Anthrocon

Anthrocon (abbreviated AC) is the world's second largest furry convention, taking place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania each June or July. Its focus is on furries: fictional anthropomorphic animal characters in art and literature. The convention was first held in 1997 in New York State, and draws over 7,000 attendees annually. Anthrocon 2019 drew 9,358 attendees, with 2,132 fursuiters participating in the fursuit parade.[1] Since moving to Pittsburgh in 2006, the convention draws millions in financing to the local economy; particularly, the 2015 convention brought $5.7 million to the city of Pittsburgh.[2]

Anthrocon
Anthrocon's official logo
StatusActive
GenreFurry
Venue
Location(s)Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1997
Most recent2019
Attendance9,358 in 2019
Organized byAnthrocon, Inc.
Filing status501(c)7
Websitewww.anthrocon.org

Background and history

Anthrocon was founded in 1997 as Albany Anthrocon (AAC) in New York State, with a membership of about 500. The convention was renamed to 'Anthrocon' and moved to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1999 and 2000; then to a larger hotel, the Adam's Mark, on the outskirts of Philadelphia in 2001. Attendance grew each year, Anthrocon becoming the largest furry convention in 2001 with an attendance of 1,457. In 2004 it had climbed to 2,404 attendees in its final year at the Adam's Mark.

Due to the unforeseen sale of the Adam's Mark Hotel in November 2004, Anthrocon chose the Wyndham Franklin Plaza in Philadelphia as the site for its 2005 convention. Attendance that year dropped slightly to 2,373, due in part to higher parking fees, a different and unfamiliar hotel with less convention space, and possibly due to Hurricane Dennis' effect on the southern United States which closed many airports and prevented people from traveling. In June 2005, a contract with the Westin Convention Center Hotel in Pittsburgh was signed, and Anthrocon was scheduled to be held at the adjoining David L. Lawrence Convention Center between June 15 and 18, 2006. Despite concerns that the move to Pittsburgh would decrease attendance, it actually rose to 2,489, which was enough to ensure the future of the convention in Pittsburgh.

In 2007 Anthrocon was featured in the Guinness World Records (2008 Edition) as the "largest furry fan club" in the world. In 2008, Anthrocon became the first furry convention to have an attendance exceeding 3,000 members, the official count reaching 3,390.[3] In 2009, attendance rose 11% to 3,776, and the Fursuit Parade count jumped to 640—a 41% increase.[4][5] Anthrocon 2009 brought approximately $3 million to the Pittsburgh economy.[6]

Anthrocon 2010 had an attendance of 4,238, the first furry convention to exceed 4,000 members; and by 2012 saw 5,179 attendees, with a Fursuit Parade exceeding 1,000. The admission price was also set overall at $60 for a four-day pass, though pre-registered attendees paid $50.[7] In 2013, Anthrocon contracted roomspace with seven of Pittsburgh's ten downtown hotels.

In 2017, Anthrocon lost the title of "World's most attended furry convention", as Midwest FurFest in Rosemont, Illinois claimed the title with an attendance of over 8,700.[8]

The chairman of the convention since 1999, Dr. Samuel Conway (nicknamed "Kagemushi" or "Uncle Kage" among attendees), oversees the operations of Anthrocon, with the help of convention staff and volunteers who donate their time and energy throughout the weekend to assist the multitude of small tasks which arise. Since 1997, Anthrocon has raised more than $200,000 for animal-related charities.[3]

Fernando's Café

Since the convention's presence in Pittsburgh, Fernando's Café, a fast food restaurant located near the Westin Convention Center, is one of many restaurants that cater to furries during Anthrocon weekend.[9] However, in 2012, Fernando DeCarvalho, the owner of the restaurant, called Conway informing him that he had gone into debt as a result of the Great Recession. In response, Conway initiated a fundraising campaign which resulted in the restaurant receiving $20,000, a move the Huffington Post says would "alleviate some of [DeCarvalho's] debt and allow him to keep his doors open long enough for one last Anthrocon."[9]

Typical programming and events

There are areas open most of the day to accommodate sales by Dealers and Artists as well as an area to congregate and socialize (see "The Zoo" below).

Anthrocon provides a number of specialized 'tracks' of programming with similar furry based themes and scheduled 'events'.[10][11]

The programming tracks involve discussions and work groups focused on the application of furry in Art, Comedy and Improv, Computer Gaming, Costuming (Fursuits), Music, Puppetry, Role-Playing (both gaming and real-life), and Writing.

The scheduled events that take place are the Charity Auction, the Masquerade, the Fursuit Parade, nightly dances, Art Show Auctions, and special presentations by Uncle Kage and "2 the Ranting Gryphon".[12]

Every year the convention has several Guests of Honor – prominent individuals who are compensated for their attendance and travel expenses. Past Guests of Honor at Anthrocon have included Rob Paulsen and Mark Evanier.[13][14]

Anthrocon by year

This table includes the locations of each convention as well as attendance figures, charity donations, convention themes, and guests of honor by year.

Additional source:[15][16]

Year DatesLocationAttendance[17]Charity
Donation		CharityThemeGuests of Honor
1997 July 4–6Albany, NY300 est$2,200Therapy Dogs/K9 FriendsAn East Coast Furry Con
  • artist Daphne Lage
  • author Watts Martin
1998 July 3–5Albany, NY600 est$3,092WhiskersHere Be Dragons
  • artist Jim Groat
  • author Jeffrey A. Carver
1999 July 2–4Valley Forge, PA842$3,600Great Valley Nature CenterThe Furry Revolution
  • artist Vicky Wyman
  • author S. Andrew Swann
2000 June 30- July 2Valley Forge, PA1,128$6,534The National Greyhound Adoption ProgramFurries of Myth and Legend
  • artist Sara "Caribou" Palmer
  • author Paul Kidd
2001 July 27–29Philadelphia, PA1,457$7,237Reins of LifeFurries in Flight
2002 July 11–14Philadelphia, PA1,648$13,280Canine Partners for LifeInvention
2003 July 17–20Philadelphia, PA1,949$8,348Support Our SheltersCreatures of the Night
  • artist Guy Gilchrist
  • artist Mark E. Rogers
2004 July 8–11Philadelphia, PA2,404$7,200Forgotten Felines & Fidos (FFF)Summer Games
2005 July 7–10Philadelphia, PA2,370$6,470Greater Philadelphia Search & RescueHeroes
2006 June 15–18Pittsburgh, PA2,489$8,407Western Pennsylvania National Wild AnimalMaking History
2007 July 5–8Pittsburgh, PA2,849$7,608Animal FriendsLooking to the Future
2008 June 26–29Pittsburgh, PA3,390$13,154Pittsburgh Parrot RescueIt's a jungle out there!
2009 July 2–5Pittsburgh, PA3,776[18]$8,993[19]Animal Rescue League Wildlife RehabilitationOMG Aliens!
  • character developer and artist Joe Harris
  • Character artist and story designer Ben Balistreri
  • illustrator and television producer Bob Boyle
2010 June 24–27Pittsburgh, PA4,238$12,849Fayette Friends of AnimalsModern Stone-Age Furries
2011 June 23–26Pittsburgh, PA4,400[20]$11,522[21]ToonSeumThe Anthropomorphic Institute of Magic
2012 June 14–17Pittsburgh, PA5,179$20,656Hello BullyA Midsummer Night's Dream
  • Comic Artist, Animator, Director, TV Repairman Mike Kazaleh
  • Comic Artist and Video Game Art Director Dev Madan of Sly Cooper fame.
2013 July 4–7Pittsburgh, PA5,577$31,255[22]Equine Angels RescueThe Fast and the Furrious
2014 July 3–6Pittsburgh, PA5,861$32,372The National AviarySecret Societies
2015[23] July 9–12Pittsburgh, PA6,348$35,910The Western PA Humane SocietyViking Invasion!
2016 June 30- July 3Pittsburgh, PA7,310[24]$30,880[24]Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG AquariumRoaring Twenty
2017 June 29- July 2Pittsburgh, PA7,544$37,598Hope Haven Farm SanctuaryTake Me Out To The Ballgame
2018 July 5–8Pittsburgh, PA8,407$42,051South Hills Pet RescueMovie Monsters
2019 July 4–7Pittsburgh, PA9,358$46,440PEARL Parrot RescueSurf Pacific
2020 Cancelled[26]
(originally July 2–5)		Pittsburgh, PAN/AN/AN/AAesop's Fables
  • comic creator Susan Rankin[27]
  • Anthrocon 2006 Artists' Alley
  • Anthrocon's dealers, artists and art show share one large hall (photo: dealers area)
  • Fursuit dance at Anthrocon 2005
  • Several Anthrocon 2007 directors, including chairman Dr. Samuel Conway (left)
  • Mark Evanier and Carolyn Kelly

References
  1. https://www.anthrocon.org/history
  2. Dale, Joshua Paul; Goggin, Joyce; Leyda, Julia; McIntyre, Anthony P.; Negra, Diane. The Aesthetics and Affects of Cuteness. Routledge. ISBN 9781317331308.
  3. Anthrocon, Inc. (March 29, 2006). "Anthrocon History". Archived from the original on April 4, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
  4. John Cole (July 7, 2009). "Anthrocon 2009 – A Final Look Back".
  5. Karl Jorgensen (July 6, 2009). "A Bunch Of Anthrocon News Coverage In One Convenient Post!".
  6. Brandolph, Adam (June 28, 2008). "Furry Convention $3 Million Cash Cow for City Businesses". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  7. Katie Notopoulos (June 20, 2012). "Are Furries Really So Bad?". BuzzFeed. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  8. Purdom, Clayton. "How will you react when a loved one tells you they are a furry?". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  9. "Anthrocon Furries Aid Fernando's Cafe in Pittsburgh". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  10. "Events" (PDF). Anthrocon.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  11. "Our 2017 Schedule". Anthrocon.org. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  12. "Ranting Gryphon Studios - News". Ranting-gryphon.com. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  13. Anthrocon's first guest of honor named, Uncle Kage, Anthrocon LiveJournal, August 19, 2006
  14. Anthrocon's 2007 Guests of Honor announced! Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , Uncle Kage, Anthrocon website, November 12, 2006
  15. "Convention Date Related Questions | Anthrocon 2016: Roaring Twenty!". Anthrocon.org. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  16. "History". Anthrocon 2019: Surf Pacific. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  17. "Anthrocon History | Anthrocon 2016: Roaring Twenty!". Anthrocon.org. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  18. "Anthrocon 2009 - a final look back". Anthrocon.org. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  19. "Anthrocon 2009 Charity Auction/Raffle Followup | Anthrocon 2016: Roaring Twenty!". Anthrocon.org. Archived from the original on July 11, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  20. "Anthrocon 2011 attendance". Anthrocon. June 26, 2011.
  21. Brian Harris (June 28, 2011). "Anthrocon 2011 Charity Event Followup". Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  22. "Anthrocon 2013 Charity Event Followup | Anthrocon 2016: Roaring Twenty!". Anthrocon.org. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  23. Garcia, Deanna. "The Furries Have Landed — And Pittsburgh Is Giving Them A Bear Hug". NPR. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  24. "Anthrocon 2016 Wrapup! | Anthrocon 2016: Roaring Twenty!". Anthrocon.org. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  25. Anthrocon History, Anthrocon website, August 15, 2016
  26. "Anthrocon, the furries convention in Pittsburgh, is officially canceled for 2020". WTAE. April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  27. "We're pleased to welcome Sue Deer; creator of "A Doemain of our Own" and winner of the Ursa Major award as our 2020 Guest of Honor!". Twitter.com. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
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