I think with the Internet, no fandom is ever truly dead. Comatose maybe, but not dead. New people can keep joining the ranks of fandom as DVDs are released, or they find episodes on the Internet Truck.
But on the flip side, fandom may be alive, but finding fandom isn't so easy. With so many places to choose from -- mailing lists from various sources, web forums, LJs and other blogs -- where do you start?
I know Star Wars fandom went through a "comatose" time. The pro books started coming out in the early 90s and help spark a revival of sorts. Then the prequels started coming out in 2000 and created a new fandom for some.
Yes, maybe a fandom becomes dormant like the DW fandom did. It never completely disappeared because there were novels coming out, but the level of interest dropped from popular consciousness.
Finding fandom is bloody hard sometimes. Just now and then I miss having a central fan club that people could refer to, or having a network of people who printed and wrote zines and who could tell you exactly when something was being published. Nowadays we're spoilt for choice, and there's quite a bit of rubbish on the banqueting table, too.
Yeah, 99% of everything is crap. Finding that 1% means wading through a bunch of crap.
I do miss those central groups too. They made it easier to find other sites and groups that were more specialized to your needs, instead of the current method of stumbling around in the dark. I often found myself on the "big list" in a fandom for the news, but on more specialized lists to actually discuss the details.
I'm finding fandoms are running in cycles too. Established fans leave, but they get some fresh blood now and again, such as when an established writer from another fandom begins writing in a fandom that's "new" to them, but old to everyone else.
There have to be triggers or catalysts to revive moribund fandoms. A new movie will most definitely renew interest in fannish activities for Highlander, I believe. If it worked for Star Wars, it would work for Highlander.
They had three Highlander films on UK TV on cable a few weeks ago. Now we need the tv series. (Oh well, I can give the programmers hints all I like, I guess. *g*)
But on the flip side, fandom may be alive, but finding fandom isn't so easy. With so many places to choose from -- mailing lists from various sources, web forums, LJs and other blogs -- where do you start?
I know Star Wars fandom went through a "comatose" time. The pro books started coming out in the early 90s and help spark a revival of sorts. Then the prequels started coming out in 2000 and created a new fandom for some.
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Finding fandom is bloody hard sometimes. Just now and then I miss having a central fan club that people could refer to, or having a network of people who printed and wrote zines and who could tell you exactly when something was being published. Nowadays we're spoilt for choice, and there's quite a bit of rubbish on the banqueting table, too.
Reply
I do miss those central groups too. They made it easier to find other sites and groups that were more specialized to your needs, instead of the current method of stumbling around in the dark. I often found myself on the "big list" in a fandom for the news, but on more specialized lists to actually discuss the details.
I'm finding fandoms are running in cycles too. Established fans leave, but they get some fresh blood now and again, such as when an established writer from another fandom begins writing in a fandom that's "new" to them, but old to everyone else.
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Last night's "Robot Chicken" episode featured a skit that was a parody of the original movie, so it's already in the fandom metaconsciousness.
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They had three Highlander films on UK TV on cable a few weeks ago. Now we need the tv series. (Oh well, I can give the programmers hints all I like, I guess. *g*)
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