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Pro's and Con's of AnthroCon.
9 years ago
General
Alright! After spending some time relaxing, chatting with a handful of folks, I am ready to spew stream of conciousness out, regarding what I did at anthrocon! Frankly, I am writing this journal more so I don't forget what I did, rather than because I need to share with eeEEveryone... but if folks find what I put down interesting, then that's all the more awesome:D
I will put each major event in a paragraph below.
#1: Panels Are Overrated
Well, that is a little bit of an exaggeration for the sake of a catchy title. A more accurate title would be "I Thought the Panels I Went to Were Overrated".
I managed to get to exactly two panels over at Anthrocon: The "Avian Meet and Greet" and the "TF Meet and Greet". There was too much chaos, and interesting things happening in other areas, for me to get to any others.
The Avian Meet and Greet was... rather Clique-ish. Groups seemed to be separated into Fursuiters and Non-Fursuiters... with sub-groups based on people who already knew each other. Maybe it was just bad luck on my part, but people were engauged enough in their own respective groups, that I didn't feel right butting in: If I had thought of any particularly potent topic regarding avians, I could have used it, or interjected when I heard a good topic, but it didn't feel right.
The TF Meet and Greet was a mix of good and bad: It initially started off terribly awkward, with lots of long, awkward silences, and few people volunteering to talk. The person running the panel didn't do a good job keeping things active either. At this point, I took it upon myself to risk being seen like a selfish asshole, and began to attempt to encourage and guide topics: Every time a topic came up, I would volunteer my opinion; Regarding why I like Transformation art, what kinds of creatures I liked, and why, etc. etc. etc.
I recall getting a few hateful looks from people during this time: for example, a specific comic was brought up that had tf elements... the name started with the letter N, but ironically, the name escapes me. It's ironic, because neither could the person describing the comic. Then I overheard one girl say the name to her friend nearby. I guaged the audience, seeing that people seemed interested in the comic, and were wracking their brains to recall a name... So I stood up again, and asked her to repeat the name, again, out loud to the rest of the panel. It seemed to help the rest of the group, but that girl ended up shooting daggers at me with her eyes afterwards.
I attempted to apologise, post-discussion, explaining my intentions, but she retained a cold, distant manner... so I excused myself, and left her alone.
So... Damned if you are shy, damned if you are social... Fuck.
The good news, at least regarding the TF Group, is that people seemed to warm up over time, discussing and interjecting with each other more and more, until I didn't need to contribute at all. I *think* I was at least partly responsible for warming up the group, because there were a number of people who had begun to respond to my comments, and in return, had their comments responded to. The social climate seemed quite warm by the end, so I feel that I did more good than bad there.
But all in all, Panels haven't been worth the trouble, the trouble being a 13 hour road trip, both ways, and the registration fee.
... I would have liked to had time to go to the smash brothers panel though... I find that game, along with cards against humanity, to be a magnificent ice-breaker. :D But yar, plenty of chaos to go around, so... maybe next time.
#2: Meeting an amazing group of erotic shifters
So... I was pretty miserable at this point, and decided to just draw in the zoo, which is the name for the public rest area. It was at this point that Doosker Roo approached me, and after some discussion, introduced me to the gang of transformation art fans/artists that he was hanging out with. Kulbara, Splyced, and Altered where the three primary artists there, and shared a common element to their artwork: They enjoyed the concept of viceral, erotic transformations: The idea that turning into an ideal humanoid beast didn't have to be painful, but instead mind-blowingly (and other bits blowingly) pleasurable.
I will be frank: I am getting sick and tired of being prudish with my artwork; I will only be young for so long, where it is considered right and proper to explore your sexuality. So I said to hell with it, and jumped head-first into an art jam involving people launching their load while turning into all sorts of sexy beast-men (beast-women, beast-herms, whatevs.)
If that disgusts you... get over it; if you don't understand it now, you will when you are older, and possibly regretting not having fun with life when you could.
So, I ended up spending most of the Con hanging out with this group of I believe 10-12 people (never actually counted, but we filled up the apartment-sized hotel room well enough. we talked about everything any friends talk about; Video games, youtube, jobs, etc. And managed to throw in our common interest occassionaly: One example was sharing the use of an Oculus-rift-style device that let us watch some fun VR videos, including one involving a cute, anthro amphibian gradually transforming into a huge, sexy, draconic creature, while rampaging through various parts of the city. A pizza party was had, plenty of art was drawn, requests were made... It was everything that a spontaneous Convention party should have been.
So ultimately, the thing that made this whole thing worth while wasn't anything planned in the con, but instead what spontaneously occurred.
**It should be worth noting, that due to the above scenareo occurring, I am not going to be censoring myself as much as I did in the past, regarding erotic transformation. I have already drawn one of the people at the party, having fallen out of a standing shower, and rolling on the ground in ecstasy as he transforms into a Lugia... and other, similar sorts of sexy fun are planned.**
#3: A marriage happened
So, My room mate and friend, Kitnoki, was proposed to by Kale Otter, our visiting british friend, and she accepted. It could have been a freaking movie: The poses, the emotion, the impromptu congregation and subsequent congratulation by many nearby convention goers, the romantic waterfront scenry with the lit city on the evening horizon... We even had a party tour boat, curious at the hubbub, drift over and join in the celebration. It was awesome, and I sincerely hope that the two get nothing but happiness out of their union.
If I had any regrets, it was only one, very small one; a side effect of social paranoia. Kit, absolutely drunk on happiness, kept shouting out how she was getting married... to every single person that came within 2 meters or so... all the way back until we got into our hotel at the end of the day. I was happy that she was happy, but we were getting "what the fuck" looks from almost everyone she was yelling at. Even that is fine... My biggest fear, however, was that someone wouldn't hold their tongue, and say something like "calm the hell down", or "why should I care" or some other, similar, reasonable, but impolite reaction... and it would lead to some nasty drama.
Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened, so my worrying was for nothing... and I am thankful for that.
I wish them the best for the future :D
#4: Reminded about the value of friendship
At the end of the duration of the convention, everyone we knew of that we could gather, ended up coming to one big party at an irish-style pub, and we all filled our bellies, and got drunk off of happiness and alcohol :D
An old friend had taken me to the side during the party, though, and mentioned something that I thought was extremely important. I am omitting their name to avoid any potential drama that could occur. They told me that, as they had gained fame as a furry artist, something nasty was happening: The friends that they held dear were distancing themselves from that person, because, in trying to be kind, they thought they were terribly busy, and needed the space to work. At the same time, certain, poisonous individuals, who were only trying to get close to said artist due to their art or fame, were closing in. This person was feeling more and more stifled, until they were beginning to be sick of the fandom in general.
So... I made a promise that I would stop being an internet hermit... that I would get back into contact with them, and pester them whether they were working or not, and do what I've always tried doing: to make them laugh, smile, and generally enjoy their existance. It might take some time, and I might forget steps, but I am going to be getting Telegram (or whatever chat program ends up being popular), facebook, etc. renewing my old contacts, making new ones, and just... resume trying to be social.
I've already contacted a couple folks, and I will be working on others as well. If I forget you, or you want me added as a contact, PLEASE TELL ME. I am disorganized and forgetful enough that I might space out, and I don't want anyone feeling left out.
#5: Road Trips are boring:
Not much to add there. Just my opinion on the least fun part of the Con. ;) I get nauseous when playing my gameboy (or 3DSXXL Deluxe super new moder edition, if you care about all that) while riding in a car, and It jostles too much to draw anything with any worthwhile detail. So MEH.
So that is the biggest punctuations I can think of that occurred at the con. Fursuits are nice, but being a tf fan, I am more a fan of the prosthetic/realistic stuff. Hope others enjoyed the con as much as they hoped they would!
*runs off to draw something naughty*
I will put each major event in a paragraph below.
#1: Panels Are Overrated
Well, that is a little bit of an exaggeration for the sake of a catchy title. A more accurate title would be "I Thought the Panels I Went to Were Overrated".
I managed to get to exactly two panels over at Anthrocon: The "Avian Meet and Greet" and the "TF Meet and Greet". There was too much chaos, and interesting things happening in other areas, for me to get to any others.
The Avian Meet and Greet was... rather Clique-ish. Groups seemed to be separated into Fursuiters and Non-Fursuiters... with sub-groups based on people who already knew each other. Maybe it was just bad luck on my part, but people were engauged enough in their own respective groups, that I didn't feel right butting in: If I had thought of any particularly potent topic regarding avians, I could have used it, or interjected when I heard a good topic, but it didn't feel right.
The TF Meet and Greet was a mix of good and bad: It initially started off terribly awkward, with lots of long, awkward silences, and few people volunteering to talk. The person running the panel didn't do a good job keeping things active either. At this point, I took it upon myself to risk being seen like a selfish asshole, and began to attempt to encourage and guide topics: Every time a topic came up, I would volunteer my opinion; Regarding why I like Transformation art, what kinds of creatures I liked, and why, etc. etc. etc.
I recall getting a few hateful looks from people during this time: for example, a specific comic was brought up that had tf elements... the name started with the letter N, but ironically, the name escapes me. It's ironic, because neither could the person describing the comic. Then I overheard one girl say the name to her friend nearby. I guaged the audience, seeing that people seemed interested in the comic, and were wracking their brains to recall a name... So I stood up again, and asked her to repeat the name, again, out loud to the rest of the panel. It seemed to help the rest of the group, but that girl ended up shooting daggers at me with her eyes afterwards.
I attempted to apologise, post-discussion, explaining my intentions, but she retained a cold, distant manner... so I excused myself, and left her alone.
So... Damned if you are shy, damned if you are social... Fuck.
The good news, at least regarding the TF Group, is that people seemed to warm up over time, discussing and interjecting with each other more and more, until I didn't need to contribute at all. I *think* I was at least partly responsible for warming up the group, because there were a number of people who had begun to respond to my comments, and in return, had their comments responded to. The social climate seemed quite warm by the end, so I feel that I did more good than bad there.
But all in all, Panels haven't been worth the trouble, the trouble being a 13 hour road trip, both ways, and the registration fee.
... I would have liked to had time to go to the smash brothers panel though... I find that game, along with cards against humanity, to be a magnificent ice-breaker. :D But yar, plenty of chaos to go around, so... maybe next time.
#2: Meeting an amazing group of erotic shifters
So... I was pretty miserable at this point, and decided to just draw in the zoo, which is the name for the public rest area. It was at this point that Doosker Roo approached me, and after some discussion, introduced me to the gang of transformation art fans/artists that he was hanging out with. Kulbara, Splyced, and Altered where the three primary artists there, and shared a common element to their artwork: They enjoyed the concept of viceral, erotic transformations: The idea that turning into an ideal humanoid beast didn't have to be painful, but instead mind-blowingly (and other bits blowingly) pleasurable.
I will be frank: I am getting sick and tired of being prudish with my artwork; I will only be young for so long, where it is considered right and proper to explore your sexuality. So I said to hell with it, and jumped head-first into an art jam involving people launching their load while turning into all sorts of sexy beast-men (beast-women, beast-herms, whatevs.)
If that disgusts you... get over it; if you don't understand it now, you will when you are older, and possibly regretting not having fun with life when you could.
So, I ended up spending most of the Con hanging out with this group of I believe 10-12 people (never actually counted, but we filled up the apartment-sized hotel room well enough. we talked about everything any friends talk about; Video games, youtube, jobs, etc. And managed to throw in our common interest occassionaly: One example was sharing the use of an Oculus-rift-style device that let us watch some fun VR videos, including one involving a cute, anthro amphibian gradually transforming into a huge, sexy, draconic creature, while rampaging through various parts of the city. A pizza party was had, plenty of art was drawn, requests were made... It was everything that a spontaneous Convention party should have been.
So ultimately, the thing that made this whole thing worth while wasn't anything planned in the con, but instead what spontaneously occurred.
**It should be worth noting, that due to the above scenareo occurring, I am not going to be censoring myself as much as I did in the past, regarding erotic transformation. I have already drawn one of the people at the party, having fallen out of a standing shower, and rolling on the ground in ecstasy as he transforms into a Lugia... and other, similar sorts of sexy fun are planned.**
#3: A marriage happened
So, My room mate and friend, Kitnoki, was proposed to by Kale Otter, our visiting british friend, and she accepted. It could have been a freaking movie: The poses, the emotion, the impromptu congregation and subsequent congratulation by many nearby convention goers, the romantic waterfront scenry with the lit city on the evening horizon... We even had a party tour boat, curious at the hubbub, drift over and join in the celebration. It was awesome, and I sincerely hope that the two get nothing but happiness out of their union.
If I had any regrets, it was only one, very small one; a side effect of social paranoia. Kit, absolutely drunk on happiness, kept shouting out how she was getting married... to every single person that came within 2 meters or so... all the way back until we got into our hotel at the end of the day. I was happy that she was happy, but we were getting "what the fuck" looks from almost everyone she was yelling at. Even that is fine... My biggest fear, however, was that someone wouldn't hold their tongue, and say something like "calm the hell down", or "why should I care" or some other, similar, reasonable, but impolite reaction... and it would lead to some nasty drama.
Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened, so my worrying was for nothing... and I am thankful for that.
I wish them the best for the future :D
#4: Reminded about the value of friendship
At the end of the duration of the convention, everyone we knew of that we could gather, ended up coming to one big party at an irish-style pub, and we all filled our bellies, and got drunk off of happiness and alcohol :D
An old friend had taken me to the side during the party, though, and mentioned something that I thought was extremely important. I am omitting their name to avoid any potential drama that could occur. They told me that, as they had gained fame as a furry artist, something nasty was happening: The friends that they held dear were distancing themselves from that person, because, in trying to be kind, they thought they were terribly busy, and needed the space to work. At the same time, certain, poisonous individuals, who were only trying to get close to said artist due to their art or fame, were closing in. This person was feeling more and more stifled, until they were beginning to be sick of the fandom in general.
So... I made a promise that I would stop being an internet hermit... that I would get back into contact with them, and pester them whether they were working or not, and do what I've always tried doing: to make them laugh, smile, and generally enjoy their existance. It might take some time, and I might forget steps, but I am going to be getting Telegram (or whatever chat program ends up being popular), facebook, etc. renewing my old contacts, making new ones, and just... resume trying to be social.
I've already contacted a couple folks, and I will be working on others as well. If I forget you, or you want me added as a contact, PLEASE TELL ME. I am disorganized and forgetful enough that I might space out, and I don't want anyone feeling left out.
#5: Road Trips are boring:
Not much to add there. Just my opinion on the least fun part of the Con. ;) I get nauseous when playing my gameboy (or 3DSXXL Deluxe super new moder edition, if you care about all that) while riding in a car, and It jostles too much to draw anything with any worthwhile detail. So MEH.
So that is the biggest punctuations I can think of that occurred at the con. Fursuits are nice, but being a tf fan, I am more a fan of the prosthetic/realistic stuff. Hope others enjoyed the con as much as they hoped they would!
*runs off to draw something naughty*
You're right, life is too short to be afraid to express the things you love. I know I made some people upset when I first started drawing adult-themed TF stuff, but my true brothers and sisters stood by me. I hope we'll run into each other again; or at the very least, I hope to keep seeing more and more of your amazing art
Actually, I saw a number of things you had that I actually liked quite a bit, and am more than happy to talk about them. My contact info should be fairly simple: my call name on Telegram is :Seacigar . If that doesn't work, or you don't have Telegram, then launch me your preferred contact info, and I will get in touch with you.
Hope things start and stay awesome after the con Zangy. :D
Glad you had fun. The TF art jam was definitely the highlight of my Anthrocon trip. Definitely something for us to look forward to next year.
If you have any interest in chatting with me, grab me on telegram, and we can prattle on about whatever catches you as interesting.
I think... I need to get to know everyone that was at that party at least a little better, in order to appreciate how lucky I was properly.
Gaining notoriety as an artist and attempting to make it your career can be... difficult things. So it's great to see you arriving at such a good understanding of those circumstances. I've made a habit of approaching artists that I follow and telling them what I enjoy about their work. I do so as quickly and demurely as I can, understanding that many artists are there to conduct commerce and that I, as someone who does not intend to give them money, am a waste of their time. Some react as I'd expect. That is to say, polite, but ultimately dismissive. There have been many who have surprised me though. A lot of them really seemed to appreciate the effort that I went to in reaching out to them. Some have even become good friends. It happened with surprising ease and still more astonishing frequency. I think part of it might be that effect that you've observed. Noteworthy artists get a respectful distance from good people not wanting to disturb their work, and have to fend off people who are just trying to exploit their talent and status. Maybe that means it's rare for them to have someone someone new express genuine interest in them as people. In that case I'm glad I was once young and foolish enough to actually try approaching some of the shining paragons of our fandom. Apparently it gets lonely up on top of those pedestals. I'll always remember a conversation that I had with Fasttrack37d during my first Anthrocon. He happened to be one such person that I'd glommed onto with my youthful exuberance. There was one point where FastTrack talked about how much he hated fanboys who just fawn all over his art and never buy anything. And it occurred to me:
"But I'm a fanboy that just fawns over your art and never buys anything."
"Oh, it's not you. Your company has been just fantastic, I don't need you to buy things."
"Awww, that's so nice!" I'll admit it, I made big puppydog eyes for a second there.
So yeah, if you can really get out there and be that good, genuine friend to some of the artists that you know then by all means do it! It is perhaps the greatest gift that you can give.
Also yeah, road trips suck ass. I'm with you there. If a con is more than like six hours out then I just fly. Or don't go. Very few things are worth spending ENTIRE DAYS in a car.
In any case, it sounds like you benefited immensely from this experience. It's wonderful to hear that you're more comfortable expressing your "mature" interests. I look forward to seeing what comes of that and I do hope you enjoy exploring them.
I am getting sick and tired of being prudish with my artwork; I will only be young for so long, where it is considered right and proper to explore your sexuality. So I said to hell with it, and jumped head-first into an art jam involving people launching their load while turning into all sorts of sexy beast-men (beast-women, beast-herms, whatevs.)If that disgusts you... get over it; if you don't understand it now, you will when you are older, and possibly regretting not having fun with life when you could.
Bless you for your honesty. And a whisper in your ear from the far end of another's life … "You Are Right."
You managed to be incredibly complimentary, and sound extremely intelligent, with just a few words.
I don't know how I lured you towards my journal, but I am flattered that I caught your attention.
I wish you happiness in the future; It sounds like, perhaps, you have some regrets, and I hate to know that sort of thing is happening, and there is next to nothing that I can do about it.
And so, if I was able to give you some pleasure, I am happier for it, and thankful.
the only panel i saw that got overcrowded and crazy was the dutch Angel dragon meetup, the room filled up at 300 people (including those stuck in wheelchairs and thier caretakers) with almost 200ish in the halls. it was amazing to get to meet Telephone and the Admins. (i even go so many hugs from so many Dutchies in suit :3
Out of curiosity, do folks consider Flammies to be Dutch Angel Dragons? I would assume so, given remarkably similar features and natures. But I have no idea just how "Purist" the group would be: Such as a standard dragon group berating someone for wanting to be a Charizard.
Whether they are recognized as Dutchies or not, I find angel dragons to be one of my absolute favorite creatures, so... If I were to commission a Fursuit, that would be the route I would take.
So, why a flammie, instead of a pure dutch angel? There is actually only one, specific thing that is different, aside from the extra pair of wings: The muzzle.
flammies have short, cute, beak-like muzzles, with wide mouths, but relatively petite noses. Many Dutch angels that I see have fluffy, but more standard draconic muzzles, with longer, broad snouts.
I find the "beak-but-not-beaks" that dolphins and orcas have to be exceptionally cute: their "beaks" are firm enough to slam into something and bust it pretty well, but are still just muzzles, with pliable outsides, and inner gums, teeth, etc.
The perpetual grins that they sport, due to the shape of their "beaks" doesn't hurt their cuteness either;) I've always imagined flammie's grin to be more of an anatomical element, rather than it simply being happy all day every day;)
As for the extra pair of wings: I think my main excuse is that such a large creature might need the extra set for additional lift: But you could achieve the same effect if a single set of feathered wings was simply large enough. But I think I'd rather have two pairs of smaller wings, then one pair of ridiculously large ones;)
And so, I keep calling myself a flammie instead of a dutch angel... at least for now;) perhaps I'll just be a variant of Angel Dragon later, but this seems easier, in order to avoid confusion.
I fully intend to keep in touch with you, meepers and me both ;D Hope things are going well after con! :D
Oh yes, also. Make sure you rest your Laura, bud. ;)
It'll be really great to see all the fun TFs to come in the future with you.
Thanks for helping to make this a wonderful time, Sea. And totally agreed on that sexuality in TF.
I also found the TF panel really awkward, at least for the part I was able to experience; I had to leave early on during it for unrelated reasons. I really had thought it would've been a simple meeting-room where people could move from table to table on their own, introducing themselves to other artists and exchanging info, sharing art possibly, etc.. to keep things simple. Making it such a "forum" made things feel really official and clinical, and it almost had the feeling of an alcoholics anonymous meeting. No hate or anything for the host, I think he is as passionate as any of us, though he did seem nervous. I just think the format of the whole thing was not ideal in the least.
Yeah, the TF Art Jam thingy, and the hotel room, were a -blast- to be sure :D I do hope every year things can be as successful <3 It was really great to meet you, and everybody, and share so many tfey and fun things. I've been a huge fan of your work for years, actually since finding TF online and lurking on Transfur and FA. And indeed, things have not always been as exciting or positive in past years, from what I hear. I only have attended AC 2015 and MFF 2015, and things were good then, but this one certainly takes the cake for me so far.
About not shying away from the adult and erotic concepts inolved with TF, I wholeheartedly agree. At the risk of sounding like I'm bullshitting (because of what kinds of content I normally post), I still love "tame" TF and would even consider it my primary interest. TF is -very- meaningful to me as a concept, on an -almost- spiritual level, in that the concept has fascinated me so much in life that it literally HAS changed my life, through meeting folks and introducing me to concepts, and just generally opening my mind and teaching me a way of thinking that I'm very happy about. But yes, I have been very shy about showing people my adult works as well. Though I've posted some, what I've shown here online is like 1% of the drawings and files I've got stored in my computer and in physical folders at home, with a majority of it being sexual or adult. I really want to show everything to everybody, and I am super glad that you've resolved to open up too. It's inspiring me to do the same, and the world always needs more sensual, changey Seacigar goodness <3
I'm happy to hear about the marriage! I'm afraid that I don't know either party involved, but I wish them the best!
Yeah, pulsey growy tails and paws and muzzles all around!
Honestly though... I wasn't thinking you were in tf purely for the erotica aspect. From what I've seen regarding people who like tf erotica, it basically goes like this: At a reasonably young age, for whatever reason, they start to romanticize the idea of becoming something else: typically an animal, because they are easy to relate to, but I've seen plants, inanimates, etc. It becomes something that resonates strongly within them, to the point where they start to fantasize about it occasionally.
...aaaand then the hormones kick in.
At one point or another, they might accidentally or deliberately try pleasuring themselves while thinking about transforming, and that surge of endorphins mixed with thinking about something that already makes you happy? It's like a drug... And before you know it, you've developed a kink ;>
I also have a nutty theory, regarding how media typically handles transformations: Let's look at your basic werewolf, transforming on TV. Ripping off clothes, moaning and groaning, panting and breathing heavily, writhing around, a dulled or otherwise out-of-it look on their faces, ended with a powerful beast, howling out its superiority. Now, I am guessing, assuming there isn't some illuminati shit going on, and furries haven't taken over all the transformations on tv and movies, that these changes are supposed to be terrifying and painful... loss of self, intense pain, etc. But how easy is it, to imagine they are panting, moaning, groaning, stripping, and then howling, for another completely different reason? ;) We see these kinds of primal behaviours when people are in the throes of intense pleasure as well.
So yar, media transformations, whether they mean to or not, end up being a major "corruptive" influence;)
But I think, that at its core, Transformation is a more personal/spiritual thing than a hormonal one, so I totally understand how you feel.
I ultimately want to mix intense, mind-losingly pleasurable transformations, that then lead into final forms that are beautiful, graceful, swift, powerful, and generally wonderful to be, without any sexual element needed. It is a way to add a transcendental bodily sensation to a personally transcendental experience.
So yeah:D I look forward to seeing tf things from you that are both sexy, *and beautiful, and I don't find your interest shallow in the least.
Just in general it really sounds like you pulled some great stuff out of Anthrocon and that makes me super happy! It really was a blast meeting you and then eventually bonding, I'm almost embarassed I didn't know about you earlier, haha xD
I'm extremely happy to hear that a few fires were re-kindled inside of ya, both with keeping in touch with people and with TF art, I'm very excited to see where this new inspiration goes!