My BFCTV 2026 Experience

I just wrapped up my weekend of BFCTV 2026, and wow, what an amazing time it was! For those who might not know, BFC is BabyFurCon, which of course is a convention specifically for the Babyfur community. And BFCTV is their virtual convention, which took place entirely over Zoom, April 18-19, 2026. This allows people to attend regardless of where they might be in the world. I’d never attended a virtual convention before, and I was wondering what it would be like. But I’m so glad I went! It was so much fun and also very affirming and wonderful.

I attended the convention as Eli, my fluffy dragon boy who is ABDL himself. It felt amazing to be Eli for an entire weekend, and everyone was so warm and welcoming!

It was a very different kind of experience attending an event that was so private, and even ephemeral. Nothing was recorded. No video, photography, or screenshots were allowed; only your memories, anything you created during the interactive panels, and any friendships and other connections made. In order to even register, you have to be vetted by the con staff. This is to ensure that the event is safe for all those attending. I can’t imaging the effor that goes into checking all those who expressed an interest in attending, but that combined with the no recording policy made it feel more comfortable to open up and be yourself, be cringe, be vulnerable, and just be in an environment that is radically free of judgement.

The Opening Ceremonies were really cool! They started with Rad and Jaq giving something that was formatted like a news broadcast, which was cool and entertaining. After that, there were several different Zoom meetings, or “channels” that one could join. They were kind of like the rooms of a physical convention. Each panel, discussion, or presentation was scheduled to take place in one of those channels.

It was pretty neat to see to see everyone’s avatars on Zoom. Some people used their webcams and showed their faces and their outfits. Others used PNGTubers or VRChat style 3D avatars that moved in sync with their own movements. It almost felt like the entire babyfur twitch community was in one place, haha! It was also amazing to see babyfurs from all across the world!

It was also a nice opportunity for “parallel play,” which is one of my favorite ways to interact with others. (It’s one reason I enjoy streaming so much!) I was able to draw and work on other projects on my computer while listening in and chatting with others. It’s a low pressure way to interact while still scratching that social itch. I just recommend taking frequent stretch breaks, making sure to stay hydrated and fed, and all those other important physical necessities!

The panels and presentations were all great! Ramps did a panel about how to make your own gameboy games! It’s amazing how many smart and creative makers we have in the community!

I attended an art panel by Paco Panda, a furry artist I’ve admired for a long time, and a friend to the babyfur community! I was fortunate enough to get to commission a sketch by him of Eli, which I think looks totally adorable! He also talked about the nostalgia he felt when returning to his childhood home and seeing some of his old art and school supplies, some of which he used to create art on camera for us. Those attending were able to chat with him, which was really cool! Paco is a great panda, and his art and stories make many people smile!

Karis, who writes a lot of ABDL themed stories, did a panel about writing, which had a lot of excellent advice for writers, ABDL or otherwise. Some key takeaways included the following:

• It’s okay to write the scene that you’re excited about first, and then fill in the gaps later. Sometimes that’s what it takes to translate an idea you’re exited about into a story that exists and that you can then flesh out and refine.
• It’s okay to write your “idealized world” even if it isn’t “realistic.” Write the world you want to live in, write the stories that you want to exist.
• That said, assume your audience is intelligent, but uninformed. Give them something relatable as a “way in” to the world you’ve created. One example he gave is showing the process of someone realizing they’re ABDL, instead of just immediately having them show up in diapers.
• Your unfinished work is never wasted. As important as it is to finish stories so they can be shared with the world, not every story you dream up will come to fruition, and that’s okay. They may seed future ideas, or you may pick them back up later.
• How do you know you’re a writer? It’s not if you get published, if you get an award, or if you get popular. It’s if you can’t stop thinking about your stories! Feeling that drive and then letting it push you to make those stories a reality is what makes you a writer!
• Start a writing project by asking yourself (or even a potential client) what is the scene that absolutely has to happen? After that, think about what other scenes support that scene.
• Some platforms for indie publishing of stories include DriveTruComics, DriveThruProse, Indie Planet, Kablam, and Woo Commerce. Look into those when you’re ready to share your work with the world. You don’t need a big publisher in order to get out there.
• That said, make sure you OWN YOUR WORK!!! Don’t sign your rights away just to get your writing published.

I gave my own panel too, of course! I talked about different “lenses” writers can use to examine the stories they write. It was the one time I presented myself as Lark, since it just felt like a better fit in this case. Remember, you can review the slides for that panel if you missed it or just want a refresher.

I attended a “Plushie Show and Tail” which was so sweet! I’ve loved stuffed animals ever since I was a kid, and the past couple years I’ve started sleeping with plushies again and allowing them to have more importance even in my adult life. I have plushies that have taken on an identity of their own, and it was neat to share them with others, and also see the special stuffed friends that they have as well!

Cwis gave a presentation about the origins of ABDL in individuals. He talked about research showing that there are five stages of developing intense personal interests such as ABDL: Early encounters, exploration with self, evaluation, finding others, and exploration with others. It was incredible to hear so many personal stories that fit within that very paradigm. It’s sad to realize that so many people are driven to hide this important part of themselves due to fear or shame. It’s why spaces like this are so important and can be opportunities to heal and connect.

BowieBarks held a discussion about favorite board games, especially those that are furry in theme. A few that people mentioned that I want to check out in the future include Tea Dragon Society (I didn’t realize it had a game!), Keep the Heroes Out, Peacemakers, and Dragon Dowser.

Dinuggetz gave a presentation about how to draw cartoon backgrounds. Here are a few highlights:

• Ask yourself, why do you create art? Much art fulfills an emotional need in the viewer or the creator (or both). It’s harder to create art that you don’t feel a connection to.
• You can use the background to help tell the story. Even if the piece calls for dialog, challenge yourself to compose the piece in a way that can tell the story visually without any text.
• Consider sketch with lower opacity, meaning lower opacity on your tools, not lower opacity layer. That way the lines start to darken the more you draw over the same lines.
• Make sure you understand your fundamental shapes and 3D forms, basic perspective, etc.
• Freehand shapes, lines, and perspective can make an image feel more organic than using perfectly straight rulers, etc.
• Use a harmonious color palette and use color to create a sense of depth. Closer objects appear darker, those farther away are lighter, more pastel colors. That includes lineart!
• Broken perspective evokes childhood, because children don’t quite understand perspective when they draw.
• 100 Tuesday Tips by Griz and Norm was recommended for practice.

Bewskyss gave a panel about their comic creation process. I thought it was very neat how they create a scene in Blender and use that as a reference for drawing that same scene from different angles, such as the rooms the story takes place in.

I hung out in a group chat with LunaTheCute, an artist I’ve been following for a while. Several of us drew together and shared our screens while doing so, and we chatted about whatever was on our mind. Luna is not only a great artist, but a wonderful, encouraging, and kind person! She even did a free sketch for me!

Closing ceremonies came all too soon, but they announced the amazing stats from the weekend. We had 706 attendees and raised $12,000 for charity! They also announced the dates for this year’s in-person BFC: “Peek-a-Boo Festival” will run Oct 29 through Nov 1! Registration opens May 16 and Tavi Munk will be the Guest of Honor! I don’t think I will make it to this one sadly, but I will definitely keep an eye out for future events!

The night finished with some DJ music. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised at how fun it was to listen to the music even though I wasn’t there in person to dance along. Instead, I held my Figment plush and had him dance his heart out on the webcam, which was a ton of fun!

What a weekend… My heart is full. I met so many wonderful people. One thing this two-day virtual con reinforced to me in a huge way is that the babyfur community is such an amazing space, and not at all deserving of the hate that they so often are subjected to. If you consider me to be a trustworthy person in any way, then please trust me when I say that this community does absolutely no harm to anyone. Like the furry fandom, they are so often tragically misunderstood and mistreated. Whatever your feelings towards babyfurs and ABDLs, I implore you to simply be kind. Take the time to learn and understand. I’m so glad that I did years ago, as it led me to have the amazing experience that I just did!