FWA 2025 Postmortem (better late than never)

this convention has most definitely gotten too big for its breeches. and the sad part is…i don’t think they were honestly expecting that.

last year was definitely crowded. and with just about everything crammed into the Marriott, it felt really congested. this year, though, they had a little bit more space but it somehow still felt worse. not being able to use the central Marriott escalators was absolutely a big part of that. everyone got rerouted to the stairs or the back escalators, which were always busy, but never quite “2019 Dragon Con on Saturday night” busy. despite the number of attendees, things seemed to move relatively smoothly for the short while i was there.

the virtual queue system, however…

it seems to have been implemented at the very last minute because the convention was essentially forced to do so, given the projected attendance. it also seems to have been a desire to keep out of the sights of the fire marshal that really motivated this late addition to the crap we had to manage.

because of it, i wasn’t able to visit the dealer’s room, the artist’s alley, or the moonlight festival thing because all the spots for the day were already taken. and i was not about to sit on some standby waitlist to maybe have a chance of entering. probably for the best, considering how broke i am.

speaking of which, this convention sure had a great way of reminding me just how broke and boring of a life i lead on the day-to-day. i realize that most of the people showing off their outfits and suits and hoods had spent a while saving up, slowly acquiring pieces until the whole look is complete.

still, i saw quite a few definitely brand-new suits that had just been paid for mere weeks before.

a long time ago this fandom used to be about the community of people it fostered with the shared interest in anthro animals. now it seems like it’s increasingly about how much money you can sink into the most unique, flashy, and (if you can swing it) horny outfit possible. which you then proceed to parade across all the important events at the convention to See And Be Seen.

i do want a fursuit of my own, eventually. i want a neat bespoke rubber hood that looks like the character i choose to identify with. i want to be invited to the fun parties where shenanigans happen.

but i don’t live that kind of life. and i don’t have those kinds of friends. and i’m not sure i ever will at this point. my one local attempt seems much more interested in literally everyone else under the sun, despite crediting me with inspiring their love of rubber.

maybe i’m just getting old and jaded. maybe i’m just bitter because i didn’t plan for these things or grab them when i had more of a chance.