Subculture
What does Furry mean?
A fandom of animal characters with human ways: art, a fursona, conventions, sometimes a fursuit — and a reputation the press inflated.
Definition
The name is for people who like anthropomorphic characters — animals that talk, wear clothes, have human humour. Plenty draw, write, keep a fursona, a personal character. A slice wears a fursuit; most do not. There is adult content, as in almost every large fandom; the news cliché reduces the whole scene to sex.
Therian is another topic: an animal-identity account, not the fandom mascot. Art and the fursona stay at the centre; the fursuit is the part the camera picks.
Origin
English furry, from funny-animal. Marc Schirmeister called for the APA Rowrbrazzle in October 1983; the first issue went out in February 1984 — the landmark Fred Patten uses to say the fandom already existed. ConFurence 0 (21–22 January 1989, Costa Mesa, California, about 65 people) was the dry run; ConFurence 1, in January 1990, about 130. In December 1990 came the Usenet group alt.fan.furry.
History
From zines and Usenet the conventions took shape. On 30 October 2003 CSI’s “Fur and Loathing” took the con to TV and stuck the sex joke. Fur Affinity opened on 16 January 2005 (Alkora), shut in August and relaunched on 10 December the same year. Art and the fursona stayed the centre; the fursuit stayed the photograph.
How it emerged
People who already read funny animals needed a community name. The APA and the con gave the name; TV grabbed the easy cut and stuck a joke on it. Furry stayed the stamp; the fursuit stayed the photo.
Usage examples
I'm a furry; I don't wear a fursuit.
A fursona is a character, not a biological species.
Translations
- pt furry
- en furry
- es furry
Synonyms
- furry fandom
- fursona
- fursuit