Marko the Rat

Remy and Rattus cook up a treat in the kitchen. This photo shoot happened during my last visit to the US back in June/July when I had the good fortune to visit nicodemusrat, who has built his own unofficial Remy. When I first saw Remy at FC last year I almost hyperventilated from the excitement! I was better able to contain myself this time and this photo shoot was the result.

schnee's entry about cookies inspired me to post my own:

Ziggy is safe and sound in a loving, rat-oriented home. I hope he will be happy here. His fur is a little shaggy from the long flight here (and the roughing up he suffered from Customs); I have since combed him and his fur is lovely and soft.

I found out about the HP You On You Project and decided on a whim to enter. I felt the competition's stipulation that you do not show your face fit in well with my passion for fursuiting and the introductory video made it look like quite a casual affair. I'd not have bothered if I'd taken the time to look at other people's submissions. By then I was committed so I carried on, although keenly aware how amateurish mine would look by comparison.



If you can find it among the competition's submissions, feel free to rate it up; not because it deserves it but because it's me. :)

The inestimable rapidtrabbit has pointed out that the episode of Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends featuring he and Rattus at the Mermaid Parade on Coney Island is now available online. Only the first five minutes features rat action but there are lots of clever costumes there in keeping with the theme. Unfortunately, mejeep wasn't there to capture it but while we walked past a stand with commentators, they asked why there was a rat marching with Rapid T. (for Transit) Rabbit and then they got it--the subways are full of rats!

There was so much awesomeness in one day, I had to spread it out over two! Not only was there the unexpected addition to my rodent family, but the wonderful conejitoverde made Rattus this amazing video! I'm so glad I had the good fortune to meet he and tarah_rosemoon at Califur. In retrospect Califur has proven to be a great boon to me. Thank you so much to waggs_wolf and rainhopperroo for giving me the impetus to come.

Heh. I got a bit carried away about that auction. I told myself I wasn't going to buy him, but I just had to put down a bid on him. I was expecting to be outbid, but it never happened. I won him. It's more money than I should be spending, but I'll take responsibility for it. I'll try to give him a good home.

And this fursuit isn't intended to replace Rattus. Rattus knows how much I love him. He saw how glad I was when I got him back after he went missing in transit in America. I almost cried with relief when I saw my suitcase at Sydney airport after my long flight home. I'll make room for three fursuits. Lots of people do that and more.

And Oz, you'll get to wear him too.

rattus_t_rat has finally done an update on his adventures in America after Califur, including photos! You should check it out. I will do one too in due course.

I've been trying to channel Rattus as a separate personality, so I thought it was time I formalise the arrangement and give rattus_t_rat his own journal. I'm not really sure yet if I will also post reminders here when he makes a post or how I will handle this new split personality, but Rattus is sure to be cute and friendly so don't be shy about friending him.

I got the following message from YouTube:

Your video, Rattus's Exercise Video, may have audio content from The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang that is owned or licensed by UMG.

I was afraid this would happen, but I never found a song that suited the video half as well as that one. But I was bemused to see that it goes on to say that my video is blocked everywhere except in certain countries. I won't bore you with the whole list, but in addition to the Heard and McDonald Islands, it includes such copyright-hating countries as: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. In other words, the video is still available in pretty much every country that counts. (If you're in a country where this video is blocked, please let me know.)

The message goes on to say that "No action is required on your part." I'm inclined to agree. It does mean I get some annoying advertising on and around my video, but it's better than having it blocked entirely, yes?

Jenner (the writer/artist who does Doc Rat) has done the most amazing drawing of me in honour of my performance at MidFur. I admit I'm taken aback. Shocked. The dictionary lacks the superlatives to express how I feel at this great kindness. It is enough to say I'm deeply touched.

I put my heart and soul into that skit. I did little else in the weekends leading up to MidFur, but the cheers of the crowd paid it back handsomely. To get drawings from it too...



(Also, I hope higgs_raccoon will forgive my impertinence in bringing his gift to me to slightly higher prominence. It too means a great deal to me, but for different reasons.)

It took me long enough, but I've finally put up some photos from MidFur X. Most of these photos were taken by qtplatypus and keito_fennec. I was really bad about taking photos myself. I was meaning to go down to the convention area myself but it never seemed to be the right time.

For me, the highlight of the con was definitely performing in my own skit. As poor juzbunny can attest I was so scared beforehand but when I was up there just soaking up the cheers of the crowd I felt like I could have gone all night. Here is one photo of me from the skit (thanks Hendikins!) but I hope more will crop up over time. As if just doing it wasn't enough, Jenner (the creator of Doc Rat) later gave me a sketch he did of me. He did sketches of the all No Talent Show participants. It was an unexpected bonus from doing the show but one I will much value.

I might put up videos of some of the other skits later. Unfortunately, I missed most of the skit that followed me because I was still recovering from doing my own, which is a shame as it was organised by Treemeadow, a friend and my roommate. The white rat puppet in it was actually the one mrbear2day gave me so I have all the more reason to hope that some kind furry will put up video of it so I can see it in full.

As for the con itself, I went down there with some trepidation I admit but the con organisers really pulled it off. They did most everything they said they would and I'm proud I got to be part of Australia's first furry con. Sometimes things weren't planned ahead enough and communication was a weak point. But kudos for everything they did to make us fursuiters feel welcomed. Well may the MidFur committee hold their heads and tails up high!

Yes, I went to MidFur X and I had a great time! I will share more thoughts later but for me the highlight of the con was getting to perform my very own skit for the first time. I'd been thinking of little else for the past several weeks and I put my all into it. Not all of it worked out quite how I visualised it but overall I'm pretty pleased with it and the audience was very kind. Hopefully a better quality version will show up on YouTube in due course. I'm hoping to take this skit on the road. Next stop: Anthrocon!


It doesn't show up well on this video but at the end Rattus's guitar overheats and starts smoking.

(With a title like this, it just can't end well, can it?) It was only a matter of time. Rattus has been rummaging around in the pantry one too many times and they set a rat trap for him. Don't worry he's too big for a regular rat trap to do more than hurt his dignity!

The inestimable taubu_lion has posted some good quality of photos from RivFur 08 which includes some good shots of Rattus. The predators took quite a liking to Rattus at the BBQ; I wonder why? Unfortunately, no shots of me "dancing" at the FurBall. >_< I'm just about at the point where I'm willing to offer blow jobs in exchange for good quality photos or video of me on the dance floor. (Any claims for payment will have to be negotiated through ristin.)

I was delighted to receive a gift in the mail today: Issue 23 of 3008docklands. Normally you wouldn't expect me to be so pleased, but this issue was the 2nd birthday issue and included a photo spread on a charming water rat to celebrate. They were at pains to point out he is a native animal. Which is not to say that introduced rats (and other species, like foxes) are not deserving of love too, but I admit we do need to be watched to make sure we don't deflower the native fauna, especially when they're as cute as this one. ;)



Also: It turns out the struggle to get Rose's brother's band in the running to be Coldplay's support band is not over yet. Please go here and vote for the second music video (the one that opens with static and features cute rat puppets) if you haven't already done so. Thank you.

After doing his bit for gay rights, a rat likes to unwind with a beer in his paw. Trevor and I took Rattus to the Wickham, one of Brisbane's gay bars, for a photo shoot. The publican seemed quite bemused by it but he still gave me a beer (I came in before hand and warned him so he knew I was of legal drinking age).

I went to the Brisbane Pride March and marched in Rattus! Trevor was keen for me to go, but I was too scared to go in Rattus until marcwolf said he was going. Thank you so much for giving me the courage to go! I had a great time, and I'm told I appeared on ABC news! *puffs out furry chest with pride* The march itself seemed an uneasy mix of glitz and glamour and those tiresome political rallies complete with chanting (although at least the chanters were willing to parody themselves: "We're here, we're queer, we really need a beer!" was chanted while marching past a pub.). It's understandable the march should suffer an identity crisis, it being influenced by the success of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, but lacking the thousands thronging to see us it feels it has to justify itself with an overt political statement. Maybe over time it will mature into something more like the Mardi Gras, but with its own unique Brisbane flavour.



EDIT: The resourceful higgs_raccoon has found that the ABC news report is available here.

Yes, it's true! The long-awaited sequel to Rats Can Cook! is here.

But I'll be honest with you: The ratings on the first episode tanked and it was a real struggle to get funding for a second episode. As it is, the producers (higgs_raccoon and I) had to make do with a lower budget: No location shoots, fewer characters and a much less impressive kitchen. But it's still a great recipe, and something any furry living on their own can make with a few basic kitchen utensils.



And you can find the recipe here.

When the wonderful higgs_raccoon honours me with a visit, our thoughts often turn to fursuiting. We were contemplating shooting a video, but didn't have an idea. As providence would have it, we happened to be listening to JJJ in the car when they advertised a video competition they are running, which gave us the impetus to produce this. I wanted to hold off on making it public as it is in the terms and conditions that it not be something previously shown to the public. But I have given up waiting for them to select it and other videos have broken that rule anyway. This means you all get to enjoy the latest video courtesy of Higgs and myself (and iceleron, who did the camera work).