“We are One, You and I, We are like the Earth and Sky…
Fall has arrived, and boy are things busy! Read on for more helpful information on ConFurence Ten after a brief update from our intrepid reporters…
October 27th is the official release date for The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride from Walt Disney Home Video. Disney merchandizing is in full-swing for this video-only release, with numerous tie-in items available at the Disney parks, Disney Stores, and other retailers. (Alas, most of the clothing is children’s sizes only…) Many of the original voices from The Lion King return in LK2, including Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, Ernie Sabella, Nathan Lane, and Robert Guillaume. New voices include Suzanne Pleshette as the villainous Zira, Andy Dick as her goofy son Nuka, and Neve Campbell as Simba’s grown-up cub Kiara.
The ever-popular, longest running (and very furry) Broadway musical, CATS is also being released on video October 27th!
Fall TV season is here, and look out below! There’s a truckload of brand new animation headed your way; and more than a bit of it is furry! We’ll try to give you just a little taste of all there is to see that’s new this season… CBS has an entire new season of Saturday morning shows based on popular children’s book series (all of them animated by Nelvana) including Franklin (a turtle); Anatole (a mouse); The Dumb Bunnies and Birdz (well duh!); and Mythic Warriors, Guardians of the Legend. (Okay, they’re not furry, but a lot of the back-up characters and monsters are.) Speaking of furry back-up characters and monsters, Disney has a boatload of them in Hercules, the Series on ABC. It’s based on their comic animated film and features the mythic hero in his high school days. Disney is also readying Mouseworks for release in February of 1999 (on ABC or the Disney Channel; not yet determined). It will feature the original Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, and Goofy in their first new short films since 1953 (not counting the recent Runaway Brain). Over on Fox on Saturdays, look for Oggy & The Cockroaches, Secret Files of the Spy Dogs, and a new animated series based on Godzilla (the Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich version; the show begins literally minutes after the movie’s end). Beast Wars creator Mainframe have a new computer-animated show, War Planets, which features several interesting non-human species in the cast. New on Kids WB is Steven Spielberg presents Pinky, Elmyra & The Brain – ‘nuff said. The new Pax Net family-oriented channel features The Get Along Gang and The Sylvanian Families as part of their Cloud 9 wrap-around on Saturdays.
Nickelodeon has some unusual entries, including The Wild Thornberrys (from Klasky Csupo, about a family that travels the world making wildlife documentaries – and one child who can speak to the animals) and CatDog (about a half-cat, half-dog – literally, the front half of each). Also on Nick is a new live-action series in syndication, based on the Animorphs series of young person novels by K.A. Applegate. Joining the line-up at Toon Disney are Hello Kitty And Friends and The Care Bears. VH1 even has a furry show in the works, though it’s not yet officially on the schedule: Animal Tracks, featuring the day-to-day workings at a funny-animal record company. In syndication, look for Pocket Dragon Adventures (based on the best-selling line of illustrations by Real Musgrave), The Lionhearts, and Monkey Magic (based on the Chinese legends of Monkey King).
Fox Family Channel has such a huge slate of animation (and much of it furry!), we thought we’d better give it a whole section to itself… Old friends syndicated at various points through Fox FC’s 24-hour programming include All Dogs Go To Heaven (the series), Eek!Stravaganza, Saban’s Oliver Twist, Heathcliff, and Classic Harvey Toons. A large chunk of each weekday is devoted to the new Captain Kangaroo show, which includes episodes of The Magic of Mumfi and Tabaluga, as well as the I.C. Ice and the Icebergs series of children’s music videos (featuring a penguin rock group). Also during the weekdays, look for Bad Dog (based on the screen-saver program), Monster Farm, and Wowser. Come the weekends, look for Animal Crackers (based on the long-running comic strip by Roger Bollen) on Saturdays and Donkey Kong Country on Sundays.
Prior to the death of Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia, Knucklehead Productions was hard at work on creating a new animated feature called The Dead-Head Bears. After his death, the project has been revised and is now called Bearsville. The basic premise is still the same though: Adventures in a village of hippy, pot-smoking bears. The project should see the light of day in one form or another, sometime soon.
Coming up fast (this Thanksgiving) is Disney’s A Bug’s Life, the much-anticipated 2nd computer-animation feature from Pixar (the folks who brought you Toy Story). After the success of Dreamworks/Pacific Data Images’ computer-animated (and somewhat more adult-oriented) film Antz in October, many in Hollywood are watching closely how Bug’s Life will do. Regardless, be ready for an avalanche of Bug’s Life tie-in products and publications for sure. And, come Christmas, look for the release of Disney’s new remake of the classic giant ape movie, Mighty Joe Young, starring Bill Paxton.
Don’t forget: This Thanksgiving also brings the release of Babe, A Pig in the City the new sequel to the surprisingly successful film Babe. Returning in the sequel are not only Babe the pig and Ferdinand the duck (and their original voices), but also human co-stars James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, and producer (now director) George Miller.
Word is out in the Hollywood Reporter that the Beastmaster series of fantasy films is being developed into a Hercules/Xena style TV show by Alliance Atlantis Communications and Tribune Entertainment. Look for Beastmaster: The Legend Continues to premiere in syndication in the fall of 1999.
In a recent on-line interview, Dragoncharm author Graham Edwards noted that the book is currently in pre-production for an animated film for television. No word yet on a planned release date.
Several summer movies of furry note are heading to video in November, including the re-makes of Godzilla (from Columbia/Tri-Star) and Dr Doolittle (from fox), as well as the toy-soldiers-vs.-toy-monsters epic Small Soldiers (from Universal and Dreamworks).
Coming to Los Angeles this December is the L.A. Opera’s live version of Roald Dahl’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox, with music by Tobias Picker, words by Donald Sturrock (who also directs the production), and production design by Gerald Scarfe.
Celebrating Warner Brother’s 75th Anniversary, a new trade paperback has been released – Bugs Bunny and Friends: A Comic Celebration. This 160-page collection features all the well-known characters in reprints of more than 50 years of Warner Brothers color comics, many of them reprinted here for the first time in the U.S.
New from Hall of Heroes is Dragon’s Bane #1 by professional playwright Harry Bauer and artist Jeff Lawter. In this new black & white comic, a radical archeologist in Dublin discovers the re-appearance of dragons in our modern world.
Coming soon (as in this December) from Dark Horse Comics is the Space Usagi Trade Paperback, collecting all three mini-series previously published by Dark Horse and Mirage. Miyamoto Usagi’s space-fairing descendant travels the galaxy, still adhering to his family’s unbending samurai code through-out his adventures. From the mind and pen of Stan Sakai, of course.
Dragons and fey-folk in the Old West? Believe it. New from Antarctic Press is Far West #1 by Richard Moore. In this black & white 4-part mini-series, a bounty hunter named Meg and her companion, a talking bear named Phil, encounter such trouble as dragon rustlers and shape-shifting outlaws.
Recently premiered (this last summer) from Bongo Comics is Hopster’s Tracks, written and illustrated by Stephanie Gladden. Featuring characters originally shown in a back-up in Action Girl, Stephanie now has her own black & white comic in which to show off the comedic (and very energetic!) mis-adventures of Jake the wolf, Melba the kangaroo, and Jake’s young daughter Spence (who, much to Jake’s chagrin, takes a liking to Melba’s antics).
Out now from Publishers Group West and author Michael Mallory is the illustrated story of William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and their nearly 60-year partnership in animation – titled, appropriately, Hanna Barbera Cartoons. The book includes more than 300 color illustrations, and detailed episode guides to many of the studio’s most famous animated series (including, in a furry way, Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear, and Top Cat).
Over in the Japanese section, look for three new Kaiju (giant monster) books of interest, all with Japanese text. The Gallery of Kaiju: Yuji Kaida Illustrations collects 76 full-color monster renderings by this famous artist in Japan. The Pictorial Book of Godzilla features 200 black & white photos (and 23 pages in color) from 40 years of Gojira’s film career – including many behind-the-scenes photos. Finally the Toho SFX Posters Collection features movie posters from many of Toho’s kaiju and other fantasy films, both in their original Japanese versions and in American and German variations. While we’re at it, remember that Dark Horse Comics has two on-going Godzilla comic titles (both full color!) on the stands: Godzilla, King of the Monsters and Terror of Godzilla. In English language books, look for Collecting Godzilla Memorabilia (Publisher’s Group West) by Dana Cain, featuring a comprehensive list of Godzilla collectibles, a pricing guide, and over 900 photographs.
New in the growing sub-genre of pretty-ladies-with-beasties-illustrated books is Dragon Tails 2 (“… more dangerous damsels, and the dragons who love them” [Previews]) from Gallery Girl Collections, which features black & white illustrations by Rich Larson, Esteban Moroto, Blas Gallego, Steve Fastner, and Mitch Byrd. Also look for Firebrands by Ron Miller (illustrator) and Pamela Sargent (text), which honors the women heroes of science fiction – including among them Lessa of Pern (from Anne McCaffery’s Dragonriders series).
If you’re ready for fur and lots of it (sooner than you’d think!), be sure to check out the Star Trek Tribble Handbook by Terry J. Erdman (from Pocket Books). The ultimate illustrated source on those purring, fast-multiplying balls of fluff.
Books recently discovered: In Great Apes by noted satirist Will Self, a famous British painter awakes after a particularly wild party to find that the entire human population have transformed into talking chimpanzees… except him. (From Grove Press Books.) Meanwhile, in Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls, a woman attempts to hide – and meanwhile falls in love with – a strange frog-like monster/man.
Coming this December from Tor Books is The Blood Jaguar, the first novel from furry writer (and frequent filk-song contestant at ConFurence) Michael H. Payne. Writer Algys Budrys said of Michael, “He is the next big name in fantasy” [in Locus]. Wow! Michael will also be a Guest of Honor at the 1999 Further Confusion.
New on CD-ROM is Walt Disney: An Intimate History of the Man. Created with the full cooperation of the Disney family, who opened their own personal family albums to share photos, home movies, and recollections of the man himself. Includes exclusive material from the Disney film archives in a multi-media format.
From: Limelight Publishing Company
Guardian Knights #5 will be in the stores by Dec/Jan. This issue wraps up the five issue two chapter story arc of Demon’s Knight and Changing of the Guard, setting up for a new story with issue six.
Tigerwing Press has been resurrected as a subsidiary of Limelight Publishing Co. The first book will be a resurrection of the small press zine, The Boudoir, issue number one to be released by January 99. The theme is erotica of a fantasy nature (anthro and non-anthro), pin ups and stories in comic book format.
Also due out around January 99 are new issues of Wild Side, Legion Manga Anthology, and Animeco.
If you would like more information, feel free to contact Limelight Publishing Co. at whols@aloha.net or send snail-mail to: Limelight Publishing Co, 1513 Young St, Suite #202, Honolulu, HI, 96826
A Request to Our Readers: Hey, got a favorite comic or book store that carries your favorite furry titles, or that you wish would carry more? Give us their address! We’ll send them a copy of In-Fur-Nation each quarter, and keep them abreast of the kind of comics and media that you would like to see on their shelves! Remember, they can’t order it if they don’t know it’s out there! As an alternate: Know of any good comic review zines or web sites that might be looking to trade issues?
ConFurence has Stuff! The original Furry Convention is proud to present the ConFurence General Store. Two of our popular T-Shirt designs are still available for a limited time: “Furries in Force” (black on honey-color) by Eric Schwartz from CF7, and “Furries in Love” (black and pink on grey) by Rachael Cawley from CF9. Plus, we still offer the ConFurence Seven Highlights Video, and now (newly available!) we have ConFurence Eight – Music and Mirth on video too! Not to mention many cool prints and extra Souvenir Books! Look for the order form from The General Store in back of this very issue of In-Fur-Nation. (General Store e-mail: store@confurence.com)
Guess what? In-Fur-Nation wants Reporters! Actually, interviewers… as a new feature, we’re going to present profiles of furry creators and furry-oriented companies that are helping to promote products and media of interest to funny animal fans all over. So, like to help out? Know a comic book creator, animator, publisher, or other such person in the field who’d like to discuss what furries mean to them, or to the world? Talk to them, write down what they say… then give us a write-up, about 300-500 words, and we’ll include it as a blurb in an upcoming INF, and give you credit for it. [We do maintain the right to edit for clarity and length, mind you.] Send hard copies to the ConFurence address, or, you can e-mail your submission to ed-otter Rod O’Riley at mink@firstlight.net .
Advertising in In-Fur-Nation: For those who’ve been asking, ads in In-Fur-Nation come in these sizes: 1/8-page “business card” size for $5.00 per issue, and 1/4-page size (4 1/2″ tall by 3 1/4″ wide) for $10.00 per issue. Full-page inclusions can also be arranged for $50.00 an issue. Check should be made out to ConFurence. Send camera-ready art and text to P.O. Box 1958, Garden Grove, CA 92642-1958.
(Many thanks to the people who helped provide information for this issue, both by mail and via Internet! Also, our appreciation to Previews magazine.)
… One family under the Sun (Simba, in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride)
More Furry Conventions A’Comin’ Your Way!
Here’s the run-down on some upcoming furry gatherings in other parts of the country…
| From: Eli McIlveen <eli@golden.net>
Feral! 98, the first furry camp event, was a great success! Around sixty furs spent the August 22 weekend in beautiful Algonquin Park, Ontario, sleeping in cabins and enjoying the tranquility of the wilderness. Campers spent their time swimming, hiking, kayaking, drawing and singing songs around the campfire, as well as taking part in hands-on workshops on drawing, writing and costuming. A big favorite was the Survival Game, in which players took on roles in the food chain before running off into the woods to play them out in a giant game of tag! The planning for Feral! 99 is well underway. Those with net access can visit the Feral! web site ( http://www.FurNation.com/Feral/ ) for the latest details, plus loads of reports and pictures from this year’s campers. You can also send email to feral@idirect.ca, or write to: Feral!, Box 47008, Sheridan Mall P.O., Mississauga ON, L5K 1T9, Canada. |
| Further ConFusion, 1999
January 14 – 17, 1999, The Westin Santa Clara, California A brand new furry convention for California, right in the heart of Silicon Valley. Designed to promote a sense of community within Furry Fandom. Guests of Honor include animator/artist Ken Mitchroney, furry costumer/prop designer/artist Ed Kline, and furry writer/novelist/filksinger Michael H. Payne. Rooms at the Westin Santa Clara will be available for $85.00 per night for singles or doubles, if you register before December 21st, 1998. Call (408) 986-0700, or 1-800-WESTIN1 outside the local area, for reservations. Registration for membership is $30.00 until December 1st, 1998, then $35.00 at the door. For more information (including the art show, dealers’ room, and programming) write to: Further Confusion, P.O. Box 1299, Cupertino, CA 95015-1299, or e-mail them at info@furtherconfusion.org . And be sure to check out their home web site at http://www.furtherconfusion.org . |
But first, of course, there’s…
ConFurence Ten Progress Report
ConFurence Ten: Looking Back at Ten Furry Years… whew, where have we been? What have we seen? Watch as we tell you more about our guests, our show, our presentations, and lots of other reasons why you should be a part of ConFurence Ten — Furries old or new, all are welcome! And remember, we’re also celebrating The Year of the Rabbit!
Our Guests of Honor, #1: Patricia C. Wrede
No less than the editors of The Science Fiction Book Club has this to say about Ms. Wrede: “She is our Jane Austin, and boy are we glad to have her.” Whew!
Known for fantasy stories with a decidedly un-traditional slant, Patricia C. Wrede will perhaps best be remembered for her series The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, including Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons. No prizes for guessing, they’re about dragons… and plucky, determined princesses; good witches; bad (and often melting) wizards; thick-headed princes; talking cats; talking lizards; a unicorn or two… well, you get the idea.
Other books by Ms. Wrede include Shadow Magic (her first), The Raven Ring, Daughter of Witches, and The Book of Enchantments, a collection of her short stories from various anthologies. After graduating from Carleton College in Minnesota, she worked for several years as an accountant and financial analyst – but now, happily, is making her living as a full-time writer. She and her husband still live near Minneapolis… but, for one weekend in April, she’ll be joining us at ConFurence Ten!
We’ll tell you more about our remaining Guests of Honor (Illustrator Mary Hanson-Roberts, filksinger/songwriter Cynthia McQuillin, and fanzine illustrators Robert and Margaret Carspecken) in our next issue, due in late December.
These folks you’ve heard about! In addition to our Guests of Honor, you’ll be seeing such well-known names as Mike and Carole Curtis, Larry and Onci Adams, Steve Addlesee, E.T. and Elizabeth Bryan, Leslie Fish, James Hardiman, Steve Gallacci, Mel. White, Jim Groat, Ted Sheppard, Brian Sutton, Mitchell Beiro, Ed Kline, Steven Martin, Ted Sheppard, Chuck Melville, Edd Vick, Fred Patten, Tygger and Dean Graf, Mike Raabe, Diana Vick, Tommy Yune, Tim Fay, Trump, Arlene Harris, John and Rachel Cawley, Terrie Smith, Michele Light, Lance Rund, Michael-Scot McMurry, Lance Ikegawa, Jefferson Swycaffer, Roz Gibson, Dusty Rhodes, Jimmy Chin, John Nunnemacher, and a host of furry folk from Yarf!, Radio Comix, MU Press, Vision Comics, Limelight Publishing, etc. Whew! Plus, say hello to a new face, who recently told us he’s coming: Kevin Andrew Murphy, writer of game modules and novels for White Wolf Games and stories for the Wild Cards series. We have at least one more guest we think you’re really gonna like – but he’s checking his schedule to make double-certain than he can attend. Keep watching this space – we’ll tell you when he tells us!
We’re happy to announce that the Town & Country Hotel and Resort, our new host, has nearly completed renovations on their eastern segment as of this writing. Among the many improvements are a brand new elevator, which now makes the entire hotel and all of its facilities handicapped-accessible. When you arrive, you’ll be amazed at how much of the place will be taken up by ConFurence Ten!
Room rates for ConFurence Ten at the Town & Country are $85.00 per night, single or double; and $95.00 per night, triple or quad. For reservations, call (800) 854-2608, or the local number (619) 291-7131.
Important As Ever: Make sure to call during business hours (M-F 9 am – 5 pm, pacific time), and make sure to mention ConFurence.
For those fans of less means, we’ve four alternative facilities for you to stay in, right across the freeway from our host hotel. (Just a quick walk through the underpass, and there you are!) They are, in order of nearness (NOT in order of expense): Best Western Seven Seas Lodge, Econo Lodge, Days Inn, and the Vagabond Inn. We’ll include more specific information on each in our next issue. Watch for it!
The Den of Dealers
After re-arranging things in the room a little, we have found that we now have a few tables remaining unsold in the Den of Dealers for ConFurence 10. Did you here what we said? A few tables. So, needless to say – get a move on if you want them! Those few tables (8’ x 3’) are available for $60.00 (which includes two attending memberships), with an additional table (max of 2, i.e. 3 tables total) costing $40.00 more. Half-tables (4’ x 3’) are also available, for $30.00 (with one membership included). If you’ve already reserved a Den of Dealers table, keep your eyes on the mail — Your information packet, asking you questions about your specific needs at your table(s), will be coming around soon.
Artist Alley remains one of the most popular features of any ConFurence! Tables in the foyer in front of the Den of Dealers (near Registration) are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, with sign-ups each morning. But remember: Table spaces will be very limited, and once they’re gone they’re gone! So be sure to line up for the sign-up… early! Write to Steve Corbett at the ConFurence address for any information on the Den of Dealers or Artist Alley.
The Art Show
Welcome to the Brand-Spanking New ConFurence Art Show! A whole new crew, a whole new attitude – Dedicated to getting the art in front of the customers, and the customers to the art. Believe us, if you do art of funny animals, furries, monsters, toons, or even real animals, you want to be in this art show – one of the largest SF/fantasy art shows in the United States! But our show will fill up, and soon — so get in your reservations right away! Your first art show space (4 ft. by 4 ft.) is still available free with your paid supporting or attending membership — all you have to do is claim it in writing. Additional art show spaces are available for a low $5.00 each. Get yours reserved today!
What, can’t make it to ConFurence? No problem!
Reserve your space, then mail us your art before the con — we’ll set it up, send you back any unsold items, and get you off a check for what does sell, soon as we can! Write to The Art Show at the ConFurence address for any and all information. (And say hello to our new Art Person, Xian Jaguar!)
Happenings Will Be Fine In 1999!
Hey, look what’s on the horizon. It’s our ever-expanding line-up of events! Including some old favorites, some new ideas, and some new twists! Lots of nostalgia, blending right in to a look at the future… Back again is the exotic Cabaret Fur le Dance, featuring both new production numbers and some past favorites brought back to life! Plus plenty of chances for you to move your tail, with all three of our special Dance Parties (Club Tekno-Fur, the Nevermore gothic dance, and The Purple Nurple Live) plus the popular FurSuit Dance. Food? How about The Saturday Night Furry Feed and The Ice Cream Social, to say nothing of the four restaurants you’ll find right at our hotel. Plus the Filk-Writing Contest and the Friday Night Filk Concert, The Costume Presentation, the FurSuit Lounge, the Species SIGs — More of what you’ve come to know and love! Keep watching this space for more details, and be on the lookout for some special presentations and lectures. Plus, in honor of our tenth anniversary, we’re adding a special History of Furry Fandom display, celebrating the comics, books, fanzines, conventions, costumes, and camaraderie that have been a part of fur fandom since the 80’s – and even before!
In the spirit of our tenth gathering of fur-fen, by popular request we will present a very special FurSuit Retrospective, presenting some of your favorite costumes from ConFurences past, right before your eyes! Hey, are you one of those people? Well, make sure to write us at the ConFurence address – we want to know you’ll be coming! We’ll have more de-tailed information in our next issue.
What else is to be going on at ConFurence Ten? Meetings and Round-Table Discussions (Special Interest Groups or ‘SIGs’); Workshops and How-To Sessions; Videos around the clock in our Video Theater; Computer art, animation, and ‘netting; Gaming of all sorts; Filking through the night; Sketching by dozens of furry artists of every description and style — and so much more.
Remember: Keep Your Claws Sheathed In Public, Please!
A reminder about our Weapons Policy at ConFurence. For the length of the convention and seminar (Thursday through Sunday) we are requiring that all realistic or simulated weapons be piece-bonded, by yourselves or a member of our Con Security team. That includes anything that looks like guns, swords, knives, whips and cat-o-nine-tails, etc. Let’s make this a safe and happy con for all who’d like to come, furries! [Note: For special items that need to be displayed as part of the Costume Presentation, or the Cabaret Fur le Dance, write to us!]
Registration to ConFurence Ten is on a sliding scale — All memberships are $25.00 for a full three & 1/2-days Attending, from now until January 1st, 1999.
From January 2nd, 1999 until March 15th, 1999, three-day Attending memberships are available for $30.00, and after that, at-the-door for $35.00. Plus, a full year of In-Fur-Nation, and our special annual ConFurence Souvenir Collection Book, are all included in the price of your membership! A single art show display space is also included free with your membership — if you write us and claim it!
And remember, we’d love to have you join us, but if you cannot make it out to our neck of the woods, feel free to join ConFurence as a Supporting member! Supporting members get a full year’s subscription to In-Fur-Nation, the Souvenir Collection Book, and one free art show display space for the taking, all for the low price of just $15.00! And, if your fortunes change, you can convert your supporting to a full attending membership at the door for only $15.00 more. Such a deal, doncha know! So, get your membership to ConFurence now!
And Now A Word About Our Sponsors
Sponsors help us keep ConFurence going by giving a little extra bit (or a lot extra bit!) of financial help. This is money for transporting, lodging, and feeding our special guests. To become a Sponsor, contribute a minimum of $50.00 (up to $99.00), which includes your initial membership fee. Remember: Indicate which of our guests this money is to help toward, or just mark it “general fund” (for our Guests of Honor exclusively). And what do you get for being a sponsor? Sponsors are the only folks (besides staff and guests) allowed in the Guest Lounge, a special place set aside where folks can relax away from the hubbub of the con. And dine on some complimentary gourmet snacks, too. Plus, sponsors get some special prices on materials from the ConFurence store. All this, plus your name in our souvenir book — and, our sincere gratitude!
Super Sponsors! Ta Ta Taaah!
Super Sponsors are the extremely nice furry folk who really want to help out ConFurence — and who think they deserve something special in return. These special furs are willing to contribute $100.00 or more (which includes their initial memberships) toward a special guest of their choice, or just toward the Guests of Honor in general. Super Sponsors get all the same neat stuff as other Sponsors, plus a few added bonuses! (Write us for details.) Super Sponsors and Guests have their very own V.I.P.-only Lounge – as snazzy as they come! What? Don’t have $100.00 sitting around handy? Make installments! That’s right, we’ll take two payments of $50.00, or four payments of $25.00 — it still counts you as a Super Sponsor, as long as it totals $100.00 by the time of the con itself.
So Who Are We Sponsoring, Anyhow?
An important notice for Sponsors and Super-Sponsors: Keep in mind that contributions put toward the ‘General Fund’ go toward the transportation, housing, and feeding of our Guests of Honor only.
Other guests can ask for Sponsorship as well, but only if people specifically ear-mark a contribution (or part) toward them, by name. Potential Guests who’ve said they’d like to join us, but will need some sponsorship help to do so, include Dusty Rhodes (illustrator), Lynn Kurtz (sword dancer), and Stephanie Gladden (writer/artist, Hopster’s Tracks).
Look, the herd is on the move…
ConFurence’s own official travel agency is Ladera Travel of Southern California. They’ve specialized for years in getting good rates for travel to and from SF cons, including ours! Contact Rick Foss at (800) 624-6679 from outside California, or (310) 640-0527 inside California.
Coming in the next In-Fur-Nation (late December) will be some vital information for dealers, artists, and just plain furries who will be joining us. Happy Holidays, everyone! Don’t be left in the burrow! Keep in touch with the world of Anthropomorphics!
Join ConFurence Ten Today! We love you… not like, love!
The ConFurence Ten Souvenir Book collection is now accepting! We need black & white art, and short articles, in a furry frame of mind to give our members and supporters. Subjects should reflect our main con theme this year: Looking back at special memories of furry conventions, furry parties, and other aspects of furry fandom over the past ten years. Or, you might chose to highlight our sub-theme (bunnies!), or the works of one of our Guests of Honor. No pay, and the rights return to you immediately after the con, but here’s a chance to get your visions or ideas out in front of more than a thousand furry fen! Interested? Write or call for more information, or send your articles (up to 500 words) or copies only of your black-and-white artwork to the ConFurence P.O. Box, Attn: Souvenir Book. Remember — The deadline for submissions to the Souvenir Book is January 31st, 1999 — so get hopping, mate!
Our Gophers Are REALLY Gophers!
Conventions like ours cannot be pulled off without a dedicated team of volunteers. Trust us, we can always use more help! What’s it take? Sixteen hours (minimum) of your time, spread over the length of the con (though more is always appreciated!) helping out with Registration, Art Show shuffling and paperwork, sound and lighting, and all kinds of stuff it takes to do this. Note: We especially need help with Registration and The Art Show, but both require some training (which we provide). Write to us for more details! What do you get for your efforts? Well first and foremost, a free space to crash in and cheap (if not free) munchies for the length of the con! Plus a chance for a free membership to the following ConFurence, transferable to certain ‘stuff’ at the ConFurence General Store. Want more info on ConFurence volunteering? Just send a note to Rod O’Riley at the ConFurence address (or his e-mail address) and he’ll send you out a Volunteer Information Packet right away! If you’d like to volunteer at the Con itself, just head right to the desk with the sign in nice big friendly letters that says Volunteers.