Furries In The Media

(c/o Patch Packrat on Flayrah)



Dated February 11, Inside Edition tells us "What Really Goes On At a Furries Convention" (in this case, Further Confusion 2015):

http://www.insideedition.com/headlines/9697-what-really-goes-on-at-a-furries-convention

(Apparently, Inside Information were denied permission to film by FC's organisers, but went ahead and did it anyway.)


It's a convention for people who are anything but conventional.

They call themselves “furries,” and they gather by the hundreds wearing cartoon-animal costumes.

A photo was taken at a convention in Pittsburgh called “Anthrocon,” and can you believe more than 1,300 people showed up wearing furry costumes.

A YouTube video showed the hot new trend at furry conventions called “The Dance-Off.”

So, what's it like inside a furries convention?

INSIDE EDITION producer Nicole Kumar went in posing as a furry at the gathering in San Jose, California.

She said, “Just now, I was approached by someone who said I had to put a dollar on her antler and the beast would save my soul.”

Many of the furries posed for professional photos, like any family portrait, only a lot weirder.

Hotel guests could hardly believe what was going on around her.

Furries are triggering fierce criticism from some.

"Fur suits creep me out," is one of the milder comments on YouTube.

Others call furries "weird" and "losers."

Morgan Smejkal is a furry. She says, "To be a furry is to be an enthusiast of cartoon comics and art."

At her home in Iowa, she showed us some of her outfits. There was a giant pair of feet, a little padding on the hips and butt, and a zipper up the front. Then came the big finish, the headpiece, to complete a character she created which was a red panda named Katana Rose.

The price tag of her costume was $2,500.

She said, "I can breathe just fine. I can even get a drink of water of I want to, the mouth hole is right there."

It's not for everyone but it suits them.

Here is another article in the Silicon Valley Business Journal, about Further Confusion 2015:
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2015/01/20/watch-furries-get-down-on-the-dance-floor-at-the.html


San Jose was a lot furrier this weekend, as droves of friendly folks dressed up as cuddly animals descended on the city to meet, mingle and dance at Furcon 2015.

Photographer Vicki Thompson was on the ground in the convention, meeting the regulars and attending the Masquerade dance complete with costumes, smoke machines and a DJ.

What does a Furcon dance look like? Click through the slideshow to find out.

Furcon is serious business for San Jose, Further Confusion 2015 is expected to generate $3 million for San Jose merchants as furries occupy 3,200 hotel rooms, said Ben Roschke at Team San Jose, the nonprofit group that promotes the city as a destination and runs the convention center.

Also, as editor-in-chief Greg Baumann wrote last time the convention was in town, it's the best chance of injecting a bit of eccentricity into a city whose culture is overshadowed by San Francisco.

Here is an article, dated January 19, 2015, in the San Jose Mercury News:
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_27347785/furries-turn-downtown-san-jose-into-wild-kingdom?source=infinite

It concerns Further Confusion 2015.


SAN JOSE -- The green-eyed werewolves, foxes in top hats and spectacle-wearing mice formed a fantastical wild kingdom, searching for camaraderie in one of the most curious celebrations of creative expression in Silicon Valley.

San Jose's annual FurCon kicked off last week and goes through Monday, converting the San Jose McEnery Convention Center and three downtown hotels into a colorful and odd collection of larger-than-life furry characters. The furries, as they call themselves, are people who love animals -- both real and fictional animal characters -- dress up as animals and collect anthropomorphic art.

"It's just expressing your creativity and being something else for a while," said Alexis Rudd, of Sonoma, who designs costumes for furries and animal puppets.

The 3,000 furries looked at times like a collection of sports team mascots or characters out of Aesop's Fables. But for many, the five-day convention, dubbed Further Confusion, marked a space where they could shed the identities they have at work or with their families and become, for a brief while, a dancing cheetah, cuddly and affectionate shark, party-loving dragon or tenderly shy unicorn.

Few costume-clad furries talk. Instead, they shake their giant animal head or offer a purr or squeak. Most only use their animal names, such as Moo or Spottacus, and basic identifying traits such as appearance, gender or profession become moot points.
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"I don't have to explain anything, and I can share what I want," said Marie, a longtime Bay Area furry who was selling handcrafted goods at FurCon. She declined to share her last name because of what she called her conservative job in the legal field.

"It's a community you can always go back to," she said. "You can be a three-headed werewolf with wings, and I'm going to talk to you seriously."

The annual San Jose convention is one of the largest events of its kind, put on by Milpitas nonprofit Anthropomorphic Arts and Education to raise money for a charity. This year Rocket Dog Rescue, a San Francisco-based volunteer canine rescue organization, will receive the funds raised at FurCon -- where real four-legged furry creatures mixed with the human attendees at the event.

Beyond the money for charity, event organizers estimate that FurCon -- now in its 16th year -- brings about $3 million into the local community, with visitors spending money on hotels, restaurants and transportation, said Sam Rasmussen, FurCon's media liaison.

The Bay Area furries scene has blossomed in part because so many tech workers participate. The chairman of this year's convention works for Google; other furries said they worked at Yahoo, Apple and startups.

Some said the creative freedom encouraged in the furry community, which is unwaveringly judgment-free even when confronted by utter weirdness, is a relief from the rigors of coding and stress of deadlines.

At FurCon, attendees showed off their animal suits in a parade while Maroon 5's "Animals" appropriately played in the background; faced off in a dance competition; joined myriad social events including speed dating; and attended workshops in writing, drawing and puppetry.

"When you get a lot of people with open minds in the same room, it's a huge party," said convention Chairman Jeff Bowman.

But furry fandom -- the term for the community that gathers online and at furry conventions -- was also a buzzing center of commerce. Artists, costume designers, graphic novelists and comic book dealers crowded the Marriott Hotel adjacent to the convention center.

Furry fandom isn't just a fetish or a weekend lifestyle -- it's also a booming and lucrative business. On Saturday morning, costume designer Deanna Petro had just sold a hand-sewn gray wolf costume for $4,000. Animal suits can cost $1,000 to nearly $10,000.

But the lingering question many outside the community might have is: Why would anyone want to spend the day dressed up in a sweltering costume and adopt the personality of a mischievous wolf or flirtatious kangaroo?

For some furries, it's just that they really, really love animals.

"One day, I thought, 'What would it be like if I were a cat?' " said Cassy Abbott, 20, an art student from North Hollywood wearing a $1,900 cat costume. "It's fun to be acting like a cat, running around and nudging people and purring at them."

But for a lot of furries, there's more to it. It's the freedom of adopting a new identity behind the protective layer of a disguise. While many of these furries attend the same conventions, they recognize each other only by their animal persona -- and most took care never to remove their costumes during the convention, even though some of them heated up to 120 degrees and others required that they walk on all fours in a physically grueling display.

In costume, there's less fear of judgment. The closest most of the non-furry community gets to this is a really elaborate Halloween costume.

"People have expectations of you," said David Benaron, a four-decade furry, doctor, Stanford University professor of pediatric medicine and startup CEO. "When you're in this sort of costume, biases and judgments go away. I feel completely comfortable, and I'm not poised in the boardroom or watching the IPO market."

Here is an article, dated January 16, in the Silicon Valley Business Journal:

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2015/01/16/furries-descend-on-silicon-valley-modeling.html

It concerns this weekend's Further Confusion convention.


Furries, the lovably idiosyncratic, non-threatening folk who cavort in animal costumes and descend on San Jose annually to mingle, learn and dance, are back.

Further Confusion 2015, the convention themed this year as "London Fog: A Victorian Murder Mystery," kicked off Thursday. So far, about 2,100 people have preregistered for the event at the McEnery Convention Center downtown. By the time things wrap up Monday, organizers expect that number to top the 3,560 that attended last year.

I said it last year: These Furcon festivals might be Silicon Valley's last, best hope at weird. And it's true. The homogenous, suburban culture that evolved out of our tech companies is now an economic liability as employers cluster closer to the urban amenities of San Francisco.

So furries are serious business. Beyond its abstract importance, Further Confusion 2015 is expected to generate $3 million for San Jose merchants as furries occupy 3,200 hotel rooms, said Ben Roschke at Team San Jose, the nonprofit group that promotes the city as a destination and runs the convention center.

This year, people from 12 countries including Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Bermuda and Singapore have preregistered, event organizers said. The event is one of a few significant furry gatherings annually. Furfest in Chicago is a big draw and AnthroCon in Pittsburgh is the biggest event for fur enthusiasts each year.

In San Jose, the annual Fanime animation event draws more people each year, Roschke said. That one generates about $10 million in economic activity and fills about 10,000 hotel rooms.

http://thesource.com/2014/12/18/furry-fandom-fetishists-attacked-with-chlorine-gas-19-hospitalized-after-the-hate-crime/

This journalist matter-of-factly calls the MWFF chemical attack a "hate crime" and "sabotage by anti-furry fetish terrorists." See if you can make sense of the bizarre description of the author at the end of the article.

So, I was about to check my email when I noticed this on the yahoo home page...

http://music.yahoo.com/photos/miley-cyrus-s-bangerz-tour-has-begun-and-it-s-ridiculous-1392491014-slideshow/

Well, I started clicking through out of curiosity and noticed a blue fox/wolf in the background.
It's totally a fursuit. It looks like a legit fursuit & not one of those mass-produced bit of terribles.

Seen here:
http://tinyurl.com/q3x53rc

And a few images later I see this:
http://tinyurl.com/odprtou

And a better shot of the canine/fox suit:
http://tinyurl.com/khjb9ez

It's certainly not the first time furries have shared the stage with music groups:

Flaming lips has them regularly, and even Incubus & Moby have featured them in videos.

http://www.vox.com/2014/12/10/7362321/9-questions-about-furries-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask

9 questions about furries you were too embarrassed to askUpdated by Dylan Matthews on December 10, 2014, 8:00 a.m. ET

Nineteen attendees of the Midwest FurFest were sent to the hospital after an apparently intentional chlorine gas attack in the Hyatt hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, where the convention was being held.

Midwest FurFest is what's known as a "furry convention," aimed at members of the furry subculture. That group has come in for a lot of ridicule over the years from posters on sites like Something Awful and 4chan. Mainstream press accounts tend to portray furries as sexual fetishists united by a common interest in sex in animal costumes.

But survey evidence suggests a lot of these stereotypes are wrong (very few furries think sex in animal costumes is a good idea, for instance). Here's a brief guide to the furry community, which hopefully can clear up some of these misunderstandings.

1) So being a furry means you run around in a fur suit all the time, right?

Fur-suiters on parade at Anthrocon 2007. Note that most of the people on the convention floor aren't suited. (Douglas Muth)

Fur-suiting and the furry community tend to be conflated in the popular press, but research by the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, which studies the furry fandom, suggests fur-suiters are a minority of that community.

A 2007 survey found that only 26.4 percent of respondents at a furry convention reportedowning a fur-suit and 30 percent reported wearing one. A 2014 survey found that tails are the most commonly owned fur-suit component, with 48.1 percent of respondents at Furry Fiesta 2014 reporting owning a tail. Only 13 percent reported owning a full suit, while 34.3 percent reported wearing any clothing or accessories associated with their furry persona or "fursona" (more on that in a sec).

2) Is being a furry just a sexual fetish?

No, though, like with any other fan interest (video games, comics, etc.) there are sexual themes present. While sexual activity with other furries (known as "yiffing," after the sound foxes make during sex) is part of the subculture for some, others maintain a non-erotic interest in the subject.

Furries are typically subject to media portrayals that overemphasize the sexual aspect of the fandom, such as this bit from 30 Rock:

Furry Josh Strom explained to Boing Boing's Lisa Katayama, "We go to conventions to hang out with friends, maybe buy something like art or badges, go to a discussion panel or see a show. Swinger parties and fetishes are there, but that's not what the fandom is about." And the focus on sex in fur suits is particularly wrongheaded. For one thing, only a small minority of furries own full fur suits. For another, as Plante points out, "Nearly all fur-suiters will make it explicitly clear that sex in a fur suit is completely undesirable (not arousing, damaging to the suit, and not something they’re interested in doing)."

A survey at Furry Fiesta 2013 found that 96.3 percent of male respondents and 78.3 percent of female ones reported viewing furry pornography (which, it should be noted, is a broad category and typically quite similar to regular porn albeit with furry traits added); men reported looking at furry porn 41.5 times per month on average, while women reported looking 10.5 times per month.

But they also reported that most of their involvement in the fandom was non-sexual. Men reported spending 34 percent of their online roleplaying time on sexual content, and women reported spending only 21.4 percent. Nearly half of male furries, and a large majority of women, reported that sexual content played little or no role in their introduction to the fandom:

(International Anthropomorphic Research Project)

3) So what is a furry, then?

In the broadest sense, a furry is someone with an interest in anthropomorphized animals — that is, animals who have been given human characteristics, like an ability to talk or walk on their hind legs.

That encompasses a wide spectrum, from people who are simply fans of TV shows and video games featuring anthropomorphic animal characters (like Sonic the Hedgehog or Pokémon), to people who develop a highly specific furry character ("fursona") they identify with, to "otherkin" who see themselves as not fully human on a spiritual or mental level.

Dr. Courtney "Nuka" Plante, a social psychologist at the University of Waterloo and member of the Anthropomorphic Research Project team, analogizes furries to other fan groups, like comic book enthusiasts or Trekkers. "It has its origins in the science fiction fandom," he said. "If you like comic books with characters who are like animals, or artwork with humans with animal traits, those would be considered forms of furry artwork."

4) What is a fursona?

A fursona inspired by The Lion King (Nala15)

A fursona is a "furry-themed avatar" which furries use "to represent themselves when interacting with other members of the fandom," according to a recent paper by social psychologist Plante and fellow Anthropomorphic Research Project members Dr. Sharon Roberts, Dr. Stephen Reysen, and Dr. Kathy Gerbasi. "Nearly every furry has a fursona," Plante said. "It's well into the high 90s — 97 or 98 percent."

Crafting a fursona involves picking an animal — real or mythical — to represent yourself as, or, less commonly, designing a new mythical animal for yourself. Fursonas typically have names and are often the inspiration for artwork or fiction, but the degree of investment in them can vary. "For many it's just a cutesy avatar to represent yourself to people," Plante said. "For others, it's much more deep and meaningful."

5) Can I get a music break?

Of course! In addition to visual artists and fiction writers, many furries are accomplished musicians who create work with furry themes or otherwise blend their musical interests into their fandom. Here's Bucktown Tiger, a furry pianist, performing a movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata at Anthrocon, the world's largest furry convention held in Pittsburgh every year, in 2010:

6) So being a furry isn't really about sex. What do furry fans actually do, then?

You can divide furry fan activities into online fandom and furry conventions. In each case, the analogy to science fiction and comic book fandoms is strong. Fan art is an important part of furry fandom, just as it is for comic book fans. A 2012 synthesis from the Anthropomorphic Research Project, looking at several surveys conducted online and in various conventions, found that thevast majority of the most popular furry sites are art-related. Many of those sites — likeFurAffinity and SoFurry — also host furry-related fiction and music, and provide forums for fan discussion and community-building.

Conventions — which Plante says about half of furries attend on an annual or semiannual basis — create an in-real-life space for furries, many if not most of whom have met online, to hang out, and they also provide a way to talk to artists who are popular within the fandom. This is similar to how events like Comic Con let people talk to favorite movie directors and actors and comic artists. "It's like sci-fi fandom," Plante said. "If a fan is much more casual, it may be enough to buy the books and watch the movies. But for others, meeting JJ Abrams or meeting the voice actors from your favorite show is very meaningful."

Like fans in other communities, furries often report being bullied or ostracized in the past. "These conventions are the first places they could go to not be picked on for being into these comics or watching cartoons when they're no longer a kid," Plante said.

7) Are furries the same thing as bronies?

The cast of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (My Little Pony)

No, but they're not totally disconnected either. "Bronies" refers exclusively to fans of the showMy Little Pony: Friendship is Magic; originally it only referred to male fans but the definition has been broadened in practice. Bronies share one basic commonality with furries: they're interested in anthropomorphized representations of animals. The 2012 survey synthesis found that nearly a quarter (23.5 percent) of furries identify as bronies. This wasn't the result of a brony "invasion" of furrydom, the results suggest, but rather a development of interest in the show by pre-existing furries.

About half of furries consider bronies a subgroup of furrydom; another 28 percent say they're related but not a subset, and 22 percent say there's no connection at all. There's a substantial degree of enmity toward bronies among furries as a whole, with 38 percent expressing negative views toward them compared to 36 percent reporting positive feelings and 26 percent reporting indifference.

Interestingly, there were very few demographic differences between the furry and brony fandoms. "With only a few minor exceptions," the researchers conclude, "furries and bronies are relatively indistinguishable from one another beyond the differences in the content of their fandom."

8) What kind of people are furries?

Fur-suiters before a rehearsal of the musical Furry Tales, the night before Anthrocon 2007. (GreenReaper)

Surveys suggest that furries are overwhelmingly male and white, are disproportionately likely to be gay, bi, or trans, and skew younger, with an average age in the mid-20s.

The 2012 survey synthesis estimated that 79.2 to 85.7 percent of furries at conventions were male, as were 78.3 to 84.6 percent of furries active online. A majority were atheist (44.36 percent) or agnostic (9.47 percent); 23.19 percent identify as Christian, 3.94 percent as Pagan, 1.91 percent as Wiccan, and 13.72 percent as "other."

Convention attendees were a bit older (24 to 27.1) on average than online furries (23 to 25.6) but in both cases the group skews quite young. Perhaps reflecting that, only 3.8 percent of furries have one or more children, according to survey evidence. Furries don't make significantly more or less money than the general US public and tend to be significantly more left-leaning politically. And they're much likelier than the public at large to report a non-straight sexual orientation, with well under 30 percent reporting exclusive heterosexuality:

(International Anthropomorphic Research Project)

A later study, conducted in early July 2014 at Anthrocon, found that almost 90 percent of respondents identified as white.

9) Do furries think they're animals?

It's complicated. About one in three furries report feeling not 100 percent human. A small fraction (8 to 14 percent) report meaning this in a physical sense, with many more stating they feel not fully human mentally or spiritually. About 38 to 53 percent report a desire to be 0 percent human, if they could be.

Furries and other people who identify as non-human in some substantial degree are known as "otherkin." "Therians" are otherkin who identify with, in whole or part, an actually existing species that live or have lived on Earth (wolves are the most common). Some reserve the term otherkin for those identifying as fictional or fantastical creatures (dragons, vampires, etc.) while others use it as a catch-all term.

Some researchers have suggested that the existence of otherkin and therians suggest these people could have a "Species Identity Disorder," modeled after "Gender Identity Disorder," which is used by psychiatrists to classify trans people. (Many trans people argue that theclassification of gender dysmorphia as a disorder is stigmatizing and counterproductive.) Critics have responded by arguing that the analogy obscures more than it enlightens.

Vox.com is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission is simple: Explain the News.Vox is where you go to understand the news and the world around you. It treats serious topics seriously, candidly shepherding people through complex topics ranging from politics, public policy and world affairs to pop culture, science, business, food, sports and everything else that matters. Amassing over 5MM unique visitors in just over a month, Vox's unprecedented inception represents one of the most successful launches in digital and proves that this new kind of news site is truly fulfilling the previously unmet demand for explanatory journalism.

http://www.vox.com/2014/12/10/7362321/9-questions-about-furries-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask

Nineteen attendees of the Midwest FurFest were sent to the hospital after an apparently intentional chlorine gas attack in the Hyatt hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, where the convention was being held.

Midwest FurFest is what's known as a "furry convention," aimed at members of the furry subculture. That group has come in for a lot of ridicule over the years from posters on sites like Something Awful and 4chan. Mainstream press accounts tend to portray furries as sexual fetishists united by a common interest in sex in animal costumes.

But survey evidence suggests a lot of these stereotypes are wrong (very few furries think sex in animal costumes is a good idea, for instance). Here's a brief guide to the furry community, which hopefully can clear up some of these misunderstandings.

1) So being a furry means you run around in a fur suit all the time, right?

Fur-suiters on parade at Anthrocon 2007. Note that most of the people on the convention floor aren't suited. (Douglas Muth)

Fur-suiting and the furry community tend to be conflated in the popular press, but research by the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, which studies the furry fandom, suggests fur-suiters are a minority of that community.

A 2007 survey found that only 26.4 percent of respondents at a furry convention reported owning a fur-suit and 30 percent reported wearing one. A 2014 survey found that tails are the most commonly owned fur-suit component, with 48.1 percent of respondents at Furry Fiesta 2014 reporting owning a tail. Only 13 percent reported owning a full suit, while 34.3 percent reported wearing any clothing or accessories associated with their furry persona or "fursona" (more on that in a sec).

2) Is being a furry just a sexual fetish?

No, though, like with any other fan interest (video games, comics, etc.) there are sexual themes present. While sexual activity with other furries (known as "yiffing," after the sound foxes make during sex) is part of the subculture for some, others maintain a non-erotic interest in the subject.

Furries are typically subject to media portrayals that overemphasize the sexual aspect of the fandom, such as this bit from 30 Rock:

Furry Josh Strom explained to Boing Boing's Lisa Katayama, "We go to conventions to hang out with friends, maybe buy something like art or badges, go to a discussion panel or see a show. Swinger parties and fetishes are there, but that's not what the fandom is about." And the focus on sex in fur suits is particularly wrongheaded. For one thing, only a small minority of furries own full fur suits. For another, as Plante points out, "Nearly all fur-suiters will make it explicitly clear that sex in a fur suit is completely undesirable (not arousing, damaging to the suit, and not something they’re interested in doing)."

A survey at Furry Fiesta 2013 found that 96.3 percent of male respondents and 78.3 percent of female ones reported viewing furry pornography (which, it should be noted, is a broad category and typically quite similar to regular porn albeit with furry traits added); men reported looking at furry porn 41.5 times per month on average, while women reported looking 10.5 times per month.

But they also reported that most of their involvement in the fandom was non-sexual. Men reported spending 34 percent of their online roleplaying time on sexual content, and women reported spending only 21.4 percent. Nearly half of male furries, and a large majority of women, reported that sexual content played little or no role in their introduction to the fandom:

(International Anthropomorphic Research Project)

3) So what is a furry, then?

In the broadest sense, a furry is someone with an interest in anthropomorphized animals — that is, animals who have been given human characteristics, like an ability to talk or walk on their hind legs.

That encompasses a wide spectrum, from people who are simply fans of TV shows and video games featuring anthropomorphic animal characters (like Sonic the Hedgehog or Pokémon), to people who develop a highly specific furry character ("fursona") they identify with, to "otherkin" who see themselves as not fully human on a spiritual or mental level.

Dr. Courtney "Nuka" Plante, a social psychologist at the University of Waterloo and member of the Anthropomorphic Research Project team, analogizes furries to other fan groups, like comic book enthusiasts or Trekkers. "It has its origins in the science fiction fandom," he said. "If you like comic books with characters who are like animals, or artwork with humans with animal traits, those would be considered forms of furry artwork."

4) What is a fursona?

A fursona inspired by The Lion King (Nala15)

A fursona is a "furry-themed avatar" which furries use "to represent themselves when interacting with other members of the fandom," according to a recent paper by social psychologist Plante and fellow Anthropomorphic Research Project members Dr. Sharon Roberts, Dr. Stephen Reysen, and Dr. Kathy Gerbasi. "Nearly every furry has a fursona," Plante said. "It's well into the high 90s — 97 or 98 percent."

Crafting a fursona involves picking an animal — real or mythical — to represent yourself as, or, less commonly, designing a new mythical animal for yourself. Fursonas typically have names and are often the inspiration for artwork or fiction, but the degree of investment in them can vary. "For many it's just a cutesy avatar to represent yourself to people," Plante said. "For others, it's much more deep and meaningful."

5) Can I get a music break?

Of course! In addition to visual artists and fiction writers, many furries are accomplished musicians who create work with furry themes or otherwise blend their musical interests into their fandom. Here's Bucktown Tiger, a furry pianist, performing a movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata at Anthrocon, the world's largest furry convention held in Pittsburgh every year, in 2010:

6) So being a furry isn't really about sex. What do furry fans actually do, then?

You can divide furry fan activities into online fandom and furry conventions. In each case, the analogy to science fiction and comic book fandoms is strong. Fan art is an important part of furry fandom, just as it is for comic book fans. A 2012 synthesis from the Anthropomorphic Research Project, looking at several surveys conducted online and in various conventions, found that the vast majority of the most popular furry sites are art-related. Many of those sites — like FurAffinity and SoFurry — also host furry-related fiction and music, and provide forums for fan discussion and community-building.

Conventions — which Plante says about half of furries attend on an annual or semiannual basis — create an in-real-life space for furries, many if not most of whom have met online, to hang out, and they also provide a way to talk to artists who are popular within the fandom. This is similar to how events like Comic Con let people talk to favorite movie directors and actors and comic artists. "It's like sci-fi fandom," Plante said. "If a fan is much more casual, it may be enough to buy the books and watch the movies. But for others, meeting JJ Abrams or meeting the voice actors from your favorite show is very meaningful."

Like fans in other communities, furries often report being bullied or ostracized in the past. "These conventions are the first places they could go to not be picked on for being into these comics or watching cartoons when they're no longer a kid," Plante said.

7) Are furries the same thing as bronies?

The cast of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (My Little Pony)

No, but they're not totally disconnected either. "Bronies" refers exclusively to fans of the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic; originally it only referred to male fans but the definition has been broadened in practice. Bronies share one basic commonality with furries: they're interested in anthropomorphized representations of animals. The 2012 survey synthesis found that nearly a quarter (23.5 percent) of furries identify as bronies. This wasn't the result of a brony "invasion" of furrydom, the results suggest, but rather a development of interest in the show by pre-existing furries.

About half of furries consider bronies a subgroup of furrydom; another 28 percent say they're related but not a subset, and 22 percent say there's no connection at all. There's a substantial degree of enmity toward bronies among furries as a whole, with 38 percent expressing negative views toward them compared to 36 percent reporting positive feelings and 26 percent reporting indifference.

Interestingly, there were very few demographic differences between the furry and brony fandoms. "With only a few minor exceptions," the researchers conclude, "furries and bronies are relatively indistinguishable from one another beyond the differences in the content of their fandom."

8) What kind of people are furries?

Fur-suiters before a rehearsal of the musical Furry Tales, the night before Anthrocon 2007. (GreenReaper)

Surveys suggest that furries are overwhelmingly male and white, are disproportionately likely to be gay, bi, or trans, and skew younger, with an average age in the mid-20s.

The 2012 survey synthesis estimated that 79.2 to 85.7 percent of furries at conventions were male, as were 78.3 to 84.6 percent of furries active online. A majority were atheist (44.36 percent) or agnostic (9.47 percent); 23.19 percent identify as Christian, 3.94 percent as Pagan, 1.91 percent as Wiccan, and 13.72 percent as "other."

Convention attendees were a bit older (24 to 27.1) on average than online furries (23 to 25.6) but in both cases the group skews quite young. Perhaps reflecting that, only 3.8 percent of furries have one or more children, according to survey evidence. Furries don't make significantly more or less money than the general US public and tend to be significantly more left-leaning politically. And they're much likelier than the public at large to report a non-straight sexual orientation, with well under 30 percent reporting exclusive heterosexuality:

(International Anthropomorphic Research Project)

A later study, conducted in early July 2014 at Anthrocon, found that almost 90 percent of respondents identified as white.

9) Do furries think they're animals?

It's complicated. About one in three furries report feeling not 100 percent human. A small fraction (8 to 14 percent) report meaning this in a physical sense, with many more stating they feel not fully human mentally or spiritually. About 38 to 53 percent report a desire to be 0 percent human, if they could be.

Furries and other people who identify as non-human in some substantial degree are known as "otherkin." "Therians" are otherkin who identify with, in whole or part, an actually existing species that live or have lived on Earth (wolves are the most common). Some reserve the term otherkin for those identifying as fictional or fantastical creatures (dragons, vampires, etc.) while others use it as a catch-all term.

Some researchers have suggested that the existence of otherkin and therians suggest these people could have a "Species Identity Disorder," modeled after "Gender Identity Disorder," which is used by psychiatrists to classify trans people. (Many trans people argue that the classification of gender dysmorphia as a disorder is stigmatizing and counterproductive.) Critics have responded by arguing that the analogy obscures more than it enlightens.

http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/joy-behar-on-her-new-one-woman-show-369766979728

http://onwardstate.com/2014/03/31/meet-the-penn-state-furries/

When I made the descent into Irving’s basement, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. It was to be my first meeting with the Penn State Furries, the Happy Valley sector of the fan culture for people who like to, in its simplest form, dress up and pretend to be animals. My own naivety led me to expect someone like Todd Cleary from Wedding Crashers, or perhaps a unicorn-clad soul hunched up in the corner.

Instead, I found Cory Grube and Corey Friedenberger, two sociable and amicable members of the Penn State Furries club who are trying to bring the group back to its former glory.

Grube is a junior chemical-engineering major here at Penn State, and Friedenberger is a recent graduate and long time PSU Furries member. As someone who already had predispositions about the Furry community, the Cor(e)ys were quick to explain that the Furries are not a culty pack of weirdos.

“It’s always the bad egg that goes to the media and gives us a bad name,” said Friedenberger. “Most of us are just a bunch of people with the same anthropomorphic interest trying to have a good time.”

The Penn State Furries colonized in 2007 during Friedenberger’s freshman year, although the group’s membership eventually dwindled and became inactive with time. After hearing so many stories about the group’s former glory days, Grube decided he wanted to bring the club back to life.

“I was really disappointed at how stagnant the group became,” said Grube.  “I just wanted to grow my friend-base, while growing the friend-bases of others at the same time. More friends all around makes the world a better place, you know? Also, I really wanted to see it reach a place similar to where it was when Corey was a student. Whether that’s possible or not, I have no idea, but we’re going to try.”

The Penn State Furries group is independent from Penn State to allow non-students to participate. While still based around Penn State, anyone from State College is welcome to join, per the Facebook group description:

“For all those tail-waggers out there who bleed blue and white! This group is for current and incoming Penn State students, alumni, faculty/staff, and State College locals who are part of the anthropomorphic furry community in one form or another.”

The casual, open-armed attitude also translates into a strong bond among the Furries in its group. Take, for instance, its membership flier: “YOU ARE NOT ALONE! THERE ARE TONS OF FURS IN THE AREA LOOKING FOR FRIENDS LIKE YOU!”

Grube said the group has no plan to affiliate with the university any time soon, because he wants to maintain its loose schedule and officer-less structure.

“Having officers or leadership positions makes it too bureaucratic, at least for my tastes,” Grube said. “For the purpose of getting to know people, I don’t want to be the leader or president or whatever, I just want to be a friend.”

Additionally, even among the Furries community, the interests are so diverse it would be nearly impossible to hold an actual meeting.

“We could offer things at meetings like an open space for furry art critique, panels for teaching a skill like sewing, useful for things like fursuit making, or what have you,” Grube said. “The group is so spread out in terms of interests, so for any particular topic, we might only have 10 or 20 percent of the group that would be interested. It wouldn’t be a very effective means for getting to know each other, which is the core purpose of the group.”

Friedenberger considered affiliating with Penn State when he first started the group, but chose not to for the same reason. Despite the economic benefits that come with being an official club, it would be too formal for this liking.

“There’s no real subtext or motive to the group,” said Friedenberger. “It means different things to different people. For some people it’s spiritual, some people are really into anthropomorphic art, some people really feel they are an animal trapped in a human body, and others are just people who like to party.”

The highlight in the life of any “Fur” is attending the various Furries conferences. In January, a solid contingent from the PSU Furries attended Setsucon at the Penn Stater hotel, which is focused on anime.

“Small cons usually exude a cozy, friendly feeling,” said Grube. “Lucky for us, we have a small convention right at the Penn Stater, Setsucon. It’s not a furry convention in reality, but an anime convention. Regardless, it still draws in a lot of local furry artists, enthusiasts, and fursuiters. There are two reasons for this: Many furs have another common interest, anime. A secondary reason is that furries like conventions in general, as long as they get to hang out with friends and have a good time.”

There are dozens of larger Furry conventions across the country, including Anthrocon, held annually in Pittsburgh, and FurFest. Furries sometimes spend thousands of dollars on costumes for these conventions, often going by their names and personas from Fur Affinity, the largest online Furry community in the world.

The once annual convention in Detroit, Furry Connection North, became so popular that they had to shut it down after six years. This video helps illustrate the scene:

The Cor(e)ys told me that cons often start small at various cities, only to become insanely popular. The parties get bigger and more wild, and eventually the convention moves another hotel, as was the case with Furry Convention North. I was told more than a few times that Furries really know how to party and that’s what the community is for a lot of people: a group of people looking to have fun. Just, y’know, in costume.

Here is a video from a dance competition, which is often a highlight of the conventions. The furry in gray is a former Penn Stater.

Here are some photos of PSU Furries from this year’s Setsucon:

What’s important to note  about this group is that because their interest is so…unique, so is their friendship.

The Furry community is very accepting of people’s identities, especially in the LGBTA community. Discussions can range from weird stuff the Furs read on the Internet to casual conversations about sexuality — they come up all the time. It doesn’t matter if it’s at a con, a party, or even just at a coffee shop. Grube told this story from his last Anthrocon as an example of the virtue of the community:

“I feel like furs are more open-minded and chill about everything, in general. We were in our hotel, and it was probably 3 or 4 p.m. In fur-con time, that means it’s time to drink. So we’re going about that, when someone knocks at the door. We open the door, and some guy none of us know basically walks in while saying hi. He’s pretty smashed already, and offers us some beer. We proceed to have a conversation about lots of random stuff for probably 30 minutes before he left. None of us really knew what happened, but we were like ‘Eh he was pretty cool, I don’t mind.’ That’s the kind of chill attitude that lots of furs tend to possess.”

More than anything, though, Grube wants the Furries to be more than a label, more than an embarrassing sound byte or joke. At the end of the day, it allows a group of people to take their virtual interests and create friendships IRL. And really, that’s what the PSU Furries are all about.

And the award for the most inaccurate or misleading headline arising from the Midwest FurFest evacuation goes to...

...the Jamestown Sun, who are currently running an article with the headline 'Furries' forced to evacuate burning Chicago hotel...

http://www.jamestownsun.com/content/furries-forced-evacuate-burning-chicago-hotel

Not the sort of media coverage MFF particularly wanted, but here are a few of the many news reports regarding the evacuation of the Midwest Furfest hotel:

* "FurFest evacuated after chlorine leak at Hyatt hotel" on abc7chicago.com:
http://abc7chicago.com/news/furfest-evacuated-after-chemical-leak-at-hyatt-hotel/425553/

* "Chemical spill in Rosemont sends 19 to the hospital, disrupts Midwest Fur Fest" on wgntv.com:
http://wgntv.com/2014/12/07/chemical-spill-in-rosemont-disrupts-midwest-furfest/

* "Chlorine Gas at FurFest May Have Been Released Intentionally, Police Say" on abc7chicago.com:
http://abc7chicago.com/news/chlorine-gas-at-furfest-may-have-been-released-intentionally-police-say/425781/

* "19 hospitalized, thousands evacuated in 'intentional' gas leak at Rosemont hotel" on the Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-19-hospitalized-thousands-evacuated-in-gas-leak-at-rosemont-hotel-20141207-story.html

* "Midwest FurFest interrupted by intentional chemical leak" on the Chicago Phoenix:
http://chicagophoenix.com/2014/12/07/midwest-furfest-interrupted-by-intentional-chemical-leak/

Article with video

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local-news/furry-frenzy-in-west-knoxville-through-sunday_98904041

Here is an article, dated November 7, in the Knoxville News Sentinel:

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local-news/furry-frenzy-in-west-knoxville-through-sunday_98904041

It covers this weekend's Fangcon convention.


The Knoxville Zoo is offering free admission to all visitors Saturday and Sunday, but it isn’t the only place to find interesting animal activity in Knoxville this weekend.

The “Furries” or “Fursuiters,” as they prefer to be called, have convened in West Knoxville for FangCon 2014 at the Holiday Inn near Cedar Bluff.

Fursuiters are, of course, not real animals. They are people who like to dress up as animals and, well, party.

According to Garfield McLaughlin, or Draconis, as he calls himself, a Fursuiter is anyone who wears a costume, but typically it is a person “who wears fur from head to toe.”

McLaughlin is the Chairman of FangCon 2014. He said people have different reasons for attending the convention.

“A lot of them are enthusiasts,” he said. “Some people really like Halloween, and these guys have it several times a year. It’s Halloween all year long.”

The Fursuiters like to delve deep into their alter egos. Most wear animal costumes that cover their human features and prefer to be called by their Fursuiter name.

“It’s fun because you interact with many Furries and they are all so lovely and the art is amazing,” said Amanda Vigil, a Fursuiter known as Mystic Skullivine.

For many attendees, the convention allows them to break away from their normal routine and become something else completely.

“People come and dress in their “fursona,” and, basically, that’s a person who dresses as an animal or something that they can relate to,” said Brett Peterpaul, also known as Nebulous Dark.

McLaughlin got his start as a Fursuiter in the 1990s in Florida at “Furry Spring Break.” He was attending the event as a consultant at the time.

“I saw how much fun these people were having and I went out after that and bought myself a suit,” he said.

Organizers for FangCon 2014 are expecting 300 or more attendees. Approximately 150 people had already registered as of Friday. McLaughlin said he is hoping to recruit even more people from the Fanboy Expo at the Knoxville Convention Center this weekend.

“We will be advertising over at Fanboy Expo,” McLaughlin said. “They end at like 7 p.m., and we don’t do that. We end at like 2 a.m.”

FangCon 2014 will host CD release parties for two well-known artists in the fandom world. Husky in Denial and Niic the Singing Dog will perform live to promote their albums.

There will also be a Fursuiter parade, a Furry Drama Show, and dozens of other events throughout the weekend.

“As you see, we have a lot of entertainment coming through this weekend,” McLaughlin said. “We cram it all in there.”

FangCon 2014 will hold a silent auction to raise money for Tiger Haven, a large cat sanctuary in Kingston, Tenn. Last year the event raised nearly $2,000 for the organization.

FangCon is in its third year in Knoxville and McLaughlin hopes to continue that tradition. He is hoping to have a World’s Fair theme event in the coming years. FangCon 2014 began Friday and will wrap up on Sunday. Members of the public can register at the hotel. ?

Here, dated October 14, is an article on the news site examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/article/anthropomorphic-arts-beautiful-beasts-and-clever-critters-at-fur-reality-2014

It concerns last weekend's Fur Reality convention in Cincinnati.


Sunday night 10/12/2014 brought to close Cincinnati's first annual anthropomorphic convention, Fur Reality by Ringtail Cafe. Fur Reality was actually initiated in 2013 as a part of an event of the Pandora Society. In 2013 the anthropomorphic events brought so many people that they had to get additional convention and hotel space. 2014 was Fur Reality's first full con adventure on their own and they pulled it off amazingly well.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Anthropomorphic, aka furry, fandom, it is an amazingly creative fandom of folks that love the stories, cartoons, artwork, and other aspects of humanized animals. As pointed out in an interview with one of the celebrities of the fandom, Uncle Kage, this weekend, anthropomorphic art and story telling goes back to the earliest of times when paintings and statues included the heads of animals with the bodies of humans and vice versa and includes literature such as Aesop's Fables and the Bible.

The furry community is known for its artists and other creative genius and that creativity was in evidence throughout the weekend. The whole convention revolved around an immersive storyline and game that rivaled what one might only find at larger conventions like Gen Con and surpassed the quality and creative focus that this writer has observed at most other events.

Participants received the convention booklet with a beautiful, full color comic introduction to weekends story. A computer, The Machine, that was designed to serve humanity has concluded that the best way to serve is to integrate/assimilate humanity (and furmanity, of course!) into her core.

In an effort to end the hostilities without further bloodshed and loss of resources, The Machine has agreed to a weekend competition. The winner of the most points receives humanity as the prize. If humanity wins, the computer agrees to a reboot, but if she wins, humanity will be assimilated without further resistance.

The points were awarded for solving puzzles, helping out with the convention, making purchases in the vendor's room, and attending/participating in events. The point counters were four different sets of double sided, full colored, glossy, business sized cards that were collected at the end of the weekend. The Machine had times over the weekend when ticket holders could turn in their tickets for spins on a prize wheel and win trinkets to take home with them.

The events of the weekend included lectures and demonstrations related to costumes, comics, and other creativity, karaoke, comedic performances by Xander the Blue, Alkali Bismuth, and the incomparable Uncle Kage. Games and gaming were also a big part of the convention from board and role-playing games to fursuit games like hot potato and musical chairs. In the main events area a life-sized board game was set up with the playing pieces (convention participants standing on the squares) going around the audience. The players in front rolled beach ball sized dice to move the playing pieces around the board. The squares they landed on would determine the next competitive game that the rest of the team members would play from pool noodle sword fighting to Nerf duels.

While not engaging in gaming or sitting in on seminars and stories with Uncle Kage and others, the attendees could visit the artist alley and purchase their creative works or stop by the vendors hall and peruse a plethora of potential purchases. The fine folks at Misc-Etcetera broke through this writers resistance and ended a spree of several events without making a purchase, with a piece of jewelry that will be added to his steampunk gear. Also in the vendors room were legos you could play with and a fun display of anthropomorphic Legos by Rodney Dicus of the Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana Lego Users Group, and the creator and minions of "Kitsune of Foxes and Fools."

During the closing ceremony Sunday evening the audience was invited to turn in their points and their tickets were counted to determine the fate of humanity as well as award prizes for the most of tickets of each category and the most tickets of all types of tickets. As it turned out, The Machine was a few tickets short on assimilating humanity. Oh, and rumors that this writer may have inadvertently placed his tickets in The Machine's ballot box are merely rumors (besides, her ticket receptacle was purple and she's cute!)

Here are a pair of segments broadcast on Australian radio network Triple J.


First (from September 22) is "Furries!", which coincided with Sydney's 2014 FurJAM event:
Hack takes you inside the furry community to find out why people love dressing up as furry animals. Is it a sex thing? A creative outlet? Or, just a way to belong?http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/stories/s4092570.htm
On SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/triple-j-hack/furries



A week later they followed up with "What's a therian?":
You would have heard of transgender, but have you heard of 'trans-species'? Hack takes you inside the home of two people who say despite their human bodies, they're dragons. And they're not alone. Around the world there are thousands of people known as therians who believe their spirit is an animal.https://soundcloud.com/triple-j-hack/whats-a-therian

original article (there is a video there that I can't seem  t post here)


The Eurofurence is the largest convention bringing together the "furries" of the planet.

Founded in 1995 by a Tes-Tui-H'ar it is held every summer in Germany. This is also seeking who this character I came across his Wiki page. But not all of us squattons Wikipedia. one of "furries" . We can learn that Tes-Tui-H'ar is a German cat. Difficult to find a picture but there is likely to be him back on it at the last edition:

Eurofuence

In 2014 it was held in Berlin and was attended by over 2000 people! Finally people ... Participants are called "furries".

Clearly the "furries" are people who love to dress up as their favorite animal, and if they could, they would live and throughout the year. This would still be crazy enough to come across from time to time one or a furrie the street right? Happens sometimes but not sure this is a real furrie behind. How do I know ...

Arte wanted to know more about this convention and went to our delight, the latest edition. The chain said: "So of course we had our little a priori, and we find that there is still probably hobbies a bit more" normal ", but can also be a little more boring. We learned how hard it is to dance in wolf costume and why memento most common of such an agreement is the microbe. Our reporter met an open and welcoming community. "

http://www.rbb-online.de/panorama/beitrag/2014/08/eurofurence-convention-tierkostueme-treffen-in-berlin.html

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a really cool html pull down menu on the main articles website that interviews a couple of fursuiters about themselves but I can't post that part so go to the original linl, translate it, and have a look!

When people become soft toys

In her spare time she bear teddy fur or feathers - the "Furries". These are people who like to play for a few hours, monkey, elephant or wolf. In Berlin they came to the 20th Eurofurence, the largest meeting of Furry fans in Europe, together Anke Werner has taken the Furries and asked:. Why you do that?

They call themselves Tinka, Tefnut Nastula or Berion: the Furries on Eurofurence. About 2,000 Furries Estrel Hotel met with like-minded people in Berlin. They come from over 40 countries, for example Russia, Ukraine, Finland, the USA and Great Britain.

The artist, costume builders, puppeteers, musicians and animal lovers exchanged views on their bizarre hobby, attended workshops, go to the Furry-disco and watch in Japanese fursuit acrobatics. The highlight was the legendary among fans puppet Eurofurence.

To kick off the furries are drawn in a procession through the hotel and have made a group photo in front of the hotel. With their sweeping tails and huge paws some fell walking difficult, especially since they have a rather limited field of view with its large animal heads. Circa 700 furries in animal costumes posing in front of the hotel. Many passers-by stopped and looked amused and listened to the howling animal, which sang the crowd in between.

Unlike Trekkies or manga disciples

EV Michael Graf from the club Eurofurence teacher of History and English. His furry character is the lynx. The Swiss loves and admires the properties of cats, they are "curious, independent, perhaps a bit lazy, elegant. It embodies what I myself would like to see me or what I am to you." And so it goes just as well: The people are more open and unprejudiced to share with people. Your Fursuit gives them self-confidence.

Compared with manga and science fiction have "Furries," said Graf, not the standard works to which they refer: "In Star Trek fans have seen all the episodes, fans of the series In Furry fandom is. different. these are people who think of themselves animal figures of any kind. " They draw pictures of their characters and sew the costumes to some extent self. But some film characters are very popular. For example, Disney's "The Lion King" or the raccoon from the latest animated film "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Foxes, wolves, dragons on top

Among the furries there are some animals that are found in all color variations and over again: foxes, wolves, big cats and dragons. Although the furries look damn fluffy out in their costumes, but under the mask it cooks. You sweat excessively under-their second animal skin.

So they do not overheat, some ice packs or cooling vests have under her costume others have electric fans mounted in their head. In the fursuit lounge are several industrial fan, cool down the air.

15 years ago the Eurofurence was the last time in Berlin. At the time they met in the youth village on Müggelsee. Present were only about 100 participants. Compared to today, a rather small group

INTERVIEWS:

Willion the Lion

Why are you a furry?
This can be difficult to generalize. Each Furry has a unique interpretation of what makes him himself for Furry. I come from the theater area, I like to play other roles. That's why I've come up with the character and if I'm wearing the suit, it's like a huge stage where you can just run times as two hours and watch what happens. It's like an hour improv theater.

Since when do you do it?
Since 2008 I have since contact zm "fandom" and I have met people and since 2010 "fursuite" I do.

Who is your character and why did you choose this fursuit?
My character is called yes Willion. And that is a variation of William and "lion". I like the movie "The Lion King" and totally happy to have me always told everyone that I'm a cat person anyway. That's why I thought that the lion is best suited to me. Because I very much like the stories of "The Lion King", I have felt a connection to it because I could put me in good.

Who is behind your mask?
In normal life I'm cutter, I cut films and contributions.

How much your hobby influenced your life?
I think that you can throw in the suit and can go out there and who can be different, which makes an enormous amount of self-confidence. Then, even if I no longer'm wearing the suit, I still have the feeling that I have developed self-confidence. Because I have found a way to go out and to let people participate in this creation, this character. It's like in the theater: there is one on the stage, two hours played his character and then has a huge applause. That you're here, too.

-------------------------- end

Berion, a Siberian Husky

Why are you a furry?
It's just a hobby of mine. I've seen it on TV back then, and I have then been interested in've searched the internet for it and then I come on a forum and got to know nice people. So all this has run its course.

Since when are you a furry?
For almost five years. The costume I have for almost three years.

Why did you choose for the Siberian Husky?
This has no special meaning. When I'm fresh arrivals in the group, I was looking around, what I like, what is there for different characters and there gave me the Husky liked best. With the two different colors of eyes. It looked just out really well. Here we see around us a couple of colorful creatures. But I decided for something more natural, because I personally like better.

Who is behind the mask?
I am computer science clerk at a bank. And'm doing this in my spare time. It's not that I'm running around so all day. Other people go dancing or go to any balls and I disguise myself as a Husky and stop trying to make people happy.

How do you make people happy because?
A friend of mine from Holland, for example, regularly goes to the Children's Hospital in costume and tries to cheer up the children, simply convey positive thoughts. The same also makes them in the zoo. Or on weekends through just about the shopping area, goofing around and conjure up a smile to people's face.

--------------end

The Zephyr

Why are you a furry?
I like to dress up as an anthropomorphic animal (Wikipedia: "awarding human characteristics to animals, gods, natural forces, and the like") because I am very interested in fantasy. In the fantasy, there are no limits. You can do whatever you want.

Since when are you a furry?
For fourteen years. I have been interested in anthropomorphic art and I enjoyed the topics like.

Why did you choose this fursuit?
It reflects an aggressive side of me, but is also very elegant.

Who is behind the mask?
I am an artist. I work as a freelance artist of to home. I make art for my clients.

What kind of art?
Everything that has to do with furries and anthropomorphic creatures. What the customer wants.

---------------end

Tefnut IV Nastula, a serval of Africa

Why are you a furry?
This question is difficult to answer. I am a furry, because I felt connected with cats all my life. I always dreamed to be a cat, or to have a cat, so how many people dream of a unicorn or a dragon to be. And eventually crystallizes out: ok, I want to have a costume and then they realize there's a community.

Since when are you a furry?
I am here for about ten years, all my life I certainly felt myself as furry.

Why did you choose this fursuit character?
I represent a Serval. This is a medium sized cat from Africa. This figure has found me, which is based on a computer game where you can customize his character in animal costumes and I've then copied itself. You have to model the whole head, sew the paws, sew the body, the hind feet, that's a work of three days, even when working with the machine. And the head since I was about two months, though it is made of PET-grid, so this leaf guard from gutters. In the Internet there are instructions on how best to use foam insulation blankets and how to use PET mesh.

What makes the costume with you?
It makes me sweat animal (laughs). It lets you experience me to put my opponent in amazement and enthusiasm and that fills me with joy to see small children as they get stunned me and say "how fluffy". Adults who come to me and ask, "May I take a picture?". The experience of joy to others, because it is worth it to me. It makes me not feel like an animal. It gives me the chance reinzuschlüpfen in a role where I can give pleasure to others, like a clown in the circus, except that I get no money for it and make fun of it.

Who is behind the mask?
I myself am a trained locksmith, as you can see a little fuller nature (laughs). An ordinary average citizen, with normal life of from time to time purely slips into a costume that looks a little funny and fluffy.

-----------------end

Mathwolky, a mixture of wolf and husky

Why are you a furry?
I was in another Convention - Anime / Manga - and since I have seen such a fursuit and has since acted with children and people and immediately conjured them up a smile. In this day and age people are always skeptical when a stranger comes and because they respond and meet new people, which is always distant. And with the Fursuit you have a great opportunity to make people happy. I've also gefursuitet in a children's hospital. Simply pull out the people from everyday life and additionally at a convention so nice people identify learning that is just a great thing.

Since when are you a furry?
In the "fandom" I'm two years. Last August I attended the first convention.

As the Furry-ness influenced your life?
Previously I've done a lot with local people. Through the "fandom" I've had people from all over many nations met. I could currently staying in about thirty countries in the people I've met, I know many Americans now. International thinking and the world is better acquainted in that the events take place all over the world really great. My holiday has become much more diversified and active. It makes a lot of fun.

Why did you choose this fursuit?
My character's name is Mathwolfky. The make quite a lot so that species in the name of pure increase. Each designed his costume even, or make the most of it and then they are built. I, for example, is now bought, because I'm not that talented.

So you have to own designed and then let the tailor?
Exactly. So it is with most costumes. A couple of them have also made ??themselves. But most are designed and tailored by someone called "fursuit-maker". It takes just already talent that they also look good.

Why did you choose for your character?
I was always fascinated as a child by wolves. I think the animals just great and not only the animals themselves, but also the attributes that are ascribed to them by the mythology. This is a very attractive animal for me and I have also let me have a stab Wolf tattoo before I even knew what the whole furry stuff. Then I am pure get here and then I did not have to think twice. I was already a wolf tattoo, and so it was then relatively straightforward.

And then the Husky mixed with pure?
Just because I find the animals so great. They're just so excited, full of energy. The first thought was my children to "suites", charity and so I wanted to address a Suit with vibrant colors, the children. The Husky is still energetic and the wolf is more serious and a child would you rather not send a wolf.

Who is behind the mask?
I'm Matthias, 21 years old and from Switzerland, was doing a normal office job and go 50 percent of the time on a drama school and have to be in front of cabin crew and the whole here is a big hobby of mine, I also around the world 'm doing. You can know people from all sorts of nations and that is really great. I like to swim, I like to read. I lead a more normal life otherwise. Although the "fursuits" is a wicked thing, but do not you also draws at home.

-------------------end

• Tinka, the rainbow fox
  
  
  Colorful Fury Cat "Tinka" (Source: rbb / Anke Werner)
  
  Why are you a furry?
  I work as a mechanic and my hobby is to dress up in fursuits. I like them very much. But with the "fandom" is about much more: it is about art and creativity. Everyone pulls something for it and for me it's about to wear a fursuit.
  
  Since when are you a furry?
  For many many years. But two years ago I started and also to go to meetings.
  
  How has it changed your life?
  I have more fun. Before I deliberately do not know where to go on vacation. Now I no longer have such problems. I may be a furry convention.
  
  Why did you choose this fursuit character?
  I used to have a Plush Teddy, named Tinka and so I chose this name. My character is a fox, I like foxes, they are very cute and for me the rainbow-fox is the cutest fox of them all. Tinka has like fun, helps other people and
  
  What makes the costume with you?
  I work as a mechanic and the person that I am is there, rather strict and boring. The costume opens me makes me kind to many people and is very different from my working life.
  
  Who is behind the mask?
  Tinka is more about my self. It is no longer just a character. The old Tinka who works as a mechanic, no longer exists. I am now more like Tinka as my old self.
  
  -------------------end
  
  The Polarwolf
  Why are you a furry?
  Because it's fun for me to transform itself for a short time in an animal.
  
  Since when are you a furry?
  I do that now for about two years.
  
  Why are you a Polar Wolf?
  Because this is my species simply because I feel like an arctic wolf, a wolf in me.
  
  How then feels a Polar Wolf?
  Wild, unconstrained, freely: the life of a wolf.
  
  Who is behind the mask?
  I'm self-employed gardeners and landscapers, so have a normal job like everyone else, stand with both feet on the ground.
  
  What makes the costume with you?
  I'm just free and open, you can just let out what's inside so in me.