Furrest City Mini-Con Recap!
Cleveland just had its first furry convention since ConFurence East in 1996! On Saturday September 13th, 2025 the non profit Furrest City pulled off its first ever (mini) convention! It was outstandingly successful. Here's an account of my personal experience attending and leading an activity there:
I am sitting in the passenger seat in my boyfriend's car, downtown Cleveland on my right, and Lake Erie on my left. I feel like we were going on a pilgrimage, driving from Lakewood to University Circle.
Case Western Reserve University is where I went to school for engineering, where I agonized over whether I should quit and try full-time cartooning, where I learned the liberating cartooning philosophy of Lynda Barry. I think, "drawing and dancing with furries at CWRU think[box] is going to heal something inside me." We pull off of I-90 and onto MLK Jr. Drive, and we start driving through the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, past statues and monuments and under old stone bridges.
I used to argue that furry is a subculture and not a community, but now I think it's both. I only joined in 2023, 3 years after graduating from Case, and it felt natural to bring my cartooning activities with me. I had been building a cartooning community in Cleveland over the past 5 years, and after attending a few furry cons and meets, I knew I wanted to bring Lynda Barry-esque into furry culture, which already had rich traditions of trading sketchbooks, wearing drawings around our necks, and (of course) creating characters. This was my main assignment today: lead a fun drawing game with my fellow furries at the first furry convention in Cleveland in 30 years, at my alma mater!
By the time we park I'm almost shaking with nerves and excitement. We run into Fade the blue deer who is fullsuiting in the garage. Then another person with fox ears. I see someone else pulling a blue cart of plushies behind her. We walk towards think[box] with the gymnasium on our left and the the soccer fields and a big silent wind turbine on our right. I've walked across this edge of the quad hundreds of times, but never with a fursuit head tucked under my arms! This is Saturday morning, so only a few students are out, but they're looking. A pair of parents touring campus steal a glance. I want to say "there's a furry convention on campus today!" to everyone I see.
The first volunteer we see is Ally. Legend-level furry organizer in Ohio, and fellow zinester! (her recap) But I don't recognize her, because I've never met her in person! She directs us the way to think[box], and we take the long way around, down the stairs, to the back.
We turn the corner and there it is! A group of furries, a few fursuiters among them (not all of us fursuit, mind you), outside the building... the REGISTRATION LINE!
We're chatting amongst ourselves when Jolly opens the door and shouts how registration is going to work. He sets the tone for the event well. Things seem to be under control and on schedule. We can see volunteers inside through the windows, bustling, moving things, communicating. My first furmeet was co-organized by Jolly through the Parma group, FPP.
As a panelist, I go to the front of the line. This is where my first photo of me fursuiting at a furry convention EVER is taken! Garrett Latimer asks me to don my head and paws, and I pose next to Willow, the purple deer, who is fullsuiting with his classic reflective vest. A poloroid pops out, and I am hit with magnitude of the moment.
Registration opens. Fire code limited the amount of people inside the venue to 150, which constrained preregistration. Many people in line are trying to register day-of, and are therefore Very Nervous they won't get in. The person who hands me my laser-cut badge is Socks! I write my name on the badge, and wait for Kevin to receive his.
What a beautiful con space on the first floor of think[box]! We are greeted by a whiteboard that says, "Welcome to Furrest City Mini-Con!" It has our mascots, Moon the wolf and Lorain the possum, drawn by the fantastic Oakley! (who designed them!) (Let it be known that Kevin suggested Lorain as a name!) And then there are two huge laser-cut standees of Moon and Lorain with badges! Later we find out they are for stickering, and their ideation/creation was thanks to Peake the protogen, now Chair of Furrest City.
Above photo taken by Grenivor!
In the corner is a big paper banner and drawing supplies. This is fantastic! Mythic brought the supplies for this I believe! She is on the board as the Programming Director. The main event space for opening and closing ceremonies, the four panels/events, and the dance is Very Open and connected to the main lobby. I'm instantly obsessed with this layout. It's very easy for people to join and leave, and this also means the programming is unavoidable.
I realize if I'm to get photos with friends and strangers, this is the time. Kevin and I visit the headless lounge, suit up, and start bothering people for photos!
The opening ceremony was lovely. I was torn between trying to record it and trying to clap, yell, cheer The introductions and speeches were lovely. I loved Peake's opening remarks.
And at this point I want to say, someone who couldn't attend (for med school reasons) was Furrest City's main founder and original chair, Kezl! A huge thank you goes out the them. Without their work, all the Furrest City meets and this event would not exist. I remember Kevin saying to me last year, "if anyone is going to start a furry convention in Cleveland and actually pull it off, it'll be Kezl..." And here we are, sitting at the opening ceremony!
The first panel is "Toon Furs - Let's Talk Animal Cartoons!" hosted by Reggie. What a lovely way to start the morning. The introduction to each cartoon places it in historical context, and I am reminded of furry's place in the wider genre of funny animals. I also spot several older folks sitting around me. Who are they? I don't find an opportunity to chat with them. Apparently someone was walking around with a ConFurence East 1996 shirt. I would have stopped in my tracks with a big cartoonish squealing halt if I had seen it!
The dealer's den is a quick visit for me. There is an effective line and visitor limit that kept it from being crowded. Nice Job!
Kevin and I make sure to attend Willow's Fursuiting Etiquette 101 class. It is a good history of what was considered polite in subculture, then and now, for fursuiters and those who interact with fursuiters.
Afterwards we take a group picture outside think[box]!
And then Willow leads a group to West Side Market via the RTA Red Line train. This was announced in the days leading up to the con. It's a piece of the solution to the 150 person limit of our space. And it's a way to show off the West Side Market, Cleveland, and our public transit. However, I worry that it will make attendance low for my upcoming YCH Boss panel. Absolutely worth the risk though, since a bunch of attendees get to eat as a group, more people can access the con, and furs who couldn't attend could still join in at West Side Market.
However, Kevin and I sneak off to The Jolly Scholar for lunch! I got food here all the time while in college. It's the only bar on campus proper, and students could use CWRU's "special meal swipes" for food on a limited menu. I decide to bring my fursuit head with me and keep my tail on.
Jolly Scholar was the first place I ever danced with a fursuiter. It was during the Cleveland Institute of Art's Halloween party. That was six years before I decided to officially join the fandom! So bringing GabuCat into that space is magical. It feels like a right of passage! Look how far I've come!
Kevin gets the tab so I can rush back to campus. I really want to fursuit while walking across campus, but as the only one, I don't want the police called on me or anything. Maybe that was my anxiety. People certainly noticed my tail and what I had tucked under my arm.
As I walk over the bridge to think[box], I see a student trying to photograph the DJ Kirkoglu and someone else fursuiting in the parking lot below. He notices me, quickly puts his phone away, and walks past. I think of saying, "take photos! We love photos!" but I rush on.
The con space is much quieter. I find Mythic, and she tells me that most people went to West Side Market. But the vibe is still upbeat as "Ultimate silly playlist for boost energy" is played over the intercom to the current panel, "Madlibs Furry Edition." When they end, it's time to set up!
Mythic and a squad of about 6 volunteers help me quickly set up folding tables for YCH Boss! I have been thinking about this situation all day. I have them put the standing tables at the edges near the lobby openings; they place 4 x 6" and 3 x 5" notecards stacks, PaperMate Flair Pens, and my Furry Cartooning Games and Practices zine at every table.
I think about my art as the art of instigating situations. Who will participate? What will pull them in? Who has been planning to attend this panel? Who is just hearing of it now? Who thinks they "can't draw?" Will they have supplies in front of them? Should they open my zine to look at the instructions? How should I introduce myself and the rules? Every decision should enable "contagious creative activity."
Some fun tools I have at my disposal this time:
A microphone connected to a PA system that includes the lobby.
Two projectors that even the lobby can see.
8 round 4-person standing-only cocktail tables.
This YCH Boss game is adapted from Lynda Barry's "Making Comics" cartooning activity cookbook. The game has all participants making a Your Character Here format on notecards for 3 minutes, then I take a few and put them on the projector. Then everyone has 3 minutes to put their fursona or original character (OC) in the format. Memes are recommended.
As I set up, I already heard people saying, "Oh no no, I don't draw." This is where the microphone came in handy.
"If you don't consider yourself an artist, or feel unskilled, this is the perfect game for you! We're starting in a few minutes here! Come on in!"
This actually pulls in quite a few people. We hit a critical mass and start the game with 15 to 20 people.
I do an Attendance Card warmup. Draw yourself at Furrest City or at a favorite place in Cleveland. Then we begin drawing. I realize I forgot music, and I can't connect my computer to the Internet. This ends up being fine. Lots of giggling and talking ensues. I decide to put 3 YCH formats up at a time. I also let people share with the group by making a line up to the podium at the end of each round. That part goes really well too! It was profoundly cute when fursuiters would come up with their drawings to share. I let a few people borrow my jumbo pencil to use as a fun (and functional!) fursuiting prop. Look at this cute photo of Akuren!
I overhear some people saying "This is so fun! We should play this game again!!" This is huge to me. I make sure to announce that people can take my Furry Cartooning Games and Practices zine home. I encourage people to run this game at furmeets and cons.
I wish I had planned out what I was going to say a little better. There's a hardcore drawing philosophy I really wanted to instill. Maybe a reading of Lynda Barry's work on what Images are. Maybe something about how furries live and breathe Images, how both those of us who draw and those of us who don't are perfect candidates for Image-focused drawing activities.
Overall, a successful panel/activity. Lots of people had fun. Lot's of people drew. It's time to DANCE! Unfortunately, the DJ setup is not working well with the PA system. We do our best to dance to fuzzy, strangely glitchy beats. I end up socializing more with other furs in the lobby. Some people have left their YCH Boss drawings out at the assort sticker freebie table, and I snap a photo. I also photograph the drawings on the banner.
Kevin and I miss the beginning of the closing ceremonies because we have to pack up for our friend's dinner show at 7. But we arrive to Peake giving a speech with the rest of the board standing at the front of the event space with him. Huge thank-yous go out to all the other volunteers, to the vendors, to the video game room organizers, and to our think[box] security guard Mike who ended up getting an FCY badge too!
I take a few more photos and videos of the historic event, and Kevin and I head out.
My final thoughts are about how much work went into the con. So much work. Months of volunteer labor for an 8 hour event. Is it worth it? Is this what we should be spending our time on?
YES!
Over 190 people were looking forward to this Mini-Con for months. Hope and anticipation is a powerful positive force. As a gay man, these colorful queer arts festivals that we call furry conventions are some of the most beneficial, live-affirming forces in my life. Many other furries would say the same.
That said, I don't think conventions are the end-all-be-all epitome of what it means to be a furry. I don't have to go to conventions to be a furry or even to get the best out of furry culture. The cons of a con (lol) are the fast-paced interactions, people being tugged back and forth between what they want to do and what their friends want to do. And as a panelist, I felt extra pressure to make things awesome for everyone. I felt that social anxiety in the days after: "Did I say the right thing? Should I have chosen differently?" But again, I LOVE cons. I love the rush and the energy. And this local con, the first one in Cleveland since 1996, was outstanding.
Fuck these fascists, these Christian nationalists, these white supremacists who value dominance more than love. The community we have is more beautiful, more vital, and more liberatory than any of their banally evil ideologues could ever dream of. May they burn out, may they reduce their violence, may they give up, learn, grow, or at least get out of the way.
Because we are the future!
May we continue to build for ourselves and each other. And may we all improve, may we all be more accepting, understanding, giving, and brave! May all of us, even our haters, have access to everything we need in order to be free! Events like these help us remember what it feels like to be authentically ourselves, surrounded and supported by loving community. This con gave me so much, and I hope this recap contributes to similar beautiful projects in the years to come!
-GabuMatt
