History of Furry Fandom (Draft Version 0.75 by Dronon, February 2020)
History of Furry Fandom (Draft version 0.75 by Dronon, February 2020) Pre‐fandom influences: Human‐animal imagery is everywhere in the history of mankind, with each culture assigning different meanings to it. Popular in storytelling and used for symbolic purposes, we project human characteristics onto animals, using them as an abstract mirror of ourselves. Some past examples are: Prehistory: The Lion‐man of the Hohlenstein Stadel (a mammoth tusk carving from 40,000 B.C.) Early civilization: Fantastic creatures in most mythologies (Greek, etc.) Medieval period: The Reynard cycle, Journey to the West. Modern literature: Alice in Wonderland, Black Beauty, Jungle Book, Island of Dr. Moreau, Peter Rabbit, White Fang, Wind in the Willows, Winnie‐the‐Pooh, Stuart Little, Chronicles of Narnia, Charlotte's Web, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Watership Down, Redwall, Animorphs, Erin Hunter's Warrior Cats. Although animal characters are occasionally used for social, political and counter‐cultural purposes (Animal Farm, Pogo, Fritz the Cat), by the 1970s most people think funny animals are for kids. Still, their frequent use in books, advertisements and animation creates an early interest for many furry fans. Mid‐70s to early 80s (Proto‐fandom): In Minnesota, Ken Fletcher and Reed Waller create Vootie, a fanzine (fan magazine) for funny animal comics. In California, Mark Merlino and Fred Patten (two founders of North America's first anime club) are also interested in animal cartoons. They all gradually make contact with like‐minded fans. After they meet an artist named Steve Gallacci at a science‐fiction convention, conventions become a place where they frequently meet to talk about animals in SF and fantasy.
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