All through for 2008! We'll be back July 2-5, 2009.
2008 was yet another groundbreaking year for Anthrocon!
Total in attendance: 3,390 (a 19% increase over 2007), leaving us still the largest furry convention in the world.
Total fursuiters in the fursuit parade: 453 (another new record)
Total amount donated to Pittsburgh Parrot Rescue: $3,900 at the auction + an extra $5,000 from Anthrocon at Closing Ceremonies (rigelkitty has additional amounts which will be posted this weekend) + $3000 from the "2-Gether On Stage" performance by Kage and 2 the Ranting Gryphon.
Our Guest Of Honor O.K. was legendary Disney cartoonist Floyd Norman, who has worked on such classics as Jungle Book and 101 Dalmatians, and Adrienne Norman, herself a prominent artist with Disney. Both seemed to enjoy their time in our company, and Floyd has written some nice things in his blog starting with this entry.
A more in-depth summary of this year's convention can by found here, and do not forget to take our post-convention survey to let us know what we did right, and what we can improve for you in 2009.
For now, we need to take a breather. Watch for pre-registration for 2009 to open on this page around Labor Day!
Awesome--I plan on returning next year.
I am indeed glad that Mr. Floyd Norman enjoyed himself 
He is a fascinating man 
Are there links to the "three TV stations, three radio stations, two newspapers, a furry podcast, and the National Geographic crew" articles mentioned by Xydexx? I found the one in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_575023.html
"Furry is a state of mind."
Here's the KDKA broadcast: http://kdka.com/local/Anthrocon.Convention.furries.2.759101.html
Kage is on there, so is my friend Rianith ( http://www.furaffinity.net/user/rianith/ ) - she's the white jackalcat suit towards the end.
Thanks! *hugs*
"Furry is a state of mind."
I don't think I saw Mr. Norman without a smile at all during the convention. That man had a ton of fun.
I think my favorite part about AC is that everyone - congoers, trolls, other hotel-visitors, guests, and staff - always leave feeling wonderful. At least, in the case of the staff, once they get some sleep they do ;D
I don't know how many people I heard of going "I went to the con just to see one or two friends and laugh at the furries, but actually everyone there was pretty cool!"
I was talking to at least one person online whose non-furry friend accidentally wound up at the hotel the same weekend as the con (I think for a wedding or something), and STILL wound up loving the con, particularly after happening to have a drink with 2 and Kage, and getting invited to sit in on the charity improv!
And Floyd, in the closing ceremonies, saying "This is the only con I've been to where I wasn't exhausted at the end" - awesome!
This was my first furry convention I've been to. I travelled all the way from Amsterdam to get my first furcontime. And I really loved it. There is just too much to do, wish it lasted longer.
If there is a way, I will be back next year if not maybe in 2010.
Two thumbs up for Anthrocon, the people who worked in the staff and also everyone that went there.
greetings Aestir
=^_^=
I plan on getting my fursuit soon and getting a ride down, perhaps next year I will buy all the tastykakes in the Kwik-e-Mart and give em away or see if I can bring a few bottles of Canadian Coke and share it amongst other con-goers.
Ugggh! I couldn't come to this years because of money, now next years is near my son's 3rd birthday.
Someone tell me 2010's con will be on a date no where near July 6.
I so want to take my son to Anthrocon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
squirrel/cheetah ATTTACK!!!
Why not bring him for his birthday? What better present than to be surrounded by more than 400 living stuffed animals?
We'll have to see. The whole family wants to be with him on his birthday and I can't see the family at Anthrocon. Furry is not their thing.
But.... if I plan his party the weekend AFTER Anthrocon... (after all, it won't be the July 4th crowd at the airports.) it might work.
Much planning must be done if it's to work.
(ponder, ponder, ponder....)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
squirrel/cheetah ATTTACK!!!
Dr. Conway,
This is the only person allowed to swing around a sword at AC.
You realize that July 2-5 2009 is the same convention dates for Anime Expo in LA....
I attend both... but I can't be two places at once....
*cries*
-Hannah
It's hard enough to find an open date at a venue for a con, let alone having it not conflict with a thousand other schedules.
So . . . which one will you choose?
Oh yes... I know...
I don't like choosing ... this year I had a con fest. going from AC, AX, then to SDCC....
*pouts*
I love going to AC... <3(people, story hour, etc) ..
*stubborn* I'll go to both!
I go to ax for business... I got an artist alley table this year... *sigh* lots of work...
I'm leaning on towards AC.... and sending someone to sell my artwork at AX...
>.
You'll come to our con, right? Instead of that big, shiny, largest-anime-con-in-North-America thing?
Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top...??
--
iSKUNK!
Don't cry!
Just think: Anime Expo doesn't have furry artwork...or Uncle Kage's Story Hour...or Fernando's lasagna burritos...or Dorsai...or 2 the Ranting Gryphon...or fursuits...
A con without 2 is like Kage without his wine glass. :3
I actually went to AX '08 after AC '08 (haven't gone to AX in 8 years) and was not impressed with the many anime fans who didn't realize my fursuit was a Growlithe, and not "Tony the Tiger". I would think the badges and the 58 would help a bit. (I even had my LED badge read "I AM NOT TONY THE TIGER", which got some laughs.)
I mean... does this look like Tony the Tiger to you?
I definitely will be going to AC '09 next year. AX is not for me.
Growly
I could see people mistaking it, mainly because Tony the Tiger is more commonly known to many people rather than Growlithe. Even I thought you were just a tiger at first, not necessarily Tony the Tiger.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
http://foxydude915.deviantart.com/
http://z4.invisionfree.com/Idaho_Fur_Syndicate/index.php?act=idx
But Tony the Tiger at an Anime convention? 
Growly
Maybe the same reason you'd see Beetlejuice or Jack Sparrow at a furry convention?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
http://foxydude915.deviantart.com/
http://z4.invisionfree.com/Idaho_Fur_Syndicate/index.php?act=idx
I like very few anime titles out there. Most of it doesn't even fit my tastes. Surrounded by people in suits, and such as at AC I'm comfortable with. Surrounded by overly cute, glittery japanoholics pretending to be Japanese like its a fad--I'm not comfortable with.
(Was it like that, anyway?)
It's all preference, every fandom has it's good and bad. That goes for the cons as well.
Before totally wrapping up on 2008 - I would like to know how the artshow did? All the other departments have reported their statistics. How many artists participated? How many pieces entered? How many sold? How many went to voice auction? Which pieces got awards or recognition? Total revenues? Highest prices? General trends?
Still working on it... (I have a lot more paperwork to do!)
I've started mailing out the payments but it'll take a week or so to do them all. Then I have to compile the sales tax data for Kage, then take care of shipping out unclaimed artwork.
Summer? What summer?
--
PeterCat
Anthrocon Art Show Director
Aww man...
I was planning to go to my 1st Anthrocon, and second furry con ever i attended.
but its looks i like i can't now,
due to the date.
I have been going Anime Expo from 2005-2008, yearly since then, without missing one, since i have fun there.
Also, i got to A.X. with my good friends yearly, since 2005, and i would hate to bail out for a furcon i never even been to, or know if i will enjoy more or not.
I think i even told my friend i will be at A.X. 2009 with them, i would hate to flip flop, plus AC i heard is fun and all, but its smaller compared A.X, plus i would have to fly on a airplane there as i was planning to go, before on saw the date of AC here.
Makes me bummed i can't go to AC because of this, the dates on one of my fave convention.
and i never been to AC, if i ditched A.X, and my good friends i go to it with, and go fly to AC. i would be likely paranoid the whole time, thinking i may be disappointed when comparing the 2, which is a unfair comparison, but them being on the same dates is gonna make it hard for me not too.
Real bummer, who knows when i can go now, since there on the same date, i have no clue, this is real hard on me, and makes me a bit upset.
Well as for furry cons, i guess i will just go to Further confusion nearby me once again (31 minute drive) since its on a ok date, and real close. my AC plans seem to be now canceled 
I really hope down the road in the future theres someone this will be solved, but who knows.
Well, if you have to go to that silly anime thing, why not make plans to attend Further Confusion instead? It's held in January, and right in your own backyard, too! And it's the second-largest furry con there is, so you'll sort of get an approximate feel for what Anthrocon is like... more or less 
--
iSKUNK!
hehe yeah, i am actually going to attend Furtherconfusion :3 again, i had a fun time there this year, it was my 1st time at a furry con, and i had a good time. so yeah, i will be there. ^^
as for AnthroCon, i hope to go to it soon, and i may in a year or too i hope. so will see when, i am still interested to fly to Pennsylvania likely, and go to AC, will see when i can. :3
Well, I hope to make it to next year's con! It'll be my first one so I'm looking forward to making every effort to go ^_^
When you give up on yourself, you give up on those who believe in you. Always be true to yourself and never let anyone define who you are.
I had the time of my life! If I can get the time off, I'm coming back over from Australia for 09!
Mr. Norman's blog seems to be busted. Did it move somewhere?
"Furry is a state of mind."
The blog is (still) at http://web.mac.com/floydnorman/Site/Blog_/Blog_.html, but it doesn't appear to have archives
I pasted the AC entries at http://www.anthrocon.org/node/2808#comment-22753
Ah, okay. I saw that there before. It's a pity his blog doesn't archive back more than a couple months.
"Furry is a state of mind."
Ummm, question for those who aren't Americans..... what is the date of Labour Day?
First Monday in September.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_day
--
My LiveJournal - My Website - See what I'm doing on Twitter
I don't know if this was covered somewhere else, but what goes into deciding the actual date of when the con will be?
2007 was my first AC, and thing had to be cut close because of everything going on around July 4th.
2008 seemed to give a little more breathing room for peoples time restraints.
But now 2009 will be back around the 4th, and though I don't really find it any inconvenience for my scheduling, I know it can and is conflicting with a few others. Namely over that huge Anime Con.
I just wanted to know what makes the final decision. Is it the board trying to balance dates for maximum reliability, or the Convention Center itself only having so many open slots?
Mostly the fact that we work with multiple venues (The Westin, The DLCC, The Omni, etc.), and we are not their only customer. So the trick is to find a date in which all 3 are available.
(Or, in the case of 2009, where we have another hotel (The Doubletree) since the Omni is unavailable.)
--
My LiveJournal - My Website - See what I'm doing on Twitter
We give our hosts a window from mid-June through mid-July, and rank the weekends in order of most-desired to least-desired. The Convention Center, Westin, Omni, and Doubletree than sit down together and figure out who has what going on, and which weekend has both the convention center and a total of about 800 hotel rooms available for us.
Thankyou, Kage & Giza.
I'm just hoping people don't overlook AC for other events.
Its great though that we're getting the bigger room this time. It looks like you could fit a tank factory in there.
PS: Hope you eventually found those pamphlets I helped you look for in con ops XP.
I hope I can come next year! It looks and sounds like a lot of fun. 
Do you like waffles?
Me too! This will be my first AC if my two other friends can end up coming otherwise the room might make the whole thing a little bit too expensive. I am looking forward to all the activities I think I will be spending like 12 hours in my room over the weekend just sleeping so I don't cuddle up against a fursuiter and pass out, not that I think they would mind but it isn't the best way to meet people ^=^! Anyway here's hoping to seeing everyone and trying to keep my composure in the room with the famous/infamous staff haha.
Awesome, this will be my first time attending Anthrocon, as well as my first time gathering at any convention. I'm paying $444.00 for Amtrak from Jacksonville, FL.
I'm going as a furry version of Sora.....
Anybody have any tips for me?
Yes. In fact, we have an entire section of this website that covers that very topic!
--
My LiveJournal - My Website - See what I'm doing on Twitter
...I'm paying $444.00 for Amtrak from Jacksonville, FL.
Out of curiosity - what sort of accomodations did you buy, and what is the duration of the trip?
Coach seats on AmTrak are generally an order of magnitude better and more comfortable than equivalent seats in an airline; more roomy and cushy, more space for your legs. The view is usually much more interesting, as well. But seats on a train can sway and jostle you sideways - something that usually never happens in an airliner (though turbulent air can make the cabin pich and rock, and drop out from under you...), and even the most comfy seats are not necessarily good for sleeping in. A small roomette with a bed would be desirous for anything taking longer than 20 hours.
If you are going to be in a coach seat for that length of time, take plenty of opportunity to get up and walk about the train, and stretch those legs and muscles. When you are sleepy, having an inflatable pillow in your trip-bag, along with a stadium-style blanket, will make the sleepy hours at night a lot more bearable; just slip off your shoes, and hope to curl up. And cheap foam earplugs will help drown out the obnoxious sounds of celphone users and obsequious and undisciplined rugrats. The earplugs will ALSO come in handy if you share a room with People who Snore.
AmTrak DOES offer blankets on some of their long-haul trains, but at $10 (or more) a pop. On a long-haul route, there should be a dining car, and you will be asked to select a time "window" in which to dine. You will be seated at a table by the staff, and you will almost certainly be seated with another party. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about your fellow travellers, and practice the art of polite conversation. Generally, hot meals served in a dining car are quite good.
HINT: Do NOT tell the folks that you dine with that you are a spy. You won't be able to carry it off, and real spies would never tell strangers, no matter how charming they are as dinner partners, that they are spies. It just isn't done. At best, you lose all credibility. You really do not want to know what the worst could be.
On the other hand, meals from the snack/lounge car are going to be microwave-heated food at best, often the same sort of stuff you could get at the Piggly-Wiggly or Winn-Dixie. And it is overpriced. Instead, pack a substantial sandwich and some fruit, and cookies (not crackers, not chips, not Doritoes, or any of that fried salty snack stuff), or alternately a bag of chilled baby carrots and celery sticks to munch on, between meals. Yes, you can bring your own non-alcoholic beverages and food aboard the train. A small, plastic, insulated mini-cooler, the soft-sided kind, big enough for a six-pack, is just right for a couple cans of coke or pepsi, and aforementioned sandwich(es) and fruit/vegetable snacks, especially with a slab of "igloo-ice" or "Blu-ice" or equivalent artificial ice-pack, frozen the night before and placed on top, or on edge, sideways.
Thanks for the tips, that spy part's going to save my butt.
I'm trying to keep it as low-budget as possible, so I didn't buy any accomodations, but I might if I end up having extra dough by then. As for the time duration, Me and my group would leave at 5:50 PM June 30 from Jacksonville, and arrive at DC 14 hours later at 7:43 AM July 1st. We'd check out DC waiting for the next train, and leave for Pittsburgh at 4:05 PM, and arrive there at ~11:40 PM, then we'd find a hotel.
That's 21 hours overall on the train, 42 hours back....Wow.....I guess I should look into a roomette. Thank you!
*cheers* Next year I plan to buy you some Sake Kage