Perhaps most notably, by offering works that arguably “push the envelope” more than the works of the formal manga industry, dōjinshi may produce examples of innovation that create new opportunities for the entire industry. Indeed, mainstream manga publishing companies have
The history of the Star Trek fandom has been largely defined by its instances of fan mobilization. While the fandom can be said to have come into existence in 1966 with the premier of the first episode of Star Trek,
Currently, the structure of fansubbing distribution is highly decentralized and difficult to coordinate. In peer-to-peer file sharing, there are no central organizations but rather multiple – very transient – global networks among individual file sharers. With such a structure, it
Freedom is a slippery concept, especially when it comes to digital media. When we think about questions of copyright and digital ownership through cultural theft, freedom from domination lines up with freedom from having to pay—at least on the surface.
The rise of the Internet also meant that Comike lost its monopoly as the center of otaku and dōjinshi culture. Nevertheless, Comike remained the most important event for Japanese fans, especially after companies with otaku-related products started to exploit it.
It requires a certain cultural expertise and freedom to be able to arrange cultural fragments skilfully to new ends. This is reflected in The LEGO Movie, where the most prestigious characters are so-called masterbuilders, people who have the actual ideas
New fan studies research – August 1st, 2017
A weekly list of new/recent fan studies research that’s just been added to the Fan Studies Bibliography. Works are divided into things that are open access (=immediately readable for anyone) and not open access (=behind a paywall or not yet
New fan studies research – June 13th, 2017
A weekly list of new/recent fan studies research that’s just been added to the Fan Studies Bibliography. Works are divided into things that are open access (=immediately readable for anyone) and not open access (=behind a paywall or not yet
The Internet has fueled a massive amount of creativity, from the silly to the profound. Information scientist and copyright advocate Casey Fiesler talks about her experiences as a remixer, including how her feminist remix of a Barbie book went viral
Justice Scalia’s uncredited borrowing from a party’s legal brief escapes condemnation because the social context of his copying makes him a jurist, not a plagiarist. Similarly, fan creations, even without disclaimers, usually announce their unauthorized status so clearly through context