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Get ready to have a monkey of a time because Donkey Kong is slamming on to the scene next month! Nintendo just released a direct looking at the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza and it certainly looks like a Bananza! Donkey Kong has gone to Ingot Isle in search of legendary golden bananas. There he ends up getting blasted underground where he encounters a strange rock that soon reveals itself to be the talented young singer Pauline! DK must help protect her and get her home, while also searching for bananas and navigating the underground. 

Hey, Papabear,

​I just rediscovered your website when I did a Google search for "furry therapists" (with most results just being for service dogs, go figure) and someone mentioned you in a Reddit post as an alternative. The few actual therapists in the fandom are only in other states and can't take out-of-state patients, so after reading through a few pages of letters you replied to, I figured I'd reach out.

While I do have a regular therapist, and she knows I'm a furry, I haven't gotten around to discussing my issues in the fandom with her, and her knowledge is very limited on furry stuff so I don't think she'd really get it. I just discuss my other life issues with her.

Anyway, my issue is: the entire fandom hates me, and it's destroying my life, my mental well-being, my physical well-being, and I truly wish I never existed because it seems nothing good has come from my existence and nobody wants anything to do with me.

Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it sure feels true. My history in the fandom is a long one, with a few happy moments, but ultimately, now it has ended and has left a huge hole in my heart that cannot be repaired or mended.

I'll start by saying, other furries were always very wary of me. They always hated me, avoided me, etc. I knew I was a fur for like 5 years before I finally reached out and began socializing with furs in 2010, at age 18. I got the rudest welcome and almost kicked out right then and there because I've always been different from stereotypical furs. I don't have casual sex (or any at all), I don't do substance use (no drinking, weed, drugs, etc.) or hard partying. I'm not a smart techie bro who works I.T.- I'm awful with computers. The list goes on but I just felt like I wasn't what the fandom wanted, and even though it's more accepting nowadays, it still has a long way to go and I'm not part of that, apparently.

Anyway, my initial stint in the fandom lasted 2010-2014 roughly, with like a 18-month gap in there even because of arguments with local and online furs. Despite being only 18, they all got mad that I wasn't the alcohol-loving hard-partying Chad they wished I was. And awareness for neurodivergence wasn't so much a thing at the time (I was undiagnosed back then). I had heard the fandom was accepting; instead, they treated me like an unwanted loser until they finally kicked me out of the local group, because I made an angry reply to being bullied.

Fast forward years later, I had moved nearly 1,000 miles away (I'm not originally from SC), struggled for like 8 years to find furs. Then I thought I found my diamonds in the rough when in 2022 I finally had a local furry group to hang out with, and they seemed to like me and were really cool with how I was. In late 2023 I attended my first fur con and loved it so much, I attended a bunch more after if I could.

Sadly, I'm writing you because this didn't last too long. I still had a lot of issues with many furs hating me, ignoring me, trying to shove me away, and it pisses me off how unfriendly this fandom is as a whole when I was trying to socialize. In 2024 I got into an argument with someone on Telegram, and I called him a slur and said I wished he died (I have bad anger issues).

Well people keep spreading this screenshot around in furry groups around the southeast U.S. and other stuff about me. They keep acting like I'm a violent monster of some sort. I'm not banned from any cons, but am banned from the dance competition events at cons I used to try and compete in. I enjoyed these so much and it leaves me so heartbroken I can't explain. Moreover, I noticed the past 2 cons I went to, many furs I used to be cool with are now ignoring me and refusing to talk to me. I also got banned from my local fur groups because NCAS made my local friends ban me. Now, the nearest fur willing to talk to me lives hours away, and I can maybe seem him a few times a year if that.

I have no non-fur friends sadly; tried making them for years, there are none where I live (retirement area mostly full of conservative boomers). Ever since I discovered this fandom, all I wanted was to fit in; to feel like I belonged. And the brief time I did, it felt great and were some of the best moments of my life. But having it all so harshly taken away has left me in a state of wreck I can only begin to describe.

I keep getting really bad/violent thoughts randomly. Horrible mood swings. I can't work much at all so I'll have to leave my job before I'm a danger to myself or anyone else. I keep thinking I'll need to "un-alive" myself. All I wanna do is lay in bed and stare at the ceiling and sleep way too much. I keep binge-eating to the point of gaining weight. I no longer have things I enjoy. I feel unable to enjoy video games, music, creative endeavors, etc. The fandom was so important to my life and it feels like the worst heartbreak ever. And I'm sick of being forced into a world that doesn't fucking want me.

I tried apologizing to many people multiple times, but nobody nowadays accepts apologies. They all want nothing to do with me. They want me gone. I'm a pathetic loser and always was, according to them. Now this is the second time I got disowned by the fandom, but it's so much more painful this time around. I don't have the energy or resources to move far away, make a new fursona and re-emerge. I think my life is just over at this point.

I've been on psychiactric medications in the past, but I don't believe in them anymore because they never did anything for me, and only gave me bad side effects. Plus I have too many money issues to be able to afford them. My current therapist is the only one I can get; she's nice but not the most helpful with certain things. And I'm afraid to call the Suicide Hotline because they'll involuntarily commit me and send me a huge bill I can't afford. It feels like there's no solution to this problem. I can't force the fandom to like or accept me, and it's on my mind 24/7 and it's making me go crazy.

Idk what I'm even asking at this point. I've only just touched the surface of my issue and I already wrote so much. I guess my question is: what can I do about this? It's ruining my life. I want to be in this fandom and be liked and have friends more than anything else in the entire world, and not being able to is making me wanna kill myself or even worse.

Gunther Spierman (age 32)

* * *

​Dear Gunther,

Thank you for your letter. I'm proud of you for reaching out. I bet that wasn't easy. As you know, I am not a professional therapist, so please keep that in mind as I write the following to you....

Important stuff first. The Suicide Hotline at 988 is a FREE service. You do not have to pay for it. It is staffed by a mix of professional therapists and some volunteers who are not pros but who have been trained to talk to people in crisis. So, if you get to a serious point where you really feel at risk of self-harm, please dial the hotline. And I will tell you a little thing about myself on this topic. I wish 988 had been there when I was 18, which is the year I almost died through a suicide attempt. Thankfully, I was not successful. But my attempt hurt many of my loved ones, especially my mother, and I regret that very much. Think about your loved ones and how your actions affect them. Also, know that when you are in the mindset of contemplating suicide, you are not really in your right state of mind. You are not thinking clearly. That's why you need someone like the good people on the hotline to snap you out of it and bring your perspective back to where it should be. An example of perspective? You said it yourself: Not everyone in the fandom hates you. Most furries don't even know you (wink wink). I don't hate you. So, bear that in mind.

Good news that you have a therapist. Kudos. And you really should open up to her about your furry issues. She might not know about the fandom in particular, but she does understand group dynamics and can likely offer you insights.

Many furries experience what you have experienced, which is that they are told what I call "The Furry Fandom Fairy Tale" that we are all warm, loving, accepting people. Nonsense. There is no such thing as any huge group of people who are all accepting and loving. It's kind of like what Nick Wilde told Judy Hopps in Zootopia about how hayseed animals from the Sticks come to the city thinking the animals all get along and sing Kumbaya around campfires. Bullshit. THAT said, there is some truth about the fandom being accepting in that anyone can be a furry. Also, since the demographics tend to have a lot of people from segments of the population that are often alienated by the mainstream (i.e., e.g., LGBTQIA people, people on the autism spectrum, nerdy and shy people, geeky techy folk, and so on), then it is much more likely you will find people like that when you start getting active in the fandom and they will be cool with you because, hey, they are like you in a lot of ways.

It is also true, demographically speaking, that many furries skew to the younger age groups (teens and twenties). At that time in people's lives, hormones are raging and sex is on the brain. I confess as a younger furry I did quite a bit of adult RP stuff online. The joke used to be "If you see a drawing of an anthro and you get aroused, you're likely a furry." The good part about this is that the fandom provides an environment unhindered by sexual conventions, so it allows people to experiment and get in touch with their true sexuality without being constrained by, say, their parents' religious beliefs or peer group pressures. The bad news is that this can also lead to some unwanted sexual advances, and many young furs think they can get away with anything. A story I like to tell involves my days back in Michigan when I was with Jim (who sadly passed 10 years ago). Anyway, I convinced Jim (who wasn't a furry but was fur friendly) to come with me with some other furs to see Where the Wild Things Are. Before the movie, we all went to a diner for lunch. Jim and I sat with a table of four other furries. One was a chubby young woman who sat next to Jim (Jim was a big ol' handsome bear). So, anyway, even though it was pretty obvious that Jim and I were a couple, she nudges up to him and whispers, "You know, the cool thing about the fandom is you can sleep with anyone." Jim looked at her and was like, "Um, you know my boyfriend is sitting right here and no, no you can't." After that, she stayed away from us. I'm sure she trashed us to the others in her group because I didn't hear from them again after that.

So, yeah, that kind of crap happens, but not all furries are like that--not by any stretch of the imagination. It is a diverse group of people. When it comes to sex, you have everything from total furverts to 100% asexuals and everything in between--everything imaginable, really. The lesson here is that you really need to get to know people before making friends. A good way to do that is online in special interest groups (SIGs), where you can hopefully meet furries who share your interests, make friends with them, and then meet them in person. Many people do what you do in going to local meets where they don't know anyone and then they can have some awkward encounters. That's why I don't go to furmeets (e.g. the Prancing Skiltaire) unless I know someone there beforehand. Going in blind and hoping you'll have a great time merely because the people there are also furries increases the likelihood of a bad day.

A suggestion for you: Now that you are 32 years old, you are eligible to join my Greymuzzle Facebook group ((12) Greymuzzles (30 and older furs only) | Facebook), which is full of good furries. How do I know? I and other carefully selected admins screen the 5,000+ members very carefully. Only 1 in 6 applicants gets in. And we constantly stay on the lookout for naughty furries. So, I invite you to join us there. If you're not on Facebook, there are other greymuzzle groups on platforms like Telegram and Bluesky you can check into. They are not run by me, but they should have more mature members there, and they tend to be more chill than your typical furry groups. (After I wrote this paragraph, I saw you applied! Welcome to the group!)

Next, let's address your reputation issues. It's hard for me to gauge this for you exactly, not knowing the circumstances and only knowing that you got angry and yelled about something, which doesn't seem like much or a reason to be banned from a group. Also, NCAS (that's the North Carolina Anthro Society, right?) telling your local meet to ban you is pretty shitty. But if you have "anger issues" that medications don't ease, that might be exacerbating the problem. 

That brings me to how to deal with anger problems. Hey! Another thing I personally know about! I too have experienced anger issues. What are anger issues? Well, this is the inability to control upwellings of strong negative emotions that can cause you to lash out verbally or even physically at others. I think we can all agree that this is a big turnoff for many people, and they tend to not want to deal with people who have anger issues. There are some ways to manage them, though, even without drugs (a solution people too often turn to, but that is not to say there are cases when medicine can help, especially when your issues ). Some things you can do:

• Exercise: Indulging in physical exercise is a great way to burn off excess energy that would otherwise manifest in angry outbursts. In other words, it can calm you down.
• Meditation (and "mindfulness"): There's a lot to this that I don't have the time to go into, and you can find lots of videos on "meditation for beginners," but to summarize, meditation is just taking a few minutes to yourself to turn off the TV, your phone, and other distractions, sit in a quiet place, be present in the moment, and allow your mind to rest. Don't force yourself to think, and don't try to "clear your mind of thoughts" as some advocate. Just let yourself be, your mind wander, reconnecting to yourself.
• Be kind to yourself: People forget to do this, but you should try and do something nice for yourself daily. It doesn't have to be big. Indeed, small things are the best. Just something nice. Like, enjoy a nice walk in a park. Listen to a favorite song and dance around in your living room. Give someone you like a hug. Take a long bath. That sort of thing. Give yourself a break.

As to the gist of your email, it can be encapsulated in these two statements: "I truly wish I never existed because it seems nothing good has come from my existence and nobody wants anything to do with me" and "I want to be in this fandom and be liked and have friends more than anything else in the entire world, and not being able to is making me wanna kill myself or even worse."

What you're suffering from here is very commonplace these days: the idea that you need to be noticed and validated in order to be a worthwhile person. When you claim nothing good has come from your existence, that's your depression talking. I'm sure that in your life something good has resulted from you being in this world, even a little thing. And how should we define "good" anyway? To me, having a good effect on this world would be doing anything--even a tiny thing--that has helped other people, animals, or the world in general. You don't have to invent a cure for cancer or end world hunger to be a worthwhile person. Indeed, if you want to know what your purpose in life is, ask me sometime because that's a whole nuther column. I'll tell you one thing, the purpose of your life has nothing to do with being liked by other people or being a part of this fandom. Indeed, if you find that you don't fit into this fandom, you haven't looked hard enough. Like I said, we're diverse. You can find young and old, rich and poor, smart and not so smart, white and black, gay and straight and trans, religious and spiritual and completely materialistic, sex maniacs and virgins, sci-fi fanatics and readers of classic literature, train and car aficionados and people who cross stitch and knitting, athletes and chubbies, and on and on. We are not all alike, so it is highly doubtful that we would all feel the same way about you.

And even if not a single furry accepted you, that's not important. You need to accept yourself. Indeed, accepting yourself and being comfortable in your own skin is a highly attractive trait. You will find that 9 out of 10 people in this life prefer making friends with people who like themselves than people who don't like themselves.

So, Gunther. Why don't you like yourself? And what things about yourself do you like? These are the things you need to explore, and once you figure it out, you'll have made a huge leap toward eliminating your fears and anxieties that are holding you back.

What do you think? Write again and let me know.

In the meantime, welcome to my Greymuzzle group :)

Bear Hugs,
Papabear

Just when you think you’re out…they pull you right back in! Eugene McQuacklin is back to quackin’ a case in Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping. This time around, he’s got a partner in crime helping him, as the veritably enthusiastic fan-turned-Watson wannabe Freddy Frederson joins you throughout your sleuthing search. I thoroughly enjoyed the first entry in this series, “The Secret Salami”, so I was very excited to see what kind of changes, if any, would be made in the second game. I wouldn’t consider it a “sequel” as it doesn’t attach too much story to the first game, and you can safely play either in whichever order you’d like. I’m happy to report that the same charm that made the first game such a memorable and fun little experience is overflowing in The Ghost of Glamping, and I actually preferred this story and the way it was told even more. Right after I cracked the case, I immediately hopped on the web to see if we’d get more time with the amazing characters and world of Duck Detective. It’s that good.

Well, it’s that time of year again! The time when all the big names and small names in the gaming industry gather in one place and get us gamers excited for what’s to come in our favorite pastime! Yep, it’s SUMMER GAME FEST 2025 and I have to say? Compared to last years which, in my opinion, was a really dull and disappointing show, this one was way better by a mile. Sure, there were some games that didn’t interest me, personally, but, overall, this was a really good show and I want to highlight some of the bigger announcements and ones that may be of interest to you!

Recently, we told you about a new Image Comic arriving from the mind of Rick Remender. Well, looking further into the future, Image has let us know about The Terrific Teacups, a new graphic novel based on bedtime stories that Mr. Remender told to his kids. “During another mundane, grey day in London Jungle, siblings Dennis and Dade discover that the world was once a bright and cheerful place, and that the heroes of their favorite book, The Terrific Teacups, were more than merely works of fiction, they were the pachyderm pair that kept the city safe from the selfish and oppressive creatures who now rule it. The daring siblings must find a way to bring their heroes back and restore beauty and color to a world that has forgotten it.” With illustration by Farel Dalrymple, this new hardcover book is due out next year in January.

image c. 2025 Image Comics

TigerTails Radio Season 16 Episode 21. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf Join the Telegram Chat: https://t.me/+yold2C77m0I1MmM0 Visit the website at http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of any song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. Credits: Opening music: Magic by Hedge Haiden (Double Hedge Studios) Character art: Fitzroy Fox - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lunara-toons / https://bsky.app/profile/fitzroyfox.bsky.social Background art: Charleston Rat - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/charlestonrat / https://bsky.app/profile/charlestonrat.bsky.social If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.

TigerTails Radio Season 16 Episode 22 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf Join the Telegram Chat: https://t.me/+yold2C77m0I1MmM0 Visit the website at http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of any song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. Credits: Opening music: Magic by Hedge Haiden (Double Hedge Studios) Character art: Fitzroy Fox - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lunara-toons / https://bsky.app/profile/fitzroyfox.bsky.social Background art: Charleston Rat - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/charlestonrat / https://bsky.app/profile/charlestonrat.bsky.social If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Last year Marvel premiered the Star Wars: Ewoks comic miniseries — and now this year, the furry denizens of the Endor moon come together in the new Star Wars: Ewoks trade paperback, collecting all four issues. “A team of Imperial-led bounty hunters and scavengers arrives on the forest moon of Endor searching for a secret cache of deadly weaponry! But are they prepared to face off against the battle-ready Ewoks who took down so many of their ranks? Plus: Who is the mysterious new warrior Ewok returning to Bright Tree village, and what is their connection to Wicket W. Warrick?” Written by Steve Orlando (Rainbow Bridge), with art by Alvaro Lopez and Laura Braga. The Ewoks are back this July.

image c. 2025 Marvel Comics

Remember Redneck Rampage? That old DOS FPS from back in the 90’s where you control a redneck fighting aliens? Well, what happens when you put a redneck in Egypt and tell him to fight mummies and other egyptian creatures? You get ‘Immortal Redneck’ from Crema Games: A fun yet challenging FPS that, despite some setbacks, is honestly one of the more fun FPS’s I’ve played all year.

In honor of Pride Month, IDW Comics have released Monster High Pride 2025, an annual special issue of their popular Monster High series. Featuring two teenage love stories — one of them decidedly more “furry” it seems… “First, we all know and love the fiercest and most fashionable ghoulfriends: Clawdeen Wolf and Toralei Stripe, A.K.A. Toradeen. But how did they go from hisses to kisses? It’s simple math, really. Clawculus + a common enemy + forced proximity = the perfect love story. Nothing screams romance quite like math camp.” We’ll take your word for it. And it’s on the shelves now. Happy Pride!

image c. 2025 IDW Comics

Date Everything. Yes, really. In Date Everything, you’re able to D.A.T.E. all the items in the game. Of course, this means “Directly Acknowledge a Thing’s Existence.” Silliness aside for a moment, Date Everything is an abundant treasure trove of creativity; a veritable kaleidoscope of talent on display that bursts from every voice actor, character design, and writing choice. There is so much packed into this visual playhouse that fans of dating sims, playful writing, and inventive premise ideas should not hesitate to give this experience a try. You’ll laugh, you’ll smile, and most of all, you’ll fall in love with everything, including the game itself.

…so we made you an anthology!

It’s been a long time in the making, but the Tales from the Guild: Blood and Water anthology is finished and off to the printers! We partnered with Fenris Publishing, who took on the hard work of layout, graphic design, and all the hidden steps of bringing a book to market. The amazing cover art is by Chum Basket.

The anthology is literally off to the printers, which means a wait of about a month for copies to be printed and bound, then probably a few more weeks for shipping. With luck Fenris will have copies in hand by August and the book will be available to order through their website or in person at your favorite convention!

We’ll keep you updated on the official release date and when preorders will be available. Thanks to Fenris, JFR Coates who spearheaded the project, the other editors, and of course all the authors!

The city builder genre is a bit…dry, don’t you think? Developer Megapop is here to change that with their upcoming game, Life Below, published by Kasedo Games. In a refreshing twist, the game takes place below the waves, as you play as an ocean guardian named Thalassa, who is tasked by Gaia to resurrect struggling underwater ecosystems using coral, seashells, lures, and much more to attract and satisfy local wildlife and flora. Through the use of quite a few resource management systems, you’ll slowly start to bring life to the sparsely populated ocean floor.

There are lots of fursuit styles out there. But there are also many ways to wear those fursuits! Is there a right or wrong way to to it? We’ve all heard the many opinions on how fursuits “should” be worn. Join the cast as they talk about their thoughts on fullsuiting, partialing, poodling, and inbetween.

This episode was originally livestreamed and has been edited for audio only. You can watch the original livestream on our YouTube!

NOW LISTEN!

SHOW NOTES Thank you!

Those that were able to join the livestream!

To all of our listeners! And your continued support!

PATREON LOVE

THANK YOU to our patreons! You help us keep the show going!

A Cookie Factory – OwO

*empty*

A Pallet of Cookies

 

Barnaby Panda, Nuka, Lou Duck (Pic Pending)

A Case of Cookies

Basel the Dragon, Black Baldrik, Ichigo Ookami (Pic Pending), Lufis the Raccoon

A Jar of Cookies

 

MephistophEli, Plug, Tenax

A Box of Cookies

• Benji
• Lygris

A Delicious Cookie

• Ausi K
• Christian
• Citrus Fox
• Icy Solid
• Ralley
• Sage Lightfang
• TyR
• Victor Mutt

MUSIC

• Intro: RetroSpecter – Cloud Fields (RetroSpecter Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth
• Patreon: Inflammatus – The Tudor Consort, Creative Commons 2019
• Closing: Cloud Fields (RetroSpecterChill Remix), USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Chill Out Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth

S11E21 – Fursuit Ruckus (Season Finale) - There are lots of fursuit styles out there. But there are also many ways to wear those fursuits! Is there a right or wrong way to to it? We've all heard the many opinions on how fursuits "should" be worn. Join the