Having just gotten back a few days ago from our first anthropomorphic convention, let me just say,...wow,...we had a fantastic showing there, folks there were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the SHARD RPG was embraced more than I would have ever expected!
A little about the convention itself... Aside from the general theme of the love for all things anthro (activities, art, literature, and costumes depicting animals with human-like traits), the special theme this year was "OMG, Aliens", so of course they had a sci-fi feel to a lot of their goings-on, including old-fashioned Klingon warriors as general guards and staff, and even a fellow dressed up as Marvin the Martian (quite a humorous "sore-thumb" standout among all those other folks dressed as animal-people).
For those of you who may not be familiar with the fandom that this convention caters to, the folks there are known as "furries" generally, and this term seems to cover, like a huge umbrella, everyone from those who simply enjoy (or create) art depicting anthropomorphic animals both realistic and "cartoony", all the way to folks who enjoy dressing up as their favorite animal in elaborate costumes (think theme-park mascots but often even more amazing and creative) and parading around in persona to enjoy mingling with other guests, or dancing the night away in the various raves that happened each evening.
One thing I took away from the whole affair, having been a member of the SCA myself for many years (a historical society that dresses in medieval clothing and has weekend camping events in persona), is that above all else Anthrocon was an energetic social event chock full of amazing creativity, from the often-incredible level of care, detail, artistry, and technology put into the "fur-suits" themselves (such as working jaws and moving details operated by animatronics in some cases) to the wonderful array of sculpture, arts and crafts, paintings, comics, and many other creative endeavors that overflowed from the dealers' tables, the gallery on display, and "artists' alley" where hundreds of artists gathered during the show to grab a table to do commissions throughout each day... These folks REALLY get into their hobby! It's honestly great to see...
Exuberant joyous creativity and a welcoming social atmosphere are highly underrated traits these days. More power to them!
The city of Pittsburgh welcomed Anthrocon with open arms, and as a result, whether wandering through the lobby of the Westin hotel or walking around the several block area near the convention center, happy people in and out of costume were everywhere, lounging on couches, strutting down the sidewalks, and celebrating in local restaurants and watering-holes... It was a great time for people-watching!
When I first arrived, I was unsure as to whether there would be enough gamers at a convention like this to support the sales of the SHARD RPG... If sales weren't that great, we'd have to decide whether we could afford to keep attending it... I needn't have worried in the slightest! What took us four whole days to sell at Origins (40 hard-cover books and about 20 each of all the rest of our products), took us merely a day and a half to sell completely out at Anthrocon! AMAZING! DELIGHTFUL!
These folks really love their gaming! And as the primary artist for our stuff, it was really great to hear all the compliments about the game's art itself... And for Aaron, to hear tell of the appreciation for the creative setting of the game, it was a real ego-booster!
What a fantastic show it was for us... We'll definitely be attending next year!
Scottie
A little about the convention itself... Aside from the general theme of the love for all things anthro (activities, art, literature, and costumes depicting animals with human-like traits), the special theme this year was "OMG, Aliens", so of course they had a sci-fi feel to a lot of their goings-on, including old-fashioned Klingon warriors as general guards and staff, and even a fellow dressed up as Marvin the Martian (quite a humorous "sore-thumb" standout among all those other folks dressed as animal-people).
For those of you who may not be familiar with the fandom that this convention caters to, the folks there are known as "furries" generally, and this term seems to cover, like a huge umbrella, everyone from those who simply enjoy (or create) art depicting anthropomorphic animals both realistic and "cartoony", all the way to folks who enjoy dressing up as their favorite animal in elaborate costumes (think theme-park mascots but often even more amazing and creative) and parading around in persona to enjoy mingling with other guests, or dancing the night away in the various raves that happened each evening.
One thing I took away from the whole affair, having been a member of the SCA myself for many years (a historical society that dresses in medieval clothing and has weekend camping events in persona), is that above all else Anthrocon was an energetic social event chock full of amazing creativity, from the often-incredible level of care, detail, artistry, and technology put into the "fur-suits" themselves (such as working jaws and moving details operated by animatronics in some cases) to the wonderful array of sculpture, arts and crafts, paintings, comics, and many other creative endeavors that overflowed from the dealers' tables, the gallery on display, and "artists' alley" where hundreds of artists gathered during the show to grab a table to do commissions throughout each day... These folks REALLY get into their hobby! It's honestly great to see...
Exuberant joyous creativity and a welcoming social atmosphere are highly underrated traits these days. More power to them!The city of Pittsburgh welcomed Anthrocon with open arms, and as a result, whether wandering through the lobby of the Westin hotel or walking around the several block area near the convention center, happy people in and out of costume were everywhere, lounging on couches, strutting down the sidewalks, and celebrating in local restaurants and watering-holes... It was a great time for people-watching!
When I first arrived, I was unsure as to whether there would be enough gamers at a convention like this to support the sales of the SHARD RPG... If sales weren't that great, we'd have to decide whether we could afford to keep attending it... I needn't have worried in the slightest! What took us four whole days to sell at Origins (40 hard-cover books and about 20 each of all the rest of our products), took us merely a day and a half to sell completely out at Anthrocon! AMAZING! DELIGHTFUL!
These folks really love their gaming! And as the primary artist for our stuff, it was really great to hear all the compliments about the game's art itself... And for Aaron, to hear tell of the appreciation for the creative setting of the game, it was a real ego-booster!
What a fantastic show it was for us... We'll definitely be attending next year!
Scottie
