He’s ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-ck! He’s the Ranting Gryphon. He’s mad and he’s willing to talk about it! Come and join 2 as he gives his take on what’s wrong with the world. This is one of Anthrocon’s most attended events. Arrive early for a good seat! Last year, this event was standing room only.
Anthrocon started ten years ago in Albany when some folks here from the East Coast felt the need for another convention relating to this fandom. Come to a discussion of the history of Anthrocon and see photos from that first year to now.
In 1997, Yappyfox came up with the idea of having fursuiters parade through the dealer’s room so that all of the dealers would have a chance to experience a convention and fursuit related event. This event has become a tradition not only at Anthrocon, but at many conventions all around the country. If you’re a fursuiter, please come and participate in our tenth annual fursuit parade, with the founder himself leading the way! For those without fursuits, this is a magnificent photo opportunity to see many of the beautifully built costumes attending Anthrocon. Please meet early in the main ballroom so that the parade may start on time.
This panel is for those who want to add a little styling to their fursuiting performances in general. More than just your typical “make it big” advice, this panel will go a little more in-depth with how to exaggerate keeping personality, character, and emotions in mind. It’s more than just putting a suit on and walking around — give people a reason to watch you by bringing your character to life!
An exploration of the anatomy and physiology of anthropomorphics from a veterinary perspective. Discussion will range from basic concepts of anatomy and physiology to speculative looks at the medical care of anthropomorphics. Creative fiction and science can coexist!
What exactly is Anthropoly? Anthropoly is Anthrocon’s comedic game show. Our contestants are pulled right from the audience..and you have a chance to win some cool prizes! Match wits with some of the fandom’s funniest personalities and who knows…you could be a big prize winner!
Come hear how filking can be influenced by anthropomorphics!
Calling all Arend Studios fursuits! This is a photo opportunity for anyone with an Arend Studios suit to get photos with other Arend Studios costumes. Arend has produced a wide variety of costumes and designs throughout the years…and this is a chance to get many of those costumes together at the same time.
Come spend an hour or two and take a tour of the night skies over Anthrocon with the Astrono-Furs, fellow furries who have a passion for amateur astronomy. Members will help familiarize you with the early summer constellations and if we’re lucky, we might watch a satellite pass overhead. View Jupiter and it’s moons as well as deep space objects thousands of light years away through telescopes and binoculars set up on the convention center’s observation deck. Hand outs will be provided. Event is weather dependent.
Basic concepts of puppetry performance. Movement, posture and focus of the puppet on stage and in walk-about performance. Puppets will be available if you’d like to practice some lipsynch with us. Also stage design, selecting a puppet and creating on stage characters, as time permits.
The Capsule Lounge is a chillout space with a relaxed ambiance. Cargo Weasel spins an eclectic mix of lounge music, downtempo, underground hip hop, and experimental electronics while furries can hang out on the inflatable beanbag chairs and play retro Atari 2600 games. Runs until late.
Intermediate Level panel. How to take an ordinary fursuit costume and make it into a character that makes people laugh and that they can relate to. Give the costume some character, some life....
Come and bid on one of a kind items in the Anthrocon Charity Auction. This year, our auction proceeds will go to the Western Pennsylvania National Wild Animal Orphanage, an exotic feline rescue organization. (http://www.wildanimal.org)
They are amazing apart… together, they are indescribable. Join both Kage and 2 as they appear on stage together. How will they fit all they have to say in only one hour? Come and find out! Sure to be an event to remember!
An update on the video project “Circle of Stone”, an anthropomorphic live action video now in production. Come out and hear what’s going on and where we are going next!
Collectible card games feature some of the best and worst art out there. Sometimes even great artists produce terrible art for this market. Learn about the special pitfalls associated with working in this format. If time allows, speaker may be able to go over portfolios with people, addressing specific strengths and weaknesses as related to this format.
The same actors who have been bringing their improv entertainment to MegaPlex for several years running now return again to Anthrocon to spread the impromptu joy! Come join Terry “Mouse” Sender and his improv troupe, “WTF Theater,” as they make complete goons of themselves on stage for you once again, bending (somewhat) to your whim and whimsy in a performance decided, in the end, by you. We hope to see you there!
It’s the rhythm game you play with your feet. Or do you? Join us for Anthrocon’s yearly DDR tournament! Tryouts will be held
David Hopkins, creator of the online comic Jack, will be drawing characters from the comic, singing show tunes, and generally getting the audience involved as he slowly goes out of his mind. Bring the kids!
A entry discussion and hands on work to see if you have what it takes to be a DJ, not only in the furry world but as an RL profession!
Bishie or beefcake, there’s basic fundamental anatomy that makes a guy identifiably a guy. Learn the minimum as well as what to exaggerate, and we don’t just mean down there.
Anyone can write middling fiction, but it takes a master to create truly execrable prose. Have you read The Eye of Argon? Do you know who Ratliff is? Do you think you are ready for the challenge of the Iron Author? Participants have twenty-four hours to create the worst story imaginable that still meets the criteria of the judges. Afterwards, come to the reading, where the best of the worst will be “honored”.
See Grignr’s bulging muscles as he hefts his axe against the lugubrious Agafnd, vizier of Gorzam! Hear Carthena’s screams as she clings waifishly to the corded shoulder blades of her barbarian defender! Smell the fetid stench of their sarcophagean tomb from which no man has returned alive! You’ll thrill as Gringr singlehandedly defeats horde upon horde of stygian fiends! You’ll wonder as they uncover the wondrous treasurestone, the Eye of Argon! You’ll laugh, cry, gasp, and beg for more as you try to read your part of the Worst Story Ever Written. Come and join… if you dare!
Come and enjoy a concert with Tom Smith, the World’s Fastest Filker!
Tim Albee will be discussing the foundations of principles of digital animation. Come and listen to information from the gentleman who created and animated the acclaimed animated film Kaze: Ghost Warrior.
Tally-ho! It’s time to find the fox! Yappyfox will have a radio “fox” hidden somewhere in Anthrocon spaces. Your mission is to find the fox. You will need a radio or scanner capable of receiving 144.340 MHz to find the fox. The first fox hunt will be for a stationary fox. This is the warm up for
Foxes, foxes everywhere! Come and discuss our favorite fuzzy critters in respect to the fandom and in nature in general.
Arend Studios has produced many of the fursuits that you will see at Anthrocon. Come join White Fox, one of the founders of Arend Studios, as he describes the process and planning behind taking an idea for a character design and what it takes to make it a reality. This panel will give you insight into costume creation and development.
The interactive entertainment industry is growing by leaps and bounds, stronger than ever before. Where do the furries fit in? Four people from different corners of the videogame world (testing, media, creative, and programming) will start by looking at the influence of anthropomorphics in today’s games, and progress to discussing what it’s like to shape the industry from the inside. This panel is open for everyone to participate in the talk, from just plain gamers to industry veterans.
Come all your writers and gather. This is the first in a series of panels dedicated to not only writing exercises and talking about writing but a workshop. Join us and bring some of your ideas or short flashes of genius. Share your work with your peers and let’s workshop together.
This panel is a continuation of Furry Fiction I. Don’t worry if you missed the first one, this is a writing workshop so we are going to be writing. Just pop on in bring a pencil and paper and we will work on your writer’s block, help you fill out your characters, even read your story and tell you what we think. Bring anything you’re working on but make sure you are comfortable sharing.
This panel is a continuation of Furry Fiction I and II. Don’t worry if you missed the one or both of the previous panels, this is a writing workshop so we are going to be writing. Just pop on in bring a pencil and paper and we will work on your writer’s block, help you fill out your characters, even read your story and tell you what we think. Bring anything you’re working on but make sure you are comfortable sharing.
Overview of Second Life’s furry social life, furry character creation, and the origins/history of the furry community in Second Life.
An interactive session on the do’s and don’ts of getting yourself into the publishing business. For all the people out there who always wanted to start your own little empire, here’s a chance to get some knowledge off people who have done it, more or less successfully!
Come join longtime Anthrocon member Big Bad Wolf as he discusses basic fursuit construction tips and techniques. Bring your questions…he will have some answers!
Okay, so you have a fursuit, and now you wanna shake a tail with the best of them. Come join DEX, a celebrated performer from previous Anthrocon Masquerades, as he helps you learn the fundamentals of fursuit dance. Wearing a fursuit is not necessary, but it’s highly recommended as dancing in a costume is very different from dancing in street clothes.
Calling all fursuiters for Anthrocon’s own Fursuit Games. Your fursuit track lead, Ronin Otter, will be hosting this popular event with many zany and wild games for all you costumed critters!
How to care and maintain fursuit/mascot style costumes. Topics include washing, wearing, suggested fursuit care items, traveling with a suit, patching minor holes etc. Q&A offered after panel.
We are delighted to welcome the incomparable Tugrik to Anthrocon this year! Tugrik will be offering his photographic skills for fursuit photos on
A big Pawpet performance!
A guided meditation to calm the mind and rejuvenate the soul. A small refresher in the middle of a hectic, underfed, sleepless, exciting weekend.
A wacky look into the world of home built fur suits.
Come explore just why we consider pets as family. This discussion of the human-animal bond will introduce and explore a few aspects of the companionship, understanding, cooperation, and support that humans and their animal companions share.
Improvisational theater and workshop. Audience members participate in a series of improv games, and then experience light advice and workshopping. Audience participation highly encouraged.
Performers and/or attendees will be improvising new lyrics to well-known existing songs. Loads of fun!
An introductory discussion about the genre and its history and appeal, as well as to play some representative examples. After the discussion, the floor will be open to filking from both the panelist(s) and the audience.
Live Action Role Playing, a form of freeform, improvisational theater.
Potoroo will be doing a musical performance with any donations he receives being given to Anthrocon’s charity.
Stand up comedy with Kigs
Don’t just make history - CHANGE it! Stop by and take journey though time in your very own time machine! Joins us for Looney Lab’s award winning time travel game, Early American Chrononauts, where you can discover what might have happened if the Boston Tea Party didn’t happen, the US Constitution was never written or South won the Civil War. While you are gallivanting through time, be the first to enjoy Negative-Calorie Pizza or drive/fly the Pollution-Free Flying Car. Make some time, bring your friends, and come play with us!
One of Anthrocon’s longest running traditions. Come and see what Anthrocon’s performers have cooked up as they take the main stage to entertain you, with K.P. returning as the master of ceremonies. Performing in the Masquerade requires pre-approval by our Masquerade director and a mandatory rehearsal. This is one of Anthrocon’s most attended events. Early arrival for good seating is recommended.
Come and meet an amazing, accomplished writer and one of Anthrocon’s guests of honor for a question and answer session. Arrive early to ensure a seat!
Come and meet one of Anthrocon’s Guests of Honor for a question and answer session.
All people owning a Mixed Candy fursuit are invited to come for group photos with other Mixed Candy costumes. You may need extra film (or digital memory) for all those pictures!
Anthrocon is pleased to offer a special event featuring one of our Guests of Honor: Scott Shaw! Be prepared to be entertained and informed with a presentation of artwork and stories from Scott Shaw.
An open opportunity for experienced and novice filkers to perform. If you’d like to give filking a try, stop on by.
Come join us on stage. Practice lipsynching a few tunes. Tell a few jokes. Help us get ready for the big show. Puppets will be available for use or bring your own. Scripts and music will also be available for your perusal.
Basic information on how to perform. What to wear, what to eat, hydration, how to move, all the basic information for starting fursuiters.
You can turn an inexpensive plush into a custom puppet. Or, if your puppet is a little too stiff or its mouth is too tight for your hand, (or too loose), we can help. Topics include: Finding good candidates for conversion. Materials and techniques you can use. Fixing, improving and modifying the puppets you already have. Come see live surgery performed on a Folkmanis ferret.
Rage is a game of savage werewolf combat for two or more players based on Werewolf: the Apocalypse. Lead your pack of werewolves to victory through combat, politics, or by fulfilling spiritual quests. Cards will be provided for new players and rules will be taught. Experienced players are welcome to stop by for some casual plat and our encouraged to use theme decks during casual play so as to go gentle on people who are just learning to play.
Tournament for the Rage CCG. Please bring your own twenty-renown tournament legal deck and be sure to have read the April 2006 rules and FAQ update. There will be a limited number of ’loaner’ decks available for people who learned to play at a demo at Anthrocon. You are expected to know the rules.
Come and enjoy a reading of anthropomorphic literature from the author herself!
Join the creators of OMGWTF! Furries in a live, impromptu performance of the first act of their upcoming film - it begins, as space operas often do, with a chosen one. Take away basic social skills, add a precocious female lead and a surly sidekick, and you have The Red Raven Legends, a collision between Star Wars and Harry Potter, with countless cult film parodies thrown in for spice. Join young, naïve, marginally functional hero Anicant Kristfigur, “The Boy Who Failed to Die,” and his unlikely allies as they risk all in the struggle against darkness, Dark Darkness, a verbose villain with the verve of Voldemort and Vader. Together with his faithful classmates Jester and Heroine, as well as the unsettling Dr. Strangeyiff and the perpetually inebriated Shinobi Gin, Anicant fights to fulfill his destiny in an epic adventure filled with enough geekdom to choke a Gungan.
Okay, so you’ve decided to make Anthrocon your first furry convention, but you’re not sure exactly what to do? This is the event for you! Offered early in the convention schedule, come get some advice and entertainment that are sure to help make your convention experience more enjoyable.
I do stand-up comedy, people laugh.
Nothing is quite so surreal as watching popular characters from a dozen different videogame world collide in utter combat mayhem. It’s even more fun than it sounds! Sign up at the videogame room if you want to join in (limited room available) or just drop in to watch the chaos. Every year it’s a different battle, and anything could happen. If you ever wanted to see Pikachu and Mario beat the snot out of each other, be there!
A staple of Anthrocon entertainment, the venerable Uncle Kage returns to our main stage to delight the audience with his tales of worldly travel. This is one of Anthrocon’s most attended events. Early arrival is recommended.
There are many ways that you can make a difference in your community using your fandom related talents. Whether you are a fursuiter, puppeteer, artist, or just someone who wants to make a difference…this panel will help you see many ways that you can make your own community better. K.P. has been doing charity work in the Orlando area for over 6 years. Come and listen to some of his stories and share your own with the audience.
Do you know what to do when your pet is injured or sick? What does your pet need for basic care? This panel will help you learn what your pet needs for a long, healthy life, as well as how to help your pet in the event of an emergency.
This panel will be about the closeness we wolves feel with our brethren in nature. Us wolves have a special bond with our brothers, and our being furries means we feel ourselves to be wolves in human form rather than just fans of anthropomorphic topics. We will share our experiences with and knowledge of wolves, shapeshifting, werewolves, and of course our spirituality. We will then have an open discussion with everyone in attendance to share everyone’s points of view, ask questions, and whatever else comes up.
One of the many things that make the furry fandom unique is that, aside from the “anthropomorphic animals” aspect of it, there is no true set definition of the fandom. Every fur brings with him or her their own unique view and interpretation of what furry means to them. Join the creators of the independent mockumentary, OMGWTF! Furries, for a group discussion on the various views on the fandom in order to seek out the one thing that ties them all together.
Why do we use anthropomorphic animals in our creations? What are the drawbacks? How are “furries” viewed in the world of professional publishing? Our guests of honor will discuss with us the challenges and rewards of using furry characters.
A brief presentation on wolves, their habitat and behavior; as well as the status of wolf recovery in the United States will be followed by a discussion with the audience. Questions will be encouraged.
Wolf Park is a non-profit organization in northwestern Indiana that currently has 19 captive, socialized wolves, 3 red foxes, 2 coyotes, and 2 new guinea singing dogs, as well as a herd of bison. In this panel, come to hear a representative of Wolf Park talk about wolf behavior, some amusing stories from a non-profit organization, and to share some of the tales of the animals that have resided at this unique facility over the past 35 years.
Having trouble figuring out how to write an original Science Fiction story? Want to talk about an idea you had that you think is a bit off. Well join this discussion group and we will work to determine what makes a good story and what you could possibly sell.