‍Didn’t you know? My avatar, mascot, and fursona’s name has always been Walden Wilde! “Cooner” was just a nickname he acquired while in college, and has recently decided to stop using it!*

‍The Real-Life Backstory

‍Back when I was in college, many, many years ago, and had just gotten involved with the fandom, I’d immediately drawn my avatar as a raccoon, but hadn’t really selected a name for my fursona, and usually just went by my real name John. One afternoon I was hanging out on FurryMUCK when someone entered the West Corner of the Park with their name changed to The_Terminotter. As James Cameron’s terrific sequel had just recently been released, I decided to play along, changing my name to John_Cooner in a parody of the future savior of humanity John Connor being hunted by the titular machine assassin.

‍The nickname stuck. Friends and folks online started calling me by that, eventually dropping the “John_” portion altogether.

‍As I started drawing and sharing more art publicly in those early days, I felt my real name John was too common and my surname was too long and hard to spell, so I just started signing works Cooner as a shorthand. As both the internet and the fandom grew, my name became recognized by many more people in many circles and on many platforms. It was short, punchy, easy to spell, easy to remember. All seemed well in the world.

‍But.

‍Unknown to me at the time, the word was also a racial slur in certain areas of the country. Had I known, obviously I never would have used it—I simply had in mind a shortened nickname derived from my favorite adorable animal. But as awareness gradually spread on the internet, more people became cognizant that the name was objectionable, and eventually, I found out about it.

‍Oh dear.

‍I felt I should change the name, and avoid harm or offense to folks. Unfortunately, such a multi-faceted task was easier said than done. By that time I’d been using the name both personally and professionally for over thirty years. All my internet accounts use that name. Dozens of published books and portfolios bear that name. Thousands of sketches and con badges and commissions and autographs are floating around in the real world signed with that name. Uncountable friends, fans, and acquaintances know me and look for me online or at conventions under that name. Much of my business and income depended on it.

‍The prospect was difficult and daunting. I struggled internally with myself for a while on what to do and how to do it. A few years ago, I created the Toon Raccoon banner to operate under, to serve as a bridge between my old and new names, when it finally came to making the switch. And then, at the end of 2025, I decided the time had come. As of 2026, my fursona’s name is Walden Wilde, or just Walden.

‍It’s going to take some time for me to change my name and update assets on Every Web Site Everywhere On The Internet. And of course all those printed books and signed sketches and badges out in the real world for the most part can’t be changed. So no doubt the name Cooner will continue to show up for a long time to come.

‍My intention was never to hurt or be disrespectful to anyone. As an old dumb raccoon, I apologize to anyone who may have taken offense. Thank you for reading, and please bear with me as this transition unfolds. ❤️

‍——————————————————————————————————————

‍*—Yes, this is totally a retcon.