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.
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.
Anthrocon is an annual furry convention that takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, each June or July. It caters to furries, which are fans of fictional anthropomorphic animal characters in art and literature. The convention was first held in 1997 in Albany, New York, and moved multiple times before settling at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Since moving to Pittsburgh in 2006, the convention has drawn millions in financing to the local economy.
ConFurence was the first exclusively furry convention, 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.
Fursuits are custom-made animal costumes owned and worn by cosplayers and members of the furry fandom, commonly known as "furries"; a furry who wears a fursuit is called a fursuiter. The term is believed to have been coined in 1993 by Robert King. Unlike mascot suits, which are usually affiliated with a team or organization, fursuits represent an original character created by their wearer, and are often better-fitting and more intricately crafted, with features such as a moving jaw. Fursuits are made in a wide range of styles, from cartoonish to highly realistic.
Eurofurence is a furry convention, initially held in changing places in Europe every year, but staying in Germany since 2004. It was originally started in 1995 as a private gathering by nineteen European furry fans who met on the Internet. Attendance has been steadily rising since then, to 3,495 at Eurofurence 26, making it the largest furry convention outside the United States. The name of the convention derives from its American back-then-counterpart ConFurence, emphasising the European nature of the gathering.
Robert Stratton "Buck" Coulson was an American science fiction writer, well-known fan, filk songwriter, fanzine editor and bookseller from Indiana.
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, United States, 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 top largest furry conventions in the world. He is a published author, and has acted as a volunteer emergency coordinator, entertainer, and auctioneer.
The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, formerly known as the Rosemont/O'Hare Exposition Center, is a convention center located in Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Built in 1975, the center has exhibition space of 840,000 sq ft (78,000 m2) and parking available via a Skybridge connected parking garage, which is able to accommodate 8,000 vehicles. It is located near O'Hare International Airport, Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre, and Fashion Outlets of Chicago. The facility is named after the late mayor of Rosemont, Donald E. Stephens.
Mischief Management, LLC is a company that organizes annual fandom-based conferences, including BroadwayCon, GeekyCon, Con of Thrones, LeakyCon, and Obsessed Fest.
BronyCon was an annual fan convention held on the East Coast of the United States for fans of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, among them adult and teenage bronies. Eleven events were held, with the final one in August 2019 drawing in 10,215 attendees. Though originally planned to run through 2025, it was announced at the closing ceremonies of the 2018 convention that 2019 would be the final year, tying in with the final season of the show.
Anime Midwest is an annual three-day anime convention held during July at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare and Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. The convention is held in the same location as Anime Central.
Furry Weekend Atlanta (FWA) is a furry convention held annually in Atlanta, Georgia.
DucKon was an annual science fiction convention held every May or June in the Chicago area between 1992 and 2014. The name is a shortening of DUpage CountyKONvention.
Anthro New England (ANE) is a furry convention that is held in the Greater Boston area of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was first held in 2015 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but moved to the Boston Park Plaza in 2018 and has been held in Boston annually since then. For 2023, Anthro New England is now being held at the Westin Boston Seaport Hotel. The 2021 event was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest event in 2023 reached a new attendance record of 3,548 attendees.
Ironclaw is a series of tabletop role-playing games created by Jason Holmgren of Sanguine Games, this series features anthropomorphic characters in a setting inspired by class and religious conflicts during the Italian Renaissance. Additionally, Jadeclaw is a related game that is set in a concurrent East Asian setting.
A fursona is a personally disclaimed persona resembling an anthropomorphic animal adopted by a member of the furry fandom. Fursonas can provide numerous roles for the creator, whether it be idealized versions of their adopter, fleshed out roleplay characters, or digital mascots. According to The New Science of Narcissism, 95% of those in the furry fandom have at least one fursona; with the Anthropomorphic Research Project estimating that the average furry has between two and three fursonas over the course of their life.
RainFurrest is a defunct furry convention located in Seattle. It was created to replace Conifur Northwest. It is particularly notable for multiple repeated incidents and managerial failures.
