>>> WELCOME BACK. IF YOU SEE SOMEONE FROM DOWNTOWN, PLEASE DON'T BE ALARMED. ANTHRICON HAS RETURNED TO THE CITY. >> IT'S A UNIQUE EVENT, WHERE PEOPLE DRESS AS LARGER THAN LIFE FURRIES. >> COLE IS THE PUBLIC OUTREACH DIRECTOR. >> GOOD MORNING. >> I SEE YOU BROUGHT SOME FRIENDS WITH YOU. >> FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. WE HAVE MURPHY. WHO IS A LOCAL PENNSYLVANIAN. MILL FOX, WHO LIVES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. THIS IS COAST HUSKY, LIVES IN VIRGINIA/DC AREA. FUMMA, THE OTTER. AND THIS IS DARRELL. HE ACTUALLY LIVES IN GERMANY. >> WOW. >> YOU'VE COME A LONG WAYS. >> WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES AND ATTENDEES THAT INHABIT 40 CONTINENTS. >> HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN GUYS BEEN IN PITTSBURGH? >> WE HAVE BEEN IN PITTSBURGH SINCE 2006. WE STARTED IN 1997, IN ALBANY, NEW YORK. AFTER A FEW YEARS, MOVED JUST OUTSIDE OF PHILADELPHIA. AND AFTER OUR HOTEL WAS JUST MYSTERIOUSLY SOLD AND RAISED, VISIT PITTSBURGH CAME OUT AND SAID, HEY, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME OUT HERE. LONG STORY SHORT, THE ANSWER WAS YES. AND THAT WAS 2006. WE HAVE BEEN HERE AND HAVEN'T LOOKED BACK BACK SINCE. >> HOW DO YOU TRAVEL WITH THIS I KNOW YOU'RE FROM PENNSYLVANIA. >> I AM. >> HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO FLY WITH YOUR FUR SUIT? >> I HAVE. OFTEN. THERE ARE CONVENTIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. THIS IS A LOCAL. JUST SLAP US IN THE BAG AND WE'RE GOOD AT SOME POINT. >> I CAME AS A CARTOONIST. I STARTED LEARNS MORE PEOPLE INTO THE SAME THING. SHARE MY LOVE WITH PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR INTERESTS, YOU KNOW? >> THAT'S FANTASTIC. >> THIS IS A CELEBRATION OF WHAT YOU ALL LOVE SO MUCH. >> MOST OF US GO OR ARE KNOWN BY A NICKNAME. WE CALL IT A TPURSONA. IT'S A FURRY PERSONA. A LOT OF TIMES, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW OUR FIRST NAMES, PERSON TO PERSON. BECAUSE WE'RE ONLINE. II DO KNOW ALL OF THESE PEOPLE PERSONALLY. IT'S A WARM AND WELCOMING . ROZ WE'RE REALLY DEPENDING ON YOU -- >> RON. >> RON. >> THE PRESSURE IS ON. >> WE NEED SUNNY SKIES AT 2:00 P.M. >> SPEAKING OF FUR SUITS. I MEAN, I ASKED YOU EARLIER. DO THEY ORDER THESE ON AMAZON? OR WHERE DO THEY GET THEM FROM? THEY ARE PRETTY ELABORATE. >> IF YOU LOOK AT THEM, WE CONSIDER THEM PIECES OF WEARABLE ART. THESE ARE ALL ONE OF A KIND COSTUMES. THERE IS NO OFF THE RACK PLACE THAT YOU CAN PURCHASE A COSTUME SUCH AS THESE. THE PRICES HAVE INCREASED QUITE A BIT. PRICES HAVE INCREASED. AND SOME DUE TO THESE ARE VERY INTENSE CREATIONS. THEY TAKE A LONG TIME TO BUILD. THEY ARE SCULPTED AND THEN CREATED. THEY NOW START SOMEWHERE AROUND $6,000 TO $8,000 FOR A FULL BODY SUIT AND CAN GO UP TO $20,000 PLUS. >> YOU WERE TELLING ME ABOUT THE IMPACT THIS HAS ON OUR AREA. YOU ARE BRINGING IN A LOT OF BUSINESS TO SUPPORT THE CITY. >> WE'D LIKE TO THINK SO. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY "VISIT PITTSBURGH" THAT SINCE 2006, ANTHROCON. THIS YEAR, WITH AN ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE BETWEEN 12,000 AND 13,000. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE BETWEEN $13 AND $14.1 MILLION THIS YEAR. >> THAT'S FANTASTIC. THANK YOU GUYS FOR WALKING AROUND THE STUDIO. >> ARE WE GOING TO GET OUR OWN PERSONAL PARADE? >> NO RAIN IN THE STUDIO. >> NO. THANK YOU. >> AND ALSO A BIG THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS TO BECKY. SHE WAS GREAT. EVERYBODY, BIG FURRY THANK YOU TO BECKY. >> YEA. >> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING IN. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. >> YOU REALLY BRIGHTENED UP OUR DAY. >> IN IS SO MUCH FUN. >>> OUR
