If you haven't already, you still have a week left to pre-register for this year's Morphicon: Furries in Wonderland! You can save $10 on our Basic, Sponsor, and Patron registrations and pre-registration is the only way to register as a Hypertrophe! Deadline to pre-register is March 1st!

Register now at www.Morphicon.org!

Our t-shirt contest has a little over 30 hours remaining! We already have a few submissions but want MORE! If you have a design based upon the Morphicon 2011 theme: Furries in Wonderland you still have a day left! Entries will be accepted until 11:59:59pm EST Monday night! You Still Have Time!

Get more details (and pre-register!) at www.Morphicon.org!

We've been getting submissions, but do we have yours yet? If not, send it our way by February 21st at midnight! FREE Patron and Sponsor registrations could be yours for the taking! See https://www.Morphicon.org for more info!

A the risk of beating a dead horse (good news for all you scavengers), this is to let everyone who may be working on a design for our t-shirt contest that there's only one week remaining. Entries must be turned into us by February 21st at midnight! See https://www.Morphicon.org for more details and information!

Just a quick note to inform you pre-registration will be open until March 1st. Register prior to the deadline and receive $10 off our Basic, Sponsor, and Patron donor levels! Pre-registration is also the only way to secure your spot as a Hypertrophe - after March 1st that option will be gone!

Also, a friendly reminder that we are currently accepting submissions for our annual t-shirt contest. Deadline for submissions is February 21st at midnight. Please, please, please send us your artwork. We are dying to give away a Patron-level registration to the winner and a Sponsor-level registration to the runner-up!

Go to http://www.Morphicon.org for more information and to register!

I addition to the t-shirt contest (http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2044473/) we currently have going, we are also having a con book art contest as well! The details and prizes are a bit different for this contest, however, so please read on.

Art for the con book must deal directly with the Morphicon 2011 theme - Furries in Wonderland. Like the t-shirt competition, all pictures must be all-age appropriate and subject to scale. Also, the inside of the con book is in greayscale - no need to submit colour pictures for this one!

What's in it for you? Well, for starters we will try to get every bit of art into the con book with credits due to you. And while that will get you exposure, to help prevent too much exposure of another kind, we will be holding periodic judgings and picking winners to receive t-shirts from Morphicons past! Free swag and publication of your art to help beautify the con book!

Send any and all submissions to publications[at]morphicon.org with the subject "Art Contest". Please note, by submitting art to the contest, you are giving Morphicon the right to publish it in our con book, websites, and other accounts, giving all credit to you. All other rights remain yours - you did create it after all!

We are now seeking entries for the Morphicon 2011 - Furries in Wonderland annual t-shirt contest! This contest is open to all artists and all entries, regardless of whether they will, will be displayed in our con book!

Ah, but what's in it for you? Well, if you're selected the winner then we'll be more than happy to give you a free Patron registration! Heck, if your the runner-up will give you a free Sponsor registration!

Deadline for this contest is February 21st at midnight, allowing us time to judge and print the t-shirts for the con on May 12th-15th. See http://www.Morphicon.org for more specific details and take a look at our gallery to see some of our entries for the 2010 contest.

Good luck!

But where is it? Ah, there's the catch. Since we've uploaded the new website, this month's edition is only available at http://www.Morphicon.org . Check it out!

From everyone here to everyone out there - Merry Christmas!!

And for those of you who celebrate another holiday Happy Holidays!.

If you celebrate nothing at all, well, best wishes anyway!

-= That Time of the Year =-
Yep, Winter is here again in Columbus. The snow's blowing, folks are travelling, and everything's just plain cold. For you thinner furred among us, there is no better time to use the weather as an excuse to cuddle up next to your other half. For those with thicker coats, see you on the snowball field!

-= This Year's Theme - An Interview=-
Just because we're huddled in our homes trying to keep warm doesn't mean your dedicated staff isn't diligently working on Morphicon 2011. This month, your publicity fox cornered, *ahem*, sat down with our Con Chair Jewel and asked a few questions about this year's theme.

Why Furries in Wonderland?
The movie coming out was definitely a consideration, it adds a bit of timeliness to the choice. Another factor was that Alice In Wonderland is an excellent source to mine for inspiration. I think it's important for a convention theme to be visible to the con attendees. The theme should manifest itself in many ways throughout the convention. It should add a noticeable flair to aspects of the convention, things like decorations, content of performance events, t-shirts, etc. Alice in Wonderland is a great source for inspiration. There's so many iconic characters, places, and things from it. Everyone recognizes the phrase "Off with their heads" and understands the context that it comes from. In that sense Alice in Wonderland adds a lot of symbols that we can draw from to communicate the theme to the attendees.

Hasn't it been done before at other cons?
It has, but that shouldn't stop us from revisiting a good theme. Besides, we at Morphicon are going to do the theme in our own special way. Hopefully even better than when it was done in the past! There's also the issue of the sheer number of conventions now, it's practically impossible to avoid repeats. I believe the year before we did Inner City Critters that another nearby convention did Urban Furs.

Any ideas on what special events (outside the norm) we may have?
Well Morphicon always has the Atomic Battle of Doom, which is a nerf and foam boffer melee like none other. It's really kind of crazy to watch, and every year it gets bigger. There's also the free food which is always popular, and we might do something with an 'unbirthday' event, but there's nothing set in stone for that yet. We are still quite a ways out from the convention proper.

Is there anything else you'd like to add while I have you here?
I would definitely recommend the Spectacle of Doom to anyone who likes adult humor. It's a bit raunchy, but always a ton of laughs. Trickster does the writing every year, and I honestly think it only gets better each time.
I'd also like to point out the charity quiz show that Trickster hosted last year. We'll be doing that again, and it was a big smash, so I'd encourage everyone to attend. Even if you don't get selected to play the audience can participate in the game. Besides, there's nothing more funny than seeing some poor confused fur try to remember what species Zig-Zag is.
As a last bit, and we haven't 100% finalized this yet, we should be having Frozen Oasis as an official convention event in place of the Friday dance. There's still some scheduling considerations that we need to figure out, but chances are they'll have the entire Adam's room (yes the far one near the lobby that nobody can find) for the party.

-= Tips for Travel =-
Seeing as more than a few of us will be on the move this season, and don't have a pack of sled dogs living next to us, we would like to offer a few tips for travelling. Please don't use this as a comprehensive list, this should just be used as a heads-up. To see a complete list of recommendations, please see TSA.gov if you plan to fly or Ohio.gov for trips by auto.

If travelling by plane, please arrive at the ticket counter at least 90 minutes early. The closer we get to Christmas, the longer the wait to pass through security. Also, you will need to remove your shoes and empty your pockets before passing through to the boarding area. If you plan on bringing a laptop it will need to be separate from other carry-on baggage. Lastly, you will not be able to bring your own beverages past the screening area. Bottled water and other refreshments should be available on the other side.

If travelling by car or truck is more your thing, keep in mind any, and every, thing can happen. In addition to your usual gear (jack, properly inflated spare tire, etc), you'll also want to add a nice, warm blanket to the list. A warm set of sock and waterproof boots aren't a bad idea if you have the room. A small amount of food and water is recommended in the event you're in less travelled areas. Lastly, if you have one, make sure your cell phone is properly charged.

Hopefully these recommendations will all be unnecessary. In the event they are not, however, we hope they will help to ensure you and yours have a safe and happy holiday season.

-= Panels, Here! Get Your Hot Panels! =-
With Morphicon only being a three day event, and with the large number of panels to choose from, we, your staff, would love to have your opinion on what you would like to see or attend at this year's con. We want to make Morphicon 2011 the best we can and, for that, we require your input. Art and gaming panels will again be present, as will writing and crafting panels. Spirituality and SIG's are both good bets, also. The question is, what would you like to see? Give us your raves and rants for panels past and tell us what you would like to include if we don't have it already. Until the new website is up and running, feel free to send your comments and ideas to programming @ morphicon.org and we'll make sure they get to the correct Track Head.

-= Frozen Fur Balls Con't =-
We are still working on having a fursuit bowling event. Though we would like to have it in January, it appears we will be shooting for sometime in February. A poll will be posted online soon so a date can be decided and registration will be necessary so we can get an accurate number for a group rate. Unlike the picnic, this will not be a free event. That's not to say something special might not be done, however. Stay tuned for more information or contact publicity @ morphicon.org if you have any questions or ideas.

-= Still Searching for Artists - Now With Incentives! =-
Woohoo! We're getting art! But a few pictures doth not a conbook make. As always, we are looking for art for the various publications we put out and would love to see what you can come up with. Any donated art will have that artist's name put into a random drawing for a Morphicon t-shirt from years past! Your contribution will be appreciated and mentioned, but now you could also get some cool swag! Send any and all submissions to publicity @ morphicon.org!

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Want to see additional content or have something to say about the latest newsletter? Please visit the enhanced HTML version at Morphicon.org and let us know what you think!

Well, we here at Morphicon are above ripping off, er, I mean utilizing a good idea when we see it.

Though I'm sure there are others out there, this idea came to us from Pennsylvania_Furs. The basic idea is to reply to this journal and we'll input the proper numbers onto a map of the Ohio counties. It'll only take a minute of your time and may put you in contact with other furs in your area. We'll try to update the map at least once a week. Represent!

You can always view the latest map at http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4731626/

-= Morphicon 2010 Picnic - The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly =-
Our deepest thanks go out to all who attended this year's Morphicon picnic at Sharon Woods Metro Park. The day was beautiful, the food was excellent, and the whole day was a blast! For those of you unable to attend, you missed the most successful picnic to date. Photos of the event can be found on Morphicon.org. As for news of what went on, keep reading!

The Good - With the "official" count of fifty furs, attendance grew over 50% of last year's total. Also, while only scheduled until 4pm, the picnic went on well past six. We were able to secure a shelter and many took part in badminton and mock battling. We even had a handful of fursuiters show to make the event more memorable.

The Bad - Our assigned Grill-Meister, Savant, was unable to make it to the picnic. Not to fear, however, as our Con Chair, Jewel, stepped in to fill the gap. In all, he spent the majority of the day grilling fifteen pounds of hamburger and seven pounds of hot dogs to feed all the hungry attendees. Thanks go to him for donating his time to make sure everyone was fed.

The Ugly - Only one real event marred this year's picnic and that was the doffing of Husky's tail. Being Labour Day weekend, there were a few events going on at the park which attracted a number of children with their parents. While many enjoyed seeing the fursuiters, apparently a few took exception to the canine and both pulled of his tail while dislocating the jaw of his suit. While I'm sure a mauling was in order, kudos go to Husky for keeping his cool instead of creating a modern day Red Riding Hood event.

Now with the picnic safely behind us, your dedicated Morphicon staff turns its attention to the actual con, now only seven months away. As for another small gathering in the interim, we shall see. Stay tuned to the newsletter for all updated Morphicon news!


-= 2011 GoH's Announced!=-
After much deliberation (and back-alley dealing?), it has been decided Morphicon 2011 will have two Guests of Honour: Flinters and Roxikat! Both wonderful artists in their own right, we look forward to sharing them with you in person this May.

- Flinters -

MINT.
Flinters hails from the crazy land of rain, coffee, and software, also known as Seattle, WA, where he is a parts logistics manager at Microsoft. A wide variety of past jobs including amusement park ride operator, heavy truck driver, and auto service manager has given him a different look on life which has horribly twisted him forever. Much to everyone's benefit he claims.
This mint-munching addict has been in the fandom for a good 20 plus years and drawing for most of those. Creator of the now retired ROOMIES webcomic that ran for eight years, he is now working on SCAVENGERS, the space-based action adventure comic from Jarlidium Press. Preferring traditional art over digital, he works in pencil, pen, and marker. The artist persona, a kangaroo, can be found online FurryMuck and elsewhere, including FurAffinity that has more than 1000 images and thousands more followers. If you love kangaroos, silliness, and adult art, you will do well to follow this artist.
Oh, and he likes mint too.

- Roxikat -

John "Roxikat" Barrett went to his first furry convention in October 1995. Anxious to meet his friends from FurryMUCK, he safety-pinned pink pajamas around a pair of balloons and was crazy enough to go out in public like this. Even crazier, he's still doing it after more than a decade.
In the '90s, he published Roxikat comics in Furthest North Crew APAzine, exorcising personal demons and doing a Canadian Star Trek parody. At the same time, he was getting work in the Gold Digger Annual from Antarctic Press and drew huge boob comics for Magnificent Milkmaid #1 from White Lightning Productions. Shortly after, he got the okay to do a furry spinoff graphic novel called Gold Digger: Edge Guard from Radio Comix. He later did the art for Radio's Unusual U miniseries before disappearing from the manga scene. In Radio's annual Genus Male, John published homoerotic comics in issues #2-5 where he introduced his Game Boys characters. At FurPlanet, John published the Game Boys Summer Special 2005 where he invented the jackal/ horse hybrid Hossifer. Kind of burnt out of the state of the independent comics industry in recent years, art is more a hobby lately.With the help of his best friend Kamber of onedaystudios.com, he built his own Hossifer fursuit, and is getting used to fursuiting as a guy for a change.
John's stuff can be found on FurAffinity. He's also on Livejournal and Twitter as Roxikat.


-= Still Searching for Artists =-
We are always looking for art for the various publications we put out and that is no exception this month. If you have anything you would like to donate, please don't hesitate to let us know. Submissions can always be sent to publicity @ morphicon.org at any time for nearly anything con-related.

Right now, we are especially requesting art for our Furry Trackers Guide, a booklet for con-goers, showing various locations were one might procure food, access to an ATM, etc. The art should reflect this year's theme of Furries in Wonderland, with a focus on a specific section. Please feel free to send any questions and artwork to Lightpaws. We can't guarantee we can use all the art but your contribution will be mentioned nonetheless.

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Want to see additional content or have something to say about the latest newsletter? Please visit the enhanced HTML version at Morphicon.org and let us know what you think!

Furs and friends, families and fans! The 38th Annual Woollybear Festival is just around around the corner! On September 26th in Northern Ohio, the town of Vermilion will host the largest one day festival in the state - including a parade! Morphicon will be having a vehicle in said parade to promote the con and we need your help! Fursuiters and fans are all encouraged to take part in the event.
The parade is scheduled to begin at 1:30p, but all participants are asked to meet at Liberty Ave at least 30 mins ahead of time (our lineup number is 109). Las has kindly allowed us the use of his van and either he and/or Vid will be on hand to get everyone organized. Feel free to e-mail with any questions. See you there!

As discussed in the August Newsletter, this year's free Morphicon picnic will be on September 4th at Sharon Woods Metro Park in Columbus, Ohio. In an effort to make sure everyone gets fed and has fun, we are asking you please RSVP to this event. There is no cost and only takes a minute of your time. Also, if you're willing to bring along something, there is a box for it on the form. We'll take care of the main dishes and drinks but sides and desserts are welcome, as are activities we can all enjoy. If you have any questions, feel free to contact publicity@morphicon.org. See you there!


Click here to RSVP!

Morphicon Miscellanea - August 2010 Edition

-= Morphicon End-of-Summer Picnic =-
Yes, fellow furs, it is that time of year to once again look forward to the Morphicon picnic. As in previous years, the picnic will be held at Sharon Woods Metro Park, just north-east of Columbus, and on September 4th. While we understand this is Labour Day weekend, we also know it'll be a great excuse for having to take off Friday from work if "necessary"!
Food, of course, will be gratis, however, if there is anything in particular you would like or want to share with the group please feel free to bring it along. Food donations will also be happily accepted. Activities will include all the amenities the park has to offer, with the addition of horseshoes, frisbee, wiffle ball, and Pictionary. Should you have any events you would like to see please let us know.
With the date still a month away we have plenty of time for flexibility. If you would like to bring any food or something else to do, please send an e-mail to publicity[at]morphicon.org and we will get back to you. Information and directions to the park can be found here: Sharon Woods Metro Park. See you there!

-= The Woollybear Festival is Coming! =-
Vermilion, Ohio is once again preparing for the 38th Annual Woollybear Festival & Parade, the largest one-day gathering in the state! On September 26th, thousands will flock the quaint town of Vermilion, located on the shores of Lake Erie. Events will include the parade, music, games, fair food, and more! For more information on the festival, please see the Woollybear Festival home page.
Morphicon has traditionally played a part in the festivities and would like to do so again this year. If you would like to participate, please send a e-mail to publicity[at]morphicon.org so we can get in touch with you and coordinate. Please note, this is a family festival and while ears, tails, and fursuits are welcome, anything stronger than G-rated is highly discouraged.

-= Calling All Artists =-
We are always looking for art for various publications we put out. If you have anything you would like to donate, please don't hesitate to let us know. Submissions can always be sent to publicity[at]morphicon.org at anytime.
Right now, we are requesting art for our Furry Trackers Guide, a booklet for con-goers, showing various locations were one might procure food, access an ATM, etc. The art should reflect this year's theme of Furries in Wonderland, with a focus on a specific section. Please feel free to send any questions and artwork to lightpawssoftpaws@yahoo.com. We can't guarantee we can use all the art but your contribution will be mentioned nonetheless.

Want to see additional content or have something to say about the latest newsletter? Please visit the enhanced HTML version at Morphicon.org and let us know what you think!

Not much in the way of an update, but we have uploaded two ambush videos from this year's con to the website: Canines Invade Bunny SIG and Canines Invade Feline SIG.

If you have any videos from the con you would like to see online, please send a message to publicity [at] morphicon.org and we'll see what we can do!

Hard hats not required but please mind your step. The Morphicon website is currently being redesigned to reflect next year's theme: Furries in Wonderland. Content will be added as it progresses so keep an eye or ear to here or on Twitter for any new announcements.
To help tide you over until the new site is up, we are pleased to announce the latest Morphicon newsletter (finally!). You can view the plain text version below or, if you'd like to view it in its full HTML glory, navigate to http://www.morphicon.org/news/2010-07news.htm where you'll also find additional content. We welcome your feedback and input for next issue. Please feel free to send ideas/comments to publicity[at]morphicon.org or post a note here!

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Morphicon Miscellanea - July 2010 Edition

-= Morphicon State Fair - Alas We Hardly Knew Ye =-
The gates are closed, the rides torn down, and the wind blows the last remnants of State Fair down the midway. This year's Morphicon closed on May 16th with much fanfare, with an estimated attendance in excess of 300 furs. This years livestock, er, pet auction and charity raffle earned $666 for Ferrets Unlimited (due to an additional $2 contributed late by an anonymous donor *cough* Savant *cough*). Coupled with your generosity in sampling their wares, FURS was able to net more than a thousand dollars to help their disadvantaged furry children, continuing Morphicon's tradition of supporting a worthy cause. We also wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to this year's Guests of Honor: Floki and Bumblebee, and the mini-GoH, Mothra. Their assistance in a number of panels and demonstrations of their RPG World Tree were truly a treat. It was an honor to have this team grace State Fair with the presence. And lastly, an enormous thanks you to, our the ticket holders to this years con. You're the whole reason were here and truly hope you join us next year in a romp through Wonderland.

-= Exhibits =-
Morphicon State Fair was certainly not lacking for content. With over one hundred panels and events, hosted by thirty-nine different panelists, there was something for everyone to see or do. In addition to the ubiquitous drawing and writing panels and SIGs, we were treated this year to new additions, including Furs That Cook, Pipecleaner Animals, and special screenings of the documentary Through Fox's Eyes, which spawned two related panels, The Great Debate: Defining Furry and The Science of Making Furries. Truly a veritable feast of programming. Nevertheless, if you have suggestions or would like to host a panel yourself, please feel free to contact the Morphicon staff. We are always looking for new ideas and would love to incorporate events you would like to see and attend. Honestly. We don't bite (hard).

-= Lemon Shake-Up =-
The end of State Fair also brought about the retirement of three important staff members: Pelzig (Operations), Kasi (Security), and Chaz Wolf (Publicity). Out deepest gratitude goes to these three furs for their time and work in the betterment of Morphicon and we have been assured they will continue to attend in an unofficial capacity.
Their replacements, respectively, are Bastian Duvane and Ed Hyena, Rowen, and Foxx (in a box). Bastian has been so busy already con-related behind-the-scenes work, he was unable to give us anything to post. Ed has been a member of the fandom since 1994, when AOL and Telnet were relevant, and been conventioning since 2000. He has helped out at FCN, GenCon, and Origins and has come to Morphicon to ensure everything runs smoothly. Rowen, a veteran of Morphicon security, has been in the fandom since 1992 and has attended all but one Morphicon. This is her first time in such a position for any convention and she hopes to continue the success of the previous Director of Security. Foxx (in a box) has served the previous two years as the Writing Track Head. He hopes, with a little luck, to spread the word and continue Morphicon's prosperity.

-= Morphicon 2011 Theme Announced - Furries in Wonderland =-
That's right, it has been decided the theme for 2011 will be Furries in Wonderland. Come experience a world of fantasy next May when your favourite furs vanish down the rabbit hole for fun and much needed relaxation. Special dress, while not required, will help enliven the atmosphere but please note, if you wish to appear as the Cheshire Cat you must do so while wearing more than just a smile (unlike some other kitten we won't mention). See you there!

Want to see additional content or have something to say about the latest newsletter? Please visit the enhanced HTML version at Morphicon.org and let us know what you think!

We are working hard on finalizing the latest newsletter for your enjoyment. To that end, we would like your input on what else you might like to see in it. Do you have an idea for an article? Perhaps there's an upcoming furmeet you would like to mention. While we may not be able to take all ideas and submission, we would like the newsletter to be something you want to read and interests you. Please shoot any ideas or comments to Publicity(at)Morphicon.org. Thanks!

Well, it's been almost a month since the con and we're still trying to adjust ourselves to the doldrums of modern life. Sorry for not updating sooner, and apologies for making this brief. A new newsletter will be coming shortly and photos from the con will be posted in the VERY near future.

As always, thanks to everyone who attended Morphicon State Fair and we hope to see you again next year.