Anthrocon
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| Anthrocon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Other names | AC |
| Location | |
| Website | |
| Status | Ongoing |
| First iteration | July 3-6, 1997 (as Albany AnthroCon)
July 1-4, 1999 (as AnthroCon) |
| Organizer(s) | Anthrocon, Inc. |
| Subject | Furry |
| Resources | Photos, videos, reports: Anthrocon resources |
Anthrocon, or just AC, is a furry convention held yearly during the summer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It is the largest furcon in the world, with an attendance of 17,639 in 2024.
Contents
History[edit]
The convention was founded in 1997 as Albany AnthroCon, which itself an offshoot of the Furry Halloween parties held by Aloyen Youngblood; when attendance pushed triple digits, he decided to book a hotel, and organized it as a convention in 1997 with the aid of local friends, Points, Rigel, and others. In its first year, it had approximately 500 attendees.
In late 1998-1999, the chairmanship of the convention was transferred to Dr. Samuel Conway by Points, and they formally organized the group as Anthrocon Inc., and later renamed the convention to "Anthrocon", and relocated it to Pennsylvania. Its first venue was the Hilton Hotel of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1999 and 2000. Due to a rapid increase in attendees, it was forced to relocate to the larger Adams Mark Hotel of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2001, where it became the largest furry convention ever held, with 1,457 attendees.
Attendance continued to grow, and by 2004 it was 2,406. Attendance in 2005 dropped slightly to 2,373, due in part to higher parking fees, and a different and unfamiliar hotel, which was the Wyndham Franklin Plaza in downtown Philadelphia, and possibly due to Hurricane Dennis's effect on the southern United States which closed many airports and prevented people from traveling.
Attendance increased again in 2006 with the move to the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reaching 2,489. In 2008, total attendance reached 3,390. In 2010, it increased with 4,238 attendees and four official convention hotels. Growth for the convention has historically averaged 14% yearly.
In 2020, Anthrocon was not held in-person due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online conventions were held in 2020 and 2021 with the usage of virtual meeting spaces and VRChat. The convention returned to being in-person in 2022, with attendees being required to provide proof of vaccination and wear medical face-masks. These requirements were rescinded in 2024.
Since 1997, the Anthrocon Charity Auction has donated a total of $240K+ to local charities.
Security for the convention has been provided by the Dorsai Irregulars from 2002 until 2019.
Current location and timeslot[edit]
Due to the unforeseen sale and closure of the Adam's Mark Hotel in November 2004, AC chose the Wyndham Franklin Plaza in Philadelphia as the site for 2005 and announced that they would be moving there for the next year. In 2006, Due to scheduling conflicts, the convention had to temporarily leave its normal July timeslot and was held on June 15-18. In 2007, it was held July 5-8 at the same location.
The 2006 move to Pittsburgh was envisioned by AC's Board of Directors before the sale of the Adam's Mark Hotel took place, due to AC's increasing attendance. AC began soliciting people's opinions about moving to Pittsburgh in October 2004. At the time, the convention was already too big for any affordable hotel in Philadelphia, and the Adam's Mark had the most convention space of any hotel of its size in the city before its demolition. The closing of the Adam's Mark simply moved those plans up a year. While some were opposed to the move, most were supportive of it. Many attendees who supported the move lived out of Pennsylvania and the move made little difference to the trip there.
Currently, Anthrocon operates with the support of the city of Pittsburgh and local businesses. Anthrocon currently works with VisitPittsburgh on their "Show Your Badge" program that allows congoers to visit many Pittsburgh landmarks at a reduced cost. The convention works with over a dozen hotels in the city's downtown, providing cheaper accommodations for many pre-registered attendees. Anthrocon also charters buses from these hotels to the convention center, which attendees can use free of charge. Some restaurants in downtown Pittsburgh offer Anthrocon-themed specials, most prominently Pizza Parma/Fernando's, a pizzeria that re-themes itself to "Furryland" during the convention weekend.
Anthrocon brings a large amount of business to downtown Pittsburgh, with attendees estimated to spend over $70 million in 2024.
Leadership[edit]
The chairman of the convention is Dr. Samuel Conway (also known as Kagemushi or Uncle Kage by attendees), who oversees AC's operations with the help of staff and volunteers who donate their time and energy throughout the weekend to assist the multitude of small tasks that arise.
Board of Directors[edit]
- Tim "The Foxish" Mithee: Dealers' Room, Photography
- Kenneth "Gen. Talon" Baker: Audio/Visual
- Dr. Valentina “Nuclear Space Cat” O’Donnell: Registration
- John "K.P." Cole: Public Outreach
- Christopher “Sparf” Williams: Events
- Peter "PeterCat" Kappesser: Art show
- George "Tigerwolf" Nemeyer: Internet Room
- Paige “Ysera” Ward: Publications
- Scott "Talyn" Williams: Operations
- Jeffrey “Humphrey” Costa: Public Safety
- Douglas “Chittebengo” Payne: Finances
- Isaac "Ronnie" Tan: Digital Services
Guests of Honor[edit]
Past GoH have included:
- 1997: Artists Daphne Lage and Watts Martin
- 1998: Artists Jeffrey A. Carver and Jim Groat
- 1999: Author S. Andrew Swann and artist Vicky Wyman
- 2000: Artist Caribou (was Sara Palmer) and author Paul Kidd (2000)
- 2001: comic-book artist Dan DeCarlo (creator of Josie and the Pussycats), and syndicated cartoonist Bill Holbrook
- 2002: Artist Heather Bruton and author Lisanne Norman (of the Sholan Alliance Series)
- 2003: Artists Guy Gilchrist and Mark E. Rogers
- 2004: Artists Michel Gagné and Stan Sakai (creator of Usagi Yojimbo)
- 2005: Timothy Albee ("Kaze: Ghost Warrior") and Peter Laird, co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- 2006: Fantasy author Diane Duane, writer/animator/cartoonist/artist Scott Shaw!, and (as a "Special Guest") Filk musician Tom Smith
- 2007: Television/animation writer Mark Evanier, comic artist Carolyn Kelly (of syndicated comic strip Pogo) and voice actor Rob Paulsen (Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Gummi Bears and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
- 2008: Animator and Disney Legend Floyd Norman
- 2009: Character designer and storyboard artist Ben Balistreri (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Seaweed the Pelican), creator/producer Bob Boyle (Wow Wow Wubbzy and Yin Yang Yo!) and cartoonist and artist Joe Harris (creator of Underdog and the Trix Rabbit)
- 2010: Author James Gurney (Dinotopia book series), and Sesame Street puppeteer/director Jim Martin
- 2011: Artist Andy Runton (Owly), and author Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn)
- 2012: Creative Director/art Director/freelance illustrator Dev Madan, animator and comic artist Mike Kazaleh, and Japanese fursuiter and acrobat Sardyuon
- 2013: Fantasy artist and novelist Larry Dixon, author Mercedes Lackey, animation producer/writer/story editor and storyboard artist Tom Minton, and Sardyuon
- 2014: Voice actors Jim Cummings (Darkwing Duck, Winnie the Pooh, The Lion King, Baldur's Gate, Sonic the Hedgehog) and Lee Tockar (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Yakkity Yak).
- 2015: Voice actor Kimlinh Tran and sports mascot "The San Diego Chicken"
- 2016: Animation genius Joaquin Baldwin, voice artist Trevor Devall and illustrator/graphic designer Tracy Butler
- 2017: Voice actor Charlie Adler
- 2018: Len Simon, one of the main leads on Anastasia and was promoted to Animation Director in charge of all the character animation on Bartok the Magnificent and Titan AE and Ursula Vernon, creator of the "lol wut" (The Biting Pear of Salamanca), and the webcomic Digger.
- 2019: Voice actor Benjamin Diskin, artist Steve Gallacci, and eSports player SonicFox5000.
- 2020: VRChat content creator Firr, SueDeer[citation needed]
- 2022: French Artist and animator Kévin "Kékéflipnote" Gemin, SueDeer
- 2023: The city of Pittsburgh
Typical programming[edit]
- Opening and Closing Ceremonies
- Dealers' Den
- Artists' Alley
- Art Shows (General and Mature)
- Art Show Auctions
- Charity Auction to benefit the year's charity
- Masquerade
- Stand-up Comedy
- "Uncle Kage's Story Hour"
- Fursuit Parade and starting in 2022, the Fursuit Block Party
- Fursuit Dance Competition and Floor Wars
- Art-related, Costumery-related, and other artistic how-to panels, workshops, and demonstrations
- Table-top card and role-playing games
- Video Game Room and Tournaments
- Special-interest, species-related, and lifestyle group panels
- Puppetry Instruction
- Various Social Dances (Electronica/EDM Dances, Fursuit-friendly dances, Era-themed dances, Fandom-related DJ's)
- Musical performances
- Internet Room
- "The Zoo", a spacious general social area. (This was deprecated in 2022 in lieu of multiple, smaller breakout Zoo areas.)
- Supersponsor Luncheon
Themes[edit]
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Charities[edit]
Every year, Anthrocon chooses a local animal-related charity to be the beneficiary of its charity auction.[1]
Attendance[edit]
AC's attendance has increased yearly, except for AC 2005. Membership in the fursuit parade has increased as well, rising to 5.9% of members in 2005 to a peak of 28.7% in 2016.
| Convention year | Attendance | Percentage change | Fursuiters in fursuit parade | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany AnthroCon 1997 | 500* | N/A | Unknownº | N/A |
| Albany AnthroCon 1998 | 600* | 20% | Unknown | N/A |
| Anthrocon 1999 | 845 | 40.8% | Unknown | N/A |
| Anthrocon 2000 | 1,128 | 33.4% | Unknown | N/A |
| Anthrocon 2001 | 1,457 | 29.2% | Unknown | N/A |
| Anthrocon 2002 | 1,648 | 13.1% | Unknown | N/A |
| Anthrocon 2003 | 1,949 | 18.2% | Unknown | N/A |
| Anthrocon 2004 | 2,404 | 23.3% | Unknown | N/A |
| Anthrocon 2005 | 2,370 | -1.4% | 140 | N/A |
| Anthrocon 2006 | 2,489 | 5% | 191 | 36.4% |
| Anthrocon 2007 | 2,849 | 14.5% | 353 | 84.8% |
| Anthrocon 2008 | 3,390 | 19% | 453 | 28.3% |
| Anthrocon 2009 | 3,777 | 11.4% | 640 | 41.3% |
| Anthrocon 2010 | 4,238 | 12.2% | 713 | 11.4% |
| Anthrocon 2011 | 4,402 | 3.8% | 854 | 19.8% |
| Anthrocon 2012 | 5,179 | 17.7% | 1,044 | 22.2% |
| Anthrocon 2013 | 5,577 | 7.68% | 1,300 | 24.5% |
| Anthrocon 2014 | 5,861 | 5.09% | 1,326 | 2% |
| Anthrocon 2015 | 6,386 | 9.01% | 1,460 | 10.11% |
| Anthrocon 2016 | 7,310 | 14.44% | 2,100 | 43.34% |
| Anthrocon 2017 | 7,554 | 3.33% | 1,890 | -10.00% |
| Anthrocon 2018 | 8,407 | 11.29% | 1,980 | 4.76% |
| Anthrocon 2019 | 9,358 | 11.31% | 2,132 | 7.67% |
| Anthrocon 2020 | 6,136** | N/A | 2 (staff) | N/A |
| Anthrocon 2022 | 9,702 | 3.68% | 2,562 | 20.17% |
| Anthrocon 2023 | 13,644 | 40.63% | 3,127 | 22.05% |
| Anthrocon 2024 | 17,639 | 29.84% | 3,371 | 7.51% |
(*)Estimated
(**)Unique VRChat attendees
ºAnthrocon didn't keep records on the number of fursuiters in the fursuit parade until 2005.
Incorporation and Trademarks[edit]
Anthrocon, Inc. was incorporated as a non-profit organization on June 25, 1998, and registered as a 501(c)(7) social and recreation club in the state of Pennsylvania (entity 2823650). This classification differs from the 501(c)(3) status of Midwest Furry Fandom and Anthropomorphic Arts and Education, most notably, donations are not tax-deductible to their donors, but in return, the company has more flexibility about its operations, and more leeway to restrict access to non-members, since it's not a club.
Applications to register the word "Anthrocon" and the 'Anthrocon paw' as US trademarks were filed on September 18 and November 12, 2006. According to these filings, the word "Anthrocon" was first used on February 1, 1997, while the paw logo was used from June 30, 1998, onwards.
Trivia[edit]
- The choice of Toonseum was made with consultation of the furry community via a LiveJournal post by Rigel. It has so far been the only (fandom-approved) exception to the "animal-related" charity rule.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Charity history on Anthrocon's website. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
External links[edit]
- Anthrocon on Facebook
- Anthrocon group on Facebook
- Anthrocon on Twitter
- Anthrocon on Youtube
- Anthrocon on Mastodon
- Announcement Channel on Telegram
Media[edit]
- Pittsburgh economy out millions because of canceled events article on Pittsburgh's Action News 4
- Furries' in Pittsburgh 'Worked Their Tails Off' to Raise Over $100,000 for Homeless Senior Pets article on People
- Photos, videos, reports: Anthrocon resources
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Some of this page is derived from Wikipedia. The original article was at Anthrocon. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WikiFur, the text of Wikipedia is available under CC-BY-SA and the GFDL. |
