THE CAST OF CHARACTERS:
http://sammycatnipnik.tumblr.com/po.....rs-introducing

PART ONE:
http://sammycatnipnik.tumblr.com/po.....professor-luna

PART TWO:
http://sammycatnipnik.tumblr.com/po.....ough-nefarious

You can also check out the individual pages here on this FA account! But to be fair, I am drumming up business for my tumblr, it's so lonely out there! (mocksob)

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/...../#cid:34377242

So  JoeStrike has set up a Kickstarter fundraiser for his book project entitled "The Incredible Hare". Now normally I do not condone rabbity things on account of my caustic past relationship with the demon  maxcarotski, but as I've grown older and more mature I won't let past grievances with one rabbit menace dissuade me from supporting the arts. It was Maxie himself who shared this in the first place, so I must begrudgingly credit him for that.

Rabbits! Transformation! Science gone awry yet comically so! Kid adventures and evil media mavens! What can possibly go wrong? What's not to like! Go check it out, and don't forget to see his furry bonus link!

Murrs on Orange 1 - Fleecy Felines
http://youtu.be/ZYT1xq4uQzE

Murrs on Orange 2 - Lions & Tye Dye & Bears
http://youtu.be/uh0zj92SP0A

Rated M for Murr! (Not X for seX, but they are somewhat intimate)

Toward the end of the second video is my brief appearance locked inside a giant bear costume, patterned after the Bear in the Big Blue House. I stayed in costume (and mostly in character) for between 8-10 hours, and it was quite the endurance test! More importantly it was also a creative wellspring, as I portrayed Noni Bear (as his owner/creator has named him) into a sentient and questioning toy who is curious about the world outside, and is torn between keeping his master happy and finding his own way in the world. My mind was racing, with universes expanding and collapsing in microseconds. Some of that may have been the heat buildup and difficulty I had breathing, but the suit did act like a sensory deprivation chamber, which can foment all varieties of strange!

http://youtu.be/tQp11eK1A6g

Part 3 not up yet, pending approval, but this one I can wholeheartedly endorse! Just Mattie and Noni, snuggling, hugging, scritching and being silly. Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/mD1eJi1eo74

Now that Noni Bear has been brought to life, it is time to be silly and cuddly! Mattie and Noni are joined by a mysterious masked stranger, but they enjoy having the extra company!

Will it get weirder? Maybe! You'll have to wait and see! (chortle chortle)



See part 1 here!
http://youtu.be/sDKWDPeW7uI

http://www.flickr.com/photos/127634.....7633348381680/

It was a nice day to be out and about walking. I volunteer with Hi-4 Entertainment, a mascot group that works at charity events around the NJ/NY/CT/PA areas.

http://youtu.be/sDKWDPeW7uI

So back in mid-April my silly rattie Mattie had a snuggle session with a great big Noni Bear. This first part shows Mattie helping a faceless person enter into and become the Bear, teehee! It was a lot of fun, and not at all murry! Go check it out!

Yes, finally. A proper writeup of my foray into the wilds of Canada this past weekend of March 8-11, 2013! Beware, it is most comprehensive!

Friday, March 8:

*I woke up at 8:30am after two hours of sleep. This was the latest of several sleep deprived days as I was racing like mad to complete Mattie the Rattie, my first fursuit head and mascot costume. After coffee and breakfast I glued down all of his hairpieces which the previous early morning (3 hours prior) I had cut and pinned down. Between this and finding last minute items to pack I was finished by 2pm, packed by 2:30, gassed and moneyed by 2:45. And I was off!

*Google had this trip pinned down to 7.5 hours, which is fine. Traffic was actually rather good, and aside from some stops for gas and food I was making ok time, despite falling asleep at the wheel and slapping myself awake often. I arrived at the border around 10:20pm, and spent a good half an hour going through Immigration.

They asked, "Why are you coming into Canada?",
and I told them with a straight face, "I am attending a furry convention."
"What is a furry convention?"
"It is a place where people dress as animals, trade artwork, have silly fun, and attend or participate in panels."
"Ah. You have another name there?"
"Yes, Dusky Sam."
"We shall see about that."

*And they actually checked the website, found me under the Transformation Panel (see below), and waved me through, satisfied I was not a criminal or some sort of American troublemaker.
*After another solid hour I arrived at the hotel, checked in, and found my last minute roommate  evilcrash, aka Tiler, in the lobby. After a brief Hi-Hello,
*I went to pay a post-midnight visit to cathryn and toberkitty. Both of these lovely ladies had shared copious correspondence with me over the past few months regarding transformation and other fascinating topics, and it is for their sake that I attended a convention so far away from where I lived. We talked a bit, then they kicked me out as it was rather late.
*I slept the Sleep of the Dead.

Saturday, March 9:

*I awoke early at 9am to register. That took about a minute. Then I attended the Characters in Historical Context panel, in which I learned that the secret to success is to visit the library often and pay attention to detail. Yes. Then I went to sleep again til 2pm.
*I awoke a second time to ready myself for the TF panel. After a hotel smoothie, I swung by the Zoo and met up with the TF crew, who would include:

 angrboda, tharakaos, blackshirtboy, toberkitty, and  cathryn, along with  therian and  ripperelite

We talked, inspected the room, checked the equipment and watched odd Marykate and Ashley Olsen youtube videos. Then the clock struck 5.

TF PANEL (dun dun dun)

*The basic ground rules were no TF 101 Intro talk, no self-censoring, no bullshit.
*Just straight talk on Transformation: the concepts, the realities, the inspirations, the ups and downs, the community, the fetish/sex aspect.
*Tober and I covered the costume/makeup aspect while Ang, Tharakaos and BSB covered the art aspect.
*We took lots of questions after a brief intro and discussion, and a lot of interesting things came up.

In all, I feel it was pretty revealing, was a good step in the right direction, and certainly opens the doors to more in-depth discussion on the matters at hand.
It certainly covered all the bases of the fantasy leanings of TF. I would love to explore TF in reality for future discussions, that really gets complicated!
There will be a Test Chamber podcast released in the future, so that should make for some innaresting listening to those who missed it!

*We went upstairs for an after-party, where I met  swatcher and his friend  pierrezaius. Some drinks, then off to dress up as...

MATTIE THE RATTIE (dun dun dun, dun dun)

http://sammycatnipnik.tumblr.com/po.....uted-my-latest (cross promotion, ahem)

*The afore-mentioned mascot costume and mask I was toiling on, I debuted him properly at the dance where cathryn was DJing. I danced and waved glowsticks around with Tober for an hour, the set finished and I went off to play pinball and board games for the rest of the evening. The mask fit was excellent, the vision and comfort factors were very good, and it was wonderful to finally appear at a convention as a proper furry sort of thing.

*Sleep of the Dead, again.

Sunday, March 10:

*Woke up, went to a panel that was cancelled (ah well), then went to lunch at Harvey's where I sampled poutine for the first time ever. Rather tasty, certainly better than the burger.
*Brief run through the Dealer's Den (yawn), then back to my room to suit up as Mattie for photos (see tumblr above).
*Back to room, down to boardgame area again.

Board games. Wow. I had no idea these would be a rather integral part of my con visit!
* insane_foxx, who ran the Game Room for the con, was in attendance at the TF panel and asked some costuming questions afterwards. I re-met him later on that evening while dressed as Mattie, and learned how to play Tsuro (very fun). I promised to return the next day to see some more gaming, and I witnessed a hilarious session of Aye, Dark Overlord!.
*I asked a lot of questions, and we talked games nonstop. We went out to dinner at Montana's with his friend Space Butler, and talked about our travels and other weird adventures at conventions. He runs games at What the Fur, and brought up some neat times at Feral, both Canadian cons that look worth pursuing!
*More games. The biggie was King of Tokyo, I played that a bunch with various people. Then it was Bang!, an Italian Spaghetti Western card game where I wound up being the Sheriff running after outlaws and renegades. I got cocky and wound up dying at the end, my Roy Rogers white cowboy act got snuffed with dynamite!
*I helped to pack up the room and take the games upstairs. Then Insane_Foxx and I talked in the lobby until around 7am about life, games, costumes, stuff, you name it! Then bed.

Monday, March 13th:

Woke up. Checked out. Ate at Quesada. Slept in my car for two hours. Drove to Niagara Falls, ON, took some snaps and entered NY. Lost $10 gambling. Drove. Gas. More naps. Ate. Home by 4am. Got up for work at 9am.


Back to life. Back to reality. The drive home was dreamlike, I had a lot to process. It was a great time, and I won't forget it anytime soon.


THE SHORT VERSION
Toronto, Canada. Transformation. Mattie the Rattie. Boardgames. Niagara Falls. It was good. Would do it again.

It was a lot of fun, the TF panel went very nicely, Mattie the Rattie debuted and was photographed, and I played a lot of board games.

Once I make up my sleep, I shall have a more comprehensive journal!

zzzzzzzz

I'll be there!

Check in Friday afternoon, likely after 3pm. I'll be staying until Monday morning, and then it's back to Jersey for me!

Sunday's schedule looks a bit on the slow side, so that may be my opportunity to check out Toronto and see the sights, such sights that I can see on a Sunday afternoon. Not looking for party stuff, more cool locations to photograph or walk around for a time. If anyone local has some suggestions I'd be more than happy to hear them!

That's it, back to work on costumes, which are actually moving along pretty well. Not to jinx myself of course! (knocks on wood)

First of hopefully many milestones, moohoohaha!

So that's done! And I've looked at hotel rooms and am working on roommates. Will try priceline for discounts, my AAA will help somewhat as I missed the con hotel rate deadline.

I have been reasonably good at keeping pace with costume stuff for the con. Still a lot to do, and still fighting my usual battles with procrastination and more importantly my incessant internet perusal. If the internet were a live thing I would rend its throat with my teeth NNNNRRRRRRGHGHGHHGH and watch it fall lifeless before me, as I howl victoriously at the moon. But then where would I post my work? Drat!

(shakes internet's lifeless corpse) Come back to me! COME BACK!!!!

Back to work now!

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9828044/

Go check it out,  rubberskunktoo did a really crazy bendy toony take on Tony and myself. It's a very strange world Tony inhabits, I just hope it doesn't get the best of him!

...and was wondering if anyone else was. It's not absolutely certain, but the chances are improving. I have a few people I'd be wanting to meet, and I've never been to Canada before. My passport is begging to be put to good use!

If anyone has a room and could use a roommate, I am clean, mature, responsible and sober. I would have several costumes in tow, and only one of them is a full fursuit, so space won't wind up being too precious.

Worse comes to worse I'll just book a room the week prior, as I've been told this is not a super large convention, so chances are I could cut it to the wire.

We shall see!

1. Tell you something I learned about by looking at your FA page for 13 seconds.
2. Tell you a colour you remind me of.
3. Tell you my first memory of you.
4. Ask you a question.
5. Tell you something I like about you.
6. Tell you the object that is to the left of me.
7. Dare you to do this yourself in your journal.

Copying this from  Sedric, as I promised I would do so after Furfright.

I will admit that all I have on Weasyl is an account, nothing has been posted/uploaded/edited at all there. I only opened it today!

However, tumblr is up and running, and I have made a few posts already, just feeling out the layout and getting a handle on things. I've watched a few accounts there over the last couple of years, and felt it was very high time that I created a page there to post my costume and makeup pics to expand my audience!

www.sammycatnipnik.tumblr.com

Twisel the Rat is already up there, and over the next few weeks will upload my older costume and makeup creations, along with providing links to short films I have worked on in. And of course, brand new content! I can't just rest on my laurels now can I?

First off, a big thanks to  wallywabbit and  Scrapegoat for being terrific roommates. We hung out a lot, ate out a lot, and had a very good drama-free time, which is always the best thing at a convention!

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9160043/ contains the write-up for the two Makeup Panels that Scrapegoat and I ran on Friday and Saturady. They turned out pretty well, and a good variety of looks were created for the Fursuit Parade. Scrapegoat is an excellent makeup artist and performer, and it was great working with him. Thanks to all models and volunteer makeup artists who participated, especially Dan S. who attended my Prosthetic makeup FX panel back in 2011. You're all the best!

To be honest, Furfright could have been better for me, but as I procrastinated heavily before then my preparation for costumes was lacking. Therefore I did not dress up at all, and that was rather depressing. On Saturday after the Zombie Factory panel I did some heavy prep for one character (see below), but by the time 10:30pm rolled along I wasn't ready to get made up and walk the con as by then it would have been after midnight and rather dead. So I wound up seeing Rocky Horror Picture Show for my third FF running, and got to groove on how good this film is. The audience participation was not as crazy as 2011, so I was able to watch the film and appreciate it for how stunningly well it has held up, how relevant it is in modern times, and just how bloody fun it is to watch! Perhaps it appeals to the alien inside me, bleh!

Afterwards, Wally and I ran into  toberkitty, who was dressed in her Cheshire Cat costume. She is a great makeup artist and very sweet lady, and we talked for some time before heading to bed. Which didn't last long due to the fire alarm at 4 in the morning! I pulled my trusty blanket out of the car and shared it with Tober, who I met once again in the flesh so to speak. Huddling together in the cold for an hour, we talked some more and made the time go faster. Good times!

On Sunday, there was a lot of Sandy talk and panic, and a lot of early evacuees. I did get to attend  Comus's Transformation panel in the afternoon, and at the last minute volunteered to model for  shymatsi's Speed Drawing panel, which was a lot of fun. People were certainly wowed by my flexibility, and it was the only real exercise I got there apart from a late night swim. A good dinner at a Japanese restaurant was a fitting end, and Monday morning was an uneventful check out.

I had already made plans to stay with Wally for a couple of days afterwards, as last year with Hurricane Irene our area was flooded and lost power for days, so I was in no rush to head back! So I stayed there through Wednesday morning, and managed to finally dress up as Twisel the Rat, who likely would have creeped out a ton of furries at FF (bleh bleh bleh)! Pics are below:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9158912/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9158884/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9158846/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9158814/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9158784/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9158757/

I learned quite a few things about him while in costume, which is what usually happens the first time I dress up and physically embody a character. Even if I have written stories and dialogues for a character (and he dates back to 1999, quite the veteran of my imagination!), I gain a new level of understanding and comprehension when I don their face and clothes. One gains clarity that way, and it prompts a ton of new ideas afterwards. The photos turned out well, and I shot an hour of video performing as him that I will be looking over and editing down. All improvised, all drawn from my past perceptions of him while also having him surprise me with his own conscience. Perhaps this sounds silly or demented, but when a character can do this to oneself it is a very powerful and enlightening event, and one I take rather seriously.

So to summarize, FF was cool, but if I attend any future furry-cons it will have to be with far more preparedness and attention to detail, otherwise I feel there is no point to being there. I got to see a lot of NJ furries I know, so that was good, and aside from Sandy it seemed like most there were having a great time. That said, my adventures with Twisel after the con were the true highlight for me, and now I'm in a really good creative mindset again after a long summer drought. Thank God!

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9095813/

 ZombieD chibi that I commissioned, it turned out wonderfully! Go check out the link to see it.

Hello hello! So in my last "I'm not active" journal I stated that I would be going to Furfright to co-host not one but TWO Makeup Panels. Unlike last year, which was about applying foam latex prosthetics, this time around will have a more DIY Zombie bent.

Friday from 3:30-6:30pm will be the Zombie FX Makeup Monster Mega-Panel. Scrapegoat and I will be demonstrating how to cobble up zombies using readily available materials and non-superexpensive makeups. I highly encourage any and all to attend, as either a zombie model, artist or avid spectator. Did I say artist? YES! Like last year this is to encourage the audience to participate and get their hands nice and dirty into the whole process, so if you have a yen for makeup or just want to satisfy your curiosity, you are most welcome! And these days who doesn't want to be a zombie (bleh bleh bleh)?

This leads us to...

The main event on Saturday from 11am-2pm! The Zombie Factory will be recruiting all Zombies and Artists from the Mega-Panel along with any and all fresh blood that wishes to be transformed into the undead hordes. These said hordes will be unleashed into the Fursuit Parade starting at 3pm, as this just needs to be done!

Any makeup artists that I know here on FA who are attending FF, do stop on by as we'd love to have you! You know who you are, nyeh heh heh!

I mean, I visit regularly and comment and fave things, but I haven't been active posting new weird makeups or masks or costumes or ANYTHING. I've lost two watchers this last couple of weeks, most likely to boredom and disgust for my non-postieness. And it's October, allegedly my fave time of year to do crazy things. So...

Do I rush out some crap shots that don't do my work justice, or take a really deep breath and do an all day photoshoot (like I've been wanting to do for months) in a proper fashion, i.e. with good lighting and proper poses. One thing I can't stand is a good costume photographed indifferently, especially if it could be done in a precise and clean manner. I understand a quick snap to have as a record like a Polaroid for continuity or just for fun (many of my roleplay photos were taken in generic hotel rooms just to document them), but it's a lot more fulfilling (and time consuming) to add a backdrop, props, lights, find the proper angles, etc. But this is what really makes it transcend being a mere "record" into the realm of "art", or thereabouts. Of what I have posted here only my Tony the Toon pictures really go there. And I want to do much more of that.

I will say that I will be busy preparing for Furfright, getting a couple of costumes and prosthetics ready for walking around in character. I will be co-hosting not one, but TWO makeup panels this time! One is on Friday (3:30-6:30), and is called the Mega Monster Makeup Panel. Myself and  Scrapegoat will be demonstrating how to create simple yet effective zombie/monster style makeups using familiar household and kitchen items, which will be a departure from my prosthetics makeup demos done in 2011. We will be using this panel as a training and recruitment day for Saturday, when the ZOMBIE FACTORY opens up from 11am-2pm in anticipation of the Fursuit Parade.  Belicbear was looking to do this and integrate a monster component to the usual fursuiters scampering about being cute and sassy and such. Our zombies will EAT THE FURRIES OMNOMNOMNOMNOM and make way for the impending apocalypse that I'm sure everyone is anticipating.

I mean, you've seen The Walking Dead so you know what to expect right? Most of you will be dead, the survivors will be bitching and infighting, and having the grim satisfaction of shooting their former human brethren in the head so that they can keep living a meaningless existence. So you're mostly better off dead, as otherwise you'd be a zombie or an abrasive jerkwad. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

(I'll be on Mars with the mutants dancing to strange Euro-disco music, nyeh!)



The short version of this retarded journal: I'm a lazy cat, I need WAY more costume pics, I will be at Furfright doing TWO makeup panels with Scrapegoat. ZOMBIES EAT FURRIES!!!

http://www.xtube.com/watch.php?v=MN2Mm-C568-

So back in April I did my now somewhat infamous Larry the Loafer roleplay. When pics were posted here they wound up on lulznet and I was quite amused!

We also shot a short silly/raunchy skit featuring Larry and his roommate/friend/nemesis Bossy Bruce. Unrehearsed, all improvised, we just had fun being silly and stupid. As Larry, I couldn't keep a good blue streak down, so he's just filthy with cursing and sub-Porky's cravings. Bruce just takes out his aggression on Larry with violent and messy slapstick.

Overall it's retarded, juvenile, and ridiculous. Also my first R-rated Xtube video (um...) No sex or nudity, but given the language alone it's a hard R (Larry can't help it!), and the messiness and gay-bro stuff would in this day and age get it thrown off youtube without editing the hell out of it. One day they'll go to the YT, they'll just have to not go so nuts!

So go watch it! Comment, gasp, vomit, send me blank checks... or something. Enjoy!

http://www.brandingmagazine.com/201.....nginas-miss-o/

http://youtu.be/azZflSwEx3g
http://youtu.be/jxDAonU8FOA

They are Orangina commercials, rated PG for sure! I'd love to have either of these hot girls by my side, we'd make quite the scene, nyeh heh heh!

More to the point, this is the sort of special effects makeup work that I like to see! And done in a (mostly) realistic manner, integrated into the real world.

Ah yes, the day when we can go outside and quarrel with our significant anthro others. Just like we do today, only hairier!

http://lulz.net/furi/res/2091301.html#2091581

You may ask yourselves, why would I post a link to such a site? Especially after not one, not two, but several of my costume photos have found their way onto that inestimable treasure trove of porn, ridicule and online detritus?

It's simple: I find it to be rather hysterical!

Once a piece of artwork, writing, music, or anything creative is placed on the internet it becomes fair game for anyone and everyone to parse, dissect, admonish, praise, ignore, adulate, destroy, interpolate, etc. etc. That is the price one pays for going public, and sharing your dreams and visions with the widest array of viewers imaginable. One cannot claim insult or derive pain from negative views, that's rather silly.

Two pics of Larry the Goof have now been re-captioned, edited, and their heads even grafted onto other art. My xtube account, which I make no secret of having, was linked, photos and video grabs shown and commented upon. Various unrelated photo links were used to compare and contrast. Although I summoned feelings of revulsion and dread for many, I also aroused some respect and genuine fascination from others. I had no say in this, no influence over how the comment thread arose (and it was certainly a lengthy thread!). It was biased, surreal and utterly amusing to me. I admit to having a strange sense of humor!

So where am I going with this?

Am I mad? No, not in either sense of the word.

Will I alter, delete, or edit any current or future work for the edification of the internet public?
Not at all! Doing that would only reflect poorly on my creative process, if it was so easily swayed it would not be worth having.

Will I continue to improve my skills, hone my craft and elevate it to the highest level I can acheive?
You better believe it! This isn't about being stroked or loved, it's all about striving, sweating, and enduring until the process is perfected.

And no process is ever perfected, so time to mop off my brow and keep moving forward! Strive on, creators!

http://www.xtube.com/community/prof.....SammyCatnipnik

My first reportable landmark! I'm so very excited!
Yes, it's a plug for my fetish/costume/porn videos. Those who are not interested need not check them out. Those who are...

CHECK THEM OUT!!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!!!!!

I promise you many more videos and photo series to come this year. Let's see how long it will take to get to 200,000!!!

(Bleh bleh bleh)

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting  LaratheLabRat last Thursday at our local NJ furmeet. He was down from Rhode Island looking for work and hanging with  Scurrow.

So I bought us some appetizers at Houlihan's, and we talked a lot about films, jobs, life-things and art. He's a cool guy, and in exchange for the foodstuffs he created two icons, one of yours truly and another for Tony the Toy!

I managed to tune into his artstream last night just as he was about to start on them, so I got to see his digital art process first-hand, listen to some great music and gab a bit. Good times!

The new Dusky icon is up now, I will likely put the icons in my gallery/scraps folder for all to see! Thanks again, Ness, and hope we see you again in our fair state in the near future!