Joe's Story
I am originally from a neighborhood in Brooklyn called Park Slope. It's very exclusive today, but back then, it was simply working-class. My father had a hair-trigger temper. "Don't make your father mad - let me talk to him," was always my mother's advice. She loved me, but I was regularly threatened with military school if I misbehaved, so I did not feel particularly accepted or safe in my family. I kept a low profile and went to the movies constantly, read a lot of comic books, and watched cartoons on TV. These things inspired my imagination, and my mom often took me to the library. She was the one in the family with brains.
As for higher arts and culture, my parents did not share my interest. I picked them up by visiting the local museum and being curious. Today that manifests itself in a particular way: I'm a member of the furry community, an umbrella for people who are fascinated by or imagine themselves as anthropomorphic animal characters, or "anthros" for short. I prefer the term "fur" over "furry," which has a juvenile connotation. Also, the animal characters we create are called "furries," so I prefer to use different words to distinguish them better.
Being a fur can take many forms, such as drawing animal characters, writing stories about them, or building and wearing "fursuits" to become those animals. Most of these characters are created by the furs themselves, from their own imaginations, though some dress in costume as characters from animated films or shows. I have a Komodo dragon suit I wear at the conventions. "Komos" is my character's name. There are also people who consider themselves "therians" (someone born with an animal soul) or "otherkin" (the same, but with the soul of a dragon or other mythical creature instead).
Our community is self-created. It was formed by people who felt isolated by an interest they thought no one else shared — until they started finding others who did, in places like sci-fi/comic conventions. The common reaction was shocked and joyful, "I am not the only one!" Once the internet came along, it was easier for us to find each other, and the community has grown ever since. Today, there are undoubtedly people new to the furry world who discover it online and say, "This looks like fun. I think I'll check it out," but there are still many who have long kept their interest hidden — until they find us.
My "I am not the only one!" moment came in 1988. I received a letter inviting me to a "furry party" at a Philadelphia sci-fi convention — evidently, the organizers had gotten my name from a mailing list of sci-fi fans. It was the very first furry event on the US East Coast. There are furs in just about every major city now who have local meet-ups. Last fall, I was able to attend the London Furs' monthly get-together. It was much larger than any I've been to in the States, but other than the turn-out, it was no different than any furry meet-up.
Today, I am one of the oldest furs around. I like to say, "I wasn't there when furry was born, but I got in around Day Three." It's a very young community now. Older furs like me are called "greymuzzles." I've had a wonderful time being part of the furry community, and one of the nicest things about it was meeting a guy I fell in love with.
I never had a "problem" with homosexuality; I had just never felt the need to be with another man — until I got a surprise text from a fur I knew. He asked, "How are you, sexy gator?" (a reference to my 'fursona' – my animal identity), and everything changed. Having someone embrace and celebrate a part of myself I had kept so private was liberating. Being a closeted furry is a lot like being a closeted gay person. Though I've been a writer almost my entire career, "Furry Nation" was my first book. Seeing the community so misinterpreted in the popular media made me want to tell "our side of the story," — but it was not easy to write. When I first attempted it, I was told by an editor, "Something is missing from your book - you!" Having to reveal myself was terrifying, so I put the project away for several years. When I finally recognized that I had to talk about myself because being a fur is so much a part of me, I was able to pick it up again.
After the book was published, many furs expressed their gratitude. It helped them accept themselves instead of being ashamed and secretive. Since then, I've put together enough material for a follow-up book, "Furry Planet," and I've written a children's novel about a shy teenager who transforms into an anthropomorphic rabbit hero in times of stress.
I'm hoping Furry Nation will lend me enough credentials to get those published as well.
For more about Joe, check out his website or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
For more about Furry Nation, purchase the book on Amazon.
Check out his kids’ novel The Incredible Hare.
Artist Notes
“The orange-red ball represents the ‘Furry Nation.’ The illustration also features a few furry accessories along with three furry personas.”
Published Mar 18, 2021
Updated Sep 1, 2023
Published in Issue IX: Community