Introducing Kids to Furry Favorite Movies and TV

Hello Papabear,

My Aunt on my mom's side got married a couple years ago and they now have two young kids together. I want to be in their lives and be their cool uncle type of archetype. I want to lead them to the furry fandom by showing them animated movies and shows with anthropomorphic animals. Do you have any good recommendations to start them out with?

Warrior Bird

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Dear Warrior Bird,

First off, abandon ye all notions of "leading" them to the furry fandom. It's okay to show them movies and TV shows and comic books etc., but don't do so with the goal of indoctrinating them. That's no better than the father who tries to force his bookish son to love football. If they like animated anthro movies and TV shows, great, but don't try to force it. I just wanted to be clear on that before continuing.

NOW then! I think a nice approach would be to combine old school and new school films and TV. I'm just going to recommend a couple of movies so as not to overwhelm. From the Old School:

1. Animalympics (1980): A furry classic that was written for TV, this feature-length cartoon has animals of all species competing in summer and winter games. It features the wonderful voice talents of Gilda Radner, Billy Crystal, Harry Shearer, and Michael Fremer, and its funny and has a lot of heart. You can watch the full movie for free on YouTube here: Animalympics
2. Disney's Robin Hood (1973): The classic that turned many young people into furries from way back, this terrific tale features the voice talents of Peter Ustinov (OMG his Prince John characterization is brilliant!), Phil Harris, Pat Butram, Terry-Thomas, and Brian Bedford (as Robin). My main complaint about the film, though, is that it was made during a period when Disney (the company) thought it could save money by redrawing scenes from earlier films. That's why, if you compare Robin Hood to 1967's The Jungle Book, you'll see many of the exact same physical motions, especially in the dance scene.

Moving ahead a bit into the 1990s, I recommend:

1. The Lion King (1994), which is basically a version of Hamlet set in the African savannah with talking animals, but it's well done and has music by Elton John.
2. A Goofy Movie (1995): I'm honestly not a big Goofy fan, but so many furries I know absolutely adore this film that I have to recommend it even though it is not to my taste.

More recent stuff:

1. Zootopia (2016): Not too many animated films — even with talking animals — are set in worlds populated only by animals. Disney's Robin Hood is one and Zootopia does it quite brilliantly. Probably a film that was conceived specifically for furries and recognizes the growing economic influence of our fandom (i.e., e.g., studio execs saw there was money to be made by appealing to furries).
2. Ratatouille (2007): A common rat with a nose for food tries to make it as a chef in Paris. What's not to love?
3. Sing (2016): This one is also set in an all-anthro world, but what really makes this film is a good story and strong characters trying to find success in a singing competition.
4. Turning Red (2022): Many furries are into transformation stories, and this is the ultimate transformation story about a little girl in Canada who inherits the family "curse" of turning into a red panda when she starts to reach adulthood. The theme is quite obvious: the pains and conflicts we all go through in our relationships with family and peers as we leave childhood behind to find who we truly are. There has been some criticism from red panda furries who didn't like the way the panda character was drawn, but I thought she was cute.
5. Cat's Don't Dance (1997): This underrated film about a cat from Indiana trying to make it in Hollywood musicals of the 1930s is just brilliant. The music is fantastic, the characters are loveable, and the theme about the injustices of prejudice are poignant.

Okay, this is OBVIOUSLY not everything, but it hits some highlights. Also, wait until they are a bit older before showing them classics like the original Watership Down--a must-see for older teens. I would like to mention that I am thrilled that I have gotten Furry Founder Rod O'Riley to write Movies for Furries: An A to Z Guide, which will be released by my publishing house, Uncle Bear Publishing, hopefully by in time for Christmas (he's on the F's at the moment). You will definitely get a lot of helpful hints from his book when it is released!

You also asked about "shows," which I take to mean TV shows, yes? There are some current popular ones in the fandom from Japan — Beastars and BNA: Brand New Animal — but these are way too mature for little kids. So are some popular furrie cartoons like Helluva Boss and, hopefully soon, Lackadaisy from the comic book by Tracy Butler. It has a pilot on YouTube LACKADAISY (Pilot) and some mini episodes, but I think money is making for a slow go. Anyway, you want something for the kids, so here's my "starter pack":

1. Bugs Bunny and the Warner Bros. cartoons of the 1940s and 1950s, especially. No furry repertoire is complete without watching these classics of the wascally wabbit, Road Runner, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn and the rest of the gang. Make sure they watch the opera satires, especially. And, yes, there are cartoons from the 1960s and into the present day, but you gotta start with these.
2. Kimba the White Lion (originally aired 1965-66): The story of a young lion who tries to find peace between humans and animals in Africa. 
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (first aired on TV 1987-1996): Conceived by comic book writers Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in 1984, this story of turtles mutating into ninja warriors after being contaminated by polution and then being trained by an anthro rat in martial arts became a phenomenon spawning movies and merchandise. Unfortunately, some furry cartoonists and other independent artists also attribute the success to TMNT, which started as an indie comic, for destroying the indie comic industry. Nevertheless, it is a highly influential anthro cartoon that is worth watching.
4. Sonic the Hedgehog: Debuting as a videogame in 1991, it also became a Saturday morning cartoon in the early 1990s and is probably the first superior example of videogame-turned-TV-cartoon that has proven influential to the furry fandom.
5. Pokémon the Series: Another cultural phenomenon is this Japanese series that began as a trading card and videogame. The TV series debuted in 1997 and is ongoing.

More recent animated series that furries get into include:

1. Bluey (2018): From Australia, this series is very happy and optimistic, and the simple animation style should appeal to very young viewers.
2. Paw Patrol (2013-): From Canada, the story gives you a cast of talking puppies who help rescue people. Adorbs.

And, I just want to mention some puppetry stuff, including anything with Muppets (like Fraggle Rock), Bear in the Big Blue House, and of course Sesame Street.

I could go on and on about this topic, but that's enough for now. Oh, there is a helpful Web page with lots of info on movies, TV shows, comic books, and Web content that appeals to furries: Popular with Furries - TV Tropes. This is not just kid stuff, but there is a lot here that is useful to peruse.

Thanks for your question! I hope this was helpful.

Hugs,
Papabear