Introduction

Hi everyone, welcome to the first edition of the October Anthro Newsletter. I'm trying something new this month to see if we can reach more audience-members by posting in a news entry as well as my journal. I hope you will find this newsletter helpful, we have a lot to read up on!



News Briefs

DEVIANTART FILM IS HERE!

~lettucegirl is hosting a new contest titled "Personification," which is all about bringing things to life in the true anthro style. Please read the journal and consider joining. It looks like a fun one!

Halloween is just around the corner, so be on the lookout for all of the tasty treats we've cooked up! October is going to be a fun month.

Christmas is still far away but I'm launching a Christmas Stocking Project for kids in the Arctic early this year. To learn more about hte project and how you can get involved, please click on the aforementioned link. Also keep a lookout for a news article on the official launch directly after Halloween.



What is Anthro?

Many artists have sent ^skifi and I Daily Deviation Award suggestions under the impression that the piece they had chosen was anthro. In fact, nearly 50% of the suggestions we receive are not anthro. When we looked through our gallery - we realized why - 50% of the art in the anthro gallery is not anthro either! We've been hard at work trying to move deviations to their correct galleries, but we realize now there's a bigger problem: Many people do not understand what anthro art is. Therefore, ^skifi and I have released a pair of articles to help users better understand what is and what is not anthro art. We ask that all of you read these brief articles, they will greatly assist you in deciding what is anthro art in the future. Thank you!

What is Anthro - Example Images by ^cooley
What is Anthro - Explained Definitions by ^skifi



Playing Card Project

*PlainYellowFox is starting a group project involving playing cards. Anthro artists who participate will get their character(s) on a playin card/deck. Please read the journal with the details and get involved! Here are a few of the cards that have been completed already:





Anthro Weekly Challenge

Each week, the anthro community comes together to participate in the Weekly Anthro Challenge. Recently, the headquarters of the AWC has moved. Contestants should send their entries to =anthrochallenge from now on. I also urge that all participants watch the new =anthrochallenge account to stay up-to-date on job-openings, chat-room events, and of course, the weekly challenge itself. And now, here's a peak at the last two AWC winning pieces:



We also have a support stamp for the AWC, courtesy of ~webwiz23.
Please show your support by posting the stamp in your journal and adding the
weekly news article to your favorites' listing! Many thanks.





Spotlight

Community Member Spotlight: =Galadrex
=Galadrex is a devoted member of the Anthro Weekly Challenge staff, as well as the anthro gallery. He contributes miscats to the report desk regularly, helps me stay up-to-date on the latest anthro gallery events, and also joins the #IamAnthro chat on a regular basis to contribute new ideas to the Artists Relations Team. He is a wonderful example to follow.




Chat Spotlight: #WolfXChangeDA
WolfXChangeDA is devoted to canine art, giftart, and making new friends. Each month, those who signed up for it will be submitted into an art exchange. Each member is given a link to someone else's membership info. With that info, participants must draw someone's canine character. This is a great way for unknown artists begin networking. We also hold RP sessions for those interested. If you have any questions, please note :idevcatboyxd: or visit him in the chat-room.

Club Spotlight: =Anthro-Alliance
Here's an extremely active club, well-run and always up-to-date on the latest in the anthro world. =LeonaWindrider works very hard to keep this club running so make sure to check it out.



_{If you would like to shed light on your anthro-related club, please contact me with information and I will likely feature your organization in the next newsletter.}



Community Scanner

Several members of the anthro community have recently been attacked by hackers who do not approve of anthro art. When hackers attack an account, they delete images, flame others, and commit policy violations for the sole purpose of getting the account banned. Therefore I ask that all of you guard your account information carefully. If your account has been hacked, or you have suspicions about someone who might be a hacker, please report to the CEA/Policy Violation team at the help desk immediately. To read more about how to protect your account, click here.



Interview with a Furry

When I look around the anthro gallery - I see several sub-communities who don't always communicate with each other. Anthro artists are whipping out art-work, furries are huddled in groups, and therians are among the quietest in the crowd. Now, there's nothing wrong with this, but I believe we can be a stronger community if we were made aware of our neighbors. Therefore, I am conducting a series of interviews to introduce the various members of the anthro community. In this newsletter, we welcome an interview with =Theyain.

What does being a furry mean (in your opinion)?
I am sorry to say that after much thought, typing, and inner research, I have come to the conclusion that I can not define what it means to me to be a furry. I just do not have that ability to translate it from what I feel to what it means. I am sorry.

When did you first decide you were a furry? How did this come about?
From what I have found (from both personal experience and from what others have said), you do not decide to be a furry. It is something that you just realize. Kind of like your sexuality, but on a different (not higher or lower) level...I can safely tell you that I have always been a furry. But it wasn't until spring/summer of last year that I realized that I am a furry.

Do you have a fur-suit?
No I do not have a fur-suit. But I would love one...I would rather have mine professionally made.

Do you participate in "furry" conventions? If so, what do you do?
Yes I do. There are all kinds of things that I do: I look at the art, meet new friends, talk to some of my favorite artists, stare at the awesome fur-suits...mostly normal stuff. There are a few things I do that are not normal though. Such as my "Attach a Note" idea: Basically I wear a blue bath robe and carry several hundred 3x5 note-cards, safety pins, and writing utensils. Basically, I walk around the convention-center allowing people to attach notes to me. This year at Anthrocon I accumulated exactly 140 notes and several nicknames, including "The Walking Message Board", "Note Man" and "Note Coat." As you can guess, I was quite happy with how popular the "Note Coat" became (for this was my first year trying this out) and plan to do it next year.

Does your lifestyle differ from others b/c you are a furry?
Yes. But that's because I have such a deep interest in furries. For me it is generally on a spiritual level.

Are you treated differently because of your "furry" title?
From what I have seen, no. But I don't generally hang around people who would treat me differently because I am "different."

How do you feel about wearing collars?
I actually have my own collar under my bed. Its a simple, black leather collar. I love wearing it., but such style is not for everyone.

If you could help to eliminate one stereotype about furries - what would you like to say in order to do so?
I would like to eliminate the stereotype that claims furries are a bunch of sex-crazed nut jobs who want to have sexual intercourse at every turn. Yes, I admit that this is same stereotype that most furs want to get rid of. But because of how horridly bad it is for our own reputation as a fandom, it was the best one I could think of.

_{Please be sure to visit =Theyain's gallery and thank him for this insight!}
Next, I'll be interviewing another "furry." If you are one and are willing to be interviewed, please contact me.



Anthro Chat-Rooms
-#IamAnthro: The official AR anthro community chat room.
-#AnthroAlliance: Official chat room of the =Anthro-Alliance club.
-AnthroArtistsClub: The longest running, most popular anthro artists’ room, the “Café.”
-#FurryLounge: A spot for anthro artists to chat or idle while they toil away, on their art projects.
-#OMGFurries: A fun place to hang out with more than just furries.
-#FurriesSanctuary: Another great place to relax and have fun with fellow anthro artists.





Anthro Gallery Quiz
1.) What is a therian?
2.) What is a furry?
3.) What are you?



Answers to the last Anthro Gallery Quiz
So you think you know it all? Test your skills!
What is anthro, and what is not?<div align=”center”>
1.) Anthro:
2.) Not Anthro:
3.) Anthro:
4.) Anthro:
5.) Not Anthro:
6.) Anthro:
7.) Anthro:
8.) Not Anthro
9.) Anthro:

To read more about what is and is not anthro, please check out this news article. Despite what others might believe, “anthro art” is EVERYWHERE. They are in our commercials, on our products, and are our favorite cartoon characters. Next time someone tells you they don’t like anthro art – tell them that they might as well dislike Looney Toons too!