Crush...Yiff...Destroy!

D.T. · Qualificator Joined: 11 Dec 2004 Posts: 18

So part of me wonders if perhaps the problems with the furry community are as much the fault of our current "creatives" as anything else. There are a stand out few - Stan Sakai, Fred Perry, maybe one or two others... but it's a bit unfair (I think at least) to try and compare the Furry community to say, Anime fans, or Trekkers, or any community where they get a few new (hopefully) good professional things made every year.

So I did a little digging and looked at who the "Guests of Honor" were at Confurence 1.

Jim Groat, Monika Livingston, Martin Wagner.

Groat... is a talented artist currently not doing much. His comic might be really funny, I don't know, I don't use the MUSH (I'm puzzled as to why West Corner of the Park got an article. It's a bit like looking at a collection of political cartoons without knowing jack squat about politics. Of course you're not going to understand a thing about them). But, outside of that very niche audience, he doesn't seem to have done much recently (equine-themed parodied of Conan characters don't count).

Monika Livingston I've never met. I've also never come across anything by her. Whatever.

Martin Wagner, creator of Hepcats, frankly, deserves an article. A lot of folks have pulled crap in the fur community, but this guy apparently blew thousands of dollars of other people's money then spat on his fans. then worked on Spy Kids. Story goes that, after getting mention in Wizard (the magazine for COMICS!) as a hot thing, and getting a cash advance from his new publishers, Antarctic Press (who spent quite a bit of money advertising him), Mr. Wager proceeded to drop of the face of the earth. Antarctic couldn't find him, try as they might. When he eventually resurfaced he never did one more issue of his comic, explaining that he was upset by the low preorders his latest issue had gotten (perhaps having to do with it being so veeeery long since the previous issue). And he said that you couldn't be original in comics, and the comics industry was doomed (having produced 12 whole issues of his "monthly" comic in 9 years the man was an expert on the industry).

Also I've heard he was an ass at the cons he was at.

I mean, come on. This was the best we could get when the community supposedly wasn't yet innundated with complete freaks and weirdos. Is it any wonder the community's in the state it is now?

weird_guy_in_the_corner · Venter Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 258

Groat's comic is painfully unfunny. So painful it's like being raped with a barbed baseball bat. I may be exaggerating just a tad, but it really is an exercise in endurance.

I've never heard of Livingston, so I don't know what to say.

If what you said about Wagner is true, he's a bigger dick than Schwartz.

The New Meat · Vociferator Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Posts: 660

(I'm puzzled as to why West Corner of the Park got an article. It's a bit like looking at a collection of political cartoons without knowing jack squat about politics. Of course you're not going to understand a thing about them).

He got an article because...because....uh...because I say so, that's why!!

And because, eventually, ALL furry comics will have articles! All of them, I say! Even Chester!

creature · Venter Joined: 06 Nov 2003 Posts: 240

Martin Wagner is... just fucked up. He basically did a Dave Sim but one better. I don't know if it was mental or what, but everytime I met him (Even helped him out at a Wizard con once, being a table lacky for him for most of a Saturday. Got a sketch out of it, so I was happy.) he was cool. But, just every now and then he'd fall off the face of the Earth. Talking to Drew Hayes (Poison Elves) about it a couple years after Hepcats' last issue was published, he said Martin was just the wrong guy to have his talent. I'd agree with that.

God, I'm such a comic weiner.

baserock love · Qualificator Joined: 04 Dec 2004 Posts: 10

And because, eventually, ALL furry comics will have articles! All of them, I say! Even Chester!

Please tell me your doing a Jack article...angsty with demon rape disembowelment, IT'S GOLD!!!

Donotsue · Vociferator Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 666

Guess my measilly 4 pages of Don and Kat aren't worth an article.. =)
I might make some more when get the time... =)

Stoneth · Vociferator Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 545

And because, eventually, ALL furry comics will have articles! All of them, I say! Even Chester!

Even Kevin & Kell?

The New Meat · Vociferator Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Posts: 660

Right now, Jack and Kit n' Kaboodle are definitely on the list and beyond that it's pretty up in the air. Most of the worst furry comics aren't that well known (Chester, Rabid, etc) and wouldn't really be worth an entire article in and of themselves. Do people have any suggestions for worthy topics?

Guess my measilly 4 pages of Don and Kat aren't worth an article.. =)
I might make some more when get the time... =)

Okay, but you have to remove all the funny first. And also, stop drawing so good.

mouse · Needs to get out more Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 1030

Right now, Jack and Kit n' Kaboodle are definitely on the list and beyond that it's pretty up in the air. Most of the worst furry comics aren't that well known (Chester, Rabid, etc) and wouldn't really be worth an entire article in and of themselves. Do people have any suggestions for worthy topics?

Ah, Rabid.

Its totally gone now anyway. So unless someone actually saved it...

I used to think that Rabid was one of the worst. But over time I've realized its really not. It was just a mindless furry snuff comic drawn by some really fucked up girl with some issues. I thought it actually started to get a little interesting once the girl starting doing an actual story to it, however, as usual that was right about when it was abandoned.

There was a fucked up furry comic, Im drawing a blank on the name now, that went on hiatus for a long time, then at one point the girl updated what had a happened. Someone found her trying to hang herself - she went into an institution and the comic was supposed to come back (never did). I just remember vaguely her message saying 'looking back on what I was drawing , Im not surprised that this happened'

I know I posted about this before.

Gargoyle · Vociferator Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 387

Guess my measilly 4 pages of Don and Kat aren't worth an article.. =)
I might make some more when get the time... =)

LINKZ PLZ

SLaitila · Vociferator Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Posts: 408

There was a fucked up furry comic, Im drawing a blank on the name now, that went on hiatus for a long time, then at one point the girl updated what had a happened. Someone found her trying to hang herself - she went into an institution and the comic was supposed to come back (never did). I just remember vaguely her message saying 'looking back on what I was drawing , Im not surprised that this happened'

Did it have a bunny with a "meh" on the shirt?

If it did, it was the same person making suicide threats on shmorkys oekaki board.

Paul · Vociferator Joined: 01 Feb 2004 Posts: 551

Ah, Rabid.

Its totally gone now anyway. So unless someone actually saved it...

I used to think that Rabid was one of the worst. But over time I've realized its really not. It was just a mindless furry snuff comic drawn by some really fucked up girl with some issues. I thought it actually started to get a little interesting once the girl starting doing an actual story to it, however, as usual that was right about when it was abandoned.

Hmm, via the Belfry Index I found the URL for Rabid - the interesting thing is, the URL is still up, but the content is gone. The artist must have thought it best to take it down. Hopefully it's a sign she's getting better...

I actually read Rabid in one session once (didn't bother to bookmark it though), and I agree with mouse's description... I read through it as atrocity tourism, but yes, towards the end, that last story, it started to get interesting in an odd way - seemed the artist was using her lead character to admit she herself was not quite sane.

I'm a little surprised to learn now that it was made by a girl. I just assumed it was a guy what with all that "pretty female character gets raped and cut to pieces" content... but hey, I'm all for equality of sexes, so it's cool that girls make disgustingly twisted snuff comics too. (Um, that sounds wrong, doesn't it?)

m_estrugo · Vociferator Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 353

Hmm, via the Belfry Index I found the URL for Rabid - the interesting thing is, the URL is still up, but the content is gone. The artist must have thought it best to take it down. Hopefully it's a sign she's getting better...

Ever heard of The Wayback Machine?

mouse · Needs to get out more Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 1030

I'm a little surprised to learn now that it was made by a girl. I just assumed it was a guy what with all that "pretty female character gets raped and cut to pieces" content... but hey, I'm all for equality of sexes, so it's cool that girls make disgustingly twisted snuff comics too. (Um, that sounds wrong, doesn't it?)

Eh, I think might be a little more common for a girl to draw the sort psycho-rape-drama-snuff-comic that Rabid was. If that was a guy drawing that that would send up a bunch of red flags

Paul · Vociferator Joined: 01 Feb 2004 Posts: 551

I'm a little surprised to learn now that it was made by a girl. I just assumed it was a guy what with all that "pretty female character gets raped and cut to pieces" content... but hey, I'm all for equality of sexes, so it's cool that girls make disgustingly twisted snuff comics too. (Um, that sounds wrong, doesn't it?)

Eh, I think might be a little more common for a girl to draw the sort psycho-rape-drama-snuff-comic that Rabid was. If that was a guy drawing that that would send up a bunch of red flags

I guess you're right. I honestly didn't try to think too deeply about what Rabid implies about the author's psyche. It was rather creepy.

EDIT: m_estrugo's link to (parts of) Rabid on The Wayback Machine resulted in my curiosity getting the better of me. OK, Rabid's author is one Aubrey Ferris. Google search: Rabid's definitely gone. She had LiveJournal, but that's gone, too. Her VCL archive is still up, but hasn't been updated since April 2003. Oh, dang, she's on DeviantArt now, and she still draws gory stuff, although not quite as extreme as Rabid was. This would seem to be her furry self-portrait. Once again, rather creepy.

mouse · Needs to get out more Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 1030

EDIT: m_estrugo's link to (parts of) Rabid on The Wayback Machine resulted in my curiosity getting the better of me. OK, Rabid's author is one Aubrey Ferris. Google search: Rabid's definitely gone. She had LiveJournal, but that's gone, too. Her VCL archive is still up, but hasn't been updated since April 2003. Oh, dang, she's on DeviantArt now, and she still draws gory stuff, although not quite as extreme as Rabid was. This would seem to be her furry self-portrait. Once again, rather creepy.

I was wondering if she was still around. Im not into the whole gore thing but I do like some of her art. Then again I haven't really looked thru most of it.

Im not a big fan of gender roles or armchair psychology, I just have noticed that girls that may have had an abusive upbringing would tend to do stuff like you see here. Either actually cutting or abusing themselves or in this sort of fantasy context you see here, like drawing your 'persona' (or even a fursona) being traumatised and ...well basically butched like Mia was constantly in Rabid. Not that that may even come close to what is going on with Miss Ferris.

What I wouldve told this Aubrey Ferris to do with Rabid that would've actually made it really cool - was to first have it just as a sort of one shot full comic. A complete story. Have it start off with this character Mia that keeps having all these surreal deaths just like in the comic. Then as the story progresses you catch little bits of whats actually going on. And she could be in the psyche hospital just like she was in the comic but its like this bizarre nightmare world in her head that she lives in.

Eh, kind of on a similiar line to that video game American McGee's Alice, or somewhat the overall story of the Maxx. That sort of thing.

I mean thats basically what it seems Rabid was already now that I've reread whats still available. It was just terribly underdeveloped for that.

Mastertran · Prattler Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 174

I used to read Hepcats all the time it's still one of my favorite comics ever. But Wagner man he sounds like an asshole and he worked on Spy Kids!!!!!!!!!!!! He needs to be beaten with heavy hammers.

Fugitive · Qualificator Joined: 25 Apr 2004 Posts: 4

Monika Livingston I've never met. I've also never come across anything by her. Whatever.

She has a semi-working site with general art stuff on it now, but I do remember seeing some of her comics work in some anthology series Way Back When. I can't remember exactly which ones offhand (Albedo? Zu? The Dreamery?) and don't have the issues handy, though.

The general impression I got at the time was that she was in high demand and could be considered a professional in the field, for whatever that's worth.