Planetfurry BBS

[Osfer]

One year ago to the day, an enterprising, ambitious, ballsy (and gorgeous and brilliant, ed.) publishing visionary pestered you -- yes, you -- with the announcement that FANG was happening, and proceeded to babble about what this FANG was, anyway. Or rather, what it was going to be.

It was going to be a breath of fresh air to fan the flame of furry fiction. It was going to be brilliant. It was going to be gorgeous. Oh yes. Yes, yes. Yes indeedy.

Of course it did indeed turn out to be all those things, and shame on you if you doubted that. And to prove itself better than so many other ambitious undertaking in our fuzzy little fandom that fizzle after the first issue, there was a second after that, with a third in development. That last phrase is not the normal English idiom, but rather the ominous curse Microsoft mutters when asked about Windows Vista.

Well, not very long; progress was made... and then halted due to the deterioration of the fingers on my paw, and boo hoo, some of you might sneer cynically. Well in honesty the majority response has been thoughtful concern and sympathy, and to answer that most common question: it’s a more or less permanent condition that will get better and worse as my life drags on.

Life! Life is what was breathed into FANG with the unexpected intervention of a humble, hardworking furry author called Ben Goodridge. I’d been impressed with this individual when he submitted a very fresh, crisp story that impressed me so I demanded he write too more, and then a whole damn novel. And then he up and mails me, asking whether I’d like to let him run FANG.The gall! The sheer gall. “My daughter is sick -- Oh really? Would you like me to take care of her for you?” My baby, suckling at another’s teat?

I passed the test, though, and my possessive ego did not overrule my sense and dedication, and Ben, patient soldier that he is, whittled away at my insecurity and doubt until they were crumbs, For those of you who have experienced the force of my, say, affection for FANG, you understand what a monumental task that was him, and it was that chutzpah that finally convinced me he was the man for the job.

We started hatching dreadful plots for world conquest when the sudden arrival of Anthrocon and the simultaneous anniversary of FANG’s first announcement took us completely by surprise. Who knew there were only so few days in June? Like madmen we worked on some little things that every good launch needs: a new name (Bad Dog Books -- badass, huh?), a new site (www.baddogbooks.com -- frak* metal, yeah!) and a semipornographic postcard distributed at Anthrocon. Check ‘em out.

So what’s the great news? Let’s see.

FANG is now finally ‘the little book of furry fiction’, because the printer I use has developed the ability to print pocket-size books. The current and coming volumes are being reduced in size to be actually pocketable. How awesome is it to have that sticking out of your back pocket. Just look at our fabulous lupine model Owen Zelazny; that’s how awesome it is sticking out of your back pocket.

FANG is more expensive -- yes, yes, boo hiss, I know. Zip it. If it weren’t necessary I wouldn’t do it, and if you think I’m a liar and a money-grubbing charlatan you ought not to be reading this website anyway.

FANG is renamed, or rather renumbered. Volume 1G becomes Volume 1, H05 becomes 2 and confusingly 2FG becomes 3, finally arriving at logical numbering. See? Don’t I never take others’ advice.

FANG continues. FANG Volume 3 (nee 2FG) is being finalized by yours truly, while Ben is primed to take charge of the new, fourth issue.

So what comes next? Well, in a few weeks the revised edition of FANG Volume 1 is published, Volume 2 and the long-awaited Volume 3 (remember, that used to be 2FG) following soon after. All the while, Ben Goodridge will be hatching the science-fiction-themed Volume 4 while I give the first few novels in the FANG Presents line (two by Badger, one by Teiran and another by Ben -- the dude is tireless) some much-needed attention.

So yeah, it lives.

Want to know more? Check out www.baddogbooks.com and sign up for the newsletter; cool stuff’s coming up.

Oh, if you’re on the Osfer.com newsletter: technical inadequacy on my part means you have to sign up on the BDB website separately. Sorry! And I’m sorry I had to make FANG cost more, but dagnabbit, you know it’s worth it!

- Alex Vance