How did Disney inspire Furry fandom? A look at early influences by Fred Patten.
by Patch O'Furr
Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.
How Disney Influenced Furry Fandom is an artist’s thoughts shared in this week’s Newsdump.
(Patch:) Furry artist Joe Rosales focuses on California fandom in its formative years, including fursuiting. It concludes that Disney should get major credit. I liked it, but it doesn’t give enough credit for sci fi fandom, and misses early fursuiters like Robert Hill who were not professional (and not G-rated, either.) The unnamed animator must be Shawn Keller, maker of the notorious Furry Fans flash animation and comic. (If he didn’t want to be named, he shouldn’t have published “Shawn Keller’s Horrifying Look at The Furries.“)
I sent it to Fred Patten and asked for his thoughts. In between, a similar media article happened on a psychic wavelength:
Here’s what Fred wrote in response to the first one.
(Fred:) This is very good, but you’re giving Disney credit for too much influence.
First, define early furry fandom. 1980 to … 1983? 1985? 1990? Don’t forget, by 1980 and for the next decade, Walt Disney and the Disney Studio were pretty much Old History. Carl Barks was retired. In comics, Marvel’s Howard the Duck (Steve Gerber), DC’s Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! (Scott Shaw!), and Pacific Comics’ Destroyer Duck (Jack Kirby) were the New Wave; the new influences. In underground comix, there were Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton. In independent comics, there were Steve Leialoha and Michael Gilbert in Quack!. … (Fred, what about the great Bucky O’Hare comic? – Patch)
