Tag: writing

My 12th MFF

Ahmar Wolf1 Comment

I know it’s hard to believe but I have been going to MFF since 2013.

Back when Reg was in the same location a Headless Lounge now sits. I guess I have seen it all. From the expansion into the Convention center.

I know it’s hard to believe now but when it all started what is now panel rooms. Was the Dealers Den/ Artist Alley. To what it has become now.

This Thursday I get my badge, not next week, or next month. This very Thursday. And I am going to a couple of panels that evening.

Oh sure except for the Dealer’s Den, Artist Marketplace and the Art Show locations. It’s pretty much as I expected. I have no doubt that the Poke Bowl place will be in it’s usual place Really I am not expecting much than to have a good time and spend way more money than I should.

Will get some art commissioned I have this idea floating around, and if I can find an artist to do it. Rework my business card design.

It might sound like I am going to be bored. But I rarely am at MFF. There is so many unexpected things that always happens. I Hope to get my friend a replacement beanie. How that is going to go better wait to after the convention.

Oh sure I wish I got to do my Furry Reporter panel. But maybe that was a good thing in disguise. As strange as this sounds a few have advised me to postpone submitting it until 47 is gone. If you think about it, I am sure it makes sense.

Like usual I will be reporting via my phone. Which kinda limits where I can post to mainly here, Tumblr and Bluesky. Reasons behind this is sound, including the hotel has public wifi. That and the bitterly cold weather, they are saying we could see on Thursday. 19 for a high… geez.

When your hotel is more than a mile from the convention, it will be interesting.

I hope you check out my coverage, will will try my best to cover as much as I can.

SCAM Tracking on Telegram

Ahmar Wolf1 Comment

Friends. I’ve watched the scammer problem evolve on this platform over the years.

Scammers started this fight with an upper hand. We as a community weren’t prepared for this. We didn’t have a community ready to look out for these scams. We didn’t know what this would look like.

Today, we see a different battlefield. Users actively call out scammers that enter their groups. A lot of furries know what the red flags are and can explain why this is a problem to their group admins.

It’s gotten a lot harder for scammers to pull the casual scams.

So, now they are intensifying the severity. If they can’t scam a lot of people for a few bucks they are going to try to scam a few people for everything.

These sorts of scams lead to people losing their life savings and have directly lead to more than 27 suicide attempts in my country.

Nearly a thousand groups have adopted the countersign bot. Many use rainrat bot. Some import our list to use with rose bot. A couple have made their own robot with our API.

Most groups seem to be taking some sort of proactive measures now.

But for various reasons we see some groups resisting removing scammers, even after being shown proof. Some worry about the fall out if they accidentally ban someone and they turn out not to be a scammer.

It’s a valid concern, particularly given the history of ‘call out’ style lists in our community and their questionable accuracy.

A lot of the lists that I think have caused concerns ran anonymously and used basic tooling to take snapshots of ‘problem’ groups. Once they were created they were static. No way to get off them, no way to see who is running it, no way for the community to chime in on if something is right or wrong.

We are aiming to do things differently.

Reports here are initially submitted by y’all. A team member does an initial research phase and marks each report as true, false, or needs more research.

Once reports have enough info to be considered valid they are marked true, where they then get reviewed by me personally.

I’ve spent the last 15 years in cybersecurity. Some roles directly involving brand security and banking fraud. That skill set lets me see more below the surface that your average user can and helps drive both the tooling and decisions.

I review the report, the research, confirm everything and the account id numbers, then add them to the list.

We usually don’t dump all of the info we received in a report into the new listing. We summarize it. By keeping some of the details to ourselves we’ve been able to show victims what specifically scammers are lying about mid-scam. It lets us keep scammers in the dark on how to avoid us and limits how they can craft their lies.

So, accountability.

I’m Yumi Kitsune. I’ve been in the fandom since 2007. Always as Yumi Kitsune.

I take accountability for this list and this project. I am the only one who can add or remove people. If a mistake is made my community should judge me accordingly.

Now, I ask group admins to be accountable.

When a user gets scammed from someone they met in your group that user is going to start asking if you knew about the scammers, about the community efforts to combat them.

Knowing and doing nothing isn’t a good look.

Take accountability before something happens, so you don’t have to take accountability once there are community posts about xyz ending up in the hospital or dead from this sort of scam.

Users. Screenshot when you tell admins about scammers. Start holding people accountable for harboring them and letting them find new victims. When something goes wrong, have the receipts.

I see these victims regularly. See the threats sent to them. The harassment these scammers perform after.

I’m fed up, I think the community is getting fed up. It’s time for accountability as a community.

https://t.me/scamtracking/2992

Anthrocon 2026 Reg Open

Ahmar Wolf1 Comment

Attending

Limited Availability

Pricing:
Pre-registration price: $80
On-site price: $100

As an Attending member, you’ll get:

  • Access to the convention space and activities for the duration of this year’s convention once registration opens (Thursday, July 2 pre-registered — Friday, July 3 at the door)
  • Our souvenir con book and other publications
  • A weekend of fun

Limited Availability (2200) – Pre-registration only

Pricing:
Pre-registration price: $140
On-site price: not available

Sponsors are generous patrons who like to help us provide even more services and events for our membership. A Sponsor gets the full privileges of an Attending membership, as well as the following:

  • A nifty Sponsor ribbon
  • A free Anthrocon t-shirt
  • An expedited pick-up line on site
  • Earlier entry into the Dealers Room on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (after Ultrasponsor and Supersponsor entry)

Supersponsor

Limited Availability (700) – Pre-registration only

Pricing:
Pre-registration price: $350
On-site price: not available

Supersponsors are some of the most generous persons on the planet! We heap lavish praise and gifts unto them. A Supersponsor gets the full privileges of a Sponsor membership, as well as the following:

  • A nifty Supersponsor ribbon
  • An invitation to the Artists & Dealers reception on Friday evening
  • Earlier admission into the Dealers Room on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (after Ultrasponsor)
  • Advance admission to selected main ballroom events
  • A unique gift available to Supersponsors
  • Our wonderful Supersponsor Brunch on Sunday
  • An advance opportunity to book select hotel rooms before general availability**

Ultrasponsor

Limited Availability (35) – Pre-registration only

Pricing:
Pre-registration price: $1200
On-site price: not available

Our highest level of sponsorship, with our utmost gratitude! An Ultrasponsor gets all privileges of a Supersponsor membership, as well as the following:

  • A nifty Ultrasponsor ribbon
  • VIP badge pick up at registration
  • First opportunity to register for a hotel room, based on availability**
  • Front-of-line privileges for early admission into the Dealers Room on Friday
  • Front-of-line privileges to main ballroom events (plus 1 guest if desired)
  • An exclusive gift available only to Anthrocon Ultrasponsors
  • Our wonderful Supersponsor Brunch on Sunday
  • An exclusive Saturday Ultrasponsor and VIP Cocktail Reception
  • Special Ultrasponsor Badge
  • Free access to the Anthrocon River Cruises (if cruises are available)
  • Expedited elevator line privileges in the Westin Hotel (guest floor elevators)

For more Info https://www.anthrocon.org/

Anthrocon takes place July 2 to 5th

MFF 2025 Update

Ahmar Wolf1 Comment

MFF has finally made their schedule OFFICIAL, despite being listed on Sched for the last few weeks. The most notable changes is the Furry Variety Show is on the same time as Friday’s Fursuit Games. In addition MFF has literally gone from all you did on Thursday was get your badge and head back to your hotel. To a full blown schedule, of no less than 49 panels. Not even joking see for yourself

https://midwestfurfest2025.sched.com/

There is a lot, but that isn’t the only change this year…

Hall F is the biggest change. They moved the Dealer’s Den to the largest space it ever had. But also a space where a lot say it should have been for years. Can’t wait to see who is going to be there. Adult Annex also has a larger space as well as the Art Show. Both got moved.

I would also say more of the convention is at the convention center. Not that is a bad move, it’s dealing with the crowd. Something the anime convention have been doing for years.

There has been some insane bottlenecks with the crowd over the years. Last year it was Artist Alley, which I could not get into on Friday. A friend and I had to wait until Saturday Morning.

Another thing I noticed is that the more popular events for the most part at the convention center. Save for Main and Secondary stage events they are both still at the hotel. I think there will be less traveling in The Corridor of Death AKA The Skybridge. Still hope for good weather, what really helped was sunny skies and more taking the outside route. Which for the record is shorter.

As for me I am working on what I want to see and that Corridor video I do that is still quite popular. I think I have no choice but to start at the hotel. As for the rest that is still pretty much TBA for now.

As far as the Picks for Panel. They are quite good. More comedy this year, although I wish Alkali makes a come back. Those running similar panels do quite a good job. You got an amazing range we got everything from Circus Furs to a Plush meet, at least 1 game show, and a meet for furries in business. I said it was a good range.

The Sermon by TC Polecat

Ahmar Wolf4 Comments

Once and a while here at Furry Times we actually receive submissions. Some are as simple as a comic or a video. Very seldom do we get submissions like this. This is something that had to be said, by someone directly involved. I as Editor decided that this article deserved to be it’s own post for the day. We will be back to normal tomorrow.

The Sermon by TC Polecat

The Sermon

Welcome one and all to the First, Last, and Only sermon from the Church Of Polecat, a non-religious entity that is going all in on this terminology. To those who don’t know what the “Church of Polecat” is, let me state that it was/is simply a circle of friends and amateur artists who supported each other when times were difficult, mostly just for moral (or immoral) support that resulted in a lot of idea sharing, skill swapping, and just being there for each other at a time of life when things were confusing and we were still discovering our little place in the world. Named I believe by the infamous Vikki Rubbervixen, tho if I am incorrect then I apologize to the true inventor of the name, as it’s been lost to the years and my poor memory. But what could warrant my dragging out what was a semi-joking name in order to use it in this fashion? Because a sermon is a call to action, frequently about religion, but very much a call to action or to just do better. So what subject could I be on about?

“Moral Panic”

Show of hands, how many people here in the US are familiar with Moral Panics? If you’ve been alive in the United states, I can guarantee you’ve had to deal with it. If you’re as old as I am, born in the 70’s, you likely have clear memories of the various moral panics over Heavy Metal, the Hippy Movement, counter-culture, Dungeons & Dragons, Rap Music, Video Games, Fetish movements like BDSM, Gay Marriage, and even Furries. So moral panic has been around for as long as I can remember here in the United States. Any shift from the status quo was accompanied by hand wringing, clutching of pearls, cries of ‘won’t someone think of the children?’ and somehow the worst behavior from otherwise ‘rational’ people in positions of power, often those with religious influence. Frequently these moral panics seem to come from the religious fundamentalists of the world. I still have memories of the little “Chick Tract” comics printed by Jack Chick and distributed around the country to lament the evils of D&D, which famously represented the game as a gateway into Satan worshipping and witchcraft, and that’s to say nothing of the other topics he would cover as well.

For those of us living here, and I’m sure also easily seen across the world, there’s another big Moral Panic going on. This one is heavily focused on the LGBTQIA+ (Apologies if I missed any there) communities. I’ve seen a focus on the Transgender aspect quite heavily as part of it, but that could just be how it’s affected me and those around me personally. But I am noticing most of it is focused on teenagers. Y’know, the people who are most trying to find their own answers in life. I’m old, but I can still remember that part of my life. Back when I first started discovering the fetish community, I started to realize that the ‘normal’ answers weren’t working for me. A few years later I also started to find my way into the furry community as well, another moral panic of the day. I mean, us older furries will easily remember the constant zoophilia accusations, the frowns and the cries of “why can’t you just like normal girls/boys?!”  I knew some artists whose families actually would straight tell them they couldn’t be trusted around household pets! To hide from that, I was informed the newer generation are using the name “Therian” instead of furry, and all this before we even start talking about BDSM and fetish. Some of you may not remember that before movies like The Matrix how taboo stuff like latex was. How fetishes were literally classified as a mental disease for a long time! Thus little groups like the “Church of Polecat” happened. Most without fancy names, just like minded friends seeking solidarity in a world that seemed intent on trying to destroy our budding identities because they scared someone. Because those that couldn’t, or wouldn’t understand, would try to destroy what they saw as deviant. I freely admit I was extremely lucky here. My family, while not always understanding, was always extremely supportive. But I KNOW how lucky I was because I knew artists whose families would destroy every picture they ever drew. I knew of one whose family forced him to witness them burn it in a bonfire, with a pastor present saying prayers to cleanse the poor guy of “demonic influence” all because he liked to draw furry pin-up art. Yes that is an extreme case, but to my knowledge that artist never picked up a pencil again.

So we have a generation who is doing what we all did in the past. They are finding their own answers about their own identities. Asking questions in ways the previous generations did not, and coming up with solutions of their own. Y’know, pretty much what they SHOULD be doing. Just as we did back in the day. But like every ‘good’ moral panic, notice it’s not coming after us. It’s not even glancing at those of us who are older, we who have survived the fire. No, it’s going after those who least deserve to be vilified, the least equipped to fend off the hatred and fear and undeserved anger. And that is why I’m writing. Because they need our help. Now I’m not saying we answer the questions for them, it’s their choice and their answer to find! That’s what the fear driving the Moral Panic wants to do, to limit, or totally remove their options. That is not our job, that is not our role. Our job is to pass on the wisdom of how to endure, and how to survive the panic stronger. We who have survived the events we have, need to place ourselves once more into the fire. To show this generation how to endure it. To protect them from as much of it as we can. To be the people they can turn to for shelter when it gets too hot. They will earn their scars, just as we did, but they do not have to be alone! The fight for ourselves might be finished, but now we step up and help them fight for themselves! And I don’t just mean some of them, I mean ALL of them. Give them the freedom to find their own answers. I can guarantee they won’t find the same answers we did. They have different lives, information has evolved since the 80s and 90s, when I found my answers. But they deserve that chance, and we have NO RIGHT to take it away from them, moral or otherwise. We cannot let this discourse be controlled by fear. I’ve been doing what I can for that. My two Nephlings (Gender neutral term for a niece/nephew) have been dealing with it themselves, and I do what I can to help. I know the elder identifies as non-binary, and the younger one is still exploring their options, but at least one of them is Therian, as they like to use Dog-like personality traits as a method of relieving stress. That’s all to say nothing of someone I view as damned near an adopted sibling who is going to be traveling out of the country for bottom surgery in the near future, the end of a path that actually started with the discovery of an extremely aggressive cancer that fed off the body’s testosterone.

But I find that with the sickness I outlined in a previous post, my body can’t keep up as I would wish. I’m losing too many steps, and so I’m lifting my voice to ask for others to help. My voice is the last thing I have left now. So I am using it to ask for people to do the right thing: to protect those who cannot protect themselves. To be the shield they need, the confidant that the moral panic is trying to steal from them. To make sure they have the right to make their own decisions and the ability to find their own answers. That’s all I’m asking for.

Before I sign this off, I want to make one final point very clear here. This is not a political post. I want it very clear that I intentionally kept politics out of the discussion to MAKE SURE this information could be spread as widely as possible. I mentioned no names, only deeds (Mr. Chick died in 98, so has no bearing on the conversation). I will also say this next part with every fiber of my being and ounce of my soul: Doing the right thing is not political. Now is the time for the furries to stand shoulder to shoulder with Therians. It’s past time the BDSM Triskelion was added to the pile of gender affirming flags. The time to act is upon us. I can only hope this sermon has encouraged at least one of you to act with your time and energy. Good luck and Godspeed to any who are able.

– Polecat

(Follow up: I will post this with a second link to a google documents page. I would encourage that link to be shared anywhere you feel appropriate. Let it flourish and spread, as I believe the message to be that important: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19mXyk6VKYN-d5ZlQxi5THpXI2n6TaL79jboMZm11Fds/edit?usp=sharing)

Furry Times Panel @ MFF: Rejected

Ahmar Wolf1 Comment

If you ever wondered what a rejection letter from MFF ever looked like

Dear Guest:

Thank you for submitting your application for a panel/event or live performance for consideration at this year’s Midwest Furfest.

This year, we received a record number of applications. In fact, we received so many that only about half the submissions we received could be scheduled. And, in the Live Performance category, only about a third of the acts have been provided a spot to perform.

If you are receiving this email, we regret that it is because one or more of your submissions will not be part of our schedule this year. (You may have also received another email indicating that one or more of your submissions was approved if you submitted more than one event.)

Our review process, completed by our Programming Team, considers a wide range of factors including, but not limited to:

·         Historical data on attendance, feedback from Guests, etc.

·         Balancing a desire to provide first-time panelists an opportunity at MFF vs. providing space to perennial presenters/performers

·         Feasibility of the panel/performance based on technical, logistic, or other aspects

·         Requested day/time and type of space required

·         Anticipated crowd management concerns

Already, we are looking to 2026 to see how we may provide more panel and live performance spaces within our current venues. We are hopeful that with some changes, we’ll be able to improve on the number of panels and performances that we can host.

We are always willing to answer any questions you may have about the process we use in planning our programming schedule – a process which takes a team cumulatively over one hundred hours to complete. You are welcome to contact us at programming@furfest.org and we will reply as soon as possible.

Thank you again for being willing to provide your time and energy to making MFF an amazing entertainment event for our Guests.

Sincerely,


Fernando “bcbreakaway” Po
Director of Programming – MFF 2025

Yes it hurts and I am disappointed I really was looking forward to doing this panel.

But as we always say here in Chicago. “Wait to next year”.

Mom’s Cat Review by Grubbs Grizzly

Ahmar Wolf

Mom’s Cat is an intense, yet quiet, short film by Hungarian writer/director Annabella Schnabel, who produced it for her diploma project at the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest. It has already garnered several awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the 29th Chicago Underground Film Festival, First Prize at the 19th Pannonfíling Film Festival, Best Short Film at the 8th Nefiltravane Kino Film Festival, and Best Young Director at the 13th Short to the Point International Film Festival. It was screened at several Oscar-qualifying festivals, such as the 70th Melbourne International Film Festival, 40th Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, 52nd Nashville Film Festival, and the A-listed 43rd Moscow International Film Festival, earning a spot on the 2023 Student Academy Awards long list.

I had the opportunity to watch this 18-minute film, and I can say the plaudits are deserved.

For those of you who don’t know me, I have been writing a furry advice column called “Ask Papabear” since 2012 (www.askpapabear.com), and over the years I have been approached for advice from many furries struggling with wanting to be a furry even when their families, peers, and society reject them. This dilemma is a complex issue about which one could write an entire book—even books. I mention all of this so that the reader knows that my reactions below are based on my extensive familiarity with furries.

What impressed me most about this film is how Schnabel packs so much emotion into just a few minutes and with minimal dialog. Every word uttered, every movement the actors make bears weight.

Without giving anything away, the story is basically this: 30-something Felix (Attila Fritz) lives in squalid conditions with his mother, who barely tolerates her son and clearly despises him for not being “normal.” One day, Felix gets exciting news that a company wants to hire him to be a kind of mascot-for-hire, which means he can get paid and wear his fursuit! Felix is immensely proud of his fursuit, which he made himself. So, off he goes to his new job, where he meets coworkers who seem shy but admire his fursuit, which is a kind of winged cat. What follows are some ups and downs in his job that adeptly capture the sensitivities of the kind and sweet Felix, who only wants to be happy, and a mother and society that despise him for being abnormal. The conclusion is tragic, sad, disturbing, and oddly sweet.

If I could encapsulate all the worst experiences and angst I have encountered in my 13 years as a furry advice columnist into one character, Felix would be that character. Similarly, every scene, every word of dialog, every gesture, and every movement of the well-directed camera compresses a world of misunderstood love like a telegraphed message in which each dot and short dash has a significance. A rose, a hesitant touch, a half-eaten chicken foot, and many other images add to the painting like dots on a pointillist painter’s masterpiece. When Felix explains to his coworkers why his fursuit has wings and why there are stripe marks on the head, for example, Schnabel reveals in a few seconds how a fursuit can contain deep personal meaning for its wearer. It is just one of many poignant scenes here.

To be clear, Mom’s Cat is not about the average furry experience, but it is about a side of the fandom that is very true indeed and to which many furries will relate.

I would give it two thumbs up, but I’m a bear and don’t have thumbs, so I will give it a big Awoo! instead.

[You can read an interview with Schnabel by going here https://magyar.film.hu/filmhu/magazin/schnabel-annabellea-a-furry-szubkultura-mogott-gyakran-lelki-sebek-rejtoznek-interju.html and hitting Translate. There is a link to the movie at the bottom of the article. It’s $5 to watch.]