Pedobear

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2.8.143.186: add link to french wiki

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[[File:Pedobear.png|right|thumb|Pedobear]]
[[File:Pedobearseal.jpg|right|thumb|The "Pedobear Seal of Approval"]]
'''Pedobear''' is an [[anthropomorphic]] [[bear (species)|bear]] [[plush toy]] [[character]] and [[meme]] originating on [[4chan]]. It is posted as a reply to posts that are [[wikipedia:Pedophilia|pedophilic]] in nature, when a known or suspected pedophile is mentioned, or--particularly on [[deviantART]]--when a person is discovered to be underaged.

==Costuming==
A number of companies make cheap costumes resembling Pedobear. This has led to the character making appearances at various [[conventions]], especially those geared towards [[comics]], cosplay, [[anime]], [[furries]], and similar [[fandom]]s. At [[Anthrocon 2009]], Pedobear was seen handing out candy to passersby.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YpCh2xutG4 "Anthrocon 2009: Pedobear and a Panda with Candy"] - video on TarenNauxen's [[YouTube]] channel. Uploaded July 9, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2011</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==See also==
*[[Pedofox]]
*[[Pedopals]]

[[Category:Bear characters]]
[[Category:Memes]]
[[fr:Pedobear]]

History

2016-07-18T12:04:18Z

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'''[[Furry fandom]]''' is the collective of people who express an interest in [[anthropomorphic]] animals in art, literature, cartoons, pop culture and any other use of animal characters with human attributes. The object of the fandom is not a genre nor any specific segment of the arts, but rather an interest in a specific type of character that may appear in any genre of fiction or type of media.
[[Image:Hohlenstein-stadel.jpg|thumb|The Lion Man of the Hohlenstein-Stadel. Oldest known anthropomorphic art in the world, carbon dated to approximately 30,000 BC.]]

The interest itself may be as old as civilization. [[Anthropomorphic]] animal characters are found in the art of many ancient cultures. Anthropomorphic characters from [[Egyptian mythology]] continue to this day to be a source of inspiration to [[furry artist]]s, as do aspects of Native American animal related spirituality.

The earliest example of anthropomorphic literature commonly cited by furry fans is [[Aesop's Fables]], which dates to around 500 BC.<ref>[http://www.claws-and-paws.com/furry/non-fiction/faq.html Furries] - description of the fandom with reference to Aesop’s Fables.</ref>

Anthropomorphic characters then continued to proliferate through the ages in the form of [[Wikipedia:Folklore|folk tales]]. When folk tales were eventually collected and categorized, literary scholars determined that animals with human attributes such as speech were an element specific to fairytales<ref> Stith Thompson, ''The Folktale'', p 55, University of California Press, Berkeley Los Angeles London, 1977</ref> And as [[Wikipedia:Fairy tale|fairytales]] became popular, anthropomorphic animals became a familiar aspect of most world cultures.

The 1800s saw the advent of the [[fantasy]], [[science fiction]] and [[Wikipedia:children's literature|children's literature]] genres. Significant milestones and advancements included [[Wikipedia:Lewis Carroll|Lewis Carroll’s]] fantasy novel ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'' in 1865, [[Wikipedia:Beatrix Potter|Beatrix Potter]]’s illustrated children’s books in 1890, [[Wikipedia:Rudyard Kipling|Rudyard Kipling]]’s collection of talking animal stories ''[[The Jungle Book]]'' in 1894, [[Wikipedia:H. G. Wells|H. G. Wells]]’ 1896 science fiction novel ''[[The Island of Dr. Moreau]]'' and [[Wikipedia:James Swinnerton|James Swinnerton’s]] ''[[Wikipedia:Mr. Jack|Mr. Jack]]'' in 1896, the first appearance of anthropomorphic animals in comic strips.

Of particular significance is a series of children’s books by [[Wikipedia:Palmer Cox|Palmer Cox]] begun in 1890 called [http://www.the-forum.com/books/COX.HTM "Funny Animals,"] which is the earliest discovered use of the term in relation to anthropomorphic animals.

===20th century (1900-1970)===

Also of significance are the novels of [[Wikipedia:Felix Salten|Felix Salten]] published between 1926 and 1945 which established the precedents of what would later be called [[furry fiction]].

With the advent of animation and comic books in the first half of the 20th century, anthropomorphic animals became a popular phenomenon with fans of all ages. Their popularity peeked during [[wikipedia:World War 2|World War 2]], certain characters becoming icons of Americana<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/article/happy-birthday-mickey-mouse-an-icon-of-american-culture Mickey Mouse, An Icon Of American Culture] on examiner.com</ref> And in 1945 [[Wikipedia:George Orwell|George Orwell’s]] ''[[Animal Farm]]'' became the first anthropomorphic animal novel universally recognized as a work specifically for adults.

In the post-war years, cartoons and literature focused most of their animal related efforts on children’s entertainment, inspiring many to believe that cartoons and animal stories were strictly for kids.<ref>[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnimationAgeGhetto Animation Age Ghetto] on [[TV Tropes]].</ref> While the children who grew up with [[funny animal|funny animals]] in some cases maintained the interest in anthropomorphic animals into adulthood and conceived of using such characters in works for older age groups. A notable example being [[Wikipedia:C. S. Lewis|C. S. Lewis]], who attributed his fascination with anthropomorphic animals to the influence of Beatrix Potter.<ref>Lewis, ''Surprised by Joy'', p. 10.</ref>

Somewhat more relaxed attitudes towards art and experimentation in the 1960s and early 1970s saw the use of controversial concepts in fantasy animal stories become more common, attracting increased interest from older fans. Significant milestones included ''[[Kimba The White Lion]]'', ''[[Planet of the Apes|The Planet Of The Apes]]'', ''[[Fritz the Cat|Fritz The Cat]]'' and ''[[Watership Down]]''. These expanded uses of anthropomorphic animals could not be contained by the existing [[Funny animal fandom|Funny Animal Fandom]], creating a need for a more encompassing fandom that would eventually be called Furry.

== Furry fandom history ==
=== Earliest events ===

The earliest evidence of the developing expanded fandom is the funny animal [[APA]] [[Vootie]], started in 1976.

The [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] began in 1977 as an anime group would spin-off the earliest known funny animal fan club.

And in 1980, Steve Gallacci's art generated interest in a funny animal sci-fi discussion group that met at sci-fi cons.

=== The 1980s ===
{{main|1980s}}
Vootie's cessation in 1983 led to the founding of the ''[[Rowrbrazzle]]'' APA one year later. The transition between ''Vootie'' and ''Rowrbrazzle'' is considered by some to be a crucial evolutionary point between [[funny animal fandom]] and [[furry fandom]]. Though it would still be many years before the new term was universally adopted.

The early 1980s also saw the release of several all ages films that greatly increased interest in Furry Fandom, including [[The Secret of NIMH]], [[The Flight Of Dragons]], [[The Last Unicorn]], [[The Plague Dogs]] and [[Animalympics]]. While the fantasy novel market soon began producing such titles as Alan Dean Foster’s [[Spellsinger]] series, Brian Jacques’ [[Redwall]] and Tad Williams’ [[Tailchaser's Song]]. And the independent comics market produced titles as varied as [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]], [[Albedo]], [[Usagi Yojimbo]], [[Cutey Bunny]], [[Critters]] and [[Omaha The Cat Dancer]].

In 1985, at the [[San Diego Comic Convention]], Judy Niver (one of the founders of the [[C/FO]]), hosted a party in her room at the Hotel San Diego. The [[Rowrbrazzle]] APA group was also having a party in the same hotel, and there was much overlap in attendance. After that party at Comic Con, it became a tradition to have at least one furry party during the convention. In more recent years, the Comic Con party has been called [[CritterConDiego]] and [[Califur Diego]].

Also, at the 1985 [[Westercon]] Science Fiction Convention in [[wikipedia:Sacramento Valley|Sacramento]], [[wikipedia:California|California]], [[Mark Merlino]] and [[Rod O'Riley]] hosted a [[room party]] in Sheldon Linker and Toni Poper's room. Most room parties at sci-fi and fantasy cons have a theme, so the party was called The [[Prancing Skiltaire]] party, after the name of Merlino's house. [[Animalympics]] was screened, along with some [[Warner Bros. (company)|Warner Bros.]] short cartoons, and collections of [[furry art]]work and [[:Category:Short stories|short stories]] were on display. Several visitors to the party were very interested in the videos and the art. Some showed [[sketchbook]]s and collections of their furry art. Their party at the 1986 Westercon in [[wikipedia:San Diego, California|San Diego]], CA, was the first to be openly called a [[furry party]]. After the success of these parties, Mark and Rod began hosting similar events at conventions all over California.

In the mid 1980s, a unified group of fans interested in animal [[character]]s in [[comic]]s and stories was forming around other organized fan activities. Such as [[Room parties]] at [[science fiction]] [[convention]]s, meetings of the [[C/FO]], and [[APA]] [[collating party|collating parties]] (for [[funny animal]] and cartooning APAs, such as [[Vootie]] and [[Rowrbrazzle]]). Fans with internet access kept in contact with each other on computer [[BBS]]s (Bulletin Board Systems) like the [[Tiger's Den]], [[StormGate Aerie]] and [[Kyim's Scratching Post]]

As the internet became more accessible, it became the most popular means for furry fans to keep in touch and share their artistic efforts. This gained the fandom higher visibility and it began to grow rapidly.

Virtual environments, such as [[MUCK]]s, soon became the most popular places on the net for furry fans to meet and communicate. One of the oldest and largest MUCKs in existence is [[FurryMUCK]]. One of the newest virtual environments to attract furry fans is [[Second Life]]. Other on-line chat environments in the early 1990s included [[Wikipedia:GEnie|GEnie]], [[Wikipedia:CompuServe|CompuServe]], [[Wikipedia:Prodigy (ISP)|Prodigy]] and [[Wikipedia:Delphi online service|Delphi]].

APAs and [[fanzine]] "wars" became popular, with mail-in art and [[comic]] contributions collated and distributed to all members.

In 1989, [[Mark Merlino]] and [[Rod O'Riley]] decided to expand on the furry party concept and host the first prototype [[furry convention]], [[ConFurence Zero]]. ConFurence continued to be the premier international gathering place of furry fans, until other independent furry-themed conventions were organized.

=== The 1990s ===
{{main|1990s}}
On the [[wikipedia:United States|U.S.]] east coast, furry fans were gathering at the [[wikipedia:New York|New York]] chapter of the [[C/FO]], founded by [[Ken Sample]] and friends. [[Ray Rooney]] and [[Major Matt Mason]] hosted parties in their suite at [[wikipedia:Philcon|Philcon]] in [[wikipedia:Philadelphia|Philadelphia]] for several years. Philcon eventually hosted the first major Furry [[art show]] and [[dealer's room]]. In 1994, [[Trish Ny]] organized [[Furtasticon]], a prototype east coast furry convention at the [[wikipedia:Holiday Inn|Holiday Inn]], next to the [[Adam's Mark]] hotel, Philcon's venue. Trish went on to found [[ConFurence East]] in 1995.

In 1996, at the [[Worldcon|World Science Fiction Convention]] in [[wikipedia:Anaheim, California|Anaheim, California]], the [[Furry Fandom Lounge]] was organized by the [[ConFurence]] committee as five-day furry programming track. The general Worldcon program schedule publicized the furry parties, panels, and exhibits which included a glass-encased "History of Furry Fandom" display by [[David Bliss]].

In 1997, [[Anthrocon]] is first held in [[wikipedia:Albany, New York|Albany, New York]] and goes on to become the largest [[furry convention]] to date.

A schism which had been developing in the fandom for some years reached a boiling point in the aftermath of [[ConFurence]] 8, which quickly became notorious for a variety of sexualized incidents. Previous years had seen several similar incidents; complaints about poor public behavior were repeatedly brought to the convention's staff to be addressed. As a rule, however, these complaints were ignored, with the result that the offended parties began airing their grievances in such forums as alt.fan.furry.

Backlash appeared from various other parties who, alternately, mocked the complaints or defended the persons who had engaged in the offensive behavior. Oftentimes, accusations of religious intolerance and puritanism were leveled at the complainers. This led to the creation of the [[Burned Furs]] and, in response to that, the [[Freezing Furs]], the ongoing flamewar centering around the increasing tendency to place fetishes on public display to the fandom's purported detriment in the press. For the most part, [[Burned Fur]] proclaimed that they didn't care what people did in the privacy of their own bedrooms and that it should stay there, while those most vocally opposed to the group either defended open sexuality as a social cause, or claimed that [[Burned Fur]] was itself attracting bad press by complaining in the first place. To date, however, the only records in the press referencing the group actually originate with complaints by its opposition during their own interviews with reporters. In the middle of this conflict was a small group known as [[Furry Peace]] who openly declared tolerance for all parties but otherwise sought to stay out of the furor.

The schism climaxed when [[ConFurence]] 10 saw a change in ownership. The new chairman, [[Darrel Exline]], was a Burned Fur, and although the convention remained open to all ratings of material, there was a mass boycott by fans who believed that they would be persecuted if they attended. The convention also changed its date and venue, contributing to a much smaller turnout than normal. [[ConFurence]] continued on for several outings, but never recovered its earlier membership levels and ultimately closed its doors.

Meanwhile, numerous other furry conventions had been springing up already, several in direct response to the mismanagement of [[ConFurence]] prior to CF10. Almost universally, these adopted specific and stringent public-behavior policies, leading to a sharp drop in incidents of public sexualization at furry conventions. This, in turn, slowly turned around the fandom's press image by making these incidents into "old news". Poor press continued on the fringe from time to time, as with MTV's "Sex2K" special, as well as certain TV episodes of "CSI" and "St. Elsewhere", but the mainstream image of furries slowly began to be replaced with news coverage of furry conventions where the most interesting thing to film were happy-go-lucky fursuit parades.

This, in turn, effectively defused the schism by eliminating the primary source of the fandom's mainstream image problem.

In 1999, at the [[NASFiC|North American Science Fiction Convention]] in [[wikipedia:Anaheim, California|Anaheim, California]], the [[Furry Fandom Lounge]] reflected on 15 years of fandom. That year also saw the launch of [[Further Confusion]] in the Bay Area of [[wikipedia:San Francisco, CA|San Francisco, CA]], which eventually become the second largest [[furry convention]] in the world.

=== The 2000s ===
{{main|2000s}}
Furry conventions have exploded in the 2000s, with over 30 cons starting up, so far. In comparison, the 1990s saw 13 cons, all but two of them after 1995.<ref>[[Convention|WikiFur: Convention]]</ref>

In 2003, Dr. Samuel Conway (also known as [[Uncle Kage]] of [[Anthrocon]]) was a [[guest of honor]] at the [[I-CON]] science fiction and fantasy convention in [[wikipedia:Stony Brook, New York|Stony Brook, New York]]. His renowned story hour has since become a fixture of the convention through recent years.

In 2006, at the [[NASFiC|North American Science Fiction Convention]] in [[wikipedia:SeaTac, Washington|SeaTac, Washington]], the [[Stalking Cat]] was one of the notable program participants.

At the 2006 [[Westercon]] in [[wikipedia:San Diego, California|San Diego]], a 20th anniversary furry party was held.

At the 2006 [[Worldcon|World Science Fiction Convention]] in [[wikipedia:Anaheim, California|Anaheim, California]], the [[Furry Fandom Lounge]] returned under the organization of [[Rod O'Riley]] of the [[Califur]] group. The programming track included a furry artist reception and panels ranging from [[fursuit]]ing basics to the new world of furry [[webcomic]]s.

== The Internet ==

The first [[usenet]] [[:Category:Newsgroups|newsgroups]] began to appear in the early 1990s. [[alt.fan.furry]] was created in late 1990, and eventually spawned a number of additional newsgroups, such as [[alt.lifestyle.furry]] which was created in 1996. [[Furrynet]], an unofficial usenet hierarchy of fur.* newsgroups, was created in the late 1990s. In 2000, there was an unsuccessful attempt to create [[rec.arts.furry]], which would have brought furry fandom into the primary usenet hierarchy.

By 1992, furry fans could participate in on-line social role-playing environments for free, if they had access to the Internet. [[MUCK]]s, Mushes and [[MOO]]s were created by furry fans for furry fans and hosted at educational and commercial sites. With the dawn of the World Wide Web, furry fans found their Mecca, with personal web sites, art and writing archives and forums providing a way for furry fans to communicate and share their interests internationally. [[Yerf]] and [[YiffCo]] and [[VCL]] and other art archives soon dominated the art scene.

In the late 1990s, [[David J. Rust]] (aka [[Sylvan]]), attempted to document the internal social dynamics and trends within Furry fandom. While originally intended to be a [[fan film]] documentary, the research he conducted from 1996 - 1997 was eventually collated into [[The Sociology of Furry Fandom, a Subculture Study]], the first academic study of [[furry sociology]].

== Small press publishers ==
{{main|History of anthropomorphic characters in small press publications}}

== References ==
<references/>

== External links ==

* ''[http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]'' by [[Fred Patten]]
* ''[http://spectralshadows.livejournal.com/46979.html A Historical And Cultural Explanation Of Furry Fandom]'' by [[Perri Rhoades]]

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[[Category:Culture]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:Timelines]]
[[ru:История фурри]]
[[fr:Histoire]]

WikiFur - User contributions [en]

Pedobear

History