This exploration came about after being asked on several different occasions about why I attend the ARF meetings on campus.

I asked Sara Joy president of ARF
to write about ARF and Furries and
the miss conception that happen in
general and here on campus.


So without further ado here are her words.

Name: Sara Joy
Age: 25
Year: Junior
Major: Illustration

The term “Furry” has become a word with a meaning that has been dragged through the mud. Often when someone unfamiliar with this term inquires about it, rarely do they get a favorable answer, let alone get it from someone who has any association with it whatsoever. Usually, one will get an answer like this: “They’re a bunch of freaks who wear tails and sit in the woods eating twigs and berries becasue they think they’re animals.” Or, “Oh, those are those wierdos who like to dress up in animal suits and screw each other.” Overall, it’s not a very flattering introduction, and it’s becasue of this misconstued information delivered by idiots that those who lable themselves “Furries” keep to themselves. So what exactly IS a Furry, and why such a crude branding? The answer is not as odd as you may think, and this time, it’ll be from the mouth of a Furry fan.

Birth Of The Fandom
Ultimately, Furry is a fandom. It is said to have been birthed as far back as the mid 1960’s, but was never really recognized as such until 1980. It was then that the concept of Furry originated at a science fiction convention when a drawing of a character from Steve Gallacci’s Albedo Anthropomorphics initiated a discussion of anthropomorphic characters in science fiction novels. In turn, this initiated a discussion group that met at science fiction and comics conventions regarding fictional mammalian anthropomorphic characters, soon to be known as Furries. Since then it has grown and evolved significantly to nearly a subculture, complete with it’s own style of art, prose, publication, conventions, and slang.

What Is A Furry?
“Furry,” not only defines the name of the fandom, but those involved in it. Furs, Fur-fans, and Anthros, are also terms that Furries go by. A Furry is a person who personifies with a particular fictional, anthropomorphic character. This character often reflects the personality of its creator or serves as secondary extention or alter-ego. These charcters are usually called Fursonas, a play on the word persona, meaning “one’s public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self.” Furries tend to have a large appreciation for animation, video games, and comics that contain anthropomorphic characters. Characters from well known studios such as Disney and Warner Bros. are an inspiration to the fandom, particularly concerning the style, as art plays a huge role within the community. Often Furries will adopt this style and draw out their fursonas in much the same fashion.

ARF and Ringling
Here on the campus of Ringling College of Art and Design, I am the president of a club called A.R.F. (Anthropomorphic Ringling Fanclub). Though there are a handful of Furries that attend, I do my best not to promote A.R.F. as a "Furry" club, being that it is open to all students on campus and does not solely revolve around the Furry fandom. So, what happens at A.R.F.? For the most part, we get together to commute and unwind. A typical meeting consists of any updates regarding an upcoming event, sitting together to draw or do homework, with an occational movie to play in the background. As a club, we schedule trips, usually having to do with animals. We've been to several sanctuaries, to learn about and draw various animals, as well as volunteer our time to help out these non-profit organizations. We have also donated artwork to be auctioned off to help keep no-kill animal shelters open and running.

A.R.F. has been active with these advocations since the club was created 5 years ago, and still continues to grow with new memebers each year. Yet, just because students who call themselves Furries also attend, the good hearted efforts we've made are always overlooked, leaving nothing but the same nasty, hearsay labeling, from not only students, but faculty as well. FACULTY, of all things. Instead of stepping in with correction or discouraging the act of student degrading student as a teacher should do, they partake in the mockery. Not only does this make them look moronic, it reflects badly on the school as a whole and the social security that the students expect to receive.