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"Lizard Boy:" The Musical
Posted 2 years ago[I originally published this review as "The Miscweant" in Daily Kos, my favorite lefty news website; that version includes photographs from the show: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20.....d-in-all-of-us]
I have an online friend who regularly gives me a heads-up about anthropomorphic doings and similar news items as he comes across them, familiar with my interest in the subject (not to mention my books "Furry Nation" and "Furry Planet"). A few weeks ago he told me about a musical coming to New York City (where I’m blessedly fortunate to live) called…Lizard Boy.
http://www.lizardmusical.com/
As a furry who considers the alligator his spirit animal and has a Komodo dragon fursona (and fursuit to go with it), no way was I going to miss this one! (And thanks to the producers’ generosity, I didn’t.) To get into the spirit of the evening I wore a lizard pin in my hat and for good measure, my “Lizardman (of Lee County South Carolina)” t-shirt.
A (hopefully) brief synopsis: as a child Trevor (portrayed by Justin Huertas, the musical’s creator) was drenched in the blood of a dragon released by Mount St. Helens’ 1980 catastrophic eruption (a true event—the eruption, not the dragon) and soon slaughtered by the military (a totally imaginary event).
(Side note: Lizard Boy’s roots are in Seattle’s local theater community; a mere 96 miles from the eruption, that cataclysm has become a permanent fixture in the city’s consciousness.) The beast’s blood has permanently turned Trevor a scaly green; he now leaves his apartment a single day a year—on “Monsterfest,” the annual commemoration of the dragon’s slaying, when people (according to the show’s synopsis) “dress up as soldiers, firemen, lizards, and dragons” and Trevor’s unique appearance can be mistaken for a costume. (Except for the soldiers and firemen Monsterfest could be a very cool furcon.) Speaking of costumes, Huertas’ onstage lizardy appearance is evoked with a few green sequins affixed to his face and arms, an occasional green spotlight and a bitchin’ pair of scaly boots I wouldn’t mind owning myself.
Trying (as it were) to break out of his shell, Trevor creates a Grindr profile and meets Cary, who interprets Trevor’s “just looking for the moment” (temporarily checking things out) as “just looking for the moment,” as in a quickie hook-up. Cary initially comes on way too strong, frightening Trevor. In the first of the musical’s many compassionate moments Cary sincerely apologizes for his brazenness (via song, because this is a musical) and the two become friends. (Later in the show the pair share a passionate kiss and Cary confesses “I like the scales.”)
Trevor finds himself mysteriously attracted to “Siren,” a glamorous singer performing at the local club “The Crocodile.” (Presumably no relation to Williamsburg Brooklyn’s “Alligator Lounge.”) The trio are the musical’s entire cast—as well as its “orchestra,” accompanying themselves on cello, guitar, piano, ukulele, xylophone…and kazoo.
Like Cary’s musical apology to Trevor, Lizard Boy contains many moments when the characters reveal their loneliness and vulnerability, moments no small number of furries can relate to. Trevor evolves from someone who wishes he could just “wipe the green away” to declaring “no more pretend,” describing one of his songs as being “about hope” and ultimately embracing who he is. (“Being different made me feel powerful…what am I? Awesome!”)
At the musical’s climax dragons return in fearsome number, just as Siren predicted. Judging by the thundering sound of its wings, a particularly enormous one lands in front of the trio; Siren wants to kill it, Cary wants to flee…but Trevor simply extends a green hand in friendship and acceptance.
As Lizard Boy nears its conclusion Trevor offers some advice that furs like myself can attest to, and people eager to judge others should consider: “no one is ‘normal’—that’s what makes us special.”
***
Lizard Boy over, I head to the lounge and put the drink coupon that came with my ticket to good use, selecting and downing a can of beer loathed by anti-“woke,” anti-gay bigots everywhere: Bud Light.
I have an online friend who regularly gives me a heads-up about anthropomorphic doings and similar news items as he comes across them, familiar with my interest in the subject (not to mention my books "Furry Nation" and "Furry Planet"). A few weeks ago he told me about a musical coming to New York City (where I’m blessedly fortunate to live) called…Lizard Boy.
http://www.lizardmusical.com/
As a furry who considers the alligator his spirit animal and has a Komodo dragon fursona (and fursuit to go with it), no way was I going to miss this one! (And thanks to the producers’ generosity, I didn’t.) To get into the spirit of the evening I wore a lizard pin in my hat and for good measure, my “Lizardman (of Lee County South Carolina)” t-shirt.
A (hopefully) brief synopsis: as a child Trevor (portrayed by Justin Huertas, the musical’s creator) was drenched in the blood of a dragon released by Mount St. Helens’ 1980 catastrophic eruption (a true event—the eruption, not the dragon) and soon slaughtered by the military (a totally imaginary event).
(Side note: Lizard Boy’s roots are in Seattle’s local theater community; a mere 96 miles from the eruption, that cataclysm has become a permanent fixture in the city’s consciousness.) The beast’s blood has permanently turned Trevor a scaly green; he now leaves his apartment a single day a year—on “Monsterfest,” the annual commemoration of the dragon’s slaying, when people (according to the show’s synopsis) “dress up as soldiers, firemen, lizards, and dragons” and Trevor’s unique appearance can be mistaken for a costume. (Except for the soldiers and firemen Monsterfest could be a very cool furcon.) Speaking of costumes, Huertas’ onstage lizardy appearance is evoked with a few green sequins affixed to his face and arms, an occasional green spotlight and a bitchin’ pair of scaly boots I wouldn’t mind owning myself.
Trying (as it were) to break out of his shell, Trevor creates a Grindr profile and meets Cary, who interprets Trevor’s “just looking for the moment” (temporarily checking things out) as “just looking for the moment,” as in a quickie hook-up. Cary initially comes on way too strong, frightening Trevor. In the first of the musical’s many compassionate moments Cary sincerely apologizes for his brazenness (via song, because this is a musical) and the two become friends. (Later in the show the pair share a passionate kiss and Cary confesses “I like the scales.”)
Trevor finds himself mysteriously attracted to “Siren,” a glamorous singer performing at the local club “The Crocodile.” (Presumably no relation to Williamsburg Brooklyn’s “Alligator Lounge.”) The trio are the musical’s entire cast—as well as its “orchestra,” accompanying themselves on cello, guitar, piano, ukulele, xylophone…and kazoo.
Like Cary’s musical apology to Trevor, Lizard Boy contains many moments when the characters reveal their loneliness and vulnerability, moments no small number of furries can relate to. Trevor evolves from someone who wishes he could just “wipe the green away” to declaring “no more pretend,” describing one of his songs as being “about hope” and ultimately embracing who he is. (“Being different made me feel powerful…what am I? Awesome!”)
At the musical’s climax dragons return in fearsome number, just as Siren predicted. Judging by the thundering sound of its wings, a particularly enormous one lands in front of the trio; Siren wants to kill it, Cary wants to flee…but Trevor simply extends a green hand in friendship and acceptance.
As Lizard Boy nears its conclusion Trevor offers some advice that furs like myself can attest to, and people eager to judge others should consider: “no one is ‘normal’—that’s what makes us special.”
***
Lizard Boy over, I head to the lounge and put the drink coupon that came with my ticket to good use, selecting and downing a can of beer loathed by anti-“woke,” anti-gay bigots everywhere: Bud Light.
Furries and Disney and DeSantis, oh boy! (Take 2)
Posted 2 years agoMy editor asked me to rewrite the furry "op-ed" I posted a few weeks ago. [https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/10600825/] I was miffed at first, how dare he mess with my utterly perfect prose?! However, I eventually calmed down and realized he had a point: lead with the good stuff and save the contentious material for later.
I made a list of each paragraph's subject in the order they appeared in my original version, then re-ordered them as my editor suggested, followed by a little tweaking or rewriting to make it seem like I wrote it that way to begin with...
Earlier this summer Pittsburgh’s streets were filled with thousands of animals.
Not actual, escaped-from-the-zoo animals, but “furries,” a subculture of people you may have heard about, people—like me—who are fascinated by fictional, anthropomorphic animals. We were there for our annual “Anthrocon” convention in the city that’s been our home since 2006.
Furries (or as we sometimes call ourselves, “furs”) love imaginary characters who combine human and animal appearance or abilities; they may be storybook animals like Peter Rabbit, mythical ones like dragons or unicorns…and in particular, cartoon critters.
Over four days, 13,644 furries (including more than 2500 wearing the elaborate fursuits we’re known for) delighted a city that has warmly embraced the furry community. Hundreds of residents travelled downtown to watch the annual fursuit parade, whose participants posed for photographs afterwards alongside beaming locals in the post-parade block party. (Those locals may have also been beaming in gratitude for the millions of dollars Anthrocon injects into the Pittsburgh economy every year.) A middle-aged woman approached one fursuiter and told him how happy she was that the furries were in town. “Every year you turn the city into a fantasyland—and it’s something I really needed right now.”
Those fursuits are handmade (and expensive!) wearable works of art, custom-created by furry artisans to make tangible the “fursonas,” the animal alter-egos furs have invented for themselves. For a few days fursuiters can take a vacation from the human race and transform into someone else, a grander self of their imagination: swashbuckling foxes, dapper rabbits, bon vivant walruses, multi-colored felines, feathered avians… (During conventions I become “Komos,” a sinister yet strangely alluring Komodo dragon sporting a boutonniere on his tuxedo lapel.)
Not everyone gets it, though—in particular, a certain Florida governor.
Ron DeSantis, fuming that the Disney organization opposes his heavy-handed attempts to convince parents gay, transgender or cross-dressing people are somehow a menace to their kids, has tried any number of ways to “punish” the mega-corporation’s Florida theme parks for daring to oppose his edicts.
He may not have had much luck bringing the company to its heels, but his efforts have already impacted furries, a core group of Disney fans.
A mock “inspirational” poster can be found online, featuring a leggy female mouse from Disney’s 1986 cartoon The Great Mouse Detective in a coquettish pose, crediting the studio for “turning kids into Furries for over ninety years.” Many Generation X furs point to Disney’s charismatic cartoon Robin Hood, a daring and dashing fox as inspiring their furriness—a veritable furry influencer!
DeSantis’ overly broad and possibly unconstitutional child “protection” laws forced Florida’s long-running Megaplex furry convention to restrict attendance to over 18-year-old furs, even though furry is a youthful community with many of its participants still high school students.
Every few years a new, imaginary “menace” comes along to purportedly endanger children. In the past it was comic books, rock music or video games; today it’s furry, supposedly encouraging kids to “identify as” animals and use litterboxes in place of toilets. In reality, the furry community is home to many gay, transgender or autistic children and adults who experience the support, validation and acceptance denied them elsewhere.
In the meantime, Governor DeSantis continues his heavy-handed attempts to turn himself into Disney’s next cartoon villain; I wonder if his real issue with Disney is when Prince Phillip kissed Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora, she became “woke.”
###
I made a list of each paragraph's subject in the order they appeared in my original version, then re-ordered them as my editor suggested, followed by a little tweaking or rewriting to make it seem like I wrote it that way to begin with...
Earlier this summer Pittsburgh’s streets were filled with thousands of animals.
Not actual, escaped-from-the-zoo animals, but “furries,” a subculture of people you may have heard about, people—like me—who are fascinated by fictional, anthropomorphic animals. We were there for our annual “Anthrocon” convention in the city that’s been our home since 2006.
Furries (or as we sometimes call ourselves, “furs”) love imaginary characters who combine human and animal appearance or abilities; they may be storybook animals like Peter Rabbit, mythical ones like dragons or unicorns…and in particular, cartoon critters.
Over four days, 13,644 furries (including more than 2500 wearing the elaborate fursuits we’re known for) delighted a city that has warmly embraced the furry community. Hundreds of residents travelled downtown to watch the annual fursuit parade, whose participants posed for photographs afterwards alongside beaming locals in the post-parade block party. (Those locals may have also been beaming in gratitude for the millions of dollars Anthrocon injects into the Pittsburgh economy every year.) A middle-aged woman approached one fursuiter and told him how happy she was that the furries were in town. “Every year you turn the city into a fantasyland—and it’s something I really needed right now.”
Those fursuits are handmade (and expensive!) wearable works of art, custom-created by furry artisans to make tangible the “fursonas,” the animal alter-egos furs have invented for themselves. For a few days fursuiters can take a vacation from the human race and transform into someone else, a grander self of their imagination: swashbuckling foxes, dapper rabbits, bon vivant walruses, multi-colored felines, feathered avians… (During conventions I become “Komos,” a sinister yet strangely alluring Komodo dragon sporting a boutonniere on his tuxedo lapel.)
Not everyone gets it, though—in particular, a certain Florida governor.
Ron DeSantis, fuming that the Disney organization opposes his heavy-handed attempts to convince parents gay, transgender or cross-dressing people are somehow a menace to their kids, has tried any number of ways to “punish” the mega-corporation’s Florida theme parks for daring to oppose his edicts.
He may not have had much luck bringing the company to its heels, but his efforts have already impacted furries, a core group of Disney fans.
A mock “inspirational” poster can be found online, featuring a leggy female mouse from Disney’s 1986 cartoon The Great Mouse Detective in a coquettish pose, crediting the studio for “turning kids into Furries for over ninety years.” Many Generation X furs point to Disney’s charismatic cartoon Robin Hood, a daring and dashing fox as inspiring their furriness—a veritable furry influencer!
DeSantis’ overly broad and possibly unconstitutional child “protection” laws forced Florida’s long-running Megaplex furry convention to restrict attendance to over 18-year-old furs, even though furry is a youthful community with many of its participants still high school students.
Every few years a new, imaginary “menace” comes along to purportedly endanger children. In the past it was comic books, rock music or video games; today it’s furry, supposedly encouraging kids to “identify as” animals and use litterboxes in place of toilets. In reality, the furry community is home to many gay, transgender or autistic children and adults who experience the support, validation and acceptance denied them elsewhere.
In the meantime, Governor DeSantis continues his heavy-handed attempts to turn himself into Disney’s next cartoon villain; I wonder if his real issue with Disney is when Prince Phillip kissed Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora, she became “woke.”
###
DeSantis and Disney and Furries, oh my!
Posted 2 years agoFurry Planet will be published on August 22nd; the publisher's press relations person asked me to write something a newspaper or website might be interested in running. Nothing in it about the book (if anyone prints it, it'll probably have a "Joe Strike is the author of" attribution at the bottom) but I'm pretty proud of it, it's probably the most succinct thing I've ever written about furry - and it includes a couple of swipes at DeSantis.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis, fuming that the Disney organization is opposing his iron-fisted attempt to turn gay, transgender and cross-dressing people into “non-persons,” may not realize he is also attacking another group challenging long held assumptions about gender…and species: furries.
Full disclosure: I’m one of them. Furries like me are people fascinated by anthropomorphic animals: imaginary and appealing beings who combine human and animal appearance or abilities. They may be storybook animals, mythical ones like dragons and in particular, cartoon critters—and Disney’s animated menagerie inspired so many of us to become furries.
There’s a mock “inspirational” poster online depicting a leggy female mus musculus from The Great Mouse Detective in a coquettish pose above the caption, “Disney: Turning kids into Furries for over ninety years.” Many Generation X furs credit the studio’s charismatic Robin Hood, a daring and dashing fox for inspiring their furriness—a veritable cartoon influencer!
DeSantis’ overly broad and likely unconstitutional child protection laws forced Florida’s long-running Megaplex furry convention to restrict attendance to over 18 year old furs, even though furry is a very youthful community with many of its participants high-school students or younger. Older furs (like myself, a furry since its earliest mid-1980s days) are considered “greymuzzles”—and the Facebook greymuzzles page is open to anyone over a mere thirty.
Meanwhile, just before July 4th Pittsburgh welcomed Anthrocon, a long-running convention (and currently the largest of the dozens of furry gatherings held around the world) that has made the city its home since 2006. Over four days 13,644 furries (including more than 2500 wearing the elaborate fursuits we’re known for) delighted a city that has warmly embraced the furry community. Hundreds of residents come downtown to watch the annual fursuit parade, whose participants pose for photographs alongside beaming locals in the post-parade block party. (Those locals may also be beaming in gratitude for the millions of dollars Anthrocon injects into the Pittsburgh economy every year.) A middle-aged woman approached one fursuiter and told him how happy she was the furries were in town. “Every year you turn the city into a fantasyland—and it’s something I really needed right now.”
Those fursuits are handmade (and expensive!) wearable works of art, custom-created by furry artisans to make tangible the “fursonas,” the animal alter-egos furs have invented for themselves. The ludicrous misconception that furries have sex inside generic animal suits is slowly giving way to the realization that for a few days fursuiters can take a vacation from the human race and transform into someone else, a grander self of their imagination: swashbuckling foxes, dapper rabbits, bon vivant walruses, multi-colored felines, feathered avians…during conventions I become “Komos,” a sinister yet strangely alluring Komodo dragon sporting a boutonniere on his tuxedo lapel.
Every few years a new, imaginary “menace” comes along to purportedly endanger children. In the past it was comic books, rock music or “satanic” nursery schools; today it’s furry, supposedly encouraging kids to “identify as” animals and use sandboxes in place of toilets. In reality, the furry community is home to many gay, transgender or autistic children and adults who experience the support, validation and acceptance denied them elsewhere.
In the meantime, Governor DeSantis continues his heavy-handed attempt to turn himself into Disney’s next cartoon villain; I wonder if his real issue with Disney is when Prince Phillip kissed Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora, she became “woke.”
###
Florida governor Ron DeSantis, fuming that the Disney organization is opposing his iron-fisted attempt to turn gay, transgender and cross-dressing people into “non-persons,” may not realize he is also attacking another group challenging long held assumptions about gender…and species: furries.
Full disclosure: I’m one of them. Furries like me are people fascinated by anthropomorphic animals: imaginary and appealing beings who combine human and animal appearance or abilities. They may be storybook animals, mythical ones like dragons and in particular, cartoon critters—and Disney’s animated menagerie inspired so many of us to become furries.
There’s a mock “inspirational” poster online depicting a leggy female mus musculus from The Great Mouse Detective in a coquettish pose above the caption, “Disney: Turning kids into Furries for over ninety years.” Many Generation X furs credit the studio’s charismatic Robin Hood, a daring and dashing fox for inspiring their furriness—a veritable cartoon influencer!
DeSantis’ overly broad and likely unconstitutional child protection laws forced Florida’s long-running Megaplex furry convention to restrict attendance to over 18 year old furs, even though furry is a very youthful community with many of its participants high-school students or younger. Older furs (like myself, a furry since its earliest mid-1980s days) are considered “greymuzzles”—and the Facebook greymuzzles page is open to anyone over a mere thirty.
Meanwhile, just before July 4th Pittsburgh welcomed Anthrocon, a long-running convention (and currently the largest of the dozens of furry gatherings held around the world) that has made the city its home since 2006. Over four days 13,644 furries (including more than 2500 wearing the elaborate fursuits we’re known for) delighted a city that has warmly embraced the furry community. Hundreds of residents come downtown to watch the annual fursuit parade, whose participants pose for photographs alongside beaming locals in the post-parade block party. (Those locals may also be beaming in gratitude for the millions of dollars Anthrocon injects into the Pittsburgh economy every year.) A middle-aged woman approached one fursuiter and told him how happy she was the furries were in town. “Every year you turn the city into a fantasyland—and it’s something I really needed right now.”
Those fursuits are handmade (and expensive!) wearable works of art, custom-created by furry artisans to make tangible the “fursonas,” the animal alter-egos furs have invented for themselves. The ludicrous misconception that furries have sex inside generic animal suits is slowly giving way to the realization that for a few days fursuiters can take a vacation from the human race and transform into someone else, a grander self of their imagination: swashbuckling foxes, dapper rabbits, bon vivant walruses, multi-colored felines, feathered avians…during conventions I become “Komos,” a sinister yet strangely alluring Komodo dragon sporting a boutonniere on his tuxedo lapel.
Every few years a new, imaginary “menace” comes along to purportedly endanger children. In the past it was comic books, rock music or “satanic” nursery schools; today it’s furry, supposedly encouraging kids to “identify as” animals and use sandboxes in place of toilets. In reality, the furry community is home to many gay, transgender or autistic children and adults who experience the support, validation and acceptance denied them elsewhere.
In the meantime, Governor DeSantis continues his heavy-handed attempt to turn himself into Disney’s next cartoon villain; I wonder if his real issue with Disney is when Prince Phillip kissed Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora, she became “woke.”
###
Countdown to "Furry Planet" blast-off!
Posted 2 years ago"A show for the lizard in all of us"
Posted 2 years agoSaw Lizard Boy Friday, an off-Broadway musical about a young man who's exactly that:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20.....d-in-all-of-us
Posted my review under my "Miscweant" handle on dailykos.com, my favorite lefty news site; here's the musical's own website:
www.lizardmusical.com
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20.....d-in-all-of-us
Posted my review under my "Miscweant" handle on dailykos.com, my favorite lefty news site; here's the musical's own website:
www.lizardmusical.com
If you want a custom "Furry" license plate in NY...
Posted 2 years ago- forget about it.
The New York State DMV website has a page where you can request a custom license plate & lets you check to see if the plate you want is available, but any combination containing "FUR" or "FURRY" is unavailable, and I assume it's not because every last one has already been taken.
It's more likely they're on a list of "plates we do not let people have because they might offend someone." However, the closest I could come to a furry plate is available:
(The whole thing is academic because I live in NYC where I don't need a car and will very likely never own one.)
The New York State DMV website has a page where you can request a custom license plate & lets you check to see if the plate you want is available, but any combination containing "FUR" or "FURRY" is unavailable, and I assume it's not because every last one has already been taken.
It's more likely they're on a list of "plates we do not let people have because they might offend someone." However, the closest I could come to a furry plate is available:
4E 4EVR(The whole thing is academic because I live in NYC where I don't need a car and will very likely never own one.)
"50 years after release, Disney’s Robin Hood is still.....
Posted 2 years ago"- a life-changing furry phenomenon."
https://www.polygon.com/century-of-.....-movie-feature
Excellent, thoughtful, non-condescending piece - and even though there's a reference or two to sex, the usual "although for some furries it's a sexual turn-on, for most it's just..." is missing, which for me is a real breakthrough in how we're covered.
The article also links to this one:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotop.....is-hot-af-tbqh
- which is really fun, and evidently written by a non-fur. (Don't miss the comment from "mstegosaurus" below the article )
https://www.polygon.com/century-of-.....-movie-feature
Excellent, thoughtful, non-condescending piece - and even though there's a reference or two to sex, the usual "although for some furries it's a sexual turn-on, for most it's just..." is missing, which for me is a real breakthrough in how we're covered.
The article also links to this one:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotop.....is-hot-af-tbqh
- which is really fun, and evidently written by a non-fur. (Don't miss the comment from "mstegosaurus" below the article )
Revealed: The human destined to become Mister Airwick!
Posted 2 years agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqWNG_X0bAQ
I have to thank
indagare for pointing out my original title for this link ("If Mister Airwick was human he'd be this guy") was innacurate because Mister Airwick was human before (thanks to Circe's benevolence) he became Mister Airwick!
I have to thank
indagare for pointing out my original title for this link ("If Mister Airwick was human he'd be this guy") was innacurate because Mister Airwick was human before (thanks to Circe's benevolence) he became Mister Airwick!Yet even MORE mainstream anthropomorphism!
Posted 3 years agoFrom that noted furry publication, The New York Times:
Dress Like Your Inner Animal
Collina Strada starts New York Fashion Week with a bark. And a woof. A snort? Definitely a giggle.
...many of the designer Hillary Taymour’s (yes) friends, of all ages, sizes and physical abilities, strutting the runway in a room painted earthy green.
Or only partially strutting. The rest of the time they were crawling, hopping, prancing, sniffing the audience and otherwise giving in to their inner animals, all the while wearing deer ears, a pig’s snout, a dog’s head, a toucan’s beak and other assorted creature-feature prosthetics created by the makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench.
Along with the critter accessories came white Vans with hooves printed on the upper, horse’s tails made from skeins of recycled yarn, prints that looked like fur...
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/.....hion-week.html
Dress Like Your Inner Animal
Collina Strada starts New York Fashion Week with a bark. And a woof. A snort? Definitely a giggle.
...many of the designer Hillary Taymour’s (yes) friends, of all ages, sizes and physical abilities, strutting the runway in a room painted earthy green.
Or only partially strutting. The rest of the time they were crawling, hopping, prancing, sniffing the audience and otherwise giving in to their inner animals, all the while wearing deer ears, a pig’s snout, a dog’s head, a toucan’s beak and other assorted creature-feature prosthetics created by the makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench.
Along with the critter accessories came white Vans with hooves printed on the upper, horse’s tails made from skeins of recycled yarn, prints that looked like fur...
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/.....hion-week.html
"2 Lizards:" It's like "Zootopia" - but a lot more seriou...
Posted 3 years agoIt's an appx 20 minute long CGI video about 2 anthropomorphic reptiles & their friends coping with war, racism & COVID...in an all-animal NYC. (The computer-animated animals are composited over real-life, video background footage.)
It's playing at the Whitney Museum in NYC, a classy, high-prestige museum, in their ground floor theater (no admission charge - you don't have to pay $25 to see it) - https://whitney.org/exhibitions/2-lizards
In other words, more mainstream anthropomorphism! If you're anywhere near NYC it's definitely worth the trip. (But hurry, it ends Sunday Feb 19). The Whitney is in downtown in the West Village, at the bottom end of the High Line park. (The M14 bus will get you there.)
It's playing at the Whitney Museum in NYC, a classy, high-prestige museum, in their ground floor theater (no admission charge - you don't have to pay $25 to see it) - https://whitney.org/exhibitions/2-lizards
In other words, more mainstream anthropomorphism! If you're anywhere near NYC it's definitely worth the trip. (But hurry, it ends Sunday Feb 19). The Whitney is in downtown in the West Village, at the bottom end of the High Line park. (The M14 bus will get you there.)
Mainstream media strikes again...&#!@%*#
Posted 3 years agoGoogle sends me a weekly summary of furry mention in the media...this is the absolute worst of what I've seen in recent years, makes the litterbox stories look like happy fairy tales by comparison:
"Ex Claims Furry Held Her Hostage, Forced Her Into Porn"*
What's totally absolutely *disgusting* about this story is... there's absolutely no connection between his evil deeds and the fact he's a furry, yet this website deliberately chose to conflate the two separate parts of his life, with lots of fursuit photos of him composited with his mug shots and art of a scribbled-over female silhouette, lousy motherf***ers...
Had to do my civic duty & give them a piece of my mind (not that I can spare it, but this is important) via my response to them:
editorial@thedailybeast.com
As a lifelong furry and the author of Furry Nation and the forthcoming Furry Planet, I cannot tell you how disgusted I am over your article "Ex Claims Furry Held Her Hostage, Forced Her Into Porn."
Not because you reported on a sick, heinous individual who committed monstrous acts against helpless people -- but because your article not just once, but repeatedly identified him as a furry, from its headline and the numerous photographs of him in his fursuit* - when, at least according to your article, there was absolutely no overlap between his furry life and his monstrous deeds; none of the porn or cruelty discussed included any kind of furry behavior (fursuit sex, etc.) nor did he exploit female furries he might have met at conventions or online.
Our community has faced years of misconceptions and fear because of deliberately twisted coverage like this. Instead of pinning the entire article on his furry identity, a passing mention of his furry activities would have been sufficient, thank you very much - but I suspect this guy's story would have never made it onto DB without the furry angle. Shame on you.
Anybody else wants to let them know how you feel, their Em addy's right above...
* https://www.thedailybeast.com/wisco.....-her-into-porn
"Ex Claims Furry Held Her Hostage, Forced Her Into Porn"*
What's totally absolutely *disgusting* about this story is... there's absolutely no connection between his evil deeds and the fact he's a furry, yet this website deliberately chose to conflate the two separate parts of his life, with lots of fursuit photos of him composited with his mug shots and art of a scribbled-over female silhouette, lousy motherf***ers...
Had to do my civic duty & give them a piece of my mind (not that I can spare it, but this is important) via my response to them:
editorial@thedailybeast.com
As a lifelong furry and the author of Furry Nation and the forthcoming Furry Planet, I cannot tell you how disgusted I am over your article "Ex Claims Furry Held Her Hostage, Forced Her Into Porn."
Not because you reported on a sick, heinous individual who committed monstrous acts against helpless people -- but because your article not just once, but repeatedly identified him as a furry, from its headline and the numerous photographs of him in his fursuit* - when, at least according to your article, there was absolutely no overlap between his furry life and his monstrous deeds; none of the porn or cruelty discussed included any kind of furry behavior (fursuit sex, etc.) nor did he exploit female furries he might have met at conventions or online.
Our community has faced years of misconceptions and fear because of deliberately twisted coverage like this. Instead of pinning the entire article on his furry identity, a passing mention of his furry activities would have been sufficient, thank you very much - but I suspect this guy's story would have never made it onto DB without the furry angle. Shame on you.
Anybody else wants to let them know how you feel, their Em addy's right above...
* https://www.thedailybeast.com/wisco.....-her-into-porn
UPDATE 25% off "Furry Planet" cover price-ENDS FRIDAY!
Posted 3 years agoOOPS: Just re-read the ad: unless they extend the discount, it's only good thru tomorrow Jan 27; sorry folks!
Just received an ad from Barnes & Noble. They're offering 25% off pre-orders of not-yet-published books, including "Furry Planet" (due out in May) = $18.75 instead of $25 at bn.com - use coupon code PREORDER25 at check-out...
That's if you were planning to buy it anyway, of course.
Just received an ad from Barnes & Noble. They're offering 25% off pre-orders of not-yet-published books, including "Furry Planet" (due out in May) = $18.75 instead of $25 at bn.com - use coupon code PREORDER25 at check-out...
That's if you were planning to buy it anyway, of course.
"219 West" TV newsmagazine interviews me about Furry
Posted 3 years agoI already posted this in June, with a time-coded link to the segment as it aired on the school's YouTube channel: a media student at the City University of New York interviewed me for "219 West," the school's magazine format TV news show.
It's the same segment as before, but this time I edited it out of the episode, with just the top of the show tease and the segment itself - so consider this the free-standing "hands-on" version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvCMavcuzbI
It's the same segment as before, but this time I edited it out of the episode, with just the top of the show tease and the segment itself - so consider this the free-standing "hands-on" version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvCMavcuzbI
Your art between covers…of an actual book?
Posted 3 years agoFurry Planet, my follow-up to my 2017 book Furry Nation, will be released next month by Apollo Publishers: https://tinyurl.com/3k7fn8ud
Apollo tells me there’ll be room in the book for fifteen or so examples of furry art, some of which may be in color. I’m putting together a portfolio of work from numerous artists to give my editor a wide variety of art to choose from.
Sorry to say there’s no money involved, but if your work winds up in the book a lot of people both inside and outside of the furry community will have a chance to see it. I’ll ask my editor to include the title and each artist’s contact information beneath their work in the following manner:
“Title of Artwork” – artistname-at-email-dot-com [or other social media info]
If you’re interested in participating, please let me know by this Friday January 6th with links to as many pictures as you’d like to submit – and please spread the word to other artists you think might be interested in participating.
- SFW art only!
- Sorry, no commissioned work. The book is way behind schedule; if my editor wants to use a submitted picture there’s simply no time to track down the person who commissioned it to get their approval along with your own.
- Likewise, no fan art of mainstream entertainment characters. I’d rather not deal with corporate intellectual property lawyers (and I’m sure Apollo feels the same way).
Looking forward to hearing from you; shoot me a note here, or if you prefer, an Email to joestrike[at]gmail.com - thanx much!
Apollo tells me there’ll be room in the book for fifteen or so examples of furry art, some of which may be in color. I’m putting together a portfolio of work from numerous artists to give my editor a wide variety of art to choose from.
Sorry to say there’s no money involved, but if your work winds up in the book a lot of people both inside and outside of the furry community will have a chance to see it. I’ll ask my editor to include the title and each artist’s contact information beneath their work in the following manner:
“Title of Artwork” – artistname-at-email-dot-com [or other social media info]
If you’re interested in participating, please let me know by this Friday January 6th with links to as many pictures as you’d like to submit – and please spread the word to other artists you think might be interested in participating.
VERY IMPORTANT DETAILS:- SFW art only!
- Sorry, no commissioned work. The book is way behind schedule; if my editor wants to use a submitted picture there’s simply no time to track down the person who commissioned it to get their approval along with your own.
- Likewise, no fan art of mainstream entertainment characters. I’d rather not deal with corporate intellectual property lawyers (and I’m sure Apollo feels the same way).
Looking forward to hearing from you; shoot me a note here, or if you prefer, an Email to joestrike[at]gmail.com - thanx much!
Happy Holi-daze!
Posted 3 years agoI hope no one out there was waiting with breath (baited- or otherwise) for my annual holiday card, a year-end tradition since I started creating them back in 1807. (I think it was 1807, it's been a while - although Tom Jefferson always sent me a thank you note.)
The entire last half of 2022 was dedicated to finishing my Furry Nation follow-up, Furry Planet (of which there are still a few loose ends remaining but I'm sure my editor will snip them off). The book is due to be published in February* and unless I suddenly get inspired to write Furry Solar System (or even Furry Multiverse) that's probably as far as I'll go in chronicling furry history.
So just like in 2017 when my card was delayed while finishing up Nation - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/22417273/ - my end-of-2022 card will be an early-in-2023 one instead.
BTW, thanx to a progression of f***-ups, my server GoDaddy deleted my entire address book, something it took me 15+ year to build! Been meaning to switch to a new server & this sort of clinches it. If you're used to my occasional "News from the Nation" mailings & no longer get them, message me here and I'll add you to the replacement list I'll eventually build (which I will definitely back up on my own computer!)
And oh yeah, PS: Happy Holidays to one and all, furry and non-furry alike!
*https://tinyurl.com/4umn6ks9
The entire last half of 2022 was dedicated to finishing my Furry Nation follow-up, Furry Planet (of which there are still a few loose ends remaining but I'm sure my editor will snip them off). The book is due to be published in February* and unless I suddenly get inspired to write Furry Solar System (or even Furry Multiverse) that's probably as far as I'll go in chronicling furry history.
So just like in 2017 when my card was delayed while finishing up Nation - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/22417273/ - my end-of-2022 card will be an early-in-2023 one instead.
BTW, thanx to a progression of f***-ups, my server GoDaddy deleted my entire address book, something it took me 15+ year to build! Been meaning to switch to a new server & this sort of clinches it. If you're used to my occasional "News from the Nation" mailings & no longer get them, message me here and I'll add you to the replacement list I'll eventually build (which I will definitely back up on my own computer!)
And oh yeah, PS: Happy Holidays to one and all, furry and non-furry alike!
*https://tinyurl.com/4umn6ks9
Never mind - room is full
Posted 3 years agoSorry!
VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VO...
Posted 3 years agoElection day is next Tuesday, November 8.
I won't tell you who I think you should vote for - but I will say this:
The real target of rumor spreaders going on about the "danger" of furries and litterboxes in (non-gender) school bathrooms: gay and transgender kids, kids who have the temerity to be "different" from what those angry people expect or demand of them.
Those kids feel welcome and safe in our community.
The people telling everyone there's something wrong with being furry...aren't Democrats.
I won't tell you who I think you should vote for - but I will say this:
The real target of rumor spreaders going on about the "danger" of furries and litterboxes in (non-gender) school bathrooms: gay and transgender kids, kids who have the temerity to be "different" from what those angry people expect or demand of them.
Those kids feel welcome and safe in our community.
The people telling everyone there's something wrong with being furry...aren't Democrats.
Today is World Animal Day!
Posted 3 years agohttps://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/
Sent this out as a tweet:
"Today is World Animal Day!
Everyone be kind to animals (and don't forget that includes people too - especially #furries)."
Sent this out as a tweet:
"Today is World Animal Day!
Everyone be kind to animals (and don't forget that includes people too - especially #furries)."
He nailed it!
Posted 3 years agoMy son Max came over last night to watch Hitchcock's Marnie. We began the evening with the Looney Tunes' cartoon The Scarlet Pumpernickel, wherein Daffy Duck is pitching a script to "J.L." (Warner, the IRL boss of Warner Bros.) for a movie starring himself as the title character.
I chose it for its meta "cartoon about a movie" theme, plus one of the reasons I love it is, to my knowledge the only Looney Tune where the other WB characters are used as actors in a "fictional" setting - the script Daffy is pitching. (Henery chicken Hawk as a scribe, Elmer Fudd as a humble innkeeper, etc.)
Anyhoo, I read the cartoon's Wikipedia entry afterwards & came across the following quote from animation historian Greg Ford:
"It's the 'real-life' Daffy, as seen in the cartoon's wraparound plot of the studio script meeting, that best clues us in to what separates this film from the spate of animated genre parodies currently being churned out. Most modern-day satires trade on anachronism, and the hero and the audience end up complicit in their smug superiority to the antiquated vehicle." (My bolding.)
Just to make it clear, the "antiquated vehicle" he's referring to is NOT The Scarlet Pumpernickel itself, but to the source movies those "genre parodies" are making fun of...
I bolded the above "smug superiority" because that's exactly the vibe I've always gotten out of Tiny Tunes and Animaniacs: "we know that you know that we know exactly what we're doing here, so boy, aren't we both hip?!"
Opposing (or concurring) opinions are welcome below.
I chose it for its meta "cartoon about a movie" theme, plus one of the reasons I love it is, to my knowledge the only Looney Tune where the other WB characters are used as actors in a "fictional" setting - the script Daffy is pitching. (Henery chicken Hawk as a scribe, Elmer Fudd as a humble innkeeper, etc.)
Anyhoo, I read the cartoon's Wikipedia entry afterwards & came across the following quote from animation historian Greg Ford:
"It's the 'real-life' Daffy, as seen in the cartoon's wraparound plot of the studio script meeting, that best clues us in to what separates this film from the spate of animated genre parodies currently being churned out. Most modern-day satires trade on anachronism, and the hero and the audience end up complicit in their smug superiority to the antiquated vehicle." (My bolding.)
Just to make it clear, the "antiquated vehicle" he's referring to is NOT The Scarlet Pumpernickel itself, but to the source movies those "genre parodies" are making fun of...
I bolded the above "smug superiority" because that's exactly the vibe I've always gotten out of Tiny Tunes and Animaniacs: "we know that you know that we know exactly what we're doing here, so boy, aren't we both hip?!"
Opposing (or concurring) opinions are welcome below.
Changed my avatar
Posted 3 years agoMy donkey self was there in honor of Pinocchio Week, but now that it's over I switched to Komos for the time being - haven't used him in a while. (You can still read my Pinocchio journals by clicking on "Journals" above.)
My opinion on Zemecki's "Pinocchio" - Part 2
Posted 3 years agoNOTE: Part 1 of this stuff can be found here: https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/10325089/
Again, plenty of spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the movie...
- In part 1 of my notes I said Honest John's sidekick Gideon the Cat seemed almost puppetlike in his unchanging expression. I forgot to mention he's also mute & that detail (along with having a convenient assortment of mallets under his jacket) reminded me a great deal of Harpo Marx.
- Also forgot to mention instead of HJ leading him astray, Pinoke actually does go to school - where the schoolmaster boots him out for not being a real boy. Thus HJ convincing him to become an actor seems like a reasonable alternative instead of him being misled by the fox.
- I did like how they streamlined some of the storytelling: Instead of reading a note explaining Monstro had swallowed Gepetto, seagull Sofia flies Pinoke out to sea, where we get to see Gepetto, and Pinocchio at the same time being swallowed - onscreen action instead of being told what happened.
- Replacing Pinoke's underwater trudge to Monstro with Sofia's flight likewise saved a whole buncha time. (Probably why she was added to the film.)
- The Incredible's Dash probably taught Pinoke how to use his feet like a motorboat propeller to speed up his water travel. (Likewise a major time saver.)
- When Gepetto leaves his workshop to look for Pinocchio he takes Cleo (in her bowl) and Figaro (in a pocket). He mutters something to the effect in he hasn't left the shop...in years? This guy is getting creepier by by the second.
- Puppetmaster Stromboli now has an assistant, Fabiana; this makes a lot of sense; in the original movie we didn't see anyone operating the many other puppets during Pinoke's "I've Got No Strings" number. She also has a "happy ending" story of her own which happens off camera. (Maybe they'll film that as a separate movie?)
- Stromboli also had some sort of organ providing the music for Pinoke's dance, instead of some unseen orchestra in the original
- When Jiminy is locked in the birdcage with Pinoke he comments, "thought I'd live to 103," a reference to his "You are a human animal" segment in the 1950's "Mickey Mouse Club" TV series. (A gag only a boomer Disney fan like me would get.)
- Pinoke lies on purpose to make his nose long enough to reach the key to his birdcage - no honesty lesson to be learned & no 2nd Blue Fairy appearance. (Also we never get to see HJ & Gideon a 2nd time - wahhhh!)
- It's Donkey time! Seems Pleasure Island is now co-ed. (Also, the Coachman is no longer satanically Evil, just sleazy and corrupt - and gets a musical number.)
- Pinoke and Lampwick are enjoying a ("It's a Small World"-style?) boat ride where they see the original movie's various fun destruction scenes taking place along the way.
- I wonder if Zemeckis & company intended this, because this seems like a serious betrayal of Jiminy in the film: Pinoke becomes upset at Lampwick's nasty behavior during the boat ride - he's developing a conscience on his own, without Jiminy's help! Who needs the bug anyway, let's squash him like in the original book! If anything, Pinoke should've been indulging in similar behavior under Lampie's bad influence, which would've helped justify his donkey TF - he's become as bad a boy as Lampwick.
- The TF scene is one-for-one with the original version; not even a hint of on-camera morphing. (Again, wahhhh!) Pinoke doesn't grow an actual donkey tail, but an articulated mechanical attachment that would be the interior workings of a puppet's donkey tail. I thought that was a clever twist to the original.
- Pinoke refers to the "Vapor Creatures" rounding up the trying-to-flee donkeyed boys, a cool name he evidently came up with on his own. (And an interesting extrapolation of the Coachman's creepy, all dressed in black helpers.)
- The "rubbing two pieces of wood together starts a fire" gag during his "I've Got No Strings" performance was actually a set-up for its reuse inside Monstro.
- Escaping Monstro, it's now Gepetto, not Pinoke apparently dead. Pinoke's tears revive Gepetto, transforming Pinoke into an actual, flesh and blood boy - BIGGEST SPOILER OF THEM ALL...
- except it doesn't! Instead a narrator (I forget whom) says the story's been repeated and told different ways many times, but as far as Gepetto is concerned, puppet Pinoke is a real boy. That was an extremely gutsy change from the original & I would've loved to have been a fly on the wall (Circe, can you help me out here?) during story conferences for this scene.
That's all folks; don't think I'll be reporting to the same degree on del Toro's version!
Again, plenty of spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the movie...
- In part 1 of my notes I said Honest John's sidekick Gideon the Cat seemed almost puppetlike in his unchanging expression. I forgot to mention he's also mute & that detail (along with having a convenient assortment of mallets under his jacket) reminded me a great deal of Harpo Marx.
- Also forgot to mention instead of HJ leading him astray, Pinoke actually does go to school - where the schoolmaster boots him out for not being a real boy. Thus HJ convincing him to become an actor seems like a reasonable alternative instead of him being misled by the fox.
- I did like how they streamlined some of the storytelling: Instead of reading a note explaining Monstro had swallowed Gepetto, seagull Sofia flies Pinoke out to sea, where we get to see Gepetto, and Pinocchio at the same time being swallowed - onscreen action instead of being told what happened.
- Replacing Pinoke's underwater trudge to Monstro with Sofia's flight likewise saved a whole buncha time. (Probably why she was added to the film.)
- The Incredible's Dash probably taught Pinoke how to use his feet like a motorboat propeller to speed up his water travel. (Likewise a major time saver.)
- When Gepetto leaves his workshop to look for Pinocchio he takes Cleo (in her bowl) and Figaro (in a pocket). He mutters something to the effect in he hasn't left the shop...in years? This guy is getting creepier by by the second.
- Puppetmaster Stromboli now has an assistant, Fabiana; this makes a lot of sense; in the original movie we didn't see anyone operating the many other puppets during Pinoke's "I've Got No Strings" number. She also has a "happy ending" story of her own which happens off camera. (Maybe they'll film that as a separate movie?)
- Stromboli also had some sort of organ providing the music for Pinoke's dance, instead of some unseen orchestra in the original
- When Jiminy is locked in the birdcage with Pinoke he comments, "thought I'd live to 103," a reference to his "You are a human animal" segment in the 1950's "Mickey Mouse Club" TV series. (A gag only a boomer Disney fan like me would get.)
- Pinoke lies on purpose to make his nose long enough to reach the key to his birdcage - no honesty lesson to be learned & no 2nd Blue Fairy appearance. (Also we never get to see HJ & Gideon a 2nd time - wahhhh!)
- It's Donkey time! Seems Pleasure Island is now co-ed. (Also, the Coachman is no longer satanically Evil, just sleazy and corrupt - and gets a musical number.)
- Pinoke and Lampwick are enjoying a ("It's a Small World"-style?) boat ride where they see the original movie's various fun destruction scenes taking place along the way.
- I wonder if Zemeckis & company intended this, because this seems like a serious betrayal of Jiminy in the film: Pinoke becomes upset at Lampwick's nasty behavior during the boat ride - he's developing a conscience on his own, without Jiminy's help! Who needs the bug anyway, let's squash him like in the original book! If anything, Pinoke should've been indulging in similar behavior under Lampie's bad influence, which would've helped justify his donkey TF - he's become as bad a boy as Lampwick.
- The TF scene is one-for-one with the original version; not even a hint of on-camera morphing. (Again, wahhhh!) Pinoke doesn't grow an actual donkey tail, but an articulated mechanical attachment that would be the interior workings of a puppet's donkey tail. I thought that was a clever twist to the original.
- Pinoke refers to the "Vapor Creatures" rounding up the trying-to-flee donkeyed boys, a cool name he evidently came up with on his own. (And an interesting extrapolation of the Coachman's creepy, all dressed in black helpers.)
- The "rubbing two pieces of wood together starts a fire" gag during his "I've Got No Strings" performance was actually a set-up for its reuse inside Monstro.
- Escaping Monstro, it's now Gepetto, not Pinoke apparently dead. Pinoke's tears revive Gepetto, transforming Pinoke into an actual, flesh and blood boy - BIGGEST SPOILER OF THEM ALL...
- except it doesn't! Instead a narrator (I forget whom) says the story's been repeated and told different ways many times, but as far as Gepetto is concerned, puppet Pinoke is a real boy. That was an extremely gutsy change from the original & I would've loved to have been a fly on the wall (Circe, can you help me out here?) during story conferences for this scene.
That's all folks; don't think I'll be reporting to the same degree on del Toro's version!
My opinion of Zemeckis' "Pinocchio"
Posted 3 years agoBTW: I JUST REVISED PAGE 4 OF MY NEW DONKEY TF SEQUENCE: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48918847/
Well, this is probably the best live-action version of Disney's Pinoke they could've made. I enjoyed it for what it was, not what it might've been. A few notes I made while watching the film (Please don't consider this a "review." BTW A FEW SPOILERS AHEAD) :
- Narrator Jiminy Cricket converses with onscreen Jiminy: Emperor's New Groove did it first, as a quick throwaway gag; here it goes on too long - but right off they're letting us know they know we know we're watching a movie; here in the 21st century everything is meta, everything is self-aware of its own tropes.
- Addition to the story: Gepetto is carving Pinocchio as a replacement for his lost (dead?) son.
- Gepetto refuses to sell any of his beloved clocks whatsoever. A would-be customer asks him why & he responds after a brief pause, "it's complicated."
- Personally I loved this meta gag: a lot of the clocks feature Disney characters re-enacting scenes from their films.
- Cleo the fish has an unsettling, close-to-human face; welcome to the Uncanny Valley.
- A laser beam shooting into Gepetto's house/workshop brings Pinoke to life, not the Blue Fairy.
- New songs in the movie not particularly interesting. ("Pinok-e-o," eh)
- They recreate Pinoke doing a 360 while his head stays in place - but he ends it with a "ta-daa" pose - he's showing off, a nice IMHO tweak to his personality.
- Pinoke studies, close-up, a pile of horse dung. 21st century kids' movie rule; you have to include a poop or fart joke.
- Furry yay: CGI Honest John Foulfellow shows up, attractive, looking like a real-world fox standing upright w/human facial expressions. A little too animated, in the sense he moves way too quickly, hits poses for a fraction of a second rather than letting us enjoy them. I would've loved to see Foxy from the Brit "Foxy Bingo" commercials in the role. I prefer the original 2D animated Honest John; to me, he was much more appealing, fun to look at.
- His sidekick Gideon looks very puppet-like with a face that never seems to change expression. People have said - & I agree - Jiminy could also pass for a puppet. Were these intentional creative decisions to give the film more of an overall "puppetty" vibe?
- HJ describes Pinoke as an "influencer," just to remind the audience it's 2022 and not mid-19th century Italy; gags like this are funny--but take you out of the film's world.
- Nice moment when Gideon mistakenly clobbers HJ with a giant mallet: he collapses onto the ground, his tail goes straight upright for a moment, then gracefully spirals downward.
- I have a bunch of notes still to go, but will add them to this journal later today, probably in the evening; I have real-world stuff to accomplish in the meantime.
Well, this is probably the best live-action version of Disney's Pinoke they could've made. I enjoyed it for what it was, not what it might've been. A few notes I made while watching the film (Please don't consider this a "review." BTW A FEW SPOILERS AHEAD) :
- Narrator Jiminy Cricket converses with onscreen Jiminy: Emperor's New Groove did it first, as a quick throwaway gag; here it goes on too long - but right off they're letting us know they know we know we're watching a movie; here in the 21st century everything is meta, everything is self-aware of its own tropes.
- Addition to the story: Gepetto is carving Pinocchio as a replacement for his lost (dead?) son.
- Gepetto refuses to sell any of his beloved clocks whatsoever. A would-be customer asks him why & he responds after a brief pause, "it's complicated."
- Personally I loved this meta gag: a lot of the clocks feature Disney characters re-enacting scenes from their films.
- Cleo the fish has an unsettling, close-to-human face; welcome to the Uncanny Valley.
- A laser beam shooting into Gepetto's house/workshop brings Pinoke to life, not the Blue Fairy.
- New songs in the movie not particularly interesting. ("Pinok-e-o," eh)
- They recreate Pinoke doing a 360 while his head stays in place - but he ends it with a "ta-daa" pose - he's showing off, a nice IMHO tweak to his personality.
- Pinoke studies, close-up, a pile of horse dung. 21st century kids' movie rule; you have to include a poop or fart joke.
- Furry yay: CGI Honest John Foulfellow shows up, attractive, looking like a real-world fox standing upright w/human facial expressions. A little too animated, in the sense he moves way too quickly, hits poses for a fraction of a second rather than letting us enjoy them. I would've loved to see Foxy from the Brit "Foxy Bingo" commercials in the role. I prefer the original 2D animated Honest John; to me, he was much more appealing, fun to look at.
- His sidekick Gideon looks very puppet-like with a face that never seems to change expression. People have said - & I agree - Jiminy could also pass for a puppet. Were these intentional creative decisions to give the film more of an overall "puppetty" vibe?
- HJ describes Pinoke as an "influencer," just to remind the audience it's 2022 and not mid-19th century Italy; gags like this are funny--but take you out of the film's world.
- Nice moment when Gideon mistakenly clobbers HJ with a giant mallet: he collapses onto the ground, his tail goes straight upright for a moment, then gracefully spirals downward.
- I have a bunch of notes still to go, but will add them to this journal later today, probably in the evening; I have real-world stuff to accomplish in the meantime.
"His emotional support animal is an alligator...
Posted 3 years ago- they sleep in the same bed."
Evidently gators are smart enough to actually bond with (rather than eat) a human being:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/life.....-wally-henney/
Evidently gators are smart enough to actually bond with (rather than eat) a human being:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/life.....-wally-henney/
ADDENDUM: trailer for Disney l.a. Pinocchio on YouTube
Posted 3 years agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV_0pYoCssc
Posted this comment under it:
A lot of comments here on YouTube under the original Pleasure Island donkey transformation clip speculated it would be too scary for today's kids (evidently it traumatized a lot of children over the years) it wouldn't be in this version, but it's such a famous part of the story there's no way they'd leave it out - & judging from this trailer it looks like they're going to spend more time on it here! 😈Keeping my fingers (or hooves) crossed we're gonna see some killer cgi when it happens.
ADDENDUM
One thing I'm curious about is in what ways will the film go 1-for-1 with the original, and in what ways will it differ. Like I say above, it looks like Pleasure Island will get some extra attention - & the seagull is definitely a new addition.
Posted this comment under it:
A lot of comments here on YouTube under the original Pleasure Island donkey transformation clip speculated it would be too scary for today's kids (evidently it traumatized a lot of children over the years) it wouldn't be in this version, but it's such a famous part of the story there's no way they'd leave it out - & judging from this trailer it looks like they're going to spend more time on it here! 😈Keeping my fingers (or hooves) crossed we're gonna see some killer cgi when it happens.
ADDENDUM
One thing I'm curious about is in what ways will the film go 1-for-1 with the original, and in what ways will it differ. Like I say above, it looks like Pleasure Island will get some extra attention - & the seagull is definitely a new addition.
"What, me Furry?"
Posted 3 years agoJust submitted a session proposal to October's New York Comic Con:
You’ve heard stories about furries, those fans of anthropomorphic (human-like) animal characters who create “fursonas” of their bestial alter-egos and often wear fursuits to become them. Furry Nation author (and occasional Komodo dragon) Joe Strike demolishes the myths to reveal furry fandom’s true story, from its ancient origins to its 20th century rebirth, as people around the world discovered their inner animal—and each other—to become one of the most creative and original fandoms on Earth.
Will let you know if they accept it; stay tuned...
“What, me Furry?” You’ve heard stories about furries, those fans of anthropomorphic (human-like) animal characters who create “fursonas” of their bestial alter-egos and often wear fursuits to become them. Furry Nation author (and occasional Komodo dragon) Joe Strike demolishes the myths to reveal furry fandom’s true story, from its ancient origins to its 20th century rebirth, as people around the world discovered their inner animal—and each other—to become one of the most creative and original fandoms on Earth.
Will let you know if they accept it; stay tuned...
