John Red Beard's AMA

[John Red Beard]

Ask me stuff, and I'll answer! (As long as it's, like, super-duper personal or whatnot) I might even ask some questions back.

[Vortex Cynbel]

I don't know you very well so why not get to know you better ^^


Why did you join the furry fandom and how you found out about it?

[Bricket]

Why did you start drawing?

[John Red Beard]

I think I first became part of the fandom when I joined the VCL gallery/forum just... so so many years ago. I don't know exactly why I gravitated to it, except that I've always liked cartoon animals and monsters. Disney's Robin Hood, Lion King, Gargoyles, and the like. I also like sword & sorcery fantasy, like D&D and Lord of the Rings, and while that genre isn't inherently furry-related, they do mesh well together, IMO.


I have no idea why I started drawing, because I've been doing it as long as I can remember. It's some of my earliest memories.

[Vortex Cynbel]

Do you play videogames? If yes what's your favorite?

[John Red Beard]

I used to play a LOT of games. I was a Sega fanboy before transitioning to Playstation. Not so much anymore, partly because I don't have as much free time and partly because I'm not interested in competitive online play, which is what most top-tier games seem to be focused on these days.


I think the last big game that I played all the way through was Batman Arkham Asylum, and I loved it. I started Arkham City but never finished it. Lately I've mostly been playing Minecraft (mobile edition).

[Albie]

What was the first sona that you drew?

[John Red Beard]

I've drawn tons of characters that were supposed to be me in some fictional universe or other, superheroes, ninjas, power rangers, D&D characters, that sort of thing. But Tsaenoa here was my first fursona. He didn't have a name back then though.

[Albie]

How did you come up with the name?

[John Red Beard]

It's from one of the languages I invented/am inventing. It means "brother bird-of-prey," which was meant as a rough translation of JohnRaptor, a screen name I use sometimes.


Bonus fact: Daome means "girlfriend," or more precisely, "a girl or woman who loves or is loved romantically."

[Vortex Cynbel]

What languages do you speak?

[John Red Beard]

Sadly, I only speak English. I'm fascinated by language and I'll ramble on and on about the history and technical structure of languages if you let me, but English is the only one I can actually use and understand. 


I took 3 years of Spanish in high school, but came away hardly knowing anything.


I'm trying to learn Irish with the help of the app Duolingo.

[Vortex Cynbel]

Have you seen any progress with Duolingo? (I am interested in this app myself too but I don't know if I should get invested for nothing >W< )


Aaaand what are your top 3 favorite languages?

[John Red Beard]

Hard to say, because I haven't been using it that long and there aren't a lot of places to use or test one's knowledge of the Irish language. I did get the phrase "tá moncaí agam" (I have a monkey) stuck in my head though. But the app is free and only takes about 10 minutes a day, so I say give it a try. What language are you thinking of trying to learn?


Three favorite languages? Let's see... Irish, Middle English, and Dothraki.

[Bricket]

Opinion on Western-Europe?