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TThhee EElleeccttrroonniicc FFuurrrryy FFaannzziinn
INTRODUCTORY ISSUE
What is a Furry? * Fan Publications
Other Stuff
More (Y/N/NS): ns
======================================================================
"FurBytes" is an attempt to have a short, hopefully monthly news
fanzine centered around furry fandom. Why do something like this?
Most people who _c_o_u_l_d qualify as "furry fans" don't even know
that such a thing as furry fandom exists, and even the ones who have
been involved in it for a while can go a long time without having more
than a foggy idea of where other people with similar interests are
located, what they're doing, what they publish, and lately, who've
they've been fighting with.
"FurBytes" will be likely to have convention listings and
addresses for fan publications. News from the publishers and from
fans will be stuffed in here, and I'd like to see the inclusion of a
"furry fandom directory." Letters of comment are welcome (in fact, a
LoC section could be _m_o_r_e than just welcome--it could almost be a
centerpiece of a 'zine like this).
As you might have guessed, a large part of future issues depends
on what people send me. Being a typical furry fan, I, too, am mostly
in the dark when it comes to events going on outside my area; while I
try to scrounge out as much information as I can, having people
actually _t_e_l_l me things would make it much easier!
While I will try to list every convention I know of where a
"furry party" is planned, conventions where furry fans are just
planning to show up are also welcome. Free "advertisements" can also
be submitted as long as they're within the theme of FurBytes.
Conventional and E-Mail addresses for me (Watts Martin) will be
listed at the end of this, and future, issues.
-----
WWhhaatt iiss aa FFuurrrryy??
For a first issue, this seems like a good question to address.
Unfortunately, it seems to be one that's caused more than a little
disagreement among furry fans. Part of this article was taken from an
"about furry fandom" file that has made its way to several BBS's
FurBytes [The Electronic Furry Fanzine] #1 - Mar 1990 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
across the country. If you're not a furry fan, this should give you
an idea of what "furry fan" implies, and might let you know whether or
not you really are a furry fan and just don't know it. If you are a
furry fan and you don't like this definition, feel free to complain
about it (several people I know already have). I have been told that
the file was originally written by "Dr Pepper," but have never
actually seen it with credits attached. I have assumed both this file
and the messages from the DeathStar BBS which follow it are in the
'public domain,' as they were originally found without copyright
notices on public-access BBS's and that, therefore, their authors do
not mind if people outside these boards have the chance to read them
in this form.
First--now that the question's been brought up, just what IS a
furry, anyway? Simply enough, 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 to, perhaps 'regressing' under
stress (for example, Vincent on "Beauty and the Beast," who is perhaps
the 'furriest' creature known to audiences--a nonhuman, animalistic
character portrayed in a fairly realistic manner).
Even if you have no idea who Usagi Yojimbo and Omaha are, you
could be a furry fan and not know it. Most funny animal fans are also
animation fans, and there is a lot of "crossover" between devotees of
anime (Japanese animation) and the furry world. If you enjoy old
Warner Brothers cartoons or Disney films such as "The Fox and the
Hound," "Lady and the Tramp" or "Oliver and Company"--or other
animated films such as Bluth's "The Secret of NIMH" or Nelvana's "Rock
and Rule"--there is at least a little furry in you. There have also
been furry novels, of course, ranging from Andre Norton's _B_r_e_e_d__t_o
_C_o_m_e to Olaf Stapledon's _S_i_r_i_u_s_:__A__F_a_n_t_a_s_y__o_f___L_oe___a_n_d___D_i_s_c_o_r_d and
Steven Boyett's recent _T_h_e__A_r_c_h_i_t_e_c_t__o_f__S_l_e_e_p. A furry "ography"
has been batted around on some California BBS's; perhaps this will
find its way into a future issue of FurBytes.
However, there is another use of "furry," a way of referring to a
funny-animal/furry fan. For most people, this is where the idea gets
fuzzy, if you'll pardon the expression. I have not been involved with
fandom all that long--I have not attended that many conventions, and
my first one was the 1986 WorldCon in Atlanta--and so have been mostly
an outside observer in the "fandom is a way of life" versus "fandom is
just a goddamn hobby" debate. I have been around long enough to run
into people on both sides, ranging from the casual observers to the
fanboys from hell to people who really do seem to make fandom a
profession. As to whether or not any of the rest of this describes a
FurBytes [The Electronic Furry Fanzine] #1 - Mar 1990 3
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"typical furry fan:" from what I've seen, _t_y_p_i_c_a_l__f_a_n is an oxymoron.
Furry Fandom Observed (credited to Dr Pepper)
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
FurBytes [The Electronic Furry Fanzine] #1 - Mar 1990 4
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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. [Ed. Note: I don't agree that role-playing of any sort,
furry persona or Dungeons and Dragons, should accurately be called
"controlled schizophrenia," any more than an author should be
considered schizophrenic if she has the ability to create and maintain
believable characters in a novel.]
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 with 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 well
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.
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.
FurBytes [The Electronic Furry Fanzine] #1 - Mar 1990 5
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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
may be on the spectrum, from full fledged furriness to just a reader
of "Panda Khan," there is a place in furrydom for you.
[end of file]
For another perspective, we switch coasts from the California
furry BBS's to the now-defunct DeathStar BBS of Washington, DC. The
difference between east coast and west coast furry boards is quite
noticeable: west coast systems tend to have a lot more 'involved'
people wandering around them, but are also often harder to follow for
a newcomer. California boards usually assume everyone knows what's
going on; on DeathStar, there were only two or three people who had
involvement with "furrydom" outside that BBS itself; despite the
apparent disdain both the system and the furry SIG operator were held
in by many West Coast fans, it was one of the few boards which delved,
even briefly, into the philosophy of furry fandom:
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
FurBytes [The Electronic Furry Fanzine] #1 - Mar 1990 6
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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, it's fun!
---
So, have I scared anyone off with this? Hopefully not. Speaking
of a "furry philosophy" may at first strike one as odd, but I'm sure
that if one was willing to take the time, volumes of philosophical
claptrap could be produced by talking to any serious fan, regardless
of his or her personal hobbyhorse. Furry fandom _i_s more openly
sensual than a lot of other fan groups I've seen, except for some of
the "Beauty and the Beast" 'zines that have popped up recently (and if
Vincent isn't a furry, I don't know what is), but this doesn't have to
be considered a negative.
If you have any comments on this article, send 'em on. Ever
since I became involved with furry fan art and fiction, there has
seemed to be a division between fans caused by the perceived
explicitness of much of the work. While I'm of the opinion the degree
of "explicitness" is vastly overstated, there have been at least two
'zines started with the apparent intention of being less explicit than
FurVersion, the largest furry 'zine--and at least one started with the
intention of being _m_o_r_e explicit than FurVersion....
-----
FurBytes [The Electronic Furry Fanzine] #1 - Mar 1990 7
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TThhee FFuurrrryy FFaannzziinneess
FURVERSION
Editor/Publisher: Karl Maurer (Faux Paw Productions)
Content: Comics, Art and Fiction, all ratings from "G" to "X"
Most Recent Issue: #19, 62 pp.
Recent Contributors: Last issue included art by Ted Sheppard, Mike
Higgs, Bryce Nakagawa, Brian O'Connell, Shon Howell; comics by
Chuck Melville, Eric Elliot, Bill Fitts; fiction by David White,
Watts Martin
Ordering Info: Subscriptions, $20. Each issue cost is subtracted
from your balance; each issue normally runs $5. Single copy
price: $6. Back issues of #17-#19 are available for $6 each.
FurVersion
621 Boulevard Way
Oakland, CA 94610-1642
Checks/Money Orders to: Karl Maurer or FurVersion
---
YARF!, the Journal of Applied Anthropomorphics
Editor/Publisher: Jeffrey Ferris
Content: Comics, Art and Fiction, rated "G" to "R"
Most Recent Issue: #1, 44 pp.
Recent Contributors: Lance Rund, Bill Fitts, Maggie DeAlarcon,
Kris Kreutzman, Monika Livingston, Fred Patten, Eric Elliot,
Peter Glaskowsky, Shon Howell, Ruben Avila, Ken Sample, Brian
O'Connell
Ordering Info: $3.00 per issue, $24.00 for 8 mailed 1st class
YARF!
P.O. Box 1200
Cupertino, CA 95015-1200
Checks/money orders to: Jeff Ferris.
---
FURNOGRAPHY
Editors/Publishers: Robert & Brenda Daverin
Content: Art and Fiction, "R" to "X" rating
Most Recent Issue: #1
Recent Contributors: Brian O'Connell, Mitchell Biero, Scott Alston
Ordering Info: $4 for issue #1, age statement required with
contributions or purchase
FurNography
Robert & Brenda Daverin
P.O. Box 2464
Redwood City, CA 94064
FurBytes [The Electronic Furry Fanzine] #1 - Mar 1990 8
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Checks/Money Orders to: Robert Daverin or Brenda Daverin
---
FURTHERANCE
Editor/Publisher: Rune (Images Rune)
Content: fiction, articles, art
Most Recent Issue: #1, 40 pp. (#2 may be out)
Recent Contributors: Scott Alston, Kevin Carroll, Shon Howell, Ed
Zolna, Chuck Melville, Rune
Ordering Info: $2.50 cover price, no subscription info
FURtherance
200 Dupont Street
Philadelphia, PA 19127-1208
---
HUZZAH!
Editor/Publisher: Dwight Dutton (Thoughts & Images)
Content: Fanzine for Thoughts & Images publications
("Erma Felna, EDF", "Space Wolf", "Rufus the Red", etc.)
Most Recent Issue: #4
Recent Contributors: Dan Flahive, Paul Kidd, Steve Gallacci,
Mark J. Paul, Steven B. Fellows, Lisa Iennaco, Roy Pounds,
Chris Grant
Ordering Info: $4.00/issue w/color centerfold
$1.50/issue w/o centerfold
Postage included in price
HUZZAH!
6700 Warner Avenue #5-G
Huntington Beach, CA 92647-5130
---
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
We have no information other than what's listed below on these.
Intercepted, 12536 Short Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066
The Bestiary (small-press comic), Scott & Shirley Alston, 5137
Catherine St., Philadelphia, PA 19143
Fuzzy Nips (small-press comic by Bill Fitts/Mark Merlino), 13412
Gilbert St., Garden Grove, CA 92644 (Wildcat Press)
If you have the addresses of any other furry/funny-animal fanzines or
fan press comics, please let us know.
-----
FurBytes [The Electronic Furry Fanzine] #1 - Mar 1990 9
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BBuulllleettiinn BBooaarrdd SSyysstteemmss
This list includes BBS's that have either a general "furry conference"
(marked by {f}) and/or furry-oriented storyboards {s}. A storyboard
in this definition is a free-form role-playing game where participants
take the roles of different characters (furry or otherwise) and
interact with other characters, like a conventional RPG but without
referees.
Send any updates, additions, or deletions to me via one of the
methods at the end of this issue.
Kyim's Scratching Post, Oakland, CA {fs}.............415 452-0350:2400
Sys: FoReM ST. Op: Karl Maurer.
Tiger's Den, Garden Grove, CA {fs}...................714 530-2554:2400
Sys: Apple homebrew. Op: Andre Johnson.
Thoughts & Images, Huntington Beach, CA {fs}.........916 846-8799:2400
Sys: TBBS. Op: Dwight Dutton.
Stormgate Aerie, Los Angeles, CA {fs}................213 822-6729:2400
Sys: Opus. Op: Nicolai Shapero.
The Wyvern's Den Pub, Sarasota, FL {fs}..............813 925-1386:1200
Sys: PBBS. Op: Watts Martin.
aLTER rEALITY, Sarasota, FL {fs}.....................813 351-2530:1200
Sys: PBBS. Op: Franklin Veaux.
Remote Control, Sarasota, FL {f}.....................813 378-2218:1200
Sys: Dragonfire. Op: Tyler Robinson.
Courts of Chaos, Sarasota, FL {s}....................813 924-9124:2400
Sys: CNET 128. Op: Rocky Kinsey.
The Electric Holt, Philadelphia, PA {f}..............315 387-4326:2400
Sys: WWIV Mac. Op: John DeWeese, Seth Grenald.
-----
FFuurrrryy FFaann DDiirreeccttoorryy
Yep, pretty short right now, eh? If you'd like to increase its
length, drop me a line via mail or BBS with your info. I have no idea
what, if anything, you'll gain by being listed here, but it probably
can't hurt.
Format: State/Zip & City listed first, followed by name and street
address. This should make it easier to locate people in your general
area than a straight alphabetical listing would.
FL 34231 Sarasota: Watts Martin, 1820 S Lake Shore Dr
FL 34243-2197 Sarasota: Chip P Unicorn, 5700 N Tamiami Tr #250
FL 34243-2197 Sarasota: Turtle, 5700 N Tamiami Tr #242
FL 33688-2987 Tampa: Bartholomew Fox, PO Box 272987
TX 76201 Denton: Ledru Corlett, 101C Heritage Ln
FurBytes [The Electronic Furry Fanzine] #1 - Mar 1990 10
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DDiissttrriibbuuttiioonn
This file may be uploaded freely provided none of the contents
are modified in any way. Hard copies of FurBytes may be
distributed freely, provided that no fees other than printing
costs are collected. Printouts of any issue of FurBytes may
be obtained by sending a SASE to the address below.
Entire Contents copyright (c) 1990 Osprey Press.
Unless otherwise noted, all articles copyrighted by their
respective authors.
Send comments, articles, suggestions, and/or flames to:
Watts Martin
1820 S. Lake Shore Drive
Sarasota, FL 34231
GGEEnniiee <W.MARTIN5>
FFiiddooNNeett WATTS MARTIN at Hotline (1:137/14)
BBBBSS EE--MMaaiill
DONTHEN at Kyim's Scratching Post, Tiger's Den,
Wyvern's Den Pub (FurBytes HQ)
WATTS MARTIN at Stormgate Aerie, Thoughts & Images
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