It has been growing wildly since its inception and right now we do not see it leveling off, so we’ll simply enjoy it while we can.Marine Corps. I’m content to just see how big a phenomenon it can become. (Kage): I can see a few ways, but for a variety of reasons I’d rather not bring them up. Do you forsee any ways that furry may jump the shark? Or do you sense that it stands apart from trends to keep thriving on it’s own terms? Some come back with a neo-version in the future. They break out, flourish for a while, then get old and played out. (Patch): Many movements have finite life spans. I told them to make it a heart with a pawprint in it, because among furries, that would be read as “Pittsburgh paws Anthrocon” which….well….would subtly change the meaning. The original design was Pittsburgh – pawprint icon – Anthrocon.
They even came up with the yellow “Pittsburgh loves Anthrocon” signs that they handed out for free to the crowd. It took three years before we had all of it worked out and had the budget for it, and even then, we were not totally sure that it would work. THEN we had to consider the cost: lighting rental, electricity, permits, street closures, costs for traffic control and barricades and everything. Then we had to decide on a route that would maximize exposure to people but not cause any trip hazards, make the parade double back on itself, etc.
Then we had to figure out how to light that area up, since it’s rather dark and gloomy and not at all good for photos. And what to do if it rained? We solved both problems by keeping the bulk of the parade under the convention center, where it is sheltered from the rain and the water feature cools the air. First, we had to consider how the outdoor heat would affect the fursuiters. There were plenty of obstacles to overcome, though. Since Pittsburgh has been so good to us, we wanted to give them something back. I did not like having to ask someone to buy a badge just to see the parade, which is the greatest spectacle Anthrocon has to offer.
It actually started three years ago with the idea of taking the parade outdoors so that the people of Pittsburgh could share in it. (Kage): It was quite a monumental effort. Is this a standout moment that might define furry for a while to come? It seemed like a huge success with 5000 watchers, and coverage on NPR. (Patch): I’m curious about the planning to put the parade on a public street for the first time. One of 1460 fluffy friends in the parade.
I am simply trying to point out the wonderful aspects of our community that many people either don’t know, or don’t seem to “get.” I am not sure it’s entirely accurate to say that I am “ushering” anyone. (Patch): I’ve heard you described as ushering furries towards the kind of acceptance that Comic Con achieved. Now, Uncle Kage joins me for a casual Q&A. That’s huge show value!) After the con was over, I heard that con Chair Uncle Kage made comments about the same idea of floats. I estimate it had over $3 million of fursuits this year. I imagined what floats would be like in a Furry parade. It promises great things to come.Īs the con happened, I posted an article about the world-renowned, anthropomorphic sculpture-making of Mardi Gras float builders in New Orleans. Apart from the furry/crowd interaction, this was a big deal because of all the logistics and relationship building behind the scenes. Getting to see it drew an enthusiastic crowd of “normals” almost as large as the convention itself. A lot of the locals must wonder what goes on behind the doors of the con. For the first time in an almost two-decade history, the con took an amazing spectacle seen in private out to a public street. Why was there rising attention? One of the big reasons was the fursuit parade. Take a look! (Here’s everything I could find in July.) This year, it seems like more great press attention went to Anthrocon than ever before.