Fangasm

Fangasm
Author: Katherine Larsen
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1609382153

Once upon a time not long ago, two responsible college professors, Lynn the psychologist and Kathy the literary scholar, fell in love with the television show Supernatural and turned their oh-so-practical lives upside down. Plunging headlong into the hidden realms of fandom, they scoured the Internet for pictures of stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki and secretly penned racy fan fiction. And then they hit the road—crisscrossing the country, racking up frequent flyer miles with alarming ease, standing in convention lines at 4 A.M. They had white-knuckled encounters with overly zealous security guards one year and smiling invitations to the Supernatural set the next. Actors stripping in their trailers, fangirls sneaking onto film sets; drunken confessions, squeals of joy, tears of despair; wallets emptied and responsibilities left behind; intrigue and ecstasy and crushing disappointment—it’s all here. And yet even as they reveled in their fandom, the authors were asking themselves whether it’s okay to be a fan, especially for grown women with careers and kids. “Crazystalkerchicks”—that’s what they heard from Supernatural crew members, security guards, airport immigration officials, even sometimes their fellow fans. But what Kathy and Lynn found was that most fans were very much like themselves: smart, capable women looking for something of their own that engages their brains and their libidos. Fangasm pulls back the curtain on the secret worlds of fans and famous alike, revealing Supernatural behind the scenes and discovering just how much the cast and crew know about what the fans are up to. Anyone who’s been tempted to throw off the constraints of respectability and indulge a secret passion—or hit the road with a best friend—will want to come along.

Family Don't End with Blood

Family Don't End with Blood
Author: Lynn Zubernis
Publisher: BenBella Books
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2017-05-09
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1944648364

How a Show, and the Support of Its Fandom, Changed—and Saved—Lives Supernatural, a three-time People's Choice Award winner for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show and Tumblr's 2015 Most Reblogged "Live Action TV," has made a name for itself by supporting and encouraging its fans to "always keep fighting," and a memorable line from early in the show's run, "Family don't end with blood," became an inspiring mantra for many who found community in the fandom. In 25 powerful chapters written by Supernatural's actors and fans, including series lead Jared Padalecki, plus special messages from Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, and Mark Sheppard, Family Don't End with Blood: Cast and Fans On How Supernatural Has Changed Lives examines the far reach of the show's impact for more than a decade. Supernatural has inspired fans to change their lives, from getting "sober for Sam" to escaping a cult to pursuing life-long dreams. But fans aren't the only ones who have been changed. The actors who bring the show to life have also found, in the show and its community, inspiration, courage, and the strength to keep going when life seemed too hard. Including essays and special messages from Supernatural 's cast: • Jared Padelecki ("Sam Winchester") • Jensen Ackles ("Dean Winchester") • Misha Collins ("Castiel") • Mark Sheppard ("Crowley") • Jim Beaver ("Bobby Singer") • Ruth Connell ("Rowena MacLeod") • Osric Chau ("Kevin Tran") • Rob Benedict ("Chuck Shurley aka God") • Kim Rhodes ("Sheriff Jody Mills") • Briana Buckmaster ("Sheriff Donna Hanscum") • Matt Cohen ("Young John Winchester") • Gil McKinney ("Henry Winchester") • Rachel Miner ("Meg Masters") Collected and edited by Lynn S. Zubernis, a clinical psychologist, professor, and passionate Supernatural fangirl, Family Don't End with Blood provides an insightful and often uplifting look into the way international fan communities become powerful, positive forces in the lives of so many. In keeping with the show's message to "always keep fighting," a portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to RANDOM ACTS, a nonprofit founded by Misha Collins, and AT TITUDES IN REVERSE, whose mission is to educate young people about mental health and suicide prevention.

There'll Be Peace When You Are Done

There'll Be Peace When You Are Done
Author: Lynn S. Zubernis
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020-05-05
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1950665321

Fifteen years. Two brothers. Angels and demons. A story like no other. And one of the most passionate fan bases of all time. That's Supernatural. There'll Be Peace When You Are Done: Actors and Fans Celebrate the Legacy of Supernatural is an emotional look back at the beloved television show Supernatural as it wraps up its final season after fifteen unprecedented years on air. With heartfelt chapters written by both the series' actors and its fans—plus full-color photos and fan illustrations—There'll Be Peace When You Are Done traces Supernatural's evolution, the memorable characters created by its writers and brought to life by its talented actors, and the many ways in which the show has inspired and changed the lives of both its viewers and cast. Both a celebration of Supernatural and a way of remembering what made it so special, this book is a permanent reminder of the legacy the show leaves behind and a reminder to the SPN Family to, like the series' unofficial theme song says, "carry on." Featuring chapters from Jared Padalecki ("Sam Winchester") and Jensen Ackles ("Dean Winchester"), which include some of the most heartfelt and emotional things they've previously said about Supernatural that they want fans to remember—plus new reflections about Sam and Dean's legacy, There'll Be Peace When You Are Done also includes original contributions from: • Richard Speight, Jr. ("Gabriel") • Chad Lindberg ("Ash") • Julie McNiven ("Anna Milton") • Tahmoh Penikett ("Gadreel") • Shoshannah Stern ("Eileen Leahy") • Rick Worthy ("Alpha Vamp") • David Haydn-Jones ("Arthur Ketch") • Lauren Tom ("Linda Tran") • And many more, including a special message from Misha Collins ("Castiel") Edited by Lynn S. Zubernis, a clinical psychologist, professor, and passionate Supernatural fangirl, There'll Be Peace When You Are Done is the ultimate send-off for this iconic show that has touched and changed the lives of so many fans across all walks of life.

Playing Fans

Playing Fans
Author: Paul Booth
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2015-03-15
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1609383192

"From Gifs to vids, from tourist attractions to digital costuming, from Trekkers to Inspector Spacetime, Media Play illuminates the multiple economic, cultural, and social links between fans and the media industries"--

Squee from the Margins

Squee from the Margins
Author: Rukmini Pande
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2018-12-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1609386183

Rukmini Pande’s examination of race in fan studies is sure to make an immediate contribution to the growing field. Until now, virtually no sustained examination of race and racism in transnational fan cultures has taken place, a lack that is especially concerning given that current fan spaces have never been more vocal about debating issues of privilege and discrimination. Pande’s study challenges dominant ideas of who fans are and how these complex transnational and cultural spaces function, expanding the scope of the field significantly. Along with interviewing thirty-nine fans from nine different countries about their fan practices, she also positions media fandom as a postcolonial cyberspace, enabling scholars to take a more inclusive view of fan identity. With analysis that spans from historical to contemporary, Pande builds a case for the ways in which non-white fans have always been present in such spaces, though consistently ignored.

Mad Men Unzipped

Mad Men Unzipped
Author: Karen E. Dill-Shackleford
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2015-12-15
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 160938377X

This is the story of the Mad Men fan phenomenon: how the show and its fans distinguished themselves in a market where it’s hard to make an impression, not unlike the driven ad execs at the center of the show. In this book, four media psychologists who also just happen to be dedicated Mad Men fans explore how the show’s viewers make meaning from fictional drama. The authors also interviewed several contemporary advertising industry professionals, getting their inside view of the business in its modern guise and what they make of the show’s vision of their past. The result is cutting-edge psychological research that crunches and codes online fan commentary to understand the ways that people use the show to debate complex social issues, from sex and alcohol to gender roles, parenting, and advertising itself. What do the 1960s mean to us today, and how well does the twenty-first century measure up against that famously turbulent decade? Which characters do fans identify with—and which ones do they love to hate? How would fans unfurl the Mad Men storylines if they were in charge? What makes a good man, and has it changed over time? How should husbands and wives treat each other, and how should parents treat their children? In answering these questions, the authors explore not just the online commentary but also Mad Men fans’ fan fiction, cosplay, cocktail making, and vintage furniture collecting. Whether tweeting as one of the main characters (or just a lowly mail clerk), setting Peggy up with the man who’ll treat her right, or figuring out just which “Mad Man” they are at heart, fans integrate the show into their lives and use it to make sense of their own choices in work, leisure, and love.

Fandom At The Crossroads

Fandom At The Crossroads
Author: Katherine Larsen
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2011-11-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1443835560

Fandom At The Crossroads: Celebration, Shame and Fan/Producer Relationships is an in-depth exploration of the reciprocal relationship between a groundbreaking cult television show and its equally groundbreaking fandom. For the past six years the authors have inhabited the close-knit fan communities of the television show Supernatural, engaging in criticism and celebration, reading and writing fanfiction, and attending fan conventions. Their close relationships within the community allow an intimate behind-the-scenes examination of fan psychology, passion, motivation, and shame. The authors also speak directly to the creative side in order to understand what fuels the passionate reciprocal relationship Supernatural has with its fans, and to interrogate the reality of fans’ fears and shame. As they go behind the scenes and onto the sets to talk with Supernatural’s showrunners, writers, and actors, the authors struggle to negotiate a hybrid identity as “aca-fans”. Fangirls one moment, “legitimate” researchers the next, the boundaries often blur. Their repeated breaking of the fan/creative side boundary is mirrored in Supernatural’s reputation for fourth wall breaking, which has attracted journalistic coverage everywhere from Entertainment Weekly to the New York Times. Written with humor and irreverence, Stalking Fandom combines an innovative theorizing of fandom and popular culture, which will be useful in a variety of courses, with a behind-the-scenes story that anyone who’s ever been a fan or wondered why others are fans will find fascinating.

Austentatious

Austentatious
Author: Holly Luetkenhaus
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Total Pages: 199
Release: 2019-06-03
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1609386396

The amount of fan-generated content about Jane Austen and her novels has long surpassed the author’s original canon. Adaptations like Clueless, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen’s Fight Club, and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries have given Austen fans priceless opportunities to enjoy the classic texts anew, and continue to bring new and younger fans into the fold. Now, through online culture, the amount and type of fan-created works has exponentially multiplied in recent years. Fans write stories, create art, make videos, and craft memes, all in homage to one of the most celebrated authors of all time. This book explores online fan spaces in search of “Janeites” all over the world to discover what fans are making, how fans are sharing their work, and why it matters that so many women and nonbinary individuals find a haven not only in Jane Austen, but also in Jane Austen fandom. In relatable chapters based on firsthand experience, the authors explore how Austen fandom has and continues to build communities around women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. Whether Janeites are shrewdly picking up on the latent sexual tension between women in Emma or casting people of color in leading roles, Luetkenhaus and Weinstein argue that Austen fans are particularly adept at marrying fantasy and feminism.

Gaming Masculinity

Gaming Masculinity
Author: Megan Condis
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2018-05-01
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 1609385659

In 2016, a female videogame programmer and a female journalist were harassed viciously by anonymous male online users in what became known as GamerGate. Male gamers threatened to rape and kill both women, and the news soon made international headlines, exposing the level of abuse that many women and minorities face when participating in the predominantly male online culture. Gaming Masculinity explains how the term “gamer” has been constructed in the popular imagination by a core group of male online users in an attempt to shore up an embattled form of geeky masculinity. This latest form of toxicity comes at a moment of upheaval in gaming culture, as women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals demand broader access and representation online. Paying close attention to the online practices of trolling and making memes, author Megan Condis demonstrates that, despite the supposedly disembodied nature of life online, performances of masculinity are still afforded privileged status in gamer culture. Even worse, she finds that these competing discourses are not just relegated to the gaming world but are creating rifts within the culture at large, as witnessed by the direct links between the GamerGate movement and the recent rise of the alt-right during the last presidential election. Condis asks what this moment can teach us about the performative, collaborative, and sometimes combative ways that American culture enacts race, gender, and sexuality. She concludes by encouraging designers and those who work in the tech industry to think about how their work might have, purposefully or not, been developed in ways that are marked by gender.

What Is Your Quest?

What Is Your Quest?
Author: Anastasia Salter
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2014-11-01
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 1609382757

What Is Your Quest? examines the future of electronic literature in a world where tablets and e-readers are becoming as common as printed books and where fans are blurring the distinction between reader and author. The construction of new ways of storytelling is already underway: it is happening on the edges of the mainstream gaming industry and in the spaces between media, on the foundations set by classic games. Along these margins, convergent storytelling allows for playful reading and reading becomes a strategy of play. One of the earliest models for this new way of telling stories was the adventure game, the kind of game centered on quests in which the characters must overcome obstacles and puzzles. After they fell out of fashion in the 1990s, fans made strenuous efforts to keep them alive and to create new games in the genre. Such activities highlight both the convergence of game and story and the collapsing distinction between reader and author. Continually defying the forces of obsolescence, fans return abandoned games to a playable state and treat stories as ever-evolving narratives. Similarly, players of massive multiplayer games become co-creators of the game experience, building characters and creating social networks that recombine a reading and gaming community. The interactions between storytellers and readers, between programmers and creators, and among fans turned world-builders are essential to the development of innovative ways of telling stories. And at the same time that fan activities foster the convergence of digital gaming and storytelling, new and increasingly accessible tools and models for interactive narrative empower a broadening range of storytellers. It is precisely this interactivity among a range of users surrounding these new platforms that is radically reshaping both e-books and games and those who read and play with them.