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.
X Files M/K still has a reasonably active mailing list going and new stories still appear at the Basement (as will mine one day in the deep distant future if only I could work out where I'm going with it!). I guess fandoms remain active for as long as people still write stories, watch DVDs and talk about the show with each other.
What about the DDEB? That bit of fandom was, I think, highly contingent upon regular viewing of Mulder goodness, and it was more enjoyable when there was a large number of people involved. Parts of fandoms are likely to just wither, I reckon, such as special interest groups.
Don't know about the DDEB (I have a problem with the E, to my British mind it should be an O not an E!) but there are a number of DD sites/lists that keep you updated on his activities plus a few LJs. I guess it depends how much you like the actor as well as the character.
But the X-Files fandom is pretty moribund. It's certainly less active than The Professionals, a fandom that predates the Internet, has numerous zines printed, and still being printed, and is 26 years old at least, yet has a couple of active mailing lists and LJs with stories being published on an almost daily basis. Amazing init! *g*
Why do you think XF is less active than The Professionals? I mean, there were thousands of people involved in XF fandom and it picked up and ran with the idea of online fandom. OTOH, I'd be hard pressed to remember any episodes of The Professionals (well, the tight pants are something I remember ... but you know how shallow I am!) even if they'd been repeated.
I guess the obvious answer is when there is no activity in it at all. But if there is a list going anywhere on Yahoo, a zine being produced, a community or group of chatters still discussing it, any fiction being written (even if only in very small numbers) then it should be considered active. I wouldn't consider, though, an old actor at a con being an indication the fandom is still alive. Maybe it just indicates that the con organiser happened to like the people....
By the by, I friended you, hope you don't mind. Not only are you a fellow Aussie but you list a number of mutual interests.
I agree - just the presence of an actor at a con doesn't mean that a fandom is active. When Star Wars fandom was dormant/inactive/whatever you'd like to call it, there were bit players from the SW films who would still turn up at cons where there were other actors from more popular films and tv series. It was almost embarrassing to admit to liking SW at some points.
Comments 26
As for dead fandoms, I don't know but I will tell you that Erin Gray is still damned hot. :)
Reply
Reply
Reply
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.
Reply
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.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
But the X-Files fandom is pretty moribund. It's certainly less active than The Professionals, a fandom that predates the Internet, has numerous zines printed, and still being printed, and is 26 years old at least, yet has a couple of active mailing lists and LJs with stories being published on an almost daily basis. Amazing init! *g*
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
By the by, I friended you, hope you don't mind. Not only are you a fellow Aussie but you list a number of mutual interests.
Reply
I agree - just the presence of an actor at a con doesn't mean that a fandom is active. When Star Wars fandom was dormant/inactive/whatever you'd like to call it, there were bit players from the SW films who would still turn up at cons where there were other actors from more popular films and tv series. It was almost embarrassing to admit to liking SW at some points.
Reply
Leave a comment