alt.fan.furry semi-FAQ
Conrad Wong
Posting-Frequency: Posted on the 8th and 25th of each month.
URL: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/furfaq.txt
Last-Modified: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 00:26:59 -0800 (PST)
Changes: Updated various URLs and MUCK addresses to bring up to date.
an Alt.Fan.Furry Frequently-Asked-Questions Sheet
originally by Jordan Greywolf
Updated by Lynx (ly...@lynx.purrsia.com) as of January 18, 2003
------------------------------
Subject: 1. Table of Contents and Introduction
1. Table of Contents and Introduction
2. WHAT IS "ALT.FAN.FURRY"?
3. WHAT IS A "FURRY"?
4. CAN REPTILES BE "FURRY"?
5. WHAT IS A "FUNNY ANIMAL"?
6. WHAT IS A "PERSONAL FURRY"?
7. WHAT IS "FURRYDOM"?
8. WHAT IS A "FANZINE"?
9. WHAT MAKES A STORY (or MOVIE/SHOW/GAME, whatever) "FURRY"?
10. WHAT'S "ALBEDO"?
11. WHERE DO I GO TO FIND THIS STUFF?
12. WHAT IF I WANT TO WRITE/DRAW THIS STUFF?
13. WHAT DOES "IMHO" MEAN?
14. WHAT DOES =) MEAN?
15. MUDs, FTP Sites, and Web Links
The following is Greywolf's attempt to answer frequently asked questions about
furry fandom and is not endorsed by any major organization. It reflects
observations and opinions held by Greywolf (and possibly by Lynx as noted
below). Take the below with a grain of salt and the customary disclaimer.
Of course, a fandom is defined by the fans, and it's practically impossible for
such a diverse group to agree on a concise definition of much of anything.
[This doesn't stop them from trying. -- Lynx]
------------------------------
Subject: 2. WHAT IS "ALT.FAN.FURRY"?
Alt.fan.furry is a newsgroup devoted to the discussion of all things "furry"
and/or of distinct interest to "furry fans". While this leads to a rather
vague definition of what is truly "on-topic", the term "furry" itself is
inherently vague. (See "What is a 'furry'?") In general, the discussion of
artwork or fiction (including movies, TV series, game systems, novels,
illustrations, etc.) involving "furry" subjects, theorizing about "furry"
creatures, and even of the fandom itself or the definition of "furry" is
commonly found on the newsgroup.
------------------------------
Subject: 3. WHAT IS A "FURRY"?
"Furry" when used as a noun seems to refer to one of two things:
a) An animal-like character known as a "furry"
b) A person who is a "furry fan"
The latter is easy enough (knock on wood) to define: A person who
particularly enjoys stories, pictures, dolls, video games or whatever
concerning "furry" creatures. Defining a "furry" creature is somewhat
harder, though. There are several definitions depending upon which "camp"
in furrydom, for lack of a better term, you might be in.
The basic definition for a "furry" is an anthropomorphized animal
character. In other words, an animal character given human-like
attributes, such as sapience and often a humanoid form. The term "furry"
is a misnomer, as a creature does not need to have fur to be "furry" in
this sense. Other terms sometimes interchangeable with a "furry" in this
sense are "zoomorph", "morph", "anthropomorph" or (debatably) "funny
animal".
The core definition of a "furry" seems to include basically humanoid-formed
creatures with animal faces, fur/scale/feathers/whatever, and often
appropriate tails, wings, claws, etc., able to speak, and with a human-like
personality, though quite often with "quirks" hinting at the real-life
animal upon which the character is based.
A broader definition will sometimes include other odd creatures that simply
have some sort of animal features in their makeup. Such would include
mythical creatures such as centaurs, manticores, satyrs or harpies, all of
which have human faces though more-or-less animal-like bodies. This
broader definition might also include the human-like characters that appear
in some Japanese animation that have an animal tail and ears, but otherwise
look about as human as any other anime character.
One of the narrower definitions held by some is that in order for a
character to be truly considered "furry", the character must exhibit
animal-like characteristics in behavior. Optionally, the fact that the
character is an "animal" must be a major ingredient to the story. This is
exhibited in a frequent criticism of "furry" stories by those who hold this
view: Many stories, while featuring characters fitting the core definition
of "furry" given earlier are criticized as being "humans in animal suits"
if their behavior isn't distinctly animal-like in some way.
------------------------------
Subject: 4. CAN REPTILES BE "FURRY"?
Yes. So can birds. Having fur is not a prerequisite. The term is not
necessarily literal.
------------------------------
Subject: 5. WHAT IS A "FUNNY ANIMAL"?
A "funny animal", in practice, is an anthropomorphized animal, though the
usage tends to lean more toward more "cartoony" characters, and does not
carry the same wide, sweeping connotations that "furry" seems to have.
(e.g., I don't usually hear centaurs and anime cat-girls referred to as
"funny animals")
Some writers and artists who claim the term "funny animals" for their
subject matter don't necessarily consider themselves "furry", though on
the surface this might seem to be almost a synonym. This is largely
because of the baggage the term "furry" carries with it, as a number of
people see "furries" obsessed with the sexuality of their fictitious
characters. A "funny animal" is not necessarily a character in solely
humorous situations, and not necessarily restricted to Saturday morning
cartoon antics. The "funny" part of the term seems to more apply to the
fact that these characters are not like *real* animals.
------------------------------
Subject: 6. WHAT IS A "PERSONAL FURRY"?
Definitions range widely, but the common answer seems to be that a
"personal furry" is someone's anthropomorphized animal "alter-ego". This
can mean a number of things:
a) It could be a "furry" character that the person roleplays on FurryMUCK
(or some other roleplaying environment/game) that the person considers
to be a representation of him/herself.
b) It could be an anthropomorphized animal character that represents the
person in cartoons or drawings.
c) It could be a person's "totem" or favorite animal type.
One's attachment to and attitude toward one's "personal furry" (if at all)
varies greatly.
------------------------------
Subject: 7. WHAT IS "FURRYDOM"?
Furrydom is a rather vague term, usually used to refer to "furry fandom".
"Furry fandom" is an abstraction of the loose collection of people who are
fans of various "furry" publications. In a broader sense, the term may be
used to refer to the general "furry scene", such as the collection of
publications (particularly small-press or amateur "fanzines") devoted to
them, and the assortment of "furry" conventions.
------------------------------
Subject: 8. WHAT IS A "FANZINE"?
A fanzine is a usually small-press publication catering to fans of a
particular genre. (As M. High pointed out, "furry" is more a *vehicle*
than a *genre*, but that's a technicality.) There are several "furry
fanzines" which publish an assortment of stories, artwork and sometimes
articles submitted to the 'zine, such as "PawPrints" and "YARF!".
Other publications that may pop up in "furry" discussion are APAs: These
are limited-circulation publications meant for a collection of
artists/writers to share their work with *other* artists and writers.
Usually each contributor pays his share of the production costs depending
upon how much of each "issue" consists of his work, and copies of the
collected publication are only circulated among the contributors.
Examples include "Rowrbrazzle" and "Furthest Northern Crew (FNC)".
A variation on this is the APA'zine, which is an APA which accepts
contributions only from members but which allows non-members to purchase
copies. Examples include "Huzzah!" and "Gallery".
------------------------------
Subject: 9. WHAT MAKES A STORY (or MOVIE/SHOW/GAME, whatever) "FURRY"?
This is a matter of debate, varying as much as the definition of what a
"furry" is in the first place. The definition that seems to be most
applicable is that in order for a story, movie or show to be considered
"furry", a primary character (or a significant number of the primary
characters) must be a "furry".
Another definition is that simply whatever stories tend to be popular among
furfen (furry fans) that they consider to be "furry" are furry. But that's
hardly helpful, is it? =) Cartoons with animal characters are often
accepted as being "furry", for one thing. Steve Gallacci's "Albedo" is
usually considered "furry", unless you're from the group that believes that
his characters are merely "humans in animal suits". Many Disney movies
might be considered "furry", such as their animated "Robin Hood". Even
though "Bambi" isn't an anthropomorph in shape, the characters in the movie
talk with each other and have human-like emotions, and thus are considered
"furry" by some.
In a more recent Disney movie with a prominent "furry", "Beauty and the
Beast", this is particularly a grey area; some consider it NOT to be furry,
since the "Beast" was just a human changed into an animal-like form for
most of the movie. "The Little Mermaid" is another one of those fringe
"furry" films if you want to use the broadest definition (since Ariel's
body is part fish? =.)
Movies where "furry" creatures are merely the villains which the humans
must fight are almost certainly not considered "furry". =, Also, stories
where an animal-like character may appear but is not one of the primary
characters are not usually considered "furry", either. For instance, Gnort
doesn't make the Green Lantern comics "furry", even though he himself would
fit the technical definition of a "furry character".
------------------------------
Subject: 10. WHAT'S "ALBEDO"?
Albedo is one of the most recognized titles in furry fandom, a comic book
that features stories from several different writers and artists, but most
notably being "Erma Felna of the EDF", a science fiction story set in a
"furry" universe, drawn and written by Steve Gallacci.
------------------------------
Subject: 11. WHERE DO I GO TO FIND THIS STUFF?
[Lynx has this to say:]
For comics, try your local comic store. While you can often order back
issues directly from publishers like Antarctic Press or Mu Press, or from
mail-order distributors like Mailbox Books or United Publications (UK),
if you ask for issues at a comic store, they will be more likely to
recognize that a demand exists, will order more comics, and will in
general create more support for anthropomorphic material. Back issues
of many furry comics can often be gotten from the companies that produced
them as well.
Fanzines like YARF! and PawPrints are not usually available through
comic stores, so you'll either have to order them through the mail, get
a subscription, or attend a con where people sell these fanzines. The
biggest conventions for the sale of furry material are:
Linkname: Further Confusion
Filename: http://www.furtherconfusion.com/
Linkname: Anthrocon
Filename: http://www.anthrocon.org/
APAs like Rowrbrazzle and FNC are members-only, and very infrequently
have extra copies available.
Many furry artists are available for commissions, at rates ranging from
five dollars to literally hundreds and thousands of dollars, for pencil,
ink, color, and 3-d artwork. This FAQ does not supply addresses, but a
FAQ listed below gives artist addresses. It's recommended that when
one writes to an artist, one includes an SASE (self-addressed stamped
envelope) to speed the response.
------------------------------
Subject: 12. WHAT IF I WANT TO WRITE/DRAW THIS STUFF?
[Lynx has this to say]
Feel free.
Anthropomorphic fandom sports many fanzines that are quite interested in
the works of fledgling and not-so-fledgling artists and writers, and even
if you don't feel ready for prime time yet, you may find people on the
network appreciative of your work.
If you post a story or artwork, then expect criticism ranging anywhere
from 'it's terrible' to 'it's good but...' to simple silence that makes
you wonder if your art or story made it out to the network. Remember
to put copyright notices on your stories and artwork; while the current
copyright conventions automatically protect creative works, it's better
to have that certain amount of protection, and if someone is interested
enough by what you've done, they may want to find more of it.
Remember also that anything posted to the network is 'out there'
effectively and thus beyond your control. The best you can do is to
put some sort of request on your art or story to request people avoid
redistributing it or modifying it in any way. Even then, you may find
your stories or artwork from years ago haunting you as well-meaning
people repost them.
Question: can I post stories to alt.fan.furry?
Answer:
Yes, provided the story involves furry (anthropomorphic) characters.
There is some doubt about the appropriacy of posting erotic stories
to alt.fan.furry, however; some suggest that these stories would be
better posted to an erotica newsgroup such as alt.sex.stories. In
addition, you might have some luck with alt.prose and alt.prose.d.
Question: what other resources are there for furry writers?
Answer:
There is a list of anthropomorphic novels posted fairly regularly to
alt.fan.furry-- see the FAQ pointers below. Writing is discussed (not
anthropomorphic writing in specific) on misc.writing as well, so if
you're looking for specific tips, you might ask there. Several MUDs
hold writing circles. If you're interested in seeing your story
in print, look up the 'zines list. In addition, there is now a Web site
that points to various furry stories around the World-Wide Web. (see
below list of links)
Question: can I post artwork to alt.fan.furry? And how?
Answer:
No. Artwork must commonly be posted in an encoded format, a practice
which is frowned upon in any primarily-text newsgroup. Artwork is better
posted to the newsgroup alt.binaries.pictures.furry (or for risque art,
alt.binaries.pictures.furry.erotica) and should preferably be uuencoded
GIFs or JPGs. For more information on uploading or downloading art,
please see the appropriate FAQ (pointers are given below).
Question: what other resources are there for furry artists?
Answer:
There are some excellent FAQs on art materials and techniques for the
preservation of artwork.
If you're looking for tips on drawing anthropomorphics, however, you
will certainly do best to ask for help on alt.fan.furry with your
particular drawing style. Who knows? You may make new friends in
the process of learning. In addition, you may want to find books in
the library or your friendly neighborhood art store on figure drawing,
and on drawing animals.
Lycan maintains an excellent archive of furry pictures sorted by
artists, title, and date. See the pointer below.
Question: how do I get started writing/drawing?
Answer:
Write or draw.
No, seriously. Begin practicing immediately, remember that it won't be
perfect the first time, and keep on writing or drawing until you get
better. Then keep doing it. You'll be able to ask questions more
effectively and get better answers if you have some idea what you want
to improve.
When you feel you're ready for criticism, comments, or support, then you
can post your art or story, or send it to any of a number of fanzines
that may be interested in your work. Good luck! Be sure to ask for
criticism, if you want it, but you should be prepared for negative as
well as positive comments.
------------------------------
Subject: 13. WHAT DOES "IMHO" MEAN?
There are a few different acronyms that will pop up frequently.
IMHO: In My Humble Opinion (i.e. this is just my opinion)
IMNSHO: In My Not-So-Humble Opinion
YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary (i.e. this works for me, but might not for you)
BTW: By The Way
FYI: For Your Information
F'ex: For example (e.g.)
RL: Real-Life
IC: In Character [referring to roleplaying]
LOL: Laughs Out Loud
ROTFL: Rolls On The Floor Laughing
{g}: {grin} -- Another system of expressing emotion involves abbreviations
like this...
{g,d,r}:{grin, duck and run}
------------------------------
Subject: 14. WHAT DOES =) MEAN?
This is a 'net smiley face. Turn it sideways. =) See? Of course, furfen
often get creative with animal smileys, such as:
=) {cute smiley face with big expressive eyes}
:) {beady-eyed, generic smiley face}
:-) {Oh no! It's a HYOOMAN smiley face! Aieee!}
^_^ {alternative smiley}
=^_^= {alternative critter smiley with whiskers}
=, {smirky face}
=. {unsure face}
=/ {really perplexed face}
=( {frowny face}
@ >=( {really steamed frowny face}
=U {howling wuff}
-=) {unicorn}
-=*) {unicorn with root beer foam on his nose}
O-=) {angelic unicorn, or a unicorn playing donut ring-toss}
> > -=) {unicorn in love with little hearts above its head}
=3 {otter smiley}
=:) {rabbit smiley}
:=) {equine smiley face}
}=) {miscellaneous critter with ears}
(=3 {upside-down mouse}
>=x) {cat, complete with whiskers}
=} {friendly dragon}
S=) {smiley with one ear flopping down}
d=> {pigeon wearing a baseball cap}
>Bo) {furry with big nose wearing shades}
o/~ }=o {furry whistling -- that's a musical note over its head! =) }
Okay, so this section wasn't COMPLETELY serious. =D
------------------------------
Subject: 15. MUDs, FTP Sites, and Web Links
Due to the changing nature of the network, network resources and gatherings
such as multi-user chat systems (MUDs), file transfer/storage areas (FTP
sites), and World-Wide Web pages are always subject to change; hence, the
below information is likely to be obsolete very quickly or subject to
change without notice.
Here are some web links where you are likely to find the latest information
available:
Linkname: PeterCat's Furry FAQs Page
URL: http://www.tigerden.com/~infopage/furry/
(you should be able to find most furry-related FAQs here)
Linkname: The Lynx/Greywolf FAQ
Filename: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/furfaq.txt
Linkname: R'ykandar Korra'ti's Art Materials FAQ
Filename: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/art.txt
Linkname: Terry Whittier's Artwork Preservation FAQ
Filename: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/art-pres.txt
Linkname: Lynx's Incomplete Listing of Zoomorphic Publications
Filename: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/zines.txt
Linkname: How to Connect to FurryMUCK (and elsewhere)
Filename: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/muck/faq.html
Linkname: Descriptions of Various Furry MUCKs
Filename: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/muck/index.html
Furry Novel List (3 parts)
Linkname: Part 1: Animals Behaving Intelligently; Intelligent Animals
Filename: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/novels1.txt
Linkname: Part 2: Anthropomorphic Species
Filename: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/novels2.txt
Linkname: Part 3: Changes, Forthcoming Novels and Kudos
Filename: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/novels3.txt
Linkname: THE "WHAT/WHERE/WHY/HOW" FOR PICTURES
Filename: ftp://infolane.com/pub/picutils/index.html
http://mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu/~deej/index.html
http://spodbox.ehche.ac.uk/~abpu/
ftp://harley.pcl.ox.ac.uk/pub/picutils/index.html
Linkname: Mia's Collection of Furry Stories
Filename: http://furry.de/miavir/stories.html
Some MUDs and FTP sites:
FurryMUCK is a phenomenon found on the 'net -- a MUCK devoted to
furry fans. If you want a definition of a MUCK, check out the FAQ on
rec.games.mud.misc. =) Basically, it's a multi-player text adventure game
where the "game" element has been pretty much removed, replaced with a
mostly social environment (even though there are smaller games-within-a-
game on the MUCK). If you have telnet, you can connect to FurryMUCK at
209.237.26.180 port 8888 (muck.furry.org 8888 for those who need named
addresses). A FurryMUCK FAQ is also posted weekly to the newsgroup
alt.fan.furry.muck and there is an Official FurryMUCK Web Page at
<URL:http://www.furry.com/>.
FurToonia is similiar to FurryMUCK, populated mostly by furries and
toons who wanted to escape the lag and crowding of the larger MUCK, and
also have the chance to do some creative public building projects.
FurToonia can be connected to at ft.furtoonia.net 9999 (216.218.194.5 9999)
and there is also a WWW homepage at http://www.furtoonia.net/ .
Sociopolitical Ramifications (SPR) is another of FurryMUCK's `children' -
a MUCK that was founded when FM became too big and lagged. Therefore,
many furries known from FM can be found on SPR too. There is no rigid
theme, the general flair is a bit more high-tech oriented than in FM.
SPR is one of the few MUCKs without a building quota (you can build as
much as you want). Also, SPR does without explicit rules for non-
wizards. You can log in as guest and get a character immediately from
any wizard. The current address is svansmoj.ctrl-c.liu.se 23
(130.236.252.42 23). (yes, 23) For more information, check the WWW
pages at the URL http://www.tigerden.com/~unci/spr.html
Furry Art Archives:
These archives have sprung up on the net to index and make available
anthropomorphic artwork to the public, each with its own unique style.
You'll have to judge which one is most useful to you, but the Yerf
archive is probably the friendliest to casual visitors -- it is PG-rated
unlike the other archives, which contain varying proportions of R- or
even x-rated artwork. It also allows you to see all pictures which were
uploaded on any given date, making it easier to keep up with who's been
posting what.
Linkname: Yerf (formerly Squeaky Clean Furry Archive)
Filename: http://www.yerf.com/
Linkname: FurNation
Filename: http://www.furnation.com/
Linkname: Orlando Furry Archives
Filename: http://www.fanarchive.net/
Linkname: VCL (formerly Velan Central Library)
Filename: http://vclart.net/
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The Furry InfoPage! http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/
Just The FAQs: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/faqs.html
This FAQ: http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/furfaq.txt