The enduring appeal of Furby’s cursed DIY cousin, the LongFurby

polygon.com:

LongFurbies are not a new concept. First coined by Tumblr user furbyfuzz in 2018, the LongFurby is a cuddly creation in the Frankenstein tradition. But just like the 1998 Tiger Electronics toy that inspired it, the subculture has managed to outlast its novelty and remain active nearly half a decade later — it’s no passing meme.

While LongFurbies are most recognizable by the toy’s classic beaked face atop a stretched-out serpentine body, modifications now range from donut-shaped Furbies to sculptures featuring sagging, hairless skin or their faces implanted on just about anything. Across TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms, accounts featuring modified Furbies amass hundreds of thousands of followers who can’t get enough of their absurd, sometimes grotesque, other times wholesome, content. This constant reinvention of the nostalgic toy has helped the LongFurby find new fans. As the community of Furby modifiers continues to grow, it embraces creatives from the fringes.

Come join us #furbytiktok #longfurbycult #longfurbygang #customfurbys #furbyfamily #furbyking #longfurbyfam #weirdcore #furbyfandom #toysoftiktok #itsnotacult #cultvibes

“Don’t you want to become a cult leader,” asks a disembodied voice as a glitchy video zooms onto a horned red-and-black demon LongFurby named Kampe. “Since the death of God, there’s been a vacancy open. You can fill that void. Here’s how.”

The TikTok clip pans to other creatures, including the account’s titular Furby, Levi. (The featured audio is from Captain Murphy’s “Disciples.”) The account @levithefurbyking, which has more than 57k followers, features surreal, dreamlike posts dedicated to various LongFurbies. Subjects are posed in numerous locations, with punchy edits and