The Silver Coyote's Links
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New Furry Authors
I first became aware of furry universes quite by accident. I was searching the Internet to see if a particular central California coast winery I know of had a web site. The winery is called Foxen, and at that time (early 2003) they didn't have a web site that I could find. But in the course of searching for "Foxen" I discovered The Belfry Webworks. Belfry is a clearing house of furry comics published on the Internet, amongst other things. The web site was created by Foxen and introduced me to a whole new genre I hadn't been aware existed.
By the way, Foxen does now have a site of their own. They are, in the humble opinions of my Fox and I, one of the best central coast wineries in California. Check them out or, better, drop by if you're in the area.
Anyway, on with the story...
Belfry had a link to Mat Sherer's excellent daily comic called Badly Drawn Kitties.
BDK is a surprisingly personable if R rated comic whose central characters
have depth and personality. I quickly became caught up in the strip, and was
especially taken by one particular character named Zig Zag. (Sorry Mat, a
fur's got to know his priorities. Lucy's a babe, but Zig rocks!)
Exploring Mat's site led me to a couple of sites all about Zig Zag:
Zig Zag is the creation of Max Black Rabbit. Check out MBR's main site, Black Rabbit Productions. Max is an amazing artist as attested to by those who have
watched him render some of his creations. Browsing his site will give you
some insight into his talent. I hope he doesn't mind me "appropriating" the
image above for use here, but I can't think of a better banner for his site
devoted to Zig Zag than this. Thanks Max!
As far as I'm concerned the best thing Max ever did for our world was create
Zig Zag. Zig is an enchanting creature in so many ways. Unfortunately,
one can't get to know her very well until they get to know her background a
little bit, which brings us to my next link:
Up until this point my adventures into the furry universe had been more or
less light entertainment, comics and pictures and a small amount of history
behind some of the characters. But then one day I landed at ZZ Studios, and my life
honestly changed for the stop there. James Bruner has written a story about
Zig Zag's life as an actress turned studio owner and introduces us to James
Sheppard, the fur who becomes her lover. Without sounding like I'm gushing a
bit, James' writing changed my life for the better, and inspired me to begin
anew a craft I hadn't indulged in since I was a teenager: writing fiction.
This inspiration is what ultimately led to this website. (James, if you're
reading this, you can feel good about that or look for a rope. I hope you
choose the former, because I'm indebted to you. Thanks!) James' creation is
called "Zig Zag The Story", and is, in my opinion, some of the best furry
storytelling around. In the course of his story we meet up with another
distracting fur...
I found Sabrina in a roundabout way through ZZ Studios by following a link
James had there. Sabrina has a universe of her own which intertwines with Zig
Zag's on a regular, ongoing basis. Sabrina was originally created by Eric Schwartz. Eric
has developed a web site just for his Sabrina comic strip, check it out at Sabrina Online.
In a manner similar to James Bruner's documenting Zig Zag's life, Chris Yost
has decided to do the same for Sabrina and her little sister Tabitha. Enjoy
Chris' efforts at Chris'
Foxx Den. If you're into stories with a futuristic, sci-fi spin take a
look at "Tabitha" while you're there. Both stories are excellent.
All of these artists, whether dealing in imagery or text (or both), have devoted a lot of time, energy, and money to bringing their product to us for our enjoyment. Drop them a line while you're visiting their sites, let them know what you think. A lot of them have established forums or discussion groups, wherein you will find many folk with similar (or not so similar) points of view. I've made some new friends in this way, and feel fortunate to have become part of the furry culture. I've found a home!
Mi amigo Tigermark, who has contributed so much to my efforts here and has become a great friend, has a site of his own from which to showcase another (probably better) aviation-oriented furry classic. "Fire On High" is a fabulous story about an Air Force fighter pilot taking place in the Sabrinaverse. The hardware is much more glamorous than anything you're likely to see in The B Team, and some familiar characters may be recognized as well. Check out The Tiger's Den and take a look at "Fire On High". Stop by Tigermark's forum at Planet Furry and tell him what you think of his story. You'll be glad you took the time to pay a visit to his site, and most likely make a new friend yourself.
My friend is talented in other areas as well. He has produced two images based on scenes occurring in The B Team, both appear in the story with his permission. Take a look at Tigermark's account at Deviant Art, those images and several more are there for your enjoyment.
Stripes One, a modified T-38, © Tigermark
Another fur that I'm getting to know better is Cirrel. Cirrel is a fabulous
artist and author, in my opinion. He graciously contributed the image that appears at the begriming
of "Aftermath" in the "B Team" story. He is a regular contributor of
artwork at ZZ Studios, and has contributed a story there as well. His own
site is full of wonderful stuff to see and read. Check out Wilderhom.
Angry Erika V2.1 was the home of "City of Roses," a great story in a similar vein to my "Precious Cargo," starring a cool feline by the name of Aramis Dagaz. The site was operated by a sister / brother team, being owned by Erika and administered by my friend Dan.
As the years have gone by Dan and Erica have moved through college careers and graduated, and Angry Erica has fallen by the wayside. To see what he is up to these days, drop by Dan's live journal. Ask him whatever happened to "City of Roses". Or go on over to Dan's account at Deviant Art to see what he's working on there.
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Recently I was turned on to another interesting story which begins in the "Sabrinaverse" but moves off in it's own direction quickly enough. Identity
Crisis is about a soul's travels through several dimensions and worlds, and
is full of magic and mysticism. Hikaru Katayamma spins a good yarn. I haven't
even reached the end of what he's published on line yet, and I've enjoyed it so
much that I wanted to link to it. Worth checking out, it's an excellent story.
This young lady has grown to become an awesome author in her own right, judging from her fan base. Transitions and it's sequel, Transitions Two, are stories that take place in the Sabrinaverse with the usual complement of characters including that tiger-striped skunk we all seem to love so much. There's even a cameo by a disturbingly familiar sounding aircrew buried within! The story revolves around two female roomies and rapidly whisks us away to places most of us have never been. A spin-off of sorts, called Amat Victoria Curam, takes us back to the days of Roman Empire. While I'm more of a tech-head than a history buff, I was unable to put AVC down. Somewhere in that mass of creativity she also found time to become a regular contributor to A Little Nothing, see her contributions to that series here. My dear Filly has other projects in the works as well, it seems that every week she's got something else brewing. The author is a dear friend and comrade in arms by the name of Joan Jacobsen. Check out Aslaug's Axe Shed!
And finally there is Mike. <ahem> That would be The Old Gray Raccoon, "Purveyor of Fine Furry Fiction," proprietor of The Raccoon's Bookshelf. RBS is primarily a virtual bookstore of many types of anthro fiction, but there are some other interesting things going on there as well. Mike and his lovely wife Chris live to the north of my Fox and I, up where the air is cleaner and the mountains higher. I have met them both, they are fine furs and good friends. Drop by RBS and get to know them both, you'll be glad you took the time.
Image by Philip J. Eggerding,
used with permission
I think I'm having as much fun meeting up-and-coming authors as I am actually writing myself. After the smashing success of The Filly I seem to be bumping into more and more furs who want to take a stab at writing a story, but don't quite know how to get started. Sometimes a little encouragement, a few polite suggestions, and some friendly conversation are all that's required to get another pair of paws busy, get another new story into production. It's like pouring fuel into the afterburners... light 'em up and watch 'em fly!
Some of the furs I've met in this regard have started sites of their own, and it pleases me no small amount to present links to them here. These furs show promise, I believe in them and what they are doing. Go check out their stuff, and drop them a line to let them know what you think. Be sure and tell them SC sent you!
I first met Keith at Furrs Fur Christ, where he had posted a couple of his poems. His ideas are fresh, he's creative, and he's a fellow member of the soCal subset. I see good things coming to we who stop by A Reality Beyond Dreams now and then. He's got a lot of stuff going there, and some really good works just starting out. Go check it out!
I met Karou Windstalker in the forums at the ZZ Studios web site. I don't know who "George" is (a site administrator, perhaps?), but after spending a bit of time at Karou's, especially among the images, I know I'll be visiting regularly. Speaking of graphics, I here publicly admit that I stole this banner from Karou's site. Hopefully I won't get in trouble for that...
Another recent arrival on the furry author scene is Kellan Meig'h, the Old Warhorse. He's writing some stories that include a certain Filly we all know and love. He's actually got several stories, but his flagship piece is A Voice From The Past. He's also got some new works coming up that may have another interesting canid character a few of us have heard of before, so I therefore pronounce his site as rockin' and plan to visit often. Go check out Kellan's works, and tell him SC sent you!
Finally, here's a link that might might interest my fellow Christians. I was introduced to Furrs Fur Christ by my friend Aramis, and have become part of the family there. They are few, less than one hundred when I met them, but they are good furs and very willing to share of themselves, whether about artwork, writing, faith, life, or anything else that comes to mind. Check them out.
