How to Get the Most Out of Furry Conventions!

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Furry Conventions are Awesome!

They're unlike any other sort of convention, because unlike Comic conventions or Anime conventions where everyone's chasing after only a few stars, at a Furry convention, you can be a minor celebrity all unto yourself! Sell your artwork, get commissions, and make your mark!

Be careful, though... this also means you have more impact on how well the convention goes, too! There's plenty tips and advice on this page to help make sure your convention experience is the best one yet!

Tell Us How Many Furry Conventions You've Been To!

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Important!

Make Sure You Have Money Set Aside!

Renting a room, buying food, and whatever you spend in the Dealer's Den and Artist's Alley will all add up in a hurry -- so make sure you won't break the bank trying to go to a convention!

Remember, the further away you go for a convention, the more cash you'll need to cover your expenses!

Planning to Fursuit?

A few tips:

Don't spend all your time in suit, especially if it's your first convention. Fursuits not only limit your mobility, they limit the time you can spend in them because they get really warm really quick!

Respect the boundaries of other people at the convention! Some newcomers might be scared by the suits, and let's be honest, 150-200 lbs of neon fur coming at ANYBODY is going to look scary!

Oh, and... before the convention, Make sure your suit fits! We shouldn't be seeing any unsightly bulges, or zippers that won't close, or spandex outfits that reveal too much...

Remember, your body is on display as much as your suit is!

A Furry in a Fursuit

You Represent the Convention!

There are lots of people just outside the convention center or staying in the same hotel as you who don't understand what Furry is; if you behave badly, it reflects poorly on everyone else at the convention, and maybe even on furries who didn't even go to the convention!

Don't be an idiot!

Want to Commission Artwork?

There's a few things you need to keep in mind first.

Artists are busy, busy people, and the more work you make it for them, the less likely they are to work with you in the future -- they might even warn other artists from working with you, too!

Make sure you have the money you need to buy from a certain artist; it's very unlikely you'll be able to earn some "free" art from an artist, and even less likely that you can cheat an artist to get cheaper art than you agreed to!

Don't argue with artists if they're not willing to draw something you want. If you want mature artwork and it goes against the artist's policy, you'll make an ass out of yourself demanding it. Saying "Screw your rules, I have money!" does not work.

Be Patient! These artists are bringing your characters to life. This takes time!

No matter what happens, Do not try to start an argument online afterwards! Nobody wins arguments online, especially you, and depending on where you go to complain, you may just make things worse for you later! If you have a valid complaint, then it will work in your favor to get it dealt with in private before things turn ugly!

If You Really Need to Deal With a Bad Artist...

Go to Artists_Beware!

When all else fails, the artists_beware community is there to help you figure out what to do with a bad situation!

Beware yourself, though - The community reports on bad commissioners as well as bad artists!

Check out some of these sample posts below!
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Three Things You Should Have Before You Commission

  1. A Character / Reference Sheet! Good sheets ensure that artists don't have to ask you many questions about how to draw your character!
  2. Money! Artists appreciate getting paid at least some amount in advance -- nobody wants to get stiffed!
  3. Patience! Good art takes time!

Example of a Good Character Sheet! 

Want a Convienant Way to Describe Your Fursona?

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Have a Character in Mind Already?

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More Great Furry Lenses for you!

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Have a Comic/Novel? Make Convention Pamphlets and Flyers!

Click the pamphlet to check out Last Resort!If you're running a webcomic, a novel, or anything that involves plenty of reading, making a convention flyer/pamphlet can be a great way to promote your work and find instant feedback!

They can contain samples of your work, or stuff you've done up special for the convention.

Make sure to include at least the name of your comic and a URL leading back to the rest of your work, so folks can find you afterwards! (Especially as they may not even read the pamphlet while they're at the convention!)

What happens if the flyers don't spread? Well, then now you have flyers to use around town instead, and they're already premade! As long as you don't have any telltale signs that they're leftovers (like "Made for Anthrocon 2004" printed on the things), who cares?

“Do your research online before you even register for the convention! You won't regret it!”

Looking for information on a Specific Con?

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Great Furry Convention Videos

Anthrocon 2007
by smackjackal | video info

144 ratings | 19,953 views
curated content from YouTube
Important!

And Above All Else...

Have a good time! You're taking a lot of effort to come to a big convention like this, make it worth it to yourself!

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  • Reply
    Shimo Aug 11, 2008 @ 6:42 pm | delete
    LoL when I get a commission I show them what I look like.. My animal and let them use there imagination... I even tell them be creative.. I'll be happy with it becouse its your art. If I don't like the way you drew me I'll claim its not me you drew. :D Give them some creative freedom.
  • Reply
    beeobrien Jun 29, 2008 @ 3:12 pm | delete
    Well, you learn something new every day. Interesting lens.

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JigsawForte

Creator of the Webcomic Last Res0rt, about a vampire caught up in a futuristic reality show gone wrong!
Georgia Tech Grad Student (Master's Degree in...
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