From: jfurr@nyx.cs.du.edu (JKF)
Subject: Furries (Was: Re: Ask and you shall receive (20-point definition of furry fandom) 
Followup-To: alt.mud,alt.angst.xibo.sex,alt.mud.t-rev.stomp.stomp.stomp
Summary: Originally found in alt.fan.furry, crossposted here.
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Keywords: TOURMALINE!  HEY, TOURMALINE!
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 92 22:32:53 GMT

In article <16DEC92.17524749@umbc2.umbc.edu> noel@umbc2.umbc.edu writes:
>
>	You asked for it, so here it is!  Originally written on the Deathstar 
>BBS in Washington DC and later made into a text file by Watts Martin, enjoy!
>
>"Furry Fandom"
>--------------
>    If you wander around the Wyvern's Den long enough, you'll come
>across the term "furry."  Just what the hell is a furry, anyway?
>    This file is, in part, another file called FURRY.TXT found on a
>few true-blue furry systems on the west coast.  There are also a few
>messages taken from the furry subsection on the DeathStar BBS, a
>Commodore 128 board running in Washington, DC.
>    Somewhat curiously, none of these files or messages define the word
>"furry" completely.  To wit, a furry is a funny animal taken seriously.
>Roger Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, and Mickey Mouse are funny animals; they are
>anthropomorphic, mostly behave like people, and are pretty much the
>cartoon equivalent of character actors.  Usagi Yojimbo, Omaha the Cat
>Dancer, and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are furries (even
>though turtles don't have fur); they are even more anthropomorphic in
>appearance than the funny animals are, but behave like crosses between
>humans and animals.  They are sapient, and just as much "people" as any
>fictional character, but they aren't presented as animals for laughs.
>Most furries tend towards their human aspects, their "species" not all
>that important.  Some are more strongly tied to the animals they are
>related to, perhaps 'regressing' under stress (for example, Vincent on
>"Beauty and the Beast," who is perhaps the 'furriest' creature known to
>mainstream audiences--a nonhuman, animalistic character portrayed in a
>serious, fairly realistic manner).
>    As for the 'other' definition of furry, that's what these articles
>are about.
>
>
>FURRY FANDOM OBSERVED
>
>[written by Dr Pepper]
>
>0. This is an attempt to concisely explain furrydom to the curious. I 
>am not myself a member of this group, this is what i have been told,
>have heard and read, or just observed in action. This is by no means
>complete but it is a start towards understanding. 
>
>1. In the simplest terms furry fandom is the admiration of creatures
>that have both human and animal traits. Since such do not actually
>exist, this is considered a subgenre of science fiction/fantasy
>fandom. 
>
>2. One aspect of this is simply liking so called "funny animal"
>cartoons and comics, such as Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry, et al. Such
>creatures are not conceived with much logic, and it is their human
>references that are important, the animal shape is more for humor than
>anything else. 
>
>3. Then there is the envy of certain traits observed in animals. Such
>traits include speed, strength, grace, beauty, cunning and of course
>possession of fur. Most of the animals people are attracted to are
>mammals, hence the term "furry", but nothing is excluded. 
>
>4. This leads to the desire to put oneself in the animal's place so as
>to be able to really experience what it is like to be so gifted. 
>
>5. But most people want to have this experience with human type
>sapience. This leads to the postulation of various kinds of creatures.
>
>6. Real animals that somehow can think and talk. A lot of folklore and
>mythology is mined for source material for these. Of more recent
>vintage is the idea of using biological or digital technology to
>augment ordinary creatures. 
>
>7. Sapient analogs of certain animals. These include parallel
>evolution on other worlds, human genetic intervention, and additional
>evolution, say due to massive radiation. 
>
>8. Gene spliced creatures made to order. These can range from
>customized humans to totally new beings made with the desired
>combination of traits. 
>
>9. Furry fans like to read and write stories involving any of those
>creatures, admire and create art featuring them, and play games
>that include them. This includes playacting, such as answering the
>phone with a "meow".
>
>10. But some people are more than just furry FANS. These people are
>simply called FURRIES.
>
>11. Furries are those who get into the concept so much that they
>deliberately develop alternate personas that actually have those
>animal traits. Each persona takes on a life of its own in a sort of
>controlled schizophrenia such as ventriloquists and fantasy gamers
>practice.
>
>12. Furries have many different ways to relate to their furry
>personas. Some think of them as totally different beings who happen to
>live inside them. Others see them as simply minor varients of
>themselves. And still others see them as vehicles for normally
>suppressed aspects of their own personalities.
>
>13. The most interesting way of viewing a persona though, is to see it
>as some sort of mystical entity that can confer benefits which are
>represented by the animal shape. Some relate this to a witch's
>familiar or to the spirit guardian of the plains indians. This can be
>taken literally, that is with actual belief in such entities, or in a
>Jungian fashion, that the animal shape is a symbolic key to unlock
>unconscious abilities.
>
>14. Fine. So what do furries do their personas? They communicate
>through them. The definition of the persona determines how the furry
>will express themself. This can be quite different from how the actual
>person does it. This may facilitate communication under circumstances 
>in which the person would normally feel inhibited.
>
>15. In fact it has been claimed that, despite the impression one might
>get about the persona as "putting on a mask", the use of the persona
>actually enables a person to be more genuinely themselves. That's
>because the persona has more freedom, not being subject to the
>stifling layers that social convention puts on us mere humans. 
>
>16. Long as we're getting free of social conventions, we might as get
>to sex. Most furries are interested in the concept of sex between
>themselves as themselves, or themselves as their personas, with other
>such creatures. This differs from simple bestiality in that the
>partner is another mature sapient. So regardless of the species
>difference, it remains full participation sex between two people.
>
>17. Dear me, did I say two? Two is another social convention. A lot
>(most?) furries like group sex.

A new ad for FurryMUCK?  "FurryMUCK: A Group Sexual Experience With A Lot
Of Other Lonely Guys"?

>
>18. In fact social conventions seem to go down like dominos once one
>gets started. That may be why so many (most?) furries are bi.
>
>19. Let us now pause while the straight and monogamous folks come out
>from wherever they just dived into for cover.
>
>20. Ok, didn't mean to chase anyone off. The point is that wherever
>you may be on the spectrum, from full fledged furriness to just a
>reader of "Panda Khan," there is a place in furrydom for you.
>
>Enjoy!
>
>------------
>Well, gosh, still with me?  Before anyone asks, no, I don't have personal
>experience with points #16 through #18 up there.  As for having a furry
>character being a "controlled schizophrenia," well, no experience with
>that, either, but it sounds somewhat harsh, perhaps unintentionally
>implying that all role-players are slightly insane when they act as a
>different personality.
>    To delve into this a little more from the "inside," as it were, we
>scoot over to the other coast.  I have deleted the more useless replies
>from these chains....
>
>
>11 [006] *NRB* "Furriness"
>    By: KEN COUGAR-DS189
>    On: Fri May 12, 1989  3:00 PM
>    LR: Sun May 14, 1989  1:59 PM
>    -- 6 Responses --
>
>Furriness.  Why you guys need to categorize it and analyse it; I don't know.
>What it is:  I can only tell you what it is for me.
>
>For me, it's an expression of parts of my personality that normally wouldn't
>get an outlet.  It's Role-Playing that doesn't use a set of rules.  For me,
>it's mostly an expression of myself for the people I care for.
>
>Having a furry persona allows me to look at things; Life, relationships, mostly
>social activities, from a different perspective.  But, it's a creative tool. 
>I use my personas to test the possibilities of relations.  An aggressive
>persona would handle things one way.  A timid one, another way.  Games.  For
>me, it's an elaborate game.
>
>I've been a Furry for as long as I can remember in my role-playing days.  It's
>a way to be different.  I feel I'm better able to accept the differences in
>other people because of it.
>
>It's hard trying to explain this.  I'm not making too much sense to myself,
>cause it would take most of this hard-disk to write down all of the little
>nuances and quirks of why I am what I am.  It's a part of me.  It's a part of
>me that really doesn't and shouldn't need explaining.  I think you guys should
>get away from worrying about why and live with it.  Have FUN with it.  THAT is
>the jist behind it.  It's FUN.
>
>coug'r
>
>- Response 1 Of 6 -
>By BACKSLASH-DS147
>On Fri May 12, 1989  9:24 PM
>
>Actually, I understand what you are getting at.  My own furry allows me to view
>myself from the outside, and is also a reflection/extension of my own
>personality.
>
>Role Playing without rules, out here it spells HUNTER!
>
>Yeah, having a furry is great if you tend to be shy or not very social.  I've
>made a lot of friends though furry fandom and have yet to really lose one.
>And like you said, its fun!
>
>=========
>
>12 [001]  ---  "more furriness"
>    By: KEN COUGAR-DS189
>    On: Fri May 12, 1989  3:12 PM
>    LR: Fri May 12, 1989  9:31 PM
>    -- 1 Response --
>
>A couple of other things.
>
>Some of the observations made by some of the folks here are valid.  Anything
>taken to an extreme is bad.  Like the Role-Players killing themselves over
>something done to their character in a game.  But, that was a problem inherent
>in the PERSON, not the game or the concept.  A lot of people can't or won't
>recognize that fact.
>
>The same can happen with being furry.  But, in my experience, I have yet to see
>anyone let their persona take control of their life.  Period.  I know Mark
>[Merlino].  Sylys is him, but it's not a swap.  Ken Cougar is me, but I KNOW
>I'm not a genetically constructed Puma/Human hybrid.  He was built, by me,
>to represent me in role-playing situations.  That simple.  No blur in reality
>there.
>
>One thing that popped into mind:  Furriness, I think, emphasizes a person's
>individuality.  Choosing a totem and creating a persona is a personal thing.  A
>personal expression.  And it's not limited to timid or shy people.  I know some
>extremely extroverted folks who have furry personas.  
>
>It's pretty unexplainable.
>
>Just live it.  Have fun with it.  Make friends with it.  Play with it.
>
>Express your Furriness.  You can do it, only if you have it.
>
>coug'r
>
>- Response 1 Of 1 -
>By BACKSLASH-DS147
>On Fri May 12, 1989  9:31 PM
>
>Again, I see your point, some people take things (inculding furry fandom) way
>too seriously.  But as far as I know I am the most furry of the local users
>(with Jaguar and Aggressor a very close second).
>
>What I was saying is some people tend to live their furries, a concept that is
>still pretty unusual out here.  Like I said, Mark and Sylys are the same
>person, but Noel and Backslash are not (Backslash is Noel as a furry/his
>character/extension of his personality).
>
>Don't worry, I know I've got it--and I sure at least a few others here do too.
>
>Backslash,
>One Trick Fox.
>
>----------
>
>Furry BBS's:
>
>Several boards around the country carry Furry stuff.  Some have only one or
>two sections (usually, a "fanac", or fan activity discussion, base and maybe
>a story board), while others are more-or-less completely furcovered (for
>want of a better description).  Many of these boards have other primary
>purposes, but only the DeathStar is not primarily a sf/fantasy system of
>some type.  Ones marked with a "*" are available through PC Pursuit.
>
>WWIV-MAC/The Electric Holt [Chandler,DeWeese,Grenald].......PA 215 387-4326*
>  + "Inner Fur Lining" subboard [subop: Maj Matt Mason]
>IMAGE128/DeathStar..........................................DC 301 736-2036*
>  + furry subboard [subop: Noel Tominack]
>BBS EXPRESS ST/KyiM's Scratching Post [K Maurer]............CA 415 452-0350*
>  + Furversion BBS, "Fox's Paw" & "Tyel Hyatt Regency"
>    storyboards, furry fanac
>GBBSPRO/MythConnections [R & L Daverin].....................CA 707 792-0806
>  + "At a Furver Pitch" furry subboard
>UQ/Tiger's Den [Andre Johnson]..............................CA 714 530-2554*
>  + Prancing Skiltaire/ConFurEnce BBS, "Fur Le Dance"
>    storyboards, furry fanac
>PHOENIX/Thoughts and Images.................................CA 714 842-9799*
>  + Affiliated w/comic company (mostly furry titles),
>    furry fanac, echos storyboard w/Fox's Den
>PBBS/The Wyvern's Den Pub [W Martin]........................FL 813 925-1386
>  + "The Pub" furry storyboard
>PHOENIX/The Fox's Den.......................................CA 916 xxx-xxxx
>  + echos "Party at Celon's" storyboard with T&I BBS,
>    furry fanac
>
>Furry Publications:
>
>--- Comic Books
>Out of these, only CRITTERS and USAGI YOJIMBO have stuck to reasonably
>coherent schedules, with the TURTLES coming in fairly well.  EQUINE and
>SPACE ARK have been stalled, both at #5, for almost a year; ALBEDO had
>a 9-month delay between issues #13 and #14 (although they are supposedly
>on track for a quarterly schedule now), and MENAGERIE may have ceased
>publication after #2, MORPHS after #4.  The number in parentheses after
>the title is the highest issue number shipped as of 07/01/89.
>
>ALBEDO (14), S. Gallacci/Various; $2, Thoughts & Images
>OMAHA THE CAT DANCER (13), Waller & Worley; $2, Kitchen Sink (adults only)
>CRITTERS, Various; $2, Fantagraphics
>USAGI YOJIMBO, Stan Sakai; $2, Fantagraphics
>EQUINE THE UNCIVILIZED (5), Groat & Wallace; $2, Graphxpress
>XANADU (5), Vicky Wyman; 5-issue miniseries: $2 ea., Thoughts & Images
>  Color Special: $2, Eclipse
>FUSION (15), S. Gallacci/L. Dowling/Various; $2, Eclipse
>MENAGERIE (2), Various; $2, Chrome Tiger Press
>TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, Eastman & Laird; $2, Mirage Studios
>SPACE ARK (5), Ken Mitchroney; #1-2, AC Comics; #3-5, $2, Apple Comics
>  (still available); #6- still in limbo
>MORPHS (4), Various; $2, Graphxpress
>
>
>
>
>
>AreaName