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[Cairyn]

OK, I'll explain.  We have no obligation to give recognition to random celebrities just because they happen to have something that interests us.  Specifically with this case, the author of Blacksad apparently... at the end of the comic, there is a phrase that indicates detest towards animals.  I bet he'd freak out in a furry gathering!

Indeed, we don't have an obligation. (We don't even have an obligation to have a GoH at all.)

However, being a GoH is not an award, nor a present to the person in question, for whatever reason. GoHs are invited because the responsible con staff believes that they:

1. Have done something that is relevant to furry interests, so the patrons are interested in their work
2. Are able to do some kind of presentation regarding that "something", so the patrons can have more insight in the GoH's line of work
3. Are neither freaked out by furs, nor be gruff and unsocialized, but rather interested in people and the community, so patrons can actually approach them and talk to them.

(The latter point is, of course, difficult to judge, but we can safely assume that not responding to invitational mails is an indication to the contrary.)

GoHs are invited for the patrons of the con. They are part of the program. Being GoH is both an honor and a responsibility.

Now, if you select a GoH for a con, how do you approach the task? Naturally you try to get people from outside the fandom, because

1. They are normally not so easily approached, so you might put the weight of a major convention behind your request to get them interested at all,
2. They are not normally found at furry cons, as opposed to many interesting and well-known furries who might make a good GoH but whom you can meet at every third convention anyway!

By these standards, the "Blacksad" guys are by no means "random celebrities", but pretty relevant. Naturally that doesn't mean the con should invite anybody just because he/she puts animal heads on his/her works...

At the same time, it doesn't exclude people from the fandom itself. For example, on an European con you may want to invite American artists who normally do only the US cons, and vice versa. You might want to invite people who normally don't go to conventions at all. You might want to invite people who do go to conventions, but they are not spotlighted, or they don't do panels about their work on their own. You might even invite a GoH just because you think he/she is not widely known but deserves to be popular because of his/her quality of work.

Choosing a GoH is a multi-faceted process. And not everyone who is deemed suitable will be available in the end, anyway.

(As for the remark on "beasts" in the (first) Blacksad comic, I wouldn't lie too much weight on it; clearly the furry representations of the characters are not chosen because they are so fuzzy and cute, but to represent personality types, and naturally a countering comparison lends itself to the context.)

[Cheetah]

Very well said, Cairyn!

[Shazomei]

Has anyone ever thought about asking Don Bluth? Or anyone from his studio? Gary Goldman perhaps?

A response might be very unlikely because of his / their "celebrity" status. Although Bluth, in particular, has worked as an animator (and director) on films that have chiefly moulded the fandom into what it is.

It might be a long shot, I know, (unless you have already tried and either received a response in the negative, or not at all), but from what I've been reading, they're looking for funding to make a movie. And with the influence they've had on the fandom, am just wondering whether attending a major convention like Eurofurence / Anthrocon might be able to provide them some funding for their project. (Not directly perhaps, but through the charitable opportunities of a vast gathering of fans of their work.)

[Cheetah]

Has anyone ever thought about asking Don Bluth? Or anyone from his studio? Gary Goldman perhaps?

Thought about it? Sure. But I'm lacking the necessary contacts to even get a message to those guys. I once hat the honour to meet Toby Bluth (Don't Brother, who also used to work for Disney) in person, but unfortunately it was not the situation to ask for something like this

[Moutos Woofidis]

(explaination of guest of honour scheme)

I see... so it's a way of attracting interest.  In this case... let them come!  Maybe they can learn something from us after all!

[Barney]

Or how about Jim Groat, the artist behind West Corner Of The Park? http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi

[Spikester]

If there is one person I would love to see at EF14, even if he isn't the GoH, it has to be 2, The Ranting Gryphon.  Is it known whether or not he will be attending this year?

[draconigen]

If there is one person I would love to see at EF14, even if he isn't the GoH, it has to be 2, The Ranting Gryphon.  Is it known whether or not he will be attending this year?

Yeah, 2 The Ranting Gryphon and Uncle Kage were great last year. But if they would do us the honor and attend again, is the other question

[Cookie]

There were there 2 years in a row at least.. why not a 3rd?

[Tekumseh]

Kage was GoH at EF8 and has attended EF ever since. Furthermore he gave soem awards to EF like "best Con" "kicks ass most" and such stuff - I'm quite sure that it would need quite some event to stop him from attending. (Btw: starting EF12 he brought over his parents with him and they are very nice persons as well!)

2 I met first at EF11 (I'm not quite sure, but I don't think, that he was guest at EFX )and from then on his rant and "Kage vs. 2" are THE events which caused very many belly aches due to laughing - and I sure do hope that he will be there again!

[Cheetah]

Then I've got good news for you: Both Uncle Kage and 2 are going to come back this year!

(Special gratitude must also be given to Tallyhawk, as he is the person who has been sponsoring the flights for our favourite Griffin so far. So, if you see him at EF, feel free to invite him for a drink! )

[Moutos Woofidis]

Oh my dogness.  I just read "guest of honor" as "guest of horror"!

Quite relevant to this year's theme, yap?

[Cheetah]

I removed some off-topic postings ... guys, please keep this stuff EF-Related, and take idle chatter to the off-topic section, all right?

[Fauho]

I would like to propose, featuring fursuiters, and then without further comment  -ruffles the drums-; RICK DEES!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irgJPqkuakM 
Check out the man's live performance; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc5d01_riBo&feature=related

[Moutos Woofidis]

DISCO DUCK!!!

It just occurred to me: how about the author of Calvin & Hobbes?