- Fursuit
Fursuits are
animal costume s associated withfurry fandom (afandom devoted to anthropomorphic animal characters). They range from simple tails and ears to full costumes cooled by battery-powered fans. Similar tomascot suits, they allow the wearer toadopt anotherpersonality while in costume. Fursuits can be worn for personal enjoyment, work orcharity .Fursuits are usually sold at conventions, or
online by commission orauction . cite web|url=http://pingmag.jp/2007/09/05/cosplay-girl/ |title= The Mysterious World of Cosplay: Love is Everything! |accessdate=2008-04-04 |date=2007-09-05 |publisher=PingMag ] [ cite web|url=http://www.fursuit.info/03plan.htm |title=Planning/Buying/Commissioning the Costume |accessdate=2008-04-04 |date=2005-01-05 |publisher=Fursuit.info ] Due to their delicate nature, they require special handling while washing. Fursuits are comparable tocostumed character s and are similar in construction to themascot s and walkaroundcharacters used bytheme parks andstage show s. The concept is also similar tocosplay , despite the latter's focus onJapanese culture .cite news | first=Dave | last=Maass | coauthors= | title=Fluff Piece | date=2007-10-07 | publisher=Santa Fe Reporter | url =http://sfreporter.com/articles/publish/cover-101007-fluff-piece.php | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-04-03 | language = ]The term "fursuit", believed to be coined in 1993 by Robert King,cite book | last = Riggs | first = Adam | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Critter Costuming | publisher = Ibexa Press | date = 2004 | location = | pages = 13 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-0967817071 ] can also refer to animal mascot costumes in general, as opposed to
human orinanimate object mascots. Fursuits have also been featured in visual mediums as backdrops or as part of a central theme.Types of fursuit
The standard fursuit is a full body costume that consists of a head, forepaws (hands), hindpaws (feet) and a body with an attached
tail . In some cases, the tail is connected via a belt to the wearer and hangs out through a hole in the back of the body.Cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/pilotwolf143/furry_text.htm|title=Furry text|accessdate=2007-11-03|publisher=Shadow Wulf's Alphas|year=2000] Many suits include special padding orundersuit s to give the character its desired shape (this is especially present in larger characters or those of a particular gender). Owners can spend less than one-hundred to many thousands of dollars on one fursuit, depending on complexity andmaterials used. [cite news|url=http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/9383594/detail.html|title='Furries' Descend On Golden Triangle|publisher=WTAE-TV |date=June 16 ,2006 |accessdate=2006-06-30] Furry fans make their own usingonline tutorial s or advice fromnewsgroup s; the suits can also be purchased online or at conventions. [ cite web|url=http://www.fursuit.info/03plan.htm |title=Planning/Buying/Commissioning the Costume |accessdate=2008-04-04 |date=2005-01-05 |publisher=Fursuit.info ]A partial suit or half-suit has all of the parts of the standard suit, with exception to the body. This allows the wearer to have different clothes over the paws, head and tail, such as another costume or street clothes. In partial suits, the tail is usually attached to a belt, and the arms and legs have sleeves that can go up as far as the
shoulder s andpelvis , respectively.Most recently, a third type known as the three-quarter suit has been developed, which consists of a head, arms and pants made to look like the legs, tail and feet of a specific animal. This type of fursuit works well for characters who only wear shirts. [cite book|last=Riggs|first=Adam|year=2004|title=|publisher=Ibexa Press|isbn=0967817072]
Reasons for fursuiting
Not everyone in furry fandom owns a fursuit. In an Internet survey of 600 participants, the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis found out that 18% of respondents own a fursuit. [cite web|url=http://studyf3.livejournal.com/1383.html|title=Furry Survey Results|author=University of California, Davis Department of Psychology|date=2007-05-05|accessdate=2007-05-05]
Furries enjoy wearing their suits for
parade s, exhibitions, conventions and informal meetings. Often, these are of a personal character who they are expressing as a form of role play or for expressing their true personality.Cite web|url=http://www.ljwilliamson.com/articles/furries.htm|title=My Life As A Furry|accessdate=2007-10-28|year=2003|author=L.J. Williamson|work=LA Alternative Press] AtMidwest FurFest 2006, [http://community.livejournal.com/midwest_furfest/51697.html 213 of 1441 attendees participated in the Fursuit Parade] (post by registration coordinator on 2006-11-20), while wore suits at Anthrocon 2007]Some players of
live action role-playing game s (LARP) create elaborate costumes, including fursuits, for their characters. The characters can either wear a half-suit or a full suit, depending on what the character needs. [ cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A747001 |title=Furries |accessdate=2008-04-04 |date=2002-07-02 |work=h2g2 |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation ]Weapon s andarmor could be worn and used by the players; though each convention or meeting has their own rules about weapons on the convention floor. [ cite web|url=http://www.anthrocon.org/rules-conduct#weapons |title=Anthrocon Standards of Conduct (v.2.2) |accessdate=2008-04-04 |date=2006-03-28 |publisher=Anthrocon ] This is similar tocosplay , except the later focus on characters from popular media, with emphasis onJapan ese pop culture such asmanga ,anime , andvideo games .Some furry fans do fursuiting for a job or to bring attention to an event or
charity . This can includemascot s, but not all mascots are furries. Many are hired through an agency to represent a character, while others bring their own constructions to an event instead.cite news | first=Dave | last=Maass | coauthors= | title=Fluff Piece | date=2007-10-07 | publisher=Santa Fe Reporter | url =http://sfreporter.com/articles/publish/cover-101007-fluff-piece.php | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-04-03 | language = ] There are also severalvolunteer fursuiting groups acrossNorth America that either ask or are asked to entertain at varioussocial function s. Some groups even set up their own charitable events or perform on the streets to passersby. [cite news|first=Alina|last=Larson|url=http://www.xydexx.com/anthrofurry/trivalley.htm|title=Animal Instincts: Fans of Furry Critters Convene to Help Mankind|publisher=Tri-Valley Herald |date=January 23 ,2003 ]A few members of the furry fandom consider the fursuit a
sexual item. Fursuits can be sold with or modified to contain provisions forsexual activity , such as openings, removable panels, and anatomically correctartificial genitalia . These openings are called "strategically placed holes". While these are the most common in the media, they are the least common instance of fursuiting.Cite web|url=http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2001/041201/cover.html|title= Welcome to the jungle|accessdate=2007-10-28|year=2001|author=Siobhan O'Conner|work=Montreal Mirror]In popular culture
In the visual medium of
movies andtelevision , fursuits have been used either for background elements or part of a major plot. In the television procedural drama ,episode 406, "Fur and Loathing ," featured murders taken place at a fursuit convention. [ cite web|url=http://www.csiguide.com/episodedetail.aspx?csi=118 |title=CSI Episode Guide - Episode 406 (Fur and Loathing) |accessdate=2008-04-04 |date=2003-10-30 ] The film adaptation of The Shining has a brief depiction of someone in a dog costume performingoral sex on a man, a reference to the owner ofOverlook Hotel and hishomosexual partner . [ cite web|url=http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/faq/#slot3 |title=What is that strange Bear scene in The Shining about (and is it a bear)? |accessdate=2008-04-04 |date=2002-04-29 |work=The Kubrick FAQ ] Fursuits are occasionally featured inmusic video s, the music groupThe Flaming Lips are well-known for usingrabbit fursuits in their music videos andconcert performances. [cite news | first=Gene | last=Stout | coauthors= | title=Musical innovation stokes Flaming Lips' creative fires | date=2000-03-24 | publisher= | url =http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/lips24.shtml | work =Seattle Post-Intelligencer | pages = | accessdate = 2008-04-05 | language = ] Other musicians who have included fursuits in their music videos includeMoby , [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Moby mocks KFC | date=2008 | publisher=Food24 | url =http://www.food24.com/Food24/Components/F24_Cuisine_Scene_Article/0,,1-12-14-66_18177,00.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-04-05 | language = ]DJ Format ,Grandaddy ,Jurassic 5 ,Marilyn Manson ,Of Montreal ,Daft Punk ,30 Seconds to Mars andGym Class Heroes , [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Gym Class Heroes "Clothes Off" | date=2007-06-20 | publisher=P!ATD Online | url =http://www.patdonline.com/archives.php?subaction=showcomments&id=1182389390&archive=1183283708&start_from=&ucat=& | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-04-05 | language = ] as well asCobra Starship .References
See also
*
Kigurumi External links
* [http://fursuit.org/ The Furry Costume Information Exchange]
* [http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=fursuit The Fursuit community] (onLiveJournal )
* [http://fursuit.timduru.org/ The Fursuit Archive]
* [http://www.fursuit.co.uk fursuit.co.uk] The British fursuit site
* onWikiFur , a specialist wiki
* [http://www.radioopensource.org/jay-van-buren-and-the-fursuit-portrait-project/ Jay Van Buren and the Fursuit Portrait Project]
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