(Sounds like a disaster flick, don't it?)
Now, If you're Web surfing using Windows 3.1,* and are viewing this page for the first time, it probably gave you a fright for a moment. I know it still startles me when I bring it up--and I usually use '95 or '98 when I'm online. Because it's a small image (4K), it will pop up almost immediatley--just like a real error message--and in almost the right spot to make it look like your browser just hosed your OS. (Which it probably does more often than you'd like anyway). Ain't it fun messing with people's minds? >:)
The Sordid Behind-The-Scenes Story (or: How I found "Furry")
I've been drawing my own cartoon characters ever since that semi-fateful day back in DeWitt Clinton HS (1985 or so) when my art teacher, upon seeing my drawings of DIC's "Cats & Co (a.k.a. Catillac Cats)", remarked that I would make more of a name for myself if I did my own characters rather than someone else's. So over a period of days (I think--it coulda been more), I came up with my own feline cartoon characters, 3 at first. After graduating in 1986, four more were added to the existing group. Why I don't have a whole slew of characters at my disposal today is something for a whole 'nother essay, but suffice to say I've been drawing cartoon animals for quite a few years. It's not the only thing I've been drawing, not by a long shot. But it is one of my stronger suits, largely 'cause I did so much of it over the years.
Fast forward a few years...
I get Internet access in February of '97. Somewhere around that time (but unrelated to getting online), I get to calling my characters "anthropomorphic" (BTW, I still do), as a result of seeing the term in an Antarctic Press comic, and putting 2+2+dictionary together. Several months later, it occurs to me to key the magic word into a search engine and see what comes up. After that comes a bunch of Web pages, something called the "Fur Ring", Usenet, Alt.Fan.Furry, more verbal effluent than you could shake a stick at and finally...Anthrocon 98...
I went, I saw, I drew, I watched. I drew some more ( I might've even ate, drank and slept too), and on the second day I found the Dealer's Room, at which point I also bought. Didn't know much of anyone other than a few prominent online personalities, but I had fun, in a quiet sort of way. Actually, the PawPrints lounge/room party kinda cemented the 'con as being worthwhile, as I finally got to talk to a bunch of folks who drew pretty much the same kind of stuff I did.
HudsonFur:
Sometime after Anthrocon, there was unpacking, reading, more unpacking, and other assorted random doings since I had the rest of the week off (fortunate me!) Following another hundred megabytes or so of electronic sewerage gushing from the spam factories and assorted orifices of Usenet, I found out about a local mailing list called "HudsonFur". It centers on fans of the genre located in and around the New York Metropolitan area. Being that I also happen to live in this region, this kinda worked in my favor. There was much correspondance, and even a couple of get-togethers. It was the second get-together that spawned the abberation way up there at the top of the page.
The details sorta escape me right now, but it involved a camcorder, a greeting being taped for a similar group of furry fans in Florida and a round of introductions. Now I should clue you in on something. Lotsa people on the 'Net go by pseudonyms. Especially so if they frequent online role-playing games using artificial personas suited to the subject matter. In the case of Furry, which has it's own set of online "virtual playgrounds" called MUCKs (Multi-User Character Kingdoms -- actually I don't know if the term is exclusive to furry-themed ones, tho') these personas, or characters, have names that are often 'adopted' by their users/ creators for fandom related correspondance. Hence the term 'fan name'.
Guess what? I don't have one of those. I investigated MUCKing once, and could never think up an animal character (sometimes known as a "personal furry") that could adequately represent me (the characters I draw certainly don't) in such an environment, so I never had any sort of character name or alternate persona associated with me. And probably never will (I use my e-mail alias for Yiffnet IRC, and the title of this homepage, but that's obviously not a 'furry' alias). When the introductions came around to me, I kinda came up short. No real biggie, just a bit of good-natured ribbing resulted. Still, I wish I had a witty comeback ready for just such an occasion. As it usually happens for most of us, I came up with one long after I needed it. The result is that auxiliary badge up there. If you saw someone at Anthrocon '99 with that message clipped to his 'con badge, that was me. Almost 90% of the people who saw it and read it burst out laughing, which in the end was all I hoped for :).
*(Despite what some writers will tell you, it can be done. You don't even need a Pentium-class PC.)
New and Improved!
Con Badge 2000 for Windows 98!