Funny or Furry?
One of the most unexpected things about doing ‘My Cage’ is that we occasionally get the odd angry accusation about being a ‘furry strip’, which apparently some people don’t like because they see ‘furry strips’ as being some kind of perversion or something.
I dunno.
To tell you the truth, I never knew there was such a thing as a ‘furry’ until I started researching potential artists for the strip about 5 years ago. I was actually kind of surprised by the concept, and when I asked friends and family if they’d ever heard of it, they hadn’t either.
Truth is I’m a ‘funny animal’ fan. Growing up I loved all the anthropomorphic cartoons and puppets on TV. Everything from Disney to Looney Tunes to Hanna Barbera to the Muppets. Even on the comics pages I enjoyed Snoopy and Woodstock more then I did Charlie Brown and Linus (and I LOVED me the kids in ‘Peanuts’).
Anyway, in 1982 at the ripe old age of 10 I discovered the comic strip Pogo (thanks to the movie ‘Pogo for President’ airing on HBO) and a little comic book known as ‘Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew’ was first published by DC Comics. Both did something that had never occurred to me…they got rid of all the ‘less-interesting-than-the-anthropomorphic-animals’ human characters. I was sold. I suddenly started doodling only in cartoon animals.
As for why ‘My Cage’ is drawn in an ‘anime-esque’ style? Well, that’s another story all together. And one I really should tell.
But anyway, now that that’s explained, there are probably people out there wondering about my opinion on ‘furries’. Truth is, I don’t really have one. I’m mean, it’s not my thing, but I’m not a judgmental person either. To me, if you’ve found something that makes you happy and doesn’t hurt anyone, good for you. We only have about 80 some-odd years on this world, so if you can go through it happy, all the better.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch my daughter’s new favorite cartoon with her…”Krypto, the Super-Dog”. 
Be happy.
-Ed Power
Cage Writer
November 11th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Heh, I remember when I first started working with you on character design and you said the syndicate wanted “furry”. My inner immature adolescent (who knew of the adult fetish) giggled. But I knew they just wanted “anthropomorphic”. Which can refer to a lot, actually… my strip is about 2 aliens disguised as dogs (as you know, Ed), and I was nominated a couple times for “best anthro comic”. I mean, they’re aliens! Not really walking talking dogs! LOL, oh well.
November 11th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
I don’t think that either “My Cage” or my own comic, “Sandra and Woo”, have the potential to be particularly popular among furries. They prefer other types of stories and art styles. “Original Life” and “Furthia High” are furry comics, “My Cage” is not. If someone calls “My Cage” a “furry comic” that person does not have a deeper understanding of the furry fandom.
November 15th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
hey i talked to a furry artist yesterday she was AWSOME!
November 17th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
@ Dawn, Y’know I remember when you were nominated. I never thought of the alien thing.
BTW: Thanks for dropping my name during the dog-catcher storyline. Totally not needed, but I do like reading my name in preint. 
@ Novil, I’m not really sure how people seperate furry from ‘funny animals’, but it seems their want to badmouth furries for some reason causes them to lump it all togehter so they can spout their opinions.
@ George, I’m sure she was. Why wouldn’t she have been? Furries are like any group, most are awesome, and about 10% are jerks. Has nothing to do with what kind of fiction you like, that’s just people.
Thanks for writing guys.
-Ed
November 19th, 2009 at 1:01 am
ya i think i have a wedsite or link or somthin….. but man she shure nows how to use a colerd pencil! and ya i loooove furries mostly because i like…WOLVES!XD
November 25th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Personally, when I first saw a little ad for the comic strip, I was like ‘Oh wow, it looks sorta anime-esc’, but after I saw the actual strip, I was like ‘Oh holy crap, a furry comic strip!’. But in my opinion, I think it is a furry/anthropomorphic comic strip, unintentionally or not.
December 4th, 2009 at 5:55 am
To be honest I have always seen my cage as an anthropomorphic comic, even when I started reading this comic almost two years ago. I would have to say that this comic was the one comic that got me into anthro comics and eventually the furry fandom. Like you Ed i grew up with shows like Tom and Jerry and Mickey mouse. I do see those and this comic as funny animals and not furry. I read other furry comics and I have to say yours is different from them.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
A few years back, NBC had this short lived toon series called, ‘God, The Devil and Bob’. It raised a mighty controversy with religion preachers. Campaigns were established to remove this blasphemous show from existence.
During interviews, the leaders of these movements admitted that they never actually saw even a second of any episode. The name. It was ‘the name’ that moved them to action. Now, if the show had been called, “Bob thinks that God is awesome.” this same group would probably be rallying to keep this otherwise so-so of a comedy going into it’s tenth year.
So, at the core, what is Furry? It’s a connection that people have with anthropomorphic and Natural creatures. And, a great deal of furs are artistic. Drawing. Photography. Writing. Costuming. And, such. Everything else that the general populous brings to the table, belongs in it’s own category.