PITTSBURGH —Stay tuned to WTAE.com for Daisy Ruth’s “Inside the Furries” coverage at this year’s Anthrocon to understand the fandom and learn more through her experiences.

One of the most wonderful things about Pittsburgh is that many people here understand that if everyone was the same, the world would be a very boring place. Many conventions of varied interests come through the city and no one bats at eyelash at how off the beaten path they may seem to be.

One of the biggest conventions to hit Pittsburgh is Anthrocon. This year’s will be held at the Westin hotel from July 9-12.

Dr. Courtney “Nuka” Plante is a doctor of psychology from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He is a social psychologist and specializes in studying fan groups and those with shared fantasies. This doctor of sociology is also involved in one of the most criticized fandoms of all time – the furries, whose biggest convention is known as Anthrocon.

You’ve probably seen them around downtown, life-sized wolves and dragons and anything you could imagine.

This group of fur-suited fans has been the victim of negative media attacks for the past 10 years. Dr. Plante credits this to things such as an episode of "CSI" that depicted the fandom in an incorrect light and gave the general public misconceptions of furries as freaks with a serious fetish.

Plante is involved with the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, which conducts research of the furries and the fandom in general during conventions such as Anthrocon. These people work to research just how different these people are from fans of anything, particularly anime and fantasy sports fans.

“When we compare furries to sport fans, we’re a in sense asking the question: what’s the difference between a sort of accepted, mainstream fan group, and a more fringe or eccentric fan group?” said Plante.

In the research text "'By the Numbers': Comparing Furries and Related Fandoms," provided to Pittsburgh's Action News 4 by Plante, various statistics are provided to prove this fandom is as sane as the average Pittsburgher. The research was mostly conducted at various furry conventions, including Anthrocon. Online surveys were distributed to the fandom via email with a passcode as well.

According to the team's research, only about 6 percent of furries reported having some form of anxiety disorder. That includes social anxiety. In the general population (those who do not identify themselves as furry), that number sits at 30 percent.

Also, participants in a survey at the Anthrocon convention in 2013 who more strongly identified themselves as furries scored higher on a self-esteem scale. They are described as having "stronger feelings of significance in the world and events around them, an increased understanding (or impending understanding), and sharper/heightened cognitive abilities."

According to this research, furries as a whole are well-educated, with approximately 70 percent of furries reporting some form of completed or in-progress post-secondary education.

A large percentage of furries have a fursona, a definition Plante was happy to explain.

“An anthropomorphic animal representation of the self,” said Plante. “It’s sort of the character or the avatar you use to interact with the other members of the furry fandom.”

An avatar seems to be an accurate description, as only 15 percent of furries actually own a full fur suit, and most communicate with each other in the online universe. These younger furries often have trouble with finances when it comes to creating or purchasing a fur suit or traveling to conventions.

“More often than not, the vast majority of furries will create versions of themselves, fursonas that are like them but better versions of themselves,” said Plante. “So, when we ask people, ‘Describe your fursona,’ they say ‘Oh, my fursona’s a lot like me, but it’s a more outgoing, better, attractive, funnier, more playful version of me.'”

“Very few people say ,‘Oh, my fursona’s a jerk!’”

Developing a fursona and using it either online or at conventions like Anthrocon seem to be beneficial to those participating in the fandom personally. The team Plante is involved with has researched that as well.

“What we’re thinking is that if I’m a very shy person, but my fursona is much more outgoing, much more confident, well, if I spend two or three or four years interacting with other people as a more outgoing, extroverted, confident, funny version of myself, over time, I will start changing as well,” Plante explained.

Evidence suggests furries may have a better-developed, more stable sense of identity than non-furries. So if attending a convention with others like you is going to change you for the better, why not give it a shot, if that’s what you enjoy doing?

Pittsburgh has always been a welcoming, accepting city for this fandom, and here’s to hoping it continues for this year’s Anthrocon. If you happen to see one of these NORMAL people in incredible costumes walking the streets of Pittsburgh, don’t be afraid to say hello. It’s beneficial to all of us to learn from those with different interests than us.

London's furries hanging out by the Thames (Photos by the author)

"I've never had relations with a snake-lion before. There's something about racoons, though. And wolves, too. They're kind of sexy."

It's 2PM on a sweltering Saturday afternoon in a wine bar near St Paul's Cathedral. During the week, this place would be populated by the investment banker types that give Occupy protesters fever dreams. Today, however, it's playing host to a meet-up of London's furry community, people who dress up in animal costumes – or costumes of new, imagined creatures – and hang out in wine bars, or other suitable venues.

The guy I'm talking to is wearing a badge with "SciBat" – his furry name – written on it, alongside a hand-drawn illustration of a faux-mythical, disconcertingly buff creature with bat ears. More prosaically, SciBat – who's real name is Gavin, a computer programmer from Hither Green – has thinning hair tied into a ponytail and wears an ill-fitting shirt covered in psychedelic patterns.

London's fur-wearing enthusiasts congregate here twice a month for a friendly knees-up in which they sit around playing complicated fantasy board games like Space Alert, draw animal cartoons in sketchpads or simply drink and shoot the shit about the difficulty of buying a unicorn outfit to fit a 48-inch chest. From where I'm standing, I can see at least 20 fully-grown adults in colourful animal outfits being served by slightly bemused weekend bar staff. There's a Japanese guy wearing a ratty dinosaur's tail; a man in a plaid shirt with a multi-coloured racoon's head; a white tiger with a perky tail; a kitten with giant, sad eyes; several wolves; and a dinosaur with a yellow Mohican. I'm here to try to understand just what it is about dressing up as a big sad cat-human in public that's so compelling.

Before coming, I'd worried slightly about what to wear, but there was no need. According to a recent survey, only 15 percent of furries actually dress up, although a majority have anthropomorphic avatars – animals with which they identify and feel "an important emotional or spiritual connection" to, be the creature "real, fictional or symbolic". Buying all the gear isn't cheap – a partial animal costume, including a head, paws and tail, will set you back £300. A bespoke full-body suit can be ten times that or more.

"You've got to decide whether you're natural or a toony," Rufus the Tiger tells me, his tail straggling over his blue camo trousers. "A lot of people are toonies." Looking around, I see what he means: there are very few realistic animals here. Most costumes are a blend of two or more creatures – there's a goat with a dorsal fin enjoying some pork scratchings at the bar, for example. Many more veer towards the fantastical, with Pokemon and Japanese manga influences both popular.

I turn back to SciBat. What's the most important aspect when creating a costume?

"How cute it is."

Cutesiness definitely appears to be a big factor, with a lot of the mascots gambolling around the room or whooping and cuddling in the garden outside. Many don't respond verbally when spoken to, instead cradling their cheeks with an "oh me, oh my" coyness. While most are chilled out, there is a sense of hyperactive near-hysteria among others, as though they're a bunch of nerdy kids in the playground given an hour's respite while the school bully's inside bog-washing emos.

No doubt this is partly due to the crowd's composition. The first thing that strikes me is how young a lot of the people are, with many either 17 or 18. One 24-year-old tells me he feels ancient, though in reality there are plenty here in their thirties, forties and above. The second thing I note is the scene's inherent geekiness. This is a room full of desperately nervous young men, the snaggle-toothed, soft-bellied and pony-tailed. It's a room in which Game of Thrones viewers will have already read all the books, a fact they will remind you of regularly.

The so-called "furry fandom" itself is relatively new, born out of sci-fi and comic conventions in the 80s and then disseminated via fanzines and the internet. Furriness is an 80 percent male persuasion, though girls are increasingly getting into the scene, with some here today. Like all subcultures, this one has its own vocabulary. Terms include "scritching" (mutual grooming); a "fur pile" (when a bunch of furries lay on top of one another); "yiffing" (having sex) and "spooging" (ejaculating).

I get chatting to two very cute dogs by the fruit machines. At least, I assume they're dogs. One turns out to be a "Mango" – a mixture between a mongoose and a dingo – and the other is a prairie dog called Éclair. One of the things about this environment is that you tend not to have any idea of the genders beneath the suits, and I'd been under the impression that both were guys. In fact, Mango is an IT worker called Antony, and Éclair is a girl called Anne-Marie. I ask how long they've been into dressing up.

"He's five years old," Antony says, referring to Mango as though it were a separate, sentient being.

Are he and Éclair a couple?

"Yeah, more or less."

Apparently they met on a furries dating website called pounced.com.

Just then, a man with a goatee and a ponytail turns up. It appears he is a furry-fancier, or "furvert".

"Can you bark?" he demands of Éclair over his pint of London Pride.

Éclair barks.

"You don't bark very loudly. But that's the kind of dog you are – a little yappy dog. Can you yap?"

Éclair yaps.

A koala bear at the next table looks on.

"And your nose – papier mâché, right?"

"It's plastic, actually."

"I bet it gets covered in cum," says the man with ponytail, breathlessly.

This seems like a natural point in the conversation to ask about the more sexual elements of the fandom, but Mango and Éclair amble out into the beer garden before I can bring it up.

The issue of how sexual the culture is won't go away. Furries themselves are understandably cagey; many distrust the media, who they say sensationalise things by making out that they're nothing but a bunch of perverts who get off on having sex in sweaty animal suits. Bar the excited furvert, I don't see much evidence of this. However, with the prevalence of furry pornographic images online, it's slightly disingenuous to claim that the scene has nothing to do with sex at all.

Opinions are split: in one survey, a sizeable minority of furries – 37 percent – said that sex is an important part of their activities, but then another quarter also said that it wasn't a factor at all. There are outfits specially modified for sex, "mursuits", but these are disparaged by many of the more straight-edge furries.

"We're not all fucking in the toilets like back in 1999," says Mike wistfully. He's a red-haired guy with a bird's nest of a beard and a Panama hat who introduces himself as a fine artist catering to the furry community. "The fandom has had to get a lot more careful."

Is being a furry all about sex?

"You're asking the wrong question. It's not that furries are sexual, per se. Furries are human, and humans are sexual beings. They say we're weird, but what about all those people who go to Star Wars conventions? I bet some of them have had sex in their costumes. It's no different, but the media never picks up on that."

So then what's the attraction of donning a squirrel suit to sink a few pints of real ale?

"It's about freedom. I prefer not to live in reality. My inner life is so vivid that it would be a waste of time. I worked in an office once, but I had to leave. Others have normal lives, and good luck to them, but I needed something different. Being furry is a reflection of that."

As we chat, a trio of volunteers in casual clothes and name-badges yell for everyone in costume to gather outside.

"Right, everyone keep together," they shout by the entrance of the bar. "Walkies!"

A parade of furries leaves the safe confines of the venue and marches into the street. I wonder how people will react, but the crowds – mainly tourists and people enjoying their weekends – are overwhelmingly positive. Taxis beep their horns, people wave from buses, tourists stand and stare. Kids in particular get incredibly excited, laughing and pointing and high-fiving the animals as they pass. To the uninitiated, I suppose the furries could just look like a bunch of slightly nightmarish football mascots on a bar crawl.

"Where are we going?" I ask a grizzled older guy in a cape.

"To the Tate Modern," he says "We're no longer welcome at St Paul's. We upstaged a wedding there once."

A hen-do on a beer-bike cheers. A Japanese woman says how sweet everyone looks and photographs her two daughters with the mascots. Soon we reach the riverbank and the furries mess around for a while, taking selfies at the foot of the Millennium Bridge. Then we cross the river. We're in front of the Tate's magnificent industrial façade. A street-performer blows huge, oily bubbles. The furries skip through them, goofing around with passers-by. A little girl plays with the pink tail of a dragon.

"It's like they're an exhibition from the gallery," a woman says.

"OK! Heads off!" shouts one of the organisers. He leads the group to a secluded spot by a nearby housing block. Here, everyone takes off the heads of their costumes and sits down, happy to escape the heat. Several of them place the heads on a row of bollards nearby. It's strange to see those heads all lined up there, disembodied, as though a bunch of revolutionary animals have just been guillotined.

"Orgy! Orgy!" the organiser jokes. "For the record, that's not happening."

When everyone's caught their breath, it's time to turn back. We cross Blackfriars Bridge, stopping for a group photo on the way.

Unexpectedly, I find the whole thing strangely moving. Many would regard furries as freaks, and even they admit that their interests are unconventional. But in defiance of people's opinions they're happy to reveal themselves to the world, coming out in public en masse, not giving a shit about what others think. And, of course, everyone we met along the way was accepting and positive anyway. Inadvertently, the furries have taught me a lesson – that it's OK to be who you want to be, and to celebrate it, as long as what you want to be isn't something super creepy that's going to bum out everyone around you.

As Mike says: "When you put on a fur suit you feel like you've changed, become better, something different, just for a while. You can do things you couldn't otherwise do."

All names have been changed.

@johnlucas_esq

Restaurants will be selling food out of dog bowls and drinks with 36-inch straws (long enough to fit under a fur suit).

With Anthrocon opening Thursday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown businesses are preparing for the nearly 6,000 Furries expected to hit town through Sunday.

Baris Budak, owner of Pizza Parma and Fernando’s Cafe, stocks up on dog bowls and straws, hires as many temps as he can afford and orders ingredients by the truckload for the Furries’ favorite lasagna wrap.

“We start shopping two weeks before,” Mr. Budak said, “Even big companies like Coke will make an exception and do an extra delivery at night.”

Fernando’s Cafe has a special place in the hearts of Furries. Its original owner. Fernando DeCarvalho, became famous in the Anthro community after he was hit in the head with a brick while defending a Furry. Now a missionary in South America, Mr. DeCervalho left the cafe to Mr. Budak, who continues to welcome them each year and renames the cafe Furryland when the convention is in town.

Mr. Budak is not the only one to benefit from Anthrocon. Since the convention moved to Pittsburgh in 2006, it has brought in $39.6 million, according to Visit Pittsburgh. It’s expected to generate $5.7 million this year, $200,000 more than last year.

Hotels also prepare for the Furry invasion. “We expect that they travel with a lot of luggage, so we have extra carts to help them on the day of arrival,” said Tim Zugger, general manager at the Downtown DoubleTree, one of eight hotels hosting Anthrocon attendees.

Only about 20 percent of attendees don the full fur suit; many choose to wear ears, a tail or just a button with a picture of their anthropomorphic alter ego, said Anthrocon board member Karl Jorgensen of Leesburg, Va.. “For the most part it’s people who develop their own characters, and each character is unique to that person,” he explained. Characters can range from wolves to dragons to bears, and, for those who don’t want to wear a fur suit, there are artists at the convention who will draw their character for pins or for posting online.

In addition to Artists Alley and the Dealers Room, where Furry memorabilia can be purchased, the convention has events ranging from the Fur Suit Olympics to a comedy show called “Whose Lion Is It Anyway?” There are also workshops where Furries can hone their acting, drawing and writing skills.

A fur suit can cost thousands of dollars, especially if it’s customized with robotic parts like wiggling ears or blinking eyes. But it gets hot in Pittsburgh in July.

“It can be exhausting and stressful to be walking around in that costume for all that time,” Mr. Jorgensen said, “They need lots of water, so we provide a headless zone for them to cool down, relax, take their heads off, take a break and rest.”

When Anthrocon’s animals aren’t roaming Downtown streets, they might be found at one of several charity events. The board chooses a different local animal-related charity each year and collects donations through raffles, auctions and poker tournaments. Last year, Anthrocon donated more than $32,000 to The National Aviary, and this year, the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society will be the beneficiary.

Mr. Budak plans to set up a cooling station with fans and barrels of bottled water for his Furry customers. He also has themed shirts, hats and dog bowls to sell during the convention, and donates $1 from every item sold to Mr. DeCarvalho’s missionary work in South America. This year’s memorabilia features a graphic of the Earth with a tail and says: “Save the Earth. It’s the only planet with chocolate, pizza and furries.”

One Friday a month, Pittsburgh’s Furries flock to Fernando’s Cafe on Liberty Avenue. This meetup is their second most popular, next to bowling.

Last Friday, about 20 locals were eating and talking when someone put “Le Freak” by Chic on the stereo. A few jumped up — some in fur suits, some not — and joined in a disco line.

Pittsburgh’s annual Anthrocon, which begins Thursday, draws all the attention as costumed enthusiasts suddenly appear in Downtown. But really, the Furries have never left. Active and visible year-round, the city’s Furry community provides not only an anchor for the convention but also a welcoming social environment for like-minded people — with or without fur suits.

“We’ve jokingly referred to Pittsburgh as ‘Furry Mecca,’ ” said Paige Ward, 29, of Allentown.

Ms. Ward, who works as a document custodian at BNY Mellon, wore a pair of red ears to Fernando’s. As she ate a slice of pizza, her red panda helmet looked out from the table. “Sage Firefox,” Ms. Ward’s chosen fursona (a fictional animal alter-ego), is a reflection of her personality, she said.

“For me, being a Furry is acknowledging and embracing the animal side of me,” Ms. Ward said. “I have that connection on a spiritual level with the animal I chose to represent myself.”

That connection varies from Furry to Furry.

“I’m totally human from top to bottom,” Ms. Ward said. “Within our local fandom, I know of at least three ‘therians’ — a wolf, a fox and a phylocene — and for them, their spirit is that animal, and their body does not match what their spirit says they are.”

Ms. Ward, who helps organize the local group, didn’t identify as a Furry until 2008, after she graduated from Marietta College in Ohio. Like many local Furries, she found her way into fandom through its anthropomorphic artwork.

“It’s kind of an all-or-nothing thing,” she said. “You start going, they drag you to the convention, and that’s it, you’re done.”

Around Pennsylvania, Furries congregate on one online forum, www.pa-furry.org, and a handful of Facebook and Twitter groups. Anywhere between a dozen and a hundred Furries, friends and family show up to the local events, which become more frequent in the summer.

Pittsburgh’s Furries gather outdoors in Schenley Plaza and Alameda Park (in costume), take trips to Kennywood (no costumes), and even go ice-skating (just ears and tails). Last month, around 50 marched in the Pittsburgh Pride parade, and a group participated in Midland’s July 4th parade. The scene has never been so big.

“It was more underground in the ’90s and ’00s,” said Carl K., 31, who asked that his last name not be used. “Anthrocon was our saving grace.”

When Carl — “R.C. Fox” in costume — found the fandom, it was 1997, and online forums were all they had. The very first Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend, now held annually in September or October, didn’t appear until four years later, in 2001. Now he wears his suit to Station Square, where he works as a network engineer. He’s even suited up for a Penguins game.

There’s no one way to participate, however. Of the crowd at Fernando’s, only three had full fur suits, which aren’t cheap. Carl bought his custom-made one last year for $2,500. The rest wore some combination of ears, tails, convention T-shirts, or maybe just a badge with their fursona on it.

Neither Morningside resident Khalil Brown, 21, or Highland Park resident Courtney Wagner, 22, have fur suits, but both said they found the community welcoming. Ms. Wagner said she’s been a Furry her whole life, but only realized it when she became a student at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

“When I found out about the fandom, it was like, yes, this is what I am.”

The business of the furry convention
Anthrocon estimated to bring in $5.7 million to Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH —One of the largest conventions to hit Pittsburgh is back this weekend, and it’s bringing a whole lot of business with it.

Anthrocon 2015 (also known as the furry convention) hits the David L. Lawrence Convention Center this weekend. Businesses downtown are already preparing for 6,000 fursuitted guests to arrive.

Visit Pittsburgh estimates that Anthrocon 2015 will bring in $5.7 million in direct spending to the city of Pittsburgh. The furries also collect donations for a local charity every year. This year’s is the Humane Society of Western PA.

Tom Martini, general manager of the Westin hotel, said Anthrocon is always the second or third largest convention for the hotel every year. Martini said there are around 2,300 rooms booked for Anthrocon this year.

The Pittsburgh Business Times stresses just how important the convention is for the area in the summer.

Last year, according to their book of lists, Anthrocon was the sixth largest convention in Pittsburgh, including destination events including the NCAA hockey championship and the Pittsburgh marathon.

“Anthrocon specifically, the furries, tend to be pretty social and get out into the neighborhood and frequent the restaurants and the bars in the area,” said Pittsburgh Business Times research director Ethan Lott. “From talking to them, those establishments expect to see increases in their businesses and they look forward to them coming to town.”

No one prepares quite like Fernando’s Café on Liberty Avenue, a short walk from the Convention Center.

At one time, Fernado’s was slated to close. Taking a look at the restaurant’s Facebook page, one finds that the furries are responsible for pulling owner Ali Budak and his business out of the recession.

The post on the page, shared from another Facebook user and titled “Furnandocon 2012” states that the furries came together back in 2012 and raised a total of $21,000 in donations to support this local Pittsburgh business.

“We have our regulars come in every other Friday, they’re from Pittsburgh,” said Budak, who was setting up his t-shirt and bowl stand when Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 arrived. “I just love them so much because they bring a lot of business here. They bring fun, they bring happiness, and they just bring the childhood out in us again.”

Budak is offering his “bowl special” to convention goers for $15, including a wrap, two slices of pizza, a drink, and chips. He says the lasagna wrap is the most popular thing of the furries.

Furryland Café also serve breakfast every morning at 7 for their furry friends.

“We turn this place, instead of Fernado’s, to Furryland Café, so we just work for them, for a whole week, we help them.”

Budak says he is going to have cooling stations all over the restaurant and outside, with cold water and big fans to help those who helped him.

If you see a furry this weekend downtown, don’t be afraid to say hello to these people who may be a bit different than you. Ask (stress: ASK) for a selfie or photo with them, and send them in to WTAE using #WTAEfurries. Stay tuned to the link to our LiveWire for everything furry this weekend.

PITTSBURGH —WTAE Digital Producer Daisy Ruth will be taking us inside the Anthrocon convention this year and hang out with the Furries! You can follow along in our "Furries" Live Wire: http://wtae.tv/6010B8lfQ

Anthrocon, the convention for those fascinated with Anthropomorphics, returns to Pittsburgh July 9-12, 2015.

If you see a furry this weekend downtown, don’t be afraid to say hello to these people who may be a bit different than you. Ask (stress: ASK) for a selfie or photo with them, and send them in to WTAE using #WTAEfurries.

You can also share the "Furries" graphic below on your social media accounts...

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2015/07/09/heres-what-you-missed-last-year-at-anthrocon.html?ana=twt#g1
About 6,000 fans of humanized animals are descending on Pittsburgh for the four-day Anthrocon 2015 convention that starts Thursday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Many Pittsburghers take part in furry watching during the event, bringing even more people downtown. The event is a boon to Pittsburgh businesses, especially along Penn and Liberty near the convention center.

e is a reminder of what you'll see downtown this weekend, a slideshow of photographs from Anthrocon 2014 taken by attendees.

This year's fursuit parade, which takes place at 1 p.m. Saturday, will leave the convention center for the first time so the public can watch.

PITTSBURGH —Downtown Pittsburgh will take another walk on the wild side with the annual Anthrocon this weekend.

The furries -- people who are fascinated with anthropomorphics -- arrived Thursday for their national convention at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The event runs through Sunday.

VIDEO: Watch Sheldon Ingram's report from downtown

Anthrocon Chairman Samuel Conway says downtown has received his group with enthusiasm. "At lunch time, (people from) businesses come down and interact with us and it's like a big street party," Conway said. "It's fantastic."

While in town, many of the 5,000-plus visitors will stay dressed in full or partial animal costumes as they walk through the streets of the Golden Triangle.

Sometimes they're bombarded with requests to pose for pictures. Other times, people think they're weird.

"If they think we're weird, I suppose we are. This is not the type of thing you see every day," Conway said.

Anthrocon includes workshops, panel discussions, art exhibitions and vendors catering to fans of the human-like animal characters.

VisitPittsburgh estimates the convention has brought more than $34 million in direct spending to the city since it first arrived in 2006. Anthrocon has also raised more than $100,000 for local charities.

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Slideshow: Photos of furries around Pittsburgh
u local: Share your photos of furries

The world’s largest convention for furries, those fascinated with anthropomorphics, returns to Pittsburgh this weekend joining thousands of attendees Downtown in custom fursuits, ears, tails and everything in between.

“We’re expecting a little over 6,000 this year,” said Samuel Conway, convention chair and chief executive of Anthrocon Inc. “It’s had fairly steady and fairly sharp growth ever since we started.”

The convention began in 1997 with about 300 attendees before deciding on Pittsburgh in 2006. Organizers have returned every year.

“They’ve embraced us and we’ve embraced them right back,” said Tom Loftus, vice president for communications with tourism advocacy group VisitPittsburgh. “To be honest, in 2006 it was a curiosity. People didn’t know who they were, but now when it comes to July we’re wondering where the furries are. We love them; they’re a great group.”

The convention has always included an annual fursuit parade, but 2015 will mark the first time furries will march outdoors. The Fursuit Walk parade, expected to include about 1,300 characters, will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday on Tenth Street outside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Though those in full fursuits are typically more visible, Conway said 80 percent of furries do not wear full animal suits. Many come for the artwork, to meet people who design and create costumes and connect with others who share a love of cartoon animals.

“We have an entire world of dreamers that look to animals for their inspiration,” Conway said. “How great would it be if animals could walk and talk as we could? And the image of the anthropomorphic animal is a universally accepted image.”

Anthrocon includes workshops, acting seminars, costume-building, animation, writing, art, design, lectures and more. Conway said furry fandom encompasses a diverse group.

“We have teachers, we have union laborers, we have scientists, firefighters, police officers, military personnel, computer programmers, you name it,” he said. “Anybody out there who is able to dream and likes animals can be a furry.”

As tourists, Loftus said the furries leave an even greater economic impact on the city at large.

“This year alone there’s going to be $5.7 million in direct spending,” Loftus said. “But I think even a cooler story is every year they donate money back to the community. They choose a charity or a non-profit and this year it’s going to be the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society.”

Last year, convention-goers donated to the National Aviary.

Zippo Wolf

Tyler Sneed, 24 | Mt. Washington, Print Center Supervisor

Introduce your Fursona:
Zippo is a black wolf with flame color markings on the arms, legs, tail tip, back, and ears as well as a white and blue flame ball on the hips. He also has blue eyes and is very fun and usually happy.

How much was your suit?
Around $2,800.

What is the most unique reaction you have gotten from a member of the public when you were out in your suit?
Last year, before Anthrocon a local group had a small meetup at Point Park and one person wanted me to hold their six-month-old child and basically put the child in my arms, but most of the expressions that I've seen are either shocked or surprised.

How have family and friends reacted?
I told my parents last Halloween for a party and they were surprised at first and then opened up more and are more accepting of it. Most of my family and friends as well as co-workers love it.

What do you most enjoy about Anthrocon?
Being able to see friends that you can't normally see during the year.

Goku McGinski

Sam Magen, 27 | Turtle Creek, Healthcare Analyst

Introduce your Fursona:
Goku is an arctic marble fox that accentuates the punk subculture (black leather jacket, a lemon-lime mohawk) and is a hyperactive coffee drinker.

What is it about being a Furry that attracted you to it?
The greatest part is the socialization with others, whether you have a fursuit or not, members of the furry fandom are some of the most welcoming people I have ever met in my life, no matter where they come from. The friendliness, whether in fursuit or not, having a meal or drink together, or just hanging out, is second to none. Secondary to that is the creativity associated with the art, for example, the drawings and fursuits crafted of our different characters, the visual imagery and creativity was appealing to me. I like to appreciate the craftsmanship, imagination, and pride associated with the arts.

How did you go about getting your suit?
I’ve had this suit since April 2014, I commissioned a furry in Erie who was skilled at making fursuits for $1,000, after consulting with friends and wanting to support a local artist, the process of creating the suit took about five months.

What is the most unique reaction you have gotten from a member of the public when you were out in your suit?
I have never seen a family so excited that they leave their table at a restaurant while they are in the middle of a meal, extremely quickly, so they could take photos with me while I'm walking down the street with other fursuiters, I'd only run like that if my car was getting towed during the meal.

What's the number one thing you want people to know about being a furry?
Every person has a hobby or interest, sports, mentoring, automobiles, acting, gardening, cooking, etc. Being a furry is about expression, which people choose to show in different ways, some people may have fursuits, others may have an ability to craft fursuits and costumes, some create art that helps us cultivate our characters, etc. Being a furry is not a lifestyle, but a parallel to acting and performing for some, the arts for others, and a community, where no matter what our particular talents may be, fosters an enclave of people who have a mutual interest and support for these talents which are a mere extension of the arts.

What do you most enjoy about Anthrocon?
Pittsburgh has always seemed like a very vibrant and optimistic city, when the convention comes around, everybody just seems much happier, and that positive atmosphere makes me proud to be a Pittsburgher. Between the shops and restaurants opening up their doors, to the masses of fursuiters walking around Downtown, to citizens cheering and taking photos with everybody as festivities go on, it gives me great pride and satisfaction to be part of the convention, Anthrocon makes me proud and happy to call Pittsburgh my home.

R.C. Fox

Carl K, 31 | Beaver County, Network Engineer

Introduce your Fursona:
R.C. is a very outgoing fox who enjoys going out putting smiles on everyone's faces. He loves helping others and is a very friendly fox to be around.

How and when did you get into being a Furry?
In 1997. I was browsing the Web when I came across a website dedicated to anthropomorphics. I then joined a few newsgroups and BBSes [Bulletin Board Systems] realizing that this was really what I wanted.

What is it about being a Furry that attracted you to it?
Just being able to freely express myself, who and what I really feel like inside traitwise. Wearing my suit has helped me with dealing with ADHD, social anxiety, depression and stress.

How long have you had your suit?
I've had my suit since September 2014, I commissioned the suit from MoreFurLess.com and it cost $2,500. I choose them as their style fit the expression and character I was looking for. It took a couple weeks to make when my slot was up.

What has been the most difficult reaction?
When parents encourage children to see me or take photos and the children become upset.

What's the number one thing you want people to know about being a Furry?
I am like you. I'm out here doing what I enjoy doing a lot and I respect what you do as well.

What do you most enjoy about Anthrocon?
Knowing that I can interact with like-minded friends in my own hometown while helping to support not only the city, but a great charity as well.

How has being a Furry changed your outlook on life?
Finally coming clean about it after keeping it down low for 18 years has really been a blessing and a great creative outlet.

Ixidorr Wusky

Isaac Hansen, 18 | Kingman, Ariz

What's you non-Furry job?
Scooping ice cream.

Introduce your Fursona:
Ixidorr is a wusky (wolf/husky) and he loves fun and hugs!

How and when did you get into being a Furry?
When I was young, I had a fear of furries and fursuiters and that fear turned into curiosity, then bam, I got converted!

What is it about being a Furry that attracted you to it?
All the hugs and amazing people!

How long have you had your suit? How did you choose it? Did you make it? How long did it take? If you bought it, how much was it?
I’ve had my partial suit for 2 years so far and I’m putting more money into a new full suit! I didn’t choose it, it chose me. My current partial suit is $600 and I’m playing $1,655 for my new suit.

What is the most unique reaction you have gotten from a member of the public when you were out in your suit?
A gasp and being called a green thing, I love it!

What has been the most difficult reaction?
Someone grabbed my nose but I’m ok.

What's the number one thing you want people to know about being a Furry?
How freaking amazing most of the people are and how fun the cons really are!

How have friends reacted?
My friends think that it's crazy cool!

What do you most enjoy about Anthrocon?
The amazing people and the amazing hotel that it's at!

How has being a Furry changed your outlook on life?
Always stay positive and look to the future! Things will always get better when you remain positive and happy, plus HUGS ARE AWESOME!

TayyKitsune

Introduce your Fursona:
Nyx, a star loving hyena.

What is it about being a Furry that attracted you to it?
The fun, the art, the acceptance in the community.

What is the most unique reaction you have gotten from a member of the public when you were out in your suit?
Most generally ask what we are.

What has been the most difficult reaction?
Negative comments.

What's the number one thing you want people to know about being a Furry?
It’s really just all about the fun, there’s not a lot to it.

How have family and friends reacted?
Positively, for the most part.

What do you most enjoy about Anthrocon?
It’s a collective spot for all furries.

How has being a Furry changed your outlook on life?
Not much, though now it makes sense why I loved all those animal movies as a kid.

Skye Hi Husky

George Laumeyer, 23 | Minneapolis

Introduce your Fursona:
He is a snowboarding Husky. Even though it's not winter he is just out trying to bring the coolness to everybody that is too hot in the world. He's just trying to bring smiles to the world, have fun and be happy.

How and when did you get into being a Furry?
When I was 13 I was really into animals and I wanted to bring that to life and bring smiles to everyone I meet. I just want to go around and make everyone happy, that's the whole goal.

What is it about being a Furry that attracted you to it?
I really like the artistic expression behind it. I like to express myself and have others express it with me and I wanted to join in the fun. We are just people in costumes trying to have a good time. It's all in good fun.

What is the most unique reaction you have gotten from a member of the public when you were out in your suit?
Usually you just get a really positive view, because we are having a good time and other people realize that maybe they can too. It’s about spreading the love.

What do you most enjoy about Anthrocon?
This is my first time here, but everyone is really caring and catering to your needs. It's a lot of fun.

Albi Gryph

Amber Palladino, 27 | Baltimore, MD

Introduce your Fursona:
I am a rainbow-winged Gryphon, which is a species that I came up with when I was 13. They are all white with rainbow-colored wings. I am happy all the time. I am like a bird in that I like to collect shiny things.

How and when did you get into being a Furry?
I’ve always been more drawn to animals than people, and in the online community I fell into that group of artists that draw animals all the time. I’ve always had an obsession with Gryphons and started drawing them and dragons and all the fantasy things and other creatures.

What is it about being a Furry that attracted you to it?
Mostly it's the community. Everyone is absolutely fantastic, very friendly, very open and very loving. Everyone is understanding about everything. A lot of it has to do with art, it's all about creativity. Everyone makes their own characters, species, color patterns. A lot of us are artists or willing to support artists.

What is the most unique reaction you have gotten from a member of the public when you were out in your suit?
Once I had one woman try to rip my head off. I thought she was just trying to touch my beak and then realized she was trying to lift the head off of me.

How has being a furry changed your outlook on life?
Within the community there is so much positivity about everything. People have such a great outlook and I love it because it makes you feel more positive and happy in life. It’s definitely an escape from the every day. You can just come here and relax with people who are very like minded. Everyone is very open. Its a great way to relax.

Boone

Chris, 22 | Software Engineer, Minneapolis

Introduce your Fursona:
He is a orange and blue Husky. He is basically just me, I am more outgoing when I wear this, for example you can go up and push someone and everything thinks it's cute. It helps me be a lot more outgoing. But other than that it's basically just me.

How and when did you get into being a Furry?
I’ve always had an affinity for cute things, especially animals. I always loved going to people's houses and playing with their pets. In the game Second Life I bought a Furry avatar before I really even knew what it was. I then learned more about the fandom and eventually got involved in a local meet up. This is my eight furry convention.

What has been the most interesting reaction?
When you are out in public there will be some people who will do whatever they can to avert their gaze from you and avoid eye contact. It's way more fun when you get the really enthusiastic people who are freaking out. It's even kind of fun to see the people who actively don’t like it.

How much was your suit?
I got a really good deal at an auction, only $1,000, which is very, very cheap.

Zenny

Business Analyst in Healthcare, 26, Louisville, KY

Introduce your Fursona:
I’m a lavender Fox, not purple, lavender. I jump around and am kind of crazy and also very accident prone.

How and when did you get into being a Furry?
Back around early high school when I was 15, I was into being a mascot at the high school football games and it kind of morphed from there.

What is it about being a Furry that attracted you to it?
I like to make other people feel good, make them smile. I like to know that I made a difference for the day and maybe they will remember me. That keeps me going.

How has being a Furry changed your outlook on life?
In kind of a weird way, I get to be more myself. If I was here without my fursuit, I don’t know what it is, but I would have a harder time interacting. This kind of helps.

Loki

Vex

Vivace

Today at the Downtown restaurant Tonic, when you order puppy chow, with a paw off and chocolate lab, a rabbit-eared waitress will bring what really is a sloppy Joe, a pineapple upside-down drink and chocolate cake to your table.

Down the street, dragons, wolves and bears will be prowling toward another eatery, Ten Penny, for a Fly Fox, Dogfish or Dark Horse draft.

The annual Anthrocon convention arrived at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Thursday and already the nearly 6,000 attendees who are fascinated with “humanized” animals are roaming the streets, visiting their favorite Pittsburgh haunts. Many of these have renamed dishes to appeal to their furry guests.

One look at Anthrocon’s flag and you’ll be able to see just how much the Furries love this city. The convention adopted Pittsburgh’s black and gold color scheme and design. They simply replaced the crest in the center with a paw print.

Now, the Furries want to give back.

The Fursuit Walk, where fully fursuited attendees parade around the convention center, has been traditionally closed to the public. Samuel Conway, the CEO of Anthrocon who lives in North Carolina, didn’t like having to turn away the public who wanted to see only the parade.

This year’s Fursuit Walk will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday in full public view. An estimated 1,300 fursuiters will walk down 10th Street below the convention center, cross over and walk back up 10th Street before continuing back inside.

“I finally said to the board of directors, ‘We need to share this with the people of Pittsburgh. They have been so wonderful to us, the least we could do is let them take part in the most visible spectacle,’ ” Mr. Conway said. “It took a couple of years and a lot of logistical planning, but we are going outside for the specific stated purpose that the city of Pittsburgh can enjoy it.”

Hundreds of people lined 10th Street under the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to enthusiastically cheer on about 1,300 Anthrocon participants dressed in furry animal suits.

The outdoor parade was a first for Anthrocon Inc., which typically holds its “Fursuit Walk” indoors and in private. But in Pittsburgh’s 10th year of hosting the world’s largest gathering of fans obsessed with humanlike animal characters, organizers decided allow them to venture outside.

“The decision to invite the public has been in the back of our minds for quite some time,” said Anthrocon Chairman Samuel Conway in a press release. “It gives the people of Pittsburgh the opportunity to share a little bit of what we do.”

Beginning just after 2 p.m., furry participants exited the convention center’s East Lobby doors and walked in clustered groups through a horseshoe-shaped route. Onlookers whooped and hollered and snapped photos of the elaborate, colorful costumes. Several furries carried selfie sticks to commemorate the event.

The walk lasted nearly an hour and went off without any major medical incidents, despite temperatures in the 80s.

Valerie Sandor, of Monroeville, stood near the finish of the walk. Ms. Sandor comes up every year to catch a glimpse of the fursuits around Downtown, but she was thrilled to hear that there would be an official public parade of all of them together.

“We love the furries,” Ms. Sandor said.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Hundreds of people lined the Convention Center Saturday to take in the first-ever public furry parade.

Hundreds of furries walked in the parade as well. This year was the first time they paraded outside for the public. In previous years the furries marched through the convention center.

Furry fans and curious spectators stood cheering on various foxes, cats, superheroes and other creatures, some holding yellow “I (heart) Anthrocon” signs.

“It’s fun, just people having fun,” said Tim Fako of Scott Township. “It’s a different thing, never participated in anything like this before, I’m glad they’re sharing their parade with us.”

Anthrocon has taken place in Pittsburgh annually since 2005.

In addition to bringing a number of costume-clad individuals to the city, the convention has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Pittsburgh organizations.

According to the Anthrocon website, last year the convention raised more than $30,000 for the National Aviary.

They also bring millions of dollars to the city. Officials with VisitPittsburgh estimated this year’s four-day convention would bring in more than $5 million.

If you follow this blog you know that last December we returned back to Pittsburgh which we left in 1978 to find fame and fortune. Some things remain the same but Pittsburgh has changed a lot. Anthrocon (#anthrocon, #furries) is one thing that didn’t even exist when we left. It is a convention of people who like to dress in costume and fur suits of their favorite or original characters.

Anthrocon was founded in 1998 with about 500 people. The convention was in Philadelphia but moved to Pittsburgh in 2006 in search of a larger hotel and venue. The first convention in Pittsburgh attracted over 2400 people and has continued to grow each year and brings millions to the Pittsburgh ecocomny.

This year was the first year that the Fursuit Parade of over 1000 characters was in public and Pittsburghers came out in the thousands to show their support and cheer The Furries as they paraded around the convention center. I have just begun to look through all the images I took of these colorful characters but this should give you the general idea.

To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

Why, hello, furry friend.