Furry fan community tries to shake bad reputation

It is an oft-maligned fandom, but Furries are trying doggedly to shake misconceptions and an undeserved bad image.

Furries are fans of animal characters with human personalities and features.

It encompasses comics, art and animation, but it's the costumes that they are best known for.

From wearing ears and tails to expensive, custom-made, full character suits, fans have diverse ways of celebrating their unique passion.

Conventions in the United States can attract tens of thousands of attendees.

Almost 700 Furries have gathered on the Gold Coast for the ninth annual Furry Down Under (FurDU).

FurDU chairwoman Christine Bradshaw said the community often gets a bad rap that it is all about sex.

"There's some bad connotations," Ms Bradshaw said.

"It doesn't matter what you say, if that's what they believe, that's what they believe."

Photo FurDU chairwoman Christine Bradshaw says being a furry means a lot of different things to different people.

ABC Gold Coast: Damien Larkins

"They don't come here specifically for that, and it doesn't happen in the con space or they'll be kicked out pretty quick."

Furry costumes can cost tens of thousands of dollars — not the kind of thing you want to take a roll in the hay with.

"You're paying a lot of money for them, you're not going to mess around in them," Ms Bradshaw said.

United States artist Tracy Butler is the creator of cat-based furry comic Lackadaisy.

She said the fan community has been unfairly judged.

"There were certainly years back in the early internet when I think people misunderstood what it was about," she said.

"It had kind of a shady reputation based on some unsavoury articles.

"There was an infamous CSI episode that made it seem like something that it's really not at all like," Ms Butler said.

Photo Furry comic artist Tracy Butler says the community has been unfairly tarnished by bad press and urban myths.

ABC Gold Coast: Damien Larkins

Adopting your 'fursona'

Around the community, Ms Bradshaw is known by her snow leopard "fursona", "Foxy".

A fursona is the furry character fans adopt, develop and sometimes embody.

Furries sometimes pay specialist artists to bring their fursonas to life based on descriptions and their imagination.

"You'll see people who are really shy in person, they'll put their fursuits on and they're out jumping around and showing off," Ms Bradshaw said.

"They love doing it, they make friends and have a good time."

"Foxy" only exists in artwork and as a character Ms Bradshaw plays online, but she does not wear a suit or a tail.

She does love, however, the atmosphere of the furry world and mixing with those who do.

For her, it is all about community.

"It's like-minded people, friendships, it's the costuming, it's the art," she said.

"It's a lot of different things to different people."

Photo Bill McRobb says his computer-controlled peacock character Glamourfan helped him land an IT job.

ABC Gold Coast: Damien Larkins

Embracing the furry within

The furry fandom attracts people from all walks of life.

Melbourne IT worker Bill McRobb's peacock fursona is called "Glamourfan".

He does not hide his interest — in fact his computer-controlled tail has helped his career.

"In the interview I showed them the tail working and that was actually what got me the job," he said.

Photo Furry Pocari Roo makes her living streaming her fursona and says it's a fun form of expression.

ABC Gold Coast: Damien Larkins

Brisbane-based Pocari Roo makes a living streaming her fursona's antics online.

"It's a fun way of expression, you can be whatever you want," she said.

"This is my job … people just like watching my stuff."