#furcon2013

Hey New, check this out! :D

I'm a con rat. Cons are where the majority of my money and free time go to. So when my friend started venturing deeper and deeper into the furry fandom, and turned the full powers of his pouty face upon me to join him in an escapade to one of the more well-known fur cons in one of my favorite locations, how could I say no?

Long story short- i couldn't. and i didn't. and next thing i knew, i was sewing tails and heading up to San Jose on a whirlwind adventure of fur, friends, and probably alcohol. in fact, definitely alcohol. i have yet to attend a con where i don't get drunk and ramble aimlessly through the halls (or in the case of San Diego Comic Con, the city). But i managed to pack two very important things along with me: an open mind, and a completely unfounded fear that i was going to offend most of the people i met. Due to stress and emotional issues occurring the week before heading up to Further Confusion 2013 (lovingly dubbed FurCon), i managed to get entirely and thoroughly trashed on the first night. which apparently, is a great way to comfortably mingle with furries (read as: strangers in a fandom with which i am wholly unfamiliar). We sang, we talked, we laughed, we stumbled through the con center and hotel and met random people whose names i have since forgotten but faces (or suits) i will always remember. and then there's the Parade.

I pretty much knew, after thirty minutes of hyperactive, completely in-character furs triumphantly marched past me and my oversized camera, that i was in a good place. Furs would hide their faces bashfully, or wave into the lens, or perform stunts and tricks as they passed by me. They were goofy, light hearted, adorable, snarky, witty, wild and colorful and i realized then and there that this fandom lacks the one thing that makes standard nerd culture almost unbearable- hierarchy. No one furry is "better than" another. no one fursuit is judged by its quality, or design, or character (unless you're Box Bunny, but we don't talk about him) and the same goes for the people inside them. Furries give literally zero fucks about ignorant, judgemental, or elitist individuals who invade their space- and i did not meet a single person who was not the antithesis of these things.

The entire weekend was a constant repetition of this discovery. i was never once excluded from any hug, or hello, or party, or event- not a single word or action ever made me feel out-of-place or unwelcome. From the talent show FC: Unleashed, to the Brony panel My Little Brony: Friendship is Panels, to the floor 4 parties- my complete ignorance and lack of anthropomorphic features did not in any way factor into how i was treated. 

This isn't a conversation about the fandom and the less-than-savory reputation it has, by the way. this is 100% an account of my experience and how my experience affected my interpretation of the fandom at large. sure, i had my reservations and my judgments and my preconceived notions, but i was smart enough to leave those at my door. "My friends are furries," i told myself, "and they're absolutely functional, empathetic, fun, educated and driven individuals." If the people i knew, who were very deeply involved in the fandom, were like this, why would i expect the other fans to be any different? And it was true. Almost every single individual I met was either a student (undergrad or post-grad) of sciences, most were involved in medicine or biology, and many of the others were already employed full-time in their field. The few I met who were art or humanities students also managed to support themselves with their art full-time; whether by commissions, or crafts, or fursuit construction. These are real people, with real directions and goals- who all happen to share a love of anthropomorphic art and plush, hand-designed outfits.

If you're going to Further Confusion 2013 in San Jose, CA, here's what expect at our table, number 34 located in the dealer's den: 

There is a Pony Paddle Raffle at our Table. GeekKink has made some awesome paddles based off of the mane six from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. If you win in the raffle, you can get all six of them! Tickets are $5.

 Occoris is offering laminating and scanning services. For a fee, you can have your artwork/badge laminated or you can have your work scanned and emailed to your personal account.

Occoris is also bringing her break-in tools. If you find yourself locked out of your car, you're welcome to find her and she'll help you get back in. She can do cars up to 2006 though.. she doesn't have the tools for newer models.

Twix has become a condom fairy. She has become a worker for CARES [Center for Aids Research and Education ] and is giving way free condoms. Lube is also provided.  REMEMBER, No glove, no Love!

Because of the Plastic Bag Ban in San Jose, Tix-N-Roo are offering small, reusable bags. They're a good size to carry your artwork and other naughties. Each bag is $2.

There is a Tix-N-Roo Sketchbook that will be sitting in the Creative Lounge [wherever that is this year] . The paper in the sketchbook is a lovely mixed media... its good for ink, watercolor, markers, pencils, acrylic paintings and pastels! There will also be a ref sheet of our fursonas that will be sitting with it. It will make us squee if you draw us. there will also be a small list of suggestions for the book as well. 

Tix-N-Roo is all about inspiring and rewarding other artists!  Our first project will be announced in the creator's lounge. Keep an eye out for it!