I sat through Tarzoon, Shame of the Jungle (in a theater!), but I did finally have to admit defeat when I walked out on an exclusive screening of "Symphonia Amazonica" (a "lost film" that should have remained that way...) At least I got my money back...

Being involved in the Furry community as I and many of my friends are, I do try to see every film that fits the genre. Usually I find something to like in even the most 3rd rate production. (isn't it great that we live in a day when we actually HAVE 3rd rate animated films being released! Thanks to the now wonderfully common 1st and 2nd rate films. Anyone remember the 80's? I'd like to forget some of them...)

Here is what I enjoyed about Alpha and Omega.
The overall look of the film was pleasing. (though I could not warm up to the look of the wolves. The thin lower jaw just didn't work for me)
The clever take on how wolf society works, with the omegas doing their very important work, AND being recognized by the pack leader for their effort! The main character was, in fact the Alpha-omega. His leadership qualities (considering who he had to keep in line) might lead one to believe he could make a good pack leader...
The characters. They took the time to develop several characters that would normally been just "props". Even the human "odd couple" that provide (unknowing) transport for our hero and heroine were clever. (I would say "original", but I have been to several wilderness parks, and that sort of couple is quite common!) This reveals some positive aspects in writing.
The animation (not all of it) was above average. Certainly better then some other non-major CGI animated films.
Some of the concepts, like the pack and couples singing (howling) together were clever. The fact that the "singing" was without lyrics was a good idea (though the actual music in these scenes could have been better). The establishment of a "frivolous" skill (tobogganing) turning out to "save the day" (though they overdid this) once again proved that someone was at least TRYING, story-wise.
I won't go into detail about what I didn't like... stilted dialog, extra characters with ridiculous motivation (yet important to the story...) You can read all about the shortcomings of the film in the voluminous text above...
My realization about Alpha and Omega is that it was a labor of love for some (many?) of the people involved in the production. It was not something they just "mailed in". I've seen enough of that sort of fare. This films was somebody's "pride and joy", and I would be glad to pat them on the back and say "good job".
I laughed, I cringed, I even teared-up a few times. (wolves are COOL!)
I'll try to quote the honorable Chas Jones...
"When you create something, you put into it a lot of work and a lot of love. In the end, only the love should show..."
Alpha and Omega didn't reach that lofty goal, but I sure felt some love in there...

Anybody else see Alpha and Omega? What did you think?

I wrote this as a response to Tasho's http://www.furaffinity.net/user/spottycat/ journal about someone playing mind games over chat...

People will do anything for attention... Most of my social life involves one or more type of "fan", Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comics, Cars, Trains, Music, Disney, Furry (of course), etc. Basically people who are passionate about their interests, usually creative types, or at the very least willing to continue to use their imagination into their grown-up life. Over the years, within the group of friends and acquaintances I have run into the "pathological lairs" , or perhaps just tellers of "tall tales".

Some people believe that in order to achieve the desired attention, they have to also impress everybody they interface with. One way to do this is to "scam" someone else, play practical jokes, or just play the other sucker for a fool. This not only gains the desired attention, but ads the feeling of superiority to the perpetrator. "Boy, I sure pulled on off on that person! Ha Ha! Ain't I the clever one!"

I have done some of this myself, but I had no malicious intent. I was after attention, and the anonymous aspects of social networks and RP make these "mind games" possible. Of course, it helps if you have some communication skills. I fooled some people, but I always admitted the truth before things could escalate past the point of just having fun.

I have never agreed that "fans" or geeks are the social misfits that popular (but misinformed) opinion tends to portray. This is mainly because I have never met a single "normal" person in my over a half century of experience. The mythical "normal" socially savvy person is jsust a convenient talking point. A possible goal to be reached for some, and something to be avoided at all costs by others. Of course, this perfectly "normal" person would have no reason to lie about who they are or what they do. They would know that anyone they talk too would give then the attention they deserve, and would be happy with any attention they would give them.

Lacking these wonderful "normal" people, I will be happy to converse and hang-out with the creative "fans" I love. They may not be perfect, but they sure are interesting...

Sy

I received an e-mail recently inquiring about a story I wrote back in the early 1980s. It may have been one of the first examples of "Furry Porn" (or pron, if you're an elitist), as it involved several Re-com (genetically created animal/human) females who worked in an exotic brothel. After the initial "joke" publication of the story in the APA "Scrapa", an amateur writers' forum zine, I would give copies out to people at Furry parties, and had a few "readings" just for the fun of it. (in the style of "The Eye of Argon", where people would take turns reading until they were so embarrassed by the terrible scenes and puns that they had to hand it to someone else to continue)
I have never posted any of my writing on FA (though I intend to). Maybe I should post the original "Turn the Man On"... After all, it is a piece of Furry history. Sorta.

> I probably contacted you about this YEARS ago, but I always loved
> the story "Turn the Man On." I do remember asking if there was ever
> a chance of you re-putting the story out, only with the off-camera
> naughty moments between the lead guy and the various staff of the
> hotel that the story cut away from right before they had some fun.
> Just wondering if that might ever happen?

Wow.
This is a blast from the past, to be sure!
The story was quite popular with some people. I remember that my boss
at the old Subaru Tech Center kept a copy by the bed in he and his
wife's bedroom...
A few other people have told me much the same thing. I believe that
the "cutaway" scenes might have inspired them to "fill in" those
parts...
The story was originally a joke, part of a set of stories in different
styles that were written by various writers for an APA (a
do-it-yourself fan magazine). The stories were all of the "dime
novel/pulp" style, with an assassin named Tyler as the main character.
The stories happened all over time and space, and many were parodies
of types of "bad" writing. The first one, by Jeff Swycaffer, was "Gun
the Man Down". After that, all other contributions were titled in the
"_____ the Man ______" format; thus "Turn the Man On"
The story didn't go over well in the original APA issue. People
objected to the sexual content, and the fact that all the "girls" were
animals. Ken Sample did a beautiful "cast picture" for the story, and
I created a fake "hotel bill" as an extra inclusion. I also did a
"plain brown wrapper" cover for that issue of the APA. Though some
members of the club acted prudish (I expect to seem more "cool"), Jeff
and Rodney liked it. :)

As to a more complete version of the story...
In the late 1980's, I started a novelette version of the story, which
included the actual sex scenes. I also changed the cast slightly,
based on comments and requests of fans of the story, including Ken
Sample. I believe I still have the draft somewhere. I did loose some
of my writing due to format changes and lost or damaged floppy discs,
and I only got a little way into then re-write before getting busy
with other things (like ConFurence). Of course, a complete version of
the story, with all the sex instead of the blackouts, will ruin the
original intent of the silly thing. I am also not sure that I'm that
good at writing actual sex scenes...

The story was posted on a Furry writer's archive once, and got
terrible reviews/recommendations by the site editors. From reading
their comments, it was clear that they didn't "get" the joke at all.
Oh well... I'm certainly no Terry Prachett.

Who knows? If I get enough interest from "fans", I might attempt to
finish the "fully extended (and throbbing)" version...
Or, I could do the World some good and let the thing slip silently
into the obscurity it disserves. :)

Sy

Furaffinty has a selection for a person's account called "photographer". I selected this choice because, though I do art, I don't consider myself that good, compared to a lot of people here. I intended to post some photos I took at Furry events, like conventions and fur meets, etc. After joining SL, and seeing how beautiful the builds and avatars can be, I started posting some pictures I took on SL. Some of them are of avatars, which I got made for me, or purchased and maybe modified. I consider my pictures "photography", just like any pictures I take of fursuits and such at conventions, or people at my parties. To post these pictures on flickr and other sites, I certainly don't have to get written permission from the people, or find out who made the fursuit. I don't get take-down notices from Disney when I post pictures of their characters I take at theme parks. The pictures I take on SL are the result of my skills as a photographer/modifier. You can find 100s of pictures on flickr of the same places, like Las Vegas sites of other tourist attractions (like Disneyland), but it's the photographers image of that place, the angle, the lighting, the composition, that makes it unique. I'm not sure why SL images (virtual world) should be treated any differently then photos taken in the "real world". Someone who just posts a few pictures of their SL avatar should be able to. Certainly, indicating the creator, with a link or other contact information would be a good thing. If they have dressed of otherwise modified their avatar, it is an expression of creativity and unique, just like a photograph is.
Many people on FA post images not created by themselves. Usually commissions or maybe pictures of art they own. I thunk this is a good thing, too. Some great, older art would never be seen otherwise.
There are many FA members who are "art collectors", and don't create anything original themselves. I believe they should be allowed to have accounts here, and I hope that photographers will continue to be allowed to post their work also.

I knew about Second Life from it's inception, but had no interest beyond mild curiosity. A few years ago, some of the people who attend our monthly Furry gatherings gave me a short tour of SL, using their accounts. It looked interesting, much like some video games I had seen (I'm not really a gamer), but it seemed my computer was not up to handling such a game. Then, at Califur5, I attended a Furries on-line discussion and met someone who was passionately promoting SL. He loved to play around with the construction aspect of the 'game', but he was so incredibly gun-ho about SL and the Furry community there that I decided to give it a try.

I had a better computer, a better broadband connection, and it was 'free', so why not? I signed-up, and lucked out, finding the last name 'weezles' available. Since I'm a big mustelid (weasel) fan, it was perfect. I just used my fursona name 'Sylys', and picked the generic furry avatar, which happened to be a rather primitive ringtail (which looked like a fursuit). I went through the brief tutorial, along with other newbies (mostly humans); it wasn't difficult at all to use the interface; and then I started to look for something to do. I remembered that Furnation had extensive property on SL, and also had heard that there were anti-furry sentiments common in some regions, so I looked for furry territory. Humans aren't really that interesting to me, particularly humans playing humans in a virtual environment. In a world where you can be anything, it seems silly to be another human. The search feature in the game (which is not that good) didn't show me any Furnation areas, but I also remembered the name 'Luskwood' as being a Furry founder in SL, and I found links (called Landmarks) to their lands.

The area (once it resolved, or 'rezzed') was an open platform in a forest, with huge hallow trees and lots of places to relax. There were a variety of Furries there, some dancing to the music stream, some standing or sitting, or laying around. Within a few minutes, I was chatting with them, and I had made my first SL friends. I got invites to join some 'groups', mostly made up of furs who had a similar interest, or liked to hang out at a particular place.One group was a Furry Pirate/dance group, which I stayed with until the group dissolved a few months later. I attended many of the groups dance, on a dock by a pirate pub, but didn't join their pirate war role play, since I wasn't interested in meta virtual gaming. This experience taught me something important, but often sad about SL... A lot of things os SL don't last long. Special interest groups, clubs, and even entire regions vanish from lack of interest or funds (land on SL costs money. You pay rent to Linden Labs, or someone who is paying them and renting land), though a lot of the 'churn' is caused by the old "short attention span" malady that so many creative types have... and, need I mention politics, AKA "drama".

Another of my first-night contacts was the group for the Furry nightclub/dance club "Furvana". A beautiful "realistic" styled club. Since you can build anything you can imagine on SL, you don't have to have your project conform to any of the restrictions of RL, like gravity, weather or logic! The total fantastic constructs are fine by me, but it takes a certain creative mind set to build a place that could really exist, though often it would require an unrealistic budget if it were made in the real world. The Furvana administrators, staff, and regular patrons become my first SL "family", and in spite of all efforts to the contrary, Furvana exists to this day. The style of the club has changed, and some people have come and gone, but it's still a place I feel welcome.

Later on, I began to meet other SL friends, who turned out to be some of my best RL friends, even a couple of ones I lost contact with several years ago. It seems that one of the attractions of SL is the unbridled creativity it offers. None of these good friends were on SL to make money, though you hear from time to time there is money to be made. Particularly from land speculation and rental, or selling stuff... like avatars, buildings, furniture, clothes, and "accessories". I had retired my old-school ringtail in favor of a red-brown ferret, since no one makes a pine marten avatar (yet). On of my good friends is a builder on SL, and he made me a Sy Sable avatar, for free! Most of my most creative friends are on SL to make stuff and provide environments and entertainment for other furries to enjoy. So, Furry SL is kind of like a virtual version of Furry RL. It's all about fun!

So, what do I do for fun on Second Life? I already mentioned I don't play in the meta games, war games, skill games, RP games, etc. I like to explore. Find beautiful and amazing places. I like to go to dance clubs, and watch all the pretty (and sexy) avatars dance and hang out. As crude as the SL 'engine' is, Furry avatar designers have created some incredibly handsome anthro and non-anthro mammals, birds and mythical creatures. Unlike other forms of Furry art, these can actually move, and you can interact with them (much like fursuits). Unlike fursuits, though, avatars typically cost under $ 8.00. so anyone can have several. Most avatar designers even give away their older designs for free! It's easy to find free clothes and accessories, too.

One effect that Second Life has had on me is putting me back in touch with my interest in avians. Griffins, dragons, and the WB Roadrunner were some of my first strong attractions in my pre-furry youth. I would often spend as much time admiring eagles, hawks and falcons at zoos and wild animal parks as I would at the otter or wolverine habitats. The certainly is avian/dragon furry art, and there is more and more if it every year. (I know, I have a large collection), but for some reason there seems to be a lot of avatar creators in SL who want to make beautiful birdies. I saw a "Rainbow Phoenix" avatar at a store... he was an anthro (biped), light grey bird, with rainbow colored body marking and long, flowing rainbow feathers. I found myself staring at the image on the vending nachine for a very long time... until I realized I could buy it! I found it was not difficult at all to create a personality for this new version of myself, and these days I'm most often known as a phoenix, gryphon, or dragon, though I still wear my traditional Fursona often.

Second Life, to me, is a virtual extension of my Furry lifestyle. I have become much more interested in different types of music, and curious about the RL "club scene". I have even provided a "live" video link from a furry dance at Califur to an SL dance club. Though I don't build on SL, nor make avatars (it requires a lot of 3D design and software skills), I have learned to "tint" skin textures (change the color of avatars), and "mod" avatar designs by re-shaping body parts or "kit bashing", combining parts from more the one avatar to make something unique. And, I take pictures. Lots of pictures. The SL client has a 'camera', which you can move independently from your avatar, and you can take 'snapshots' of various resolutions to store on your computer (for free).

All that story culminates with my music video project...

I heard the Kaskade and Deadmau5 song "Move for Me"... "Another night, another dance floor..." The lyrics were the story of my SL life. I have 2 years of images I'd collected, mostly of dance clubs and dancers. Changa gave me a copy of Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9, and showed me how to use it. So, I made a music video, dedicated to my SL friends and the clubs we dance at. Changa made a HD version, which I have embedded here for your enjoyment. There are no actual video clips in the project, just stills, but often had several sequences of images which I put together to simulate motion. The HD shows the brilliant color as well as the sharp detail of the original images, so you can watch my "slide show" while listening to a great song. It's much less boring that way :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXsEXxgwoZA

Many years ago, I received a wonderful letter from a Skiltaire fan (I wish I could locate it now..) asking about 100 questions about my electric-telempathic space weasels. This sort of thing is just great if you are trying to flesh-out a creation.

Skiltaire were born out of my love of the mustelid family of critters, and my frustration at the lack of non-humanoid intelligent species/races in most SF. I was 'writing' a story (in my head, mainly) about a human zeno-botanist who rescues an abandoned skiltaire kit and raises it, learning much about the species in the process. Later, I was asked to include the skiltaire in the SF-RPG "Other Suns". Playing skiltaire myself, and experiencing others playing them was a great help in developing the species... They began to exist independently from me, which was wonderful and weird at the same time.

So, I digress... One of the "100 questions" from my secret fan was about skiltaire creation stories and mythology. I assume they had a similar species-centric creation concept, but I was intrigued by the idea of a society (civilization) of self-reliant, usually solitary carnivores. The myth/story of The First Tribe was born to answer that conundrum.

The story involves four individual skiltaire, their gender and type (Aquatic, otter-like or Arboreal, marten-like) wasn't important. The important thing was that each of the four had a well-developed survival plan that worked well for them.

One was aggressive and depended on immediate response to senses with strength and agility for hunting and avoiding danger.
One believed that being stealthy, hiding and laying in wait for potential prey, and being "Invisible" to any dangers was the best way to survive.
One thought hunting and hiding was way too much work, as well as trying to compete with other predators. There was a lot of good food to find that didn't run from you, and you could spend the extra time just relaxing.
One noticed things, the seasons, trends and history, and made a life plan based on the information. Where the best place was to make a good, secure den, and which prey animals should be left alone to insure better hunting in the future.
Of course, the four, being intelligent and curious weasel-ish creatures, eventually discovered their brother/sisters, and realized that working together would be a good thing for all.
I gave The Four the simple names of "Bright", "Dark", "Warm", and "Soft". and wrote a short article describing them and what the stories about them were like. Later (much later), I actually started writing an example of one of The First Tribe stories, which I have a completed draft of now. I will have to put them up here some time, for your enjoyment and critique.

My mate, Seriayne (www.furaffinity.net/user/seriayne) is our family Games Master, and included skiltaire in our home-brew Traveler RPG. In modern skiltaire culture, the Four Aspects became something similar to our Earth-human Western and Eastern Zodiac or other personality-defining touchstones. Many skiltaire believe in the concept of the Aspects, even if frivolously, and that every person has some of each Aspect as a part of their being, but one of the Four will be their prime Aspect, guiding their life. In the Aspect definition article, I included occupations that modern skiltaire might have based on their Prime Aspect.

One art project which I have spent considerable time on (more idle thought then actual work... ) was creating artistic renditions of the members of The First Tribe. I had many false starts, trying to come up with poses/props/scenes for the Four which would reflect their Aspect visually. In 1991 (18 years ago!) I managed to come up with sketches of The Four that I liked enough to not trash. Then I proceed to loose them. I mean, if you lived in a house with 6 other "fans" (of.. whatever...) who like to collect... stuff... imagine how difficult it would be to hang on to 4 pieces of paper?

Well, I found them again, about a year ago.. then misplaced them.. then found them again! And, strangely enough, I still thought they were worth keeping, and working on. So I have posted them on FA, and I will post "work in progress" art as I do it (IF I do it...). I may used these sketches, or re-do them, but I believe I have found the right poses for The Four, so I have a place to start.

I hope you enjoy the art, and the writing I should be posting soon. If you like skiltaire, let me know! If you have any questions about them, please forward them to me. Questions help me develop them even more. If you want to do art of skiltaire, Please Do!, but send me a link :)













+

My phots form Califur.5 are up on my flicker gallery. Check them out!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sysabl.....7619759296470/

#1 - The first rule of Fur Affinity is, you do not talk about Fur Affinity.

#2 - The second rule of Fur Affinity is, you DO NOT talk about Fur Affinity.

I'm uploading my photos of Furthur Confusion 2009 to my Flickr gallery. The con was a blast! Check out my photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sysable/
and my lion mate, Changa's at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/changa_lion/

For those not familiar with the term, Bollywood refers to a genre of film which combines comedic love stories with big-production Hollywood musicals... all made in India.

My mate, Vinson, showed me a teaser clip on YouTube last night for a new film being produced by the premier Bollywood film company AND Walt Disney Pictures, which is a CGI animated Bollywood musical. The main stars of the film or two of the best- known Bollywood performers, and the art style reminds me of a lot of Furry Art. This looks like it could be good, or at least a new source of Rule 34 material.

I will be posting more information as I find it.

Here is the link:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NwxuKY24edU

Enjoy!

Jungledyret Hugo is back, in his third animated feature! Many of you are probably asking yourselves “Jungledy-who?’ Hugo is a very popular animal character in his country of origin, Denmark. The word “Jungledyret” means “Jungle Animal”. Storybooks starring the “rarest animal in the world”, as well as two (2D) animated features, a 13 episode TV series, and now a 3D feature, released in December of 2007 have received high acclaim and many awards since 1989.

Hugo is the brainchild of Fleming Quist Moller, a writer, actor, voice actor, translator and jazz/world beat musician who created the small furry critter with the BIG attitude in stories he told to his young son, Carl, in 1964. In 1989 they published Hugo’s story in a children’s book, with illustrations by Carl, who is a professional illustrator and artist.

In 1993, A.Film, one of the most prolific animation studios in Europe, produced Jungledyret Hugo (sometimes called Go, Hugo, Go!), written and co-directed by FQM (who also provided some character voices). The film was a big hit, and in 2003 the same studio produced a second animated feature, “Hugo the Movie Star”, which was also a big hit. In 2006 the story in the films was continued in a 13 episode animated television series. The Jungledyret films and television series are unique in the story is continuous from the first film through the sequel, the 13- 22 minute television episodes and the latest 3D animated feature, “Jungledyret Hugo: Freak, Flabet og Fri” (Translated as “Brash, Cheeky and Free”, or “Frank, Flippant and Free”)

Hugo and his animal (and human) friends and foes have many wild adventures, but possibly the best (and furriest) thing about the Jungledyret series is the relationship of Hugo and his very best friend, the young vixen, Rita. Hugo, the rarest animal in the world, lives in the Amazon jungle where he survives mainly by his wits. He is small and looks a bit like a Kola with yellow fur, but has the ego and attitude of a creature 10 times his size. Hugo is a great storyteller. He tells tall tales that entertain his friends and frighten dangerous predators. In his jungle home, Hugo is the undisputed King of B.S.

Unfortunately for Hugo, his reputation for being the world’s most rare animal attracts a lot of the wrong kind of attention. His clever stories don’t work on humans (who, everyone knows, can’t understand animals), so he eventually gets captured and taken to the Big City (Copenhagen, of course), to be displayed and exploited in various nefarious ways. Lucky for him (and us), Hugo is found and befriended by the adolescent vixen, Rita. This foxy lady was born in a den by the railroad tracks and raised in the city. She is street-wise and rough enough to be able to survive the urban environment, and a perfect foil for the brash but befuddled Hugo. In spite of the clash of egos and some heated arguments, it becomes obvious that Hugo and Rita are made for each other!

Their animated adventures are considered children’s fare, but Hugo and Rita have many teen and adult fans. Some of these fans create original artwork, collect images and screen captures, and even make romantic music videos. If you search around FA or any other furry art sites you will likely come across images of Hugo and Rita, usually very cute and affectionate… sometimes a bit more… provocative. FMQ, Hugo and Rita’s “dad”, once answered a young fans inquiry wondering if Hugo and Rita were going to have a child, and if so, who would it look most like? He answered that Hugo and Rita were still to young to think about that sort of thing, and we’d just have to wait and see. When early concept art for the new feature was released, it showed Hugo and Rita with a small, yellow pup that looked like it might be a hybrid of them. The fans went crazy with speculation, but it was finally revealed that the pup was a lost bush dog that Hugo and Rita take care of for a while. Even though fans were disappointed that their favorite couple were not actually parents, at least we get to see that Hugo and Rita do have parental potential. Like FQM said, we just have to wait and see…

I hope this little primer has answered some questions and perhaps peaked some interest in Hugo and Rita. If you search for “jungledyret” on YouTube, you can find a wealth of material. Recently, both animated features (in 8 minute sections), in original Danish and the English (Miramax Kids version, both films available on one DVD… not a bad translation, considering, but edited, unfortunately, for us “sensitive” Americans), all 13 episodes of the television series (in Danish), several songs from the films, the teaser, trailer, and a couple of interviews about the new 3D feature (Danish), and some home-made music videos starring Hugo and Rita and some other animated characters. There is an interactive web site for the new feature: jungledyret.dk, and a very nice fan site: jungledyret.com, populated with some great people who answered my annoying questions and provided information for this article.

If you look around, I’m sure your find out why they say “everyone’s furry for Rita!”

Note: This review contains some spoilers.

El Arca (The Arc) is an animated film by Estreno Julio produced by the Pantagonic Animation studio in Argentina. The film is a comedy version of Noah’s Arc, mixed with The Lion King, via The Love Boat. There are two ½ concurrent stories being told here, one is the well-known tale of Noah, a good man given an impossible task, with little help from anyone, including his bickering family. The other story involves the (mostly anthro) animals that are the “low berth” passengers of the arc, a pair of every species, which have to coexist in cramped accommodations without killing/eating each other.

Since the animals are forbidden (by some universal fantasy law) of talking to humans, the two plots are kept separate through most of the film, with Farfan and Esther, a pair of shiftless stowaway villains providing a (low) comic relief bridge. The other minor plot involves God (portrayed as an obese, multi-ethnic boss) and his loyal (scrawny Poindexter) scribe-angel/stage hand (he handles the “special effects”, as well as being the (Holy?) ghost writer for God’s new book, which portends to be the biggest “best seller” of all)

The animal protagonist is a spoiled pretty-boy lion prince, Xiro, who is supposed to be the inspired leader of the animals, but would rather party-hardy on what he thinks (due to an accident with torn message from Noah) is a luxury cruise. Bombay, his advisor/valet/masseuse, a rather “flamboyant” orangutan manages to come up with a female partner (obviously not his preference) so he can accompany his handsome prince. Kairel, the old lion king’s smart, organized “press secretary” daughter ends up being the sole lioness on the voyage, after an unfortunate accident befalls the bimbo that was the prince’s choice for a mate.

One rather upsetting thing about the film (as it is with any proper Noah story) is that a lot of really cool characters (including Sabu, the old lion king and his queen, Oriana) “miss the boat” as it were. While Noah’s daughters and their husbands argue and fight over control (with Noah and his wife remaining oblivious) Dagnino, a scheming tiger hatches a plan to turn the arc into a feast for the carnivores by discrediting the erstwhile prince and his comrades and replacing them with himself and his gang as leaders. To help soften the playboy prince for his downfall, and spread some dissention among the good guys (Kairel in particular), the tiger relays on the sexy black panthress, Panty, to seduce and abandon Xiro. Panty’s sultry nightclub style torch-song, “I will Survive” (with gleefully cannibalistic new lyrics) it the Furry high point of the production.

With the reluctant help of Farfan, the stowaway money-lender, the tiger springs his trap and it looks like curtains for the clueless Xiro and his friends, as well as all the herbivores on board. Luckily the clever, loyal orangutan uncovers the plot and the good guys challenge the bad guys to a fight (which turns into… a soccer game?), and the tiger’s gang are defeated, and imprisoned. All is not well yet, however, as Noah has been injured in an accident (caused by the stowaways, of course) and his bickering sons have managed to run the arc off-course and ground it on a giant ice flow.

It’s up to Xiro, who has finally managed to get a clue, and become the leader he was born to be, along with the rest of the animals to save the day and re-float the arc. Noah’s sons and daughters have learned their lesson, too, and after nursing their patriarch back to health, Noah gets the arc back on course to the start of the New World.

Some of El Arca’s adult themes would be too much for American family audiences, but it should be fine for South American and European family fare. There is enough slapstick silliness for the kids and a lot of visual and dialog humor for teens/parents. The UPA-Jay Ward Prod. style character designs over standard painted and CG backgrounds is unique and pleasing. The music is fun and does not interrupt the action. The dialog is very clever, with lots of jokes and puns (which amazingly translate well in the English subtitles) and the voice acting top notch. My only complaint is that there are almost too many plots and important characters. Some scenes (like the climax fight becoming a soccer match, complete with a weird fan “dancing” sketch and the rather forced, misdirected scene when the animals disembark on the ice flow) just don’t flow as well as the majority of the film.

We were lucky to catch a screening at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles as part of The American Cinematheque’s Argentinean Film Festival. Sadly, this may be one of the only US screenings of El Arca. If you hear of a screening in your area, I recommend you see it. It’s refreshing to see a well made animated feature from somewhere besides the US, Japan or Europe that doesn’t look or feel like clone of some previous work. If you can’t make a screening, hopefully a DVD will be available eventually (or you might find it on-line, or course).

Sy Sable

It seems a lot of us in the Furry community believe that what we create is only of interest to the Furry Community. Recently Megan Giles (dustmeat on FA) discovered that a pice of her art was featured on some pants retailed by Kohls Department Stores. She was not aware of this, until someone pointed it out. The art was either directly stolen by the producers of the clothing, or someone sold it to them, claiming it was theirs. She is going to investigate this, and hopefully she will end up with some kind of compensation.

This is just an example of the point I was trying to make in my Furry Style journal. Whether we believe it or not, a lot of what we creat in the Furry community has considerable appeal Outside the community. I think we need to start thinking of actually tring to market our own creations, directly or through existing businesses, with fair deals for the original creators. If we just keep pretending that our work is not worthy of a larger audiance, someone else will just steal it from us.

A community made up of so many creative people can't be ignored by the masses forever.

I have noticed that graphics which contain various cartoon/animation characters are obviously popular with some (younger?) consumers. If you visit a Hot Topic store you are likely to see T-shirts, back packs, etc. with characters from Disney, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network and other graphic studios, including some "retro" designs from the "Atomic Pop" era. Characters like Tinker Bell, Pussyfoot (the little kitten form the Warner Bros. short cartoons with Mark Anthony, the bull dog), and some classic Hanna Barbera celebrities adorn the clothing and accessories. Since many of these characters were originally popular before many of the customers purchasing these items were even Born, I have to assume it is the design of these characters that are the major appeal. It may be quite possible that any well designed characters, with style and "attitude" would be just as popular. Perhaps even more so if they character designs were more updated.

Now, where do I see a lot of very clever designed and well rendered characters that would likely appeal to this market? The Furry Art community of course. There is nothing wrong with Furry artists creating for our community, but what if some of this art could be tailored to this obvious market? I believe that well designed and rendered characters need not be from any known existing media to be attractive. Some rather famous artists have become popular with semi-custom art themed for particular hobbies or businesses. I don't see why other Furry (anthro) artists could not find some success by presenting some of their art to the more main-stream market. Some fantasy artists have had reasonable success in the past, I I believe that the time has come for Furry art to become a part of the rest of the world, even if our community remains somewhat isolated from the "real world".

I wonder who will break through the barrier and succeed at selling to the consumers who are already showing some obvious interest in Furry. When will I be able to buy a T-shirt with Michele Light or Adam Wan art at the local Hot Topic? When will I be able to pick up the latest Blotch calendar at Barnes and Nobel? I think it's about time.