The Staggering Case of Anthro New England 2025!
Well, this weekend I got my first big thing of the year of 2025 done: this year's Anthro New England! I was especially excited, because of the con's theme: a Staggering Case. Yep, a mystery theme! This will definitely go down as one of the best ANEs I've attended in the ten years this con has been running. I can't believe it's been that long already, and we've really GROWN.
I got up early Friday morning and rode the MBTA commuter train into Boston while already in character as Sam Valentino, the Private Toon Detective! Here's a "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown"-esque shot of me on the train.
"I want to remember this... when I am far away..."
Then among arriving at South Station, I got on the Silver Line bus to the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel with my luggage, got into the registration line and got my con badge, and then checked into my hotel room! I had more than enough to be able to afford at, as at least it's not as expensive as when I go to Furpocalypse! (And I even made a little money by selling a huge lot of older baseball cards to a game dealer in the con's Dealer's Den!)
Of course I just had to pose in front of the big electronic sign board displaying the con's mystery theme, just like I did at the end of Anthro New England 2024! That foxy gumshoe was hoping to find out where Copley the deer had gone to...
For Anthro New England's mystery theme, my friend Ferdinand Ferret was also looking to solve the staggering case of the missing deer mascot, but he took the Sherlock Holmes approach! I think we made a great team; we already found our first clue after the opening ceremonies!
This year I got to be in the Anthro New England Fursuit Games again! My first one as Sam Valentino, Private Toon Detective (after doing so for the Furpocalypse 2024 Fursuit Games). First we did a little inflatable sled race where we all push a teammate on a tube sled...
...followed by a little hockey game as seen here, and then a "snowball fight" with playplace balls (and one of them bopped me on the schnozz!), then Tug of War, and then a balloon relay toss where the last one to get it has to pop it (my fursuit mask helped dampened the sound, even when I got to pop a balloon!), and finally Musical Chairs (where, not surprisingly, I ended up out in the third round).
You can see me in the Fursuit Games HERE:
I especially like at the 1-hour 38-minute mark, my little victory dance after succeeding in popping a balloon with my foxy footpaw.
And just like at the very first Anthro New England Fursuit Games, the Red Team I was in won! How's that for a 10th anniversary throwback?
Some time back, my friend who has the sergal 'sona Professor Plum got a new dragon 'sona: Ragtravise Furlance! I love how his ears are done in a Mercer Mayer-esque style. We were both in the Fursuit Games, despite being on different teams.
At this year's Anthro New England, Euro got to see me up close as Sam Valentino, after having previously seen me as Zak Wolf at Anime Boston!
"This goes in the cluebook!"
Yep, because of Anthro New England 2025's mystery theme, this marks the first time I also brought a notepad and pen to a con I was attending as that foxy toon detective Sam Valentino. Here I'm logging down a very interesting clue about Copley's disappearance... in fact, me and Ferdi found out that for some reason Copley was attending Furt-her Con-fusion all the way in San Jose, California! Happening the same weekend as ANE, no less! We had a portal screen and camera setup so we could speak to other furs attending that con, and that was how we spotted Copley there.
My friend from Furpocalypse, Emmett Raccoon, came to Anthro New England for the first time, and I was more than happy to greet him at my home con!
After a while, Sam Valentino needed a rest, so his loyal friend and sidekick Zak Wolf decided to do some snooping in his place!
I even attended a photoroom shoot in this getup!
I also just had to do a professional take on this concept I did back in 2021 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Hall and Oates's "Private Eyes" album - BEFORE I built Sam Valentino's fursuit.
Here's Zak with fellow wolf Ringgar!
Zak liked how his friend Rudy was also sporting a trenchcoat and magnifying glass as well!
Then I tried going to bed a little early, because Saturday was an especially busy morning for me. But I only got over five hours of sleep, since my brain was kind of wired knowing I had to get up around 7 AM and it was just after 6! But even with that, I pulled on my Sam Valentino fursuit again, grabbed a donut and coffee from the Dunkies conveniently across the street from the hotel, and got ready to host a panel...
Because my friend Anthrocoon died a couple weeks ago (R.I.P.), I hosted the Classic Furry Cartoons panel in his place. I know he would have wanted that, and I'm glad I can keep his legacy alive.
After that, Molly/Gale and I hosted a small remembrance event in memory of Anthrocoon. We were joined by some other friends to honor him. There were some memories, tears and hugs all around. In a way, his spirit definitely seemed to be here with us!
Then afterward the mood was greatly lifted when I hosted my panel: YouTube Poops 101! I got an amazingly big turnout, and everyone had a great time seeing me present the history of YTPs, editing techniques and tips, and a few samples of my YTP work. After all, given I'm especially known in the furry fandom for YouTube Poops, I can see why this went over so well! I should make this an annual thing!
Here's that foxy private toon detective meeting up with another fellow vulpine of sorts, that foxcoon Rondo! I like his orange and black colors.
And me with another fellow toony fox, Günther, in a newly-revised fursuit! This was before we did the big Fursuit Group Photo and Parade, where I marched alongside Inspector Ferdi. You can see me a little after the 14-minute mark here...
After years of only knowing him online, I got to meet Tex Saber in the fur at Anthro New England! I like his toony tastes...
Later that Saturday afternoon, I swung by the Vintage Underground store wearing my Sam Valentino fursuit! For one point getting in there, I traveled in style...
Yep, this is the second time I rode one of those fancy new Red Line subway trains! And again I did so wearing my Sam Valentino fursuit, like during Fan Expo Boston 2023! Funny enough, when heading back to the hotel, I rode one of the REALLY OLD Red Line cars from 55 years ago! And it could be the last time I ride one of them before they're retired in favor of the new trains.
Naturally, Sam's checking out an appropriate LP record. (I didn't buy this; I instead bought a few cassettes for my physical media collection.)
After grabbing a burger and fries for dinner and returning to the hotel, I changed fursonas to Zak Wolf, still in detective trenchcoat and hat...
...and went around with my Fisher-Price portable phonograph and some appropriately-themed 45s! Here I am playing "Watching the Detectives" by Elvis Costello. And of course I also played "Private Eyes" by Hall & Oates! But we're getting pretty crowded now, so that's making it a little trickier, combined with this particular record player being kind of unstable. But the other attendees loved it, especially among seeing the record player was made by Fisher-Price (with a diamond stylus, no less!)
I did switch back to Sam Valentino later that evening, keeping with the con theme and doing some more investigating on why Copley had suddenly ended up in Further Con-fusion and speculating that he would come back before ANE was over.
Then I turned in for the night, ending up getting seven hours of sleep! This Sunday morning I felt more refreshed.
In addition to solving the case of Copley's disappearance, the private toon detective Sam Valentino was pondering if this year's Anthro New England theme was created because of his fairly frequent presence around the con since 2023?
(And no, I didn't get a sponsorship or deluxe registration; I just registered as a regular attendee because I generally come to these things to socialize and have fun!)
Then I checked out of my hotel room and had them safely hold my luggage until it was time for me to leave this evening, so I spent the rest of the con wearing Sam Valentino and with my backpack on, like when I'd go to Anime Boston and Fan Expo Boston in that foxy detective fursuit.
Me and Inspector Ferdi did a photoroom session after that. Here were are investigating a scene of the crime...
...but then they bump into each other in the usual comical detective fashion!
Just a pic of Sam Valentino doing his classic "Eureka!" pose for the ANE photo room...
Oh geez, did the ACME Corporation send me a magnifying glass for giants? How am I supposed to look for clues with this?!
A Lucario like Ruben could make a great detective like me and Inspector Ferdl, given their heightened ability of awareness to their surroundings!
One of our charities this year was for Wings of the Dawn wildlife rehabilitation center. They brought a few such creatures...
... like this Red-Tailed Hawk...
...and a Great-Horned Owl! Both were really cute birds of prey, and two of the more really common ones in my area.
"WHOO are you?"
With that said, the Great Horned Owl is pretty much the classic Hollywood owl, given its hooting is often used in the media no matter what species of owl is depicted! Very much like the Red-Tailed Hawk being the classic Hollywood hawk for that reason.
In addition to Copley’s disappearance, Sam Valentino has a wild hunch that with Anthro New England’s growth rate, someday we’ll expand over to the adjacent Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, right next door to our hotel! I already know the venue very well from when Fan Expo Boston is held there.
Things began to wind down as usual as Sunday afternoon went on, but there was still time for one more round of mayhem with the Kaiju Clash! Here's my friend Blush about to battle with another fursuiter against the foam and cardboard city!
Finally came the Closing Ceremonies...
Sam Valentino, Private Toon Detective managed to solve the case with his partner Inspector Ferdi! Turns out, Copley did indeed end up going to Fur-ther Con-fusion, and as I said, I got a big clue that suggested he would return here just in time for the closing ceremonies!
I have to say, Inspector Ferdinand Ferret and I, Sam Valentino, make a great detective team! The beginning of a beautiful partnership...
Sam Valentino leaves Anthro New England 2025 in the usual dramatic way a private detective does after solving a case on a rainy night...
This year, we had a big growth rate; 5.761 attendees! That's way over a thousand from last year. And we raised $40,000 for the charities this year, and I'm glad I contributed a little for that. And next year, we're going to have a Western theme! I'm looking forward to having Zak Wolf dress up in cowboy gear for that. I'm also reminded the Maltese Fur Con was going to have a Western theme for 2015, but it was cancelled due to low registration numbers. But I don't think Anthro New England will be facing that fate anytime soon!
With this con out of the way, I still have Anime Boston, Fan Expo Boston, and hopefully Furpocalypse to go through next! And in a way, it's good to be back home again...
I got up early Friday morning and rode the MBTA commuter train into Boston while already in character as Sam Valentino, the Private Toon Detective! Here's a "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown"-esque shot of me on the train.
"I want to remember this... when I am far away..."
Then among arriving at South Station, I got on the Silver Line bus to the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel with my luggage, got into the registration line and got my con badge, and then checked into my hotel room! I had more than enough to be able to afford at, as at least it's not as expensive as when I go to Furpocalypse! (And I even made a little money by selling a huge lot of older baseball cards to a game dealer in the con's Dealer's Den!)
Of course I just had to pose in front of the big electronic sign board displaying the con's mystery theme, just like I did at the end of Anthro New England 2024! That foxy gumshoe was hoping to find out where Copley the deer had gone to...
For Anthro New England's mystery theme, my friend Ferdinand Ferret was also looking to solve the staggering case of the missing deer mascot, but he took the Sherlock Holmes approach! I think we made a great team; we already found our first clue after the opening ceremonies!
This year I got to be in the Anthro New England Fursuit Games again! My first one as Sam Valentino, Private Toon Detective (after doing so for the Furpocalypse 2024 Fursuit Games). First we did a little inflatable sled race where we all push a teammate on a tube sled...
...followed by a little hockey game as seen here, and then a "snowball fight" with playplace balls (and one of them bopped me on the schnozz!), then Tug of War, and then a balloon relay toss where the last one to get it has to pop it (my fursuit mask helped dampened the sound, even when I got to pop a balloon!), and finally Musical Chairs (where, not surprisingly, I ended up out in the third round).
You can see me in the Fursuit Games HERE:
Click to viewI especially like at the 1-hour 38-minute mark, my little victory dance after succeeding in popping a balloon with my foxy footpaw.
And just like at the very first Anthro New England Fursuit Games, the Red Team I was in won! How's that for a 10th anniversary throwback?
Some time back, my friend who has the sergal 'sona Professor Plum got a new dragon 'sona: Ragtravise Furlance! I love how his ears are done in a Mercer Mayer-esque style. We were both in the Fursuit Games, despite being on different teams.
At this year's Anthro New England, Euro got to see me up close as Sam Valentino, after having previously seen me as Zak Wolf at Anime Boston!
"This goes in the cluebook!"
Yep, because of Anthro New England 2025's mystery theme, this marks the first time I also brought a notepad and pen to a con I was attending as that foxy toon detective Sam Valentino. Here I'm logging down a very interesting clue about Copley's disappearance... in fact, me and Ferdi found out that for some reason Copley was attending Furt-her Con-fusion all the way in San Jose, California! Happening the same weekend as ANE, no less! We had a portal screen and camera setup so we could speak to other furs attending that con, and that was how we spotted Copley there.
My friend from Furpocalypse, Emmett Raccoon, came to Anthro New England for the first time, and I was more than happy to greet him at my home con!
After a while, Sam Valentino needed a rest, so his loyal friend and sidekick Zak Wolf decided to do some snooping in his place!
I even attended a photoroom shoot in this getup!
I also just had to do a professional take on this concept I did back in 2021 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Hall and Oates's "Private Eyes" album - BEFORE I built Sam Valentino's fursuit.
Here's Zak with fellow wolf Ringgar!
Zak liked how his friend Rudy was also sporting a trenchcoat and magnifying glass as well!
Then I tried going to bed a little early, because Saturday was an especially busy morning for me. But I only got over five hours of sleep, since my brain was kind of wired knowing I had to get up around 7 AM and it was just after 6! But even with that, I pulled on my Sam Valentino fursuit again, grabbed a donut and coffee from the Dunkies conveniently across the street from the hotel, and got ready to host a panel...
Because my friend Anthrocoon died a couple weeks ago (R.I.P.), I hosted the Classic Furry Cartoons panel in his place. I know he would have wanted that, and I'm glad I can keep his legacy alive.
After that, Molly/Gale and I hosted a small remembrance event in memory of Anthrocoon. We were joined by some other friends to honor him. There were some memories, tears and hugs all around. In a way, his spirit definitely seemed to be here with us!
Then afterward the mood was greatly lifted when I hosted my panel: YouTube Poops 101! I got an amazingly big turnout, and everyone had a great time seeing me present the history of YTPs, editing techniques and tips, and a few samples of my YTP work. After all, given I'm especially known in the furry fandom for YouTube Poops, I can see why this went over so well! I should make this an annual thing!
Here's that foxy private toon detective meeting up with another fellow vulpine of sorts, that foxcoon Rondo! I like his orange and black colors.
And me with another fellow toony fox, Günther, in a newly-revised fursuit! This was before we did the big Fursuit Group Photo and Parade, where I marched alongside Inspector Ferdi. You can see me a little after the 14-minute mark here...
After years of only knowing him online, I got to meet Tex Saber in the fur at Anthro New England! I like his toony tastes...
Later that Saturday afternoon, I swung by the Vintage Underground store wearing my Sam Valentino fursuit! For one point getting in there, I traveled in style...
Yep, this is the second time I rode one of those fancy new Red Line subway trains! And again I did so wearing my Sam Valentino fursuit, like during Fan Expo Boston 2023! Funny enough, when heading back to the hotel, I rode one of the REALLY OLD Red Line cars from 55 years ago! And it could be the last time I ride one of them before they're retired in favor of the new trains.
Naturally, Sam's checking out an appropriate LP record. (I didn't buy this; I instead bought a few cassettes for my physical media collection.)
After grabbing a burger and fries for dinner and returning to the hotel, I changed fursonas to Zak Wolf, still in detective trenchcoat and hat...
...and went around with my Fisher-Price portable phonograph and some appropriately-themed 45s! Here I am playing "Watching the Detectives" by Elvis Costello. And of course I also played "Private Eyes" by Hall & Oates! But we're getting pretty crowded now, so that's making it a little trickier, combined with this particular record player being kind of unstable. But the other attendees loved it, especially among seeing the record player was made by Fisher-Price (with a diamond stylus, no less!)
I did switch back to Sam Valentino later that evening, keeping with the con theme and doing some more investigating on why Copley had suddenly ended up in Further Con-fusion and speculating that he would come back before ANE was over.
Then I turned in for the night, ending up getting seven hours of sleep! This Sunday morning I felt more refreshed.
In addition to solving the case of Copley's disappearance, the private toon detective Sam Valentino was pondering if this year's Anthro New England theme was created because of his fairly frequent presence around the con since 2023?
(And no, I didn't get a sponsorship or deluxe registration; I just registered as a regular attendee because I generally come to these things to socialize and have fun!)
Then I checked out of my hotel room and had them safely hold my luggage until it was time for me to leave this evening, so I spent the rest of the con wearing Sam Valentino and with my backpack on, like when I'd go to Anime Boston and Fan Expo Boston in that foxy detective fursuit.
Me and Inspector Ferdi did a photoroom session after that. Here were are investigating a scene of the crime...
...but then they bump into each other in the usual comical detective fashion!
Just a pic of Sam Valentino doing his classic "Eureka!" pose for the ANE photo room...
Oh geez, did the ACME Corporation send me a magnifying glass for giants? How am I supposed to look for clues with this?!
A Lucario like Ruben could make a great detective like me and Inspector Ferdl, given their heightened ability of awareness to their surroundings!
One of our charities this year was for Wings of the Dawn wildlife rehabilitation center. They brought a few such creatures...
... like this Red-Tailed Hawk...
...and a Great-Horned Owl! Both were really cute birds of prey, and two of the more really common ones in my area.
"WHOO are you?"
With that said, the Great Horned Owl is pretty much the classic Hollywood owl, given its hooting is often used in the media no matter what species of owl is depicted! Very much like the Red-Tailed Hawk being the classic Hollywood hawk for that reason.
In addition to Copley’s disappearance, Sam Valentino has a wild hunch that with Anthro New England’s growth rate, someday we’ll expand over to the adjacent Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, right next door to our hotel! I already know the venue very well from when Fan Expo Boston is held there.
Things began to wind down as usual as Sunday afternoon went on, but there was still time for one more round of mayhem with the Kaiju Clash! Here's my friend Blush about to battle with another fursuiter against the foam and cardboard city!
Finally came the Closing Ceremonies...
Sam Valentino, Private Toon Detective managed to solve the case with his partner Inspector Ferdi! Turns out, Copley did indeed end up going to Fur-ther Con-fusion, and as I said, I got a big clue that suggested he would return here just in time for the closing ceremonies!
I have to say, Inspector Ferdinand Ferret and I, Sam Valentino, make a great detective team! The beginning of a beautiful partnership...
Sam Valentino leaves Anthro New England 2025 in the usual dramatic way a private detective does after solving a case on a rainy night...
This year, we had a big growth rate; 5.761 attendees! That's way over a thousand from last year. And we raised $40,000 for the charities this year, and I'm glad I contributed a little for that. And next year, we're going to have a Western theme! I'm looking forward to having Zak Wolf dress up in cowboy gear for that. I'm also reminded the Maltese Fur Con was going to have a Western theme for 2015, but it was cancelled due to low registration numbers. But I don't think Anthro New England will be facing that fate anytime soon!
With this con out of the way, I still have Anime Boston, Fan Expo Boston, and hopefully Furpocalypse to go through next! And in a way, it's good to be back home again...