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TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 26
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 26. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.
How To Get Ideas For Making Your Next Fursuit
Article Content
- Introduction
- What Is A Fursuit?
- Why Do Furries Wear Fursuits?
- How Much Does A Fursuit Cost?
- Can You Make Your Own Fursuit?
- Best Ways To Get Ideas For Making Fursuits
- How Do You Make A Fursuit?
- Final Words
Have you come across the furry fandom on social media platforms? The furry community or the furry fandom consists of people fond of fictional anthropomorphic animal characters. These imaginary animals include characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog, who have human traits.
The furry fandom is obsessed with such characters. Some furries even create fursonas which are furry-themed avatars.
Furries can associate themselves with the fursonas as these avatars have human traits that depict a furry’s personality. Thus, fursonas are more like personalized anthropomorphic characters for furries.
Many artsy people in the furry community earn a commission by expressing their individuality and creativity by making digital artwork, mascots, and even fursuits. Let us learn how fursonas play an ideal role in creating a highly personalized fursuit.
What Is a Fursuit?Fursuits are customized animal costumes worn by members of the furry community or by various cosplayers. Many people like to perform theater acts in fursuits, and these costumes represent a character they may want to portray.
But fursuits are popular in the furry fandom as they are customized according to a furry’s liking. Moreover, crafting fursuits is a highly creative hobby for many fandom artists.
Artists use a fursona to model a fursuit. Therefore, fursuits are highly personalized according to a person’s liking. Fursuiters, a subcategory of the furry fandom, wear fur costumes.
This clarifies that not all furries need to wear a fursuit to be a part of the furry fandom. Instead, it is more like a personal choice.
Moreover, not all fursuits must look like a person’s fursona. Some of them are modeled like Pokemon or other anime characters.
Example Of Kemono Fursuit
Image via Pinterest
Why Do Furries Wear Fursuits?People who belong to the subcategory of fursuiters like to dress up in fursuits. They like to represent themselves through creativity. Moreover, identity and self-representation are core values of the furry fandom.
Thus, some people like to represent themselves through their fursonas while others imitate the characters which represent them. However, some fursuiters also dress up solely for entertainment.
These fursuiters only dress up for comic cons, anime, and furry conventions. But the sole purpose of wearing a fursuit amongst furries is to use your alternative anthropomorphic character suit for introducing yourself to others.
Bring your fursona to life with the help of our professional fursuit makers.
Fursuits require highly complex crafting techniques and expensive props and materials. Due to this, fursuits are on the upper end of the price spectrum. If you’re impatiently waiting for us to reveal the price, let’s jump into it immediately!
The minimum cost of a personalized fursuit is between $2000 to $6000, which is quite expensive. But if you’re going to purchase a fursuit for this much money, you must understand that crafting fursuits requires a lot of time, money, and effort.
In addition, the prices vary from artist to artist. For example, some artists create fursuits out of costly materials, while others use inexpensive materials to meet your budget.
If you’re looking for a vague idea, the fursuits come at a range of prices, generally between $500 to $6000. Readymade fursuits typically cost less than customized fursuits as they do not require attention to detail.
But it would help if you remembered that most fursuits are priced according to the suit’s complexity, the artists’ skill, and the material used.
Have you thought about becoming a part of the furry community? Well, you must have looked into fursuits. While you can find numerous fursuits online, they may be at the upper end of the price spectrum.
Moreover, they lack personal touches. Therefore, you might want to make a highly personalized fursuit.
Crafting your fursuit is one of the best ways to get an accurate and affordable costume. If you want to create your fursuit, you may have to surf through thousands of youtube videos, crafting channels, and WikiHow’s guides.
Moreover, you’ll have to look into different materials and what may work best for you. For example, some people prefer faux fur while others choose cotton clothes and embroidered outlook.
However, the most challenging task of making a fursuit is to get unique ideas and transform them into suits. But if you wish to save time, we have a handy guide for getting ideas for your next fursuit.
Three Plantigrade Fursuits
Image via Wikipedia
Best Ways to Get Ideas for Making a FursuitAre you looking to make a unique fursuit at an affordable price? Here are some of the best ways to get unique ideas for crafting your next fursuit.
Browsing Furry Art SitesOne of the simplest ways of getting unique ideas for making a fursuit is by surfing through furry art sites. This includes visiting sites such as FurAffinity, etc.
You can also look for Pinterest posts or join social media platforms with furry groups. Furries often share their ideas and costumes in these groups.
Once you find something you like, you can look for the original artist. You can stalk their profile or contact them to work on your fursona. Once you get a personalized fursona, crafting a fursuit for your customized fursona is easier.
However, furry art sites have one downside that this may not be the most reliable method for getting a fursona as some artists may not allow you to use their digitally created fursona for your suit.
If that’s the case, you can contact digital art sites for furries and request them to create a personalized fursona. Once you purchase the fursona, you can use the idea to make your fursuit, which resembles your digital fursona.
FreestyleAnother excellent idea for crafting a fursuit is to have your artistic vision carry you to the final product. You can draw a rough sample of your fursona. Then list down the material you could use for creating the costume. Next, choose the colors.
This way, you can create a unique fursuit, as the final product will be the outcome of a freestyle costume-making technique. However, the downside is that this method works well for people with good art skills.
If you haven’t created a fursuit before, you might risk it by freestyling the design. Therefore, this method works best for intermediate artists or people incredibly confident in their art skills.
Video Tutorials/GuidesBefore diving into making a fursuit, you must check out various video tutorials and guides for better costume-crafting ideas. We suggest you watch fursuit inspiration videos on Youtube or check out some Twitter threads before you start crafting the costume.
Such guides often discuss materials and what may work best for your fursuit. For example, a Twitter thread by a furry suggests that you use Eva foam for crafting a fursuit. Typically, artists use upholstery foam which may require more work to model the body and head.
The Twitter thread shares pictures of the materials and the technique of using Eva foam. In contrast, many other videos of fursuit makers suggest using upholstery foam. However, this material is more challenging to manage and craft.
Therefore going through various inspiration guides can help you pick out different materials you can work with. In addition, they give you a better idea about sculpting a scale model and how to transform it into a unique fursuit according to your liking. It also guides you better about various materials and their ease of use.
Furry YouTube ChannelsFurry youtube channels such as Mugiwara Cosplay feature excellent video tutorials for crafting fursuits. The featured videos outline crafting techniques and demonstrate every step of making a unique fursuit.
Such videos can help you get better ideas about crafting your own fursuit. Moreover, if you’re stumped for ideas, these videos will help freshen up your mind, and you may precisely understand what you want from your fursuit.
The Making Of A Fursuit
Image via Pittsburgh City Paper
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Once you understand the type of fursuit you want, you can use various crafting techniques to create an affordable fursuit. But you need good art skills to convert your ideas into a practical suit. Here are some fantastic ways of making a practical fursuit.
Sculpt the HeadBefore designing the entire suit, you must consider sculpting the suit’s head. Choosing the shape of the head is the primary step in crafting a fursuit. It would be best if you decided whether you want a wide-shaped head or a round and small snout for your character.
Once you decide on the shape, it is time to sculpt the head using various materials. You can use plush fursuit props, fleece, or cotton for shaping the head.
Add Fur/Plush Material to the HeadOnce you have sculpted the head, decorate it by adding fur, filling plush material, and making the eyes. You can use faux fur or mesh for this purpose. Next, use vinyl mesh to create eye fabric.
You must cut out a short piece of the fabric and fit it in the eye holes. Then paint the irises and the pupils with fabric paint. Then add the whites of the eye by using a white foam.
The next step is to create a pattern for fur. You must ensure that you accurately cut the fur fabric to fit the head nicely.
Once you cut the fur fabric, glue it to the sculpted head. Then use fleece to create the mouth, ears, and nose. Make sure to create tiny holes in the fabric when you craft the suit’s nose.
Crafting the BodyIf you have never crafted a fursuit, it is best to use a sewing pattern. You can purchase a sewing pattern from online craft stores.
You only have to ensure that you are purchasing a jumpsuit pattern for your fursuit. Next, you must use a single type of fur for the body. This is an ideal crafting technique for beginners as it may be more challenging to use different kinds of fur material.
Once you have decided on the fursuit plan, you can cut out the fur material with a sewing pattern. Use the sewing machine to sew together different pieces of the bodysuit.
Add a zipper at the front and back of the fursuit before you start to work on the tails and paws.
Attaching the TailCreating a tail for your fursuit is the easiest step. It would be best to cut a long piece of faux fur, sew it together, and then attach it to the fursuit.
Add a wire inside the fabric roll if you want the tail to be bouncy. You can also secure the tail around with a belt underneath the bodysuit. But this will require cutting a hole in the fursuit and the bodysuit to feed the tail through the two materials.
Making Paw PadsYou can make the paw pads by cutting out a paw pattern on cardstock paper. You can also craft the paw pads by tracing your hand and foot on the paper. Then leave room around the border to make the paw pads large. Next, cut out the pattern with sharp scissors.
Use the pattern for cutting out four pieces of paw pads. Then, add fur to the paw pads and sew it on the inner side of the bodysuit.
It will keep the inseams on the inner side of your costume. Then add adjustments before you finalize the paws. In addition, you can also use canvas shoes as a base for your footpads.
You can stick hot glue to the canvas shoes. Add a large piece of foam to cut out the toes. You can sew the toes for an exact shape. Then attach fur to the foot paws, and you’re good to go!
Final WordsFinding unique ideas for your fursuit can be challenging. Moreover, crafting a fursuit from scratch takes a lot of work. Therefore, if you have the budget, it is best to find an artist from the furry community to receive your customized fursona.
In addition, you can also look for fursuit makers and negotiate a reasonable price to receive a highly customized fursuit! But if you want to utilize your art skills, you can mix and match some of these ideas to create a customized costume for yourself!
Share PostThe post How To Get Ideas For Making Your Next Fursuit appeared first on Fursonafy.
More Pug for your Pay
A long, long time ago, we told you about Pug Davis, a very very strange science fiction on-line comic written and illustrated by a talented young creator. Well, in the years since then that person, Rebecca Sugar, has become known for creating this cartoon called Steven Universe… you’ve probably heard of it. And now, Albatross Funny Books and Dark Horse Press have teamed up to bring us the Pug Davis Trade Paperback, collecting the on-line comics in a single book. “Pug Davis is a curmudgeonly astronaut in the vein of Buck Rodgers via John Wayne. He also happens to have the head of a Pug. Reluctantly teamed with his sensitive partner, Blouse, he fights aliens in space so we don’t have to fight them here.” It’s available now from Dark Horse Press.
image c. 2023 Dark Horse Press
Lets Explore Furality Luma Festival 2023
Hi all! Although the event may be over, I made sure I could capture the experience as much as I could including the immersion in this video. I hope you enjoy me exploring Furality weekend. https://furality.org/ Lets Explore Furality Luma Festival 2023 #furality #furalitylumafestival #furalityluma
February Updates – Membership Profiles, Recommended Reading, and Patreon
Hello everyone,
Jumping in here with a mid-month update, as promised at the start of February!
The FWG has two exciting updates to share with everyone.
Firstly, all our members should have received an email advising them of our intention to overhaul and update membership profiles and the recommended reading list. I feel like many members are not using their profiles to their full potential, which I would love to see changed. The Recommended Reading List is also outdated and difficult to navigate, so this will be fully updated and brought into a much better condition.
If you are a member and have not received this email, please get in contact with us so we can update your details and provide you with the necessary links.
In our second bit of news, the FWG now has a Patreon Page. You can find the page by clicking here.
We intend to use this Patreon to help fully fund the guild’s annual expenses, as well as fully covering the costs of running the Coyotl Awards. Any additional money that comes in beyond this will be used to further the reach of the guild and our members. We are happy to receive suggestions for what you would like to see should we reach these funding targets.
With these two important updates, we hope to steer the FWG in a direction that will help benefit its members, but also make it a crucial resource for readers who are wanting to support furry fiction.
Please keep checking back routinely to see the updates to the membership profiles and the reading list as they happen. This will not be an instantaneous process, but one that may take several weeks to complete.
Your support for the guild is most appreciated. We hope to repay this support by encouraging a thriving space for readers and writers alike.
Thank you, and happy writing.
J.F.R. Coates
Bearly Furcasting S3E43 - Guest Host Chris the Comedy Bunny
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Moobarkfluff! Taebyn is unavailable this week so Friend of the Pod Chris the Comedy Bunny sits in the co-host chair. We talk about media, odd news and play some trivia. We tell some pretty bad jokes that would even make Taebyn cringe. So join us, won't you, for a furtacular time! Moobarkfluff!
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
Discussing FURUM with the Blastacars Legends Feat. CT and Foster [FABP E29]
Discussing FURUM with the Blastacars Legends Feat. CT and Foster [FABP E29] ---- We’re back in Malaysia! And on this trip, we have CT and Foster telling us about the furco they run, FURUM. Join us as we discuss nasi lemak, CT’s (crazy) driving habits, FURUM, and more. You’re tuning into the Fox and Burger Podcast, where we bring you closer to the Asian side of the furry fandom one episode at a time. ---- Timestamps: 00:00 Teaser 00:33 Intro 02:28 CT and Foster's fursonas 10:03 Malaysia's great landmarks 17:18 Good Malaysian eats 29:28 Running a furcon in Malaysia 39:23 The origins of FURUM 47:05 From furmeet to fucon 55:58 The 2022 comeback 1:04:26 Funny stories and anecdotes from FURUM 2022 1:16:45 Blastacars 1:23:40 The future of FURUM 1:30:45 Social media shoutout and outro ---- Social Media: Official FABP Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxandburger Michael: https://twitter.com/foxnakh https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK9xoFQrxFTNPMjmXfUg2cg Burger: https://twitter.com/L1ghtningRunner CT: https://twitter.com/hoardercollie Foster: https://twitter.com/ctwolf88 ---- Footage Credit: ---- The Fox and Burger Podcast is one segment of our production house, Fox and Burger Productions. The podcast’s goal is twofold: 1, to know more about the Asian furry fandom; and 2, compare and contrast the Asian fandom with the Western one. If you have a guest that you would like to see on the show, please PM us! We will also take questions for our guests, so don’t miss this opportunity to know some amazing furs.
Dragons are… Alive?
Well, well, well… now Universal Studios is getting into the act. And taking Dreamworks Animation with them. This has been making the rounds in all the Hollywood papers; we got this from the Hollywood Reporter: “Taking a massive swing, Universal Pictures has put in motion a How to Train Your Dragon live-action movie, with Dean DeBlois, the filmmaker behind the original animated trilogy, back in the saddle as writer, director and producer… The feature project is already steps into the development process. Universal has dated the feature for a March 14, 2025, release… Using the books by Cressida Cowell as a jumping-off point, How to Train Your Dragon focused on the special friendship between a young and unheroic Viking boy named Hiccup and Toothless, an injured dragon he nurses back to health. The movies chronicled Hiccup and Toothless’ quest to combat humanity’s prejudice against dragons, the ache of overcoming the loss of a parent, and first love.” In case you didn’t remember. Oh, and if you look at the article you’ll find links to news about Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, and also about the upcoming (fortunately CGI animated!) Kung Fu Panda 4, set for release in 2024.
image c. 2023 Dreamworks Animation
Lets Try Furality Luma Festival Spray
In this broadcast we will try out the Furality Luma Festival Immersion Spray that was released this month! How does it compare to the other two sprays Furality made? The Spray can be found in Furality's online store (If still available) https://store.furality.org/ Main Website https://furality.org/ If you like the work I do please like/follow/share to support the channel. I'm also on Telegram. https://t.me/grovelreports Banners used in the channel were made by Slushi https://twitter.com/Slushi3Brushi3?s=09 Lets Try Furality Luma Festival Spray #furality #furalitylumafestival #furalityaqua
Go Team! Rawr!
Okay, this is different… Here’s the press release we just came across from IDW Publishing: “IDW is fielding both its Publishing and Entertainment operations to kick off development of Team Spirit, an original comedy for kids 6-11 created by Tshepo Moche (Mama K’s Team 4, Kizazi Moto), Raffaella Delle Donne (Mama K’s Team 4, Pearl of the Sea graphic novel) and Marc Dey. In partnership, the concept will be produced as both a graphic novel and an animated series. The trio of Cape Town, South Africa-based writer-producers have gained industry recognition for handling the creative for an array of global animated hits… Team Spirit follows the comedy adventures of a middle school girl who also happens to be a were-hyena and her best bud — a hulking dancing demon — who form their own cheer squad to show that despite their typical teen angst (and atypical supernatural oddities) they have enough Team Spirit to just about raise the dead.” You heard it here. We’ll let you know when there’s a release date!
image c. 2023 IDW Publishing
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 25 - Studio E Test
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 25. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Say, Geronimo!
Got this directly from Animation Magazine: “Radar Pictures has secured the feature film rights for Italian children’s book favorite Geronimo Stilton, which follows the adventures of the eponymous mouse, a newspaper editor on New Mouse Island. Award-winning filmmaker David Soren (Turbo, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, the upcoming Under the Boardwalk) has been attached to adapt the beloved series into an animated feature and direct. Geronimo Stilton, created by Italian author Elisabetta Dami, has been featured in over 300 books translated into over 50 languages, which have sold over 180 million copies in 150 countries, making it one of the best-selling book series of all time. The intrepid rodent has also appeared in graphic novels, an animated series, eight live stage productions, video games, toys and more.” And the plot? “Longing to be taken seriously as a journalist and move beyond the cheesy puff pieces he’s usually assigned, Geronimo stumbles onto a conspiracy far bigger than anyone expected. He’s out of his league and with his eccentric family always up in his business, Geronimo’s problems seem insurmountable. But, working together, they might stand a chance as long as they can stay one step ahead of his foes in this explosive game of cat and mouse.” Stay tooned!
image c. 2023 Radar Pictures
Problematic Feral Cancel Bait - Balto
Fuzz, Savrin, and Ajax watched Balto (1996) after some kids were weird about it on twitter dot com. It's a very rambling discussion about animated films and plans for us to fill in some animated talking animal movie gaps in our experiences.
Southpaws | creating and promoting The Queer Agenda | Patreon
Problematic Feral Cancel Bait - Balto
Bearly Furcasting S3E42 - Purnuvendunk
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Moobarkfluff! Rayne sits in with us again this week. We talk about hair and merkins! Bearly gives us some history about Groundhog Day, Taebyn dreams of Pizza….guess crispy chicken has been replaced. We hear about a fish that spends money, and pepper the pod with bad jokes and puns, so come in, grab a warm beverage, sit back and enjoy this week's BFFT Moobarkfluff!
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
Lauren the Lapine Librarian
We got this directly from the creator themselves! “Smallbug Press is proud to announce the release of the Lauren Ipsum book by Charles Brubaker. The 130-page black-and-white paperback contains over 200 Lauren Ipsum comic strips, as well as a bonus story The Flying Catfish. The comic stars a rabbit named Lauren, who works as a professional librarian and part-time writer. Along with Dewey DeSmall (a fox) and Gutenberg (a cat), she runs a library in the all-animal city of St. Paws… Lauren Ipsum first appeared online on October 31, 2022, and has since gained a dedicated following. The Weakley County Press started running the strip on November 15th of the same year. Lauren Ipsum is available for purchase through Amazon worldwide. Signed copies can be purchased directly from the creator at laurenbook.smallbugstudio.com.” You can also find the latest on-line comic strips there as well.
image c. 2023 Smallbug Press
Shooting con vids on iPhone #foxandburger #shorts #snippet
Listen to Hollud as he talks about his experience shooting con vids with just his iPhone! FABP E9: https://youtu.be/yu8LR7t0rAg Hollud's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hollud https://youtu.be/yu8LR7t0rAg ---- #foxandburger #shorts #snippet #convideo
Are You Prepared?
Comic Book Resources was kind enough to point us at this: “Dynamite Entertainment, who also publishes titles such as Gargoyles and Darkwing Duck, announced writer Chuck Brown and artist Trevor Fraley will be working on a brand-new Disney Villains: Scar solo series. Launching in April 2023, the series’ first issue will take place between scenes from 1994’s The Lion King and will allow fans to discover a different side to the character they’ve never seen before. The publisher teased of the series, ‘With Simba’s iconic birth, it has fully set in that Scar is never meant to be king while his brother and nephew inhabit Pride Rock. Unable to accept that fate, the imposing, corrupt lion begins to formulate devious plans. This journey will bring him face-to-face with the mysterious and fan-favorite shaman Rafiki. What more could be revealed in this first-ever spotlight on the character?'” Guess we’ll find out this spring!
image c. 2023 Dynamite Entertainment
Ursa Major Awards nominations open until February 11
Furry fandom’s Ursa Major awards honor the best and most loved anthropomorphic creations of the past year. Anything published in 2022 can be nominated. Movies, art, books, news magazines, and more on the list will be eligible for voting in March.
This is your chance to help make the list – nominate HERE before the end of February 11!
Ursa art by Foxenawolf.
You can choose up to five nominees for these categories:
- Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture
- Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work
- Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Series
- Best Anthropomorphic Novel
- Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction
- Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work
- Best Anthropomorphic Non Fiction Work
- Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story
- Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip
- Best Anthropomorphic Magazine
- Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration
- Best Anthropomorphic Game
- Best Anthropomorphic Website
- Best Anthropomorphic Costume (Fursuit)
- Best Anthropomorphic Music
After nominations close, voting for the finalists will run from March 1 to March 31.
The Ursa Majors site maintains a Recommended Anthropomorphics List for 2022. Take a look at the range of available works for ideas of what’s worth sending. If it was published in 2022, it doesn’t have to be listed already; go ahead and nominate it for an award!
One to consider that isn’t on the list is Soatok’s Dhole Moments for Best Website. (Soatok’s work actually is on the nonfiction list though, for a news article about fundraising to fight removal of LGBTQ books from a library).
Dogpatch Press articles published in 2022 are eligible for Best Anthropomorphic Non-Fiction Work, besides nominations for the site as Best Magazine. Feel free to browse and pick any of a few dozen pieces from the front page. Some of these take hours and hours to write, so any time you give will be repaid with more free writing for everyone.
Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon. Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)
Confuror makes a crossroads for Latin American furries and international fandom.
2018 story The Diversity of the Latin American Furry Fandom is background for visiting Mexico’s largest furry con in October 2022.
Young Mexicans told me that Confuror has taken off to be their first full-fledged con and a beacon for fandom there. It succeeded after they only had meet-sized events that came and went, and wished for ones like North Americans have. The 2022 attendance surged after a first hotel con and then virtual cons for two years. There were 1,861 attendees, with 486 fursuiters at the fursuit festival. The charity auction raised 153,526 MXN (about $7,675 USD) to benefit a shark conservation NGO.
With Confuror mascot Yuri Possum
It was more than a con visit, with 8 days in Guadalajara. I stayed at a house with a Mexican furry group. I’m a non-Spanish-speaking mutt from the US Rust Belt and San Francisco Bay area who was never in Mexico before. Consider this the view of a casual tourist with experience of class differences, on a much-needed first vacation since the Covid pandemic. The view is limited by a language barrier, but furry can be a bridge, and many people in Guadalajara knew some English and were helpful with translation.
The feel of Confuror and differences from other cons
As a first-time traveler to Mexico, I noticed a small portion of international guests. I met ones from Colombia, Argentina, and Chile, and some Mexican-Americans. Also from the USA were 3 familiar faces from California, and others from Colorado, Texas, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and Toronto. Old guard or party regulars from other cons were notably absent. That was a plus and a minus.
It seemed like furry is too unfamiliar in Mexico (and the hotel) to boldly overflow the con programming with large parties, or obvious side gatherings or mingling in the city. There was much less obvious PDA at the hotel. I saw no flyers or door signs, and some people were asking about parties without finding any. But some Mexican furries I met were super jazzed to meet American visitors and bring them to hang out in rooms informally.
At its best, the con proudly displayed its culture. The theme was Dia De Muertos, with an Ofrenda memorial for Latin American members who died. A heavily applauded dance comp winner wore a fursuit with a festive skull mask, and a gold-threaded traditional black Charro suit. The dance party played Raggaeton, with conga lines and mass outbreaks of Spanish singing you wouldn’t hear at other cons.
I went to more panels than usual since I knew few people. I wished I had a ticket to the Drink & Draw, a separate sold-out event with an open bar for craft beer while using sketchbooks. The con chair proudly told me it was unique to Confuror. (I do a monthly Drink & Draw at home with normie artists, and it’s a great idea for cons.) Other things I missed: the Golden Tail Awards for contributions to fandom (I dropped in but couldn’t follow the language) — and live music, including a show by Metazoa, a progressive metal band from Mexico City.
¡Muchas gracias, @Confuror!
Fue uno de nuestros mejores shows, y nos encanta saber que les gustó. Queremos agradecer también a @furryGTAwards y @RadiOsoPodcast. No tienen idea cuánto significa esto para nosotros 
¡Esperamos vernos de nuevo por allá!#Confuror #Confuror2022 pic.twitter.com/Y6NKy3WgE7
— Metazoa (@Metazoa_MX) October 24, 2022
[Con]mutación fue el sencillo con que lanzamos Anima Automata. Acompañamos esta canción, sobre el odio a uno mismo y cómo desaprenderlo, con este videoclip donde jugamos con el terror, comedia, pizza y unos amigos peluditos
Videoclip en YouTube: https://t.co/YoYSCYsnLD pic.twitter.com/IR1ojaaPjB
— Metazoa (@Metazoa_MX) September 21, 2022
If the dance is late to start, just make your own pic.twitter.com/sTK4PiBsyM
— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) October 24, 2022
A bridge between Latin America and North American fandom, with leftist intention
One panel concerned furry as an international community. A con organizer (Loisa) led it mostly in Spanish with some translation. Loisa told the panel that Confuror was trying to bridge American and Latin American fandom. I saw accommodation for english speakers, like the con program being helpfully coded to show which events were in Spanish, or English, or both. The con was meant to be a safe space for queer and trans members, something fairly new in Latin American society (there were other panels about this).
Loisa believed that fandom showed a capitalist lean. I saw what she meant. The dealer’s den was very comparable to other cons. It was tightly laid out and packed with buyers, and needed hours to browse. It also provided the first Night Market in Latin America to openly sell adult furry products. Some fan-brand-level dealers provided exclusive products for Confuror, and sold out so fast that they closed early.
Loisa said the organizers had divisions about capitalism vs. serving community, like by providing a low entry cost. She had criticism about the power of prestige in the fandom. I sensed compromising about necessary business concerns. Confuror happened by convincing the hotel to take a chance on an unknown kind of event. As a result, I heard some young Mexican furries being grateful to be able to experience things they had seen in videos, after long bus trips from poor or small towns. Loisa said that people often asked how to start a con, and there is no formula — and there’s no formula for improving your local community, but to go out and do it.
Loisa told me that volunteering without pay was an example of this, and the organizer’s group (Vidafur) was continuing to run regular furmeets, and hoped to open a house that would provide professional service and facilities. I gathered this meant some kind of co-op. (This is something I recommend to leftist furs wondering how to put community intentions into practice, beyond parasocial media; co-op housing is a movement of its own, and there’s similar energy with punk houses, couchsurfing hosts, cyclist lifers, and other travelers having their own nonprofit community networks.)
Stickers by @lowemond – Oxxo is a chain of 15,000 convenience stores in Mexico
In the Dealer’s Den – Sponsorship by successful Mexican artists
Dealer’s Den prices weren’t as high as they are at cons in North America. The exchange rate made great buyer advantage, although a dealer from California told me she couldn’t charge as much. I found commission openings and prints, comics, stickers, pins and keychains, a fursuit collar for $10, shirts as low as $7, and bandanas for $5.
Three of the con’s main sponsors were Mexican artists of comparable success with strong brands; Arty and Chikle, Gab Shiba, and Rudderbutts (with Senor Nutria). The latter 2 and Paco Panda (a Confuror organizer) featured in the 2018 Latin American Furry story, so their success was evident over time. They had large popular corners full of merch. The three sponsors had street art style, gay themes, and underwear riding high with sales. Yes, loud proud gay furry underwear sold like hotcakes and seemed like a secret weapon for rising from artist to brand.
Arty and Chikle talked to me about what I call “pro-fan” success. I had seen their street art mural on a transit pillar in the city; it was commissioned by the Jalisco state government. In April they had opened a retail space in Mexico City, where the walls were muralized and they sold original art and products, teamed up with another artist. Collaboration was also happening live in the Dealers Den. They were furrifying a huge canvas in street art style, together with American Guest of Honor: Animal Art Crimes. The canvas went on to earn around $7,000 USD in the charity benefit auction that capped the con.
The selling was more than just capitalist, with public street art and collaboration for charity at the heart of it.
It was surprising to drive by this huge furry street mural in real life on a trip to @confuror. Amazing. https://t.co/yIs2RzRM5y
— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) October 20, 2022
The draw of famous guests, for better and worse
Compared to Mexican artist sponsors, the Guests of Honor seemed chosen for North American fame and draw. It worked to draw me, while highlighting the prestige problem criticized in the international panel.
Anthrocon CEO Uncle Kage helped to present ceremonies, and featured in 2 main stage storytelling shows. His humorous act was fun to watch, but played fast and loose with history to put down some figures and glorify others on his side. This included blaming the 1990’s original furry con, Confurence, for allegedly causing the fandom’s disrepute for sex. But it misattributed media hit pieces with basic errors about source and year, implied that Anthrocon didn’t have the same activity from the same fandom, and in effect, the narrative blamed the victims with glaring lack of analysis about why gay people were easily smeared by commercial media. Intentionally or not, it accorded with debunked homophobic myths from the Burned Furs. Perpetuating that could use revision.
Kage’s show appeared to be a set of long-memorized nuggets stitched together with looser patter. After a while one’s own subjective views becomes their facts. (Note: I’m a humble reporter of other people’s views but I did attend a 90’s Anthrocon.) Some experienced watchers followed my live comments on the show in a private group, and responded in the moment to dispute jabs, pointing out they were easy to get away with because Confurence isn’t there any more. Kage boasted about Anthrocon outlasting rivals — but one could argue a difference in control of media access, when previous cons hadn’t faced the need when furries were little known. Anthrocon’s organizers also seem set in place for better or worse. Meanwhile, Kage has been Confuror’s GOH for 3 years. Relying on “the fandom’s chair” so much threatens to put new Latin American fans in thrall to old axe-grinding and drill in propaganda.
All that said, there’s a need for entertaining PR, and this is FRIENDLY criticism for a hard working personality. Many happy fans lined up for autographs on conbooks after the show.
I would gladly watch Kage’s show or opposing views. Here’s a key example for how they diverge. Focus on Anthrocon can gloss over how it wasn’t the first con or even first East Coast con (Furtasticon in 1994). Kage talked about the 1994 con causing disrepute for furries because of a bad organizer, so he had to save the day by begging other conventions to let furries back in their graces. But at Further Confusion 2023, I saw a history panel by the founders of Confurence. They covered how Furtasticon had a lone woman con chair who faced chauvinism from the boy’s club when nerdy spaces were run by men. Hello GamerGate…
At ConFuror’s closing, 3 North American guests were announced for 2023: Dr. Wildlife, Adler the Eagle, and Strobes. with a con theme of Science Madness.
Opinion: feedback to con organizers
Latin American fandom seems to be growing like American fandom did a decade or two earlier, and can chart its course with more knowledge.
Consider more discussion about prestige guests vs diverse ones. Promote the Drink & Draw and hopefully I can join next time! I found the fursuit lounge and water to be sparsely supplied. Some main stage shows had lighting beaming in my eyes. The dances were short and it was sad to have the final dance canceled. The effort to organize the schedule for English speakers was highly appreciated. The group panels were best: I enjoyed the Animation Furs meet to bring fans and pros together, drew at a round table with many artists, and played blitz games of chess in a tournament with a fursuiter (neither thing needing Spanish).
Animation panel organized by @yakisxd
Chess with @DiamondDDogg
Although Confuror wasn’t a party con, I highly recommend Guadalajara as a destination to give extra travel time. It was somewhat hard to meet unfamiliar furries at the con, but ones who reached out were amazingly generous. There’s a lot more I could say about the city and tourism, food and costs, poverty and gratitude, language and belonging, culture and community because of this great experience.
NEXT: More adventures with the city and people.
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