Samuel Conway | |
---|---|
Born | Samuel Charles Conway June 4, 1965 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S. [1] |
Other names | Uncle Kage |
Alma mater | Ursinus College (BS) Dartmouth College (PhD) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Organic chemistry |
Institutions | Food and Drug Administration |
Thesis | The Attempted Generation of Indolyne [2] |
Doctoral advisor | Gordon W. Gribble [2] |
Samuel Charles Conway [3] (born June 4, 1965) 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. [4] [5] [6] He is a published author, and has acted as a volunteer emergency coordinator, entertainer, and auctioneer.
A graduate of Ursinus College, Pennsylvania in 1986, Conway subsequently studied at the Burke Chemical Laboratories of Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1991. [1] [7] [8] His thesis concerned the attempted generation of indolyne (an aromatic compound related to indole). [2] [9]
After college, Conway took a postdoctoral appointment in Chicago, later working as a contractor for the Food and Drug Administration, a researcher for Bionetics, a medicinal chemist for Avid Therapeutics (March 1995 – August 1997) and researcher for Message Pharmaceuticals (August 1997 – April 1999). [10] He spent two years in organ distribution at the National Disease Research Interchange, and was subsequently employed by crop protection company Cerexagri as a regulatory chemist from May 2001 to June 2007, when he became a principal chemist for West Pharmaceutical Services. [1] [10] As of July 2013, he was working for a group near Raleigh, North Carolina. [11]
Conway has authored eleven professional publications and two patents. [1] One patent covers compounds intended to treat hepatitis B in synergy with lamivudine; [12] [13] another relates to recyclable packaging material. [14] [15] His work has been published in Heterocycles , [9] [16] Synthetic Communications , [17] [18] [19] Organic Preparations and Procedures International , [20] Water Research , [21] Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry , [22] Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy , [13] Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters [23] and Current Organic Chemistry . [24]
Conway was introduced to the furry fandom at Noreascon 3 (the 1989 Worldcon), [25] and has been involved in fan activities from the early 1990s to the present day.
Conway became the chairman of Anthrocon in 1999, after his invitation as a guest of honor in 1998. [26] Under his leadership, Anthrocon was incorporated and moved to Philadelphia. The convention's attendance grew from 842 to 2,489 over the period from 1999 to 2006, necessitating a further move to Pittsburgh; 3,390 attended in 2008. [27] [28] Conway is the public face of Anthrocon, responsible for public relations, negotiating hotel contracts, managing finances, damage control and other activities before, during and after the convention. He also talks to fans about presenting furry fandom to the public. [29] [30] [31]
Conway dissuades members of the fandom, and Anthrocon membership in particular, from responding to the mass media and news media, due in part to sensationalist coverage like the 2001 Vanity Fair article in which he was quoted. [32] In 2003 he said his standard response to the media was: "Anthrocon is a private event held on private property. Its membership is not interested in being the subject of your documentary." [33]
However, Conway relaxed this stance with Anthrocon's move to Pittsburgh in 2006. While no television, magazine or tabloid representatives were present, several newspapers were invited to attend, and did, including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review , [34] the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , [35] and the Pittsburgh City Paper , which printed both a preview and an extensive review. [36] [37] When local television station KDKA-TV showed up, Conway gave a short television interview outside the convention hotel. [38] In November 2006 he gave a radio interview to Dublin's 98FM. [39] Anthrocon still retains tight control over media access, not only to the convention grounds but to the membership, and has official policy [40] that forbids unmonitored dealings with unauthorized members of the media.
Conway styles himself "Furrydom's Storyteller", making annual appearances at Anthrocon in what has come to be known as Uncle Kage's Story Hour. The entertainment typically consists of four or five extended personal anecdotes. His stage name resulted from his first storytelling experience at ConFurence in 1994, and derives from his fandom name Kagemushi Goro (Shadow Bug Goro), a reference to Kagemusha . [26]
Conway is regularly invited to tell his stories at other fan conventions, including I-CON, [41] [42] Eurofurence, [43] [44] ConClave, [45] and Camp Feral!. [46] Gross sales from recordings of his Story Hours were over US$2600 in 2004; no profit was realized, as the intention was to increase membership and awareness of Anthrocon. [47] [48]
Conway's first auction was at Albany Anthrocon 1997. [50] Since then, he has presided over auctions which have raised over US$66,000 for a variety of local wildlife charities at Anthrocon alone. [51] He has performed similar services at other fan conventions, including Midwest FurFest. [52] Conway says his techniques are influenced by Phil Foglio and Joe Mayhew; they include humor and appeals to pity, novelty and scarcity. [32]
While known within the fandom for his spoken storytelling, Conway is also the author of several short stories published in various works by Sofawolf Press. [26]
In May 1998, Conway was invited to write a story based on his interest in birds of prey, particularly the red-tailed hawk. [26] The result was "Tweaked in the Head", published December 1999 in Flights of Fantasy . [53] [54] He next contributed to the first issue of HistoriMorphs, a fanzine mixing historical fiction with interaction between humans and anthropomorphic animals. [26] "The Secret of Wollknäul" took place in Nazi Germany at the end of World War II, and was published in June 2001. [55] He went on to write "The Good Bird of Nanking" and "It Takes A Fox" for subsequent issues of the series. [56] [57]
For Anthrolations #5—a magazine of dramatic fiction—Conway submitted "Six", a previously-written work "based on a true story" involving wildlife rehabilitation from his days as a Red Cross volunteer. [26] [58] The story, illustrated by Synnabar, was nominated for "Best Anthropomorphic Short Story" in the 2002 Ursa Major Awards. [59] Also nominated that year was Breaking the Ice: Stories from New Tibet, a collection set in and around a subarctic mining colony; Conway's contribution, "Dead End", features a bartending vulture who provides an introduction to the harsh, dystopic world. [60]
In 2012, Conway learned that Fernando's, a local restaurant, was going to be closing down due to financial trouble. Fernando's had welcomed Anthrocon guests and furries since Anthrocon moved to Pittsburgh. After putting word out on Twitter and YouTube, over $21,000 was raised in donations to keep the restaurant in business. [61]
While in college, Conway was a member of the Ursinius Meistersingers vocal music group, and the performing arts honor society Pi Nu Epsilon. [10] He became a volunteer for the American Red Cross Disaster Service in 1989, but quit in 1998 due to his perception of high-level corruption in the organization. He was an Emergency Management Coordinator while residing in Malvern, Pennsylvania. [11] [1] [10]
In March 1990, Conway became an experimental bone marrow donor for Mark Stevenson, a 4-year-old with Hunter syndrome. [62] [63] The operation was the first of its kind involving an unrelated donor, and was successful; Mark lived to 24. [64] Conway became an active volunteer for the National Marrow Donor Program, claiming to have helped add over 500 entries to their donor registry. [62]
Since May 1996, Conway has participated in the MadSci Network, a free questions-and-answers resource organized by the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis. [1] [7] [65] While most active in the period 1997–2000, [66] he remains a member as of 2009. [67] [68]
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.
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.
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.
Catbus is a fictional supporting character in the Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is a large, grinning, twelve-legged cat with a large bushy tail and a hollow body that serves as a bus, with windows and seats covered with fur. The character's popularity has led to a spinoff short film, toys for children, an art car, and an exhibit in the Ghibli Museum. Catbus is believed to be based on the Japanese bakeneko, an ancient urban legend where cats that grow old learn to shapeshift. In the original Japanese version of My Neighbor Totoro, Catbus is voiced by Naoki Tatsuta, whilst in the Disney English release, Catbus is voiced by Frank Welker, and by voice actor Carl Macek in the Streamline Pictures release.
Jim Martin is an American puppeteer and director, best known for his roles on Sesame Street. As part of the cast, he has won an Emmy Award. He has been nominated multiple times, and won for "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design/Styling" at the Emmys, also for Sesame Street.
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.
Midwest FurFest (MFF) is a furry convention that takes place in Rosemont, Illinois, usually on the second weekend after Thanksgiving. 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 was first held in 2000 and has grown to draw 15,547 attendees in 2023. As of December 2023, the 2023 event is the most attended convention in fandom history.
"Golden Retriever" is a song by Super Furry Animals. It was the first single to be issued from the album Phantom Power and reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart on its release in July 2003. The song is about the relationship between singer Gruff Rhys's girlfriend's two dogs and was written in the same key, with the same guitar tuning and around the same time as several other songs from Phantom Power.
Slow Life is an EP by the Welsh alternative rock band Super Furry Animals, released in 2004. The EP was made available as a free download and also saw a limited CD release, bundled with remix album Phantom Phorce. Lead track "Slow Life" appeared on the 2003 album Phantom Power and was originally composed as a purely electronic song by keyboardist Cian Ciaran several years earlier. The band were keen to finish the track and Ciaran encouraged them to jam over his original version—this jam was then edited and made into the finished song. The track "Motherfokker" is a collaboration between the Super Furry Animals and rap group Goldie Lookin Chain.
Plushophilia is a paraphilia involving stuffed toy animals. Many plushophiles modify their plushies with a hole or holes reminiscent of those found in sex toys, to allow them to sexually interact with their plushies. Plushophiles are sometimes called plushies, although this term (plushies) can also refer to non-sexual stuffed toy animal enthusiasts, and to stuffed toy animals in general. It is a form of object sexuality.
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.
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.
The Fandom is a 2020 documentary film focusing on the history and cultural influence of the furry fandom. Directed by filmmakers Ash Kreis and Eric Risher, it was released digitally and on Blu-Ray on July 3, 2020. The film is Kreis' directorial debut.
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.
Yiff is a slang term used in the furry fandom to refer to pornographic content. 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". The term is also used in the plushie fetish community.
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