'Furry Fandom Conventions' needs information
Fred Patten says:
This is a last call for information about furry conventions. For the past two years, I have been compiling a history of all furry conventions throughout the world from 1989 through the end of 2015. My book, Furry Fandom Conventions, has been accepted by an academic publisher, McFarland. It covers 113 furry conventions in North and South America, Asia, Australasia and Europe. The manuscript is currently up to 278 pages. My deadline for finishing is March 1, 2016.
Most of my missing information is for details that happened at the conventions, such as attendance totals, the number of fursuiters in the Fursuit Parade, or the amount of the charity donation; therefore what was published in the conbook before the convention is of no help. Many convention committees have given full information, but others have not answered at all. I suspect that some lack of replies are due to my requests going to a minor committee member who is not answering or passing them on to the chair. So a public announcement might reach a chairperson or another committee member who wants their convention represented in my book with all questions answered.
Also, I am trying to get at least one illustration for each convention — art such as website logos, conbook covers, posters, illustrated membership badges, illustrated hotel room keys; whatever a committee wants to submit. McFarland says that none of the illustrations on the Internet are of high enough resolution for book publication, so I cannot just framegrab an illustration from the Internet. They need a high resolution electronic file of 300 DPI or better.
Here is a sample entry:
Wild Nights
Wild Nights is a furry outdoor camping event that split off from the Oklacon when its organizing body, the Oklahoma Association of Anthropomorphic Arts, dissolved. Wild Nights used the old OAAA charter and bylaws as a model, and organized Wild Nights to be a similar event and with the same charity, but at a different state park. The organizing body is the Missouri Exotic Species Art Association (MESA), a registered not-for-profit 501c7 tax-exempt organization. Since 2012 the convention’s title is often modified to fit the theme of the year: “My Little Wild Nights: Furry Is Magic”; “Wild Nights of the Round Table”; “… in Sherwood Forest”, etc. Wild Nights’ long-running charity is Safari’s Sanctuary, a private exotic wildlife rescue zoo (not open to the public) in Broken Arrow, OK.
Wild Nights 2009 | Robbers Cave State Park, Wilburton, OK | April 23-27, 2009 (Attendance: 49) |
GoH: Baka Sukonku (furry artist) | ||
Charity: | Chair: MESA President Heros the Noisy Panther |
The original venue was Lake of the Ozarks State Park, MO, but this was denied by the Missouri Department of State Parks; so MESA moved the event to a similar state park in Oklahoma. Events included swimming, volleyball, basketball, and similar outdoor games, plus furry games such as Predator & Prey and a furry variety show. Attendees stayed in cabins that held 12 to 32 people in a single big room. The posters and badges of furry conventions were featured. There were eight acts in the variety show. There was no charity; an $800 surplus was put toward the next year’s expenses.
Wild Nights 2010 | Robbers Cave State Park, Wilburton, OK | April 22-26, 2010 (Attendance: 99) |
GoH: Chris the Hybrid (furry artist, fursuiter), Tzup (fursuiter) | ||
Charity: Safari’s Sanctuary (?) | Chair: Mesa President: Heros the Noisy Panther |
[Did Wild Nights 2010 differ at all from 2009?]
Wild Nights 2011 Basic Training | Robbers Cave State Park, Wilburton, OK | April 21-25, 2011 (Attendance: 126) |
GoH: PacerFox, Eris Valgen (fursuit performers) | ||
Charity: ? | Chair: MESA President Travis |
USO Special Guests (Entertainment Guests) were Max DeGroot and Kwaz the Drumming Raccoon.
Wild Nights 2012 My Little Wild Nights: Furry Is Magic | Robbers Cave State Park, Wilburton, OK | April 26-30, 2012 (Attendance: 122) |
GoH: Brett Blumfield (SonicBlu Darkfold, puppeteer/filmmaker), Ned Wilkinson (Rhubarb the Bear, furry playwright/composer), Luthien Nightwolf (furry artist), Chad Laubach (WildWolf, fursuit maker) | ||
Charity: ? | Chair: MESA President Travis |
The theme was originally “Furry Fallout”. Rhubarb the Bear’s musical play, Fosgate: Ferret Loan Officer, was premiered. The event also showed SonicBlu’s independent puppet films and had a firearms marksmanship event, a variety show, and a campfire.
Wild Nights 2013 ... of the Round Table | Robbers Cave State Park, Wilburton, OK | April 25-29, 2013 (Attendance: 272) |
GoH: Artist G-o-H Andrea Radeck (Firefeathers), Musician G-o-H Buck Riley (Husky in Denial), Fursuiter G-o-H Buddy (a.k.a. JD Puppy) | ||
Charity: Safari’s Sanctuary ($2,742) | Chair: MESA President Heros the Noisy Panther |
Events included a charity poker tournament. Jeff Goode’s ten-person play Fursona Non Grata was performed to a standing ovation.
Wild Nights 2014 ... in Sherwood Forest | Robbers Cave State Park, Wilburton, OK | April 24-28, 2014 (Attendance: 302) |
GoH: Lucas Raymond (Potoroo, chairman of Camp Feral!, musician), OzFoxes (Robert & Margaret Carspecken, furry cartoonists), Bob Burns (Oki Doki Coyote, fursuit performer) | ||
Charity: ? | Chair: ? |
Margaret Carspecken drew the "Wild Nights in Sherwood Forest" logo.
Wild Nights 2014 Gears Through Time | Robbers Cave State Park, Wilburton, OK | April 23-28, 2015 (Attendance: ?) |
GoH: Artist G-o-H SpringDragon, Musician G-o-H Alexander James Adams | ||
Charity: Safari’s Sanctuary (?) | Chair: MESA President: Heros the Noisy Panther |
Questions
Is Safari’s Sanctuary always the charity including years when none is listed? What have each year’s donations been? Who was the MESA President in 2014? Have there been T-shirts? Who have the artists been? Were the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 guests of honor just guests of honor, or did they each have a title like Artist Guest of Honor?
What was the 2015 attendance total?
Note that I have the attendance for each year except the latest, 2015. It does not seem to have been published anywhere. Does anyone have it?
I will be glad to answer questions and send what I have to anyone who wants to help fill in the gaps. My e-mail is [email protected].
About the author
Fred Patten — read stories — contact (login required)a retired former librarian from North Hollywood, California, interested in general anthropomorphics
Comments
Many thanks to Higgs Raccoon, Ethan Staghorn, Valion Ingonyama, skippyfox, and others for sending me furry convention information. My manuscript is up to 283 pages now.
Fred Patten
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