Anthrocon 2001

Anthrocon 2001 was held 27-29 July 2001 at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

The convention's theme was "Furries in Flight". Guests of Honor were Bill Holbrook, Dan DeCarlo (the creator of Josie and the Pussycats, amongst other Archie Comics characters), and Dan's wife, Josie (for whom the character was named). This convention was one of Mr. DeCarlo's last public appearances before passing away in December.

The convention drew 1,457 attendees.

Staircon
Staircon is the nickname given to Anthrocon 2001 by some of its attendees.

The convention was held for the first time in the Adam's Mark Philadelphia, which at the time had an older elevator system for guests. The elevators were unable to handle the traffic during the convention, forcing attendees to utilize the stairwells or (for those who found them) the staff elevators.

As the theme of Anthrocon 2001 was "Furries in Flight", it became common for attendees to change this to "Furries in Flight(s of Stairs)", or variants thereof, in later con reports.

The hotel, to its credit, took action to upgrade their elevators in future years.

During the Feedback Session at Anthrocon 2002, a fan made the complaint that the risers on the stairs were too tall, and it was too easy to trip. To his credit, Uncle Kage was nonplussed for a moment, then said that he would take up the matter with the hotel.

2 the Ranting Gryphon, in his Furry Balls rant, mentions the difficulties with the elevators in his own unmistakable style:

"...I know the evil plot behind it all. Anthrocon people were sitting around and saying, 'Hmm, we've sold out this hotel. How can we squeeze more furs in here next year?  I know!  We'll break the fucking elevators and make 'em walk up twenty million flights of stairs until they're sweating cooking grease and Cheez Whiz and falling over from cardiovascular seizure!  Then we'll put 'em in a registration line thats starts in fucking Cairo, and with no food, and they'll turn cannibalistic and starve, and by the time they get to the registration desk, they'll weigh, like, twelve fucking pounds!  And we can stuff forty of them in one room!'"