A preference for furries (and manga too!)

[Col]

I've always wondered this, and let me just say first of all that I'm not critiquing anyone's preference or whatever. This isn't an attack or flame, I just want to pick some brains. (Mmmm, brains...)

It seems to me that if a person makes an anthropomorphic comic or if a person likes them, then they like them A LOT. They read tons of them, and sometimes only that kind too. Why is that? We've established why people choose to make their comics with furries, but why do people like to read those types of comics so much?

This is a completely serious question on my part, because personally, I like to have a lot of variety to my comic reading, from superheroes, to bibliography, to underground, to manga, to furry, and anything in between. Why is it that some people ONLY want to read furry comics? Or manga, for that matter? I guess you could say it's a preference of genre, like some people prefer mystery novels over science fiction, but it still just kind of baffles me that people are so obsessed with one exclusive type. I started wondering this when the manga/anime craze hit, and now I see it in furries too.

And on a side note, you really don't see furries that have bodies that aren't the equivalent of models. Where are the fat furries, I ask you?!?

[Esoterik]

I find it kind of odd too. I like furry comics and read a bunch, but I still read ones like PA, Digital War, White Hydra, and a bunch I really can't think of right now.

I guess one reason (for many people) is that animals doing human things is more interesting than humans doing human things.

In any case, I don't really mind. I do happen to read more furry comics than non-furry comics. But hey, that's just me.

And there's a whole sub-fandom dedicated to fat furries... it kind of creeps me out myself, but there's nothing really wrong with it. I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say it's weird, or anything! I might not like what you like, but I still respect that.

[K-Dawg]

I just read what I like. No matter what it is.

[Rkolter]

There are comics with fat furries. I remember reading 'em. I just don't recall the names of the strips.

I can think of a couple perks for furries.

1) If you screw up drawing a furry, nobody may notice; if you screw up drawing a human, someone will.

2) With furries, reader disassociation is built in. Human utopias aren't the norm. You can do a furry utopia and people will just accept it. If you want wolves to be racist against foxes, you can do that; if you try to portray that level of racism in a human society, you're limited to taking existing races that your readers might actually be, and stereotyping them.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

I like using animals because I think they're fun. You can have certain characters with traits that are totally contrary to that animal's natural behavior. Or you can totally play along to the natural behavior of a certain animal.

Some of my favorite comics happen to be non furry actually. I highly reccommend anything by Robert Crumb and Dan Clowes. Anyone who likes underground and general nonmainstream comics owe a lot to Crumb. In fact, go out to a video rental store and rent a movie called Crumb right now. Well, I guess some of his stuff could be considered furry, but it's a very small percentage, and his body of work has spanned several decades. By the way, if anyone has seen a film called Fritz the Cat, he, hates that movie. Fritz was his creation, and this film was made without his permission. I believe it was made by the guy who gave us Cool World *shudder*.

[Mr.Bob]

I like Bugs Bunny.



(Not in that way you filthy pervert!)

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

I like Bugs Bunny.



(Not in that way you filthy pervert!)

Garth
"...did you ever find bugs bunny attractive when he put on a dress and played a girl bunny?"

Wayne
"...no....heh heh heh ha ha ha ha!
No!"

Garth
"...me niether, I was just asking."

[Esoterik]

2) With furries, reader disassociation is built in. Human utopias aren't the norm. You can do a furry utopia and people will just accept it. If you want wolves to be racist against foxes, you can do that; if you try to portray that level of racism in a human society, you're limited to taking existing races that your readers might actually be, and stereotyping them.

I like using animals because I think they're fun. You can have certain characters with traits that are totally contrary to that animal's natural behavior. Or you can totally play along to the natural behavior of a certain animal.

This is pretty much the reason I like 'em.

[Vorticus]

And on a side note, you really don't see furries that have bodies that aren't the equivalent of models. Where are the fat furries, I ask you?!?

I think you just answered your own question for a large segement of that population.

[Stinkywigfiddle]

And on a side note, you really don't see furries that have bodies that aren't the equivalent of models. Where are the fat furries, I ask you?!?

Some of them are over at supermegatopia.com

I don't draw furries and I'm not a huge fan of them, but I do like comics that are similar in style to mine. So I guess it's sort of the same.
Or it could be that since they get so much grief for their style, they feel like they should stick together.

[Ratbert]

Personally, I believe that furry comics are pretty appealing because they are not only more interesting than normal comics (because they are generally in the minority to comics with humans) but also because they also help define personality. So, like, a fox is the heroic character, a turtle is slow and a rabbit is quick (and witty).

Plus they're more fun to draw.

[Luprand]

It seems to me that if a person makes an anthropomorphic comic or if a person likes them, then they like them A LOT. They read tons of them, and sometimes only that kind too. Why is that? We've established why people choose to make their comics with furries, but why do people like to read those types of comics so much?

As with a lot of things, it depends. While I draw furry stuff, I draw other stuff as well; the bigger thing that defines what I draw and read is what's funny. There's enough controversy, drama, and depressing endings in real life to have to put myself through it in my entertainment more than rarely.

Why is it that some people ONLY want to read furry comics? Or manga, for that matter?

Why do people only watch soap operas? Or the daily news? Why do some people only read penny-dreadful romances or Star Wars novels? Why do reality shows still exist after all this time? Why is my roommate obsessed with Marvel and DC? I honestly dunno.

And on a side note, you really don't see furries that have bodies that aren't the equivalent of models. Where are the fat furries, I ask you?!?

You just haven't looked hard enough. Start at http://fatfurs.co.uk and look around, follow their link buttons ... you'll find waaaaay more than you were looking for, most of which is frankly disgusting (but that's an essay I won't bore you with).

--Sij

[CJBurgandy]

I'm not a major Furry fan, but if the comic has a good story and the art is good, I will read it. And I did grow up watching cartoons that could be concidered Furry... Bugs bunny, Mickey Mouse, Darkwing Duck, Chip N' Dales Rescue Rangers, Tiny Toons and such.

one of my friends keeps wanting to do a furry colaberation with me (he writes, I draw) but we never got past character design. The idea has since died off.

[Wp]

I read primarily manga/anime comics because I like the art and typically the way stories progress. I even like many of their cliches. But mostly for the art. Manga also tends to be more expressive and dynamic than typical American comics, which don't tend to have speed lines and blur effects and such. They also don't have exaggerated forms like chibi and detailed eyes.

However, manga don't make good gag comics for some reason. Most of the story/action based comics I read are manga-ish to some extent whereas most of the gag comics I read are an independent style.

[Dutch!]

To be honest I see a 'furry' comic and I think, 'oh well, what could have been'...although I did love watching Gummi Bears when I was a kid...Perhaps it's because most of the ones I have seen appear to be the same cliches in other styles of comics, just with more body hair, I dunno.

If I don't want to read another dorm buddy comic, having fur isn't gonna make any difference.

Mind you, I've never been interested in eastern style cartoons either...I suppose I just don't get them.

Heh...probably makes me a minority in my own right, not reading those two styles...

Mind you, go right ahead and make them as much as you want...a lot of those comics are well above me on the Keen Rankings! 8)

Never said I was right, just said I was honest

[Soap Soaperson]

I've read an unfortunate few volumes of the style I adore so much ($$$). I like to draw it for the reasons WP gave: it's so EXPRESSIVE! Not to say that other cartoon/comic styles are not, I just really like the over-the-topness of it all.

I'm otherwise very open when it comes to other styles. I read webcomics of about every genre - just about. That's one thing I really love about webcomics, that the variety of styles is so vast. Sometimes if I see someone draw a particular way and I like a tiny aspect of it, I'll adopt it into my style for a trial-run.

But while we're on the subject, I would like to say that it ticks me off when an artist/passerby sees my sketchbook and remarks, "Oh God, that's like, Sailor Moon and Pokiemaaan, ain't it? So, do you only draw JAPANIME cartoons? *supressed, mocking laugh at my expense*"

My reply: "No, no! I also draw realistically...See? SEE?" I automatically feel like I have to prove myself 'worthy' whenever someone notices me draw manga-styled art - like it's the lowest form of art there is.

Of course I don't expect everyone to take manga seriously -- shoot, sometimes I hardly do. But it's rather rude to dismiss an artist as crap just because he/she likes to draw in that style.

I feel the same way about furries, and many other underappreciated art styles. There are too many artists that love their styles, but don't get much slack. *pats*

[Stinkywigfiddle]

For it to be so underappreciated, it sure are popular.

[Jim North]

And on a side note, you really don't see furries that have bodies that aren't the equivalent of models. Where are the fat furries, I ask you?!?

Mouse in my comic is pretty chunky. Of course, this makes him fall into another cliche entirely, that of the fat, introverted, unpopular high school geek.

Aaaanyway, though I'm both a furry and - to a far lesser degree, though I'm trying to get into it more - manga fan, I can't help with why people obsess completely over certain genres. I read a wide variety of webcomics, myself. Some folks just like to zero in on certain things to the exclusion of all else 'cause it makes 'em happy enough that they don't feel like they need anything else, I guess.

[Sippan]

Most furries are terribly cute, most people are evil bastards who deserve to die.

[Soap Soaperson]

For it to be so underappreciated, it sure are popular.

Not for an astounding number of art professors and peer artists. I hear a lot of bashing from both.