Oooh, where to start? I have so much in mind but to write it all would be pages and pages long so I’m gonna give you the brief version.

Long ago, humans and anthros were separated as tribes. Each species of antro had it’s own tribe and as expected, there were scuffles among them over territory. Though many anthros had very rich culture and tradition, humans were the masters of industry. With the invention of steel, humans revolutionized the battlefront and set their sights on their first great conquest. They set out to destroy the only others who could match their own productivity- the insectoids. And they succeeded, almost entirely wiping out the Insect Anthros from the face of the Earth. Most species of insect were lost entirely and those that remain are considered an endangered population.

By the end of this conquest, the humans were unmatched in military might and turned their armies not towards a monetary target, but a cultural one. They marched on the Avians who were all but forced to surrender. The humans valued them for the skills in paiting, in tapestries and in their rich culture and integrated them instead of destroying them. For a time, the human war machine was left to rest as the massive wolf and feline tribes proved to be too ferocious and formidable to conquer. However, the next innovation of war would once again stir humankind. Humans created the firearm while the rest of the tribes were still coming to grasp steel. When the humans marched again, the tribes resisted them with everything they had and the result was massacres of incredible proportions. When the other tribes were claimed, they were not a population valued for their culture or tradition. They were a conquered foe, perceived as a brutal but broken enemy. Aquatics are still, for the most part, separate from human society though some have been seen settling in coastal towns.

For the next century, the conquered anthro tribes were put to labor. Not slaves, but given so little for their work that they could never rise above poverty. Without political voice or the means to make themselves known to one another, most of them could only cling to their local communities which in most cities were little more than slums. By the end of the century, little had changed for them, though the overall quality of living had increased for everyone. Instead of crude, straw shacks, it was studio apartments in the bad part of town. Interestingly enough, it was another human innovation that would change the course of history: the telephone. Anthros took to it quickly and soon, communities were becoming connected in a way they never had been before. They began to organize. They had found their voice.

A decade passed and the Anthro Revolution had begun. Furries were marching into the streets in the tens of thousands demanding their equal rights and equal treatment but it would be a long road ahead. This is where the Seraphs Neighborhood story begins. The movement has had some major successes- the right to vote and the passing of the Fur Feather and Scale Act which allowed anthros not to be forced to wear clothing that caused them great discomfort. Half-breeds are still considered incredibly taboo. While mixes within same kinds like canids with canids, felines with felines and avians with avians are tolerated (and rarely even noticed by humans), mixes between humans and anthros are universally rejected.

Seraph, an artist and unintended spokesman for the cause, had become the center of the ideal anthro community which furries of all kinds were flocking to. Linda, his childhood friend, was drawn into his world as his spokeswoman as well as one of the most popular faces of the movement. Chahiro is an abused, transvestite orphan who, at the cusp of becoming an adult, is taken in by the caring Linda and Seraph who help him discover what it means be yourself and love yourself in a world of misunderstanding and intolerance. Jane is a fighter, both for herself and for her people who challenges stereotypes wherever she can. Mia is one who won’t allow herself to be swept up by the negativity of the world and chooses whatever path she wants to be happy. Ri is angry and bitter at this world and chooses to use manipulation and power to make things miserable for those she feels are ruining it. Terra and Tiaco are a loving couple who may not feel the same cultural sting that those around them feel but understand it and sympathize as best they can as they run their restaurant together. Emily is a compassionate leaf in the breeze, going wherever life takes her and lighting the world for all those that give her a chance. Leo has been beaten down by this world and though he fears he may never find the light, he carries on through the dark with just his hope to guide him.

-TB

Thank you, shy anon! From what I hear Beach Linda was the first time for a lot of soon-to-be furries so you’re not alone there. I’m still amazed that old game blew up like it did. Ever since it was put on the official Newgrounds adult dating sim section, it has been played millions of times and spread to countless knock-off sites. Thank god I had the foresight to imbed my link into the game. It’s really touching that something I made has influenced so many.

Hang on, I’m tearing up. Go to commercial. I said go to commercial, damnit!

Thanks. I’m sure I’ll be getting over it soon. It’s just your typical con-crud. Won’t take more than a day or two to pass.

As for Banzai… well… I wasn’t sure if I was going to pester you guys about it. I’m usually pretty quiet regarding personal matters but this has really been weighing heavily for a while.

Allow me to start by saying that rudragon was a delight to share a table with. We had a really good time together and I’m sure it would have been far worse had I been alone.

That being said, it was a disaster. I’ve been going to Banzai for eleven years and this was the second-lowest sales I’ve ever had at this con and the absolute worst for sales of my own merchandise. The only way I managed to pull any profits was by offering printing services to Ru. Without the money we got from prints, I wouldn’t have even covered the cost of the table, let alone the cost of materials. This is why I am depressed. I put SO MUCH into preparation for this convention and despite my added efforts, improved products and all that I have learned, I keep doing worse each year.

Logically, I know that a lot of it is circumstances. The past four years, they have put me in the worst tables in the Artist Alley- an easily overlooked corner that really breaks the flow of traffic. I complain every time but I keep getting stuffed back in there and my sales have never recovered. I remember when I couldn’t possibly make enough plushies. I was churning them out so fast, they were abominations by my current standards but they were still selling for 25-30 dollars. I invest in better fabric now, stitch the mouths and eyes with careful accuracy and give away the ones that don’t meet my standards- and I can’t even sell them at 15. I went to the convention with twenty one plushies. I returned with nineteen. And one of those sales was a PITY sale from my neighbor.

I’m just… done. I hate coming home depressed from what used to be the highlight of my year. My last three conventions have ended in disappointment and depression; and I’m paying to do this as my costs are beginning to outweigh my profits. I don’t know what changed. Have I gotten worse over the years? Or have I graduated from being so bad it was cute into being blandly mediocre? Regardless of what the cause is, the plain truth is that I just don’t fit into the convention scene anymore.

I will not be returning to Anime Banzai in the foreseeable future. There will be no more Kitteh plushies. That is a chapter in my artistic life that must come to an end before it eats away at me anymore. I will still be at Unthrocon in two weeks and depending on how that goes, I may do that convention again next year but my years at Banzai are over and what plushies are not sold at Unthro will be sold online as the last of the Kittehs.

I assure you, this is not a brash decision made by a bruised ego. Damaged as my ego may be, this is a decision that has been a long time coming. I’m not a professional artist. That much is abundantly clear. And I should stop pretending to be one. I can’t sell craft or prints in a real, competitive market so I should just quit now. Maybe in a few years if my work improves I could try again but for now I need to retire from conventions. I have to do this for myself before this depression takes any further hold on me.

-TB