Okay I admit I took this photo off of their site…it’s still a great photo
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Tag: fursuiters
Getting A Head in A Furwalk
Why I Love Furwalks
You meet so many interesting people.
Having fun with the furries Upgruv went out to learn some things about the costumed crowd in Pittsburgh this weekend by Chris Pastrick
as originally posted on upgruv.com
The fur is back in town. That means running into a fursuiter — uh, furry — on the streets of Pittsburgh is likely in the coming days. (Their annual Anthrocon runs from Thursday to Sunday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.)
So, what do you do when you encounter one? Should you turn tail and run? Slap ’em on the back?
Well, we bumped into a few furries outside the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh Hotel and got a few things cleared up.
The three we talked with all exhibited many versions of furrydom.
“Basically, there’s different levels of fur suits,” Larry LePew told us (he wore only an oversized black and white tail). “Some people wear just a tail and ears. There are some people that have the partials — hand paws, feet paws — and full.”
And don’t worry, folks — it’s not real fur. “I’m pretty sure most furries are against real fur,” LePew said. “I’ve never seen a fur suit made with real fur.”
We noticed that Neko Aura, a grey and white (with touches of turquoise) furry, wasn’t saying much. In fact, he was saying anything. Yet, his friend, Tail Starwald, talked behind his fur head. What gives?
“It basically depends on the fursuiters,” LePew told us. “Some fursuiters talk in suit. Some fursuiters are against it. They usually just communicate with gestures and waving. … Then, you have ones that have squeakers. They’ll put a squeaker in their mouth, and they’ll actually make words.”
Mostly the furries will stick around the Westin hotel lobby or hang out on the Convention Center rooftop. But, they’ll also hang out at Tonic Bar & Grill or Fernando’s Cafe on Liberty Avenue.
“We pretty much take over the whole city,” Tail Starwald said.
And they love it here.
“The first time I came to the city, I fell in love,” LePew said. “It’s such a clean city. Very modern. Very eco-friendly — a lot of the buildings and architecture. The people here are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever encountered. They’re very helpful. They just love it when the furries are here. I just love this city. Someday I want to live here.”
While Pittsburgh’s isn’t the only furry gathering (check the Convention Map over at WikiFur), Anthrocon, is the world’s biggest. Last year, more than 6,300 furries were in town. Each year, the numbers go up. It began in Albany, N.Y., in 1997, but since 2006, it’s been here in Pittsburgh. This year’s theme, “Roaring Twenties,” is in honor of the 20th Anthrocon. It’s scheduled to continue here through at least 2021. Attendees come from more than 34 countries.
Last year, NPR spoke with Anthrocon chairman Samuel Conway. He tried to clear up a few things. Like, what is a furry?
“(It’s) either a cartoon animal or a fan of cartoon animals,” Conway told NPR’s “All Things Considered.” “We use the terms interchangeably. … We create our own fandom. Every person here is an individual dreamer, has made their own world.”
What about those who say it’s all some sick sex thing?
“I could probably go on all day. ‘I heard the furries this, I heard the furries that!’ The only real statement is, ‘I heard that furries are some of the most creative people on the face of the planet,’ ” Conway said.
OK, so what does go on at the Anthrocon? “People go to the raves, the dances,” LePew said. “There’s fursuit games that they have. … There’s gaming rooms. There’s what’s called the Zoo, where people go to socialize, do artwork.”
So, what drives these folks to don their fursona?
“It’s … for fun is the No. 1 thing. … I feel it’s rewarding,” LePew said. “I suffer from some social anxiety, but when I put the costume on that melts away. I feel like I can be comfortable. I can socialize with people. … It’s freeing.”
“You pretty much feel like you can be yourself — adorable,” Starwald added.
Should you come upon one of these lovable creatures, there are a few things you might want to keep in mind. Anthrocon’s website offers some tips:
1. Furries have limited visibility. Most of them can’t turn their costumed heads. A lot of times, they see only about 10 percent of what the rest of us can see. So, no sneaking up behind them — you could not only scare the shit out of them, but you could hurt them. Always approach from the front, and be polite for heaven’s sake. Believe it or not, there’s a person in there.
2. Furry costumes get hot. Really hot. Like 110 degrees in a matter of minutes hot. Those costumes trap all of their body heat and generally causes incredible sweating. Suiters need water and cooling often. “If you see a fursuiter and they motion that they need to leave … don’t stop them. They could be really uncomfortable or badly in need of water.”
3. Let ’em in the elevators. Seems letting furries line-jump when waiting for an elevator is a thing. We didn’t know either. Don’t give ’em grief for it.
4. Respect the fur. That means hands off, dude. These folks have dropped some serious coin on their suits — maybe spending years on them. So, don’t touch — or “scritch” (scratching behind the ear) — unless the owner says it’s cool.
5. Not all furries are the same. Some are shy. Some are outgoing. Some talk. Some don’t. Some like hugs. Some want to be left alone. Just don’t get offended if a furry doesn’t respond the way you want them to.
6. Furries are giving. Last year, more than $240,000 was raised for various charities, including $35,000 for the Western PA Humane Society. This year, the Anthrocon picked the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium as the beneficiary.
7. They like a parade. Every year at the convention, the furries hold a parade. But it wasn’t until 2013 that they moved a small portion of it outdoors so that everyone could get a look. This year, furry fans can gather under the Convention Center (on 10th Street from the East Lobby to the West Lobby) at 2 p.m. Saturday. Colonel Eagleburger’s High Steppin Good Time Band will add a bit of jazz to this year’s march. It’s free.
Furries Explain How They Developed Their ‘Fursonas’ By Zak Krevitt
as originally posted on vice.com
All photos by the author
When people hear “furry” they instantly think of big, fuzzy animal outfits, called “fursuits.” Not all furries have fancy, ornate ones, but many in the fandom go all out when it comes to their second skin. For those looking to take their involvement in the community to the next level, the creation or commission of a fursuit is an act of outward expression and serious dedication (often, a financial one).
Fursuits can be intrinsic to the identities or alter egos that define the lifestyle, and some furries even keep multiple fursuits for multiple personalities. Most furries have concepted characters—referred to as “fursonas”—that they choose to represent themselves, and the suits can help articulate certain aspects of each character. For some, the fursona is an elevated state of self, an expression of an inner animal. For others, it’s more fantasy-based, a crafted identity, representing something they aspire to or deem important.
Fursuits are built by specific furries, many of whom make their entire living creating commissioned suites year round. While the cost of most fursuits hover around the $1,000-$4,000 range, they can cost up to $10,000, depending on intricacy, quality, and the reputation of the maker. While at Biggest Little Fur Con—the fastest-growing furry convention in the country, held in mid-May in Reno, Nevada—I caught up with a handful of furrys to find out about the genesis of their fursona and fursuits.
JEBRONI, aka “Certified Love Kitten”
Maine Coon Kitten
I’m Jebroni Kitty, and I come from Chicago. I came up with my character because I was trying to discover what I liked [within the subculture]. I took pieces of inspiration from things like Second Life to create my fursuit, and I’ve always been a cat. It’s just how I’ve always acted and felt.
I love hearts, and I like blue and pink—the colors of my fursuit—because they just mix well together. I’m a big guy, but I wanted to be a house cat, so I’m a Maine Coon. Big, husky, cuddly, and very mild-natured. I became known as the Love Kitten after going out with my stuffed hearts, which I carry around with me a lot. I often give my heart out to people, and then other furries started calling me Love Kitten.
MUKILTEO
Dog
I live on Woodbee Island in Washington State and this is my character Mukilteo. I have a website where I teach people how to make and build fursuit costumes, too. I have been in the furry fandom for a very long time, since 1998 or 1999.
Mukilteo was my first furry character, I had gotten this costume as a trade with another fursuit maker. This character is the bad dog. He wears a shock collar and he’s a dog party advocate. He fights for Couch Rights and access to fresh water and walks to the park, and more treats! We want fresh bones and snacks!
I have another character, Matrices, and she’s a gray dog, with folded back ears, and has a marking on her forehead. She’s the one that really represents myself more so than Mukilteo, and she is the one I have as my avatar online. But Mukilteo is my fun one to take to the dance.
I know I’m a human on the inside, but it’s fun to play around and have a different character for a little while. I’ve had the character so long… it’s been about 15 years or longer.
TROUBULL
Bull
Originally [my species pick] came from the ox in the Chinese Zodiac. The ox is the working animal, and I’ve always felt that in my life I have been the one working long hours, seeing things through, being someone people can count on. The bull and the ox are very similar, with the exception that the ox can be a bull and it also does chores. I’ve always identified very strongly with that.
Initially I started as a fox, just cause I had no clue what to do. All of my friends at the time were equine or horses, and I kind of felt like I didn’t want to do the same thing that they did. I realized that not only was the bull interesting, but it was unique. In addition to that, there are all different kinds of pun-ish humor to it, like being the bull when cows are the ones that make milk—and milk can kind of be associated with something that’s not appropriate.
MARTIN FREEHUGZ
Wolf
Furry Martin and human Martin are pretty much the same being. The only difference is that one’s human and the other is a blue wolf. Everything I do as a human (mannerisms/actions/sounds) are all stuff I do in my fursuit. I do get more cordial and energetic as wolf Martin. I love seeing people happy and wolf Martin easily fulfills that need.
I decided on a wolf because I’ve always respected their raw primal power. A wolf is ferocious, yet still has the ability to be charming and lovable. I decided to pick blue as the primary color on me for a couple of reasons. For one, blue is extremely rare in the animal kingdom (a blue wolf in real life would have a very hard time surviving).
I’m a bit idealistic toward the sustainable lifestyle and the struggles of life. Living a normal, stagnant life is not my intention. Living as an outlier humbles me. Experiencing the lows and savoring the highs is what life is about. Being blue in the wild would make life tough… Just the way I want to experience it. Darwin would be disappointed in my fursona. Also, blue is my favorite color.
RABID RABBIT
English Spot Breed Rabbit
I decided on the name a long time ago. My original fursona was a crazy rabbit with a straight jacket. When I got my fursuit, I wanted a happier and toony character that was easily approachable. My name, “Rabid,” had already stuck, though. I decided on the rabbit because I’ve always loved them and felt a connection to them—perhaps because they, like the coyote and fox, are the tricksters in mythology. Unlike the coyote and fox, they are not predatory and are not nefarious.
I identify with my fursona and do consider myself and my fursona as one in the same. I have two new fursuits commissioned from Rabid Rabbit. Between fursuit commissions, conferences, and other activities, I’m sure I will spend about $10,000 this year on my furry lifestyle.
Fursuits from the Past
1912
1942
MFF At Acen
I want to silence any rumors going around about MFF hating Acen. I found this on MFF’s Twitter page, it was taken at a panel at Acen https://twitter.com/midwestfurfest
Furries, fans unite at CHVRCHES performance at Fox Theatre
as originally posted on dailycal.org
BY JOSHUA BOTE | SENIOR STAFFLAST UPDATED 19 HOURS AGO
Scottish electro-pop outfit Chvrches, stylized as CHVRCHES, excels at its craft — triumphant pop songs that launch into the stratosphere but wear their broken heart on their astronaut suit sleeve.
“We’ve played, like, 470 shows,” announced Chvrches frontwoman Lauren Mayberry four songs into the band’s second night at the Fox Theater on Tuesday — a mini-residency lodged between Coachella weekends and its third appearance in the Bay Area after October’s Treasure Island Music Festival and December’s Not So Silent Night. “It’s a well-oiled machine, but it’s not always the same.”
And the night ultimately was another pitch-perfect, stadium-ready set from the band. Chvrches’ live shows on its Every Open Eye tour are technically stellar, well-rehearsed from its intergalactic entrance — complete with a background of flickering wall strobes and an inscrutable, alien-like transmission — to the final echoes of its gargantuan stateside hit “The Mother We Share.”
Its performance of “We Sink” was all stadium-worthy grandiosity. Unrestrained from the confines of headphones and accompanied on stage by a dizzying fractal background, the song reached new sonic heights. But had the band committed to the kind of relentless, excessive audio-visual barrage song after song, the set would have lost much of its appeal.
Chvrches stands out among its radio-friendly, alt-rock peers, precisely because its sets aren’t pitch-perfect recreations of its studio offerings. The songs’ boundless energy are countered by their emotional resonance, and neither the band nor the audience ran out of steam by the set’s end because of the band’s tactful, tension-filled pacing throughout the night.
It helps that Mayberry wields a masterful stage presence, striding on stage and dancing exclusively with power positions and gazing deeply into the crowd’s eyes. And even when she wasn’t all triumph and poise, she still served as the emotional core of the band’s weighty anthems.
Fresh off performing the power-pop lament “Empty Threat,” Mayberry paced around the stage, seemingly befuddled. “Am I just tired or are there stuffed animals in the audience?” she asked. There were. And, for a solid five minutes, she prattled on about furries — about the awful time she had hugging the critters at Disney World, about whether or not their costuming “was a sex thing” and whether or not they could bring them onstage during their show.
They could, and they did.
Ultimately, Chvrches’ show went awry in the best way. Not only did the costumed individuals dance on stage for a song or three, but Mayberry shed the mystical, practiced veneer of the band’s well-rehearsed tour schedule to unveil something better: a live show with heart and just a bit of humor. She giggled her way through “Gun” after a grand entrance from the furries and apologized to the folks in the audience who wanted to sing along with her. Immediately after the song, she joked to the audience and her impromptu stage performers, “You do realize that, if the Republicans get into office, this shit won’t fly.” And she remained as approachable even if, by the time the furries stepped off the stage, she couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm to give them a hug goodbye.
It may have been an unintentional outcome, but the rest of Chvrches’ set dazzled with its hair down. Maybe it was because the band wound up performing its crowd-favorite hits right after its newfound furry companions stepped off stage, or maybe it was because multi-instrumentalist and occasional vocalist Iain Cook took the starring role to perform fan-favorites “High Enough to Carry You Over” and “Under the Tide.” But with the pretense of perfection obliterated by the arrival, the night already felt like a resounding success.
By the time Mayberry walked to the front of the stage to perform the much-awaited “The Mother We Share,” her acapella-styled introduction felt all the more vulnerable. She teased it out, encouraging the crowd to sing along with her — an apology to the fans who may have expected the well-oiled machine of the typical Chvrches performance and a thank you to the fans who embraced the unexpectedness of this one.
Joshua Bote is the assistant arts & entertainment editor. Contact him at jbote@dailycal.org. Tweet him at @joshuaboat.
Comfortable in their own fur: people like to dress as animals
as originally posted on shakopee valley news
By Amanda McKnight
The Marcus movie theater in Shakopee was crawling with foxes and bears and cats earlier this month, but not the kind that live in the wild.
More than 100 people were in town dressed up as anthropomorphic animals to attend a showing of “Zootopia,” hosted by MN Furs.
“The term ‘furry’ refers to people that are into anthropomorphic artwork,” said Trent “Drake” Fleury, events department head for MN Furs. “We heard ‘Zootopia’ was coming, and there was a huge interest in the fur community.”
People of all ages streamed into the theater on March 5, some wearing tails, some with fur-suit heads tucked under their arms, and some pulling suitcases on wheels so they could change into costume in the theater.
Attendees of MN Furs events range from casual or minimalist “cosplayers,” who may only sport paws and a tail to those who invest thousands of dollars into their fur-suits. For some, putting on their fur-suit means adopting an entirely different persona.
“People have personas,” explained Fleury. “So I’m a silver fox. My character name is Drake. He’s into writing poetry and organizing for the MN Furs. I’ve earned the fun name of Business Fox.”
For local fur-suit designer Carly Paulson, fur-suit cosplay is a fun way to express herself and not take life too seriously.
Paulson, who lives in Shakopee, has been a full-time fur-suit designer since she graduated Shakopee High School in 2012. Now her fur-suits are in such high demand she can only take orders once a year, and even then she often receives hundreds more requests than she can fill.
“I have to narrow it down and choose around 10 people [annually],” she explained. “My queue can be up to a year wait.”
Paulson said some fur-suit makers have waiting lists up to three years long.
Paulson became interested in anthropomorphic fandom around the age of 15, but as a teenager she couldn’t afford the elaborate costumes that cost thousands of dollars. She began making her own, and over time it grew into more than a hobby. To other furries, she is known as Phoenix Wolf.
Some costumes even have specialized features like reptilian skin or light-up eyes.
“Each fur-suit is very special to each person, an expression of their own character,” she explained. “It’s a way to escape stressful life and just have fun, make people smile and be an animal for a while.”
According to Fleury, furry fandom is more common than some people might think. The MN Furs hosts everything from conventions to social meet-ups to fundraisers for charity, and all of it revolves around a love for anthropomorphic artwork and entertainment. Hundreds of people from around the metro area attend the events, most dressed in character.
“The key word is community,” said Fleury. “This is a community where everyone can come together with that same interest and have fun with it.”
Furry Times 