For years, fiction and fantasy projects have been filled with humanoid creatures – other species that we encounter in these alternate realities. Well, for many fantasy settings the world is full of what is known as a furry – and the world of furry fandom is one of the most prominent out there in terms of sub-cultures within fiction.
Furries are incredibly popular and tend to show human levels of intelligence, at least, as well as the ability to form entire civilizations.
The main difference, of course, is that they are animals! Fox people (referred to as kobolds in many stories) are one of the most common types of furry, although just about every animal you can think of has a fictional civilization built around them.
Furry fandom has taken on a new level in recent years as conventions and online celebrations for these amazing and unique creations are growing all the time. Want to show your love off for your favorite kind of furry? Then finding a convention is usually just a matter of checking online.
They are all over the place these days, and who can blame them? What’s more enjoyable than the idea of sharing this world with various sentient species?
Furry fandom takes in animals from all kinds of works – whether it’s the comical ones like Bugs Bunny or the more serious alien types that you find in movies like Avatar, there is plenty out there to learn and enjoy. If you’ve never really been a fan of this kind of culture you really are missing out – some of the finest fiction books in history have been built around this kind of storyline.
Mythological creatures would also fall under this – minotaur’s and centaurs being the most well- known and prominent mythical creatures around. As you can see, the world of furries is totally different to what you might have been expecting when you first started reading into it, and the fact that it’s spawned entire novels and movie series just about around anthropomorphic species. It’s one of the most fascinating ways to test both creativity in the mind and the ability to extend beyond realism.
Sometimes, it can be a tough thing to do for many people to believe in, but the world of furry fandom is one of the most enriching and enjoyable places to spend your time when reading about fiction movies and books!
Anime Boston 2015 Source: sylabus.deviantart.com
Being a Furry
As strong and widespread as the furry fandom is, there is also a lot of hated directed at them. Identifying yourself or other person as one could be a tricky business. For example, people who enjoy cartoons and games featuring furry character cannot necessary be labeled as furries themselves. Similarly artists, who enjoy drawing anthropomorphic animals, may be fascinated with the subject, or looking for a challenge, or expanding their horizons, or creating something for their own amusement.
Being a furry comes with acknowledging your interest in this particular area of fiction and interacting with like-minded people. Its like attending a chess club or a martial arts dojo, except it is mostly done online.
Going deeper, some furries may possess a thing called "fursona" . It can be something as simple as an avatar in a multiplayer game. This furry avatar can evolve further if the person behind it starts role playing. Imagine playing as a great wizard or a mighty space marine but this time it is a wolf who can talk and stand on his two legs without any problems. What if the world around him is human? This can create an extra layer of complexity and enjoyment for the participants, who can let their fantasies run wild just like their animal avatar.
But it can go even deeper. Some furries believe they have a strong spiritual connection to a certain animal. And indeed, you can see videos of people taming beasts with ease, like only they know the secret to communicate with the creature. Now, its important to understand that being an animal trainer doesn't mean one is a furry, however some furries do express the belief that they are so strongly connected to a certain animal they are essentially a real life fursona, or an animal in a human body. It doesn't sound that strange if you think about it, some people, for example, believe that the immortal soul is being reincarnated into animals and plants all the time.
Horo Holo Artbook Spice and Wolf Cosplay Costume Source: k-a-n-a.deviantart.com
Beliefs are one thing, showing them to the world is another. Thats why you need a fursuit! Not a coat made out of the fur of dead animals mind you, but a costume representing your favorite furries made by you(usually). Its very much like cosplaying and of course it is also as crazy, in a good way. Someone might show up with a pair of paws and a tail, while the other person wears a full suit and goes around incognito. If thats your thing - make one and go to a convention wearing it, showing the world your true self or simply making a statement that you don't care what the others think!
Misconceptions and the reality
Since the furry fandom is widely presented on the internet it naturally attracts the ire of trolls and haters, which find it acceptable to belittle furry lovers and present them in an extremely negative light. What they want the others to see is a group of people, who like to watch furry porn whole day and eventually get it on while dressed up in their fursuits. To them such a deviant behavior is worthy of mockery and scorn. The reality is, as always, far from such outlandish images.
First off, the part of the fandom, who actually make suits and dress up, is fairly small. Its not that unusual to attend conventions with a paper tail or some face painting. Some of the furries don't even like the idea of dressing up and would rather let their imagination do the trick by expressing themselves with drawings and role playing.
The anthropomorphic avatars themselves are another thing. Most furries don't want to live their lives like an animal but would rather take its best qualities and combine them with themselves. The wolf, for example, is a symbol of bravery even in the face of a stronger adversary. The lion commands authority, while the fox is a master deceiver. Its an amalgamation , not degradation.
Next come the feelings of affection and love, which are obviously better than the hatred and scorn. Animal abuse is a thing, some people even do it for fun. Not for furries, who can be very affectionate towards their pets. Affections, which can be shown towards other people as well. You can find them enjoying hugs and even slight petting on the head.
Finally, yes, the furry sexual content is indeed big, however it is like this with every other major fandom out there. From lemon fics to doujins and erotic comics, search for your favorite shows and video games and you'll see for yourself.
