*taps mic*
Hi! I’m Marina, one of the (new) regular writes for Fanhackers. I’ve been in fandom since I was roughly thirteen years old (insert fond memories of printing out La Femme Nikita/DS9 crossovers and putting them in a big binder titled FANFICTION). Fandom has been part of my life through highschool, enlisting in the military and finally academia (where, through an odd confluence of events, I managed to obtain a triple major bachelor’s degree in Sociology & Anthropology, Film & Television and East Asian Studies).
I’ve mostly been part of fandoms because I was drawn to the source material (which then inspired me to make vids, write fanfiction, make graphics) but sometimes I’ve oddly (or not-so-oddly) found myself participating in fandoms where the canon was of no interest to me. I love fandom, its creative energy, the sense of being part of a global community that shares a common interest (or obsession, whatever), and sometimes that experience has been worth it to me even if the original source of fannish love was of little interest.
Lastly, I should probably mention that I was born, raised and currently reside outside of North America (outside of the Anglosphere, actually), and English is not my mother tongue. Though my participating in fandom has primarily been in English I’m also part of other linguistic communities, which means one of my interests, as an academic and as a fan, is exploring the differences in fannish culture across different languages and continents.
Academia wise, I’m currently in the process of getting my MA in sociology. My interests include cultural differences (shocking, I know), the study of pornography (including pornography in fan creations) and global organizations for social change.
So, that’s me! I look forward to talking about fandom in this space and reading the interesting things people have been submitting and writing.