Month: October 2017

Furry Nation by Joe Strike Book Review

Ahmar Wolf1 Comment

When I first heard of Furry Nation by Joe Strike all I really knew about it that the book was somehow supposedly a history of the fandom. But what took me roughly 2 weeks to read was more than that. In those 342 pages you have the entire Furry Fandom in your hand. Not does Joe Strike covers almost every major thing that has ever happened within the fandom, but interlaced personal stories in such a way that even if you knew nothing about the furry fandom after reading Furry Nation you will understand that it is also a personal journey of self. For example in one chapter he talks about why he has an alligator fursona and you get to see the real reason no one can pick a fursona for you as it is so deeply personal. Anyone with their own fursona knows this is the truth and it is no wonder we defend our choice, because we know that fursona is the real you.

Really as I write this I want to personally thank Joe Strike to let me know that the fandom really isn’t what we think it is. That is more a combination of personalities and events who strive to be different. The truth is we are unique and he covers everything from Looney Tunes cartoons to Zootopia and why they are all connected. Not that they are just animated characters and stories that there is something that touches in a non sexual way that is impossible to describe without directly quoting from the book. Like Boomer, the attack on MFF and even the rather unique history of Anthrocon and love him or hate him how Uncle Kage made it what it is, like furry anime from the mid 1960s in the form of The Amazing 3. Believe me those characters from that anime has more in common with the fandom than any other anime you can name. Not to forget Aberguine and her Furries in the Media and why they are so excellent.

The past, present and future, the good, the bad and the questionable. Nothing is left out and after you finish the book you will find yourself saying like I did, “Oh that is why that is”. Like “Why Fursuits?” Okay it was something which I fully admit I really did not understand…but now I do like so more than I can even say.

Furry Nation is in short a book that every furry should read. If you have friends and family who don’t quite get the fandom…get them a copy of the book. Why not, it is without a doubt in my mind the best thing on the furry fandom that has ever been published.

If you are even the tiniest bit wondering why something is the way it is. Like why fur cons feel more like parties than conventions. Get the book, it explains why, like so many different things.

You can buy the book here

What is Bagi?!!!

Ahmar Wolf

Another piece I can thank Joe Strike and his book Furry Nation for letting me know about.

This is actually Bagi

or better known as “Bagi, The Monster of Mighty Nature” released in 1984

DVD Cover

from wikipedia

Plot
Deep in the South American jungle, a Japanese hunter named Ryosuke (Ryo for short), and a local boy named Chico, stalk a monster that has been terrorizing the local countryside. Ryo, however, is quite familiar with this beast, and the story flashes back to his childhood.

Teenage Ryosuke Ishigami, the delinquent son of a crime reporter and a geneticist, is out with a motorcycle gang when they encounter a mysterious woman. Some of the rougher members of the gang accost her, and she turns out to be anything but normal, landing the gang with serious injuries. The gang leader returns to the woman’s hideout for revenge, but the gang members are torn apart, except for Ryosuke.

The woman, named Bagi, turns out to be a “cat-woman” – a cross between a human and a mountain lion. She recognizes Ryosuke as the boy who had rescued her and raised her as a kitten. As Bagi grew and people became suspicious of the precocious “cat”, who was able to walk on her hind legs and even learned to write her own name and speak, she escaped and grew to adulthood on her own.

Upon their reunion, Ryosuke and Bagi join forces to find out the truth of her origins. Ryosuke’s own mother is found responsible for Bagi’s creation — Bagi is a product of recombinant DNA research between human and mountain lion cells. They then follow Ryosuke’s mother to South America to confront her about the reason for Bagi’s existence, but find a far greater peril. The officials in charge of the laboratories there are creating a strain of rice that has the potential to destroy humanity. Ryosuke’s mother sacrifices her life to have Bagi destroy the “Rice Ball” and Ryosuke mistakenly pins the blame on Bagi, vowing revenge.

Meanwhile, Bagi is quickly losing her human traits and becomes extremely feral, attacking any humans that come near. Ryo catches up to her and stabs her when she attacks, but then finds a hand-written note held in a locket around her neck. He reads his mother’s last words, expressing remorse for being both a bad scientist and a bad mother, and Ryo realizes his mistake and is filled with regret. He returns to the site the next morning to find Bagi’s body gone, a set of footprints leading off to the distant mountains, meaning that Bagi has survived the stabbing and run off. He prays for Bagi to live on in solitude, far away from mankind.

Media
Currently, the anime has not received official distribution in North America in any form at all, save a subtitled version available for viewing on YouTube and on Viki.com. However, it has been released in other countries, but as of 2011, an official English dub has not yet been produced. A crowdfunder for a North American DVD was attempted at Anime Sols, but was not successful.

But here is the best copy I could find

FedEx vs. UPS

Ahmar Wolf

Anime Review: The Amazing 3

Ahmar Wolf

The Amazing 3 anime 1965 to 1966

Okay I fully admit the only reason I know about this series is Joe Strike’s book Furry Nation. Siting it as one of the early anime’s that is furry. Yes I am fully aware of siting something is furry in the mid 1960s is a longshot at best. But I have to admit after seeing just one episode this series is 100% furry.

Airing from June 6, 1965 to June 27, 1966 with a total of 52 episodes.

Plot as taken from Wikipedia

The Galactic Federation is concerned about the number of wars on the Planet Earth. It sends three agents to determine if the planet is a potential threat to the universe, and whether it should be destroyed. The instrument of destruction is a device resembling a large black ball with two antennae that is variously called an anti-proton bomb, a solar bomb, and a neutron bomb. The agents (Captain Bokko, Nokko, and Pukko) are originally humanoid in appearance, but upon arrival on Earth they take on the appearances of a rabbit (Bokko), a horse (Nokko), and a duck (Pukko) that they had captured as examples of Earth life forms. While on Earth they travel in a tire-shaped vehicle capable of enormous speeds called the Big Wheel, which can travel on both land and water (and, with modifications, through the air).

After landing, they are befriended by Shinichi Hoshi, a young boy who becomes their ally throughout the series. The series also features Shinichi’s older brother Koichi who is a member of the secret intelligence agency “Phoenix”, formed to protect the peace of the world. The Wonder 3 are initially repulsed by the violence of the earthlings, especially Pukko, but gradually change their thinking after being touched by the kind personality of Shinichi.

In the final episode of the series the decision is made by the galactic council that mankind is irredeemable and that the Earth is to be destroyed. Although Pukko is in favor of this as much as ever, Bokko puts off the order as long as possible, and eventually decides to disobey the council’s decision. However, prior to Bokko’s decision to disobey her orders, Shinichi is appalled at the likelihood that his friends would obey the order and runs to Koichi to ask Phoenix to intervene.

Although dozens of Phoenix agents fight the Amazing 3 in their saucer, they are unable to destroy it, and Shinichi appeals to Bokko, Nokko, and Pukko to take him back to their home planet to plead Earth’s case. During the trip Bokko, Nokko, and Pukko revert to their humanoid forms for the first time, much to the surprise of Shinichi, who had never seen their true appearances before (perhaps not clearly, anyway – he had also seen them through the window of their saucer in the first episode, though it’s suggested in the episode that he could only see their silhouettes).

Shinichi is particularly surprised by Bokko’s beauty in her actual form. A3 are presented to the galactic council on charges of disobeying orders. Shinichi is given a chance to plead Earth’s case and the council offers him the opportunity to stay on their planet with all the rights and privileges of other citizens. Shinichi becomes angry and attacks a guard, thus proving mankind’s inherently violent nature to many there. The order is given to wipe out Shinichi’s memories, but before this can be done Bokko pleads for him to be released, and for the Earth to be given more time to develop. The council eventually decides to return A3 to the Earth and re-examine the matter when Shinichi reaches adulthood.

Upon their return to Earth Pukko is ashamed of his attitude toward humans before that point, Shinichi is reunited with Koichi, and Bokko is transformed by Nokko and Pukko into an Earth girl so she’ll have a chance to be with Shinichi as the human girl she really wants to be – for a short time, anyway. The closing shot of the series is of the now-human Bokko walking towards Shinichi’s home to find him.

If you doubt this is truly furry watch the episode below, and then tell me I was wrong.

Media

The complete Japanese-language manga is available in two volumes. A late 1970s three volume set can also sometimes be found. The manga has never been officially released in English.

During the 1990s, the series was available in Japan both on two sets of laserdiscs and on a series of thirteen VHS videocassettes. The series was first released on DVD in Japan in two volumes in 2002 and 2003. A complete single-volume 10-DVD set was released in 2005. A lower priced (¥15,000) 10-DVD set was released for a limited time in 2008 in honor of what would have been Tezuka’s 80th birthday. Though the negatives for the series were damaged in a warehouse flood, the episodes on the Japanese DVDs were taken from the best existing sources.

The American (English-dubbed) films are rumored to have been either lost or destroyed. The English-dubbed version of the series also aired on Australia’s Channel 9 beginning in 1969. Anime Sols, which closed officially on May 1, 2015 attempted to crowdfund the streaming rights for the official English-subbed version of the show.

A handful of episodes are on YouTube generally only can be seen in their original Japanese with English subtitles

Snagglepuss Rebooted As Gay Southern Playwright in DC Comics

Ahmar Wolf

Unless your a fan of early Hanna Barbara cartoons you will have no idea who that is. According to the Hanna Barbara wiki
Snagglepuss is a character created by Hanna-Barbera in 1959. He’s best known for his famous catchphrase, “Heavens to Murgatroyd!”, along with phrases such as “Exit, stage left!” (or stage right, and sometimes even up or down), a phrase used in theatrical stage directions. Finally, Snagglepuss tends to add the word “even” to the end of his statements.

Snagglepuss lives in a cavern, which he constantly tries to make more habitable for himself. No matter what he does, however, he always winds up back where he started or worse off than he was before.

In some episodes, Snagglepuss is chased by Major Minor (voiced by Don Messick), a tiny mustachioed hunter, whose chases seem similar to the ones which involve Elmer and Bugs Bunny. In terms of appearence and colour, he has a strong resemblance to the Pink Panther.

His “birthday” is September 30th

This is the original

As DC Comics did with The Flintstones it seems old Snagglepuss is getting. But this has a really interesting twist. The comic is set in the 1950s and Snagglepuss is a gay playwright. The 1950s wasn’t a good time to be gay. That is a matter of history not opinion.

You can read the full article via this link but in my own opinion it really makes it interesting and something to be watching out for when it gets released next year.

Miscellaney Review and Download

Ahmar Wolf

Miscellaney is what they call a one shot, an artist has their work published in hopes of making as much money as possible. In this case it features the SFW talents of Melody Luke even after a Google search I am not quite certian if they are still around after all Miscellaney was published all the way back in 1993.

So what do I think of it? The work is average at best, really nothing exceptional here.

You can view and download Miscellaney here

The Curious Tail, errr, Tale of F D C Willard

Ahmar Wolf