Go to Archive Page

"I just… feel so insignificant…" [Z, from Antz]

Gearing up for the soon-to-be ConFurence Ten, everyone! In this issue of you'll find a lot of important information regarding what to do (plus when, where, and how to do it) later in the ConFurence Progress Report. But first, here's some current stuff we think you'd like to know about:

According to the U.S. Postal Service, the biggest-selling postage stamp in 1998 was the 'Sylvester and Tweety' stamp. The year before, 'Bugs Bunny' was the biggest-selling stamp for 1997.

Unusual new movies with 'funny animals' set to debut in the near future include a remake of the 1960s live-action/animated film The Incredible Mr. Limpet (starring Jim Carey), Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure (with a costumed version of the Harvey cartoon character), and the live-action/CGI interpretation of the original animated TV series Rocky and Bullwinkle (with Jason Alexander as Boris Badenov and Robert DeNiro as Fearless Leader).

Non-furry but notable animation news: It appears that The Rugrats Movie is going to beat The Prince of Egypt by a hair to the honor of being the first non-Disney animated feature film to make $100 million at the box office.

A huge list of upcoming animated films came out in the January 1999 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Films which we think furry fen will notice include Dreamworks/PDI’s next two CGI films (after Antz) called Shrek (a ‘fractured fairy tale’ about an ogre who takes the place of a handsome prince) and Tusker (about a herd of elephants in Asia). Dreamworks Animation on the other hand is readying Spirit (about a mustang in the American Wild West) for release in 2001. Disney is still busy in both CGI and cel animation, with Tarzan, Toy Story 2, and Fantasia 2000 all set for later this year. Later on of course comes Disney’s live-action/animated film Dinosaur. Lion King director Rob Minkoff is at the helm of Stuart Little from Columbia Pictures, which also combines live action and CGI. (It’s based on the famous book by E.B. White.) Nelvana is coming on strong in the animated film department: They have Babar the King, Franklin, Little Bear, and Rupert the Bear all headed to the theaters for short runs soon. Production houses bringing out their first feature films include Aardman Animations (Chicken Run, directed in stop-motion Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park) and Mainframe Entertainment (The Sign of the Seahorse). Mainframe is also producing a version of Gulliver’s Travels as the first long-form CGI film created for the IMAX format. And finally, Tooniversal is a new company with a lot of stuff to show including Marco Polo: Return to Xanadu (featuring a dragon), Dinosaurs of the Wild West (!), and Toon-O-Mania (a Fantasia-type film of classical music and cartoon shorts in many styles). Also, look for Muppets in Space in July.

The furry-demon anime show Ushio & Tora has been released in a new dubbed version on video. You can buy it on line at, among other places, http://www.amazon.com in the video section.

Antarctic Press presents a new full-color version of Jeff Amano’s Taoland Adventures (a prequal to Jeff’s original black & white series, Taoland). Follow the adventures of a monkey-man expert fighter in his battle against evil forces.

Avatar Press has collected all of the original Creed comics by Trent Kaniuga into a single volume, the Creed Collected Volume 1 Trade Paperback. Featuring a brand-new cover of the dreamer-boy hero, by Trent.

Furrlough from Radio Comix will soon cross the mark of its 75th issue with stories by Eddie Perkins, Diana Sprinkle, Ryan Burke, Kurt Wilcken, and Ken Lowe. Also look for their new title, Morning Glory by Loran Gayton and Michael Vega, in which a college girl must contend with a very unusual new room-mate: A fairy creature from Wales.

The adventures of a dimension-hopping Las Vegas showgirl named Nevada (as brought to you from the mind of Steve Gerber) have been collected in the Nevada Trade Paperback from Vertigo Comics. Along for the ride is Nevada’s pal, a dancing ostrich named Bolero.

Coming soon from Shanda Fantasy Arts is the premiere issue of Magic Carpet, an all-ages furry comic. This new black & white series features kid-friendly comics, games, and puzzles by the likes of Shelley Pleger, Mary Hanson-Roberts (who also provided the cover) and Robert & Margaret Carspecken.

We were sad to learn that Ed Zolna will be shutting down Mailbox Books at the end of April. For twelve years it has been one of the most popular (and well-stocked!)clearinghouses and catalog services for hundreds of furry and non-furry comic books, fanzines, and prints. More information on final sales items can be had by sending a large-size SASA to: Mailbox Books, P.O. Box 1278, Roslyn, PA 19001.

From the minds (and fingers) that brought you Wallace and Gromit comes Creating 3-D Animation, published by Abrams. Peter Lord (of Aardman Animations) and Brian Sibley created this illustrated how-to book, using examples from not only the Wallace & Gromit series but such diverse favorites as Gumby, the California Raisins, and the movie work of Ray Harryhausen and Willis O’Brien. And speaking of Wallace & Gromit, look for Anoraknophobia, a new W&G illustrated storybook by Tristan Davies and Nick Newman (from Distribooks, Inc.).

New furry-themed video games to look for include Activision's T'ai Fu, with a Kung Fu- fighting tiger as the main character (made exclusively for the Sony PlayStation).

A new CD is available for Godzilla and other Kaiju fans. Monster Mania (subtitled Music from the Classic Godzilla Films (1954-1995)) features new, digital recordings of soundtrack from such classics as the original Godzilla and Destroy All Monsters, as well as newer films from Toho like Godzilla vs. Biollante and Godzilla vs. Destroyah.

Really different stuff department: New from Cartoon Books (the home of Bone) is the "Wall Mountable Red Dragon Head Inflatable". That’s right, an inflatable vinyl re-creation of the noble Red Dragon’s head, over three feet high and three feet long. Priced at $34.95, it should be poking its head into a comic book shop near you soon.

For those in the area or who’re coming to ConFurence Ten, you can check out Sea World’s new "Pets on Stage" show from now through April 11th. Also, while you’re in San Diego you might check out Squeak’s Catique (a gift and collectibles shop near Hotel Circle). Advertising themselves as "A cat-lover’s paradise, featuring a vast variety of Kitty Purrafernalia", they’re located at 4650 Alvarado Canyon Road (Suite 1-C). Call (619) 528-1010 for more info.

From: Darrel L. Exline darrelx@home.com

This was taken from the "new releases" section of the Columbia/Tri-Star Home Video website (http://www.cthv.com) --

Animorphs #1: The Invasion Begins [VHS / Slipsleeve - $15.95] The invasion begins with this first [video tape] installment from the popular Animorphs book and TV series. Five ordinary kids are given the extraordinary ability to morph into animals, all in an effort to save the planet from the empire of the evil Yeerks!

To All the Folks on our Mailing List - Help us clean up our Database!

What we ask is this: Take a look at the label sticker on this issue of In-Fur-Nation. First off, is your name spelled correctly? How about the street, and the city? Are the numbers all correct? For U.S. residents, do we have all 9 digits of your zip code? If the answer to any of these is ‘no’, please tell us so! Drop us a line at the ConFurence P.O. Box, or send us some e-mail (see the back page) to tell us what it should read like! It helps not only our database, but also it helps to see that everything goes smoothly come Registration time at ConFurence. Thanks for your help!

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, as well as the brand new ConFurence Eight - Music and Mirth on video too! Not to mention many cool prints and extra Souvenir Books from past ConFurences! Look for the order form from The General Store attached to the back of this very issue of In-Fur-Nation.

Advertising in In-Fur-Nation:

As before, ads in In-Fur-Nation come in two 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. We also offer full-page inclusions for $50.00 per issue. Check should be made out to ConFurence. Send camera-ready art and text to P.O. Box 1958, Garden Grove, CA 92642-1958. Getting just a mention in In-Fur-Nation is easy: Send us information (snail-mail or e-mail), and we'll reprint it in our blurbs section verbatim, with minor corrections for spelling and grammar.

(Information in this issue provided by Mark Merlino, Rod O'Riley, Jed Martinez, and the staff of ConFurence. Thanks again to all the folks in Rowrbrazzle; and the folks who sent in ads.)

"You’ve made a breakthrough, Z. You are insignificant!" (Z’s therapist, from Antz)

More Furriness Coming Your Way This Year!

But first, of course, there’s…

ConFurence Ten Progress Report

ConFurence Ten - A Look Back at Ten Furry Years! Time to let out that fuzzy feeling inside… And remember, our special second theme for ’99 is The Year of the Rabbit - So hop on over and join us!

More About Our Guests of Honor

This time, let’s learn a little more our Special Guests for ConFurence Ten, Robert and Margaret Carspecken.

Margaret Carspecken (R&M Creative Endeavors) is best known at ConFurence for her many paintings and illustrations featuring foxes -- most notably Marsha RedFox, she of 1001 culinary delights. Working with her husband Robert (writer/graphics designer), their 'furry' work has been featured in a variety of publications, including Furrlough, The Ever-Changing Palace, Warthaven/Vixen's Keep, and upcoming works from Shanda Fantasy Arts. They got their 'furry' feet wet in amateur publications such as RowrBrazzle and Ink Spots. Sweet Treats, a dessert cookbook featuring Marsha, has been a hit at conventions as well as on their FoxWeb page (http://www.ozfoxes.com). Margaret's non-furry work is primarily in the realms of graphic design and illustration, working for art houses and businesses in the Midwest. She and Robert live a happy and creative life at home in the Ozarks with their four furred children.

Speaking of Guests… Here’s some Furs you Know

ConFurence Ten is proud to welcome CF7 Guest of Honor Eric Schwartz back to Southern California! He joins such well-known furry names as Mike and Carole Curtis, Michele Light, Steve Gallacci, Jim Groat, Pete Stoller, Mel. White, Brian Sutton, Mitchell Beiro, Daphne Lage, Jose Calderon, Carla Speed MacNeil, Shauntae Howard, Lance Rund, Gordon Spurlock, Matt Henry, Kevin Andrew Murphy, D.A. and Tygger Graf, Steve Addlesee, Ed Kline, Steven Martin, Ted Sheppard, Chuck Melville, Edd Vick, Susan Van Camp, E.T. and Elizabeth Bryan, Smudge, Baron Engel, Fred Patten, Darrel Benvenuto, Mike Raabe, Diana Vick, Tommy Yune, Tim Fay, Trump, John and Rachel Cawley, Terrie Smith, Jefferson Swycaffer, Roz Gibson, Michael-Scot McMurry, Jimmy Chin, John Nunnemacher, Michael Payne, Dusty Rhodes, James Hardiman, Elin Winkler, Leslie Fish, Dr. Jane Robinson, Steve Plunkett, Joseph and Trish Ny, Taral Wayne, David Bliss, Harvo, and the crew from Yarf!

New Guests, New Stuff!

Some new folks will be joining as well, for some special presentations: Dr. Jay Glass will lead a discussion on The Animal Within Us, based on his book comparing human and animal behavior. Sheldon Linker (of Linker Systems) will demonstrate the newest additions to the ‘Animation Stand’ line of animation software. Terry Brussel-Gibbons will lead a group hypnosis circle to visualize yourself as your favorite animal. And Leslie Fish will even be leading a workshop for playing the guitar! AND (can you believe it?) the director of The Lion King, Rob Minkoff, will put in an appearance on Saturday to discuss his new movie, Stuart Little!

Our BIG New Hotel

We’ll be taking up a major part of the Town & Country Hotel and Resort’s numerous function spaces. We’ve told you many of the unique and special features of our host hotel over the past few issues: Four restaurants on site, easy walking distance to both the Red Trolley Line and the Fashion Valley Mall, no less than three swimming pools… all of which can be yours for only $85.00/night (single/double) or $95.00/night (triple/quad). Folks have already got plenty of our room block reserved, so best to get yours as soon as you can to be close to our con activities! To make any last-minute reservations, call (800) 854-2608, or the local number (619) 291-7131. Important: Make sure to call during business hours (M-F 9 am - 5 pm, pacific time), and make sure to mention ConFurence! Hurry!

Other Accommodations

For those fans of less means, we're happy to report that we have three less expensive facilities (how much less varies…) for you to stay in, right across the 8-freeway from our main hotel! (Just a quick jog through the underpass.) They are, in order of closeness:

Best Western, Seven Seas Lodge -- (800) 328-1618

Econo Lodge, Mission Valley -- (619) 692-1299

Days Inn, Hotel Circle - (800) 345-9995

Call the individual motels for room reservations, and be sure to mention both ConFurence and the Town & Country Hotel.

Once more, a Hotel Reminder! Paying Attention? Goooooooood!

If you're going to be more than a couple of hours late in arriving to the Town & Country Hotel, or if you change your plans and aren't going to be staying with us for the first night of the con, make sure to phone the Hotel and let them know to hold your reservation for you. Otherwise, it will not be there when you arrive! You shouldn’t have any trouble at all if your reservation was put in properly. If you do find you’re having some sort of unusual problem when you arrive, make sure to write down exactly what happened and whom you spoke to, and get it to us - in writing!

Getting TO The Hotel

The Town & Country Hotel and Resort is located in the North-East portion of Hotel Circle in San Diego’s Mission Valley. Put another way, it’s where the 8 and the 163 freeways cross - and either of those freeways have a handy off-ramp right by our hotel. Driving from Los Angeles, Orange County, and Points North: Come south on the 5-freeway until you reach San Diego, then take the 805-freeway at the split. Get onto the 163-freeway south (towards Downtown). As you approach the 8-fwy, take the exit for Hotel Circle. Turn right at the off-ramp onto Hotel Circle North, and the Town & Country is right in front of you past the golf course. Pass Fashion Valley Road, and turn left into the Hotel Registration Parking before you pass under the freeway again. Alternately: Come south on the 15-fwy and take the split onto the 163-fwy south - the follow the directions as above. Driving from Points East: Come west on the 8-fwy until you see the exit marked ‘Hotel Circle/163 North’ and take that exit. Make sure to take the left fork, not the right for the 163! Stay on the off-ramp until you exit on Hotel Circle North. Then follow the directions as above. What, still confused?? Why, just use the handy-dandy maps included in this issue!

Some Important Notes on Parking

Parking at the Town & Country Hotel is not free - though it’s less expensive for those staying at the hotel than for those visiting daily. Plus, free parking validation for up to 3 hours is available at any of the Town & Country’s restaurants. Some San Diego locals inform us that it might be cheaper to park at a local Park’n’Ride, and take the Trolley to the Hotel from there. Very Important: We do not recommend that you park at the Fashion Valley Mall for ConFurence, as cars left in their lots for more than 3 hours may be ticketed or towed.

Transportation, for those not driving...

For those arriving to San Diego by air, the shuttle service from San Diego International Airport to our hotel is called Cloud 9. Shuttle trips to the Town & Country Hotel are available at a discount rate of $8.00 per person per direction. For information on shuttle stops at the airport, or to make reservations, call (800) 974-8885 from inside California, or (619) 278-8877 from outside California.

I Caught A Train! I Caught A Train I Diiiiid!

The Amtrak San Diegan Line heads south from Los Angeles and Orange County about every $70.00 minutes during weekday mornings. [It ends up in downtown San Diego.] And of course, San Diego has one of the premiere trolley services in America! The Day Tripper pass grants you unlimited use of the trolleys for very reasonable prices. They are:

One-Day Tripper: $5.00 / Two-Day Tripper: $8.00

Three-Day Tripper: $10.00 / Four-Day Tripper: $12.00

Day Tripper Passes can be purchased at any Trolley station. The Town & Country Hotel is on the Trolley Blue Line, just south of the Fashion Valley Center Station. From either Lindbergh Field (San Diego International Airport) or the Santa Fe Depot (where the San Diegan ends up) take San Diego bus route 992 to the Fourth Street stop, and walk to the Trolley Station to catch the Blue Line.

Let's Den Up!

If you are interested in sharing a room at ConFurence Ten, or if you have a room and could use some extra bodies, please give us a call at the ConFurence phone number. (Or, if you can, e-mail mink@firstlight.net.) We'll ask you some pertinent questions, and pass along the information to other interested furries. But hurry! Also, look for the Room Sharing info on the Scent Post bulletin boards at the convention.

The Den of Dealers

As of this time, the Den of Dealer's is sold out for ConFurence Ten. If you've called us and you're on our waiting list, please, bring your stuff! We'll try our best to find room for you in our Artists' Alley, or perhaps in the Den of Dealers itself -- cancellations do happen, sometimes at the last minute!

The Artists' Alley remains one of the most popular features of any ConFurence! Tables in the pre-convene area are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis only, with sign-ups each morning at 9:45 am -- sharp! The Artists’ Alley tables will be removed each evening to make more room upstairs. The tables along Publisher's Row are assigned through previous arrangements with ConFurence -- and currently, they're all filled up!

Important Information for Dealers: The Den of Dealers is located in the Presidio Room, in the north-west portion of our Hotel. The room has a large roll-up door, which will be open from 6 am to 10 am on Friday. (The room opens to the Con at 10:30 am on Friday.) We'll have ConFurence staff on hand to help you load in. Once you arrive, a Dealer's Den Map will be available to show you the way to your table. Dealers do not have to register their memberships and receive their badges prior to setting up their tables -- but they must do so immediately after setting up! Special colored hand-stamps will be available for dealers and their helpers during set-up and tear-down, to help our security know who should and shouldn’t be in the room then. New for ConFurence Ten: The Den of Dealers will have its own desk, right at the front of the room, where you can bring your concerns, buy your memberships for ConFurence 11, and where you pick up your membership badges and supplies for ConFurence Ten!

Dealers: The State wants their Cut!

Remember, in order to deal at a trade show in the state of California, you must have a State of California Tax ID number assigned to you. For more information, call the California Franchise Tax Board, or contact our Dealer Staff Lead, Steve Corbett. Soon! We must have your Tax ID Number on record before your table will be allowed to open.

One More Important Note for Dealers

Materials of an adult or erotic nature (ConFurence’s discretion) MUST be kept covered, and/or out of reach of younger furs. That’s official ConFurence policy, and it will be enforced. Contact Steve Corbett for more information.

The Art Show

We've done it again! We've filled up our huge ConFurence Ten Art Show to the very walls -- and we are sold out of panels as of this writing! From this point, at-the-door sales of art show panels will be allowed only if there are last-minute cancellations, and only on Thursday and Friday (the 1st and 2nd) if that. Our thanks go to the many artists, print-makers and sculptors who are participating in our show this year. If you've registered and you're bringing art to hang/display/sell, please note that Art Show set-up will be taking place starting Thursday morning, with the show to open early Friday. The Art Show and all of its business will take place in Regency Hall, in the east portion of the Hotel. Once again this year the ConFurence art show will feature two voice-auctions, Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. Further information will be available at the con.

And Here's A Look At Some Of The Events We'll Be Bringing You...

A quick overview of daily stuff: Thursday will actually have some meetings and presentations this time out, and of course the Video Theater, the Pearl Possum, and Artists’ Alley will be up and running. Thursday Night it's time for the return of Club Tekno-Fur, followed by the gothic dance event Nevermore at midnight. Friday will start off with the Meet The Guests reception/meeting for our GOH's and other guests. Friday night it's the Ice Cream Social (included in the price of your admission!); our annual Filk Song Contest, and another special Filk Concert with Cynthia McQuillin and other special guests. Ending up Friday night is the return of The Purple Nurple Live, direct from FurryMuck to you! Saturday brings our famous Costume Presentation. Saturday night things really get moving: Munch on the buffet at our Saturday Night Furry Feed (a separate ticket item), see the first art auction, shake it up at the FurSuit Dance, come to the famous Cabaret Fur le Dance (also a separate ticket item -- for adults!), or check out something brand new at The Lining (from Tapestries - and also for adults). Sunday it's time for some rest, but only so you can get up for the second art auction, and the very first ConFurence Easter Egg Hunt. Also look for The Dog & Pony Show on Sunday, where creators of furry materials try to sell you on their latest stuff. (Let us know if you want to sign up!) See the ConFurence General Store (near Artists' Alley) for information on prices and availability of separate ticket items, and check out our Information station to find out more about our big happenings!

More Information On Special Events

-- The Costume SIG and other FurSuit Stuff

Your opportunity to show off what you can do with furry costuming comes on Saturday afternoon at our Costume Presentation. This two-hour program shows off the handiwork of costumers from throughout furrydom (with photo opportunities), followed later in the day by a popular vote for the two best costumes (one amateur, and one who’s been at this a while). The fursuit makers themselves will also have an opportunity to vote in the Pier Awards, recognizing technical excellence in construction and performance. Returning for ConFurence Ten is the FurSuit Lounge, where furry costumers can let their fur down and meet with their fellows. In the lounge, costumers from around the country will be on hand and available to discuss the materials and methods they use to bring us their creations in several special workshops. Sign-up sheets and other info for the Costume Presentation will be available at the ConFurence Information Desk. AND, don’t forget: Saturday night it’s time for another FurSuit Dance… always one of our biggest events.

-- The Saturday Night Furry Feed

Another ConFurence tradition -- stuffing yourself on Saturday! The Town & Country’s buffet will feature loads of goodies to fit all tastes and needs (including special diets). Tickets are available from the General Store, and include and a drink for only $10.00 per person. Eating times are staggered to keep the crowd down -- so make sure and check your ticket!

-- The Cabaret Fur le Dance

By now a ConFurence tradition, the Saturday night Cabaret show features lively music and hot dancing by skillful male and female dancers, plus costumes and skits -- yes, there's adult-oriented material here (at least in some parts of the show!), so the show is for over-18's, sorry! Proceeds from the Cabaret benefit various local charities. Tickets can again be purchased at the General Store for $10.00.

-- Filking

ConFurence strives to be a filk-friendly con. The Pearl Possum will again be set aside on Friday and Saturday night for fans who want to get together and sing about their favorite furries. Once again on Friday night it's time for the annual furry filk lyric contest, with the winner picked by a popular vote. What? You don't sing or play? Why, just bring your lyrics along -- we'll have someone perform them for you. Immediately after comes the ConFurence Ten Filk Concert, featuring: Windbourne, Michael Payne, Cynthia McQuillin, Dr. Jane Robinson, and Leslie Fish!

-- The Video Theater - Through the Day and Night!

Once again, our Video Theater will be running 24 hours a day from Thursday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, will feature many animated features and TV shows, anime originals, translations (serious and otherwise!), short films, furry commercials, and other nifty stuff. Find the Video GuideBooks at Registration or Information, follow the signs, and head toward the flickering lights! (Upstairs, over the Den of Dealers)

-- Gaming

Always a popular pastime with lots of furries, whether the game is Albedo, Other Suns, TMNT, Werewolf, or Teenagers From Outer Space! Gaming space will be available at ConFurence out by the Lanai Pool. Sign-ups for games and game masters will be kept right outside the gaming rooms, and a schedule can be found near Con Information

Discount Tickets to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park!

We’re happy to announce that ConFurence 10 will be selling special "Convention Days" discount packages for admission to the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park! The Zoo Package is a $24 value (but you pay less!), which includes admission to all areas of the Zoo and all shows, one bus tour, and one round trip pass (or two one-way passes) on "Skyfari" (the aerial gondola over the zoo). The Wild Animal Park Package includes admission to all areas of the Wild Animal Park, all shows, and one tram tour around the park. Tickets will be available at the ConFurence General Store, as well as information about dates and hours that the tickets are valid.

(For those who’ve asked: Sea World will not be selling discount tickets. However, they do have group discounts for 15 or more people, and California residents currently receive a 10% discount on admission.)

Religious Observations

In honor of our new time of year, ConFurence Ten will present our first annual religious ceremonies. A Passover Seder will be held on Thursday night, a Pagan Spring Equinox celebration on Saturday morning, and a non-denominational Easter celebration on Sunday morning. Check the daily newsletter for more information.

A Few Important Policy Reminders for ConFurence. Hey! Read These!

-- Weapons Policy

For the length of ConFurence Ten, all real, realistic, or simulated weapons must be peace-bonded with ribbon. This includes any sort of gun, knife (above 4" total), sword, whip, or other such item which could cause damage. Yes, that does include Silly String! ConFurence security will be enforcing this! If you have a weapon which needs to be displayed as part of the Costume Presentation, you need to make special arrangements with both the Security and Costume Show staff ahead of time - preferably prior to the con, in writing.

-- Smoking Policy

California State law forbids smoking in many public places, such as hotel lobbies, restaurants, and bars. Therefore, smoking is not going to be allowed in most parts of the Town & Country Hotel where ConFurence is taking place. Smoking is allowed in individual sleeping rooms, and will be allowed in the lounges - IF, and only if, you use a smoke-catching air-filtered ashtray. Outside the hotel, you’re on your own.

-- Hanging Policy

Official policy at the Town & Country Hotel forbids anyone from hanging any sort of sign or banner on a wall surface, no matter what kind of tape or fastener you use. Those who try will find themselves paying a fine - and it’s not small. Don’t worry, we’ll have lots of easels and note-boards up for you to put up important messages - just make sure you use them!

The Price

Tell your friends that three-day memberships to ConFurence Ten are available at the door for $35.00. And a full year of In-Fur-Nation, plus our special annual ConFurence Souvenir Collection Book, are all included in the price of membership! And remember, if they cannot migrate to this part of the world, they’re 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! Got it? :)

For those planning on buying memberships at the door, daily prices will be: $15.00 for Thursday and Friday (combined), $20.00 for Saturday, $15.00 for Sunday, $25.00 for Saturday and Sunday (combined), and $35.00 for all four days. Converting your membership at the door works like this: Supporting to Attending: $15.00. Attending to Sponsor: $30.00 - $79.00. Sponsor to Super Sponsor: Whatever brings your total up to $100.00 or more. Attending to Super Sponsor: $75.00 or more.

Registering at the Convention

ConFurence Registration will be located in the Mission Foyer, near the Den of Dealers. It will divided into three parts: Pre-registered members with last names between A-L, Pre-registered members with last names between M-Z, and new At-The-Door registration. For Pre-Registered Members, sign your name next to the name and address in the Reg Book, and check your name spelling and address for correctness. (If anything is not correct, please write in the correct information next to your name!) For At The Door Registration, fill out a new member form (press hard, it's carbon!), hand over your money (cash, check, or money order only, please), and make sure to get your receipt copy! For any and all Converting Memberships, go to At The Door Registration, point out what you wish to upgrade from and to, sign next to your name if asked to, and hand over the appropriate amount of money. At Registration you'll be handed a packet with your con badge, your souvenir book, your pocket program, your video schedule, and other neat stuff! Remember, special membership badges are handed out to furries who're under 18 years of age -- so be prepared to show ID at Registration if you fur isn't quite dragging the ground yet! Another important thing: We must have a real name associated with a real face for each and every badge handed out. We have to know who your 'guests' are before we'll give them (or you) their badge!

Important Note on Registration, for Special Guests and Pre-Paid Sponsors and Super Sponsors Only:

As an added bonus, our special guests of ConFurence, Sponsors, and Super Sponsors (pre-paid, not converting) can bi-pass a good portion of the Registration lines! If you're a Special Guest, a Sponsor, or a Super Sponsor, please follow the signs to the special Express Lane. Your badges, packets, and ribbons will be waiting for you there. Not certain if you're a Sponsor, Super, or Guest? Check the lists at Information!

What Kind of a Member are You?

The key to what sort of membership you have with ConFurence is located right beneath your name, on the mailing label of this very In-Fur-Nation. It goes like this: The first two digits are the year of the con; 99 for 1999. The next four digits are the member number, from 0001-9999. The letter after that is the membership type: A = Attending, N = Non-Attending (supporting), D = Dealer (plus number of tables), B = Dealer’s 2nd membership, P = Sponsor, U = Super Sponsor, G = Guest, H = Guest of Honor, R = Artist (plus number of panels/tables reserved), S = Staff, and M = Media/Press. Got it?

Missing Furs!

The following folks are members of ConFurence Ten, but their In-Fur-Nations have bounced back to us with no forwarding address. Can you help us find them?

Sean Holland

Joshua Lovell

Chris Prynoski

ConFurence's Little Helpers...

Our Sponsors

Sponsors are the special furries who help keep ConFurence going by giving a little bit (or a lot bit!) of extra financial help. That's money for transporting, lodging, and feeding our special guests, as well as off-setting complimentary memberships. To become a sponsor, just contribute a minimum of $30.00 over and above your membership fee. Indicate which of our special guests this money is to help toward; or if you can't decide, just mark it "general fund" - that’s automatically ear-marked for our Guests of Honor. What do you get for being a sponsor? Besides being mentioned by name in the Souvenir Book, sponsors are the only folks (besides staff and guests) allowed in the Sponsor Lounge, a special place set aside where folks can relax away from the hubbub of the con. The food is good and the company is lively. And sponsors get special seating at the Fur le Dance Cabaret (with the purchase of a regular ticket -- after all, it's for charity!) and the Costume Presentation. Plus, Sponsors get -- our unending gratitude!

Our Super-Dooper Sponsors! (No, we’re not THAT silly yet…)

Super Sponsors are people who really want to help out the convention -- and think they deserve something special in return. Supers sponsors are those crazy, er, wonderful people willing to contribute $100.00 or more toward our special guests. Super Sponsors get all the same neat stuff as other Sponsors, plus some extra snazzy foodstuffs in the VIP Lounge (Guests and Super-Sponsors only allowed!). Other neat perks include front-row seats at the Fur le Dance Cabaret (again, that's with the charity purchase of your ticket for the FLD show) and the Costume Presentation. We even bug our Guests of Honor to come up with some little, unique gifts that they can send your way… we’ll let you know what we find! What, you don't have $100.00 sitting around? Why, 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! [Important Note: Keep in mind, you're not actually a Sponsor until we get the actual $50.00 or more, and not a Super until we get the full $100.00 or more. So, if you're making installments, you might not get your name in the Souvenir Book, say, if you take a while to get yourself paid up! But, we promise -- we'll acknowledge you as soon as you do!]

ANOTHER Special Note for Sponsors and Supers...

We've had several people who have actively requested help from ConFurence to get out here, so they might join us and be part of the program. It would be very helpful to us if any Sponsors or Super Sponsors willing to would earmark some or all of their contributions (already made) toward helping out specific well-known furs. Besides our four guests of honor (Patricia Wrede, Mary Hanson-Roberts, Cynthia McQuillin, and The Carspeckens) whom we can always use help for, the folks asking about Sponsorship include: Joe and Trish Ny (artists and ConFurence East collaborators), Carla Speed MacNeil (comic book artist), Mike and Carole Curtis (comic book writers and publishers), Jim Groat (comic book creator), Dusty Rhodes (artist) and Lynn Kurtz (Cabaret FLD dancer). Several of the artistic folks here have already said they'd be willing to maybe do up some special print runs just for their sponsors. So, if you'd like to ear-mark some of your funds to some of the needy, why not give the ConFurence phone number a call, or e-mail mink@firstlight.net .

Our Staff

We can always use more staff to help keep things running smoothly at ConFurence! What does it take? Sixteen hours (minimum) of your time over the length of the con (though more is always appreciated!) helping out with Registration, Art Show shuffling and paperwork, sound and lighting for the shows and dances, and all kinds of stuff it takes to pull off a con like this one. What do you get for all this? 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. [Remember though, you do have to buy a membership first, do the work, then you'll be credited for your membership!] Want more info on ConFurence volunteering? Just send a note to Rod O'Riley at the ConFurence address (or mink@firstlight.net ) and he'll send you out a Volunteer Information Packet right away! If you'd like to volunteer at the Con itself, or if you have signed up for staff and need to check in, just head up to the desk with the sign in nice big friendly letters that says Volunteers (it's downstairs, next to Information).

Furries on the Wing -- Follow de Bat!

ConFurence has its own official travel agency, 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.

The Great Furry Migration

Looking to carpool or caravan your way to ConFurence Ten? Give us a call on the ConFurence phone (or e-mail us) and give us some pertinent information about what you need or what you're offering. We'll pass the info along to others in your area (or path) who'd like to ride share.

The Times, They Are A'Changin'... Maybe!

(Note: These times are tentative! Check at the con itself to make sure!) ConFurence Ten opens officially at 3:00 pm on Thursday the 1st. That means the Lounges, the main SIG Room, and the Video Theater will be open -- Art Show and Den of Dealers will be setting up still, after 12:00 noon. [Artists' Alley will be open for anyone who wants to sit down; no sign-up needed.] The other three days, things get started at 10:00 am each morning -- that is, Con Registration and the Artists' Alley. Dealers can get access to the Dealers' Den starting at 9:00 am each morning, and sign-ups for Artists' Alley take place promptly at 9:45 am each morning. Con Registration will close at 8:00 pm on Friday, 7:00 pm on Saturday, and at 1:00 pm on Sunday. (ConFurence 11 Registration will begin Sunday morning.) The Den of Dealers will be open from 10:30 am - 7:00 pm on Friday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm on Saturday, and 10:00 am - 5:00 pm on Sunday. Information regarding viewing and bidding times for the Art Show, the auctions, and other such information will be posted on the door of the Art Show, and published in the Con Newsletter when possible. The Video Theater Schedule will be available in separate booklets at Con Registration. The whole kitten kaboodle closes down at 5:00 pm on Sunday.

Important Reminders About Registration - Where Do I Go?

REGULAR MEMBERS - Con Registration, in the Mission Foyer
SPONSORS, SUPER SPONSORS, GUESTS - Express Lanes, in the Mission Foyer
     (Follow the Signs).
CON STAFF - Go to Con Information (Mission Foyer) first, then follow directions.
DEALERS, PUBLISHERS’ ROW - Go to the Den of Dealers, Mission Ballroom, Presidio Room.
ARTISTS HANGING ART - Go to the Art Show, in the Regency Ballroom.

Keep Ahead of the Game!

How do you stay on top of the latest schedule changes, additions, deletions, and other need-to-know items at ConFurence Ten? Simple! Just pick up the latest issue of The Scratching Post, our half-daily newsletter of events and information. And for getting your questions answered by a living being, just stop by our handy Information Table, located downstairs in the lobby. Have something you need to tell the furs? Drop off your message at Information The Scratching Post will get the word around!

Happy Spring Holidays, everyone! Happy you’ve joined our warren! We’ll see you at ConFurence Ten!