PodCastle Stories – Dogs and Otters July 28th, 2009
Here’s a few more stories from PodCastle, the fantasy podcast which might be of interest for their inclusion of anthro animal characters.
On the Banks of the River of Heaven is a fun Eastern myth about the affairs and loves of the gods and it features a talking otter character.
The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change is a mixed bag. The premise is very interesting, but the narrative structure is kind of detached and the politics get heavy handed. However the idea of the dogs creating universal myths was really neat and the ending was emotionally satisfying.
AD 007 – Campfire Tales July 27th, 2009
Pull up a log and grab a marshmallow as we bring you two stories perfect for telling around a campfire on a summer night.
A Campfire Tale by Allen Kitchen
Inspired by and a retelling of “The Highwayman” poem by Alfred Noyes
Read by Peter Katt
The One with the Spooky House by Tim Susman
Read by Chris Hvidsten from the Outcast podcast novel.
Sound effects from the FreeSound Project
Music by Infinity Squared
Both stories appeared in Alone in the Dark, the dramatic horror anthology.
Sympathetic Monster Stories in Other Podcasts July 25th, 2009
One of the goals behind the anthology Alone in the Dark was not only to have dramatic horror, but to feature sympathetic monsters in some of the stories. The dramatic stories in Pseudopod, the horror podcast, provided inspiration for the project.
Among Their Bright Eyes and Brothers are two examples of these types of stories.
Variant Frequencies’ Under the Bed is another story which is both disturbing and emotionally affecting.
All these stories are rated mature for violence.
Drabblecast Stories July 25th, 2009
Norm Sherman’s Drabblecast, a weird short-fiction podcast, has had several stories which feature anthropomorphic characters, animals and others.
The second story in Double Header III is a nice bit of drama which deals with a coyote lost in a sandwhich shop, likely inspired by real-life events from the news.
Alchemical Automaton Blues deals with the mistreatment of golems.
Out of His League is a fun take on a story you might recognize from the news last year.
The Last Dog is a sad post-apocalyptic tale.
On Dasher is a moving Christmas story with a wonderful mythos behind it.
And The Box Born Wraith is a fun horror tale for Halloween, with sympathetic monsters.
Animal Body Painting Videos by Alex Kovas July 25th, 2009
Alex Kovas has posted several videos on YouTube which have some impressive animal-themed body-painting. The masks used are nicely designed too.
The posing is mostly showing off the work on the human canvas, but some of the moves are suggestive, and could be considered rated mature. The male model is wearing posing underwear, so there is nothing explicit.