History
The history of AnthrOhio began in late 2002. With no active furry convention present in the state, members of the local community in Columbus decided the time was right to give it a try. Rather than a full convention, the organizers chose to start small, hosting an all-day picnic at Sharon Woods Metropark on June 21, 2003.
The picnic, retroactively known as Morphicon Zero after the full-fledged convention began the following year, was popular enough that it is still held at the end of every summer in addition to the con.
Ohio Morphicon 1, the first true furry convention held in Columbus, was held the following year from June 25–27, 2004 at the Clarion Columbus North. This first convention featured 108 attendees—and less than a dozen fursuiters.
In 2005, Morphicon would move to a new hotel, the Radisson (which rebranded as a Holiday Inn in 2007) in Worthington across from Worthington Square Mall.
Over the next decade, the convention would continue to grow, reaching 342 attendees and 74 fursuiters by 2015.
Following 2015, changing staff and shifting programming (as well as name confusion with the Power Rangers-themed Power Morphicon in San Diego) led the convention to rebrand as AnthrOhio. The change would take effect in time for the 2016 convention.
By 2017, AnthrOhio had outgrown the Holiday Inn and found itself in need of a new home. For 2018, the convention would move to the Crowne Plaza Columbus North, where it remains to this day. In its current home, the convention has continued to grow, peaking at 1,261 attendees in 2019.
The coronavirus pandemic led to the con’s cancellation in 2020 and 2021. AnthrOhio would return in 2022, carrying over the theme and guests of honor from the canceled 2020 edition.
