I finally got a chance to watch the document Frusonas being streamed on Hulu.
Fursona is a documentary by first time producer Dominic Rodriguez. This movie is an attempt to explain furry fandom though the eyes of group of fursuiters. While the movie tries to deal with media sensationalism, the documentary is drag down by generalizations, questionable motivations and yellow journalism. The movie seems to fall into same mediocre reporting like the sensationalist media not as sensational.
The Con: Rose City Comic Con
The Place: Oregon Convention Center
The Dates 10-11 September 2016.
Rose City Comic Con is Portland Own Comic Con and Media Conventions. I took Chococat with me Friday and Kiju Hello Kitty II on Sunday.
Friday and Saturday: I Went to the kickoff party down town Portland on Friday. I wanted to get to the convention site Saturday without having to wait in line. I got a free beer sample and listed to a songs from a band that was part Rock and Nerdcore rap.
Saturday I got up later than I wanted, head down to the Bear Dinner for breakfast before heading out to the convention center I missed the Behind the scenes : Vintage Tomorrows panels but I did catch my only celebrity panels the Min-Na When of Agents of Shield fame. I was disappointed the host went straight to questions, but MS was still entertaining. One thing I note Ms. Wen’s personality is totally the opposite of her portrayal of agent Melinda May. I just hung around took pictures and caught some of the lip synch battle before getting dinner than attending the Cosplay contest.
Sunday I did the voice actors panel then The Important Of Fandoms panel. I spent the rest of the time buying a sketch of cover art by Keith Tucker and watch my fellow furs have fun fursuiting the convention before Rocs City Comic con chased us out at 5:00pm.
The good having another convention to go to.
The bad: I wash there was more content at the panels, not just the starts but writer of shows and more behind the scenes look. Perhaps a few industry panels.
The ugly: Food prices at the con or as I call it The $9-$10 dollars con. Give me a break. Ok you invited a few food carts, but pleas $9 for a $6 burrito. What with Ninkasi Brewing, I like the free beer ion Friday but $9 pints at the convention and not to be outdone and the Oregon Conventions’ catering was selling 10 oz bottles for $9! at the cosplay contest. To prove my point I got a 22 ounce Total Domination IPA for $3.48 at Winco. What a rip-off.
I was originally going to make this year my last Comic con style convention but I still had so much fun I will be back in 2017.
Click picture for larger version All pictures are covered by a creative common license. Use then but give me credit do not sell them or change them or use them in a derogatory manner to cosplayers and convention attendees.
The Convention: Furlandia
The Theme : 1850 Age of Industry
The Place Sheraton Hotel Portland Airport
The Dates May 27-29 2016
With the demise of Rainfurrest, Furlandia has become the premier NW corridor Furry convention. The theme was 1850 Age of Industry; the con says it was not exactly Steam Punk but the number of panels introducing furries to Steampunk and the number of furs with goggles and costumes shows the convention has a Steampunk feel to it.
Both by Giant Hello Kitties and Chocoact were my companions.
We had our furry meet up on Friday on opening night to see Zootopia at a local Portland area theater on March 4. We all enjoyed the movie. Normally I never see a movie on the opening weekend, I wait a few week before seeing it or wait until redbox has it. I am also amazed how Zootopia has taken the furry fandom by storm. I do not believe at no time a movie that was seen by the fandom in mass. Many fur groups organized meets at theaters, some groups rented the entire theater for a private showing. Over all I enjoyed the movie. The message of tolerance was there but it was not preachy. What the media has missed is not Judy Hopps experienced bias but how she deals with, and it not like your typical liberal response, she went out and her best and 100% more instead of protesting for an entitlement.
What really works for me was the details. Most furries scale animals to human size, what animators of Zootopia did was to draw the animals to natural then scaled the world around them. For example rodents have their own neighborhood and homes and transportation are scaled to rodent scale.
In other news I am very skeptical of buzzfeed and the claims that Disney is marketing to the furry fandom. After all we are relatively still a small fandom. It more like both Disney putting out a movie and our furry interest has intersected. I also doubt the legitimacy of the so-called leaked letter. First of all it was not Disney but a third party promotion firm. I also been to the furlife site and have seen only one post about the letter.
If one thing anybody should know about the furry fandom is we are fans of anthropomorphic animals in art, literature, role-play and cosplay. Zootopia does represent the fandom in this; We create anthropomorphic characters them speculate the world like and they live in and how they react in this world through art, literature, fursuiting and role-play.
Rainfurrest 2007 was my first furry convention since identifying myself as a furry in 2006. The first fury I met in person was Stalking Cat: bout are gone. I was hoping to make a return in 2016 but that is no longer possible.
I spoke about Rainfurrest in another blog post, but I still think there are serious issues with Rainfurrest parent organization and Rainfurrest executive staff . Telling was a conversation had at Orycon to a person close to the executive staff about finding a new venue.:
The response I go from that person was the official line is Rainfurrest left the Hilton because we got too big.
Me: you know the hotel will do a background check.
Guy: (cuts me off ) Rainfurrest left the Hilton because we got too big.
Ne: but
Guy: (cuts me off ) Rainfurrest left the Hilton because we got too big.
Any further conversation was futile. It makes me wonder was this delusional official line was why the Davenport Grand pulled out at the last minute? It doesn’t matter somebody called the Hotel; Rainfurrest should had been 100% honest with the hotel instead trying to pull a Foxmas debacle. Furthermore, what was Rainfurrest thinking? If they could not get a Hotel from Everett to Tacoma why would they think Spokane would be any different
It doesn’t end with Rainfurrest staff. Some try make excuses about the picture of diaper man (the baby fur) saying he was pushed momentarily out f the room. The problem was I seen the picture. The background is clearly the meeting space where there are no hotel rooms. If anything it would be no big issue is only furs saw that not others who were at the hotel staying at the hotel.
Right now I have to give Rainfurrest staff and executive committee a vote of no confidence for gross incompetence and allowing this problem to fester thought the years and fail to provide integrity in leadership in recovery from 2015. I fell Rainfurrest should finish help Furlandia then disband.