Fan-art and fanfiction are two activities plenty of anime and manga fans take part in, including myself. No, I'm not particularly great at drawing, digitally or otherwise but I do enjoy viewing and supporting my fellow fans translating their passions in such a creative way, and I have dabbled in writing a bit of fan fiction myself. Regardless if you have made a fan work for your fandom or not, if you read, enjoy, and support fan works of the stuff you love, you are part of a participatory fandom.
For those who are new to these terms, fan-art is (digital) artwork created by fans of any particular media text. These can be posted in specialized forums or on sites like Deviant Art and Zerochan. Sometimes you will even find fan-art of other fan works. Thanks to the tools now available to make your very own 'digitized artwork', fans are able to create things like badges 'or posters featuring their favourite persons or objects.' (MacDonald 1998, p. 150) by themselves if they wish, instead of buying expensive, official merchandise.
(The character Red from the Pokemon games drawn in the Japanese manga style with Pikachu. Credit: http://www.zerochan.net/2080264)
Fanfictions are fan made stories borrowing characters, and possibly settings, from a media text. These stories can be a reworked version of the original narrative, an expanded version or a complete new one. Fans can make their fantasies imaginative realities, focus on things the original media text may have not and change things they may not have necessarily liked in the canon narrative. (Canon meaning, what is determined legitimate parts of a story or narrative). Most of the time, fanfiction feature shipped and slashed pairings from a series, but I shall be talking about that in a later post.On sites like Fanfiction.net, Wattpad, and Archive of Our Own, fans can share their stories and receive reviews and feedback. Which adds a whole new professionalism to writing fanfiction as fans use these online fan hubs to better themselves. Who knows where these young writers may end up? Jenkins (2006) says 'these young artists learn what they can from the stories and images that are most familiar to them.' (182), claiming that writing fanfiction is by no means just lazy copying of works, as some might think. E. L. James was a fanfiction writer and is now a millionaire thanks to her book, 'Fifty Shades of Grey' which was originally based off a fanfiction. Though granted, her writing is questioned by many.
Fans who are part of multiple fandoms may also try crossovers in their fan-art or fanfiction. This can be done in multiple ways. Using the characters from one series for a fanfiction retelling/adaption of another story is one way. For example, these Hetalia fanfictions based on Disney movies and classic fairy tales: http://iggycatcompleteusukfanfictions.blogspot.co.uk
Drawing characters from one series in another series' character's clothes/positions:
(Anna and Elsa from Frozen depicted as Satsuki and Ryuko from Kill la Kill. Credit: http://jeff-mahadi.deviantart.com/art/Kill-La-Frozen-440306812)
Or having characters from two different series' meet:
(Syaoran from Tsubasa Chronicles and Suzaku from Code Geass imagined meeting. Credit: http://shumijin.deviantart.com/art/Long-Lost-BROTHERS-8O-136600704)
References:
Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media
Collide. New York: New York University Press.
Jenkins, H. (2013) Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culture. New York: New York University Press.
MacDonald, A. (1998) ‘Uncertain Utopia: Science Fiction Media Fandom and Computer Mediated Communication’, in Harris, C. and Alexander, A. (ed.). Theorizing Fandom: Fans, Subculture and Identity. New Jersey: Hampton Press.
MacDonald, A. (1998) ‘Uncertain Utopia: Science Fiction Media Fandom and Computer Mediated Communication’, in Harris, C. and Alexander, A. (ed.). Theorizing Fandom: Fans, Subculture and Identity. New Jersey: Hampton Press.
