Fandom

An unseen figure holding a red and white ball stares down a yellow, rabbit-like creature with black-tipped ears and red dots on its cheeks. The entire world is rendered in blocks, the scene set on a hill of green grass and brown dirt, dotted with daisies and violets, a blue sky in the background. Red, pixelated hearts float above the creature, with an arrow pad and line of squares lining the bottom.

The History and Influence of Mods on Video Games

Video game mods allow eager fans an opportunity to partake in the medium's tradition of reiteration, reimagining cult classics in new forms.…

March 5, 2024

BBC’s Merlin Was a Great Unconventional Hero

Sydney Chastain, Florida State University

The 2008 fantasy series owes its charm to a clumsy, expressive protagonist.…

January 10, 2024

In an article about the new Amazon Prime series "Swarm," a drawing of the characters played by guest star Billie Eilish and lead actress Dominique Fishback, as well as series creator Donald Glover.

Swarm Brings a Lot of Buzz, but it Doesn’t Quite Hit the Mark

Elizabeth Fulton, Emory University

The new Amazon Prime Video series is more interested in shallow celebrity references than its main character's emotional development.…

June 29, 2023

In an article about being a fangirl, a female fan and a male fan stand next to each other across a torn background.

What’s so Bad About Being a Fangirl?

Olivia Madrid, Florida State University

From a young age, girls are made to feel much worse about their fandoms than boys are.…

May 6, 2023

An illustration of a computer user engaging in playbor

How Fan Creativity and Playbor Are Increasingly Exploited by Corporations

Peyton Conner, Indiana University

Fans often show their love for their favorite media through fan art, fan translations and video game mods, but are they getting the recognition they really deserve?…

March 30, 2022

Chadwick Boseman, as T'Challa, looking at the Black Panther suit for an article about the #RecastTChalla petition.

The Growing #RecastTChalla Campaign and Why Black Panther Should Live On

Joy Young, Chapman University

Marvel's response to honoring a beloved superhero makes fans question if it really is 'Wakanda Forever.'…

January 13, 2022

illustration of friday night funkin' featuring three of its characters pictured on a screen with arrows and a speaker

Bust a Move on Your Keyboard in Friday Night Funkin’

Diamond Sears-Allen, Borough of Manhattan Community College

The only thing greater than the game's premise of a boyfriend rap-battling foes to reach his girlfriend is the supportive and creative fandom it has cultivated.…

May 17, 2021

The Era of Fanfiction.net and Wattpad Is Over — Long Live Archive of Our Own

Karen Lu, Yale University

The website, affectionately known as AO3, has redefined the way fan fiction is cataloged and created and has reinvigorated the discourse surrounding the nature of fandom.…

April 30, 2021

Do Women in Fandoms Fetishize Men-Loving-Men Relationships?

Abigail Campos, University of Texas at San Antonio

People in fan communities often desire for certain characters, oftentimes the same gender, to become romantically involved. When does this go from progressive to problematic?…

October 11, 2020