ConFurence | |
---|---|
Status | Inactive |
Genre | Furry |
Location(s) | California |
Country | United States |
Inaugurated | 1989 |
Most recent | 2003 |
Website | http://www.confurence.com/ |
ConFurence was the first exclusively furry convention, [1] held annually in southern California from 1989 to 2003. The large furry presence at the BayCon science fiction conventions instigated Mark Merlino and Rod O'Riley to throw "furry parties" at Westercon, Baycon, and other west coast sci-fi conventions in the late 80's. This led to the test gathering in 1989, ConFurence Zero. [2]
The convention became well known in mainstream media and among the furry fandom for its sexual themes. Sam Conway said, “By ConFurence 6 it looked like PrideFest”. Although Mark Merlino claims nothing special happened at the convention. [3]
After trying the Red Lion hotel, Confurence 0 was held at the Holiday Inn Bristol Plaza in Costa Mesa, California, on January 21 to 22, 1989. [2] According to Joe Strike, While attendance for this first serious attempt to create a "funny animal fandom" convention was sparse at 65 persons, it was enough to encourage the Californians to attempt a full-fledged furry convention next year. Attendance was doubled to 130 for the first official ConFurence convention in January 1990, [4] proving them right.
In 1997 Kare 11 reported adult oriented events going on at the convention. [5] At the height of popularity in 1998, ConFurence 9 boasted the then-largest furry convention attendance of 1250. [6]
Control of the ConFurence convention was transferred to Darrel Exline in 1999, who created a new entity called "The ConFurence Group" to run it, but by 2003 attendance had dwindled to 470 due to increased competition from other regional furry conventions and infighting among different factions of anthropomorphic fandom. The final ConFurence gathering gained notoriety when television crew from The Man Show appeared and attempted to interview attendees on camera. [7]
With the demise of ConFurence, [8] Mark Merlino and Robert Johnson Jr. teamed up to establish Califur in 2004 to continue the tradition of a furry convention in Southern California. [9]
ConFurence created the mold by which other furry conventions were to follow, with the successful art show, a masquerade and an emphasis on fan-created content and Guests of Honor. As of 2018 there are dozens furry conventions and many more meets and gatherings all around the world, due in part to ConFurence's lead.
The name ConFurence is a registered trademark of the ConFurence Group. It is not a generic term for a furry convention, but as the original furry convention, many later cons took similar-sounding names, such as the now defunct ConFurence East (originally called Furtasticon in 1994 and took the name MoreFurCon just before its dissolution in 1997), and the current Eurofurence.
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices, differentiating fandom-affiliated people from those with only a casual interest.
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization.
Rowrbrazzle is an Amateur Press Association magazine devoted to funny animal cartoon illustration.
The furry fandom is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. Some examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The term "furry fandom" is also used to refer to the community of people who gather on the Internet and at furry conventions.
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Further Confusion, or Furcon, is an annual furry convention held in San Jose, California, each January, celebrating the anthropomorphics genre or furry fandom, including charitable benefits, educational seminars, art shows, panels and general social activities. It was the first event sponsored by Anthropomorphic Arts and Education and continues to be its largest.
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Albedo Anthropomorphics, or Albedo for short, is a furry comic book anthology series which was credited with starting the furry comic book subgenre that featured sophisticated stories with talking animals primarily intended for an adult audience. The first issue of Albedo was published in 1983; the most recent issue was published in 2005.
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A furry convention is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom – people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human animal characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a place for fans to meet, exchange ideas, transact business and engage in entertainment and recreation centered on this concept. Originating in California during the mid-1980s, as of 2016 there are over 50 furry conventions worldwide each year.
Samuel Charles Conway is an American researcher in the pharmaceutical, biomedical and agrochemical fields of organic chemistry. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Dartmouth College. Aside from his scientific career, Conway is known for his activities in the furry fandom, having served since 1999 as chairman and chief organizer of Anthrocon, one of the largest furry conventions in the world. He is a published author, and has acted as a volunteer emergency coordinator, entertainer, and auctioneer.
"Fur and Loathing" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the American crime drama television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and the 74th episode overall. Written by Jerry Stahl and directed by Richard J. Lewis, the episode first aired on CBS on October 30, 2003. The episode was influential in introducing many outsiders to the furry fandom and presented harmful stereotypes about the community.
Midwest FurFest (MFF) is a furry convention that takes place in Rosemont, Illinois, usually on the second weekend after Thanksgiving. First held in 2000, MFF is presented by Midwest Furry Fandom Inc, an Illinois Educational Not-For-Profit Corporation that exists primarily for the purpose of holding an annual convention to facilitate education in anthropomorphic literature and art. It also facilitates the donation of funds to non-profit institutions, mainly of which promote the well-being of humans and/or animals. The convention is among the most attended furry conventions in history, peaking at 15,547 attendees in 2023.
Mike Curtis is an American writer who scripts the Dick Tracy comic strip, with Joe Staton as artist. He has been working professionally in comic books as a writer since the mid-1980s. He has also been a newspaper editor, deputy sheriff, comic book publisher, movie theater manager, TV horror movie host, Santa Claus for 39 years in the family tradition, and is a Baptist minister.
Furry Weekend Atlanta (FWA) is a furry convention held annually in Atlanta, Georgia. Started in 2004, the convention caters to members of the furry fandom, a subculture focused around fictional anthropomorphic animal characters. Attendance has steadily risen throughout its history, peaking at roughly 15,000 attendees in 2024.
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Yiff is a slang term used in the furry fandom to refer to pornographic content of anthropomorphic animal characters. It is considered a tongue-in-cheek term in the furry fandom. The term is also used as a way to insult members of the furry fandom, such as in the phrase "yiff in hell". Additionally, the term is also used in the plushie fetish community.
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Unfortunately, this rumor helped to make problems at the convention, and since the "good" footage ended up unusable, only the bad footage remains... If either program is seen as "bad" toward the fandom, it's largely the fault of people who didn't want to speak up in a positive light when given the opportunity.
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