FA+
Shop
Midwest Furfest 2017 Review
8 years ago
It was an amazing convention - one of the best convention experiences I have had. But not without some bumps. Luckily, all of the amazing made up for the not so amazing. So let's get the not so amazing out of the way first.
The BAD or Annoying
I was hoping to meet up with one or two people in particular - people I cared about a lot. And unfortunately that didn't happen. I felt really hurt, and really bummed out. I still feel really hurt. But I don't want this to turn sad, because so much of the convention was great.
Walk of doom between the Hyatt and Convention center was like a sauna and that's the last thing you want while fursuiting. Staff knows about it. I, working a hotel dept for a different con (FM), understand it. It'll get worked out next year.
I waited 3 and a half hours in the Registration line. That beat my previous record of waiting in line for reg at MFF which was ten minutes.
Culture - how do you preserve an amazing culture when the convention is so big? This is something in convention land, I smof about a lot. I think it's always on event runners' radars... how do you preserve quality? Well, the good news is that "quality" is still there. The programming and function space and staff of both the convention and their venues, are in sync. The bad news is that as more people attend the convention, the percentage of "stupid people doing stupid things" stays the same, but the number of them gets higher. Alkora and I had to find help for a drunk in the lobby Friday night who couldn't stand, but his friends were insisting he was "okay" and he could, "walk it off". I tailed them while Alkora want for security. Then Flyingfire and I had to stand around for ten minutes keeping people from slipping on all the puke on the floor. This isn't the convention's fault - but I think it is a problem with furry as a whole - especially in the US. Europe seems to have it down from my experience there. But people in this country don't always seem to know when to stop drinking. And I worry. I worry because we have several MC's in our community that personify drinking and give the image that "drinking constantly" is acceptable. I think that's dangerous, and it's not helping to mentor our community, especially as more and more kids get involved.
The GOOD
It's mostly good.
I don't even know where to start. I guess probably with my room mates, Larus and Oreo. We're all friend's locally, and click pretty well. That led to a pretty good room mate situation. There was no drama and lots of cool times watching Spongebob Squarepants Christmas Specials.
So other things.
I get so sentimental about things sometimes. This fursuiting journey that is Blue Rabbit Studios... it started a year ago with Reese the Pine Martin, who I brought with to MFF and was suiting around as. I had a sign we made and I remember bouncing around in suit and thinking it was pretty good and being proud of myself and Alkora. Just one year ago. And I'm at the convention, and everywhere I go, I have memories from previous years connected to it. And if someone showed me a year ago what Alkora and I would be able to accomplish in just one year... the jump in quality, I wouldn't believe it. A year ago, we had a dream. It was just a dream - somewhere in the ether of our imaginations. And now it's not so much a dream. We're doing it, and we are getting better, and we are developing a community of awesome people.
This MFF, I don't think we really had a goal. We decided to bring a personal suit. Robbie. We were suppose to auction him before the convention but commissions have started coming in more quickly and we don't have too much urgency to sell him. So we decided to sell him after the convention and to suit around as him throughout the convention. And I REALLY love him. I loved him the moment I laid eyes on him when he was 100% completed. I got so overwhelmed I may have cried. Luckily there is no proof of this. At any rate, I spent at least 6 hours a day in fursuit and in character, and I really loved it.
We also finished a commission for Midnight in time for the convention, so we brought that, too. I was kinda mean and refused to show him a picture of the head before the convention because I wanted to surprise him with it. He wore that fursuit A LOT. And he was part of the opening act for the Dance Competition. It was really cool seeing him bounce all around the convention.
I also got to meet Cade Corgi, who owns Francis the Wolf. He's probably one of the best "silent" fursuiters I have seen, and a much better performer than me. He refusing to talk in fursuit, or to break character, even in the fursuit lounge. Yet, I was able to have a conversation with him and understand all his pantomiming.
On Saturday we arranged a small photoshoot - only 5 of our fursuits were at the convention and one fursuiter had to bow out last minute because he wasn't feeling well. So not a huge turn out of fursuiters. Kurst agreed to help as the photographer and right as we were about to take our company pictures, we got photobombed by like 30 hoofed fursuiters who decided to start their photoshoot. Kurst laughed his head off and after recovering, we decided to take the pictures outside. I'm pretty sure they turned out well, and should receive them by tomorrow.
I had some nice talks with people. I talked a bunch with Exile the Huscoon, who, when I met him about twelve years ago, was a crazy rule breaker who would push any boundary he could. Now he's on the board of directors for two different furry conventions. It's interesting how people change. So we smof'd about conventions and event running and community building. I hungout a bunch with Midnight and we suited here and there together. I hungout with Flyingfire here and there. Which was a little difficult because she was in the artist alley a lot. We spent a lot of time playing phone tag. Got to hangout for a bit Sunday night with Pat though by the time it worked out we were both pretty tired. I talked a lot with Blue Heeler, who I've known for about as long as Huscoon. He swore to me that the Furry Variety Show would not be cringy this year.
So speaking of programming - Blue was right. The variety show was amazing. The acts were so good and so organized and I was dazzled. The dance comp was amazing as well. And then there's paneling. Latinvixen, who I've also known for a crazy long time and commissioned 3 fursuits from over the years, was the guest of honor this year and ran some fursuit making panels. I missed her foam carving one - which is fine because I have that skillset - but I gotta say, her airbrushing panel was fantastic. She's helped me out a lot over the years. She's given me a lot of advice, and she's brought a lot of characters to life - she even designed my fursona - what would become my fursona. She's really awesome and I'm really thankful to her.
Room Parties - I attended one. Alkora and I got to meet Arthro who we'd known online for a very long time but never met in person. Fun guy. Though I feel weird having a cop run a room party and serve me drinks. They were GOOD drinks but I felt like a sting operation was about to happen. Arashiin was there with a horrible liquer called Malort... which is horrible in a funny way. It was fun hanging out with all of them. Got to meet Landis there as well - another online friend.. more so Alkora's. It was fun talking to him.
I talk to a lot of people in passing. I chatted once or twice with Whiteyfawks who's another veteran fursuit maker (been around longer than any current fursuit maker, actually). We met each other and hungout at Confuzzled when he and Alkora were guests of honor. Fun guy. Crazy partier. We chatted a bit with Captain Furry, and not as much with our friend BW as I was hoping. I ran into my local friend Raijen and his bf a few times. I talked to people who recognized Blue Rabbit Studios and that was different and nice from a year ago. I talked to Redflare and her girlfriend. Talked to some future extended family. I'm missing people, I'm sure.
Overall... I really get inspired from MFF. Whether that's from Duncan and Takaza who once upon a time sat down with me over dinner to tell me how to run a Hotel Dept for a convention, or from Quasi Skunk who probably is one of the people to blame in getting me started volunteering.... darn... it was a tough year for losing people. Um... *gives himself a moment to recover* Whether from the leadership of the convention and it's staff, or some of the amazing attendees or from our extended family with BRS, I always leave this convention feeling excited and ready to take on and try new things and push myself even farther.
Let's see what the future will bring.
The BAD or Annoying
I was hoping to meet up with one or two people in particular - people I cared about a lot. And unfortunately that didn't happen. I felt really hurt, and really bummed out. I still feel really hurt. But I don't want this to turn sad, because so much of the convention was great.
Walk of doom between the Hyatt and Convention center was like a sauna and that's the last thing you want while fursuiting. Staff knows about it. I, working a hotel dept for a different con (FM), understand it. It'll get worked out next year.
I waited 3 and a half hours in the Registration line. That beat my previous record of waiting in line for reg at MFF which was ten minutes.
Culture - how do you preserve an amazing culture when the convention is so big? This is something in convention land, I smof about a lot. I think it's always on event runners' radars... how do you preserve quality? Well, the good news is that "quality" is still there. The programming and function space and staff of both the convention and their venues, are in sync. The bad news is that as more people attend the convention, the percentage of "stupid people doing stupid things" stays the same, but the number of them gets higher. Alkora and I had to find help for a drunk in the lobby Friday night who couldn't stand, but his friends were insisting he was "okay" and he could, "walk it off". I tailed them while Alkora want for security. Then Flyingfire and I had to stand around for ten minutes keeping people from slipping on all the puke on the floor. This isn't the convention's fault - but I think it is a problem with furry as a whole - especially in the US. Europe seems to have it down from my experience there. But people in this country don't always seem to know when to stop drinking. And I worry. I worry because we have several MC's in our community that personify drinking and give the image that "drinking constantly" is acceptable. I think that's dangerous, and it's not helping to mentor our community, especially as more and more kids get involved.
The GOOD
It's mostly good.
I don't even know where to start. I guess probably with my room mates, Larus and Oreo. We're all friend's locally, and click pretty well. That led to a pretty good room mate situation. There was no drama and lots of cool times watching Spongebob Squarepants Christmas Specials.
So other things.
I get so sentimental about things sometimes. This fursuiting journey that is Blue Rabbit Studios... it started a year ago with Reese the Pine Martin, who I brought with to MFF and was suiting around as. I had a sign we made and I remember bouncing around in suit and thinking it was pretty good and being proud of myself and Alkora. Just one year ago. And I'm at the convention, and everywhere I go, I have memories from previous years connected to it. And if someone showed me a year ago what Alkora and I would be able to accomplish in just one year... the jump in quality, I wouldn't believe it. A year ago, we had a dream. It was just a dream - somewhere in the ether of our imaginations. And now it's not so much a dream. We're doing it, and we are getting better, and we are developing a community of awesome people.
This MFF, I don't think we really had a goal. We decided to bring a personal suit. Robbie. We were suppose to auction him before the convention but commissions have started coming in more quickly and we don't have too much urgency to sell him. So we decided to sell him after the convention and to suit around as him throughout the convention. And I REALLY love him. I loved him the moment I laid eyes on him when he was 100% completed. I got so overwhelmed I may have cried. Luckily there is no proof of this. At any rate, I spent at least 6 hours a day in fursuit and in character, and I really loved it.
We also finished a commission for Midnight in time for the convention, so we brought that, too. I was kinda mean and refused to show him a picture of the head before the convention because I wanted to surprise him with it. He wore that fursuit A LOT. And he was part of the opening act for the Dance Competition. It was really cool seeing him bounce all around the convention.
I also got to meet Cade Corgi, who owns Francis the Wolf. He's probably one of the best "silent" fursuiters I have seen, and a much better performer than me. He refusing to talk in fursuit, or to break character, even in the fursuit lounge. Yet, I was able to have a conversation with him and understand all his pantomiming.
On Saturday we arranged a small photoshoot - only 5 of our fursuits were at the convention and one fursuiter had to bow out last minute because he wasn't feeling well. So not a huge turn out of fursuiters. Kurst agreed to help as the photographer and right as we were about to take our company pictures, we got photobombed by like 30 hoofed fursuiters who decided to start their photoshoot. Kurst laughed his head off and after recovering, we decided to take the pictures outside. I'm pretty sure they turned out well, and should receive them by tomorrow.
I had some nice talks with people. I talked a bunch with Exile the Huscoon, who, when I met him about twelve years ago, was a crazy rule breaker who would push any boundary he could. Now he's on the board of directors for two different furry conventions. It's interesting how people change. So we smof'd about conventions and event running and community building. I hungout a bunch with Midnight and we suited here and there together. I hungout with Flyingfire here and there. Which was a little difficult because she was in the artist alley a lot. We spent a lot of time playing phone tag. Got to hangout for a bit Sunday night with Pat though by the time it worked out we were both pretty tired. I talked a lot with Blue Heeler, who I've known for about as long as Huscoon. He swore to me that the Furry Variety Show would not be cringy this year.
So speaking of programming - Blue was right. The variety show was amazing. The acts were so good and so organized and I was dazzled. The dance comp was amazing as well. And then there's paneling. Latinvixen, who I've also known for a crazy long time and commissioned 3 fursuits from over the years, was the guest of honor this year and ran some fursuit making panels. I missed her foam carving one - which is fine because I have that skillset - but I gotta say, her airbrushing panel was fantastic. She's helped me out a lot over the years. She's given me a lot of advice, and she's brought a lot of characters to life - she even designed my fursona - what would become my fursona. She's really awesome and I'm really thankful to her.
Room Parties - I attended one. Alkora and I got to meet Arthro who we'd known online for a very long time but never met in person. Fun guy. Though I feel weird having a cop run a room party and serve me drinks. They were GOOD drinks but I felt like a sting operation was about to happen. Arashiin was there with a horrible liquer called Malort... which is horrible in a funny way. It was fun hanging out with all of them. Got to meet Landis there as well - another online friend.. more so Alkora's. It was fun talking to him.
I talk to a lot of people in passing. I chatted once or twice with Whiteyfawks who's another veteran fursuit maker (been around longer than any current fursuit maker, actually). We met each other and hungout at Confuzzled when he and Alkora were guests of honor. Fun guy. Crazy partier. We chatted a bit with Captain Furry, and not as much with our friend BW as I was hoping. I ran into my local friend Raijen and his bf a few times. I talked to people who recognized Blue Rabbit Studios and that was different and nice from a year ago. I talked to Redflare and her girlfriend. Talked to some future extended family. I'm missing people, I'm sure.
Overall... I really get inspired from MFF. Whether that's from Duncan and Takaza who once upon a time sat down with me over dinner to tell me how to run a Hotel Dept for a convention, or from Quasi Skunk who probably is one of the people to blame in getting me started volunteering.... darn... it was a tough year for losing people. Um... *gives himself a moment to recover* Whether from the leadership of the convention and it's staff, or some of the amazing attendees or from our extended family with BRS, I always leave this convention feeling excited and ready to take on and try new things and push myself even farther.
Let's see what the future will bring.
100% would room with again