>>111328545naw, man. Tijuana Bibles aside, not much furry shit happening until like the 1990s. even Fritz the Cat didn't awaken demand.
i think pic related is way more responsible for furries being a thing than Minnie Mouse. Not many people knew about her, but everyone who did had an Amiga computer that was equipped for graphic design, and many of them were inspired. Add the Internet, and you've got a bustling community.
The community is now large enough that these people can meet in person in most large cities -- and become less awkward around each other -- which is the reason that there are FINALLY people starting to take the "cub" problem seriously.