Fluzone’s “Hedgehog”

Posted September 18, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal spokepersons, animals, anthropomorphic, furry, furry commercials, television

– – If he were any cuter, people probably wouldn’t be able to stand him…the Fluzone Hedgehog, that is!  Now there aren’t really many vaccines that have their own animal mascots…no tetanus shot tarantulas, for example.  But this little guy makes sense, since you get a shot from a needle, and he’s covered with quills.  But you really won’t mind, because he’s even  going to a barber shop to get his quills trimmed…the idea is, ‘ya see, that Fluzone uses smaller intradermal needles!

He’s an anthropomorphic hedgehog, talking a little…and he even adjusts his little red tie!  He’s such a cute little dickens that you want to hug him, even if it hurts!  One just wonders why he goes to a hair salon rather than an animal groomers, but maybe he’s trying to make time with the stylist…and I’ll be surprised if we don’t now see more furry hedgehog avatars and stuffed hedgehogs out by Xmas.

Comments: 3 Comments

“Frankenweenie” is Coming!

Posted September 13, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: animals, fantasy, furry art, furry film classics, furry stories, movies

– – Frankenweenie, a film directed by Tim Burton, is coming this October!  A remake of a 1984 short film by Burton, Frankenweenie is a 3D, black-and-white, stop motion-animated comedy horror film.  Like its 1984 predecessor, the film is both a parody of and an homage to the 1931 film Frankenstein as based on Mary Shelley’s classic gothic novel.  

In the film, a young Victor Frankenstein deploys the power of science to bring his beloved dog, Sparky, back to life.  Unintended and sometimes monstruous consequences ensue.  Vocal talents include Martin Short, Winona Ryder, and Martin Landau.  The art has the look of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and should be well worth a look!

Comments: 2 Comments

Cybernetic Roaches…

Posted September 12, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal behavior, animals, insects, research, science, weird

– – I, for one, would be freaked to find a remotely-controlled Madagascar hissing cockroach at large in my domicile.  One would wonder what kind of sinister intelligence would be behind it, and such a creation would represent an unnatural perversion of the already repugnant.

Scientists at the North Carolina State University have already created such a fun toy, however, by taking a lightweight chip with a wireless receiver and transmitter, and attaching it to a cockroach like a tiny backpack.  Madagascar hissing cockroaches are the roach of choice as they are large, heavy-duty, and already carry a significant gross-out factor.  With a microcontroller connected to the roach’s antennae and cerci (rear sensory organs), small electrical charges from the wires to the cerci trick the roach into moving in response to a perceived threat.  Charges sent to the antennae make the roach think that it’s bumped into something.  By utilizing both inputs, it’s possible to basically steer the cockroach.

Now what, you might ask, would you use a biobot roach for?  Well, they could be sent into tight spaces to search for survivors after disasters…but would you want to be found by such a rescue party?- -aieee!   Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, right?  Perhaps they might additionally tie small casks of brandy around the roach’s head…

Steerable roaches…that’s something new!  I think I want one for Xmas, too! 

Comments: 3 Comments

“Chipmunk Family Reunion” from Progressive’s “Good Night, Flo”

Posted September 7, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: absurdities, animals, anthropomorphic, furry, furry commercials, television

– – Be brave, and enter by commercial into the dream world of Progressive’s iconic “Flo,” an already otherworldly lady.  We are shown in the commercial the racing car bed that she sleeps in, and are witness to her dreams, appearing in a cartoon-like “thought bubble” appearing above her head.  Flo, perhaps not surprisingly, counts insurance discounts rather than sheep in her sleep state.

Then the parade of discounts is interrupted, and we are shown a dream deviation of a chipmunk family reunion!  They are as cute as the  dickens…but alas!  A dastardly squirrel steals the chipmunk’s nuts!  Despair not, however, for in Flo’s dream, the squirrel is apprehended, and winds up in “Squirrel Jail.”  Even in her dream state, Flo exults “Justice!,” and we are shown a victorious chipmunk holding aloft a liberated nut!   Wonder what a therapist would make of this one…

But don’t ‘ya just love happy endings, even though reunions tend to be nutty? 

Comments: 4 Comments

Gonna Need A Bigger Boat?

Posted September 4, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal occurrences, animal presence, animals, aquatic, unexplained

– – Well, isn’t this a fine kettle of fish?  A male Great White shark weighing about 1,600 pounds washed up on a New England beach this weekend on the border of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, prompting officials to close down two nearby beaches spanning 10 miles of oceanfront.

Officials are not sure why this great white died, or how it wound up in this location.  Tests will be conducted to determine the probable cause of death for the 13-foot predator…speculations  on possible causes have included orcas, environmental toxins, or perhaps Chevy Chase…

Comments: 3 Comments

Strange Furry Cinema…

Posted September 1, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: absurdities, animals, anthropomorphic, feathered friends, furry, furry film classics, strange

– – Nearing Labor Day as this blog reaches the 300,000 hits mark, we pause to thank our readers for making this possible.  And as we consider dubious achievements, we will also make mention of possibly the worst furry-themed movie ever made…Howard the Duck! 

Widely panned by critics as being one of the worst movies ever, Howard the Duck was actually produced by George Lucas, but wasn’t exactly, ahem, a feather in his cap.  The screenplay was originally intended to be an animated film based on the Marvel comic book of the same name, but contractual obligations required Lucas to provide his then-distributor with a live action film.  The satirical and surrealist strengths of the original source material were then abandoned with a script which altered the personality of the title character.  The uneven 1986 science fiction comedy film which resulted was largely too juvenile for adults but inappropriate for children, exposing us in one scene to anthropomorphic duck breasts; yes, you heard that right!  Some have commented that the scene mentioned has alone created legions of avian furry afficionados.

So whether Howard failed due to deviating from the source material, a poor script, or from featuring a title character presented by actors in a duck suit, one fact remains…at the box office, this turkey didn’t fly!  Daffy Duck would have been a far more compelling male lead…

Comments: 4 Comments

Bear Mauling Fatality

Posted August 29, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal behavior, animal occurrences, animals, furry

– – A lone hiker was mauled to death by a grizzly bear on Friday in Alaska’s Denali National Park.  It was the first fatality from a bear attack in the park’s nearly 100 year history. 

Forty-nine-year-old Richard White of San Diego had been photographing the bear from a distance of about 50-yards away for about eight minutes when he was killed; a grizzly running at full speed could cover that distance in a matter of seconds, according to the Park’s superintendent.  The regulation distance between a hiker and a bear is a quarter mile. 

Other hikers found the victim’s backpack and bloodied clothing, and alerted park rangers.  A wildlife trooper shot and killed the bear on Sunday, and rangers recovered Mr. White’s remains.  A portion of the Park was closed following the attack…

 

Comments: 2 Comments

Red Bull’s “Hunter” Commercial…

Posted August 27, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: animals, anthropomorphic, Brilliant but twisted, furry, furry commercials, television

– – Man, the hunters hate this commercial with a passion, calling it anti-gun, anti-hunter, and even “sacrilegious.”  I could tell you other things they’ve called this ad, but we strive to be mostly family friendly here.  It’s the Red Bull “Hunter” commercial, alternately referred to as “Animal Killer!”  In the commercial, a hunter that could make Elmer Fudd look good goes into the woods, wearing a ludicrous outfit that includes a feathered cap, and whistling a tune.  There’s a bit of a commotion in the woods that we don’t see, but it undoubtedly involves a reversal of fortunes…

…next, the hunter is high-tailing it out of the woods, effortlessly pursued by a wild hog or boar.  It’s an easy chase; the buck-toothed hunter loses his gun then his pipe, and trips over a rock and falls flat, the boar not even breaking a sweat.  The hog, looking mildly amused, taps the prone hunter extracting his face from the ground on the back with his hoof.  “Hey, animal killer!,” says the hog, who continues to offer the hapless Nimrod a Red Bull energy drink.  “Then what?,” asks the clueless mighty hunter.  “Then run faster!,” patiently explains the victorious hog.- -Red Bull, you see, gives you wings!

I haven’t seen such a masterful rout and lambasting of a hunter since Bugs Bunny’s many humiliations of Elmer…  😉

Comments: 4 Comments

Cheetos “Break Bot”

Posted August 24, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: absurdities, animals, Brilliant but twisted, famous furries, furry, furry commercials, television

– – Science fiction has long warned us that technology is a double-edged sword with the potential to be used for either great good or great evil, and we see a little bit of both emerge in the Cheetos “Break Bot” commercial.   We are witness to a scene where two nerds/geeks together with the iconic Chester have constructed a robot apparently on their lunch break to feed them Cheetos when given the command of, “Cheese me!“- -Well and good, right?  The problem is that the homemade robot bitch slaps the recipient in the face following the delivery of the Cheeto…

…being that Cheetos are delivered, however, the one inventor tells the other, “I can live with it!,” and his companion is in full agreement.  We all suffer for our arts and passions, I suppose…

Comments: 2 Comments

Cat People…

Posted August 23, 2012 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal presence, animals, furry, furry commercials

– – We’ve noted often the frequent presence and use of animals as commercial spokesmen; they’ve also made inroads into the world of fashion, with animals making increasing appearances as accessories for photo shoots of models.  Felines in particular are used, often held by or draped around the model.  

Then again, cats are elegant and stylish enough that they don’t really require a human presence.  When it comes to clothes, I think that cats can wear it well…don’t you? 

Comments: 3 Comments

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