Furpaw EzineIssue 1, September 2009 I would like to thank the creators and readers , without your positive support and extended patience FurPaw would not have seen it’s first issue. My goal for FurPaw is to be a free Ezine for readers to enjoy, who love anything to do with the animal kingdom, anthro’s and furries. FurPaw will provide free publishing Letter from the creator.and exposure for creative artists, writers, poets and bloggers to show their creative talents. Join us online, submit your own works and spread the word about FurPaw! Sign up and enjoy! www.furpawmag.ning.com -RavenFox Inside: 2 3 4Artist Spotlight & Art Gallery Short Stories & Poems Hot Topics nterview with furry artist Millislim, pg2.“Echo” by Millislim FurPaw interviews furry artist Millislim 1. Anthro's are the best of both worlds aren't they? I mean, you get the human characteristics that make an anthro easy to empathize with but with fur and tails and ears! I think being born in the 80s with ALOT of Disney probably didn't help either. Artist Spotlight 22. Echo was actually drawn for a contest on Furaffinity. Someone was having a hard time making original characters for a webcomic and asked FA for help. The only criteria was that if you made an anthro that the animals natural abilities be used in their creation. Like if I made a rhino, he would have brute strength right? So Echo, whose a bat, has an sound based weapon that absorbs vibrations, concentrates them and can then hurl a sort of sound/energy ball. Since it runs on sound you never round out of ammo! 3. Hard to say...I've been drawing all my life and little anthros can be seen in old sketch books from years ago, but trying to actually do this as a side job, I've only been an official furry artist for less than a year. 4. I have a few! Many of these artist do have adult material but that's not why I love them so much. My favs are my teachers. I try to figure out what it is about each of them that draws me to their style. Onta and Peritian (formally Blueblur8lover) have amazing lineart. Line weight is so important! Kaji is the master of color! Dragondrawer is awesome at facial expressions. I go to their galleries religiously to study their art. 5. Sketching. That's what takes the most time and effort for me. This is the part where the commissioner's requests, composition and expressions all kinda mush together. Inking and 3coloring takes time too but it's not as stressful or trying as sketching. 6. I have a bird named Nipper. She's a 10+ year old cockatiel. 7. I'd hate to say something cheesy like "work hard" but I guess some of the truest statements are the ones we've heard a million times before. 8. Of course! That is, if you want to see me! 9. I am on deviant art as well but I can be seen most actively on Furaffinity.net/user/millislim 10. My big secret? You're gonna laugh...but...circles. Every drawing, no matter how detailed starts with a single circle that I draw probably 20 or so times before I'm happy with the shape. For some reason I'll always start with drawing heads. Even when I'm to the inking stage, I start with heads. Depending on which way it seems the circle is leaning or stretching I get an idea of what I can do with that. One of my latest drawings of an anthro on a swing started that way. I had no idea what the drawing was gonna be when it was done. One last thing, for those who commission artist, if you get too picky with details and composition and not let the artist do what they feel should be done to make your commission work I think you rip yourself off. Commission work I have done that was micro-managed by 4the customer was not my best. I'm not saying give the artist complete freedom but don't pull their leash too tight. You'll be happier with the results and the artist will want to work with you again. FurPaw would like to thank Millislim for the interview and permission to use the works featured here If you would like to view more of Millislims work , go to www.furaffinity.net/user/millislim . Copyright “Shesta” to Millislim Copyright “Black Shuck Bike” to Silverfox Copyright “Furry News” web banner to Dalmydog Art Gallery 5-1The Wolf Within They all fight for control of my mind…. How can I fight those Who come from within… They come from my own fears and nightmares my own insecurities and quirks. They are the extremes of me…. Out to fell my highest foe. The Wolf, he who protects the pack with out regard to life. Loyal and fierce, Slow to trust, but never forgets. A true pack mate neither leader or follower Living on the outskirts, Working for the best interest of the pack, But will go off if he believes his path is the best. The Cub, he who is Naïve and trusts all. Will follow you to the ends of the earth, Loyal to the point of death. Unconditional love, uncorrupted by the world. The Lone Wolf, The seeker of his place. Trusts none, Lets none in to his den, or his heart. Will sit and watch… but nothing more. Takes what’s needed by him, cares for none. -TheWolfIsSilver "Snow", by Zinzoline Velvetpelt. Cold. It was cold. That white stuff covered everything, muffled everything under a soft blanket of chilly, bright white. It was almost blinding when the sun shone upon it. Everything was outlined so clearly, so sharply. From behind a window of the farmhouse Patchy was looking at the white stuff. She was a cat of a dime a dozen; a burly farm female of calico persuasion. She sat in the windowsill and looked out at the scenery with large, round, unblinking golden eyes. All the usual colors, vibrant or dull, had gone, replaced with sharp white and shadows of gray and black. The world seemed different. Poetry Story Time 6The breath flowing from her nostrils at a regular rate made a small foggy spot on the windowpane as the cat looked out the window. An ear cocked and swiveled to the silence in the house. The other ear swiveled towards the window. Not a sound. Normally there was a plethora of sounds to be heard; crickets, the breeze, small animals scurrying through the grass, the splishing and splattering and gurgling of the creek, birds twittering. Now, there was nothing. Everything was muffled by that white stuff that had started falling from the sky last night. It was strange. It was interesting. It was worthy of an investigation. A languid stretch, a silent yawn. Whiskers twitched and quivered, teeth glinted, pink tongue curled upwards between the pointy canines. A fore paw was lifted, licked, then carefully drawn over ears, face, and whisker pads. Her decision made, the colorfully splotched cat rose up from her seat in the windowsill. Another stretch. Back curved into a high arc, tail formed a similar curve; a rounded M on four dainty feet. Then a soft thump, and the cat was gone from the windowsill. A slight shaking of the colorful fur, head turning to give a few licks to the left shoulder blade. With the elegant grace every cat possessed by nature, the burly calico stepped through the room. She paused by the door, sitting down in front of the cat flap with her whiskers fanned out and twitching as she sniffed up the scents creeping in through the crevices. Cold air, very cold air... something fresh, like water... must be that white stuff. Straw from the barn. Cold grass. Something sharp and acrid; that was coming from that iron thing the people from the farm got into all the time and rode off in to... Well, wherever they went when they rode in that thing. Slowly, she stuck her head through the cat flap. Her whiskers twitched sharply as her face was instantly met with the chilling cold of the muffled white world outside. For a couple of moments, the calico cat remained in her initial position, her head outside the door, the rest of her inside, tail swinging left and right slowly. Would she go back inside? Or go out and investigate the white stuff? Was the cold worth it? Or would she simply return to the comfort of the heated living room and look at the white stuff from behind the window? Eventually, curiosity won the battle with comfort, and the calico decided to go out and investigate from closer by. A fore paw appeared outside the cat flap, then the other, and in a smooth motion, the rest of her body followed. She shook out her fur and instinctively fluffed it up as the chill of the winter air hit her. For another few moments she stood wondering if she should just go back inside and curl up by the heater, but again her curiosity was stronger, and she took a few steps forwards, to the end of the porch where a flight of small steps led to the driveway. Craning her neck, the calico cat fanned out her whiskers again and sniffed at the white stuff lining the steps of the porch. Mmm, smelled like water. But it didn't look like water. Her pink tongue darted out for a moment, flicking against the white stuff. It tasted like water... but very cold water. Tentatively, she reached out a forepaw and touched the white stuff. Almost immediately, she pulled her paw back and flicked it. By golly, that was cold! She gave her forepaw a couple of licks, her head slightly canted, one golden eye glancing at the white stuff that was everywhere around. Would it all be that cold? That would be a hassle; it covered every bit of ground! How was she going to get around without getting awfully cold paws? After a full five minutes of careful consideration, the calico decided to give it another try. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad once she got used to the feeling. Crouching by the steps of the porch, she carefully 7extended a forepaw and planted it on the first step, in the white stuff. It gave a very soft, somewhat crunching sound. Again she shivered, but managed to suppress the urge to pull back her paw. Leaning up, she slowly set her other forepaw next to the first with another very soft crunching sound coming from the white stuff. The chill to her paw pads wore off after a few moments. Hmm, that wasn't all too bad. Once you got used to it, the stuff was decent enough to walk on. Slowly, the calico drew the rest of her body near, ready to step off the porch to continue her investigation. But wait... what was that? She halted and cocked her ears. She heard a somewhat strange sound, and it was coming from... above her? Just as the calico cat was about to turn her head and look upwards, a patch of snow slid off the slightly slanted roof of the porch and landed on her head with a puff. Eeeeek! Letting out a shrill mewl, the calico cat shook her head, turned tail and bolted right back into the farmhouse through the cat flap. Without losing speed, she zoomed through the living room and hid under the small table close to the heater, curling up and shivering, her face buried under her tail. That white stuff was evil! “Befoulment”by Stephen Soliz The flooded parking lot sat silently under the featureless sky, save for a few stifled cries heard by the Black Shadow Beak. The creature crawled across the tops of cars with roofs jutting up inches above the water line. One vehicle sat on its side with the windows peering up into the abyss. A woman’s hands pressed against the glass as she struggled to find air in the car’s flooded interior. Her mouth let forth a bubble with a trapped scream. Her mind projected a lifetime of fear and regret onto the sunless sky as her tears were lost in the watery confines of the metal tomb. “A black canvas buries the stains of truth under its melting wings, but it will always stare back with lidless eyes.” The creature’s words tore into the woman’s battered mind and planted seeds of despair. Dark swirling forms rose up behind the woman as spasms of movement pulled her struggling form back into the depths. “Help!” a cry resounded in the night. The creature turned its beak up at the plea and saw a beam of light trailing through the water-filled pathways. A man walked across the tops of cars with a human-shaped bag in his arms. His surroundings were illuminated thanks to a flashlight strapped to the front of his coat. The Black Shadow Beak spread its wings and glided over the rows of submerged cars. Its form invaded the memories of sufferers watching the skies. Their nightmares intensified. The creature perched atop a broken lamp and peered at the wandering man. It spoke. “What maddening events must cause a mind to wander far from illuminated shores?” The man yelped and turned towards the voice. Because of the weight of the bag and the fact that the flashlight was on his chest, he could not point the light high enough to see the creature. “Who are you?” the Wanderer asked. He kept walking. He felt the thing’s eyes burn into his mind like flaming coals. The Black Shadow Beak glided to the hood of a semi-trailer with broken headlights. It sat motionless as the Wanderer peered at it. The silence was deafening. “My name is _______” the man said. “I need help.” The name meant nothing to the creature. “Your arms grow heavy from such a foul burden. Let one experienced in these matters help you ease your responsibility,” it said. A fallen ambulance stood higher than all the other vehicles. The Wanderer walked onto it and saw a light close by. 8It was an island of concrete. Lamp posts jutted up at odd angles. The space held small blocks where several people sat. No matter where they stood on the island, there were no shadows. “If you want to help me, lead me there,” the Wanderer said.“A world of structure and concrete is no place for a dynamic life. The water flows deep and takes one to such wondrous places.” The thing’s claws scratched the tops of the broken cars as it stayed close to the lone human. It looked at the bundle in his arms. “Pay no attention to the words of the fallen.”The bag began to moan. The Wanderer startled and dropped it into the murky water below. The ties connected to the bag pulled the man down with it. The flashlight went out. A series of horrific images filled the man’s mind. Dark shapes swirled around him in the water as he struggled to the surface. The body, however, was still underwater. The Black Shadow Beak landed right next to the Wanderer. Its crimson eyes paralyzed him. The man pulled at the ties connected to the submerged form. Terrifying images assaulted his senses each time he touched the harness. When they stopped, he saw the creature’s searing gaze lock with his own. The Wanderer pulled at the tie and ran. He dragged the body through the water while he moved atop the cars. He could see the people on the island thanks to a sphere of light encircling the area. He was almost there. The people saw him and threw a lifeline. It hit the water and he dove after it. The images were horrific, but his hands felt the reassuring touch of the rope. He crawled up onto the concrete and turned back. The Black Shadow Beak had the tethered body in his claws. It dove downward as the tie went taut. The Wanderer was pulled back under as he saw the spinning jaws of death swarm around him. In the middle of the faces approached the maw of a monstrous beast with eyes as intense as an inferno. The Wanderer panicked and broke the surface of the water. He was just inside the sphere of light as the creature rose to meet him at the border of darkness. It stretched its claws towards the man’s face. He tore at the harness and suffered the wrath of the images, but this time they weren’t so powerful. The light faded the horrors as he ripped apart the ties. He dropped the harness around the creature’s wrists. The weight of the body pulled the beast downwards into the depths. Its spasming form disappeared with the terrors below. The people pulled the man up and he collapsed on the ground at their feet. As he stared up at their faces, the light shone from behind to give each a brilliant sense of clarity. One picked up a flare gun and fired it into the sky. In the flooded realm of the torn vehicles, every suffering soul saw the burst of light ignite the blackened sky. For a brief moment, all their fears vanished and they felt a glimmer of hope soothe their tired minds. When the light dimmed, a fading warmth in their hearts told them what they already knew. Someone had made it. 9By: Robbie Spencer aka DalmyDog We’ve heard it all. “Furries are evil”, “God hates furries”, “Furries are sexed crazed maniacs”, “Ugh, furries are drama ridden idiots” and my personal favorite “Yiff in Hell!” But, a good question to ask is where do these comments come from? Why are people so upset when the word “furry” is uttered in their presence? And why are their reactions so negative? Well, if you’ve been paying any attention to the press lately, I’m sure you’ve seen the multiple stories of people being arrested for a variety of crimes. Most recently, there was a story of a man who tried to seduce a young boy in Florida to his home. What does this have to do with the fandom? Well in this case, and in another case that involved cruelty to animals (I’ll spare you the details); the people behind these crimes have had ties to the furry community. With the case in Florida, the man who was arrested had a registered YiffStar account, and loads of furry (and kiddie) porn on his computer. The same pattern repeats itself in other cases. With problems like this, people immediately make the assumption all furries engage in these acts, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, these acts are widely opposed throughout the fandom. Unfortunately, furries already have a stigma as an “unusual” subculture, and issues like these give others an excuse to say what they do about us. Hot Topics 10In addition, and this is something we all still deal with, is the way the media has portrayed the furry community. First, as stated before, when someone who claims to be part of the fandom commits a crime, it’s traced to the entire population and slathered over the news. Also, there is of course the infamous episode of CSI in where a furry was murdered after a wild orgy. (Let’s not even touch on the inaccuracy of this. There’s no way any furry would do that in suits that cost upwards of $2000) Due to the fact that the all mighty television is most people’s source of their opinions, views, and news, when this is all that’s flashed in their face, of course they’ll take on thoughts of how “messed up those furry people are.” Lastly, of course (and you know it has to be said), there is the furry drama. Ask anyone who’s experienced it and you’ll get a 10 minute rant on how irritating furry drama can be and how it affected their whole life. For those not in the loop, furry drama is the case of extra drama queeness that for some reason spreads like a virus. This can range from someone majorly overreacting to a comment and then “leaving the fandom” in rage and tears, to people flagging and flaming a submission on Furaffinity because the author use blue as a color to represent heterosexuals (This isn’t made-up, it seriously happened to a friend of mine.) The problem is so big that there is an entire Anti-Drama Llama Movement on Furaffinity, dedicated to eliminating the problem. Some blame it on the fact that the majority of the fandom is gay (According to the latest surveys 80% being either bi or homosexual) and that not that many can associate with each other without major incident. Others say it just because furries love attention. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that it is still a major blight on the furry community. In conclusion, it’s a combination of these problems that the furry community still receives widespread hatred. 11If we continue to ostracize those who commit major crimes, oppose the treatment by the media, and cut down on the drama we produce, maybe we can change public opinion. Sometime, hopefully, when someone says “Yiff in Hell”, it’ll be them reading an excerpt from a time when it was a common comment. DalmyDog is a dalmatian furry residing in Columbus, Ohio. He really enjoys blogging and does so, on the regular basis. Follow his blogs athttp://furrynews.wordpress.com and http://virginincvuture.wordpress.com. Join us & Submit YOUR creative works for FREE! Here at FurPaw we would love to see your creative works, who knows, you might just make it into one of our issues! It’s a great way to get yourself noticed, shout your opinion on a certain subject or topic, let those creative juices flow! Or if you are just a fan of anything animal and Would like to follow the issues of FurPaw join us atwww.furpawmag.ning.com Have questions or comments? Submit them to furpawmag@hotmail.com with the heading “Question/Comment” and please let us know the issue and article that you would like to give A comment or question on. 12