I don't know what this means, but I can affirm from personal knowledge (like, I was there, too) that Mark Merlino was one of the attendees at the 1980 Worldcon in Boston who "discovered" Steve Gallacci and his Erma Felna. Merlino's & Rod O'Riley's well-publicized "Furry Parties" in their hotel rooms at mid-1980s West Coast s-f and comics conventions were responsible for the name of "furry fandom". And Merlino & O'Riley organized the first furry convention, ConFurence 0, in January 1989.
I don't know what this means, but I can affirm from personal knowledge (like, I was there, too) that Mark Merlino was one of the attendees at the 1980 Worldcon in Boston who "discovered" Steve Gallacci and his Erma Felna. Merlino's & Rod O'Riley's well-publicized "Furry Parties" in their hotel rooms at mid-1980s West Coast s-f and comics conventions were responsible for the name of "furry fandom". And Merlino & O'Riley organized the first furry convention, ConFurence 0, in January 1989.
Fred Patten