The Ligne Claire of Fandom
Upon reviewing the findings of my research, it is difficult not to be overwhelmed by a creeping sense of despair and anxiety. This is especially true when one examines the …
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The Costumor/Collector framework
My own positioning within the Costumor-Collector spectrum illustrates the fluidity of these categories. While I frequently advocate for a costumor-oriented approach to simplifying entry requirements to broaden participation, my commercial …
Screen Accuracy vs. Set Accuracy
I often joke that watching Star Wars isn’t fun for me anymore—it’s research. I’ll watch a new scene ten times, pausing frame by frame, studying the stitching on a jacket …
Your Costume Is a Memory Machine
Scholars and psychologists have noted how social media alters human connection. This shift makes opportunities for real-life interactions increasingly important. Big gatherings thus become rare chances for communal experiences. Seen …
Your Costume Is a Battlefield
The 501st Legion has about 20,000 members worldwide. That’s a lot of people with strong opinions about plastic armour. Friction is inevitable. But what turns normal disagreement into toxic conflict? …
I’m Not a Cosplayer—I’m a Costumor.
The word “cosplay” comes from Japan in the 1980s, a blend of “costume” and “play.” It started as a playful, interpretive art form—and for many, it still is. But in …
Fandom Hierarchies Keep People Out
I referenced Flynn’s Fandom Pyramid, which, in my opinion, oversimplifies fandom as a linear journey from casual to superfan. My experience reveals that the superfan top tier is much more …
Has the Digital Age Killed Our Escape?
Jean Baudrillard talks of hyperreality, where representations of reality become more influential than reality itself. In this context, online discourse has a greater impact on shaping perceptions of the fandom …
When Fandom Turns Mean (And What We Lose)
The boundary between our real and digital lives has disappeared—and I’m not sure we can get it back. As a small business owner in this community, I’m constantly balancing my …
Fandom As a Factory for Outrage
Fandom used to be simple. You loved something, you bought the toy, you maybe wrote a letter to a magazine. Today? It’s a global, digital machine—and we’re all cogs in …