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[Note to readers: Robert Hill (http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Robert_Hill and http://www.furaffinity.net/user/vawlkee/ ) is a furry (Vawlkee) I first met a few years ago. He is a talented artist and one of the original fursuit makers. He has worked as a costumed character and stage manager for Disney.]

This should be interesting, as I'm old enough (likely) to be your old man...

How is it that furry has become the private domain for the mainly under 30 crowd? As you know I was literally on the ground floor of what was to ultimately become "furry," and I can name names and time periods.

I've been the victim of snobbery, rudeness, and just plain ignorance - all because of my age! Epithets like "grey muzzle," etc. are offensive to me. These "people" acknowledge your age but don't give a damn who you are and what you've done.

The virtual disdain of the "furry" community to so much as chat with someone like me is offensive to the extreme. They add me to instant messaging and then when I want to chat, they plead that they "just aren't good" at communicating.

I'm almost ashamed to even admit that I'm a "furry."  It's all about kids and their paw-off art and animal costumes. I don't say "fursuits" - why should I? I made my first animal costume 25 years ago, before 90% of "furry" fandom was even born! Does anyone even know - much less even care? - Hell no! (I know you do - but that's another story.)

It's like a fucking wolf pack with three options: "Lead, follow, or get out of the fucking way!" I've pretty much chosen the latter.

I don't know if this is a question or simply the rant of a guy that's just plain in the wrong place at the wrong time!

--Robert Hill

* * *

Dear Robert,

As you know (and the following is more or less to benefit my younger readers), the furry fandom has really only been around since the 1980s (yes, there was some stuff leading up to that point, but I feel the beginning was in the '80s). To you and me, that doesn’t seem very long, but we now have a whole new crop of furries who were not even born at that time, as you note. Therefore, they know very little about you, and the MTV special and other films you appeared in, or the fursuits and art you created. Also, you have not been very involved in the community for many years, although your art is still online.

But the 1980s were a time when the Internet was still ARPANET and social networking wasn’t even a glimmer in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye. Hell, Zuckerberg (b. 1984, cubbies!) wasn’t even a glimmer in his parents’ eyes yet. The world has changed considerably, and so has the furry fandom. In its early days, furry was just a celebration of anthros. Now it is much much MUCH more. It has become a lifestyle for many people, something that really got out of hand with that entire Burned Furs nonsense. It has embraced all kinds of philosophies and beliefs, behaviors, and ways of acting. To those who object and have hissy fits about the things that have become associated with furry (from therians and otherkin to plushophiles and babyfurs), Papabear has three little words:

Get over yourselves.

Furry is supposed to be one thing: FUN! Fun through the combination—in myriad forms—of animal and human characters. Why are people fighting about something that, let’s face it, in the grand scheme of things really doesn’t matter? Do people who “take their art seriously” and get reverential over Brian Jacques’ “Redwall” series get hurt if there is a furry somewhere off in a corner masturbating to a naked picture of Mattimeo? No. With all the hunger, crime, war, and environmental destruction in this world, you all have other things in your lives that you should get riled up about instead. Ranting about what words people use to describe one furry or another is about as important as what brand of tampon Paris Hilton shoves up between her legs.

Why, Robert, do you object to being called a “greymuzzle”?  I, personally, take it as a badge of honor. I’m an older furry and younger furries look to me for guidance and when they call me a greymuzzle or, even better, a papabear, I am thrilled and honored. You don't get old by being a fool. Age is not a sin, nor is youth a virtue.

I don’t believe that the under-30 crowd have made the fandom their “private domain.” (Although there are some rather obnoxious people who think their scat smells like fresh cinnamon rolls, but that is true in every social group of humans I have ever seen). There is an active and growing older community of furries who form their own groups, such as the greymuzzle--pardon me, "chronologically advanced"--group I founded on FurAffinity.

Yes, there are a lot of young furries. Know why? Because the fandom is growing by leaps and bounds and because the fun of it all appeals to those with young hearts. This mostly means younger people, though I do know of some furries who came to the fandom later in life because they have youthful spirits, too. The terminology they have created (fursuits, murr, greymuzzles, noms, pawsome, etc. etc.) is just part of the charm. You don't have to say "fursuit," but it wouldn't kill you to do so.

As for older furries, there aren't as many because a lot of people who join the fandom when they are younger decide that it is "for kids" when they "grow up." I think that's sad, but that's how it often works. More power to greymuzzles, who, in this bear's opinion, are the hardcore furries through thick and thin to the end!

The youthfulness and energy of the fandom is one of its appeals, and a very good thing in Papabear’s book. Does it make me feel old when I mention Gilda Radner and a furry friend doesn’t know who I’m talking about? Sure, but then I tell them who Gilda was and voilá! They have something new in their lives they didn’t know about that makes them laugh and brings them joy.

Now, about chat and this furry “disdain” you are experiencing. It is actually true that many young furries are shy and have a hard time communicating. But you may find a little kindness and patience goes a long way. It might also be, dear Robert—and  please don’t take offense—that  your abruptness and cynicism turns them off and chases them away (and calling them "people" in quotation marks is a little offensive to them, don't you think?)

Here is my advice to you. Happiness with one’s life does not come from the plaudits of others but from the satisfaction of doing good for others. It is giving, not receiving, that makes a person happy. And you are not happy about the furry fandom because you wish that it would give you something that it hasn’t: more recognition. You will be much happier if you give back to the fandom, without expecting anything in return, because you are doing so out of the kindness of your own heart, out of love for others.

This is a lesson I myself learned. Papabear has had some doors slammed in his face, too. I am no stranger to rude furries, and I used to let this get to me. I don’t anymore. What I did was I went out and got me a good attitude about furries, set out to help younger furs in the fandom, extended a big paw of friendship ... and found that paws, hooves, claws, and wings, and maybe even a few fins and tickly insect feet grasped my paw in return. I have more furry friends than non-furry friends, and I am glad. And it is all due to attitude, Robert. 

There are many kind and sweet and loving people out there just waiting for you.  Don't conclude that "all furries" are young, rude snobs who can't communicate. That is not the case at all. Certainly not in my own experience.

Bear Hugs,

Papabear

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I was just thinking- so many movies must catch people's interest in the way of their anthropomorphic characters, and I think that's what partially draws some of us into the furry fandom.

After seeing this post about a movie with furry characters, Spirited Away (my favourite movie EVER) was brought to mind. I'm sure lots of us have seen it, but for those who don't know it has a character in it called Haku, who is a boy whose true form is a dragon, which he can transform into. Here's a wiki page: http://spiritedaway.wikia.com/wiki/Haku_(Nigihayami_Kohaku_Nushi)

Another movie I really love which is undoubtedly furry is Where the Wild Things Are. Although I've only seen it once, it's a beautiful movie, and I had the book it's based on read to me many times as a child.

So what are your favourite movies with furry characters, and which characters are they?

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Kyell, K.M., and Kit return to FC, sans Dick Powers, but with good times and wine and lots of questions! Unsheathed Live at FC 2012 - Live at Further Confusion 2012

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Author: crossaffliction With The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers hitting theaters this summer and together making approximately all of the money, conversations at work have gotten weird. I mean, I have definite opinions on which superhero would win against which superhero in a fight (for the record, Squirrel Girl always wins, Batman never loses [...]

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Alright, Here's the situation. You went to sleep one night. Normal human you. You woke up. And whatever your furry character would be, that was you. And you were the only person that this happened to. What would your first moments in your course of action be? I'd love to see your opinion of what you would do in the comments.

Me? First thing. I would wake up, spend a couple of minutes looking in the mirror, and freak out a little bit. I'd attempt to then try my various controls, to see if I know how to walk in the new body, or can still speak English for that matter. My next move would be to probably cut a hole in the back of some shorts to actually fit that tail through and wear something. Then, if I can talk, I would probably call up to all various places, and call in some sick time. Disappear from the radar for a little while. After that, I would make sure that a friend could run to the store and grab me a couple of bottles of shampoo (You've gotta clean that entire body of fur somehow). After that, I'd start to get into the swing of things. Doing the usual computer routine, and try to even type. Once I have accomplished that, I'd actually go outside. Contact some close family, explain the situation. Maybe get a few pictures up online of myself after having explained it all, and try to raise general publicity. That way, it would avoid me becoming some kind of new science experiment and hauled off to a lab. If I disappeared again, a bunch of people would notice. Once I can get into the general swing of things again, I would just try to live out my usual day-to-day life and enjoy everything.

EDIT: Tell me if you want more of these things. I've got plenty of 'em in my head!

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Word has come out of Florida a few days ago that Digital Domain are closing down their new animation studio, Tradition, effective immediately, and will instead focus their California and Vancouver, Canada studios on movie special effects. Tradition was an attempt by Digital Domain (a well-known special effects house created by Stan Winston, Scott Ross, and director James Cameron) to follow in the steps of another FX house, Sony Pictureworks, into the realm of animated features (as Sony did successfully with Open Season, Surf’s Up, and other films). Now, 300 people have been let go in Florida, and — from a furry fan perspective, perhaps another sad thing — work has stopped on The Legend of Tembo, Tradition’s first film, which would have followed the adventures of a young elephant. Cartoon Brew have been following this story closely, so check it out — but be prepared for some harsh words.

image c. 2012 Digital Domain

Hey everyone, I've only recently started to embrace the fact that I'm a furry and will be attending my first con (FurFright) later this year. I'm really curious, though, on how one becomes active and involved in the Furry community?

Any tips?

Also, if anyone is situated in or around Worcester, MA, give a shout out.

Thanks!

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As more of the EuroFurence XVIII  (Aug 31st 2012) footage comes in I found this, exclusive “Savannah Revolution” concert Rock’n'Rome .The revolution guys are a group of furry musicians, much like the ones I tend to bump into at Camp Feral ( there is a lot). These guys got their stuff down and look pretty damn sexy up there too. I feel the vibe in my pelvis I might start to swing it. Would be pretty kick ass now I think of it to get all the music peeps together and sing one big song.

I would like to know which picture/video/event/whatever you look back to and say: "Since that moment I knew I'm a furry."

As for myself, one year ago a small reference to the game Solatorobo on an online gaming magazine from Germany, called 4Players, caught my eye and I got fascinated by the art style and googled around for more pictures and eventually got to know the furry fandom. A few weeks later I had first thoughts about being a furry myself, but I'm self-assured being and calling me one since the beginning of this year or so. So all in all, this picture here started the snowball for me:

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