What is a protogen? Commissioning a protogen head

Protogens are a popular furry species. They’re the characters with a glowing visor where a face would be. Here’s what a protogen is, what goes into a protogen fursuit head, and what to decide before you commission one.

Protogens in one paragraph

A protogen is an original furry species: a cyborg that is part organic, part machine. Its most obvious feature is a visor covering the face, which shows the eyes and expressions as light. The rest of the body is furred, often with panels or tech details. The species was released in 2017 as an open species. Anyone can create their own protogen character, but the species creator reserves some rare traits. Check the species guidelines before you add those to your design.

The parts of a protogen head

• The visor. This is the face. On a fursuit head it’s usually a dark, curved shell with lights behind it, so the expression glows through.
• The LEDs. The lights behind the visor form the eyes and mouth. How much they can do varies a lot from build to build. Some show a fixed face, and others switch between expressions.
• Ears and panels. Protogen ears are often part furred and part hard panel. Many designs add lit accents on the ears or the side of the head.
• The furred head. The fur around the visor carries your character’s colors and markings, the same as any fursuit head.

There’s no jaw, because the visor is the face. If you love the idea of a head that “talks”, a skull dog head with a moving jaw may suit you better.

What to decide before you commission

1. The visor color and shape. Draw the outline on your ref sheet from the front and the side. It defines the whole head.
2. What the visor should show. Eye style, a mouth, a few expressions? Write down what matters most to you. The maker will tell you what they can do.
3. How you’ll wear it. A head on its own, or with paws and a tail, or a full body? Your quote should cover the whole set.
4. Your colors. Add swatches for the fur and for any lit areas, so nothing shifts between screens and the finished suit.

Our ref sheet guide covers the views and swatches to include.

Questions to ask any maker about a protogen head

Protogens have electronics, so there’s more to agree on than with a standard head. Before you pay a deposit, check that the written quote answers these questions:

• What exactly comes with the visor and LEDs, and what doesn’t?
• How is it powered, and is the power source included?
• How do I see out, and how is the head kept cool?
• How do I clean the visor and the fur, and what should I avoid?
• What happens if something stops working? What does the maker repair, and how?

These checks apply to any commission. Our guide to commissioning a fursuit safely has the rest.

Commissioning a protogen from Fursuit Hub

We build custom protogen heads with an LED visor, made from your ref sheet. Slots are limited. Protogen heads start at €2,300+ labor. Fur, VAT and shipping are extra, and your design changes the final number. Your written quote lists what comes with the visor.

• Quotes usually come back in about a week, with a timeline.
• A non-refundable deposit locks your slot once we’ve agreed in writing. The balance is due before shipping, and you can ask about monthly instalments.
• We ship anywhere in the world. Customs, VAT and import duties are paid by the buyer (what to expect).
• If there’s a construction issue, we repair it. Commissions are for buyers aged 18 and over.

See what’s included and send your design: protogen fursuit commissions.

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