WikiFur - User contributions [en]

History

2020-10-02T19:08:18Z

Orthodox64: Minor fixes to early convention history

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The '''history''' of the [[furry fandom]] is the collective history of science fiction, cartooning, animation, tabletop gaming, role-playing, costuming, and countless other fan communities. Anthropomorphic, or human-like, characters have existed since the earliest examples of human artwork. However, dedicated fans to this genre, in the context of modern [[fandom]], have only come into being in the last forty years.

Fans of funny [[animal]] [[character]]s, such as those seen in Disney animation and comics or underground comics such as [[W:Fritz the Cat|''Fritz the Cat'']], formed the first organized groups in the mid-1970s as artist-centric Amateur Press Associations. Concurrently with the independent comic book boom of the early 1980s, numerous titles featuring anthropomorphic characters rose to prominence, including [[Albedo|''Albedo Anthropomorphics'']], ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', and ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]''.

As a result of the popularity of these works, fans outside of the preexisting funny animal artist groups organized the first general fan parties in the mid-1980s. Based around the shared appreciation of animal characters, the gatherings initially took place at room parties at science fiction conventions, but notably consisted of fans of comics, media such as [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|''Star Trek'']], or even literature such as [[Wikipedia:Watership Down|''Watership Down'']]. The diverse population of attendees at these early general parties was the first to dub themselves ''furry fans''.

== Early anthropomorphic literature and art ==
[[File:Hohlenstein-stadel.jpg|thumb|The Löwenmensch figurine, discovered in Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany. Currently, the oldest known piece of anthropomorphic art in the world, carbon-dated to be approximately 35-40,000 years old.]]

Anthropomorphism (from the Greek ''ánthrōpos'', lit. "human", and ''morphē'', lit. "form" or "shape") is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities, such as objects or animals, and can be found in the earliest examples of human art. The Löwenmensch figurine dates as early as the [[Wikipedia:Upper Paleolithic|Upper Paleolithic]] period, or around 35,000 years ago, and is the oldest known work of figurative art. Early examples of human artwork often feature zoomorphic, or animal-shaped, figures, such as the numerous reliefs at [[Wikipedia:Göbekli Tepe|Göbekli Tepe]] (c.9000-7000 BCE) in Turkey, or the ''[[Wikipedia:Guennol Lioness|Guennol Lioness]]'' (c.3000-2800 BCE) in Iraq. Numerous Egyptian gods such as Anubis, Bastet, and Horus stood out amongst their contemporaries, sporting animal heads on human bodies.

The concept of bestowing something non-human with human qualities has its roots in psychology. Metaphors are often used to help better understand unknown forces in the world by comparing them to something familiar. To help communicate these ideas with other people, humans use storytelling as a device to help remember and highlight the significance of something. In [[Wikipedia:Aesop's Fables|Aesop's Fables]], animals are used to represent certain characteristics that are either desired or should be avoided. It's in this way that animals, both in art and in prose, were used to spread information, morals, and beliefs. Giving animals certain qualities (foxes being sly, dogs being loyal, etc.) is still a common example of anthropomorphism at work today.

As such, fables and folk tales have historically featured talking animals more often than any other genre. Sumerian literature is not only the oldest known body of written works but also includes the first known examples of anthropomorphic characters, such as [[Wikipedia:Debate between bird and fish|a debate between a bird and a fish]]. The ''[[Wikipedia:Tale of Two Brothers|Tale of Two Brothers]]'' (c. 1200 BCE) is an excellent example of transformation, with the god Bata turning into a bull. Hesiod's ''[[Wikipedia:Works and Days|Works and Days]]'' (c. 700 BCE) features a fable known as [[Wikipedia:The Hawk and the Nightingale|The Hawk and the Nightingale]], and is an early example of a [[Wikipedia:Parable|parable]]. The story was expanded upon in [[Wikipedia:Aesop's Fables|Aesop's Fables]] (c. 550 BCE).

===19th century literature and art===
With the Industrial Revolution came the advent of popular fiction and mass-market readership, made possible by the steam-driven process of making paper from wood pulp. [[Wikipedia:Dime novel|Dime novels]] came to define and dominate the market, as well as periodical publications in newspapers and magazines. These cheap, easily obtained reading materials not only made stories widely available to the general public, but also increased the demand for more fantastic series. [[Fantasy]], [[science fiction]], detective fiction, and [[Wikipedia:children's literature|children's literature]] were all genres that rose to prominence during this time, and examples of anthropomorphic characters can be found throughout. Notable examples include [[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 transformations==

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 peaked 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 young audiences.<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.

The Air Pirates collective published in August 1971, looking for a fight, was quickly sued by Disney on October 21, 1971 for copyright and trademark infringement. The suit would not be settled until 1980.

==Proto-fandom (1976-1986)==

Robert Crumb's dissatisfaction with the film adaptation of ''Fritz the Cat'' led to him subsequently killing off the character in 1972. After this, there was a lack of 'funny animal' characters outside of the mainstream houses such as Disney. Minneapolis artists [[Ken Fletcher]] and [[Reed Waller]], hoping to fill a void surrounded by comic book superheroes, decided to found an [[APA|Amateur Press Association]], or APA, called ''[[Vootie]]'' on February 29, 1976. The intention was to gather talented artists in the Twin-Cities area and explore the potential of using funny animals in adult situations.

In the Los Angeles area, [[Mark Merlino]] and [[Fred Patten]], both fans of Japanese animation, created the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] in 1977 as a club for fellow enthusiasts.
Steve Gallacci, an Air Force technical artist, began drafting art that would become his later work, ''Albedo'', that same year. He would present his work on August 29, 1980 at the art show at NorEasCon II World Science Fiction Convention in Boston. A group of fans formed around his work, dubbed the "Gallacci group", and would meet at Worldcons and Westercons in the subsequent years to discuss all things anthropomorphic.

===Birth of Rowrbrazzle===
{{main|1980s}}
By the early 1980s, Vootie's membership contributions had become increasingly sporadic, and editorial laxness was just as apparent. [[Timothy Fay]] would attempt to keep the group alive by creating his own APA, ''Revolutionary Vootie'', in 1983 with the help of [[Marc Schirmeister]]. Although they received some submissions, they could not generate enough interest. ''Vootie'''s cessation that year led to Schirmeister founding another APA, ''[[Rowrbrazzle]]'', soon afterward. This transition between ''Vootie'' and ''Rowrbrazzle'' is considered by Patten, a fandom historian, to be a crucial evolutionary point between [[funny animal fandom]] and [[furry fandom]].

===The independent comic book explosion, animation, and literature===

Thanks to [[Wikipedia:Phil Seuling|Phil Seuling's]] creation of a direct market comic book retailer, where the store would buy directly from a publisher and bypass the distributor, the risk of making a profit for small, independent publishers went down significantly. This allowed artists to publish more experimental material and still be able to compete with larger companies like Marvel and DC.
In a similar vein, the underground comics artists of the late-1960s and early-1970s, such as those in ''Vootie'', had grown tired of drawing material that was once cutting edge, but had since become routine and overused. They would also hop on the indie publisher bandwagon, allowing artists to explore more personal material. One of those artists was [[Reed Waller]], creator of [[Omaha The Cat Dancer]], whose work would be a favorite among 'funny animal' fans for its depiction of a romantic relationship with a stripper.

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

==Early modern furry fandom==
===Furry parties===

Judy Niver, one of the founders of the [[C/FO]], hosted a party in her room at the [[San Diego Comic Convention]] in 1985. The [[Rowrbrazzle]] APA group was also having a party in the same hotel, and there was much overlap in attendance. As a result, 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]].

That same year at [[Westercon|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. Since many room parties at science fiction and fantasy cons had a theme, the party was called [[Prancing Skiltaire|The Prancing Skiltaire]] party, after the name of Merlino's house. ''[[Animalympics]]'' was screened, along with [[Warner Bros. (company)|Warner Bros.]] short cartoons and collections of [[furry art]]work and [[:Category:Short stories|short stories]] were left on display for browsing. Visitors to the party were intrigued by the 'funny animal' art, and some revealed having [[sketchbook|sketchbooks]] and collections of their own art. The following year at the 1986 Westercon in [[wikipedia:San Diego, California|San Diego]], CA, the successor party was the first to be openly called a "[[furry party]]". After the success of these events, Merlino and O'Riley began hosting similar events at conventions all over California.

In the mid-1980s, a unified group of fans interested in animal characters in comics 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|BBSs]] (Bulletin Board Systems) like the [[Tiger's Den]], [[StormGate Aerie]], and [[Kyim's Scratching Post]].

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

===ConFurence and early furry conventions===

By 1988, the furry parties at West Coast conventions such as San Diego Comic Con and Westercon had grown immensely, to the point where even double suites were too small. Merlino and O'Riley, encouraged by the large attendance, decided to expand on the furry party concept and host a prototype convention for furry fans. [[ConFurence Zero]] was hosted in Costa Mesa, California, on January 21-22, 1989, and had a total of 65 attendees. Lasting until April 2003, the convention continued to be the premier international gathering place of furry fans until 1999, when it tied for attendance with the up and coming [[Anthrocon]].

In the Eastern United States, furry fans had been gathering at the [[wikipedia:New York|New York]] chapter of the [[C/FO]], founded by [[Ken Sample]]. [[Ray Rooney]] and [[Major Matt Mason]] had hosted furry parties in their suite at [[wikipedia:Philcon|Philcon]], a science fiction convention in [[wikipedia:Philadelphia|Philadelphia]], for several years. Philcon eventually hosted the first major furry [[art show]] and [[dealer's room]]. [[Trish Ny]], an attendee at Philcon, felt that there was enough anti-furry prejudice to warrant organizing their own convention, [[Furtasticon]], which she chaired. It was to be a prototype East Coast furry convention that would rebrand itself as [[ConFurence East]] (which had no organized connection to ConFurence) in October 1995.

At the [[Worldcon| 54th World Science Fiction Convention]] in 1996, held in [[wikipedia:Anaheim, California|Anaheim, California]], the [[Furry Fandom Lounge]] was organized by the [[ConFurence]] committee as a 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 July 1997, [[Anthrocon|Albany AnthroCon]] was first held in [[wikipedia:Albany, New York|Albany, New York]], later becoming Anthrocon, one of the largest furry conventions in the United States.
=== Online furry fandom ===
{{main|1990s}}

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]].

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 online 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]].

===ConFurence 8 and the sex controversy===

A schism that 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.

== 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]]

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

Vootie

2020-02-16T02:30:40Z

Orthodox64: Added references, redid most of the initial writing.

[[File:Vootie-0.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Vootie #0]]
'''''Vootie''''' was a [[cartoon|cartoonist's]] [[APA]] with a [[funny animal]] theme that lasted from 1976 to 1983. Satirically self-described as "'''''The Official Organ of the Funny Animal Liberation Front'''''," the purpose of ''Vootie'' was to gather like-minded cartoonists to share and discuss their ideas on funny animals in an un-serious fashion.

== History ==

In early 1970s comics fandom, APAs were the social links used by fans with specific interests to stay in touch and share their thoughts. The vast majority of zines were exclusively text, while any mimeographed art or photos in them were usually secondary, since the majority of fans were not artists themselves.

By contrast, [[Reed Waller]] and [[Ken Fletcher]] were both Minneapolis cartoonists who had a shared in MAD Magazine, underground comics, and the genre of funny animals. Most comics fans in the 1970s discussed superheroes, meaning that fans of alternative comics had little to no ways of keeping in contact.
Waller and Fletcher started ''Vootie'' on February 29, 1976 as a way to "encourage artists to cartoon in a humorous and experimental style: Funny Animals", as well as provide "a place for cartoonists to show other cartoonists their work."<ref>Vootie Flyer c. Feb. 1979 http://www.furaffinity.net/view/34820639/</ref> The title of the zine was a reference to a ''MAD'' parody of [[Wikipedia:J. Fred Muggs|J. Fred Muggs]], the mascot of [[Wikipedia:NBC|NBC's]] ''Today Show'' in the mid-1950s, as a nod to the zine's underground influences. <ref>Reed Waller's Furry Sex Panel https://youtu.be/pyF6KO97BdM?t=699</ref>

== Origin of ''Omaha the Cat Dancer'' ==

[[Taral Wayne]], a Canadian science fiction fan and artist, claims responsibility for writing a postcard to the editor Waller that simply stated, "''There's not enough [[sex]] in funny animal comics.''".
{{q|Considering how much sex there was in underground comics, I thought it rather odd that there was so little of it in Vootie. What could I do but write to Reed Waller and complain? Rather to my surprise, Reed used my critique as the basis of a two-page story in the next mailing.<ref>It's True - It's All My Fault! - document by Taral Wayne, May 2010.</ref>}}
Waller responded by publishing the first episode of ''[[Omaha The Cat Dancer]]'' in ''Vootie'' #8.

== Transition ==

38 official issues, plus four art jam co-ops, were sent out before ''Vootie'''s dissolution in February 1983. Former members of ''Vootie'', [[Marc Schirmeister]] and [[Timothy Fay]], went on to create ''[[Rowrbrazzle]]'' the same year, which itself distributed its first issue in February 1984. The transition between ''Vootie'' and ''Rowrbrazzle'' is considered by historian [[Fred Patten]] to be when [[funny animal fandom]] became [[furry fandom]], although the term "furry fan" did not exist until 1986.

== Chronology and cover artists ==
{|
|valign=top|
*0 - Reed Waller/Ken Fletcher (only Waller credited on contents page) - 10 April 1976 (Larry Becker, editor)
*1 - [[Tim Boxell]] - 27 June 1976
*2 - [[Ray Allard]] - 27 November 1976
*3 - [[Nunzio Solo]] ([[Jim Schumeister]]) - 5 February 1977
*4 - [[Richard Larson]] - 14 May 1977
*5 - [[Dan Steffan]] - 16 July 1977
*6 - [[Al Sirois]] - 17 September 1977
*7 - [[Larry Becker]] - 20 November 1977
*8 - [[Marc Schirmeister]] - 15 January 1978
*9 - Ray Allard - 2 April 1978
*10 - Tom Foster/Ken Fletcher - 3 June 1978
*11 - [[John C. Cosgriff]] - 13 August 1978
*12 - [[Denis Kitchen]] - [[:File:Vootie-12-Cover.jpeg|Scan of cover]] - 15 October 1978
*13 - [[Brad W. Foster]] - 3 December 1978
*14 - [[George Erling]] - 4 February 1979
*15 - [[Michael Yonkers]] (''this is the all-cover issue; Larry Becker may have switched covers around…'') - 8 April 1979
*15 1/2 (art jam) - [[Richard Larson]] - undated
*16 - Larry Becker - 3 June 1979
*17 - [[Richard Bruning]] - 5 October…or... August 1979 (''that's what it says…'')
*18 - [[Al Sirois]] - 7 October 1979
*19 - [[Dennis Wolf]] - 2 December 1979
|valign=top|
*20 - [[Ray Allard]] (mistakenly labeled as #21 on cover) - 10 February 1980
*15 1/2 #2 ([[Wikipedia:Minicon|Minicon 16]] art jam; aka "Deja-Vootie", aka [[:File:Vootie-15-Half-Cover.jpeg|"Vootie 15 1/2: The Movie"]] - Ken Fletcher - 5 April 1980
*21 - [[Rick Larson]] - 13 April 1980
*22 - [[Teddy Harvia]] - 8 June 1980
*23 - Richard Bruning - 3 August 1980
*24 - [[Joan Hanke-Woods]] (mistakenly labeled as #22 on the cover) - 12 October 1980
*25 - John Cosgriff - 7 December 1980
*26 - [[Michael Butler]] - 18 February 1981
*Raging Voot (Minicon 17 art jam) - Ray Allard - April 1981
*27 - Larry Becker/Ken Fletcher - 12 April 1981
*28 - Larry Becker - 7 June 1981
*29 - Reed Waller - 2 August 1981
*30 - [[Timothy Fay|Tim Fay]] - 18 October 1981
*31 - Dennis Wolf - 6 December 1981
*32 - Denis Kitchen - 7 February 1982 (Garth Danielson, editor)
*33 - [[Jerry Collins]] - April 1982 (Reed Waller, editor)
*34 - Reed Waller - 6 June 1982
*35 - Ken Fletcher - 1982 (somewhere between August and October)
*36 - Reed Waller - 1982 (previous issue called for collation to be 3 December)
*37 - Michael Butler - February 1983
|}

==External links==
<references></references>
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/view/19451351/ Pre-Vootie flyer] by Ken Fletcher on [[Fur Affinity]]
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24496324/ Vootie recruitment flyer] by Jim Schumeister (pencils) and Ken Fletcher (words)

{{Publication-stub}}
[[Category:Amateur press associations]]
[[Category:Fanzines]]
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:1983 deaths]]

History

2019-12-09T02:38:02Z

Orthodox64: Intro clarified with links to relevant info added. Body will need revisions on HOW anthro media was used differently in each century, not just what was there.

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The '''history of furry fandom''' is the collective history of science fiction, cartooning, animation, tabletop gaming, role-playing, costuming, and countless other fan communities. Anthropomorphic, or human-like, characters have existed since the earliest examples of human artwork. However, dedicated fans to this genre, in the context of modern [[Wikipedia:Fandom|fandom]], have only come into being in the last forty years.

Fans of funny animal characters, such as those seen in Disney animation and comics or underground comics such as [[Wikipedia:Fritz the Cat|''Fritz the Cat'']], formed the first organized groups in the mid-1970s as artist-centric Amateur Press Associations. Concurrently with the independent comic book boom of the early 1980s, numerous titles featuring anthropomorphic characters rose to prominence, including [[Albedo|''Albedo Anthropomorphics'']], ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', and ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]''.

As a result of the popularity of these works, fans outside of the preexisting funny animal artist groups organized the first general fan parties in the mid-1980s. Based around the shared appreciation of animal characters, the gatherings initially took place at room parties at science fiction conventions, but notably consisted of fans of comics, media such as [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|''Star Trek'']], or even literature such as [[Wikipedia:Watership Down|''Watership Down'']]. The diverse population of attendees at these early general parties were the first to dub themselves ''furry fans''.

== Early anthropomorphic literature and art ==
[[File:Hohlenstein-stadel.jpg|thumb|The Löwenmensch figurine, discovered in Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany. Currently the oldest known piece of anthropomorphic art in the world, carbon dated to be approximately 35-40,000 years old.]]

Anthropomorphism (from the Greek ''ánthrōpos'', lit. "human", and ''morphē'', lit. "form" or "shape") is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities, such as objects or animals, and can be found in the earliest examples of human art. The Löwenmensch figurine dates as early as the [[Wikipedia:Upper Paleolithic|Upper Paleolithic]] period, or around 35,000 years ago, and is the oldest known work of figurative art. Early examples of human artwork often feature zoomorphic, or animal-shaped, figures, such as the numerous reliefs at [[Wikipedia:Göbekli Tepe|Göbekli Tepe]] (c.9000-7000 BCE) in Turkey, or the ''[[Wikipedia:Guennol Lioness|Guennol Lioness]]'' (c.3000-2800 BCE) in Iraq. Numerous Egyptian gods such as Anubis, Bastet, and Horus stood out amongst their contemporaries, sporting animal heads on human bodies.

The concept of bestowing something non-human with human qualities has its roots in psychology. Metaphors are often used to help better understand unknown forces in the world by comparing them to something familiar. To help communicate these ideas with other people, humans use storytelling as a device to help remember and highlight the significance of something. In [[Wikipedia:Aesop's Fables|Aesop's Fables]], animals are used to represent certain characteristics that are either desired or should be avoided. It's in this way that animals, both in art and in prose, were used to spread information, morals, and beliefs. Giving animals certain qualities (foxes being sly, dogs being loyal, etc.) is still a common example of anthropomorphism at work today.

As such, fables and folk tales have historically featured talking animals more often than any other genre. Sumerian literature is not only the oldest known body of written works, but also includes the first known examples of anthropomorphic characters, such as [[Wikipedia:Debate between bird and fish|a debate between a bird and a fish]]. The ''[[Wikipedia:Tale of Two Brothers|Tale of Two Brothers]]'' (c. 1200 BCE) is an excellent example of transformation, with the god Bata turning into a bull. Hesiod's ''[[Wikipedia:Works and Days|Works and Days]]'' (c. 700 BCE) features a fable known as [[Wikipedia:The Hawk and the Nightingale|The Hawk and the Nightingale]], and is an early example of a [[Wikipedia:Parable|parable]]. The story was expanded upon in [[Wikipedia:Aesop's Fables|Aesop's Fables]] (c. 550 BCE).

===19th century literature and art===
With the Industrial Revolution came the advent of popular fiction and mass-market readership, made possible by the steam-driven process of making paper from wood pulp. [[Wikipedia:Dime novel|Dime novels]] came to define and dominate the market, as well as periodical publications in newspapers and magazines. These cheap, easily obtained reading materials not only made stories widely available to the general public, but also increased the demand for more fantastic series. [[Fantasy]], [[science fiction]], detective fiction, and [[Wikipedia:children's literature|children's literature]] were all genres that rose to prominence during this time, and examples of anthropomorphic characters can be found throughout. Notable examples include [[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 transformations==

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 peaked 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 young audiences.<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.

The Air Pirates collective published in August 1971, looking for a fight, was quickly sued by Disney on October 21, 1971 for copyright and trademark infringement. The suit would not be settled until 1980.

==Proto-fandom (1976-1986)==

Robert Crumb's dissatisfaction with the film adaptation of ''Fritz the Cat'' led to him subsequently killing off the character in 1972. After this, there was a lack of 'funny animal' characters outside of the mainstream houses such as Disney. Minneapolis artists [[Ken Fletcher]] and [[Reed Waller]], hoping to fill a void surrounded by comic book superheroes, decided to found an [[APA|Amateur Press Association]], or APA, called ''[[Vootie]]'' on February 29, 1976. The intention was to gather talented artists in the Twin-Cities area and explore the potential of using funny animals in adult situations.

In the Los Angeles area, [[Mark Merlino]] and [[Fred Patten]], both fans of Japanese animation, created the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] in 1977 as a club for fellow enthusiasts.
Steve Gallacci, an Air Force technical artist, began drafting art that would become his later work, ''Albedo'', that same year. He would present his work on August 29, 1980 at the art show at NorEasCon II World Science Fiction Convention in Boston. A group of fans formed around his work, dubbed the "Gallacci group", and would meet at Worldcons and Westercons in the subsequent years to discuss all things anthropomorphics.

===Birth of Rowrbrazzle===
{{main|1980s}}
By the early 1980s, Vootie's membership contributions had become increasingly sporadic, and editorial laxness was just as apparent. [[Timothy Fay]] would attempt to keep the group alive by creating his own APA, ''Revolutionary Vootie'', in 1983 with the help of [[Marc Schirmeister]]. Although they received some submissions, they could not generate enough interest. ''Vootie'''s cessation that year led to Schirmeister founding another APA, ''[[Rowrbrazzle]]'', soon afterward. This transition between ''Vootie'' and ''Rowrbrazzle'' is considered by Patten, a fandom historian, to be a crucial evolutionary point between [[funny animal fandom]] and [[furry fandom]].

===The independent comic book explosion, animation, and literature===
Thanks to [[Wikipedia:Phil Seuling|Phil Seuling's] creation of a direct market comic book retailer, where the store would buy directly from a publisher and bypass the distributor, the risk of making a profit for small, independent publishers went down significantly. This allowed artists to publish more experimental material and still be able to compete with larger companies like Marvel and DC.
In a similar vein, the underground comics artists of the late-1960s and early-1970s, such as those in ''Vootie'', had grown tired of drawing material that was once cutting edge, but had since become routine and overused. They would also hop on the indie publisher bandwagon, allowing artists to explore more personal material. One of those artists was [[Reed Waller]], creator of [[Omaha The Cat Dancer]], whose work would be a favorite among 'funny animal' fans for its depiction of a romantic relationship with a stripper.

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

==Early modern furry fandom==
===Furry parties===
Judy Niver, one of the founders of the [[C/FO]], hosted a party in her room at the [[San Diego Comic Convention]] in 1985. The [[Rowrbrazzle]] APA group was also having a party in the same hotel, and there was much overlap in attendance. As a result, 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]].

That same year at [[Westercon|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. Since many room parties at science fiction and fantasy cons had a theme, the party was called [[Prancing Skiltaire|The Prancing Skiltaire]] party, after the name of Merlino's house. ''[[Animalympics]]'' was screened, along with [[Warner Bros. (company)|Warner Bros.]] short cartoons, and collections of [[furry art]]work and [[:Category:Short stories|short stories]] were left on display for browsing. Visitors to the party were intrigued by the 'funny animal' art, and some revealed having [[sketchbook|sketchbooks]] and collections of their own art. The following year at the 1986 Westercon in [[wikipedia:San Diego, California|San Diego]], CA, the successor party was the first to be openly called a "[[furry party]]". After the success of these events, Merlino and O'Riley began hosting similar events at conventions all over California.

In the mid 1980s, a unified group of fans interested in animal characters in comics 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|BBSs]] (Bulletin Board Systems) like the [[Tiger's Den]], [[StormGate Aerie]], and [[Kyim's Scratching Post]].

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

===ConFurence and early furry conventions===
By 1988, the furry parties had grown notably in size, much to the chagrin of the science fiction conventions they were typically hosted at. Merlino and O'Riley, hopeful that their nascent fandom would continue to grow, decided to expand on the furry party concept and host a prototype convention for furry fans. [[ConFurence Zero]] was hosted in Costa Mesa, California, on January 21-22, 1989, and had a total of 65 attendees. Lasting until April 2003, it continued to be the premier international gathering place of furry fans until 1999, when it tied for attendance with the up and coming [[Anthrocon]] held in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

In the Eastern United States, furry fans were gathering at the [[wikipedia:New York|New York]] chapter of the [[C/FO]], founded by [[Ken Sample]]. [[Ray Rooney]] and [[Major Matt Mason]] had hosted furry parties in their suite at [[wikipedia:Philcon|Philcon]], a science fiction convention in [[wikipedia:Philadelphia|Philadelphia]], for several years. Philcon eventually hosted the first major furry [[art show]] and [[dealer's room]]. [[Trish Ny]], an attendee at Philcon, felt that there was enough anti-furry prejudice to warrant organizing their own convention, [[Furtasticon]], which he chaired. It was to be a prototype East Coast furry convention that would turn into[[ConFurence East]], which had no relation to ConFurence, in October 1995.

At the [[Worldcon| 54th World Science Fiction Convention]] in 1996, held in [[wikipedia:Anaheim, California|Anaheim, California]], the [[Furry Fandom Lounge]] was organized by the [[ConFurence]] committee as a 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 July 1997, [[Anthrocon|Albany AnthroCon]] was first held in [[wikipedia:Albany, New York|Albany, New York]], later becoming Anthrocon, one of the largest furry conventions in the United States.
=== Online furry fandom ===
{{main|1990s}}

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]].

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 online 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]].

===ConFurence 8 and the sex controversy===
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.

== 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]]

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

History

2019-11-25T03:48:49Z

Orthodox64: Fixes to ancient and 19th century history

{{cleanup}}
{{copyedit}}
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The '''history of furry fandom''' is a collective history of science fiction, cartooning, tabletop gaming, role-playing, costuming, and countless other fan communities. Generally there is little consensus as to when fans of anthropomorphic, or human-like, characters first came into being, but the modern fandom owes its origins to the independent comic books boom of the early 1980s. Fans of comics such as ''[[Albedo|Albedo Anthropomorphics]]'', ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]'', and others would gather at room parties at science fiction conventions, sharing and enjoying any material involving these kinds of characters. It was from these groups coming together that "furry" was born.

== Early anthropomorphic literature and art ==
[[File:Hohlenstein-stadel.jpg|thumb|The Löwenmensch figurine, discovered in Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany. Currently the oldest known piece of anthropomorphic art in the world, carbon dated to be approximately 35-40,000 years old.]]

Anthropomorphism (from the Greek ''ánthrōpos'', lit. "human", and ''morphē'', lit. "form" or "shape") is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities, such as objects or animals, and can be found in the earliest examples of human art. The Löwenmensch figurine dates as early as the [[Wikipedia:Upper Paleolithic|Upper Paleolithic]] period, or around 35,000 years ago, and is the oldest known work of figurative art. Early examples of human artwork often feature zoomorphic, or animal-shaped, figures, such as the numerous reliefs at [[Wikipedia:Göbekli Tepe|Göbekli Tepe]] (c.9000-7000 BCE) in Turkey, or the ''[[Wikipedia:Guennol Lioness|Guennol Lioness]]'' (c.3000-2800 BCE) in Iraq. Numerous Egyptian gods such as Anubis, Bastet, and Horus stood out amongst their contemporaries, sporting animal heads on human bodies.

The concept of bestowing something non-human with human qualities has its roots in psychology. Metaphors are often used to help better understand unknown forces in the world by comparing them to something familiar. To help communicate these ideas with other people, humans use storytelling as a device to help remember and highlight the significance of something. In [[Wikipedia:Aesop's Fables|Aesop's Fables]], animals are used to represent certain characteristics that are either desired or should be avoided. It's in this way that animals, both in art and in prose, were used to spread information, morals, and beliefs. Giving animals certain qualities (foxes being sly, dogs being loyal, etc.) is still a common example of anthropomorphism at work today.

As such, fables and folk tales have historically featured talking animals more often than any other genre. Sumerian literature is not only the oldest known body of written works, but also includes the first known examples of anthropomorphic characters, such as [[Wikipedia:Debate between bird and fish|a debate between a bird and a fish]]. The ''[[Wikipedia:Tale of Two Brothers|Tale of Two Brothers]]'' (c. 1200 BCE) is an excellent example of transformation, with the god Bata turning into a bull. Hesiod's ''[[Wikipedia:Works and Days|Works and Days]]'' (c. 700 BCE) features a fable known as [[Wikipedia:The Hawk and the Nightingale|The Hawk and the Nightingale]], and is an early example of a [[Wikipedia:Parable|parable]]. The story was expanded upon in [[Wikipedia:Aesop's Fables|Aesop's Fables]] (c. 550 BCE).

===19th century literature and art===
With the Industrial Revolution came the advent of popular fiction and mass-market readership, made possible by the steam-driven process of making paper from wood pulp. [[Wikipedia:Dime novel|Dime novels]] came to define and dominate the market, as well as periodical publications in newspapers and magazines. These cheap, easily obtained reading materials not only made stories widely available to the general public, but also increased the demand for more fantastic series. [[Fantasy]], [[science fiction]], detective fiction, and [[Wikipedia:children's literature|children's literature]] were all genres that rose to prominence during this time, and examples of anthropomorphic characters can be found throughout. Notable examples include [[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 transformations==

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 peaked 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.

The Air Pirates collective published in August 1971, looking for a fight, was quickly sued by Disney on October 21, 1971 for copyright and trademark infringement. The suit would not be settled until 1980.

==Proto-fandom (1976-1986)==

Robert Crumb's dissatisfaction with the film adaptation of ''Fritz the Cat'' led to him subsequently killing off the character in 1972. After this, there was a lack of 'funny animal' characters outside of the mainstream houses such as Disney. Minneapolis artists [[Ken Fletcher]] and [[Reed Waller]], hoping to fill a void surrounded by comic book superheroes, decided to found an [[APA|amateur press association]] called ''[[Vootie]]'' on February 29, 1976. The intention was to gather talented artists in the Twin-Cities area and explore the potential of using funny animals in adult situations.

In the Los Angeles area, [[Mark Merlino]] and [[Fred Patten]], both fans of Japanese animation, created the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] in 1977 as a club for fellow enthusiasts.
Steve Gallacci, an Air Force technical artist, began drafting art that would become his later work, ''Albedo'', that same year. He would present his work on August 29, 1980 at the art show at NorEasCon II World Science Fiction Convention in Boston. A group of fans formed around his work, dubbed the "Gallacci group", and would meet at Worldcons and Westercons in the subsequent years to discuss all things anthropomorphics.

===Birth of Rowrbrazzle===
{{main|1980s}}
By the early 1980s, Vootie's membership contributions had become increasingly sporadic, and editorial laxness was just as apparent. [[Timothy Fay]] would attempt to keep the group alive by creating his own APA, ''Revolutionary Vootie'', in 1983 with the help of [[Marc Schirmeister]]. Although they received some submissions, they could not generate enough interest. ''Vootie'''s cessation that year led to Schirmeister founding another APA, ''[[Rowrbrazzle]]'', soon afterward. This transition between ''Vootie'' and ''Rowrbrazzle'' is considered by Patten, a fandom historian, to be a crucial evolutionary point between [[funny animal fandom]] and [[furry fandom]].

===The independent comic book explosion, animation, and literature===
Thanks to [[Wikipedia:Phil Seuling|Phil Seuling's] creation of a direct market comic book retailer, where the store would buy directly from a publisher and bypass the distributor, the risk of making a profit for small, independent publishers went down significantly. This allowed artists to publish more experimental material and still be able to compete with larger companies like Marvel and DC.
In a similar vein, the underground comics artists of the late-1960s and early-1970s, such as those in ''Vootie'', had grown tired of drawing material that was once cutting edge, but had since become routine and overused. They would also hop on the indie publisher bandwagon, allowing artists to explore more personal material. One of those artists was [[Reed Waller]], creator of [[Omaha The Cat Dancer]], whose work would be a favorite among 'funny animal' fans for its depiction of a romantic relationship with a stripper.

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

==Early modern furry fandom==
===Furry parties===
Judy Niver, one of the founders of the [[C/FO]], hosted a party in her room at the [[San Diego Comic Convention]] in 1985. The [[Rowrbrazzle]] APA group was also having a party in the same hotel, and there was much overlap in attendance. As a result, 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]].

That same year at [[Westercon|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. Since many room parties at science fiction and fantasy cons had a theme, the party was called [[Prancing Skiltaire|The Prancing Skiltaire]] party, after the name of Merlino's house. ''[[Animalympics]]'' was screened, along with [[Warner Bros. (company)|Warner Bros.]] short cartoons, and collections of [[furry art]]work and [[:Category:Short stories|short stories]] were left on display for browsing. Visitors to the party were intrigued by the 'funny animal' art, and some revealed having [[sketchbook|sketchbooks]] and collections of their own art. The following year at the 1986 Westercon in [[wikipedia:San Diego, California|San Diego]], CA, the successor party was the first to be openly called a "[[furry party]]". After the success of these events, Merlino and O'Riley began hosting similar events at conventions all over California.

In the mid 1980s, a unified group of fans interested in animal characters in comics 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|BBSs]] (Bulletin Board Systems) like the [[Tiger's Den]], [[StormGate Aerie]], and [[Kyim's Scratching Post]].

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

===ConFurence and early furry conventions===
By 1988, the furry parties had grown notably in size, much to the chagrin of the science fiction conventions they were typically hosted at. Merlino and O'Riley, hopeful that their nascent fandom would continue to grow, decided to expand on the furry party concept and host a prototype convention for furry fans. [[ConFurence Zero]] was hosted in Costa Mesa, California, on January 21-22, 1989, and had a total of 65 attendees. Lasting until April 2003, it continued to be the premier international gathering place of furry fans until 1999, when it tied for attendance with the up and coming [[Anthrocon]] held in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

In the Eastern United States, furry fans were gathering at the [[wikipedia:New York|New York]] chapter of the [[C/FO]], founded by [[Ken Sample]]. [[Ray Rooney]] and [[Major Matt Mason]] had hosted furry parties in their suite at [[wikipedia:Philcon|Philcon]], a science fiction convention in [[wikipedia:Philadelphia|Philadelphia]], for several years. Philcon eventually hosted the first major furry [[art show]] and [[dealer's room]]. [[Trish Ny]], an attendee at Philcon, felt that there was enough anti-furry prejudice to warrant organizing their own convention, [[Furtasticon]], which he chaired. It was to be a prototype East Coast furry convention that would turn into[[ConFurence East]], which had no relation to ConFurence, in October 1995.

At the [[Worldcon| 54th World Science Fiction Convention]] in 1996, held in [[wikipedia:Anaheim, California|Anaheim, California]], the [[Furry Fandom Lounge]] was organized by the [[ConFurence]] committee as a 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 July 1997, [[Anthrocon|Albany AnthroCon]] was first held in [[wikipedia:Albany, New York|Albany, New York]], later becoming Anthrocon, one of the largest furry conventions in the United States.
=== Online furry fandom ===
{{main|1990s}}

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]].

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 online 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]].

===ConFurence 8 and the sex controversy===
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.

== 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]]

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

History

2019-02-21T00:56:29Z

Orthodox64: Fixed major grammatical and formatting errors. Added relevant information for context. Is INCOMPLETE, will need to fix later. References badly needed!

{{cleanup}}
{{copyedit}}
{{wikify}}
{{context}}
{{unref}}
The '''history of furry fandom''' is a collective history of science fiction, cartooning, tabletop gaming, role-playing, costuming, and countless other communities. Generally there is little consensus as to when fans of anthropomorphic, or human-like, characters first came into being, but the modern fandom owes its origins to the independent comic books boom of the early 1980s. Fans of comics such as ''[[Albedo|Albedo Anthropomorphics]]'', ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]'', and others would gather at room parties at science fiction conventions, sharing and enjoying any material involving these kinds of characters. It was from these groups coming together that "furry" was born.

== Early anthropomorphic literature and art ==
[[File:Hohlenstein-stadel.jpg|thumb|The Löwenmensch figurine, discovered in Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany. Currently the oldest known anthropomorphic art in the world, carbon dated to be approximately 32,000 years old.]]

Anthropomorphism (from the Greek ''ánthrōpos'', lit. "human", and ''morphē'', lit. "form" or "shape") is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities, such as objects or animals.

The concept of bestowing something non-human with human qualities has its roots in psychology. Metaphors are often used to help better understand unknown forces in the world by comparing them to something familiar. To help communicate these ideas with other people, humans use storytelling as a device to help remember and highlight the significance of something. In [[Wikipedia:Aesop's Fables|Aesop's Fables]], animals are used to represent certain characteristics that are either desired or should be avoided. It's in this way that animals, both in art and in prose, were used to spread information, morals, and beliefs. Giving animals certain qualities (foxes being sly, dogs being loyal, etc.) is still a common example of anthropomorphism at work today.

Early examples of human artwork often feature zoomorphic, or animal-shaped, figures, such as the numerous reliefs at Göbekli Tepe (c.9000-7000 BCE) in Turkey, or the ''Guennol Lioness'' (c.3000-2800 BCE) in Iraq.

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.

Within literature, Hesiod's ''Works and Days'' (c.700 BCE) features a fable known as [[Wikipedia:The Hawk and the Nightingale|The Hawk and the Nightingale]], and is earliest example of anthropomorphic literature featuring animals, predating [[Wikipedia:Aesop's Fables|Aesop's Fables]] (c. 6th century BCE) .<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 continued to proliferate over time in the form of [[Wikipedia:Folklore|folk tales]]. When folk tales were eventually collected and categorized, literary scholars concluded 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>

===19th century literature and art===
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 transformations==

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.

The Air Pirates collective published in August 1971, looking for a fight, was quickly sued by Disney on October 21, 1971 for copyright and trademark infringement. The suit would not be settled until 1980.

==Proto-fandom (1976-1986)==

Robert Crumb's dissatisfaction with the film adaptation of ''Fritz the Cat'' led to him subsequently killing off the character in 1972. After this, there was a lack of 'funny animal' characters outside of the mainstream houses such as Disney. Minneapolis artists [[Ken Fletcher]] and [[Reed Waller]], hoping to fill a void surrounded by comic book superheroes, decided to found an [[APA|amateur press association]] called ''[[Vootie]]'' on February 29, 1976. The intention was to gather talented artists in the Twin-Cities area and explore the potential of using funny animals in adult situations.

In the Los Angeles area, [[Mark Merlino]] and [[Fred Patten]], both fans of Japanese animation, created the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] in 1977 as a club for fellow enthusiasts.
Steve Gallacci, an Air Force technical artist, began drafting art that would become his later work, ''Albedo'', that same year. He would present his work on August 29, 1980 at the art show at NorEasCon II World Science Fiction Convention in Boston. A group of fans formed around his work, dubbed the "Gallacci group", and would meet at Worldcons and Westercons in the subsequent years to discuss all things anthropomorphics.

===Birth of Rowrbrazzle===
{{main|1980s}}
By the early 1980s, Vootie's membership contributions had become increasingly sporadic, and editorial laxness was just as apparent. [[Timothy Fay]] would attempt to keep the group alive by creating his own APA, ''Revolutionary Vootie'', in 1983 with the help of [[Marc Schirmeister]]. Although they received some submissions, they could not generate enough interest. ''Vootie'''s cessation that year led to Schirmeister founding another APA, ''[[Rowrbrazzle]]'', soon afterward. This transition between ''Vootie'' and ''Rowrbrazzle'' is considered by Patten, a fandom historian, to be a crucial evolutionary point between [[funny animal fandom]] and [[furry fandom]].

===The independent comic book explosion, animation, and literature===
Thanks to [[Wikipedia:Phil Seuling|Phil Seuling's] creation of a direct market comic book retailer, where the store would buy directly from a publisher and bypass the distributor, the risk of making a profit for small, independent publishers went down significantly. This allowed artists to publish more experimental material and still be able to compete with larger companies like Marvel and DC.
In a similar vein, the underground comics artists of the late-1960s and early-1970s, such as those in ''Vootie'', had grown tired of drawing material that was once cutting edge, but had since become routine and overused. They would also hop on the indie publisher bandwagon, allowing artists to explore more personal material. One of those artists was [[Reed Waller]], creator of [[Omaha The Cat Dancer]], whose work would be a favorite among 'funny animal' fans for its depiction of a romantic relationship with a stripper.

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

==Early modern furry fandom==
===Furry parties===
Judy Niver, one of the founders of the [[C/FO]], hosted a party in her room at the [[San Diego Comic Convention]] in 1985. The [[Rowrbrazzle]] APA group was also having a party in the same hotel, and there was much overlap in attendance. As a result, 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]].

That same year at [[Westercon|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. Since many room parties at science fiction and fantasy cons had a theme, the party was called [[Prancing Skiltaire|The Prancing Skiltaire]] party, after the name of Merlino's house. ''[[Animalympics]]'' was screened, along with [[Warner Bros. (company)|Warner Bros.]] short cartoons, and collections of [[furry art]]work and [[:Category:Short stories|short stories]] were left on display for browsing. Visitors to the party were intrigued by the 'funny animal' art, and some revealed having [[sketchbook|sketchbooks]] and collections of their own art. The following year at the 1986 Westercon in [[wikipedia:San Diego, California|San Diego]], CA, the successor party was the first to be openly called a "[[furry party]]". After the success of these events, Merlino and O'Riley began hosting similar events at conventions all over California.

In the mid 1980s, a unified group of fans interested in animal characters in comics 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|BBSs]] (Bulletin Board Systems) like the [[Tiger's Den]], [[StormGate Aerie]], and [[Kyim's Scratching Post]].

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

===ConFurence and early furry conventions===
By 1988, the furry parties had grown notably in size, much to the chagrin of the science fiction conventions they were typically hosted at. Merlino and O'Riley, hopeful that their nascent fandom would continue to grow, decided to expand on the furry party concept and host a prototype convention for furry fans. [[ConFurence Zero]] was hosted in Costa Mesa, California, on January 21-22, 1989, and had a total of 65 attendees. Lasting until April 2003, it continued to be the premier international gathering place of furry fans until 1999, when it tied for attendance with the up and coming [[Anthrocon]] held in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

In the Eastern United States, furry fans were gathering at the [[wikipedia:New York|New York]] chapter of the [[C/FO]], founded by [[Ken Sample]]. [[Ray Rooney]] and [[Major Matt Mason]] had hosted furry parties in their suite at [[wikipedia:Philcon|Philcon]], a science fiction convention in [[wikipedia:Philadelphia|Philadelphia]], for several years. Philcon eventually hosted the first major furry [[art show]] and [[dealer's room]]. [[Trish Ny]], an attendee at Philcon, felt that there was enough anti-furry prejudice to warrant organizing their own convention, [[Furtasticon]], which he chaired. It was to be a prototype East Coast furry convention that would turn into[[ConFurence East]], which had no relation to ConFurence, in October 1995.

At the [[Worldcon| 54th World Science Fiction Convention]] in 1996, held in [[wikipedia:Anaheim, California|Anaheim, California]], the [[Furry Fandom Lounge]] was organized by the [[ConFurence]] committee as a 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 July 1997, [[Anthrocon|Albany AnthroCon]] was first held in [[wikipedia:Albany, New York|Albany, New York]], later becoming Anthrocon, one of the largest furry conventions in the United States.
=== Online furry fandom ===
{{main|1990s}}

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]].

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 online 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]].

===ConFurence 8 and the sex controversy===
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.

== 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]]

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

Alt.fan.furry

2019-01-28T07:46:01Z

Orthodox64: Cleaned up format, fixed some factual information. Will need fleshing out for alt.fan.furry member list and general discussions that took place.

{{lowercase}}
'''alt.fan.furry''', also known as '''a.f.f.''' or '''AFF''', is a [[:Category:Newsgroups|newsgroup]] centered around [[furry|furry fandom]] and related topics. Created on December 18, 1990 by user [[Tzoq]], it was intended to be an online repository for furries to gather and discuss various topics revolving around the still new [[fandom]]. It served as a place to advertise, chat, and debate, and became infamous for its collection of massive [[Wikipedia:flamewar|flame wars]]. The service would be superseded by more accessible websites such as forums by the 2000s, with use dwindling to a handful of monthly posts. Today it remains as an archive of the early online [[history|history of furry fandom]].

== History ==

The earliest known furry Usenet group was originally created after fans of ''[[Albedo|Albedo Anthropomorphics]]'' gathered in [[alt.birthright]], quickly discovering that it was not a group for the [[Birthright]] series by artist [[Steve Gallacci]]. One of these fans, [[Peter da Silva]], would start a dedicated newsgroup on October 31, 1990 under the name 'alt.fan.albedo'. The initial message on a.f.a. read:
{{q|This group is for discussion of funny animal comic books, such as Albedo, Critters, and Quack!.
This group was created after a funny-animal discussion started in alt.birthright. Hopefully someone will let the furry mailing list know.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/browse_thread/thread/8da5256d39f30311/9760c60384824144#9760c60384824144 Creation of 'alt.fan.furry'] post on alt.fan.furry (Retrieved 1/28/19)</ref>}}
At that time, ''[[Albedo]]'' was suffering from extremely infrequent publication and ''[[Critters]]'' was already defunct. Several members suggested that 'alt.fan.furry' would be a better group name. While Peter da Silva didn't prefer the term, furry was already beginning to supersede ''[[funny animal]]'' in various fandom [[mailing list|mailing lists]], and was more all-encompassing than being strictly ''Albedo'' related.

Members on 'alt.fan.albedo' in the one month interim included [[greymuzzle|greymuzzles]] such as [[Jimmy Chin]], [[mejeep]], and [[Uncle Kage]], and [[Steven Stadnicki]].

'alt.fan.furry' later spun off other furry newsgroups, the most notable of which was '[[alt.lifestyle.furry]]'.

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==

* [[Rec.arts.furry]]
* [[Furrynet]]

== External links ==

* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry alt.fan.furry] on [http://groups-beta.google.com/ Google Groups]
* [http://www.faqs.org/faqs/furry/faq/ alt.fan.furry] FAQ on [http://www.faqs.org/ Faqs.org]

[[Category: Newsgroups]]
[[Category:1990 births]]

[[es:alt.fan.furry]]
[[ru:alt.fan.furry]]

Reed Waller

2019-01-07T07:35:07Z

Orthodox64: Image format fix.

{{Infobox person
| name = Reed Waller
| image = [[File:Reedwaller.jpg|200px]]
| born = August 3, 1949
| nationality = [[People of the United States|American]]
| notable works = ''Omaha the Cat Dancer''
| profession = Cartoonist, Writer
| url = http://www.reedwalleromaha.com/jreed/
}}
'''Reed Waller''' (born August 3, 1949) is an American comic book writer and artist best known for his work on ''[[Omaha the Cat Dancer]]'' with his writing partner and former wife, the late [[Kate Worley]]. Reed co-founded the pioneering [[funny animal]] [[Amateur Press Association|APA]] ''[[Vootie]]'' with artist Ken Fletcher in April 1976.<ref> Vootie Flyer http://www.furaffinity.net/view/19451045/</ref> Both Reed and Kate were [[Guest of Honor|guests of honor]] at [[ConFurence 2]], held in 1991.

== Early Influences ==
Waller was heavily inspired by satirical works such as [[wikipedia:Mad (magazine)|MAD magazine]] and [[Fritz the Cat]], as well as the underground comics tied to the counterculture of the 1960s. A group of cartoonists known as the [[wikipedia:Air Pirates|Air Pirates]], lead by Dan O'Neill, was started in 1971, publishing satirical comics mimicking classic Disney artists but with explicit content. O'Neill and the Air Pirates would be sued by Disney for copyright infringement, with O'Neill claiming free speech for parody and satire.
== ''Vootie'' ==
In the early 1970s, Waller was inspired by the legal battles between Disney and O'Neill and wanted to create an APA with a focus on 'funny animals', a genre that had died down with the end of Fritz the Cat in 1972 and Pogo in 1975. Waller and Fletcher printed a batch of around 100 fliers calling for artists to participate in the "Funny Animal Liberation Front," similar in nature to O'Neill's "Mouse Liberation Front." The name ''Vootie'' comes from Members were required to submit two pages of art for a bimonthly publication.In April 1976, submissions for ''Vootie'' 0 were collected and distributed among members in and out of the Twin Cities area.
== ''Omaha the Cat Dancer'' ==
In 1978, Reed had been playing guitar in a pick-up band for local strip clubs in Minneapolis, sketching the strippers in between sets. Jim Schumeister went as far as to suggest "Why don't you do your own funny-animal comic about strippers? You could call it ''Charlie's Bimbos.''<ref>Strike, Joe (2017). "The Naughty Bits". ''Furry Nation''. Cleis Press. p. 200. </ref> At the same time, the magazine received a letter from [[Taral Wayne]] stating "There's not enough sex in funny animal comics." Taking inspiration from these simultaneous sources, Waller created "The Adventures of Omaha" in response. Members of Vootie were split over the idea of adult content with funny animals, with Reed leading the crowd championing sexual liberation akin to the underground comics he was inspired by. The rest were concerned that if they were associated with adult artwork, they would struggle to enter the profitable children's entertainment market.<ref>Furry Sex Panel, by Reed Waller at Furry Migration II (2015) https://youtu.be/pyF6KO97BdM</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{person-stub}}

== See also ==
* [[Wikipedia:Reed Waller|Reed Waller]] on Wikipedia

== External links ==

* [http://rwaller.blogspot.com/ Reed Waller's Blog]

{{Wikipedia|Reed Waller}}

[[Category:People]][[Category:Comic artists]]
[[Category:ConFurence guests of honor]]
[[Category:1949 births]]

Reed Waller

2019-01-07T07:32:06Z

Orthodox64: Adding relevant information from texts, videos, and communication with Reed via email.

{{Infobox person
| name = Reed Waller
| image = Reedwaller.jpg
| born = August 3, 1949
| nationality = [[People of the United States|American]]
| notable works = ''Omaha the Cat Dancer''
| profession = Cartoonist, Writer
| url = http://www.reedwalleromaha.com/jreed/
}}
'''Reed Waller''' (born August 3, 1949) is an American comic book writer and artist best known for his work on ''[[Omaha the Cat Dancer]]'' with his writing partner and former wife, the late [[Kate Worley]]. Reed co-founded the pioneering [[funny animal]] [[Amateur Press Association|APA]] ''[[Vootie]]'' with artist Ken Fletcher in April 1976.<ref> Vootie Flyer http://www.furaffinity.net/view/19451045/</ref> Both Reed and Kate were [[Guest of Honor|guests of honor]] at [[ConFurence 2]], held in 1991.

== Early Influences ==
Waller was heavily inspired by satirical works such as [[wikipedia:Mad (magazine)|MAD magazine]] and [[Fritz the Cat]], as well as the underground comics tied to the counterculture of the 1960s. A group of cartoonists known as the [[wikipedia:Air Pirates|Air Pirates]], lead by Dan O'Neill, was started in 1971, publishing satirical comics mimicking classic Disney artists but with explicit content. O'Neill and the Air Pirates would be sued by Disney for copyright infringement, with O'Neill claiming free speech for parody and satire.
== ''Vootie'' ==
In the early 1970s, Waller was inspired by the legal battles between Disney and O'Neill and wanted to create an APA with a focus on 'funny animals', a genre that had died down with the end of Fritz the Cat in 1972 and Pogo in 1975. Waller and Fletcher printed a batch of around 100 fliers calling for artists to participate in the "Funny Animal Liberation Front," similar in nature to O'Neill's "Mouse Liberation Front." The name ''Vootie'' comes from Members were required to submit two pages of art for a bimonthly publication.In April 1976, submissions for ''Vootie'' 0 were collected and distributed among members in and out of the Twin Cities area.
== ''Omaha the Cat Dancer'' ==
In 1978, Reed had been playing guitar in a pick-up band for local strip clubs in Minneapolis, sketching the strippers in between sets. Jim Schumeister went as far as to suggest "Why don't you do your own funny-animal comic about strippers? You could call it ''Charlie's Bimbos.''<ref>Strike, Joe (2017). "The Naughty Bits". ''Furry Nation''. Cleis Press. p. 200. </ref> At the same time, the magazine received a letter from [[Taral Wayne]] stating "There's not enough sex in funny animal comics." Taking inspiration from these simultaneous sources, Waller created "The Adventures of Omaha" in response. Members of Vootie were split over the idea of adult content with funny animals, with Reed leading the crowd championing sexual liberation akin to the underground comics he was inspired by. The rest were concerned that if they were associated with adult artwork, they would struggle to enter the profitable children's entertainment market.<ref>Furry Sex Panel, by Reed Waller at Furry Migration II (2015) https://youtu.be/pyF6KO97BdM</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{person-stub}}

== See also ==
* [[Wikipedia:Reed Waller|Reed Waller]] on Wikipedia

== External links ==

* [http://rwaller.blogspot.com/ Reed Waller's Blog]

{{Wikipedia|Reed Waller}}

[[Category:People]][[Category:Comic artists]]
[[Category:ConFurence guests of honor]]
[[Category:1949 births]]

File:Reedwaller.jpg

2019-01-04T05:52:15Z

Orthodox64: Profile image from Reed Waller's website.

== Summary ==
Profile image from Reed Waller's website.
== Licensing ==
{{subst:No license from license selector|Don't know}}