Almost a year ago, I first discovered that My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is an amazing show that is capable of generating a fandom that crosses both gendered and generational lines. However, crossing and pushing these borders causes consternation about the bronies who organize because of it. However, bronies appear to welcome their challenge to social and cultural notions about what […]
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“They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” If you know that line, where it comes from, what the “they” are, then there’s a good chance you are a zombie fan. If you’ve ever argued which is better, the slow zombie of George Romero fame or the fast zombie of Danny Boyle fame – or even which is the “real” zombie — […]
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Although perhaps not as big sales wise as it once was, anime and manga remain highlyinfluential in the United States since exploding unto the scene with the Pokemon universe in the 1990s. The aesthetic qualities and conventions of anime and manga have influenced American artists (I’m looking at you, Joe Madureira) and creators of comic books and animation (see Avatar: […]
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As a society, as a civilization, even as a species, we like to celebrate success. With the Summer Olympics under way in Ye Olde London Towne, we have one of the great examples of how much we humans celebrate success. We give people medals, trophies, money, cereal endorsements, all for outrunning, outgunning, outswimming, outsynchronizing their rivals. We are surrounded by […]
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The theory goes that the term “fan” originated as a shortened form of fanatic. Fanatic comes from long, long ago, when the only fanatics were of the religious type, as a way to describe such people with excessive zeal, enthusiasm and passion, as if driven mad and consumed by the madness. Due to its etymological origin, the term fan, when […]
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He’s traveled around the world. He’s eaten things that would make any non-foodie American squeamish at best and vomiting at worst. He nearly killed himself riding an ATV on a New Zealand sand dune. He has no reservations about speaking his mind on any topic, food related or not. He is Anthony Bourdain, and he’s a brony. In case […]
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Once upon a time, a call went out across the United States for men who had “the right stuff.” Men who were fearless. Men who were smart. Men who were brave. Men who could take commands. Men who could handle cramped spaces, the rollercoaster ride from Hell, and the possibility of a hot, cold, or very wet death. And men […]
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Film and television geeks like to watch copious amounts of either film or television. Their whole geek-cred starts there, and then it may extend into other pursuits, from attending film festivals to find fresh faces of hip directors, to attending pop culture conventions to get the autograph from the TV star of that series no one else has ever heard […]
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People, hey, seriously, look at this. This is awesome. Now, I won’t say that I’m an avid art fan, nor would I say that I don’t have a level of respect for it. That said, it’s rare that something like the opening of an art gallery can tear me away from Netflix or a cold beer. Apparently though, all it […]
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With C2E2 almost set to launch from the McCormick Place in downtown Chicago, I wrap up my three part series on superheroes with this entry, in which I attempt to answer this question: do religious figures and the heroes of legend fall under the definition of “superheroes,” as outlined in part I? First, let’s look at the heroes of legend […]
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