There has always been an audience for compelling stories and skillful storytellers. From campfire tales of heroic adventures and deistic misadventures, to Homer’s Odyssey, to the comic book birth of Superman in 1938 and the pre-millennial X-Files of Mulder and Scully, words and pictures that capture our imagination can take on an epic, transcendent quality, becoming part of our cultural consciousness.
What these stories also do is create a unique, vociferous strata of sub-cultures where creativity is key.
Contemporary fan-culture had its origins in fan-zines, hardcopy, themed publications produced by admirers of science-fiction in the early 20th Century. In a 1993 feature for American Journalism Review, Jim Romenesko explains: “The medium has been around for at least six decades. Originally called fanzines (from fan club culture), the zines had their roots in science fiction pulp magazines. The earliest ones – Comet and Time Traveller – have been traced to about 1930.” Many zines had a creative element from the outset – a letters page where fans could record thoughts about authors and ideas that excited their senses, and fan- submitted stories riffed from a popular literary universe or a general idea in the fantasy community.
Fans could also be creative at conventions – large scale, organised events where attendees from around the world gather to dissect the object of their fandom with the expertise of a scholar. The longest running convention, Worldcon (The World Science Fiction Convention), was first held in 1939, and continues to attract hordes of fans with guest speakers, panels, awards, art exhibitions, live performances and more. These days, conventions are enormous money spinners, with hefty entrance fees and masses of mass merchandising.
But it was the arrival of the Internet that changed the face of fandom, and provided a rare platform for creative potential.
The modern fan – a devotee of science-fiction or fantasy TV shows and films which echoed the ‘Homeric’ quality of those campfire tales (epic quests peopled with larger than life characters) – now had a virtual space to congregate, and took to early chat forums (BBS – Bulletin Board Services) in droves to discuss the ‘mythology’ of their preferred content.
Communities and themed webpages grew rapid-fire. Fan writings that once appeared in zines were now uploaded. Creative fandom had moved from narrow, localised hardcopy, to a global audience of tens, even hundreds of thousands of willing readers who could deliver instant call and response to the work.
The evolution of digital technology and the rise of the web also thrust fan films into the spotlight. A long-time staple of fan-culture (fan-made Star Trek, Star Wars and Doctor Who films appeared at early conventions in the 1970s) these feature length visual ‘fan-fics’ were as costly as they were innovative (with fans relying on 8mm to capture their ideas). But the multimedia juggernaut made the creation of original filmic adventures based on characters from a particular fandom infinitely more achievable, and some fan-film creators now enjoy their own fandoms as a result of their efforts.
Alongside fan films, fan videos also found a voice. Harnessing readily accessible footage and MP3s, fans created ‘vids’ using clips from shows or films set to music. In many ways a mini fan-film, these videos are a way to offer artistic appreciation for the images and songs involved, as well as artistic interpretation (‘re-imagining’ the context of a fictional relationship or series of events through choice of underscore).
Fan artwork also made the jump to the Internet, with virtual galleries emerging to cover every taste, and fan music (dubbed FILK) has mushroomed.
Many of those who actively engage in fandom are creatives by trade – writers, scholars, artists or filmmakers for whom whipping up a story or video compilation is an organic offshoot of their daily practice. Significantly however, more still are not. In the culture of fandom, individuals who are not inclined, or perhaps not permitted, to express themselves artistically in daily life, can explore their creative capacity in a ‘safe’ space, enjoying the support born of a network of shared passions.
But for all its eye-opening possibilities, the creative component of fan subculture is a potential legal minefield. As the web led to an unparalleled proliferation of fan fiction, films, music videos and artwork, copyright holders around the world were forced to take a position on derivative content.
In the U.S many of these IP owners chose advocacy over aggression. Paramount Pictures, who hold their rights to the Star Trek media franchise, assisted the publishing of two fan fiction anthologies, with works chosen by contest and reprinted from various fanzines. Fan-made videos are also usually treated with tolerance by the copyright holders (as long as relevant disclaimers are made and no profit is derived). These videos are increasingly showcased and promoted at conventions or other official fan gatherings, with prizes on offer for the popular favourites.
So too in Japan, where ‘doujinshi’ – fan authored fiction, comic books, artwork and games – are sold with complete legality, the owners of the varying source material welcoming the market boost.
Joss Whedon, the American creator of the prolific Buffy The Vampire Slayer franchise, has repeatedly endorsed the creative activities of fans. Speaking with online entertainment portal IGN in 2003, Whedon said: “People writing each other and writing fiction…all of these things do what I always wanted Buffy to do, which was exist outside of the TV show. Enter people’s own personal ethos.” Echoing this sentiment, when Buffy finished its television life that same year, Whedon was asked by website About.com what fans should do now the object of their affections was no more. His response: “Write fan fiction.”
Many of the brains behind contemporary cult television programs (a primary root of modern fandom), share Whedon’s philosophy. Acutely aware of fandom’s power to engender loyalty and, of course, stimulate the cultural dollar, this new generation of story-tellers regularly log onto fan forums and personally blog in the virtual fan sphere to communicate with their audience (giving them daily on-set updates, or an insight into their writing process) and encourage creative interaction with their product.
And sometimes, the fans can take a driver’s seat. This year, iconic British sci-fi show Doctor Who was relaunched by the BBC to high praise from critics and fans alike. The broadcaster openly acknowledged the critical role of fandom and creative campaigning in keeping the 42 year-old franchise alive (especially in years where the program was off the air). Other fans, whose favourite TV show has been cancelled by a network, have united to create a ‘virtual next season’ – fanning the flames of popularity through writing their own adventures. On several occasions, their lobbying has led to the reinstatment of the original show.
From the campfire, to fanzines, the web, blogging and beyond, fandom and its creative stakeholders seem poised to inherit a fantastic future, where the rewards linger long after the television is switched off, or the book closed.