My theory is not a proliferation of anthropomorphic characters; as you and the article (and everyone under the sun) has already pointed out, they have always been prolific.
No, I believe the mid-80s comic book "maturation" is too blame; superheroes gained a modicum of respect, and funny animal fans (a genre just as connected with comics as animation) probably wanted the same respect.
They, uh, didn't get it. To put it mildly.
More recently, both anime and Pixar have give animation more mainstream "respect;" furry seems to be in a state of once bit, twice shy, but I think the trends are good that furry comics and art may start to get a little respect in the near future.
My theory is not a proliferation of anthropomorphic characters; as you and the article (and everyone under the sun) has already pointed out, they have always been prolific.
No, I believe the mid-80s comic book "maturation" is too blame; superheroes gained a modicum of respect, and funny animal fans (a genre just as connected with comics as animation) probably wanted the same respect.
They, uh, didn't get it. To put it mildly.
More recently, both anime and Pixar have give animation more mainstream "respect;" furry seems to be in a state of once bit, twice shy, but I think the trends are good that furry comics and art may start to get a little respect in the near future.