Pre-Intervention(10.22)

After a conversation about my project with my fellow cohorts last Wednesday, I noticed that slash-fic is quite a niche subject and only the people within this subculture knew what it was. My classmates were seldomly in this circle and the first thing I had to do was to explain to them what slash fic was. That brought to mind the stereotypes of slash-fic.

Intervention Stage 1: Inside London Comic Con(10.26)

To find out people’s negative perceptions about slash fanfiction in general, I decided to conduct an intervention at London Comic Con.

According to my research and the first intervention conducted in Edinburgh Fringe, the general public(even would automatically link the word “fanfiction” to “sex” and “porn”.

I decided to show this stereotype exactly to people who were interested. I eventually decided to spotlight a common stereotype of fanfiction: slash-fic, a genre centered on same-sex romantic relationships. Slash-fic represents a significant category in fan publishing and is arguably one of fandom’s most unique contributions to popular literature. I chose to focus on slash-fic because it exemplifies fanfiction’s creativity and boundary-pushing nature while also serving as a focal point for stereotypes and misunderstandings.

I used a medium which I wasn’t really familiar with before, which was the form of newspapers. Historically, newspapers have been a platform for publishing original fictional works, such as pulp fantasy( which to me is surprisingly similar to fanfiction by content). By using the newspaper format ironically, I showcased slash-fic through a medium that has traditionally avoided fanfiction, challenging perceptions of what constitutes “valid” storytelling.

The point of this newspaper is to generate conversation by immediately providing the worst stereotype of fanfiction to an open-minded crowd. London Comic Con is a relatively open-minded place for really peculiar, even weird, activities to take place, so I blended straight into the crowd. I created the newspaper below, printed out 25 pages and took them to London Comic Con.

REFLECTION: I handed out those newspapers to random strangers. Most people started laughing at the content of the newspaper as soon as they saw it(to which I felt a bit exposed and vulnerable because before this project, reading and writing fanfiction was a relatively solitary and online experience for me). A few even asked to take pictures.

Surprisingly, several artists, who were selling their own works at the convention(there were writers, comic artists, visual artists, curators of comics, and cosplayers), expressed a concern for the fact that fanfiction exists. I asked everybody who actively participated whether I could record their reactions to the newspaper, and I got 6 audios out of about 20 participants.

Steve Penfold

Comic Artist.

INSIGHT: After the convo with Steve, I realized that the stereotype surrounding fanfiction hinders our ability to fully enjoy the storytelling process. At its core, fanfiction is about retelling beloved stories. While the sexualization of these narratives has boosted their popularity, it has also overshadowed the deeper emotional connections and fundamental reasons why people resonate with these characters in the first place.

Neil Gibson

Comic Writer.

Mick/Jack of All Trades

Marketing by day, Knight by night.

Stephanie Cotela

Children’s Book Author.

Vic Deluka

Comic Artist.

Vic’s Colleague

Comic artist and app manager.

Intervention Stage 2: inside CSM Campus (11.5)

Abani:

Lin:

Mingwei

Neelabh

Lu

Jim

EVALUATION: Fans demonstrate a clear ability to distinguish the fictional narratives they consume from the realities of their everyday lives, showcasing their nuanced understanding of fantasy as a creative outlet rather than a reflection of reality.

The stark differences in reactions between fans and non-fans emphasize the need to foster dialogue and understanding to bridge the gap between these groups.