Anthrocon 2024

Cultural groups may not realize the importance of historical preservation until after knowledge and artifacts have been lost or discarded. Come join a discussion about the challenges of preserving furry history, where the fandom stands today and what needs to be done in the future to build the institutions and infrastructure to preserve the past. This is the third installment of the panel with new content and an group discussion about what aspects of the current fandom should be focused on for preservation.

2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the original Godzilla film! Join fellow Kaiju lovers in discussing the history of the King of the Monsters and our love of all things Kaiju & Tokusatsu! Who would win? Godzilla or Gamera? Who's more datable? King Kong or Ultraman? Join us for a fun time talking giant monsters and their place in the furry fandom!

Join Randy Ringtail as he brings the game of Big Bucks and No Whammies back to Anthrocon! Contestants will compete in three wild and unpredictable matches with prizes awarded to the winner of each game!

All of you kids get off the lawn!! This is for greymuzzles who want to look at the latest research in “successful aging,” with topics focused on “train your brain” and social strategies to get the best out of the second half of your life.

From the Worldcon July 4th weekend in 1939, the first 3-Day fan convention, to this July 4th Weekend in Pittsburgh, we celebrate a triumphant journey of the history of fan conventions. Let’s look back on how we got here, the birth of the hotel block, party floor, cosplay masquerade, artist alley, dealers hall, programming track, filk music, all the way to us furries and everything we brought to the scene. A special 2024 panel presented by Convention History and the Brave New World comic series in a year-long celebration of 85 years of conventions. This panel is dedicated to our dear friend Sy/Mark Merlino.

"🎉 Welcome to the third annual Beat Saber Tournament at Anthrocon, the ultimate fusion of rhythm, competition, and furry fun! 🎵
Step into the neon-lit arena, where the beats thump and the sabers slice through the air with electrifying precision. As the crowd gathers, the anticipation mounts for an epic showdown between the most skilled rhythm warriors in the furry community.
🎮 With controllers in hand and determination in their eyes, our furry contestants face off in heart-pounding battles, each one vying for the title of Beat Saber champion. The atmosphere crackles with excitement as the players unleash their furry fury on the virtual stage.
🏆 As the tournament progresses, the stakes rise higher and higher, with each round bringing more intense rhythms and mind-bending challenges. Spectators cheer and gasp as competitors navigate through a dazzling array of beats and obstacles, their every move scrutinized by a panel of expert judges.
🎶 But amidst the pulsating lights and thunderous applause, only two challengers will emerge victorious, rising up the brackets to claim their rightful place in furry gaming glory. Who will have the speed, the skill, and the sheer furry determination to come out on top?
Join us at Anthrocon for an unforgettable celebration of music, gaming, and furry camaraderie as we crown the Beat Saber champion of the furry world. Don't miss out on the action-packed excitement of the third annual Beat Saber Tournament – it's going to be a fur-tastic ride! 🐾
Hardware that is to be used are Valve Index and Controllers and HTC Vive Pro Wants. Follow me on X (Formally Twitter) to stay up to date on sign ups!! X - @Kazztheaussie"

"It was a dark and stormy night," except then it wasn't. Come join the game where you compose the next line of the story, and we all vote which line we like the best. That becomes the next line in the story and we repeat this process until we create a masterpiece!

Obsessed with plaid? Addicted to flannel? Having troubles with your car? THEN SOLVE IT WITH MORE FLANNEL! Come join Ahanu The Hyena and Co. as we take you on the amazing journey that is plaid, fashion, obsessions, and asking the truest question in the world “Does plaid go with stripes?” Best plaid outfit wins a special prize! ;3

18+ for Coarse Language and Innuendo

Ever wondered what makes furries tick? Explore the weird and wonderful world of Furry Psychology with Dr. Nuka and the FurScience team! Learn what a team of social scientists have discovered from more than a decade of studying tens of thousands of furries from around the world in this fun (and educational!) talk. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a veteran greymuzzle, you're guaranteed to learn something new!

A companion to our 90 Years of Conventions panel, this panel looks at the historian of modern fandom and the early roots of furry fandom. From the anthropomorphic heroes of early science fiction and fantasy zines from the 1930’s, to the talking animals in the funnies, cartoon animals in comics, cartoons, and animation, to the fanzines which gave rise to Steve Gallacci’s Albedo, the birth of the Cartoon Fantasy Organization, and birth of furry room parties and furry cons. This panel is dedicated to furry pioneer Mark Merlino and celebrates 90 years since the founding of the SFL, the first organized fan club.

AI models have exploded in popularity in the last five years. Suddenly, anyone on the internet can generate images with mere prompts, raising many questions about how to protect and respect the amazing artists in our community. In this panel, we'll talk about how AI models work, what they really do with those gigantic datasets, and what the data-to-AI pipeline looks like (from the perspective of individual users all the way up to the megacorps). We'll also talk about the current tools for artists to defend against unwanted AI behavior, such as copyright, data poisoning methods, and adversarial patches.

Come and join us for our annual charity auction to raise funds for our 2024 Charity: Grey Paws!

Ever wondered where our reverence of animals & respect for nature comes from? Curious about the curios? Come by & learn all about ancient religions of western antiquity & beyond, how they’re practiced in modernity & how you can customize your own spiritual work. Whether a full-on spiritualist or just starting to dip your toes in, all are welcome to learn!