Headlines, links and little stories to make your tail wag.  Tips: patch.ofurr@gmail.com. Thanks to DRONON for guest editing help!  

Zootopia.  IT’S HAPPENING.  I hope you’re ready for the peak of The Year of Furry.  The article about furries renting their own theaters got 3 times more traffic than any other article ever posted here.

by Spalding

Fursuiting and Freedom of Expression:  Anti-mask law challenged by Vermont Furs.

VermontFurs had a frustrating time with getting their events shut down in the City of Burlington.  Fursuits were banned for vague, unsubstantiated reasons.  Supposedly, it was for protection from “panhandling” offenses.

Now WCAX.com reports a brave effort to change.  The furs have support from the ACLU to challenge the local anti-mask law on First Amendment grounds.  Following consultation with the Ordinance committee, the City council sounds like they’re on the way to fixing the law’s wording to apply to only crime-related activity.  Great work everyone!  It’s a silly hobby, but sometimes having fun is about upholding freedom.

It’s about identity, not sex – Bringing fursonas to life.

Sarah Dee, fursuit maker at Menagerie Workshop, gets an excellent write-up about her business by The Guardian.  There’s a great video!  Her story was repeated soon after by The Onion A.V. Club.

New from Culturally F’d – #TonyTigerGate.

The Official Version has an elephant in the room.  Sometimes sex IS a fun, funny furry thing – but it’s for furs to define themselves, not outsiders to mock.  It’s about freaky freedom defying normativity. #TonyTigerGate (a very popular article here) was a subcultural eruption of satirical, bawdy delight.  Arguably it’s at the very roots of Furry. (See Fritz The Cat from the 1960’s if you don’t believe it.)

Who’s the true Tony the Tiger on Twitter – @realtonytiger or @Real_Tony_Tiger?  He’s had an evil twin since 2013, way before lame mainstream blogs noticed.

Bad Dragon dares Disney to launch litigation.

On the subject of confusing official products with similar-sounding knockoffs… Disney’s Zootopia film includes many neighborhood districts such as Sahara Square, TundraTown, and Savanna Central.  Not to be mistaken for (all links NSFW) Neon Savannah.  It’s a new line of Bad Dragon toys with suspiciously familiar designs.  Seriously, guys? “Disney Lawyer” is it’s own term for a reason. But we already know they have elephant balls.

Furries on campus.

At Purdue University, Luna and other students in the Purdue Anthropomorphic Animal Club are bringing furry fandom back!  An earlier attempt in 2009 was abandoned due to bullying, according to the Lafayette Journal & Courier.  The new club has gotten positive coverage from the local Fox affiliate.

Meanwhile, a furry student at Mississippi State University also got an interview. And the Georgia State Signal has it’s own introduction to fandom and interview with a furry.

More into the mainstream in the SF Bay.

Furries aren’t just being interviewed on campus – the strong San Francisco Bay Area furry community has been covered by The Daily Californian.

Meetings Today covers all kinds of conventions, and it’s our turn.

Let’s tip our hat to author Bob Calhoun, who each month crashes a tradeshow, convention or conference, and tries to find ways to fit in.  His most recent experience was attending Further Confusion, even making a video about entering the fursuit parade.  On the amount of endurance required to don and perform in a full-body costume, he remarks, “These furries are more than just mascots. They are athletes.”

High profile ESports gamer represents the fandom.

The Daily Dot showcases the talents of people under age 20.  It has a spotlight on Sonic Fox, a furry and competitive Mortal Kombat champion.

Furs From Florida to Hungary.

Furries pop up all over the place!  We’re part of the annual cosplay at SwampCon in Gainesville, FL, their sci-fi, tabletop, and video gaming convention.  We meet up in Hungary and walk around in Budapest:

Anthropomorphic Pop culture news.

Julie Newmar, the original Catwoman from the 1960s Batman TV show, gets interviewed by The Smithsonian, to whom she’s donated her classic costume.  (Previously on Dogpatch Press: The original Cowardly Lion costume from The Wizard of Oz was sold for over 3 million dollars.)

An Interview with the creator of Courage the Cowardly Dog

In classic kid’s books, Beatrix Potter’s storybook manuscripts for The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots have been rediscovered. They will be illustrated by Quentin Blake. An “older, slower and portlier” Peter Rabbit will make an appearance.

Looking for something darker and edgier –  How about a metal cover of Gagnam Style with a bunny suit? (tip: Troj)

Going Highbrow – The New Yorker looks at different expressions of furryness.

An article by Robin Wright in the New Yorker describes two interesting takes on anthropomorphism. First, an Oxford don who’s written a book about his attempts to live like several animals – specifically, as a badger, an otter, a swift, a fox, and a deer.  Second, people who post as animals on Twitter, from zoo employees to Episcopal priests.

Animals with cool jobs.

Meet Piper the airport dog, a border collie who protects the runways at Cherry Capital Airport in Michigan from stray wildlife.  He’s even got a YouTube channel!  Some videos show him with a cast on his leg (a toe injury from chasing a snowy owl), but he’s all better now.

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AMAZING FURRY NEWS COMING SOON – Disney Opens Their Arms To Furries In #7!

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