comics

Here's a roundup of stories on fan fiction that might be of interest to fans:

• One of the most common forms of creative expression by fans has been the written word, and an increasing number of creators are either being asked about it, are writing about it due to the influence of other creators or are even offering fans tips on how to improve their work. This last step may be a lose/lose situation. "I don't want break the heart of a fan by judging it like I would if they were a writer on the show but that's the only way I CAN judge it. I might consider giving notes if they were looking for constructive criticism but only if I knew them really well. Many people who SAY they want criticism don't. They just want me to be thrilled with their work. That's an emotional land mine I'd rather step around."
• Certainly fans don't need encouragement to write fan-fiction although they are increasingly being given incentives to do so. But the impulse has sometimes begun whole new genres of work. In an interview, comics scholar Jared Gardner claimed "the earliest comics creators began their careers imitating their favorite cartoonists and came to New York or San Francisco with a portfolio in hand of their best examples--and often made their first sales peddling some of this fan work...on the streets." Unlike costly formats such as films, "Comics...have always invited audiences to pick up a pencil and try it themselves: from the earliest days of the form creators and publishers have encouraged readers to send in their stories, their sketches--even offering how-to guides for drawing favorite characters," he said, concluding "In a way, the history of comics is the history of fan art and the fanzine."
• In recent years the general fandom audience, if not the general public, has become more familiar with fan fiction as part of the remix impulse at work in both high and low culture or as a core expression of fandom longevity. Certainly fans are not terribly accepting when the creators themselves turn out sloppy tie-in work, so perhaps this is one explanation for why many general fandom sites are beginning to do regular recommendation postings for fanfic, or even issuring writing challenges.

If you write fan fiction, or fan comics, or have something to contribute about creator involvement, why not write about it in Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories on commodification of fandom that might be of interest to fans:

• AdWeek wrote about a new branding service called "FanDNA, and it’s pitching itself as an alternative to the established Marketing Evaluations’ Q ratings by matching brands with celebrities." The survey is intended to find out what the fans of a given celebrity like as a way of better utilizing celebrities to market products.
• Ad Age utilized online conversation to determine who were the NFL teams' truest fans. "To find where the true fans lie, back in August we took a look at the volume of team conversations coming from true fans during the off-season. We re-ran the date to see how this played out during the season." The ultimate purpose, of course, was to determine how best to utilize fans for marketing. "Brands outside the NFL can learn from all of this. There are true fans and bandwagon fans. In a brands case, true fans are often referred to as advocates or champions. A social campaign should start from the point of view of the true fans."
• Perhaps spurred by the success of Big Bang Theory as one of the most popular shows on U.S. television, several more series are airing around the globe that focus on fans. One of these is Kevin Smith's Comic Book Men, an unscripted series focusing on a New Jersey comic book shop. Australian TV's Outland just began airing as well, which is about a fan club who are "openly gay but closeted sci-fi fans." One of Outland's creators' "research included sporadic attendances at science-fiction conventions (he admits to being a fan of Doctor Who and Star Trek), but despite the fanatical devotees, it was always the gay fans he remembered. “I don’t know what it is, but I think they’re always a little ‘extra-obsessive.’ They have to collect the full set of Doctor Who dollies. The gays, we get a little bit too excited about things sometimes, I think."

If you are a sports fan, part of a fan club or love comics, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories on fannish histories in the news that might be of interest to fans:

• CNN's Geek Out blog hosted a post by Colette Bennett about how she became a J-Pop fangirl. "In 2008, a friend of mine mentioned that he enjoyed Japanese television dramas - known fondly as J-dramas to the fan community. I had no idea what the J-drama scene was about, but it wasn't long before I sat down to watch one. The opening scene was accompanied by a Japanese pop song from outrageously popular boy band Arashi. Within five minutes, I had two new realizations: I was madly in love with J-dramas, and I was madly in love with Arashi." The Korea Herald recently hosted a similar article by Elizabeth Gwee about her love of K-Pop fandom. "I don’t fit the stereotype of a K-pop fan. I like to think of myself as a mature, normal-functioning, happily married adult. I try not to brainwash my friends into liking it, unless they ask me about it. K-pop happens to be something that my husband, who introduced me to it, and I enjoy indulging in when we need an escape from mundane adult life."
• Romance novel review site Smart Bitches, Trashy Books hosted a discussion about paranormal vs. contemporary romance fans that tried to define how each group participated in their fandom. "[T]he paranormal fans are more likely to click links, rate books, review books and spread the word about a series they love - and connect with other readers. That's not to say that the contemporary fanbase can't be built among readers; I think the limitation is that the contemporary world building is reality-based, and ultimately the connected activities are both based in the real world (knitting, cooking, etc.) and focused on real-world promotion instead of online."
• Today in Comics History posted about the origins of comic book fandom, citing the practice of allowing fans to network among themselves as a turning point. "Now letters pages were not rare before the 1960s, and even letters pages with full addresses (name, street, city, state) were published in comic books back in the 1930s. And there were fans clubs, even if they were mostly company run. But something changed with comic book fans in the early 1960s. There were many factors, but one key was the older, activist fan like Jerry Bails, Roy Thomas, and Don & Maggie Thompson. They enjoyed comic books and wanted to tell others about it. And they had the life experience and knowledge to act on that desire."
• Lastly, The Literary Omnivore had some book recommendations about fandoms highlighting "three works dealing with pre-Internet fans."

If you've read zines or are part of the comics, J-pop, K-Pop, or romance book fandoms, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories on collaborative fan activity that might be of interest to fans:

• Comic Book Movie announced that ""The Batman" will be a FANMADE series released on the internet" and asked for suggestions from fans as to the animated movie's content.
• Soaps.com asks for contributions for fan fiction citing the many stalled storylines of cancelled soap series. "We’ve lost so many of our soap operas in the past few years. Fans are missing the soap characters they’ve grown accustomed to seeing each day over the years. With that in mind, Soaps.com decided to bring your beloved characters, and not so beloved characters back to life via Fan Fiction."
• Unleash the Fanboy announced that a new Star Wars fan film was "groundbreaking" because "a group of Spanish-speaking fanboys made a Star Wars themed flick about two lovers…who happen to be stormtroopers."
• The MarySue posted about how a fan film had topped the annual recommendations made by those in the entertainment industry. "Much like The Black List, the Viewfinder List recognizes short form video content and the up and coming helmers responsible for it.”" The live-action short film, Portal: No Escape, got the most recommendations. "Even if you don’t play the video game it’s based on, it’s a really spectacular thing to watch."
• Lastly, Think Progress took note of collaborative fan action on a different front, that of speaking out against SOPA. "I suspect that as fandom becomes an increasingly important basis for identity or community, we’ll see more work and organizations along these lines where the values that motivate service are drawn less explicitly from political parties or religious faith and more from powerful fictional texts."
  

If you write fan fiction are part of Batman, gaming, or soap opera fandom, or have taken a stand against SOPA, why not contribute your fandom experience to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories on female fandom that might be of interest to fans:

• FemPop claimed that Women Geeks Rule. "Male geeks are the “real geeks” right? The rare female geek who share [sic] the same interest is a girl geek first and a geek second. But according to this infographic male geeks and the fandoms they are most commonly associated with are in the minority. Between them Harry Potter and Twilight fandoms have more than 51 million fans on Facebook. That’s six times as many fans as Doctor Who, Pokemon, Star Wars and Star Trek combined. By sheer numbers female dominated fandoms rule the earth." The MarySue also pulled out some evidence when pointing out that men and women were equally interested in genre films. "Perhaps Hollywood will see this and realize they don’t need to subscribe to the school of thought that men and women like opposite things."
• FemPop was certainly right in suggesting that men are the ones thought of when it comes to fandom, by both the media and the men themselves. In his first column for NextMovie.com the author of "Planet Fanboy" wrote "And lest you think you lack the cred to attain true geek glory, I'm here to inform you that all are welcome. Seriously, the more we let in the club, the more likely someone is to introduce us to their sister." Apparently sisters themselves could not possibly be part of the audience. Similarly, while Unleash the Fanboy (as opposed to just Fan) hosted a column about girl geek myths they also managed to be derogatory about older women in a column about fandom knitting. "At one time in our lives, knitters were the most despised people in the world. Mostly comprised of grandmothers and other matronly figures, they would force us to adorn ourselves in ridiculously embarrassing attire that their hands had diabolically fashioned."
• By contrast, The Fangirl Next Door created a podcast on women who are part of the Star Wars franchise adding, "I must make a point to mention that you do not have to be a Star Wars fan for this podcast to hit home. This particular episode is all about empowerment."

If you take part in Star Wars or any other fandom, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories about fan creations that might be of interest to fans:

• The Daily Dot recently featured an interview with the creators of the Rap Industry Fan Fiction Tumblr blog. "“Why rappers? Because no one writes about rappers,” Jones told the Daily Dot. There’s something “endearing to read about rappers that feel vulnerable. And I mean vulnerable in a stupid, relatable way, like saying ‘duvet’ instead of ‘bidet,’ not grand lost-love vulnerability,”" Asked about any response from the subjects of their blogs, one replied "Upon two occasions rappers have asked us to post their music videos. I do not think they understand that our site is about made up stuff." Their future plans include podfic, and hopes for a book deal.
• One of the exhibits by a performance art group in Japan "taxidermied...rats, painted them yellow, and stuck wires in their tails." The artists explained that the exhibit was inspired by the endurance of female Pikachu cosplayers. "These super rats have developed into what they are because of human activities. Even though humans are trying to exterminate the rats, they have become an eradicable [sic] part of society. I also thought that the type of girls that hang around Center-gai are a bit similar."
• Wizard World recently featured what they called The Best Fan Fiction on Video, a collection of fan films that somehow failed to include last year's Emmy winning Star Wars fan film, "Star Wars Uncut" which was creatively crowdsourced. Crowdsourcing has enabled the production of an increasing variety of fan films for properties such as ElfQuest and Riverdale, an Archie comics fanfilm that "was produced with the help of almost 100 Craigslist volunteers from the Vancouver film industry."

If you create fan videos or fan films or are part of rap music or Pokemon fandom, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories providing a closer look at comics fans that might be of interest to fans:

• Newsarama has begun a series of articles on comics fandom that focuses on what fans are expressing now that their voices can be so publicly visible. They began by looking at fans' sense of "ownership" over characters and storylines, the conclusion of which was that "what the fans do matters more than what they say", specifically, when what they do affects the finances of the producers. This point of view was repeated in Part II which went so far as to speak to psychologists about why fans "don't know what they actually want."
• A more sociological look at comics fans is discussed by the University of Cambridge's Casey Brienza who asks "Why are superhero comics so masculine? After all, other comic book-loving countries such as Japan and France do not manifest the same trends, and the self-same superhero characters, when presented in another medium such as Hollywood film, have truly mass appeal." She concludes that the cause was "1) the institution of the Comics Code in the 1950s and 2) the rise of the direct market in the 1980s."
• Online magazine Slate offered some numbers on the sex breakdown of Comic Con attendees by looking at a speed dating event held there, and note "New York Comic Con (NYCC) and other fan specific spaces also do a tremendous job of inverting many carefully crafted social norms." For one, "normally, gay men are the largest queer demographic at Speed Dating events, but at Comic Con, "girl-on-girl" action is taking precedence."

If you are part of a comics or manga fandom, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories on race and gender in fandom that might be of interest to fans:

• An article in The Root pointed out that given the diversity of attendance at New York's recent Comic Con, the number of minority characters and the attention paid to them is clearly lacking. "Eaton also sees problems with the structure of fan culture itself, which seems content with the status quo. This was neatly symbolized by the editorial choices at Comic Con. "My panel featuring four black creators and a professor of history was shot down so that a panel on black characters -- featuring no black creators -- could be held. I am still very salty about it because it perfectly illustrates my issue with the industry," she said. "They want us as consumers, but God forbid we actually try and snag a seat at the creator's table."
• Racialicious posted Fandom and its hatred of Black women characters which focuses on reactions to characters in the British series Merlin and Doctor Who and the American series Glee and True Blood. Of concern to the poster and commenters, "When I see fandom reacting to fictional Black women this way, I wonder what they’re saying about real Black women while our backs are turned."
• In this Huffington Post article about fandom bandwagon jumpers, an unfortunate comment was made about how most female sports fans are fans only because of their boyfriends. "So ladies, don't get caught up in impressing your boyfriend with your sports knowledge. Understand the fine line between attending a game and ruining the sporting experience for your boyfriend's buddies." While a male figure is indeed the most important influence in a woman's sports fandom, that person is equally important for men: fathers, as a study from Murray State University found.
• A college sports blog column supported the Murray State study numbers on a school's influence on female sports fans. But unlike the Huffington Post story, this post put a positive focus on how casual fans are fans too. It also reflected on how the simplicity of connecting to fandoms and other fans through social media helps fans become increasingly passionate about their interests over time.

If you're part of Merlin, Glee, True Blood, or Doctor Who fandom, or want to share your experiences on race and fandom, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories on gender in fandom that might be of interest to fans:

• Newsarama interviewed Geek Girl Con organizer Erica McGillivray about the recent event which "celebrat[es] female involvement in "math, the sciences, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, fiction, gaming and more"" as part of their "Pro-Girls" series. Discussing her particular area of interest, comics, McGillivray did "Some math: women + ethnic and racial minorities + queer people + disabled = the majority of the world's population and the largest potential audience. Except to continue the status quo of the white heteronormative patriarchy, I don't understand why any industry continues to only serve the white male market. Of course, comic books aren't the only industry that does this and [sic] makes me scratch my head."
• NPR ran a segment on the new FX television show, The League and "how they explore the bigger theme of middle-aged male friendship through the prism of rabid fandom." The idea sprang from one of the co-producers who is herself a fantasy football player. "[I]t seemed to me that fantasy sports were really, really growing. There's so many things about it that make it such a more contemporary book club, if you will, that brings both men and women together in a really organic way."" (Partial transcript available).

If you play fantasy sports, are in a comics fandom, or if you are a con-goer why not contribute your perspectives to Fanlore? Contributions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories about gender and sexuality in fandom that might be of interest to fans:

• In a strong counterexample to the women's invisibility problem demonstrated by the L.A. Times' entertainment blog Hero Complex (which is subtitled "For your inner fanboy"), a group of female cosplayers at Comic Con created the Gender Bent Justice League where men and women genderswap well known superheroes. The group is making a statement as well as having fun: "We try to keep it pretty scantily clad for [the men] because that's how women are portrayed," says Silver. "We weren't scantily clad for ourselves because that's not the point. We're showing that girls can be clothed and be superheroes because, most of the time, they aren't."
• Also helping to keep women visible in fandom, Chicks Dig Time Lords, a book celebrating female Doctor Who fandom, recently won a Hugo award. The volume includes a contribution from OTW Board member Francesca Coppa: Girl Genius: Nyssa of Traken.
• In the BitchMedia post Ambiguously Gay Wizards, actors in the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings fandoms are cited as examples of playing gay to the fans for professional reasons. "But it also highlights how much of the cultural bandwidth Straight Men playing or imitating Gay Men is starting to take up, and how lucrative being ambiguously heteroflexible can be in securing more of the fandom’s attention".

There are currently no entries on Fanlore for the Justice League. If you're part of that fandom or have taken part in cosplay the site could use your contributions!

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.