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Pre-MFF 2017 Journal
Posted 8 years agoWhere are you staying?
The Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O'Hare. We were pretty disappointed with the Aloft last year. The Hilton has a few improvements, the best of which is the fact that we can use the skybridge to get to and from the convention center. I would've had a room at the Hyatt itself, but the rooms went too quickly.
What day are you getting there?
The plan is technically Wednesday the 29th, but probably not at the actual convention until the evening of Thursday the 30th. I wanted to spend some time exploring Chicago proper for once.
How are you traveling?
Driving. It's not too terrible a trip as long as the weather holds.
Who will you be rooming with?
This year it might just be myself and
geldazane. Our old standbys are either not going or have a room already, so perhaps I'll actually be able to sleep on a bed for once. I guess if you're a macro/micro we know who doesn't drink you can feel free to note me if you're desperate for a room and we'll discuss if we'd like to have another person in the room this year.
How is the best way to find you?
I use Twitter first and foremost during cons, definitely not FA. You can also hit me up over Telegram or in the MFF 2017 Telegram group I'm in.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
I like to swing by the charity auction on Sunday afternoon, and I'll definitely be at the Macro/Micro meetup. Other than that we will probably go with a group here and there for dinner and be on the hunt for parties.
What do you look like?
You'll notice my Tegon badge or the suit.
Will you be suiting?
Yep! At least a handful of times, definitely at the macro meetup and the group pictures, and hopefully at least once a day from Thursday-Sunday.
Do you do free stories?
Not doing any stories this time.
Do you do trades?
Read above.
Do you do badges?
Nope.
What is your gender?
Male
How tall are you?
6'0"
Can I talk to you?
Sure!
Can I touch you?
Also sure! But keep your hugs short and clean when I'm in suit!
Can I visit your room?
We're probably not going to be hosting anything this year, but we'll see.
Can I buy you drinks?
Between not drinking alcohol or caffeine, and avoiding sugar, it would probably just be water that would work for me lol
Can I give you stuff?
Generally I don't like gifts.
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Sure.
Are you nice?
I can be curt, but I'm more outgoing in suit.
Will you be going to parties?
Probably whatever
RidleyDupree sets up in his room this year!
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
"Tay-gon" works!
Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
At the Hyatt proper.
What/where will you be eating?
I want to eat at Portillo's down the street this year. I was also thinking about trying Lou Malnati's over Giordano's. They have a branch about a 10-15 min. drive away. Bronze and I usually eat at least once in the hotel's restaurant too.
Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Probably not, unless we're going with a larger group of furs.
Can I look in your sketchbook?
Never been a big sketchbook guy.
Can I draw in your sketchbook?
If I have one, yes please!
Can I take your picture?
In suit, absolutely.
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
I'm just hoping for a decent con this year. Something just doesn't feel right this time....maybe it's from having only one other person in the room. It'll probably also be my last MFF for the next few years so I want to maximize the amount of time I spend enjoying the Chicago area.
The Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O'Hare. We were pretty disappointed with the Aloft last year. The Hilton has a few improvements, the best of which is the fact that we can use the skybridge to get to and from the convention center. I would've had a room at the Hyatt itself, but the rooms went too quickly.
What day are you getting there?
The plan is technically Wednesday the 29th, but probably not at the actual convention until the evening of Thursday the 30th. I wanted to spend some time exploring Chicago proper for once.
How are you traveling?
Driving. It's not too terrible a trip as long as the weather holds.
Who will you be rooming with?
This year it might just be myself and
geldazane. Our old standbys are either not going or have a room already, so perhaps I'll actually be able to sleep on a bed for once. I guess if you're a macro/micro we know who doesn't drink you can feel free to note me if you're desperate for a room and we'll discuss if we'd like to have another person in the room this year.How is the best way to find you?
I use Twitter first and foremost during cons, definitely not FA. You can also hit me up over Telegram or in the MFF 2017 Telegram group I'm in.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
I like to swing by the charity auction on Sunday afternoon, and I'll definitely be at the Macro/Micro meetup. Other than that we will probably go with a group here and there for dinner and be on the hunt for parties.
What do you look like?
You'll notice my Tegon badge or the suit.
Will you be suiting?
Yep! At least a handful of times, definitely at the macro meetup and the group pictures, and hopefully at least once a day from Thursday-Sunday.
Do you do free stories?
Not doing any stories this time.
Do you do trades?
Read above.
Do you do badges?
Nope.
What is your gender?
Male
How tall are you?
6'0"
Can I talk to you?
Sure!
Can I touch you?
Also sure! But keep your hugs short and clean when I'm in suit!
Can I visit your room?
We're probably not going to be hosting anything this year, but we'll see.
Can I buy you drinks?
Between not drinking alcohol or caffeine, and avoiding sugar, it would probably just be water that would work for me lol
Can I give you stuff?
Generally I don't like gifts.
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Sure.
Are you nice?
I can be curt, but I'm more outgoing in suit.
Will you be going to parties?
Probably whatever
RidleyDupree sets up in his room this year!If I see you, how should I get your attention?
"Tay-gon" works!
Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
At the Hyatt proper.
What/where will you be eating?
I want to eat at Portillo's down the street this year. I was also thinking about trying Lou Malnati's over Giordano's. They have a branch about a 10-15 min. drive away. Bronze and I usually eat at least once in the hotel's restaurant too.
Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Probably not, unless we're going with a larger group of furs.
Can I look in your sketchbook?
Never been a big sketchbook guy.
Can I draw in your sketchbook?
If I have one, yes please!
Can I take your picture?
In suit, absolutely.
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
I'm just hoping for a decent con this year. Something just doesn't feel right this time....maybe it's from having only one other person in the room. It'll probably also be my last MFF for the next few years so I want to maximize the amount of time I spend enjoying the Chicago area.
Anthrocon 2017 Report
Posted 8 years agoI'm back from Anthrocon 2017, and oh what a con it was! Every year, I usually make a fairly detailed outline of what I'd like to do and like to stick to that schedule. This year, I decided to play it by ear, only planning one day in advance at a time. I think this helped to reduce a lot of stress, and it definitely didn't result in what I had feared, which was sitting around without anything to do. I was very fortunate to see geldazane's sergal suit in person, and we stood together for the annual fursuit picture. My own fursuit has undergone several repairs/upgrades, and I show off my new look on my Twitter page: @TegonDragon. The primary change is texturing to the head horns and toeclaws. I also requested fursuit sandals for keeping the soles of the feet clean. In future revisions of Tegon, I think I'll get the following:
- Pocket - I can't be separated from my phone at a minimum, so this would be a big help especially since my "handler" now has a suit of his own! Right now I just throw them in my roomy paw-shoes.
- Detachable tail - For sitting at long panels and when waiting around!
- Tail straps - Bronze put these in his suit and I like the idea. It attaches the tail portion to your waist and prevents it from sagging (and having my tail fur drag on the floor).
- Head that's easier to put on and take off - I need a style that's more like traditional fursuits, because they can just take their head off when they're overheated. It's a little complicated in my case, since the illusion works best if you tuck the head into the body portion, and it's difficult to do that when you already have the hands on. This is more like a Tegon 2.0 idea, since it might require a totally new head.
Not all of these ideas are so easy to implement precisely because Tegon is built the way he is as a close-fitting suit. But I figure I'd put these here as both a reminder to myself and points of consideration if you're considering a scalie suit of your own.
Because
SyLoX does it so successfully, I tried out a partial version of the Tegon suit this year...click!. As you can see, this solves the tail, pocket, and most of the head-putting-on conundrums! Can't say it actually made me feel hugely cooler than the fursuit, which I guess speaks to how well fleece works over traditional fur! But, it did make it easier to sit down without the tail getting in the way and people seem to like it. I'll be doing it some more at MFF in December.
Bronze says that this is a very food-centric con, and I agree. Usually it goes like..."hey, we're going for lunch, who wants to join us?" and "we're going to dinner..." and so on. He and I met neopuc at this fancy pizza restaurant/bar down the street one afternoon and I decided to get one of their appetizers, called candy bacon. Well, both of them can attest to how much I loved that snack...it's like thick strips of bacon with spice and pepper coated in a sticky brown sugar glaze and served hot. Is this a thing elsewhere? I hope it's a thing, because I was more than a little tempted to get a to-go order on the way out of Pittsburgh.
Blueanthroraptor, Bronze, and I had burgers at the place attached to the Westin. It was....okay. Priced well but they're slow and the quality was mediocre this year. I also had to put a quick end to eating greasy food since you tend to feel miserable suiting after that. Buttttt! That was before 
ChaosDunk, who's a riot, by the way, told us about a pizza place next to "Fur"nando's. It was surprisingly decent for cheap, greasy take-out. We wanted to go to Ben and Jerry's across from our hotel one night, but the line was out the door. Nope!
Our hotel, by the way, was the Courtyard. In case you're not too familiar with the layout in downtown, the Westin is across the street and connected via skybridge to the convention center. The Courtyard is adjacent, and although you have to walk outside, technically closer. It's also significantly smaller, such that the rooms sell out almost instantaneously every year. It's clearly the best hotel for AC. The rooms were nice, the view of the city was fantastic, the water pressure in the showers was heavenly, and no line for the elevators! Let's cross our fingers for next year, but I kinda liked how close the Drury was to the con. Anyone stay there/liked it?
I am slowly drifting away from taking a bunch of pictures of fursuiters and videoing the parade, since so many others do it and do it better nowadays. Hence, I have no imgur albums this year. I actually couldn't video the parade even if I wanted to since I have a suit and now my backup, Bronze, also has a suit of his own. As far as pictures of myself goes, you can see that on my Twitter account, and I am also waiting on a bunch of pics from the Macro/Micro meet that'll probably come from
Appledectomy soon.
Macro party was fun!
Aerys and Appledectomy ran a little VR demo thingy of Aerys's bat and I really got into, um, let's say trying to dodge the giant and his anatomy! I also had a nice chat with 
Labbeh and got his input on the types of commissions he likes to see. "Paws and maws" I believe was the phrase.
I met some cool peeps at the Scalies meetup, and even got some pictures with a dragon suit with full extendable wings and individual metal scales. Neopuc and I also went to the Furry Feud, and even as the audience we had a blast. In the Zoo, I was given quite a few 3D printed macro-themed badges by
Lennox I'm a sucker for swag, so thank you!
The parade felt shorter this year, thank God! They still have some serious logistical issues that need sorting, however. Both while walking the parade and watching the first couple of angles on the parade on YouTube, there are stretches where the line inexplicably condenses to single-file, then trickles to nobody at all for like 10-20 seconds, then starts up again. I probably had....4-5 different suiters in front of me at some point? But that being said, their efforts to increase outreach to Pittsburgh are fantastic. I can't tell you how many kids I high-fived, and they all got a kick out of it. There was a new "meet-and-greet" area this year open to the public and I enjoyed getting pictures with randos who enjoyed the "buff dragon" XD I don't think of my suit as a muscle one first and foremost, so sometimes it confuses me when people make swole jokes :3
One of my goals this year was to get my yearly commission from Kadath. That didn't happen since he wasn't taking commissions, but instead I managed to get a whole host of other sketches/art that I'll be happy to show off over the coming weeks. I have a sketch from
Negger I just have to scan in, a take home commission from Dark Natasha, a macro commission from Tyrnn, a joint commission with Bronze and myself from Deriaz, and a commission from patto that I think will be a nice follow-up to the last pic of Tegon and Alix together. I was realllly tempted to bid on a Rukis commission in the charity auction, but it ended up going for a crazy price....like $1700 I think? For the record, I spent less than that for the *entire* con, including admission, lodging, food, commissions, gas, and tolls. Of course what I got pales in comparison to the....well, "art explosion" is the best way to put it, of my suitemate and good buddy 
neopuc! Hehe. I amped up my commissioning of art right around when I hit 3000 watchers (thank you, by the by!), and now I have a glut of stuff coming in, so I'll probably be posting some backlogged art tonight.
If Fatzilla was one of the highlights of last year's convention, this year we have a new contender: Fat Anubis! He's right here. Anubis will make a fine addition to my ever-growing collection of stuffed animals. Didn't really get too many other tangible goods, but I will say the art show was slightly better than last year's, IMO. I also got to meet the guy who voiced the Bigheads in Rocko's Modern Life, which was pretty damn cool! The "Kaiju" and "Macro" badges were tempting in the charity auction, but honestly I don't want to be "that guy" bidding on them every year, and unlike the 2015 macro badge, the 2016 and 2017 badges are a tad too big for me even in suit.
And that should nicely put a bow on my AC 2017 experience! The next con for me will be MFF. See you then!
geldazane's sergal suit in person, and we stood together for the annual fursuit picture. My own fursuit has undergone several repairs/upgrades, and I show off my new look on my Twitter page: @TegonDragon. The primary change is texturing to the head horns and toeclaws. I also requested fursuit sandals for keeping the soles of the feet clean. In future revisions of Tegon, I think I'll get the following:- Pocket - I can't be separated from my phone at a minimum, so this would be a big help especially since my "handler" now has a suit of his own! Right now I just throw them in my roomy paw-shoes.
- Detachable tail - For sitting at long panels and when waiting around!
- Tail straps - Bronze put these in his suit and I like the idea. It attaches the tail portion to your waist and prevents it from sagging (and having my tail fur drag on the floor).
- Head that's easier to put on and take off - I need a style that's more like traditional fursuits, because they can just take their head off when they're overheated. It's a little complicated in my case, since the illusion works best if you tuck the head into the body portion, and it's difficult to do that when you already have the hands on. This is more like a Tegon 2.0 idea, since it might require a totally new head.
Not all of these ideas are so easy to implement precisely because Tegon is built the way he is as a close-fitting suit. But I figure I'd put these here as both a reminder to myself and points of consideration if you're considering a scalie suit of your own.
Because
SyLoX does it so successfully, I tried out a partial version of the Tegon suit this year...click!. As you can see, this solves the tail, pocket, and most of the head-putting-on conundrums! Can't say it actually made me feel hugely cooler than the fursuit, which I guess speaks to how well fleece works over traditional fur! But, it did make it easier to sit down without the tail getting in the way and people seem to like it. I'll be doing it some more at MFF in December. Bronze says that this is a very food-centric con, and I agree. Usually it goes like..."hey, we're going for lunch, who wants to join us?" and "we're going to dinner..." and so on. He and I met neopuc at this fancy pizza restaurant/bar down the street one afternoon and I decided to get one of their appetizers, called candy bacon. Well, both of them can attest to how much I loved that snack...it's like thick strips of bacon with spice and pepper coated in a sticky brown sugar glaze and served hot. Is this a thing elsewhere? I hope it's a thing, because I was more than a little tempted to get a to-go order on the way out of Pittsburgh.
Blueanthroraptor, Bronze, and I had burgers at the place attached to the Westin. It was....okay. Priced well but they're slow and the quality was mediocre this year. I also had to put a quick end to eating greasy food since you tend to feel miserable suiting after that. Buttttt! That was before 
ChaosDunk, who's a riot, by the way, told us about a pizza place next to "Fur"nando's. It was surprisingly decent for cheap, greasy take-out. We wanted to go to Ben and Jerry's across from our hotel one night, but the line was out the door. Nope!Our hotel, by the way, was the Courtyard. In case you're not too familiar with the layout in downtown, the Westin is across the street and connected via skybridge to the convention center. The Courtyard is adjacent, and although you have to walk outside, technically closer. It's also significantly smaller, such that the rooms sell out almost instantaneously every year. It's clearly the best hotel for AC. The rooms were nice, the view of the city was fantastic, the water pressure in the showers was heavenly, and no line for the elevators! Let's cross our fingers for next year, but I kinda liked how close the Drury was to the con. Anyone stay there/liked it?
I am slowly drifting away from taking a bunch of pictures of fursuiters and videoing the parade, since so many others do it and do it better nowadays. Hence, I have no imgur albums this year. I actually couldn't video the parade even if I wanted to since I have a suit and now my backup, Bronze, also has a suit of his own. As far as pictures of myself goes, you can see that on my Twitter account, and I am also waiting on a bunch of pics from the Macro/Micro meet that'll probably come from
Appledectomy soon.Macro party was fun!
Aerys and Appledectomy ran a little VR demo thingy of Aerys's bat and I really got into, um, let's say trying to dodge the giant and his anatomy! I also had a nice chat with 
Labbeh and got his input on the types of commissions he likes to see. "Paws and maws" I believe was the phrase.I met some cool peeps at the Scalies meetup, and even got some pictures with a dragon suit with full extendable wings and individual metal scales. Neopuc and I also went to the Furry Feud, and even as the audience we had a blast. In the Zoo, I was given quite a few 3D printed macro-themed badges by
Lennox I'm a sucker for swag, so thank you!The parade felt shorter this year, thank God! They still have some serious logistical issues that need sorting, however. Both while walking the parade and watching the first couple of angles on the parade on YouTube, there are stretches where the line inexplicably condenses to single-file, then trickles to nobody at all for like 10-20 seconds, then starts up again. I probably had....4-5 different suiters in front of me at some point? But that being said, their efforts to increase outreach to Pittsburgh are fantastic. I can't tell you how many kids I high-fived, and they all got a kick out of it. There was a new "meet-and-greet" area this year open to the public and I enjoyed getting pictures with randos who enjoyed the "buff dragon" XD I don't think of my suit as a muscle one first and foremost, so sometimes it confuses me when people make swole jokes :3
One of my goals this year was to get my yearly commission from Kadath. That didn't happen since he wasn't taking commissions, but instead I managed to get a whole host of other sketches/art that I'll be happy to show off over the coming weeks. I have a sketch from
Negger I just have to scan in, a take home commission from Dark Natasha, a macro commission from Tyrnn, a joint commission with Bronze and myself from Deriaz, and a commission from patto that I think will be a nice follow-up to the last pic of Tegon and Alix together. I was realllly tempted to bid on a Rukis commission in the charity auction, but it ended up going for a crazy price....like $1700 I think? For the record, I spent less than that for the *entire* con, including admission, lodging, food, commissions, gas, and tolls. Of course what I got pales in comparison to the....well, "art explosion" is the best way to put it, of my suitemate and good buddy 
neopuc! Hehe. I amped up my commissioning of art right around when I hit 3000 watchers (thank you, by the by!), and now I have a glut of stuff coming in, so I'll probably be posting some backlogged art tonight.If Fatzilla was one of the highlights of last year's convention, this year we have a new contender: Fat Anubis! He's right here. Anubis will make a fine addition to my ever-growing collection of stuffed animals. Didn't really get too many other tangible goods, but I will say the art show was slightly better than last year's, IMO. I also got to meet the guy who voiced the Bigheads in Rocko's Modern Life, which was pretty damn cool! The "Kaiju" and "Macro" badges were tempting in the charity auction, but honestly I don't want to be "that guy" bidding on them every year, and unlike the 2015 macro badge, the 2016 and 2017 badges are a tad too big for me even in suit.
And that should nicely put a bow on my AC 2017 experience! The next con for me will be MFF. See you then!
Anthrocon 2017
Posted 8 years agoIt's quickly approaching that time of year again! Just a few short weeks from now I'll be on my way to Pittsburgh for Anthrocon. I'm excited to say Artslave carefully did a once-over of my suit and made some repairs and adjustments. I'll be debuting a slightly new look at AC, mostly focused around the head-horns.
While I have your attention I wanted to provide a few bits of information you may find interesting:
My writing has come in bursts over the last few years. I'll fall out of it for about a half-year or so, then get the urge to suddenly write an entirely new story at a time before falling back into the rut. Thankfully I'm on the up-slope right now, and I have about 1/3 of the third part of the Adviser written. My goal is to have it finished and published by the end of June.
My commissions have slowed somewhat recently, but I have at least one big surprise that's pending clearance from a third-party before I would like to reveal it, and I still plan to get a few commissions at AC like I usually do. It might be a while before the next major batch of macro art, but I like to wait until I'm really struck by a strong idea before pulling the trigger on those.
Now, onto the meme!
===
Where are you staying?
The Courtyard! Last year I stayed in the Westin and found out it's actually not the *best* hotel for the con. That's because our suite was on one of the top floors and the elevator line was consistently long. I forked out the dough for a supersponsorship this year and in return snagged a room at the Courtyard, which is not directly connected to the convention center but is right next to it. Owing to its much smaller size getting to our room should be a much simpler affair.
What day are you getting there?
Thursday morning.
How are you traveling?
By car. It's about a 5 hour drive.
Who will you be rooming with?
This year it will be geldazane and neopuc. We're hoping to get 
ArgentVZ as well if his schedule cooperates.
How is the best way to find you?
Befitting of this year's theme, I'll be wearing my O's badge: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/10807009/ I'll also be wearing my suit as a partial more, so I think it'll be more likely to find me wandering around the Dealer's Den floor.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
Probably the gathering of the scalies and definitely the Macro/Micro meetup.
What do you look like?
You'll recognize me by the suit. You can definitely see me during the parade at least.
Will you be suiting?
Yes.
Do you do free art?
Bronze and I learned our lesson from years past. I'm not going to offer any stories at the con.
Do you do trades?
Nope.
What is your gender?
Male
How tall are you?
6'0"
Can I talk to you?
Yep!
Can I touch you?
Just don't get too grabby when I'm in suit. I'm more willing to hug if I'm wearing Tegon.
How can I find you?
Check out my Twitter account (@TegonDragon) during the con.
Can I buy you drinks?
Soft? Sure!
Can I give you stuff?
I don't like gifts bigger than a drink :P
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
In suit, absolutely.
Are you nice?
Surrre.
How long are you going?
Thursday-Sunday afternoon
Will you be going to parties?
There's usually something for macros which I like to go to.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Call me Tay-gon and I'll respond.
Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
We usually do food runs as suitemates, but you're welcome to tag along if we announce it or you hear about it. We'll probably join some other group at some point ourselves.
Can I look in your sketchbook?
I have a mini-sketchbook from being a supersponsor last year, but it's blank. In fact, I've never really done the whole sketchbook thing.
Can I draw in your sketchbook?
Sure! But, let's face it, I'm not gonna have it on me.
Can I take your picture?
Yep! Just, only in suit please.
Do you do commissions?
Nope.
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Try out wearing a partial suit more often, get my traditional yearly commission from
Kadath, snag something cool at either the art show or the charity auction (the art show has been kinda dry for me the past few years), and spend some time with the people I already know are a blast to hang with!
While I have your attention I wanted to provide a few bits of information you may find interesting:
My writing has come in bursts over the last few years. I'll fall out of it for about a half-year or so, then get the urge to suddenly write an entirely new story at a time before falling back into the rut. Thankfully I'm on the up-slope right now, and I have about 1/3 of the third part of the Adviser written. My goal is to have it finished and published by the end of June.
My commissions have slowed somewhat recently, but I have at least one big surprise that's pending clearance from a third-party before I would like to reveal it, and I still plan to get a few commissions at AC like I usually do. It might be a while before the next major batch of macro art, but I like to wait until I'm really struck by a strong idea before pulling the trigger on those.
Now, onto the meme!
===
Where are you staying?
The Courtyard! Last year I stayed in the Westin and found out it's actually not the *best* hotel for the con. That's because our suite was on one of the top floors and the elevator line was consistently long. I forked out the dough for a supersponsorship this year and in return snagged a room at the Courtyard, which is not directly connected to the convention center but is right next to it. Owing to its much smaller size getting to our room should be a much simpler affair.
What day are you getting there?
Thursday morning.
How are you traveling?
By car. It's about a 5 hour drive.
Who will you be rooming with?
This year it will be
geldazane and neopuc. We're hoping to get 
ArgentVZ as well if his schedule cooperates.How is the best way to find you?
Befitting of this year's theme, I'll be wearing my O's badge: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/10807009/ I'll also be wearing my suit as a partial more, so I think it'll be more likely to find me wandering around the Dealer's Den floor.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
Probably the gathering of the scalies and definitely the Macro/Micro meetup.
What do you look like?
You'll recognize me by the suit. You can definitely see me during the parade at least.
Will you be suiting?
Yes.
Do you do free art?
Bronze and I learned our lesson from years past. I'm not going to offer any stories at the con.
Do you do trades?
Nope.
What is your gender?
Male
How tall are you?
6'0"
Can I talk to you?
Yep!
Can I touch you?
Just don't get too grabby when I'm in suit. I'm more willing to hug if I'm wearing Tegon.
How can I find you?
Check out my Twitter account (@TegonDragon) during the con.
Can I buy you drinks?
Soft? Sure!
Can I give you stuff?
I don't like gifts bigger than a drink :P
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
In suit, absolutely.
Are you nice?
Surrre.
How long are you going?
Thursday-Sunday afternoon
Will you be going to parties?
There's usually something for macros which I like to go to.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Call me Tay-gon and I'll respond.
Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
We usually do food runs as suitemates, but you're welcome to tag along if we announce it or you hear about it. We'll probably join some other group at some point ourselves.
Can I look in your sketchbook?
I have a mini-sketchbook from being a supersponsor last year, but it's blank. In fact, I've never really done the whole sketchbook thing.
Can I draw in your sketchbook?
Sure! But, let's face it, I'm not gonna have it on me.
Can I take your picture?
Yep! Just, only in suit please.
Do you do commissions?
Nope.
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Try out wearing a partial suit more often, get my traditional yearly commission from
Kadath, snag something cool at either the art show or the charity auction (the art show has been kinda dry for me the past few years), and spend some time with the people I already know are a blast to hang with!Nix
Posted 8 years agohttps://twitter.com/tegondragon/sta.....99316052287493
This is Nix.
Nix was my bearded dragon. She passed away yesterday. I believe she was about 12 years old.
I adopted Nix about four years ago when she was 8. This was the spring before my senior year in college and coincided with my surge in interest in reptiles after joining FA. In fact, you'll see one of my earliest submissions to FA is a photo of a bearded dragon at the Baltimore Aquarium. At the time it was taken, before I had joined FA in 2012, I didn't even know what it was and had to look the species up!
Nix had already lived a nice, long life with a family who clearly loved her. They told me they had several offers before me, but felt more comfortable with my concern over her wellbeing. Because of a move to another state they were forced to adopt her out and I took her in as my first real pet. Sure, my family had an assortment of cats, dogs, fish, and birds in the past, but Nix was someone *I* took in, of my own accord.
Those who have read my stories might believe I named her after the protagonist in my first story, but in reality she was named after my favorite track from the Midnight Club II soundtrack. Which is how that protagonist got his name, too, so I guess in a roundabout way both answers are right.
I remember when we first brought her home she was petrified and barely moved for days. We bought all her toys, equipment, and "furniture" with her, so I'm sure that helped her settle in eventually. I'm lucky enough to live near a Wegmans with plenty of the exotic greens that are good for her. I chopped up her salads, made sure they didn't wilt, and was obsessed with learning everything about beardies. One time I was really lucky and cactus pears were in season at the grocery store. She absolutely loved that! It smelled awesome too.
After six months or so, she became very picky. I'd buy mustard greens or something and they would go bad in the refrigerator before she'd touch her salads. I tried to pique her interest by doing all sorts of things like hiding worms in the salad and dousing it in bearded dragon "dressing" (some kind of strawberry flavored goo). I tried hand feeding and that worked for a while, but eventually she'd close her eyes and turn her head up and that was that. I lost interest in keeping up and asked my dad to help. I was significantly more immature at the time and didn't take the responsibility as seriously as I should have. After the summer I flew back to college and my dad took over full daily care of her. Occasionally when we would Skype I'd get to say hi. Lately I worried about her on every vacation I took and made sure my dad kept me apprised of her feeding and bathing schedules.
Diet wise, she ended up settling into being a meat eater like her "dad." I and my dad tried my best to make sure she was getting her nutrients otherwise, like calcium dusting and gut-loading her feeders. She was also basically hand fed every day using tongs. She always loved superworms but was hot and cold on crickets. Crickets are also terrible for us owners because they make lots of noise, drown in standing water, eat each other, and smell. About a year ago I started a dubia roach colony for the nutritional benefits, but she wasn't interested. We had to give the colony away. Asking around at reptile shows I didn't feel too badly since I heard other stories of extreme pickiness. And it reminded me a lot of myself.
Of course I beat myself up now. I think about how I should've denied her her favorite foods until she ate what she was supposed to. I should've kept making salads even if she didn't eat it. Their diet is supposed to be like 60% greens and 40% insects. Hers was more like 5% - 95%. To some credit we were able to get a various assortment of fruits and vegetables into her sporadically over the past year. She liked bananas, but of course that's only supposed to be fed rarely.
She liked to "go" in the bath, so my dad and I gave her very regular baths. He took care of her more than I ever did. Regardless, I'm happy to say we did really well on that front. She was always well hydrated and never had problems shedding. Of course she'd always get a little cranky when she shed, hehe.
Nix was a sweetheart. She never, ever hissed at anyone, even strangers. She'd open her mouth once or twice, but we knew she was just playing because her beard would never inflate. All we had to do is rub her on that little ridge behind her eyes and she'd quickly shut her mouth and close her eyes. I think that's the universal beardie signal of "I like dis." I liked to put her directly on my bare chest and then under some blankets. That would help retain some of my own heat since she can't do that on her own. We've played some video games together, and watched a few Orioles and Ravens games. She usually fell asleep hanging onto me and I gently woke her up before placing her back in her tank. She was always fidgety in the process of transferring her between tank and shirt. I always worried about her hurting herself because I once scraped her head slightly on the tank frame in the process.
I wish I had done this more. I wish I hadn't come home often and said "nah, some other day." I wish I hadn't put off taking her outside so often for natural sunlight. I'd use her tendency to lick everything as an excuse to keep her inside (I was worried about her eating bugs affected by pesticides). I'd use her lying under her hide or drying off from a bath as an excuse not to pay her attention. But she deserved more. One time I was on my phone and it slipped out of my hands and hit her on the top of the head. It was a glancing blow and she barely reacted but I felt terrible for the rest of the day.
For her substrate, we used slate tile. Soon after we got her we were shocked to see her pass eggs! We found out that female beardies produce unfertilized eggs for their lifetimes unless they are spayed. For egg laying we temporarily gave her a lose sand substrate, but I removed it after a while because I was always so worried about impaction. That's when a beardie eats something indigestible like sand along with their food and it gets trapped in their digestive system. Her diet made her a little constipated so I wanted to make sure nothing was present to make it possibly worse. As far as the eggs went, we really hadn't seen any more for a long time after that.
About a week ago, we noticed she went in her tank, which was very unusual for her. She was never a trouble to us, and just one example was that she made cleanup easy by going in her baths. There was a little blood. I immediately suspected parasites and we fully disinfected her tank. Since it takes about an hour and a half I'll admit we let it get filthy. She deserved more regular cleanings of her tank. At least in the last week of her life it was pristine. At the time I also scheduled a vet appointment.
On the morning of her appointment she went again and there was significantly more blood. Beardies are small enough to begin with, so even a little blood is concerning. She hadn't eaten in a few days and at this point I was worried sick. We collected her up and hurried over. The vet we chose is one of the best in the state, very experienced in reptiles and was able to quickly diagnose that she was egg bound. This means that she was still making eggs unbeknownst to us and having trouble passing them. Untreated it's almost entirely fatal. Regardless of the circumstances it's a dire situation.
She was clearly uncomfortable. Unlike how she'd normally sit with her belly lying on the floor, she was lifting it off the ground and wiggling her back legs. They needed to get a blood sample from her to assess the possibility of emergency surgery. They had to get it from her tail and I couldn't watch. I saw her struggling and even heard her hiss a bit. I'm so sorry she had to deal with that, and I know that she only hissed because she was afraid. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize the signs of egg binding and I'm so sorry she didn't have loose substrate to dig into. I blame myself for not exercising her more. Her muscles probably weren't strong enough because of that. The doctor assured me they have trouble with eggs at that age regardless, but who knows for sure. I'm glad at least that spaying really wasn't an option prior, though, because she was already old and it's a pretty major surgery.
They said she had already lost a good amount of blood, but could endure surgery. I breathed such a sigh of relief because I knew it was either going to be that or euthanasia. A while back, I downloaded a veterinarian's textbook on reptile care and know the ghoulish ways they perform euthanasia for reptiles. It was going to be a thousand dollars for surgery and I signed the paperwork without hesitation. This is a lot of money for me and for most people, but that's part of the responsibility of owning a pet in my mind. Beardies have been known to live over 15, and she had no other health issues I was aware of. It wasn't fair to put her down simply because she was bleeding to death.
They whisked her away, but not before I pet her and told her I believed in her. I had no doubt she would make it through the surgery. And she made me so proud. She did. They said that she had a strong heartbeat and no major source of bleeding post surgery. Unfortunately the anesthesia used to sedate her was just too much for her body to handle. She stopped breathing yesterday afternoon and wasn't able to be resuscitated. I imagine this in my head and it breaks my heart. If I were there I would have done damn mouth to mouth for hours no matter how ridiculous it sounds. It's so frustrating that even throwing money at the problem didn't help. But I know the surgeon was experienced and did his best. In fact, I'm shocked at the quality of care for reptiles in today's day and age. Within hours she had radiography, blood tests, and surgery done. A few decades ago this would've been impressive for a human.
Most of us would be happy to pass away so peacefully. She was awake one moment...and then nothing. I've been listening to Alan Watts a lot recently, and he makes a point about how animals have it so great. We stress and worry and concern ourselves about death, but animals just live life to its fullest and live in the present until it just ends. Nix is feeling no pain right now. I hope there's some way in which her spirit lives on. Who really knows. And even if she made it through surgery, she was going to pass away one day. Maybe she'd have lingered in pain post-surgery until just not waking up one day.
My dad and I were both too emotional to pick her up last night. He went out to the car and almost immediately came back inside. He half-laughed at how moved we were by a bearded dragon. I cried so hard I got a nosebleed and a splitting headache. I missed and still miss my little girl and just want to hold her and tell her it will be alright. She was there for me when I suffered through a serious bout of anxiety and panic attacks in 2015. In her own way she let me know it would be alright herself.
We went back to the vet first thing this morning and her box felt so cold. They froze her overnight. I didn't look inside. I signed for her treatment, which wiped out my savings for MFF, but I don't care. I would've maxed out my credit card for a few more years with her. I was desperate for the vet to call us before that morning and say they made a mistake, and that she was actually okay. I thought the cold would've put her in suspended animation and her body would be kickstarted again. I hesitated even going because there was such a finality about picking her up from the vet and never being able to go back. I was so sorry I couldn't have been there for her before she went under. She was alone and afraid and had no idea why she was being "punished" for being sick. We buried her outside the window she loved to look out of at passersby. She's back home now and close to us.
I'm having trouble accepting that collection of neurons that defined Nix no longer exists. I'm having trouble knowing she's a handful of feet away from me and there's nothing I can do for her. I have to hold back the horrible feeling to rush down and dig her up and rub her back to life. I feel like I'm running out of time to take action. I'm having trouble with the fact I can't go downstairs and slip her out of her cage for one last nap. I'm having trouble seeing time slip by, and knowing the last time I did all of the daily things I do as part of my routine she was still alive. I can get another bearded dragon, but she won't look like Nix. She won't turn her face up at all the greens like Nix. She won't tolerate being handled nearly as well as Nix. I really wish I knew if she had any siblings or what her parents were like. We lost contact with her first family and only knew that she was born around 2005.
I wanted to share this story because Nix didn't deserve to suffer for a second. She was my friend, and was the most beautiful and well-behaved bearded dragon I have ever met...and I've seen a lot in reptile shows! I want her to be remembered and appreciated even by strangers as an exemplar of a reptile pet. She had a personality with its own quirks. She felt completely comfortable around me. She depended on us entirely to survive. She was so much more than "just a lizard." I donated to a reptile rescue in her name so hopefully others like her can be helped with all the care they need.
Right now I'm devastated and obviously feeling enormously guilty over all the things I could've done. But hopefully telling everyone about Nix will serve as the memorialization she deserves. Please feel free to share your own stories here about your pets and I'd especially like to hear how you are managing to cope. I've been mentally exhausted the past two days, and physically ill. I feel I don't deserve to be happy or laugh because it would insult her memory. I'm petrified of moving on because I don't want to forget her and what she meant to me.
This is Nix.
Nix was my bearded dragon. She passed away yesterday. I believe she was about 12 years old.
I adopted Nix about four years ago when she was 8. This was the spring before my senior year in college and coincided with my surge in interest in reptiles after joining FA. In fact, you'll see one of my earliest submissions to FA is a photo of a bearded dragon at the Baltimore Aquarium. At the time it was taken, before I had joined FA in 2012, I didn't even know what it was and had to look the species up!
Nix had already lived a nice, long life with a family who clearly loved her. They told me they had several offers before me, but felt more comfortable with my concern over her wellbeing. Because of a move to another state they were forced to adopt her out and I took her in as my first real pet. Sure, my family had an assortment of cats, dogs, fish, and birds in the past, but Nix was someone *I* took in, of my own accord.
Those who have read my stories might believe I named her after the protagonist in my first story, but in reality she was named after my favorite track from the Midnight Club II soundtrack. Which is how that protagonist got his name, too, so I guess in a roundabout way both answers are right.
I remember when we first brought her home she was petrified and barely moved for days. We bought all her toys, equipment, and "furniture" with her, so I'm sure that helped her settle in eventually. I'm lucky enough to live near a Wegmans with plenty of the exotic greens that are good for her. I chopped up her salads, made sure they didn't wilt, and was obsessed with learning everything about beardies. One time I was really lucky and cactus pears were in season at the grocery store. She absolutely loved that! It smelled awesome too.
After six months or so, she became very picky. I'd buy mustard greens or something and they would go bad in the refrigerator before she'd touch her salads. I tried to pique her interest by doing all sorts of things like hiding worms in the salad and dousing it in bearded dragon "dressing" (some kind of strawberry flavored goo). I tried hand feeding and that worked for a while, but eventually she'd close her eyes and turn her head up and that was that. I lost interest in keeping up and asked my dad to help. I was significantly more immature at the time and didn't take the responsibility as seriously as I should have. After the summer I flew back to college and my dad took over full daily care of her. Occasionally when we would Skype I'd get to say hi. Lately I worried about her on every vacation I took and made sure my dad kept me apprised of her feeding and bathing schedules.
Diet wise, she ended up settling into being a meat eater like her "dad." I and my dad tried my best to make sure she was getting her nutrients otherwise, like calcium dusting and gut-loading her feeders. She was also basically hand fed every day using tongs. She always loved superworms but was hot and cold on crickets. Crickets are also terrible for us owners because they make lots of noise, drown in standing water, eat each other, and smell. About a year ago I started a dubia roach colony for the nutritional benefits, but she wasn't interested. We had to give the colony away. Asking around at reptile shows I didn't feel too badly since I heard other stories of extreme pickiness. And it reminded me a lot of myself.
Of course I beat myself up now. I think about how I should've denied her her favorite foods until she ate what she was supposed to. I should've kept making salads even if she didn't eat it. Their diet is supposed to be like 60% greens and 40% insects. Hers was more like 5% - 95%. To some credit we were able to get a various assortment of fruits and vegetables into her sporadically over the past year. She liked bananas, but of course that's only supposed to be fed rarely.
She liked to "go" in the bath, so my dad and I gave her very regular baths. He took care of her more than I ever did. Regardless, I'm happy to say we did really well on that front. She was always well hydrated and never had problems shedding. Of course she'd always get a little cranky when she shed, hehe.
Nix was a sweetheart. She never, ever hissed at anyone, even strangers. She'd open her mouth once or twice, but we knew she was just playing because her beard would never inflate. All we had to do is rub her on that little ridge behind her eyes and she'd quickly shut her mouth and close her eyes. I think that's the universal beardie signal of "I like dis." I liked to put her directly on my bare chest and then under some blankets. That would help retain some of my own heat since she can't do that on her own. We've played some video games together, and watched a few Orioles and Ravens games. She usually fell asleep hanging onto me and I gently woke her up before placing her back in her tank. She was always fidgety in the process of transferring her between tank and shirt. I always worried about her hurting herself because I once scraped her head slightly on the tank frame in the process.
I wish I had done this more. I wish I hadn't come home often and said "nah, some other day." I wish I hadn't put off taking her outside so often for natural sunlight. I'd use her tendency to lick everything as an excuse to keep her inside (I was worried about her eating bugs affected by pesticides). I'd use her lying under her hide or drying off from a bath as an excuse not to pay her attention. But she deserved more. One time I was on my phone and it slipped out of my hands and hit her on the top of the head. It was a glancing blow and she barely reacted but I felt terrible for the rest of the day.
For her substrate, we used slate tile. Soon after we got her we were shocked to see her pass eggs! We found out that female beardies produce unfertilized eggs for their lifetimes unless they are spayed. For egg laying we temporarily gave her a lose sand substrate, but I removed it after a while because I was always so worried about impaction. That's when a beardie eats something indigestible like sand along with their food and it gets trapped in their digestive system. Her diet made her a little constipated so I wanted to make sure nothing was present to make it possibly worse. As far as the eggs went, we really hadn't seen any more for a long time after that.
About a week ago, we noticed she went in her tank, which was very unusual for her. She was never a trouble to us, and just one example was that she made cleanup easy by going in her baths. There was a little blood. I immediately suspected parasites and we fully disinfected her tank. Since it takes about an hour and a half I'll admit we let it get filthy. She deserved more regular cleanings of her tank. At least in the last week of her life it was pristine. At the time I also scheduled a vet appointment.
On the morning of her appointment she went again and there was significantly more blood. Beardies are small enough to begin with, so even a little blood is concerning. She hadn't eaten in a few days and at this point I was worried sick. We collected her up and hurried over. The vet we chose is one of the best in the state, very experienced in reptiles and was able to quickly diagnose that she was egg bound. This means that she was still making eggs unbeknownst to us and having trouble passing them. Untreated it's almost entirely fatal. Regardless of the circumstances it's a dire situation.
She was clearly uncomfortable. Unlike how she'd normally sit with her belly lying on the floor, she was lifting it off the ground and wiggling her back legs. They needed to get a blood sample from her to assess the possibility of emergency surgery. They had to get it from her tail and I couldn't watch. I saw her struggling and even heard her hiss a bit. I'm so sorry she had to deal with that, and I know that she only hissed because she was afraid. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize the signs of egg binding and I'm so sorry she didn't have loose substrate to dig into. I blame myself for not exercising her more. Her muscles probably weren't strong enough because of that. The doctor assured me they have trouble with eggs at that age regardless, but who knows for sure. I'm glad at least that spaying really wasn't an option prior, though, because she was already old and it's a pretty major surgery.
They said she had already lost a good amount of blood, but could endure surgery. I breathed such a sigh of relief because I knew it was either going to be that or euthanasia. A while back, I downloaded a veterinarian's textbook on reptile care and know the ghoulish ways they perform euthanasia for reptiles. It was going to be a thousand dollars for surgery and I signed the paperwork without hesitation. This is a lot of money for me and for most people, but that's part of the responsibility of owning a pet in my mind. Beardies have been known to live over 15, and she had no other health issues I was aware of. It wasn't fair to put her down simply because she was bleeding to death.
They whisked her away, but not before I pet her and told her I believed in her. I had no doubt she would make it through the surgery. And she made me so proud. She did. They said that she had a strong heartbeat and no major source of bleeding post surgery. Unfortunately the anesthesia used to sedate her was just too much for her body to handle. She stopped breathing yesterday afternoon and wasn't able to be resuscitated. I imagine this in my head and it breaks my heart. If I were there I would have done damn mouth to mouth for hours no matter how ridiculous it sounds. It's so frustrating that even throwing money at the problem didn't help. But I know the surgeon was experienced and did his best. In fact, I'm shocked at the quality of care for reptiles in today's day and age. Within hours she had radiography, blood tests, and surgery done. A few decades ago this would've been impressive for a human.
Most of us would be happy to pass away so peacefully. She was awake one moment...and then nothing. I've been listening to Alan Watts a lot recently, and he makes a point about how animals have it so great. We stress and worry and concern ourselves about death, but animals just live life to its fullest and live in the present until it just ends. Nix is feeling no pain right now. I hope there's some way in which her spirit lives on. Who really knows. And even if she made it through surgery, she was going to pass away one day. Maybe she'd have lingered in pain post-surgery until just not waking up one day.
My dad and I were both too emotional to pick her up last night. He went out to the car and almost immediately came back inside. He half-laughed at how moved we were by a bearded dragon. I cried so hard I got a nosebleed and a splitting headache. I missed and still miss my little girl and just want to hold her and tell her it will be alright. She was there for me when I suffered through a serious bout of anxiety and panic attacks in 2015. In her own way she let me know it would be alright herself.
We went back to the vet first thing this morning and her box felt so cold. They froze her overnight. I didn't look inside. I signed for her treatment, which wiped out my savings for MFF, but I don't care. I would've maxed out my credit card for a few more years with her. I was desperate for the vet to call us before that morning and say they made a mistake, and that she was actually okay. I thought the cold would've put her in suspended animation and her body would be kickstarted again. I hesitated even going because there was such a finality about picking her up from the vet and never being able to go back. I was so sorry I couldn't have been there for her before she went under. She was alone and afraid and had no idea why she was being "punished" for being sick. We buried her outside the window she loved to look out of at passersby. She's back home now and close to us.
I'm having trouble accepting that collection of neurons that defined Nix no longer exists. I'm having trouble knowing she's a handful of feet away from me and there's nothing I can do for her. I have to hold back the horrible feeling to rush down and dig her up and rub her back to life. I feel like I'm running out of time to take action. I'm having trouble with the fact I can't go downstairs and slip her out of her cage for one last nap. I'm having trouble seeing time slip by, and knowing the last time I did all of the daily things I do as part of my routine she was still alive. I can get another bearded dragon, but she won't look like Nix. She won't turn her face up at all the greens like Nix. She won't tolerate being handled nearly as well as Nix. I really wish I knew if she had any siblings or what her parents were like. We lost contact with her first family and only knew that she was born around 2005.
I wanted to share this story because Nix didn't deserve to suffer for a second. She was my friend, and was the most beautiful and well-behaved bearded dragon I have ever met...and I've seen a lot in reptile shows! I want her to be remembered and appreciated even by strangers as an exemplar of a reptile pet. She had a personality with its own quirks. She felt completely comfortable around me. She depended on us entirely to survive. She was so much more than "just a lizard." I donated to a reptile rescue in her name so hopefully others like her can be helped with all the care they need.
Right now I'm devastated and obviously feeling enormously guilty over all the things I could've done. But hopefully telling everyone about Nix will serve as the memorialization she deserves. Please feel free to share your own stories here about your pets and I'd especially like to hear how you are managing to cope. I've been mentally exhausted the past two days, and physically ill. I feel I don't deserve to be happy or laugh because it would insult her memory. I'm petrified of moving on because I don't want to forget her and what she meant to me.
Free "Angels with Scaly Wings" Game Raffle
Posted 8 years agoHey! So recently I saw a tweet from 
Corydonn in my feed and he was offering free copies of a new game called "Angels with Scaly Wings." I'd never heard of it, but once I saw it was a visual novel involving dragons I couldn't resist! It's so much fun so far that I'd like to sponsor a giveaway of my own. Unlike him I don't have five copies, but I do have one! Please enter by writing a comment below. Here are the rules:
You must have a Steam account in order for me to gift you the game.
You must be watching me.
The drawing will take place 5PM EST, Friday, February 10. You must respond within 24 hours of my note or your prize will be subject to forfeit.
If you enjoy the game, please tell your friends! The point here is that it's a smaller market game that might only get expansions/a sequel if there's enough interest among gamers.
Here is the game's Steam page:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/571880/
Corydonn's raffle ended earlier this week, so this is your only shot now!
Corydonn in my feed and he was offering free copies of a new game called "Angels with Scaly Wings." I'd never heard of it, but once I saw it was a visual novel involving dragons I couldn't resist! It's so much fun so far that I'd like to sponsor a giveaway of my own. Unlike him I don't have five copies, but I do have one! Please enter by writing a comment below. Here are the rules:You must have a Steam account in order for me to gift you the game.
You must be watching me.
The drawing will take place 5PM EST, Friday, February 10. You must respond within 24 hours of my note or your prize will be subject to forfeit.
If you enjoy the game, please tell your friends! The point here is that it's a smaller market game that might only get expansions/a sequel if there's enough interest among gamers.
Here is the game's Steam page:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/571880/
Corydonn's raffle ended earlier this week, so this is your only shot now!
Post-MFF 2016 Journal
Posted 9 years agoIt would be incredibly difficult for any con to top my experience at AC this year, but MFF 2016 comes about as close as anything could.
My trek to MFF this year began in Philadelphia, where I decided to make a brief pit stop to see my favorite band, Starfucker. You might recognize some of their song titles and lyrics in my commissions. While I was there I also got to see the Liberty Bell for the first time, and stayed right in the heart of Chinatown which felt pretty darn cool because of all the cyberpunk-y neon.
I arrived in Chicago a few days later, where I roomed with geldazane and 
Tyrnn in the Aloft, which was down the street from the Hyatt. Huge shoutout to RidleyDupree for allowing both myself and Tyrnn to store our suits in the main hotel instead of having to lug them back and forth between our own satellite hotel. I am incredibly grateful for that. Ridley also regaled Bronzewing and myself about the Godzilla industry and really made me want to attend Gfest next year.
It would be utterly impossible to mention all of the macro/micro furs I either met for the first time or saw again here, so I won’t make an exhaustive list.
Aerys was showing off on a VR headset some rigs of his 3D model, some lewder than others. It was a treat to take a look at both, and really hints to the future of the macro fandom. Aerys was also personally a very nice and interesting guy who Bronze and I had loads of fun hanging with. We both agreed that there just has to be a collaboration between our characters in the near future! Similarly, appledectomy had an interactive rampage simulator set up in the game room and I enjoyed watching a few “kaiju” stomp their way around a virtual city.
I met
dcuk for the first time, and he is a riot! On Saturday night, a group of us played from the Jackbox in Ridley’s room, and after extreme tiredness on my part and a “few” drinks on everyone else’s, I was in stitches! The two of us even had a little rivalry going after we traded wins in a few rounds, but in the end we came to a proper tie. 
Corvidius posted an example of the shenanigans we were up to here. We learned 
Reazu was “good to the last drop” (
Saebo: “How do you all know?”) and no macro is complete without a superiority complex. I was also introduced to the “Million Dollars But….” series on YouTube.
I was pleased to meet one of my inspirations,
Sovrim, as well as a few of the artists who have done such wonderful commissions for me over the years, including 
miles-df, 
solaxe and 
lydemox.
Now, food! Chicago has always kept me well fed, and this year was no exception. Thursday night, I had dinner at Giordano’s, the pizza restaurant down the street. I was joined by….a “few” other people. Like 15 other people in all honesty. See, the group of macros planning to go kinda snowballed between the hotel and the restaurant and we ended up filling up two long tables. There were phantom pizzas being ordered and everything, it was delightfully disorganized. There I had a great conversation with
starforge, whose stories and commissions are some of my favorites.
Saturday morning Bronzewing and I had breakfast at Denny’s with Tyrnn,
Dragonien, 
Bomba, 
Alkali, and LLL. I like cheap greasy American fare, so it was excellent!
Commissioning art was not as high a priority for me this year, but I did manage to get three things. First off, from
Royalty, is a pin-up of Tegon. That’s already finished, but I still need to scan it first before uploading. The second is a digital sketch from 
Rhos of Tegon as a dragon-king. The third is a badge by Athena the Jackal with those beads you melt together. Since her beads are UV-reactive, I thought it would work particularly well with Tegon’s color scheme. I expect that to be finished around mid-January, and I will upload that when it’s done here as well.
One of the cooler experiences at the con was swinging by
Deriaz's table in the Dealer's Den, because he was displaying a print of a commission Bronze and I got last year. It's pretty awesome to see an idea you helped come up with be shown as a featured commission! I also got to drag a heavily protesting Bronze into the dildo room, which is always good for a laugh. Hey, they even had penetrable toys this year! As any macro dragon would, I assume they all saw my journal last year and took heed.
If you’re interested in all the pictures taken while I was in suit, please check out my Twitter page. I had fun stomping around the macro meet with SyLoX, 
Kenson, and Tyrnn in particular. All of the pics you see were snapped by Bronzewing unless otherwise noted. My page is not protected, so you don’t need an account to see everything; just click on the “Media” tab. There was no fursuit parade at MFF this year, but I did take a group photo with the dragons that’s coming down the pipeline. Perhaps the most titillating snaps of the con were taken during a photo shoot 
iancorvid held after the Macro meet, which you can see here.
That’s about it! I will be in suit next at Anthrocon 2017, although a strong case was made for BLFC when I heard there’s tons of entertainment right at the con venue. We’ll see!
My trek to MFF this year began in Philadelphia, where I decided to make a brief pit stop to see my favorite band, Starfucker. You might recognize some of their song titles and lyrics in my commissions. While I was there I also got to see the Liberty Bell for the first time, and stayed right in the heart of Chinatown which felt pretty darn cool because of all the cyberpunk-y neon.
I arrived in Chicago a few days later, where I roomed with
geldazane and 
Tyrnn in the Aloft, which was down the street from the Hyatt. Huge shoutout to RidleyDupree for allowing both myself and Tyrnn to store our suits in the main hotel instead of having to lug them back and forth between our own satellite hotel. I am incredibly grateful for that. Ridley also regaled Bronzewing and myself about the Godzilla industry and really made me want to attend Gfest next year.It would be utterly impossible to mention all of the macro/micro furs I either met for the first time or saw again here, so I won’t make an exhaustive list.
Aerys was showing off on a VR headset some rigs of his 3D model, some lewder than others. It was a treat to take a look at both, and really hints to the future of the macro fandom. Aerys was also personally a very nice and interesting guy who Bronze and I had loads of fun hanging with. We both agreed that there just has to be a collaboration between our characters in the near future! Similarly, appledectomy had an interactive rampage simulator set up in the game room and I enjoyed watching a few “kaiju” stomp their way around a virtual city.I met
dcuk for the first time, and he is a riot! On Saturday night, a group of us played from the Jackbox in Ridley’s room, and after extreme tiredness on my part and a “few” drinks on everyone else’s, I was in stitches! The two of us even had a little rivalry going after we traded wins in a few rounds, but in the end we came to a proper tie. 
Corvidius posted an example of the shenanigans we were up to here. We learned 
Reazu was “good to the last drop” (
Saebo: “How do you all know?”) and no macro is complete without a superiority complex. I was also introduced to the “Million Dollars But….” series on YouTube. I was pleased to meet one of my inspirations,
Sovrim, as well as a few of the artists who have done such wonderful commissions for me over the years, including 
miles-df, 
solaxe and 
lydemox. Now, food! Chicago has always kept me well fed, and this year was no exception. Thursday night, I had dinner at Giordano’s, the pizza restaurant down the street. I was joined by….a “few” other people. Like 15 other people in all honesty. See, the group of macros planning to go kinda snowballed between the hotel and the restaurant and we ended up filling up two long tables. There were phantom pizzas being ordered and everything, it was delightfully disorganized. There I had a great conversation with
starforge, whose stories and commissions are some of my favorites.Saturday morning Bronzewing and I had breakfast at Denny’s with Tyrnn,
Dragonien, 
Bomba, 
Alkali, and LLL. I like cheap greasy American fare, so it was excellent!Commissioning art was not as high a priority for me this year, but I did manage to get three things. First off, from
Royalty, is a pin-up of Tegon. That’s already finished, but I still need to scan it first before uploading. The second is a digital sketch from 
Rhos of Tegon as a dragon-king. The third is a badge by Athena the Jackal with those beads you melt together. Since her beads are UV-reactive, I thought it would work particularly well with Tegon’s color scheme. I expect that to be finished around mid-January, and I will upload that when it’s done here as well.One of the cooler experiences at the con was swinging by
Deriaz's table in the Dealer's Den, because he was displaying a print of a commission Bronze and I got last year. It's pretty awesome to see an idea you helped come up with be shown as a featured commission! I also got to drag a heavily protesting Bronze into the dildo room, which is always good for a laugh. Hey, they even had penetrable toys this year! As any macro dragon would, I assume they all saw my journal last year and took heed.If you’re interested in all the pictures taken while I was in suit, please check out my Twitter page. I had fun stomping around the macro meet with
SyLoX, 
Kenson, and Tyrnn in particular. All of the pics you see were snapped by Bronzewing unless otherwise noted. My page is not protected, so you don’t need an account to see everything; just click on the “Media” tab. There was no fursuit parade at MFF this year, but I did take a group photo with the dragons that’s coming down the pipeline. Perhaps the most titillating snaps of the con were taken during a photo shoot 
iancorvid held after the Macro meet, which you can see here.That’s about it! I will be in suit next at Anthrocon 2017, although a strong case was made for BLFC when I heard there’s tons of entertainment right at the con venue. We’ll see!
TMI Tuesday
Posted 9 years agoIt's about time to clear off the AC journal in favor of MFF, and I'm bored today anyway. Ask me anything you want!
Anthrocon 2016 Post-Mortem
Posted 9 years agoClick here for the Anthrocon 2016 Fursuit Parade video.
Click here for pictures taken during Anthrocon 2016.
Kind of a macabre journal title, but it's true! AC 2016 is officially in the books, deader than a doornail, bereft of life. And I can say in four years of Anthrocons it was by far my favorite. Argent, Bronze, Neopuc, Orenthes, and myself meshed so well and clicked about as well as any group of five furs could.
After getting all of my suitemates together, we began on Thursday night with a trip out to a steakhouse. Fitting for a room full of macros that we feasted on the finest meat.
Orenthes possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of cuisine, and so he guided us through many of our restaurant tours. Quite a few times we visited the restaurant on the first floor of our hotel, the Crazy Mocha coffee shop around the corner, and even a greasy spoon for breakfast known as Hanlon's Cafe. Everything from syrup penetration to gelatinous meat was discussed. Orenthes and ArgentVZ went to an Uzbek restaurant called Kavsar that I hear was quite a treat. Argent, Bronze, and I attended the supersponsor luncheon as well. No suit, though! Too much sauce around...
Our hotel room, up on the 25th floor, had one hell of a view. One night we even spied (and heard!) a Billy Joel concert taking place at PNC Park. Initially its energy saving features flummoxed the five of us, but I'd say on the whole it was a great setup. I wish the elevator lines were shorter. There were a few times we had to wait more than 15 minutes to get back up to our room.
Friday officially kicked off the convention, and early into the afternoon was the macro/micro meetup. There I stomped around with Rogue (in painfully slow-motion, no less!), and met with, let's see....Scales, Myr, Sylox, and Startide in suit. Wait, wait! Guess who was there? Yesssss,
cantstopgrowing! His friend Jamesfoxes set up the dragon growth animation in 3D, and I got to strap it to my head. Yes, it was as awesome as you'd think! I was staring up at the dragon, slowing craning up more and more, and sneaking peeks lower down every other moment. This is the future of macro, folks, and it's awesome! Geemo presided over a meetup that was the biggest ever, I think approaching 200 people in total. Bronze and I raffled off a story commission, but for now I'll keep the details under wraps and we'll see where that goes.
I flitted in and out of the Dealers' Den/Artists' Alley this weekend, but from what I remember I was able to get some really cool stuff. Dark Natasha is ridiculously popular, such that even in the sponsor line Neopuc and I rushed over and barely managed to get a badge, let alone a full-on commission. Mine (featuring Alix) is actually done and will be posted soon.
likeshine is an artist I knew but didn't really know before the con. She's the creator of that "Being a Dragon Means..." meme that I like to share every once in a while with Argent and Bronze. Anyway, I was able to come up with a plan to get some Telegram stickers from her. Finally, on Friday, I flew over to Kadath's table and continued my tradition of commissioning him at AC. This year features Tegon and Puzzle. Rage Studios had a table where they sold "Fatzilla," or the most adorable plush kaiju. You'd better believe I got me one of those!
Friday night the five of us played Cards Against Humanity. Together with Argent's original deck and first expansion, I brought along two official expansions: Crabs Adjust Humidity (5th and 6th) and Guards Against Insanity (1st). It was the first time I played the game in person and not just over the Internet. Fucking. hilarious. We were all in stitches for most of the night. Props to Neopuc for selling the acting on a lot of the black cards. I can still hear him say "Mmm! _________! And it's still warm!"
The macro party at the Doubletree was also that night. I met the "mysterious" owner of the BiggestStory macro twitter account, and Tyrnn showed off his suit. Despite the venue being a little small for him, I can definitely understand the big guy showing off because the airline shipped his suit off to another state for the first day. I remember we chatted with Kurrikage, Dialuca, and had a nice conversation with Aerys. Sapphy was brewing up some verrrry interesting drinks. I came *this* close to getting Argent to down one of the neon-colored ones, I swear! But I definitely got him to play me in Words with Friends.
If you're a suiter, much of Saturday revolves around the parade. Recently I called the time between when you're supposed to show up for the photo, and when you actually begin to walk in the parade "the hour from hell." For me, it's more difficult to take off and put my head back on. There's some tucking that goes on, and your handlers are not allowed in, so I kept the full suit on for the duration. Soooo hot! I noted that the parade was almost twice as long this year as in previous years, too, so that didn't help. But enough complaining about this, because the moment you step out of the convention center you feel like a fucking rockstar. A good number of Pittsburghers line the street outside. All of their eyes and cameraphones are trained on you. They cheer, there's music, waving, hi-fiving with the kids, it's probably the closest I'll ever get to feeling famous. Whoever decided to take it outside deserves a medal, because if anything it makes our whole fandom more inclusive. Nothing but good, positive vibes from the crowd, and a whole lot of showboating on my part! Err, within the official guidelines, of course.
I decided this would be the last time in my suit, so geldazane patiently stayed with me while I got some professional pictures taken. I look pretty scary in these! They're supposed to come out in about two weeks, so I'll post them here when they do. I also snagged a fursuit badge, and doled out a few hugs. Artie wondered by in suit and I finally got a picture with him too.
Saturday night we tried a different game, Snake Oil. For those unfamiliar, you go around in a circle. Each round, you become some sort of occupation (e.g. soldier, pirate), and each person plays two cards from their hands (nouns and adjectives) and tries to sell you something. I think speaking frankly the lot of us were unsure how much fun it would be, especially compared to the night before, but it delivered in spades. While Argent was unable to sell the soldier Orenthes a baby cannon, he pitched me, the pro wrestler, a freedom cape quite nicely. One of my few successes for the night was a revenge movie to Orenthes the hitchhiker. I can't quite recall if Neopuc sold his sleep worm to Argent the alien, but it was one hell of a pitch. Also, for the record, Neopuc was really good at both of these games.
The charity auction on Sunday has become a yearly tradition for me. I really wanted to get this painting that a lion from the Pittsburgh Zoo painted, but alas, it wasn't in the cards. What I did snag was a pair of oversized badges, titled "MACRO" (like last year's) and "HUGE" (you can see that one on my Twitter page). Since I already have a macro badge, and since Tyrnn has to work the Artists' Alley each year, I decided to strike up a trade: badge for art! I was lucky, too, since he opened while I was at the auction and was promptly swamped with commissions. Argent came along with me and both of us very much enjoyed Kage's antics. Thisssss close to bidding on the ability to choose his badge name for next year, but I also did not have over a grand on me XD
From there it was about time to bid the convention center goodbye, at least until 2017. Argent, Orenthes, and Neopuc joined me in the hotel's restaurant one last time. I had to order the furry strawberry shake, which came with a sparkler on top. Not bad, either. And with that, we parted ways.
I must wholeheartedly thank Bronze for being my handler for the second time. He's always there to adjust that pesky flap on my head, to slip my gloves back on after fooling with my phone, and to shoo away any riff-raff!
Any art commissioned this time around will be posted in the coming weeks. I also followed up with artists from two remaining commissions from AC 2015: Cyberscribe (the Tegon plush) and redrusker. Both have promised me updates or completion soon. If you check my commission queue, you'll also see a "surprise" that's coming soon, as well as an animation from Corvidius. There's no way those two could be linked. Nuh uh.
Click here for pictures taken during Anthrocon 2016.
Kind of a macabre journal title, but it's true! AC 2016 is officially in the books, deader than a doornail, bereft of life. And I can say in four years of Anthrocons it was by far my favorite. Argent, Bronze, Neopuc, Orenthes, and myself meshed so well and clicked about as well as any group of five furs could.
After getting all of my suitemates together, we began on Thursday night with a trip out to a steakhouse. Fitting for a room full of macros that we feasted on the finest meat.
Orenthes possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of cuisine, and so he guided us through many of our restaurant tours. Quite a few times we visited the restaurant on the first floor of our hotel, the Crazy Mocha coffee shop around the corner, and even a greasy spoon for breakfast known as Hanlon's Cafe. Everything from syrup penetration to gelatinous meat was discussed. Orenthes and ArgentVZ went to an Uzbek restaurant called Kavsar that I hear was quite a treat. Argent, Bronze, and I attended the supersponsor luncheon as well. No suit, though! Too much sauce around...Our hotel room, up on the 25th floor, had one hell of a view. One night we even spied (and heard!) a Billy Joel concert taking place at PNC Park. Initially its energy saving features flummoxed the five of us, but I'd say on the whole it was a great setup. I wish the elevator lines were shorter. There were a few times we had to wait more than 15 minutes to get back up to our room.
Friday officially kicked off the convention, and early into the afternoon was the macro/micro meetup. There I stomped around with Rogue (in painfully slow-motion, no less!), and met with, let's see....Scales, Myr, Sylox, and Startide in suit. Wait, wait! Guess who was there? Yesssss,
cantstopgrowing! His friend Jamesfoxes set up the dragon growth animation in 3D, and I got to strap it to my head. Yes, it was as awesome as you'd think! I was staring up at the dragon, slowing craning up more and more, and sneaking peeks lower down every other moment. This is the future of macro, folks, and it's awesome! Geemo presided over a meetup that was the biggest ever, I think approaching 200 people in total. Bronze and I raffled off a story commission, but for now I'll keep the details under wraps and we'll see where that goes.I flitted in and out of the Dealers' Den/Artists' Alley this weekend, but from what I remember I was able to get some really cool stuff. Dark Natasha is ridiculously popular, such that even in the sponsor line Neopuc and I rushed over and barely managed to get a badge, let alone a full-on commission. Mine (featuring Alix) is actually done and will be posted soon.
likeshine is an artist I knew but didn't really know before the con. She's the creator of that "Being a Dragon Means..." meme that I like to share every once in a while with Argent and Bronze. Anyway, I was able to come up with a plan to get some Telegram stickers from her. Finally, on Friday, I flew over to Kadath's table and continued my tradition of commissioning him at AC. This year features Tegon and Puzzle. Rage Studios had a table where they sold "Fatzilla," or the most adorable plush kaiju. You'd better believe I got me one of those!Friday night the five of us played Cards Against Humanity. Together with Argent's original deck and first expansion, I brought along two official expansions: Crabs Adjust Humidity (5th and 6th) and Guards Against Insanity (1st). It was the first time I played the game in person and not just over the Internet. Fucking. hilarious. We were all in stitches for most of the night. Props to
Neopuc for selling the acting on a lot of the black cards. I can still hear him say "Mmm! _________! And it's still warm!"The macro party at the Doubletree was also that night. I met the "mysterious" owner of the BiggestStory macro twitter account, and Tyrnn showed off his suit. Despite the venue being a little small for him, I can definitely understand the big guy showing off because the airline shipped his suit off to another state for the first day. I remember we chatted with Kurrikage, Dialuca, and had a nice conversation with Aerys. Sapphy was brewing up some verrrry interesting drinks. I came *this* close to getting Argent to down one of the neon-colored ones, I swear! But I definitely got him to play me in Words with Friends.
If you're a suiter, much of Saturday revolves around the parade. Recently I called the time between when you're supposed to show up for the photo, and when you actually begin to walk in the parade "the hour from hell." For me, it's more difficult to take off and put my head back on. There's some tucking that goes on, and your handlers are not allowed in, so I kept the full suit on for the duration. Soooo hot! I noted that the parade was almost twice as long this year as in previous years, too, so that didn't help. But enough complaining about this, because the moment you step out of the convention center you feel like a fucking rockstar. A good number of Pittsburghers line the street outside. All of their eyes and cameraphones are trained on you. They cheer, there's music, waving, hi-fiving with the kids, it's probably the closest I'll ever get to feeling famous. Whoever decided to take it outside deserves a medal, because if anything it makes our whole fandom more inclusive. Nothing but good, positive vibes from the crowd, and a whole lot of showboating on my part! Err, within the official guidelines, of course.
I decided this would be the last time in my suit, so
geldazane patiently stayed with me while I got some professional pictures taken. I look pretty scary in these! They're supposed to come out in about two weeks, so I'll post them here when they do. I also snagged a fursuit badge, and doled out a few hugs. Artie wondered by in suit and I finally got a picture with him too.Saturday night we tried a different game, Snake Oil. For those unfamiliar, you go around in a circle. Each round, you become some sort of occupation (e.g. soldier, pirate), and each person plays two cards from their hands (nouns and adjectives) and tries to sell you something. I think speaking frankly the lot of us were unsure how much fun it would be, especially compared to the night before, but it delivered in spades. While Argent was unable to sell the soldier Orenthes a baby cannon, he pitched me, the pro wrestler, a freedom cape quite nicely. One of my few successes for the night was a revenge movie to Orenthes the hitchhiker. I can't quite recall if Neopuc sold his sleep worm to Argent the alien, but it was one hell of a pitch. Also, for the record, Neopuc was really good at both of these games.
The charity auction on Sunday has become a yearly tradition for me. I really wanted to get this painting that a lion from the Pittsburgh Zoo painted, but alas, it wasn't in the cards. What I did snag was a pair of oversized badges, titled "MACRO" (like last year's) and "HUGE" (you can see that one on my Twitter page). Since I already have a macro badge, and since
Tyrnn has to work the Artists' Alley each year, I decided to strike up a trade: badge for art! I was lucky, too, since he opened while I was at the auction and was promptly swamped with commissions. Argent came along with me and both of us very much enjoyed Kage's antics. Thisssss close to bidding on the ability to choose his badge name for next year, but I also did not have over a grand on me XDFrom there it was about time to bid the convention center goodbye, at least until 2017. Argent, Orenthes, and Neopuc joined me in the hotel's restaurant one last time. I had to order the furry strawberry shake, which came with a sparkler on top. Not bad, either. And with that, we parted ways.
I must wholeheartedly thank Bronze for being my handler for the second time. He's always there to adjust that pesky flap on my head, to slip my gloves back on after fooling with my phone, and to shoo away any riff-raff!
Any art commissioned this time around will be posted in the coming weeks. I also followed up with artists from two remaining commissions from AC 2015: Cyberscribe (the Tegon plush) and redrusker. Both have promised me updates or completion soon. If you check my commission queue, you'll also see a "surprise" that's coming soon, as well as an animation from Corvidius. There's no way those two could be linked. Nuh uh.
Anthrocon 2016 Meme
Posted 9 years agoWhere are you staying?
The Westin! Will be nice staying so close to the con itself this year. I usually shack up elsewhere a distance away.
What day are you getting there?
Thursday, early afternoon.
How are you traveling?
Driving. Coming from MD it's not too bad.
Who will you be rooming with?
A full house. geldazane, ArgentVZ, Orenthes, and Neopuc
How is the best way to find you?
I'll either be with one of the four above people, or you can catch me wearing my fursuit! The neon really sticks out, trust me.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
The macro/micro meetup, definitely. Probably the dragon meetup depending on the timing.
What do you look like?
My suit: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18477448/
Or I'll be wearing this badge: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14151655/
Will you be suiting?
Yep! I'll be in the parade.
Do you do free art?
I do not draw! But I do write stories. At the macro/micro party I may be involved in a brainstorming session, who knows.
Do you do trades?
I'd consider it.
Do you do badges?
Nope.
What is your gender?
Male
How tall are you?
6'0"
Can I talk to you?
Sure!
Can I touch you?
In suit.
Can I visit your room?
If you're invited :P
Can I buy you drinks?
As long as they're soft XD
Can I give you stuff?
A dragon's hoard is never too big.
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Ehhhhhhhh
Are you nice?
More outgoing in suit.
How long are you going?
Thursday-Sunday afternoon
Do you have an artist table?
Nope.
Will you be going to parties?
Yes, the macro/micro one.
Will you be performing?
Nope.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Sayyyyy my naaaaame!
Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
Roaming the Dealer's Den.
What/where will you be eating?
At the Supersponsors' Luncheon for sure, otherwise private dinners with my suitemates.
Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
If you're invited.
Can I take your picture?
Sure! Uhh, in suit only, naturally XD
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Meet my friends Argent and Orenthes in person for the first time, be more involved at the macro/micro party, participate in the AC fursuit parade for the first time, as well as convincing one of my friends to continue filming it for the fourth consecutive year. Uhh, commission Kadath like I do every year. Try to get something at the Art Show, and the charity auction.
The Westin! Will be nice staying so close to the con itself this year. I usually shack up elsewhere a distance away.
What day are you getting there?
Thursday, early afternoon.
How are you traveling?
Driving. Coming from MD it's not too bad.
Who will you be rooming with?
A full house.
geldazane, ArgentVZ, Orenthes, and NeopucHow is the best way to find you?
I'll either be with one of the four above people, or you can catch me wearing my fursuit! The neon really sticks out, trust me.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
The macro/micro meetup, definitely. Probably the dragon meetup depending on the timing.
What do you look like?
My suit: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18477448/
Or I'll be wearing this badge: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14151655/
Will you be suiting?
Yep! I'll be in the parade.
Do you do free art?
I do not draw! But I do write stories. At the macro/micro party I may be involved in a brainstorming session, who knows.
Do you do trades?
I'd consider it.
Do you do badges?
Nope.
What is your gender?
Male
How tall are you?
6'0"
Can I talk to you?
Sure!
Can I touch you?
In suit.
Can I visit your room?
If you're invited :P
Can I buy you drinks?
As long as they're soft XD
Can I give you stuff?
A dragon's hoard is never too big.
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Ehhhhhhhh
Are you nice?
More outgoing in suit.
How long are you going?
Thursday-Sunday afternoon
Do you have an artist table?
Nope.
Will you be going to parties?
Yes, the macro/micro one.
Will you be performing?
Nope.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Sayyyyy my naaaaame!
Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
Roaming the Dealer's Den.
What/where will you be eating?
At the Supersponsors' Luncheon for sure, otherwise private dinners with my suitemates.
Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
If you're invited.
Can I take your picture?
Sure! Uhh, in suit only, naturally XD
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Meet my friends Argent and Orenthes in person for the first time, be more involved at the macro/micro party, participate in the AC fursuit parade for the first time, as well as convincing one of my friends to continue filming it for the fourth consecutive year. Uhh, commission
Kadath like I do every year. Try to get something at the Art Show, and the charity auction. AMA
Posted 9 years agoHey there! I'm using this opportunity to host another "Ask Me Anything," as well as let you guys know about a few things.
1)
Trunchbull did a YCH that includes Tegon as a character. I cannot upload it here because the SWF is over the size limit, but you can check it out on e621.
2) I have a little pet project that I've been working on for the past week. Since FA was down for a few days I feel all the more confident in proceeding with it. Please check out my personal gallery, which I will warn you is still a work in progress, at tegon.net/gallery. This will provide a platform to host my commissioned and personal content in the event FA is down for an extended period of time again. It also helped with re-uploading the content that was wiped. Some of the pics still need descriptions/tags added. But it does have a rating and content system, as well as the ability to download full-size images.
3) I will be attending Anthrocon 2016 this year, for the first time in-suit. I will be rooming with geldazane, ArgentVZ, Orenthes, and neopuc, and will be there from Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon.
1)
Trunchbull did a YCH that includes Tegon as a character. I cannot upload it here because the SWF is over the size limit, but you can check it out on e621.2) I have a little pet project that I've been working on for the past week. Since FA was down for a few days I feel all the more confident in proceeding with it. Please check out my personal gallery, which I will warn you is still a work in progress, at tegon.net/gallery. This will provide a platform to host my commissioned and personal content in the event FA is down for an extended period of time again. It also helped with re-uploading the content that was wiped. Some of the pics still need descriptions/tags added. But it does have a rating and content system, as well as the ability to download full-size images.
3) I will be attending Anthrocon 2016 this year, for the first time in-suit. I will be rooming with
geldazane, ArgentVZ, Orenthes, and neopuc, and will be there from Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. And The Winner Is....
Posted 9 years agoCongratulations to 
Moppie, who won two hours of an 
Nommz slavestream with the number 26!
See the drawing here: http://m.imgur.com/cHiklLi
Thanks to everyone for participating!
Moppie, who won two hours of an 
Nommz slavestream with the number 26!See the drawing here: http://m.imgur.com/cHiklLi
Thanks to everyone for participating!
2000 Watcher Free Macro Art Giveaway!
Posted 9 years agoWow! I never thought in a million years that I'd actually get anywhere near 2000 watchers (or 50000 page views, for that matter). In celebration, borrowing an idea I saw recently from Axikor, I'd like to offer a special opportunity to all of you. However, since I'm certainly no artist myself, I thought I'd get some help. Enter Nommz, who I purchased a few hours of slavestream from! From my experience commissioning him, the two hours I will be giving away is about enough for one shaded artwork, or perhaps two lined sketches. Please read the rules below first, then post below to enter!
If you win you get control over these hours for free, an $80 value. If you'd like to include one of my characters (Tegon, Alix, Andamon, or Pyror), that's totally up to you, as long as you get my approval for the idea involving them first. In keeping with the spirit of the giveaway, I ask that you limit your ideas to macro/micro only, but I will not force your hand. Remember you are still bound by Nommz's rules for commissions, which you can refer to on his profile page.
Rules:
You must be watching me by the time of the drawing at 11:59 PM EST Sunday, January 31.
You must make a post in the journal comments below. I will assign you a number, then use that number to select a winner using Random.org.
The drawing will take place at 11:59 PM EST (Server Local Time at the bottom of the page) Sunday, January 31. That is in roughly two days from post time.
IF YOU WIN YOU MUST BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ME AN IDEA BY 11:59 PM EST MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST!. Nommz needs the idea from me prior to the stream. If you do not provide an idea by this time you are subject to forfeit your prize. Therefore, it's probably best to have an idea in hand before entering, because you only have 24 hours after close of the giveaway to get me the idea!
Nommz will stream your art from 11 PM EST Tuesday, Februrary 2nd, to 1 AM EST Wednesday, February 3rd.
Good luck, and thank you very much for deeming me worthy of a watch!
Nommz, who I purchased a few hours of slavestream from! From my experience commissioning him, the two hours I will be giving away is about enough for one shaded artwork, or perhaps two lined sketches. Please read the rules below first, then post below to enter! If you win you get control over these hours for free, an $80 value. If you'd like to include one of my characters (Tegon, Alix, Andamon, or Pyror), that's totally up to you, as long as you get my approval for the idea involving them first. In keeping with the spirit of the giveaway, I ask that you limit your ideas to macro/micro only, but I will not force your hand. Remember you are still bound by
Nommz's rules for commissions, which you can refer to on his profile page.Rules:
You must be watching me by the time of the drawing at 11:59 PM EST Sunday, January 31.
You must make a post in the journal comments below. I will assign you a number, then use that number to select a winner using Random.org.
The drawing will take place at 11:59 PM EST (Server Local Time at the bottom of the page) Sunday, January 31. That is in roughly two days from post time.
IF YOU WIN YOU MUST BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ME AN IDEA BY 11:59 PM EST MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST!. Nommz needs the idea from me prior to the stream. If you do not provide an idea by this time you are subject to forfeit your prize. Therefore, it's probably best to have an idea in hand before entering, because you only have 24 hours after close of the giveaway to get me the idea!
Nommz will stream your art from 11 PM EST Tuesday, Februrary 2nd, to 1 AM EST Wednesday, February 3rd.
Good luck, and thank you very much for deeming me worthy of a watch!
Obligatory Post-MFF 2015 Journal
Posted 10 years agoHey y'all! I finally have enough time to sit down and bang out my experience this year going to MFF! First off, do *NOT* visit Chicago if you're on a diet! The food there was fantastic all around, and between a few Chicago hot dogs, RidleyDupree took a few of us (including one of my roomies, Corvidius) to a pizzeria that was really top-notch.
Right after that my good friend geldazane arrived, and I'd like to thank him so much for being my handler for the weekend. The Tegon fursuit was a titanic success, and I am sure to wear it often for many years to come. The fleece material 
ArtSlave chose is probably a lot more comfortable than many other fursuits out there, and it helped me not pass out while waiting for the parade on Saturday to finally start. I thought one of the more ingenious ideas was to hide a sneaker inside the paws, so it's very comfortable to walk on. The paw molds are really cool too, and not only do they let me walk both indoors and out, but they actually look like scaly feet! That she was able to complete the suit from start to finish in five days is incredible, and the fact that it was still of the highest quality speaks volumes as to her artistic ability.
Commission-wise, Bronze and I picked up a joint from Deriaz that will probably take a few months to be completed, but promises to be really cool. It will show us together in a Fallout 4-esque wasteland. You've already seen the sketch 
Strype did as well.
One really unique opportunity I loved was the ability to rotate on a turntable three times and get turned into a 3D statue! Just like photos in the nineteenth century, all you have to do is stand still for a few minutes and they can make a digital copy of you! I should get it in the mail before the new year, and I'll post it up here so you guys can see it. I also got Bronze a copy because what's a better Christmas present than a statue of yourself?
Unlike AC where I always feel compelled to take as many pictures and videos as possible, I felt like MFF was a lot lower key, and as such I could really enjoy myself with friends more. I got to meet way too many awesome people to count. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. As
geemo noted, the macro meetups get larger every year, and soon it's bound to be an official event there just like it is at AC.
Check out my Twitter for a few more suit pics from the con, including some....saucier poses, hehe. I didn't want to spam submissions here too badly.
See me next (maybe) at FurtheMore 2016, but definitely at Anthrocon 2016.
P.S. Goddammit, MFF, put fleshlights in your dildo room next year. Not all of us want to shove a two foot long horse cock up our asses! Seriously, though, you should've seen that one. o_O I swore it had its own fucking zip code.
RidleyDupree took a few of us (including one of my roomies, Corvidius) to a pizzeria that was really top-notch. Right after that my good friend
geldazane arrived, and I'd like to thank him so much for being my handler for the weekend. The Tegon fursuit was a titanic success, and I am sure to wear it often for many years to come. The fleece material 
ArtSlave chose is probably a lot more comfortable than many other fursuits out there, and it helped me not pass out while waiting for the parade on Saturday to finally start. I thought one of the more ingenious ideas was to hide a sneaker inside the paws, so it's very comfortable to walk on. The paw molds are really cool too, and not only do they let me walk both indoors and out, but they actually look like scaly feet! That she was able to complete the suit from start to finish in five days is incredible, and the fact that it was still of the highest quality speaks volumes as to her artistic ability.Commission-wise, Bronze and I picked up a joint from
Deriaz that will probably take a few months to be completed, but promises to be really cool. It will show us together in a Fallout 4-esque wasteland. You've already seen the sketch 
Strype did as well.One really unique opportunity I loved was the ability to rotate on a turntable three times and get turned into a 3D statue! Just like photos in the nineteenth century, all you have to do is stand still for a few minutes and they can make a digital copy of you! I should get it in the mail before the new year, and I'll post it up here so you guys can see it. I also got Bronze a copy because what's a better Christmas present than a statue of yourself?
Unlike AC where I always feel compelled to take as many pictures and videos as possible, I felt like MFF was a lot lower key, and as such I could really enjoy myself with friends more. I got to meet way too many awesome people to count. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. As
geemo noted, the macro meetups get larger every year, and soon it's bound to be an official event there just like it is at AC. Check out my Twitter for a few more suit pics from the con, including some....saucier poses, hehe. I didn't want to spam submissions here too badly.
See me next (maybe) at FurtheMore 2016, but definitely at Anthrocon 2016.
P.S. Goddammit, MFF, put fleshlights in your dildo room next year. Not all of us want to shove a two foot long horse cock up our asses! Seriously, though, you should've seen that one. o_O I swore it had its own fucking zip code.
Tegon Fursuit and MFF 2015
Posted 10 years agoI'm very pleased to announce that ArtSlave is going to be bringing me to life this month! She will be under the gun as it's a rush job, but I have every confidence it will turn out awesomely. Rest assured that when it's finished there will be plenty of photo and video footage of Tegon rampaging in real life.
So why a rush job? Because Tegon is going to Midwest Furfest in Chicago this year! I will be there from Thursday, December 3, to Sunday, December 6. I am rooming with RidleyDupree , Corvidius , and geldazane , along with possibly a few others. If you see me, say hi! I'll do hugs, tail-fur tickles, you name it. I may either be in fullsuit or partial with my "Tegon" apparel (flannel shirt, jeans, and Chucks).
ArtSlave is going to be bringing me to life this month! She will be under the gun as it's a rush job, but I have every confidence it will turn out awesomely. Rest assured that when it's finished there will be plenty of photo and video footage of Tegon rampaging in real life. So why a rush job? Because Tegon is going to Midwest Furfest in Chicago this year! I will be there from Thursday, December 3, to Sunday, December 6. I am rooming with
RidleyDupree , Corvidius , and geldazane , along with possibly a few others. If you see me, say hi! I'll do hugs, tail-fur tickles, you name it. I may either be in fullsuit or partial with my "Tegon" apparel (flannel shirt, jeans, and Chucks).Ask Me Anything!
Posted 10 years agoThe last time I did one of these I had a lot of fun answering questions, so I'm doing it again! Between journals I will be stickying this so you can ask me questions any time. Feel free to ask me anything and everything. You can also ask Tegon the character any question you want if you so desire.
Commissions in Progress:
- A surprise (unpaid)
- A commission by
Doktor-Savage (paid, inked)
- A YCH by
Toots (paid, colored)
- A story from
Arnavon (paid)
- A plushie from Anthrocon 2015 (paid, done pending receipt)
- A commission by
redrusker (paid) - AC 2015
- A gift for geldazane by 
ModemRedpill (paid, inked)
Longer-term:
- A commission by Larathen (paid) - AC 2013
- A badge by BaeBunny (paid)
- A commission by Arokh (unpaid)
- A commission by Kerta-Losataure (unpaid)
Commissions in Progress:
- A surprise (unpaid)
- A commission by
Doktor-Savage (paid, inked)- A YCH by
Toots (paid, colored)- A story from
Arnavon (paid)- A plushie from Anthrocon 2015 (paid, done pending receipt)
- A commission by
redrusker (paid) - AC 2015- A gift for
geldazane by 
ModemRedpill (paid, inked)Longer-term:
- A commission by Larathen (paid) - AC 2013
- A badge by BaeBunny (paid)
- A commission by Arokh (unpaid)
- A commission by Kerta-Losataure (unpaid)
An In-Depth Look at My Macro Top-10
Posted 10 years agoEvery once in a while, I link a friend one of my favorite pieces of macro art, and I'm surprised to find they’ve never even heard of it before. It got me thinking it would be worthwhile to provide a list of my current “top 10,” if only to expose as many people to them as possible. Hopefully this list will help generate more traffic and attention for these wonderful pieces. Maybe it will even inspire you to create something similar of your own! Because I think they would unfairly bias me, I’ve excluded any of my own commissions. Some of my choices also feature “lessons learned,” which feature my opinions on the takeaway message from the selections.
10) A Little Surprise by Nixx
I’ll begin with the most unusual selection on my list. Compared to pretty much everything else you’ll see from here on out, this picture is not explicit. I picked this piece by Nixx, however, because it shows how an adept use of lighting and pose can do more for a lover of macro than most giant paws can. Look at the obsequious pose
fumei is taking, and it really hits you that the little guy is pleading for his life. His handpaws are wringing and his foot is raised, either taking a step back or being forced to by the pressure of the shrink ray on his chest. The sickly green light the ray is casting on the scene reinforces 
kartonis ‘s evil intentions. He has the smug satisfaction of a scalie completely in control of the situation. The chalkboards in the background are typical of a beloved macro trope – an evil scientist in his lair, unchained by his morality. This type of image, when executed as well as it is here, leaves the viewer with their minds racing of what could happen next.
Lesson learned: Your picture doesn’t have to have an extreme perspective or explicit content to be impactful.
9) Casually Gigantic by Nommz
No macro list would be complete without a giant dominating a city. You won’t find typical rampages on my list, however. That’s because, while many of these pictures are certainly erotic to a macrophile, they nonetheless feature rather flat characters that just feel like they’re going through the motions with their feet. I know, because I’ve commissioned that stuff at times myself. Enter neopuc , who thankfully provides our community with a large amount of commissioned art. He has many well-developed personas, including Kil’aman here. On its surface this prime example of Nommz ‘s work shows a dragon dominating a city by his mere presence, but it means much more to me because I know the character. I’ve read “An Innocent Little Rampage”, as well as his character sheet. The rendition of his paws in particular is nothing short of outstanding, but now that I know the guy I have a closer connection to him and a greater overall love of the piece as a result.
Lesson learned: Macro art doesn’t have to be avant-garde to fascinate if the characters involved are three-dimensional.
8) Rubber Prison by Raichupuppy
This is the most recently-posted submission in my list, but I think it epitomizes several finished works tackling the same subject matter. Macro/micro has its roots in domination and submission, and sexual domination is one of the strongest ways to express this. This method is somewhat unique because even unwilling micros can be forced to participate in the domination against their will, trapped and unable to move.
7) Only a Little Evil by Nommz
I love that this picture is tall, because on monitors large and small you have to scroll down to fully view the image. If you think about it, it’s a way even the physical attributes of the art can help the message. This is another example of how light can have an impact, too, as in the relatively dark room all you have is the dim, languid light source of a television screen. Did Nommz have to draw the worn-in toeprints or fissures on the surface of the fox’s flip-flop? No, but the extra detail is very welcome. This scene eventually inspired me to write something similar in my story “The Vacation,” imagining what would happen if the micro was forced to traverse between the toes.
6) Microscopic Battling by Nommz
This was the first image of Nommz ‘s I ever saw, and I was immediately hooked. He can pull off some ridiculous perspectives with ease, this being one of them. What’s really interesting is the bottom of the image is microscopic, where 
Artie is trapped among sperm, but as you move further into the background the individual cells coalesce into what the naked eye sees, just the fluid, and further back we see the normal-sized world, albeit from a very warped point of view. I think the best macro art is constructed this way because it bypasses the necessity of inset pictures all together (see my thoughts on #2). It also, I think, makes extreme micro more palatable because you can still observe the presence of the macro.
Lesson learned: Don’t be afraid to go super-tiny if you think you can handle the challenges with perspective involved.
5) Puddle by 5-D
Depicting mega macros is one of
5-D ‘s many talents. But in this picture we’re not seeing explicit destruction. Instead the macro is sipping from a lake or ocean adjacent to the city, perhaps drinking a few boats into his maw but leaving the metropolis alone for now. This type of scene compliments my thoughts on #10 well, because the feeling the tension creates is far greater than any action. If that dragon snorted, would the city get blown away or even sucked in? What about the waves he’ll undoubtedly create; would there be a tsunami? When he’s finished, are his paws next on the scene? A sketch like this sticks with me because it generates many questions that keep me thinking.
4) Globe Trotting by 5-D
Sometimes in macro it’s important to detail the grotesque. What I’m talking about here is the extreme detail on the closeup of the claw. Face it folks, the micro world isn’t pretty, and 5-D doesn’t shy away from that fact here. A sharpened clawtip is uneven and ragged close-up. This is one of the greatest size-differences I’ve seen that still has a meaningful value. As we’ll see later with my number one picture, not showing any part of the macro’s body beyond the feet tells a story in and of itself. Other than being vaguely saurian, we know nothing of the giant. And that allows us to project our thoughts and desires onto him, whether it be looks, intentions, feelings, or more.
Lesson learned: Depict your close-ups realistically, even if it isn’t pretty.
3) The Harvest~ A Taste… by xtreme7
Blowjobs are not a particularly rare event, doubly so for the world of furry art. But when you have size differences involved, the pleasurable can become horrific, the erotic, deadly. We saw a similar case above with Nommz’s “Only a Little Evil.” Of all the ways to depict a blowjob, an internal maw shot has to be uniquely macro/micro, and
xtreme7 pulls it off perfectly.
Lesson learned: The ordinary can take on an extraordinary form when you approach it from a macro/micro perspective.
2) A Speck Underfoot by thaz
Here’s extreme macro that’s the opposite of 5-D’s work. Regular-sized macro, truly micro micro. In the closeups, we see the micro, in this case Artie compared next to the incidental debris stuck to 
Teren ‘s foot. This is hugely important detail to the picture, and yet it’s not overdone by having his feet be filthy. Tact in this manner is important to me as a consumer (I really can’t enjoy it if the detail is too extreme), but I would like to focus on another aspect of the piece. The inset pictures at the bottom are necessary in this case because of the extreme size difference, but even if they weren’t they would have been a welcome addition. I’m of the opinion that insets are great for bringing two-dimensional pictures into the three-dimensional world, with the possibility of showing action from multiple perspectives and angles that would be impossible to show otherwise.
Lesson learned: Showing the action from multiple perspectives using inset views is particularly useful for macro art.
1) Emergence by xtreme7
Thaz’s picture and this one were neck-and-neck in my mind for a while, but eventually I decided that “Emergence” is the perfect representation of everything I love about macro. xtreme7 did a follow up to this picture called Overboard, and in both the orca’s entire face is never deliberately shown. I think this is perfect, because the character takes on a godlike air to the viewer. He’s so massive, so powerful that we only snatch glimpses of his eye, of his chin. The landscape is impressively detailed by the artist…notice the baseball diamond in the bottom left panel? Or that food cart in the top right? Little details can make the scene more believable and more realistic. The top right panel is actually my favorite, because the perspective invokes an entire scene from a movie in my head. The ominous sounds of the foot coming closer, the sights and sounds of chaos. While xtreme7 probably intended that panel to be his sole simply coming down flat, I prefer to think of it as sliding slowly overhead for a bit before finally falling. The orca’s nudity is there, but it’s not overbearing and garish. It’s more of a nice little bonus than anything. Zoom out for a minute and realize that the entire series only shows the first step. Everything we’re seeing takes place in a few seconds of the orca’s time. A vital aspect of macro is the amount of destruction the giant could cause in a short amount of time if they chose to do so.
Lesson learned: The large amount of work you put into your art will be appreciated, by someone, somewhere. So keep drawing, writing, and animating!
10) A Little Surprise by Nixx
I’ll begin with the most unusual selection on my list. Compared to pretty much everything else you’ll see from here on out, this picture is not explicit. I picked this piece by Nixx, however, because it shows how an adept use of lighting and pose can do more for a lover of macro than most giant paws can. Look at the obsequious pose
fumei is taking, and it really hits you that the little guy is pleading for his life. His handpaws are wringing and his foot is raised, either taking a step back or being forced to by the pressure of the shrink ray on his chest. The sickly green light the ray is casting on the scene reinforces 
kartonis ‘s evil intentions. He has the smug satisfaction of a scalie completely in control of the situation. The chalkboards in the background are typical of a beloved macro trope – an evil scientist in his lair, unchained by his morality. This type of image, when executed as well as it is here, leaves the viewer with their minds racing of what could happen next.Lesson learned: Your picture doesn’t have to have an extreme perspective or explicit content to be impactful.
9) Casually Gigantic by Nommz
No macro list would be complete without a giant dominating a city. You won’t find typical rampages on my list, however. That’s because, while many of these pictures are certainly erotic to a macrophile, they nonetheless feature rather flat characters that just feel like they’re going through the motions with their feet. I know, because I’ve commissioned that stuff at times myself. Enter
neopuc , who thankfully provides our community with a large amount of commissioned art. He has many well-developed personas, including Kil’aman here. On its surface this prime example of Nommz ‘s work shows a dragon dominating a city by his mere presence, but it means much more to me because I know the character. I’ve read “An Innocent Little Rampage”, as well as his character sheet. The rendition of his paws in particular is nothing short of outstanding, but now that I know the guy I have a closer connection to him and a greater overall love of the piece as a result.Lesson learned: Macro art doesn’t have to be avant-garde to fascinate if the characters involved are three-dimensional.
8) Rubber Prison by Raichupuppy
This is the most recently-posted submission in my list, but I think it epitomizes several finished works tackling the same subject matter. Macro/micro has its roots in domination and submission, and sexual domination is one of the strongest ways to express this. This method is somewhat unique because even unwilling micros can be forced to participate in the domination against their will, trapped and unable to move.
7) Only a Little Evil by Nommz
I love that this picture is tall, because on monitors large and small you have to scroll down to fully view the image. If you think about it, it’s a way even the physical attributes of the art can help the message. This is another example of how light can have an impact, too, as in the relatively dark room all you have is the dim, languid light source of a television screen. Did Nommz have to draw the worn-in toeprints or fissures on the surface of the fox’s flip-flop? No, but the extra detail is very welcome. This scene eventually inspired me to write something similar in my story “The Vacation,” imagining what would happen if the micro was forced to traverse between the toes.
6) Microscopic Battling by Nommz
This was the first image of
Nommz ‘s I ever saw, and I was immediately hooked. He can pull off some ridiculous perspectives with ease, this being one of them. What’s really interesting is the bottom of the image is microscopic, where 
Artie is trapped among sperm, but as you move further into the background the individual cells coalesce into what the naked eye sees, just the fluid, and further back we see the normal-sized world, albeit from a very warped point of view. I think the best macro art is constructed this way because it bypasses the necessity of inset pictures all together (see my thoughts on #2). It also, I think, makes extreme micro more palatable because you can still observe the presence of the macro. Lesson learned: Don’t be afraid to go super-tiny if you think you can handle the challenges with perspective involved.
5) Puddle by 5-D
Depicting mega macros is one of
5-D ‘s many talents. But in this picture we’re not seeing explicit destruction. Instead the macro is sipping from a lake or ocean adjacent to the city, perhaps drinking a few boats into his maw but leaving the metropolis alone for now. This type of scene compliments my thoughts on #10 well, because the feeling the tension creates is far greater than any action. If that dragon snorted, would the city get blown away or even sucked in? What about the waves he’ll undoubtedly create; would there be a tsunami? When he’s finished, are his paws next on the scene? A sketch like this sticks with me because it generates many questions that keep me thinking.4) Globe Trotting by 5-D
Sometimes in macro it’s important to detail the grotesque. What I’m talking about here is the extreme detail on the closeup of the claw. Face it folks, the micro world isn’t pretty, and
5-D doesn’t shy away from that fact here. A sharpened clawtip is uneven and ragged close-up. This is one of the greatest size-differences I’ve seen that still has a meaningful value. As we’ll see later with my number one picture, not showing any part of the macro’s body beyond the feet tells a story in and of itself. Other than being vaguely saurian, we know nothing of the giant. And that allows us to project our thoughts and desires onto him, whether it be looks, intentions, feelings, or more.Lesson learned: Depict your close-ups realistically, even if it isn’t pretty.
3) The Harvest~ A Taste… by xtreme7
Blowjobs are not a particularly rare event, doubly so for the world of furry art. But when you have size differences involved, the pleasurable can become horrific, the erotic, deadly. We saw a similar case above with Nommz’s “Only a Little Evil.” Of all the ways to depict a blowjob, an internal maw shot has to be uniquely macro/micro, and
xtreme7 pulls it off perfectly. Lesson learned: The ordinary can take on an extraordinary form when you approach it from a macro/micro perspective.
2) A Speck Underfoot by thaz
Here’s extreme macro that’s the opposite of 5-D’s work. Regular-sized macro, truly micro micro. In the closeups, we see the micro, in this case
Artie compared next to the incidental debris stuck to 
Teren ‘s foot. This is hugely important detail to the picture, and yet it’s not overdone by having his feet be filthy. Tact in this manner is important to me as a consumer (I really can’t enjoy it if the detail is too extreme), but I would like to focus on another aspect of the piece. The inset pictures at the bottom are necessary in this case because of the extreme size difference, but even if they weren’t they would have been a welcome addition. I’m of the opinion that insets are great for bringing two-dimensional pictures into the three-dimensional world, with the possibility of showing action from multiple perspectives and angles that would be impossible to show otherwise.Lesson learned: Showing the action from multiple perspectives using inset views is particularly useful for macro art.
1) Emergence by xtreme7
Thaz’s picture and this one were neck-and-neck in my mind for a while, but eventually I decided that “Emergence” is the perfect representation of everything I love about macro.
xtreme7 did a follow up to this picture called Overboard, and in both the orca’s entire face is never deliberately shown. I think this is perfect, because the character takes on a godlike air to the viewer. He’s so massive, so powerful that we only snatch glimpses of his eye, of his chin. The landscape is impressively detailed by the artist…notice the baseball diamond in the bottom left panel? Or that food cart in the top right? Little details can make the scene more believable and more realistic. The top right panel is actually my favorite, because the perspective invokes an entire scene from a movie in my head. The ominous sounds of the foot coming closer, the sights and sounds of chaos. While xtreme7 probably intended that panel to be his sole simply coming down flat, I prefer to think of it as sliding slowly overhead for a bit before finally falling. The orca’s nudity is there, but it’s not overbearing and garish. It’s more of a nice little bonus than anything. Zoom out for a minute and realize that the entire series only shows the first step. Everything we’re seeing takes place in a few seconds of the orca’s time. A vital aspect of macro is the amount of destruction the giant could cause in a short amount of time if they chose to do so.Lesson learned: The large amount of work you put into your art will be appreciated, by someone, somewhere. So keep drawing, writing, and animating!
TMI Tuesday
Posted 10 years agoI might be done writing for now, but that doesn't mean my fingers aren't itching for exercise. Since I've never done something like this before, I thought I'd give it a try! Ask me anything about macro, scalies, or life in general. I'd be happy to give you some juicy answers ^_^
AC 2015 (Parade Video/Macro/Pic Links Inside)
Posted 10 years agoParade video (1080p HD): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXGD2nSjYV0
Parade video alt (low-angle): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwMg8WEixMI
Parade video alt 2 (low-angle): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B55TxO58nQ0
Friday AC pics: http://imgur.com/a/dYgz1
Saturday AC pics: http://imgur.com/a/O4Fe4
Sunday AC pics: http://imgur.com/a/VEEEQ
Groupshots: http://imgur.com/a/IIzJ8
Macro/Micro Meetup pics: http://imgur.com/a/IBUS8
Tyrnn stomp video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvCFKGNTPcg
Rogue nom video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ychLby8FY
Artie macro pics: http://imgur.com/a/AmV1s
With those links out of the way...whew! My third Anthrocon over and done with, and I had more fun than ever. First off, hats off to geemo for heading the macro/micro meetup, which is now ginormous in all senses of the word. Awesome meeting those who showed up. I spent most of the time on the floor, getting some pretty good shots of the fursuiters from below, if I do say so myself. You can see the album above. Met Artie , got shrunk, nbd. That link's above too. Check out Tyrnn stomping me and 
Rogue gulping down some hapless micros too.
This year with the parade video I wanted to try something different, as at times it's hard to catch the other side if the suiters get bunched up. Starting next year I'll have a second camera set up on the ground, because my test this year worked out really well. Plus, you know, obvious benefits for micros XD
Some art coming your way soon, including my first macro sketch of Alix by Tyrnn, as well as commissions by Kadath and redrusker . Right before I left I also swung by the charity auction and picked up a macro fursuiter badge. Could this mean Tegon showing up at AC2016? Stay tuned.
Parade video alt (low-angle): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwMg8WEixMI
Parade video alt 2 (low-angle): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B55TxO58nQ0
Friday AC pics: http://imgur.com/a/dYgz1
Saturday AC pics: http://imgur.com/a/O4Fe4
Sunday AC pics: http://imgur.com/a/VEEEQ
Groupshots: http://imgur.com/a/IIzJ8
Macro/Micro Meetup pics: http://imgur.com/a/IBUS8
Tyrnn stomp video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvCFKGNTPcg
Rogue nom video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ychLby8FY
Artie macro pics: http://imgur.com/a/AmV1s
With those links out of the way...whew! My third Anthrocon over and done with, and I had more fun than ever. First off, hats off to
geemo for heading the macro/micro meetup, which is now ginormous in all senses of the word. Awesome meeting those who showed up. I spent most of the time on the floor, getting some pretty good shots of the fursuiters from below, if I do say so myself. You can see the album above. Met Artie , got shrunk, nbd. That link's above too. Check out Tyrnn stomping me and 
Rogue gulping down some hapless micros too.This year with the parade video I wanted to try something different, as at times it's hard to catch the other side if the suiters get bunched up. Starting next year I'll have a second camera set up on the ground, because my test this year worked out really well. Plus, you know, obvious benefits for micros XD
Some art coming your way soon, including my first macro sketch of Alix by Tyrnn, as well as commissions by
Kadath and redrusker . Right before I left I also swung by the charity auction and picked up a macro fursuiter badge. Could this mean Tegon showing up at AC2016? Stay tuned.Anthrocon 2015
Posted 10 years agoIt's that time of year again! I'm going to be at Anthrocon from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon, and I'll most reliably be available through my Twitter account, TegonDragon. I plan to record the parade again this year, this time with a shiny new camera that will hopefully be a lot better than my phone. If you see me, say hi! I'll probably be wearing my circle badge from last year, plus my Tyrnn rampage badge, and I'll certainly be at any macro/micro events. If you're in suit I'll probably be getting a pic of you either way XD
Commissions in progress:
- A YCH by Kadath (paid)
- A YCH by Miles-DF (paid)
- A YCH by
Danza (paid, done)
- A joint commission by Deriaz (paid, done) (MFF 2015)
- A YCH by
lizardlars (paid, done)
- A YCH by Toots (paid)
- A story from Arnavon (paid)
- A plushie from Anthrocon 2015 (paid, done pending receipt)
- A sketchbook with a total of 14 pieces from
Selunca (paid, done)
- A commission by redrusker (paid) - AC
- A gift for geldazane by ModemRedpill (paid)
Longer-term:
- A commission by Larathen (paid)
- A commission by BaeBunny (paid)
- A commission by Arokh (unpaid)
- A commission by Kerta-Losataure (unpaid)
Tyrnn rampage badge, and I'll certainly be at any macro/micro events. If you're in suit I'll probably be getting a pic of you either way XDCommissions in progress:
- A YCH by
Kadath (paid)- A YCH by
Miles-DF (paid)- A YCH by
Danza (paid, done)- A joint commission by
Deriaz (paid, done) (MFF 2015)- A YCH by
lizardlars (paid, done)- A YCH by
Toots (paid)- A story from
Arnavon (paid)- A plushie from Anthrocon 2015 (paid, done pending receipt)
- A sketchbook with a total of 14 pieces from
Selunca (paid, done)- A commission by
redrusker (paid) - AC- A gift for
geldazane by ModemRedpill (paid)Longer-term:
- A commission by Larathen (paid)
- A commission by BaeBunny (paid)
- A commission by Arokh (unpaid)
- A commission by Kerta-Losataure (unpaid)
Treat
Posted 11 years agoGood news macro fans! geldazane has posted the sequel to “Trick” on his profile! It’s available here, and has plenty of post-Halloween goodies inside:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14973646/
Please give the story your feedback. For the best reading experience read “Trick” first, followed by “Treat.” These two stories mark our longest, and certainly one of our best, collaborations to date. Hope you enjoy!
And, as always, many thanks for the faves and watches. Such an awesome reception keeps us writing.
Update, 2/20: I have a few commissions in the works, including:
- A commission by
Tojo-the-Thief (paid)
- A commission by Doktor-Savage (paid)
- A commission by
Beherit (paid)
- A joint commission with
JerreyRough by Doktor-Savage (paid, done)
- A gift for geldazane by ModemRedpill (paid)
- An animation by Corvidius (paid, done)
- A YCH by lizardlars (paid, done)
Longer-term:
- A commission by Larathen (paid)
- A comic page by IncredibleCrocodile (paid)
- A commission by BaeBunny (paid)
- A commission by Arokh (unpaid)
- A commission by Kerta-Losataure (unpaid)
And, as always, a few surprises under wraps.
geldazane has posted the sequel to “Trick” on his profile! It’s available here, and has plenty of post-Halloween goodies inside:http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14973646/
Please give the story your feedback. For the best reading experience read “Trick” first, followed by “Treat.” These two stories mark our longest, and certainly one of our best, collaborations to date. Hope you enjoy!
And, as always, many thanks for the faves and watches. Such an awesome reception keeps us writing.
Update, 2/20: I have a few commissions in the works, including:
- A commission by
Tojo-the-Thief (paid)- A commission by
Doktor-Savage (paid)- A commission by
Beherit (paid)- A joint commission with
JerreyRough by Doktor-Savage (paid, done)- A gift for
geldazane by ModemRedpill (paid)- An animation by
Corvidius (paid, done)- A YCH by
lizardlars (paid, done)Longer-term:
- A commission by Larathen (paid)
- A comic page by IncredibleCrocodile (paid)
- A commission by BaeBunny (paid)
- A commission by Arokh (unpaid)
- A commission by Kerta-Losataure (unpaid)
And, as always, a few surprises under wraps.
Anthrocon 2014
Posted 11 years agoAC 2014 Parade Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofgkDy7x4yU
AC 2014 Photo Album: http://imgur.com/a/rDuhY
Man, where to start? Without a question AC 2014 completely blew last year out of the water. But it wasn’t the con itself, it was me. Partly because I knew what I was doing this time around, partly because I made so many new friends that made the time that much better.
First off, on Friday I ran into Blueanthroraptor , who not only was awesomely friendly but also gave me my very own Faibanx Muck pin to wear around! The two of us perused the art gallery afterwards, where I eventually managed to snag this painting and this one. There were some very…interesting pieces there, too, quite the experience. No mature art for me this year, but we’ll see about 2015. XD
We also saw Tyrnn there in the Artists’ Alley, and he gave me that amazing pixel badge you’ll see on his page and my favs. Definitely give him a look if you’re in the market for your own! Thanks to the Godzilla shirt I was wearing I found out that his favorite Godzilla movie, like mine, is the original 1954 version. :P
Then I moved back to the Dealer’s Den, where
kyote was offering badge commissions. When I shoot her a note I’ll make sure to post it here, as it turned out fantastically despite the time constraint. Again, highly recommend her for your badge needs.
Nommz was there as well, and once I got past my fangasm, I made sure to let him know it was like meeting a celebrity. I mean it! He’s got some of the most outstanding perspectives and shading I’ve ever seen in macro art.
Later that night was
geckonori ‘s macro party, where I first met Corvidius and RidleyDupree . One thing I will say is that Ridley’s probably one of the biggest Godzilla fans I ever met (no pun intended), and also convinced me that I should really get around to seeing Godzilla vs. Biollante soon. We looked over Blue’s sketchbook, where there were the originals of some of the more impressive pics you’ll see over on his page. As for Corv, he’s a total bro and a great burd and I had a hell of a time hanging out with him.
Oh, and the one and only neopuc was there! Again, I had to suppress my inner fan, but he’s another awesome person who I made sure to tell writes some of the best macro fiction around.
The next day I made sure to line up early to get a commission from Kadath . That one will feature Tegon and his character Nightshade, and I’ll be happy to get that one up as soon as I get it in. Really nice guy in the flesh, check out his page as well.
The fursuit parade was up next. The link is posted at the beginning above, as well as a link to the imgur album that has all the pictures I took. I learned from last year and tried to avoid as much fuzziness as possible. There’s also some pics from the macro/micro meetup that I may be posting to my scraps in the near future. Let’s just say Tyrnn and Kenson loom pretty high from the angle I have!
The convention was winding down on Sunday, but there was still one of the greatest events left: the macro/micro meetup! Geemo and anyone else who helped him did a very impressive job, as we walked around playing macro bingo for prizes. Great icebreaker, and I’d have to say that the turnout was more than anything I imagined. I saw geckonori and Bomba in suit, as well as Tyrnn and Kenson. 
Donamer was walking around earlier, and I got a pic which you’ll see in the imgur album. Lastly, I went out for drinks with Corv, Blue, and Ridley as one last get together, and can say again that all three are great people.
Last but certainly not least, I finally met rogue ! He was stomping along on his way to the macro panel, and I managed to get a pic with him. Might be posting that up soon, but check out my twitter now for a shot with him and Tyrnn together.
Finally, since it’s been a full year since my last journal, I want to express how elated I am to get ever y last fave and watch from everyone. I still check every single one individually, and just know that I truly appreciate it. It drives me to continue writing macro stories and commissioning some art.
A friend of mine, ArgentVZ writes very unique, intriguing macro/micro stories, at times with a military twist. Check him out!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pass out. See ya next year! XD
AC 2014 Photo Album: http://imgur.com/a/rDuhY
Man, where to start? Without a question AC 2014 completely blew last year out of the water. But it wasn’t the con itself, it was me. Partly because I knew what I was doing this time around, partly because I made so many new friends that made the time that much better.
First off, on Friday I ran into
Blueanthroraptor , who not only was awesomely friendly but also gave me my very own Faibanx Muck pin to wear around! The two of us perused the art gallery afterwards, where I eventually managed to snag this painting and this one. There were some very…interesting pieces there, too, quite the experience. No mature art for me this year, but we’ll see about 2015. XDWe also saw
Tyrnn there in the Artists’ Alley, and he gave me that amazing pixel badge you’ll see on his page and my favs. Definitely give him a look if you’re in the market for your own! Thanks to the Godzilla shirt I was wearing I found out that his favorite Godzilla movie, like mine, is the original 1954 version. :P Then I moved back to the Dealer’s Den, where
kyote was offering badge commissions. When I shoot her a note I’ll make sure to post it here, as it turned out fantastically despite the time constraint. Again, highly recommend her for your badge needs. Nommz was there as well, and once I got past my fangasm, I made sure to let him know it was like meeting a celebrity. I mean it! He’s got some of the most outstanding perspectives and shading I’ve ever seen in macro art.Later that night was
geckonori ‘s macro party, where I first met Corvidius and RidleyDupree . One thing I will say is that Ridley’s probably one of the biggest Godzilla fans I ever met (no pun intended), and also convinced me that I should really get around to seeing Godzilla vs. Biollante soon. We looked over Blue’s sketchbook, where there were the originals of some of the more impressive pics you’ll see over on his page. As for Corv, he’s a total bro and a great burd and I had a hell of a time hanging out with him.Oh, and the one and only
neopuc was there! Again, I had to suppress my inner fan, but he’s another awesome person who I made sure to tell writes some of the best macro fiction around.The next day I made sure to line up early to get a commission from
Kadath . That one will feature Tegon and his character Nightshade, and I’ll be happy to get that one up as soon as I get it in. Really nice guy in the flesh, check out his page as well.The fursuit parade was up next. The link is posted at the beginning above, as well as a link to the imgur album that has all the pictures I took. I learned from last year and tried to avoid as much fuzziness as possible. There’s also some pics from the macro/micro meetup that I may be posting to my scraps in the near future. Let’s just say
Tyrnn and Kenson loom pretty high from the angle I have!The convention was winding down on Sunday, but there was still one of the greatest events left: the macro/micro meetup!
Geemo and anyone else who helped him did a very impressive job, as we walked around playing macro bingo for prizes. Great icebreaker, and I’d have to say that the turnout was more than anything I imagined. I saw geckonori and Bomba in suit, as well as Tyrnn and Kenson. 
Donamer was walking around earlier, and I got a pic which you’ll see in the imgur album. Lastly, I went out for drinks with Corv, Blue, and Ridley as one last get together, and can say again that all three are great people.Last but certainly not least, I finally met
rogue ! He was stomping along on his way to the macro panel, and I managed to get a pic with him. Might be posting that up soon, but check out my twitter now for a shot with him and Tyrnn together.Finally, since it’s been a full year since my last journal, I want to express how elated I am to get ever y last fave and watch from everyone. I still check every single one individually, and just know that I truly appreciate it. It drives me to continue writing macro stories and commissioning some art.
A friend of mine,
ArgentVZ writes very unique, intriguing macro/micro stories, at times with a military twist. Check him out!Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pass out. See ya next year! XD
Anthrocon 2013 (Link to Parade Video!)
Posted 12 years agoFirst thing's first: I managed to get a great POV for the fursuit parade at Anthrocon 2013. It's on YouTube here, in all of its 1080p glory: http://youtu.be/TfEZbEo5d24
Second: I only had my phone with me to take pictures of suiters, so some came out disappointingly fuzzy (hurr hurr). That being said, those pics are available here: http://imgur.com/a/BVhUH#0
So I'm back from my first con ever and I have to say that it went amazingly well! It was a little nerve-wracking at first, putting myself out there as Tegon when I've never seen so much as a single fursuit before. But the people there and the city of Pittsburgh as a whole were so polite. I commissioned some art in the Alley that I'll post tomorrow and over the next few weeks. I wish I had a chance to meet a few more fellow macros I knew were there, but there's always next time. On the whole I'd say I'll definitely be back next year, hopefully with a suit of my own in tow!
***
Commissions in Progress:
,
(macro, queued), 
, 
(macro x2), and 
(macro).
Second: I only had my phone with me to take pictures of suiters, so some came out disappointingly fuzzy (hurr hurr). That being said, those pics are available here: http://imgur.com/a/BVhUH#0
So I'm back from my first con ever and I have to say that it went amazingly well! It was a little nerve-wracking at first, putting myself out there as Tegon when I've never seen so much as a single fursuit before. But the people there and the city of Pittsburgh as a whole were so polite. I commissioned some art in the Alley that I'll post tomorrow and over the next few weeks. I wish I had a chance to meet a few more fellow macros I knew were there, but there's always next time. On the whole I'd say I'll definitely be back next year, hopefully with a suit of my own in tow!
***
Commissions in Progress:
,
(macro, queued), 
, 
(macro x2), and 
(macro).July
Posted 12 years agoAnthrocon is finally here! I'll be there from Friday the 5th through Sunday the 7th, hopefully attending most of the writing workshops and definitely paying a few visits to the Alley and Den. Story-wise, I'm working on a collab with 
Adam0800. I also have commissions by 
(macro), (macro), (macro), 
(macro), 
, 
, 
(macro), (macro), and 
in the works.
---
Hey! You! Yeah, you!
max89 is doing macro icons. See him for more details!
Adam0800. I also have commissions by 
(macro), (macro), (macro), 
(macro), 
, 
, 
(macro), (macro), and 
in the works.---
Hey! You! Yeah, you!
max89 is doing macro icons. See him for more details!April Comic/Story Plans
Posted 12 years ago(Updated)
First of all, thanks to everyone for the favorites and watches! I have two stories and at least two comics planned for April, and the tentative schedule is posted below. I recently got a few characters that I’d like to do some macro commissions with, so hopefully I can post those throughout the month as well. Finally, I wanted to note that I do take comic/story requests, so let me know what you're looking for and I'll see what I can do.
April 4 - A Helping Hand: Non-macro Skyrim fic featuring an Argonian and Khajiit. m/m, dom/sub.
April 12 - Friday Night: An orca and his friend shrink a racist skink. m/m, insertion.
April 19 - Krall Goes to Town [1/2]: Comic featuring Krall rampaging through the city with a Tlaloc cameo.
- Wasp's Revenge: A bug gets his revenge on you in this one-shot comic.
First of all, thanks to everyone for the favorites and watches! I have two stories and at least two comics planned for April, and the tentative schedule is posted below. I recently got a few characters that I’d like to do some macro commissions with, so hopefully I can post those throughout the month as well. Finally, I wanted to note that I do take comic/story requests, so let me know what you're looking for and I'll see what I can do.
April 4 - A Helping Hand: Non-macro Skyrim fic featuring an Argonian and Khajiit. m/m, dom/sub.
April 12 - Friday Night: An orca and his friend shrink a racist skink. m/m, insertion.
April 19 - Krall Goes to Town [1/2]: Comic featuring Krall rampaging through the city with a Tlaloc cameo.
- Wasp's Revenge: A bug gets his revenge on you in this one-shot comic.
March Comic/Story Plans
Posted 12 years agoIf you're like me, you're always sifting through journals in your inbox, so I will limit myself to a maximum of one per month to update you on future projects I have planned.
In the pipeline:
March 15 - I'm Not a Bug! [2/2]: Contains more paw worship and a macro dragon
March 22 - Spoils of War: Neron the dragon makes a reappearance in this sequel to "A New Kind of Treat." Contains vore, hard crush.
March 29 - Worthy (working title): This comic will feature one angry t-rex and a dilophosaurus (models from Primal Carnage). Contains paw worship, hard crush.
I think roughly a post every Friday with a hiatus every now and then will work for the foreseeable future. Feel free to let me know what you want to see more of in stories or comics.
In the pipeline:
March 15 - I'm Not a Bug! [2/2]: Contains more paw worship and a macro dragon
March 22 - Spoils of War: Neron the dragon makes a reappearance in this sequel to "A New Kind of Treat." Contains vore, hard crush.
March 29 - Worthy (working title): This comic will feature one angry t-rex and a dilophosaurus (models from Primal Carnage). Contains paw worship, hard crush.
I think roughly a post every Friday with a hiatus every now and then will work for the foreseeable future. Feel free to let me know what you want to see more of in stories or comics.
