Barr Wars

Zine
Title:	Barr Wars
Publisher:	Glen Wooten
Editor(s):
Type:	zapzine
Date(s):	1989?
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Furry Fandom
Language:	English
External Links:
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Barr Wars is a gen and het furry anthology. It is a zapzine and began life in the pages of the Centaurs Gatherum, an APA run by and dedicated to centaur fans.

From an article in Furtherance (pages 16–18):

The Barr Wars themselves began with an infamous exchange of bad punnery between members Jim Groat and Donna Barr. Mr. Groat had opined that he had figured out where Mrs. Barr's Germanic centaur character had come from. When "Frau" Barr inquired as to Mr. Groat's deduction, he replied, "BARRVARIA!". Mrs. Barr, naturally enough, begged the rest of the reading audience to "shoot him, not me!". Mr. Groat's response was to draw his entire main cast of characters holding modern weaponry with the leader in the middle saying "Shoot WHO, Frau Barr?". To which Mrs. Barr posted a picture of all HER main characters (including many who'd never previously been centaurs) with Stinz dressed in Wehrmacht livery and toting a machinegun: "Anyone she tells us to, Herr Groat." The gauntlets had been thrown, and over the years some fifty-odd (some would say VERY odd) cartoonists slung mud, built nations, exploded nuclear bombs, and otherwise attempted futilely and humorously to do away with each others' characters. One of the more notable examples of this sort of free-for-all cartoonery can be found in 'The Crusade', which covers a story arc that starts with Mrs. Barr (herself, inkwise) molesting a unicorn. Things go rapidly downhill from there, often hilariously. Published quarterly, the Barr Wars eventually outgrew the pages of the Centaurs Gatherum and continue to be published (without Frau Barr, who has long gone on to more industrious pursuits) under the nom de plume of "Bizarre Wars". The Bizarre Wars itself ultimately became so big that the waitlist of cartoonists awaiting entry spawned a "waitlist APA" called The Dallas Brawl...just so they could take their creative pressures out on each other while waiting for entry to "the real show"! Particularly in the older days of the fandom, the Barr Wars were significant in that its membership was virtually a who's-who of furry fandom's top talents.

Fan Comments

Now basically an artist's apa with characters interacting through drawings. The only requirements are a tough skin, a sense of humor, and the ability to accept a good hit without resorting to unfair tactics. Their roster is currently full, but they do have a wait list.

I love the idea of being able to cavort with the other artists. Having a stash of characters and a fast hand at drawing, this apa intrigues me. The unfortunate part is that I'm not really certain how it works. I only see small stings and sequences in other places. I suppose I'll just have to join to find out. I'll admit, I'm far more interested now that I don't have to draw a lot of centaurs (they never were my strong point).

The War has been in existence in one form or another from 1989. It still seems to draw a lot of interest from artistic types. Most of the time, Apas seem to have a shelf life of interest - I don't have any idea if this is still boiling active or just comfortably lukewarm. I'm interested.

Other Fan Commentary

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  from v.7 n.2, Amy Morgan, from Atavachron v.7 n.2 (1992)

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  from v.7 n.2, Amy Morgan, from Atavachron v.7 n.2 (1992)