Further Confusion, or Furcon, is an annual

furry convention A furry convention (also furry con or fur con) is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom — people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human animal characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a ...

held in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

each January, celebrating the anthropomorphics genre or

furry fandom The furry fandom is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The term ...

, including charitable benefits, educational seminars, art shows, panels and general social activities. It was the first event sponsored by Anthropomorphic Arts and Education (Furcon is its registered service mark) and continues to be its largest. Beginning in 1999 with the attendance of 691 individuals, Further Confusion has grown rapidly. In 2023, its record attendance was 5,388 individuals from around the world. Further Confusion donated over $100,000 to various charitable beneficiaries (including

animal shelter An animal shelter or pound is a place where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals – mostly dogs and cats – are housed. The word "pound" has its origins in the animal pounds of agricultural communities, where stray livestock would ...

rescue group An animal rescue group or animal rescue organization is a group dedicated to pet adoption. These groups take unwanted, abandoned, abused, or feral, stray pets and attempt to find suitable homes for them. Many rescue groups are created by and run ...

s, and the

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) is an American non-profit organization formed in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses. Charles Brownstein served as the organiza ...

) in the period 1999–2008. Its art show sales routinely exceed $50,000.

Guests of honor

Until 2017, Further Confusion invited significant artists, writers, or other creative workers as guests of honor. The guests of honor were: *

Ed Kline Ed, ed or ED may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc * Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media * ''Ed'' (TV series), a TV series that ran fro ...

, Ken Mitchroney and Michael H. Payne (1999) *

C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...

, Shawn Keller,

John Nunnemacher John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

Karen Prell Karen Leigh Prell (born July 26, 1959) is an American puppeteer and animator. She is the performer of Red Fraggle in ''Fraggle Rock''. Early life and career Prell was born on July 26, 1959 in Florida but grew up in Seattle, Washington. She als ...

Mike Quinn Michael Patrick Quinn (born April 15, 1974) is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. ...

and

Jane Fancher Jane Suzanne Fancher (born 1952) is a science fiction and fantasy author and artist. Work In the early 1980s, she worked for Warp Graphics as an art assistant on '' Elfquest'', providing inking assistance on the black and white comics and colori ...

(2000) *

Diane Duane Diane Duane (born May 18, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author, long based in Ireland. Her works include the ''Young Wizards'' young adult fantasy series and the '' Rihannsu'' Star Trek novels. Biography Born in New York ...

Christina Hanson Christina may refer to: People * Christina (given name), shared by several people * Christina (surname), shared by several people Places * Christina, Montana, unincorporated community, United States * Christina, British Columbia, Canada * Chr ...

Peter Morwood Peter Morwood (born 20 October 1956, Northern Ireland) is primarily a fantasy novelist and screenwriter, though he has also written works of science fiction; his best-known works include the ''Horse Lords'' series and the ''Tales of Old Russia'' ...

Felorin ''Furcadia'' is a free-to-play MMOSG/MMORPG or graphical MUD, set in a fantasy world inhabited by magical creatures. The game is based on user-created content with emphasis on world building tools, exploring, socializing, and free-form roleplayi ...

and

Talzhemir ''Furcadia'' is a free-to-play MMOSG/MMORPG or graphical MUD, set in a fantasy world inhabited by magical creatures. The game is based on user-created content with emphasis on world building tools, exploring, socializing, and free-form roleplayi ...

(2001) *

David Brin Glen David Brin (born October 6, 1950) is an American scientist and author of science fiction. He has won the Hugo,Kevin Palivec Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...

(2002) * Karen Anderson and

Toby Bluth Frederick L. "Toby" Bluth (July 11, 1940 – October 31, 2013) was a Texas-born American illustrator who worked on many Disney films and others as animator, background artist, and production designer. He had a long career writing and illustrating ...

(2003) *

Heather Alexander Alexander James Adams (born November 8, 1962) is an American singer, musician and songwriter in the Celtic and World music genres. He blends mythical, fantasy, and traditional themes in performances, switching between instrumental fiddle and son ...

, Grant Freckelton and

Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...

(2004) *

Alan Dean Foster Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts. Career ''Star Wars'' Foster was the ghos ...

and Walter Crane (2005) *

Eric Elliott The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

and

Jane Lindskold Jane M. Lindskold is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels. Early life Jane M. Lindskold was born on 15 September 1962, and grew up in Washington, D.C., and the Chesapeake Bay area. Jane is the first of fou ...

(2006) * Baron Engel and

Jerry Pournelle Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. In the 1960s ...

(2007) *

David Alan Barclay David Alan Barclay is a British puppeteer who had worked on some projects of The Jim Henson Company. He has been at the cutting edge of animatronic puppetry since 1979. Barclay, who hails from London, is a Master Puppeteer, Animatronic Designer a ...

, Rodney Haley, and

Alexander James Adams Alexander James Adams (born November 8, 1962) is an American singer, musician and songwriter in the Celtic and World music genres. He blends mythical, fantasy, and traditional themes in performances, switching between instrumental fiddle and songs ...

(2008) *

Jeff Pidgeon Jeff Pidgeon is an American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, and voice actor at Pixar. Early life Influenced by Charles M. Schulz's comic strip ''Peanuts'', Jeff Pidgeon dreamed of becoming a newspaper cartoonist. He studied and grad ...

, Anita Coulter and

Clare Bell Clare Bell (born 1952) is a British author in the United States best known for her Ratha series of young adult fantasy novels about prehistoric big cats. These books, also called the ''Named series'', are about intelligent self-aware large cats w ...

(2009). *

Michael Fry Michael Fry is an American cartoonist, online media entrepreneur, and screenwriter. He is best known for the syndicated comic strips ''Committed (comic strip), Committed'' and ''Over the Hedge'', the latter of which is a collaboration with T. Lew ...

, T. Lewis, and

Ursula Vernon Ursula Vernon (born May 28, 1977) is an American freelance writer, artist and illustrator. She has won numerous awards for her work in various mediums, including the Hugo Award for her graphic novel '' Digger'', the Nebula Award for her short st ...

(2010) * Blotch (artist) (2011) *

E. E. Knight E. E. Knight (born March 7, 1965) is the pen name for American science fiction and Fantasy literature, fantasy writer Eric Frisch, born in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota and now resides in Oak Park, Illinois, with his w ...

and Matthew Ebel (2012) *

and

Chris Savino Christopher Mason Savino (born October 2, 1971) is an American writer, comic book artist, and former animator. He is well-known as the creator of the animated series ''The Loud House''. Savino has also worked on ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', ''Dexte ...

(2013) * Mandi Tremblay (2014) * Andy Heath,

Warrick Brownlow-Pike Warrick Brownlow-Pike (born 28 January 1985) is a British puppeteer. He is best known for performing the character "Gonger" on ''Sesame Street'' and its spinoff series '' The Furchester Hotel'' and Dodge the Dog on the CBeebies Channel. CBBC ...

and Lex Rudd (2015) *

Dana Simpson Dana Claire Simpson is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the comic '' Phoebe and her Unicorn'', as well as the long-running webcomic Ozy and Millie. Other works created by Simpson include the political commentary cartoon ''I D ...

, fursuit maker Syber, and artists: Fox Amoore and Pepper Coyote (2016)

Anthropomorphic Arts and Education

Anthropomorphic Arts and Education, Inc. (AAE) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

corporation A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...

that supports educational and charitable activities of interest to furry fans. AAE is primarily involved with organizing Further Confusion, as an activity that raises funds and donations on behalf of charities, conducts seminars, and provides a gathering place for the furry fandom. Anthropomorphic Arts and Education at

WikiFur The furry fandom is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The ter ...

References

* * * * *

External links

* {{coord, 37, 19, 43, N, 121, 53, 20, W, type:landmark, display=title Furry conventions San Francisco Bay Area conventions Recurring events established in 1999