Alex "Khaki" Vance

I wrote and produced the awesome comic Heathen City, ran Bad Dog Books, produced and occasionally read for Skip and Toonces' podcast The Bad Dog Book Club, led the redesign of SoFurry 2.0, and give presentations at cons on various subjects.

[khakidoggy]

Eurofurence 2017 – shine on, you crazy diamonds.

More here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/collections/72157685407974173/

Share and enjoy.

[khakidoggy]

Today I attended a reunion at my secondary school and I’m so delighted I went.

Of course, being rather bad with faces and names, I got to enjoy about a dozen near-identical interactions centered on anxiety and deception where I struggled to remember someone who recognized me, be they a teacher or a fellow student, feigning recognition of their names and shared memories – only to then redouble my enthusiasm when memories actually started to emerge from the gelatinous cauldron of my mind.

I was delgithed and impressed that some teachers remembered me, recognized me by face after eighteen years of absence, and I was astounded how those brief conversations impacted me. These men and women really, really, really mattered in my life, even if I hadn’t thought about them in years, even if I paid much less attention to them at the time than to the friends and classmates that were so important to my younger self.

They – this whole school – shaped my perspective and my outlook in profound ways. Through their day jobs they imbued me with the curiosity, optimism, delight and commitment that represent the very best parts of me. They taught me to see the comedy in chemistry and biology, the art in physics and math, the diversity of human consciousness and civilisation through religion, history, and art, always art, in all its glorious and banal forms.

These were the men and women took us on day trips to mosques and museums, plays and playgrounds, who’d spend hours passionately teaching us about the natural wonders of feces or sex, or Euler’s Identity, or Chaucer or the Sturm und Drang, or left-handedness in the Bible – and most of all, most importantly, they taught us this:

There is nothing in this world that isn’t worthy of our curiosity.

Upon arrival I was most curious about the the building itself, so I swooped through the crowd, making eye contact with no one, to explore. The school evolved during my time there and even more in the decade-and-three-quarters since my departure. In my first year there some lessons were still taught in a ramschackle cot constructed in the ‘70s (which surfaced again in photos from old yearbooks, where long-haired fourteen-year-olds shared cigarettes with leather-jacketed teachers, seated on rawhide barstools in the cafeteria), which was later demolished so the school could be expanded with a pristine prefab unit.

Subsequently that, too, vanished, and the school evolved like a calculated coral reef, with well-planned annexes growing through and out of the halls that were, for my six most formative years, so familiar to me, and now so nostalgically alien. I spun like a top in an unfamiliar hall for a solid minute until I realized why it so confused me: this used to be outside.

The excellent organizers had thoughtfully stocked a room with old yearbooks so I could at least re-familiarize myself with some of my classmates’ teenaged identities before re-encountering them as adults, though, as I mentioned, that didn’t do a whole lot to save me from the awkwardness of my rather shamefully poor memory.

The experience reminded me of my youth, and of the reality of my adulthood, in ways I hadn’t expected. Large family gatherings, even years apart, didn’t affect me like this; with family there’s a sense of continuity, of one generation flowing into another. Children evolving into people. At a school, at least as a student, you put in your years and then you’re out.

Out, and replaced, though happily not always forgotten.

[khakidoggy]

Furry Weekend Holland 2015

Full set here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157649334058623/

When I first started attending furry cons I enjoyed giving a lot of panels. I had stuff to say and it was a great way to get in touch with likeminded people.

For the last year or two I’ve enjoyed taking things easier. As much as I love sharing what little I’ve learned with fellow furries who might benefit from it, there’s something to be said for enjoying the natural ebb and flow of a social event without the dreaded ring of an alarm clock on the horizon.

Footloose and fancy-free I can flow where the day and evening takes me, my trusty cameras at my sides, gathering happy memories to share afterward.

Furry Weekend Holland was a perfect relaxation con: cozy venue, terrible weather, enough people to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones and, good grief, the food!

While the storm raged outside our ‘gezellig’ little farmhouse we amused ourselves with conversation, games of Drinking Jenga and Cards Against Humanity and a cheese-and-port tasting session (thanks Shay!) and delicious shisa (thanks Sheppy!) and one glorious meal after another.

Being in my home country it was also a good way to get to know some of the new generations of Dutch furries that emerged while I wasn’t looking. Beautiful, fun, creative young people that, now I’ve met some of them, I’d love to get to know better.

And maybe it’s time I started doing panels again?

– Khaki

[khakidoggy]

Indiana, catch yourself on.

So a new anti-gay law's been passed, signed.

Followed all the rules as far as I can tell, so be it. Good folks will be appealing, businesses are responding — Salesforce are canceling programs requiring employees/customers to go to Indiana to face discrimination. Gen Con may well be taking its $50m event elsewhere.

I'm most enchanted with the work of Rep. Emily Virgin of Oklahoma who proposed an amendment for a similar bill in that state, requiring businesses to clearly state which kinds of customers they will not serve. 

If the legislature of Indiana thinks businesses should be allowed not to serve certain people based on their own religious beliefs, those people should be able to identify which businesses they can't get service from. 

Nobody benefits from requiring queer folks to actually go into a store to find out if the business will refuse them service, it's completely unnecessary. 

And good Hoosiers who disagree with this bullshit practice of discrimination should be able to avoid these businesses, too.

[khakidoggy]

Highlights from NordicFuzzCon 2015 – full gallery here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157651117394071/

The land of meatballs and Ikea, with fewer lakes than Finland and fewer trolls than Denmark; Sweden is famous for many things but among our little community the highlight is, of course, NordicFuzzCon.

While its popularity has grown massively in the con’s short life it still counts as a ‘boutique’ convention and is endowed with all the personal charm and can-do attitude of a population small enough that you have no option but to make new friends.

The organizers had done a great job and the hotel were warmly enthusiastic, but who cares about that because guys, guys seriously, guys – the food.

What does it matter that the charity concert was fantastic or that the guests of honor (EosFoxx and EZ_wolf, both friends and one countrywolf) contributed as much as they could to the inspiration and community of the con as they could, or that I lost a buckle off my camera bag or that I managed to nap through every single one of the fursuiting events, when the food was utterly magnificent.

Buffet-style serving, communal dining (with a curious choice of untasty green light in one corner of the dining hall, but whatever), delicious salmon and potatoes and meat and veggies were all so tasty that two of my friends, whom I won’t name and can’t, for reasons of hypocrisy, shame, brought plastic bags to claim a doggy-bag of potatoes on which we snacked throughout the evening.

I walked by a room where an ice cream party was being held. Lacking a token my friend and I were permitted to join anyway, and when I went to the dealer’s den to pay for my token post-facto I was told that the event was only for supersponsors, which pleased me greatly since illicit food tastes better. I was disappointed to hear that I’d been lied to and that, once I paid for our tokens, I’d been perfectly entitled to all of that ice cream – but it was still delicious.

And I guess there were wonderful panels and super fun fursuit things and a lovely air of welcoming curiosity among the Muggles in the town of Nynäshamn, and the hotel was a business hotel and therefore littered with lots of comfy little lounges that were way more fun to hang out in than a room party, and that the Swedish furry community is full of creative, friendly and frankly gorgeous people – but I’m a simple dog, and none of those are the reason why I want to go back.

Sweden, I will eat you again.

- Alex “Khaki” Vance

[khakidoggy]

From my third visit to the wonderful Russian furry convention outside of Moscow.

See more galleries here:

Highlights: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157650776657865/

Parties & Portraits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157650357168700/

Fursuit Dance: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157650750764782/

Events: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157648429635514/

Fursuit Walk: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157650354411940/

Group Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157650773590135/

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Oodelally – I just got back from my third visit to Rusfurrence, the premier furry convention in Russia, held in a rickety Soviet hotel resort in the snowy way-out-beyond-skirts of Moscow.

Once more I was running stag with m’buddy Fox Amoore and also made the acquaintance of the Polish artist Bluairi and the con’s Guest of Honor: the quriously-qnamed Qzurr, a Hungarian black-maned crazy-tall artist who has the bearing and intensity of an intimidating Goth Viking but is totes a sweetheart and I wub him.

We foreigners did not show ourselves, regrettably, to be Furries Of The World when it came to the food. The hotel, you must understand, is in the middle of nowhere and so the only nourishment comes from their own kitchen. At set times of the day they provide a one of three warm meals which are, due to faltering currency and an evident disinterest in the hotel’s reputation, not super great. My beloved Ukranian salyanka soup was watered down to a pale shadow of itself and at night during a full moon, if you’re quiet and douse all the candles, you can still hear Qzurr’s wails about the hotel’s imitation of goulash echoing across the meadows…

The organization was, shall we say, ‘furry’. It was only when I opened the conbook that I discovered I was booked to shoot the group photo (fortunately I had foreseen this and prepared). The Fursuit Games, to which I’d been looking forward, had been moved to an earlier slot than stated in the conbook so regrettably I missed those. On the day I was to take the stage and back up Fox during his concert our rehearsal time was slashed when I was commanded to shoot the fursuit walk and group photo instead of setting up the con attendee con photo, which turned out to be unnecessary since someone else was already in charge – look, I want to talk about something.

I gave rather a poor showing at the concert, and while it certainly wasn’t atrocious, I’m not accustomed to feeling like I’ve done less than my best. Even when I read my shittiest stories from my youth, I know that I earnestly tried to do the best I could with the time and knowledge and resources I had, and I can always be proud of it – just not this time.

I’m half-ish Irish so I can hold a tune, but that’s no substitute for experience as a stage singer. We had very hot microphones and finnicky monitor speakers and I was surprised at the amount of concentration it required me to manage and balance my volume levels and plosives. An extra half-hour’s rehearsal time, preferably in the main hall itself, would have helped enormously – though of course, no-one’s to blame but Yours F. Truly. I should have been more sensitive to my inexperience, I should have anticipated my needs and concentrated better.

And I feel I failed my Russian friends in other ways, too. I hung out with my fellow foreigners a lot, whom I dearly love, but I wish I’d spent more time hunting down Obscure, Strangely-Themed Room Parties and more events with the Ruskies. Many of the friends I’ve made over the years couldn’t attend this year, or only for a short time, and I should have spent more time with them – and made more new friends.

Still, though. The con was great fun. The gorgeous Gabriel hosted a fursuit dance competition whose performers were absolutely mind-blowingly fantastic and there were a few occasions when, if I hadn’t been focused on the photography, I’d have needed to be taken to the fainting couch. I was especially impressed with a deer-boy who totally became this con’s fursuit crush for me, and whose tail I got to tug during my far-too-low-key rendition of Amadhia’s variation on Santa Baby during the concert.

And while the snow is slippery and cold, it’s the perfect habitat for fursuiters to perform crazy acrobatics or make friends with the skiers and vacationing scientists that the hotel attracts. Oh, and did I mention that some folks set up a freaking TESLA COIL in the basement and hooked it up to a synthesizer for Fox to play “Korobeiniki” on – in short, all the above included and notwithstanding, I had a wonderful time.

Thanks to our hosts for taking such good care of us, and to Russian furries for being just so damn awesome!

Yours,

- Khaki

[khakidoggy]

(Photos from #LaerCon, more here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157647730726044/)

At Haus Laer, a palatial retreat dating to 1722, I rang in the new year (and coincidentally my birthday) in the company of my fellow furries. Fireworks, fuzz and frivolity abounded, and probably a few other F-words that don't come to mind just now.

The hall was cozy and beautiful, the company loud and rambunctious, the food hearty and I'll-just-have-a-little-moresome. 

Thank you all for a wonderful New Year!

[khakidoggy]

Come to ScotiaCon, they said. It'll be fun, they said. And you know what? It totally was!

Small by most standards, ScotiaCon inhabits that mysterious border zone between a 'big meet' and a 'small con', but firmly chooses sides by embracing convention concepts as a Guest of Honour (fursuit builder Blackkrystal), a dealer's den, and free Guinness for international guests.

Regrettably, I had to make that last one up. Something to think about for next year, eh, guys? Guys? C'mon. Guys?

Fox Amoore and his parents graciously hosted me over the weekend, with his friends Oatcake and Shiney joining us for a lightning tour of Edinburgh on the day of my arrival. Such a beautiful city needs more time than I had for it, so I'll need to return to properly appreciate the castle, the Royal Mile, Prince's Street (or Princess Street, as Fox insisted) and that lovely place where they sell whisky. You know, that one place in Edinburgh.

The con itself was small but fraternal, the staff seemingly relaxed, and the hotel staff not too bewildered, though the same couldn't be said for some of the regular guests. The fursuit games were cracking fun, the bar was on the expensive side but lively, and there was an irresistible air of brother- and sister-hood that was nothing short of infectious.

Oh, and fellas in kilts. Mmm-mmm.

- Khaki

For the full set of photos, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157649222664101/

[khakidoggy]

Full gallery here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk1Jh3nx

It’s 9 AM. The line for breakfast was very, very long and very, very enthusiastic. All around me I saw eager young men/women/other bouncing in line and wolfing down eggs-n-bakey and, as they approached the clearance of their plate, grow wearier and tireder as the night’s dancing caught up with them.

I felt the same, lurching blissfully up to my room, my heart aglow and my head abuzz. And I realized that there was one thing I’d rather do than fall asleep, and that’s to share with you this last night of ours.

I caught the PawPet Show from the comfort of my room, part of it audio-only, blaring loudly from the TV while I took a relaxing soak in the bath. I sauntered down to the fire pit to toast some marshmellows that the Russian and Ukranian furies shared with me, and joined the returning masses of the PawPet audience who, after refreshing themselves, strutted right back into the main stage for the dance.

As per tradition, not much sleep’s to be had on Saturday, and I’d have it no other way. Whoever they had manning the deck in the dance hall deserves a medal; the house was hopping and didn’t flag for a second. Firm, invigorating beats with the odd cheeky bit of humor to warm the cockles – and the crowd, did I mention them? Furry or skinny or stout or gangly, everyone abandoned the usual strictures of their elbows and knees and went to town.

Man alive, the energy… I saw folks whom I knew as staunch, reserved intellectuals throw themselves against the writhing wires of the music, buoyed by the rhythm like a wrestler bouncing off the ropes and returning with a lithe and brutal one-two to the auditory cortex. 

And bringing us full circle: dawn snuck up on us all and found us sparkling our way out of the hall and into the line for BreakfastCon 2014…

*yawn*

All right, maybe I *will* turn in. But I’ll be dreaming of music…

- Khaki

[khakidoggy]

Eurofurence Day 4. Full gallery here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk2kYSGX

In the afternoon I joined AlectorFencer, 2 the Ranting Gryphon, Shay and EZWolf to present Aletor's upcoming project, the graphic novel series Myre.  My first time on the EF main stage – a dog could get used to that sort of thing.

The musicians from last night's concert (Fox Amoore, Alexander James Adams, Amadhia and the semi-terrified non-furry Neil Humphrey) threw a wonderful concert for the con's charity organization. I'm dog enough to admit that when AJA played The Familiar's Promise I wept like a bitch; Amadhia was moved so much she asked to sit out the next song!

The next big event? The PawPet Show – or rather, the line. The delays were extreme even by Eurofurence standards, but the crew were ready to support the people stuck in QueueCon, bringing trays of drinks out. And Uncle Kage and AJA entertained the waiting crowds with a fiddled jig and an a-capella rendition of Zombie Jamboree!

- Khaki 

[khakidoggy]

Day 3 of Eurofurence. I... honestly can't put it into words. Party? That's as close as I can get.

Full gallery here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk2j2SFr

Alexander James Adams – a bard cut from the old, fine leather, illuminated by laser-light and thrummed by rock-hard techno music.

Tirol using my lightsaber to expose my camera to yet another phallic image.

Non-fur musician Neil Humphrey begin given his own frusona: a guitar-playing jellyfish named PMO. And dancing, dancing, dancing.

Been a while since I've had this much fun!

- Khaki

[khakidoggy]

Full gallery here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk2jwRMf

In January I had the pleasure of joining Fox Amoore and a band of creative companions, including Amadhia and Alexander James Adams, at the recording of Fox’s album Come Find Me at Abbey Road Studios.

And this year at Eurofurence, they performed the album live. They were even joined by guitar/bassist Neil Humphrey, a non-furry who, well, got quite an introduction to our weird little community. 

Hearing those tunes rise, the passion and fire of the musicians, I found myself transported first to that magnificent week’s recording at Abbey road – and then somewhere else altogether, where talent and creativity are made flesh.

Hopefully these photos will give you the faintest glimpse of what it was like to attend!

- Khaki

[khakidoggy]

Full gallery here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk1CSwQn

Friday! Friday! As much as I love giving panels, I’m really pleased my schedule is nice and free today. After a hearty breakfast (don’t worry, I didn’t pick the fish – who eats that?) and a nap I could enjoy the rich, warm atmosphere that makes Eurofurence such a beloved destination.

It’s a cliché at this point, but being reunited with old friends and making new ones (thanks to the handy build-your-own-friend kits in the con’s goodie bag) is something I simply don’t tire of.

A friend loaned me his prized, beautiful old Leica and challenged me to fill a roll of film. I’m about half-way through, and of course I can’t share any of the pics since they first need to be developed in some kind of alchemical concoction.

But meanwhile, here’s some photos from the day, while the sun was still up!

- Khaki

[khakidoggy]

Full gallery here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk1CF4JU

Day 2 of Eurofurence. When the sun goes down, the beast go a-hunting. For company, for music, and for the slaking of deep, ancient thirsts…

I regretted being unable to attend the evening’s entertainment, courtesy of 2 the Ranting Gryphon and Uncle Kage (once again), not to mention the Fursuit Parade earlier in the day, but took solace in the campfire – never has there been a better way to meet new people at Eurofurence than that beautiful, blazing pyre.

I had the privilege of spending time with my friends from Germany and Russia and France, and while there is much I still want to tell them, we have more days to do it!

Oh, and I did a photoshoot for the Don’t Hug Cacti studio as a wee favour; that one’s coming up next – if any of you are into that sort of thing…

- Khaki

[khakidoggy]

Full gallery here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157646287088107/

Day two of Eurofurence 2014! The night has not yet begun, but something tells me I should post these wholesome photos before the evening’s debauchery breaks loose.

Despite my intention not to give any panels this year I volunteered to help out one of my friends from RusFurrence, who was to give a panel on the history of the Russian furry community, and since he was ‘trapped’ by the Fursuit Parade I wound up leading the start of the panel anyway.

But it wasn’t all work, work, work. I had the pleasure of attending the Impossible Fursuit Charades hosted by Shay, where my friend Bostitch lost his furry cred by being unable to remember the name of Simba’s father in The Lion King. The ‘Monica Lewinsky’ affair was similarly hard to guess, despite the suiters’ very life-like imitation.

Since I was helping out at the panel I couldn’t, myself, see or shoot the first parade, but I did pass several hotel staff members taking photos of the staging area (and tittering), commenting on which animal they liked best.

The sun started to set, and the light was so beautiful; I whipped out my dish-gun portable flash set-up (version 2.0) and stole a whole bunch of souls. Portraits, portraits, portraits.

Enjoy!

- Khaki

[khakidoggy]

Full gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/sets/72157646268609029/

In previous years, after a con, I’ve always taken my time and spent a week post-processing images, making selections, compiling a story… 

So this year I’m trying something different. Here’s the pics from Day 1 in all their magnificent glory! 

Please click through to the full gallery above. There's much more to show!

Old friends and new talents, a gaggle of guests of honor(s?), a fire pit, and of course our beautiful new hotel!

I've only been here a day, arriving after quite a lot of work and travel without a break, but I'm still not tired. Thanks to the staff, my friends, an all the wonderful furries for a wonderful time – hard to imagine it's only just beginning :)

- Khaki

[khakidoggy]

Gay Pirates, by Cosmo Jarvis. "But I'm yours, you know. And I'll love you still in Hell." Gets me every time.