It’s safe to say that everyone has different personal interests that they’re passionate about. Some people are passionate about cars, some people are obsessed with sports, politics, etc. However, there is one demographic of people that are so passionate about their interests that makes them all come together on a regular basis, at big social gatherings like Comic Cons–Fandoms.
When most people think about fandoms, they think of geeks that are into video games, dragons, comic books, etc. However, there’s more to the surface to being part of a fandom than just being a geek. This means that not only do fandoms help you make friends, but they also give you a good reason to want to go to a convention. People who love cartoons start to recognize voice actors that voiced cartoons that they grew up with. According to dailydot.com, a lot of cartoon voice actors are getting recognized by fans of their work from Tik Tok videos, for example, Jim Cummings (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger), E.G. Daily (the voice of Tommy Pickles, and Buttercup from Powerpuff girls), Phil Lamar (the voice of Samari Jack), Jenna Davis (the voice of the robot Megan, in Megan), Tara Strong (the voice of too many to count), Christinia Vee, (the voice of Marinette/Ladybug in Miraculous Ladybug), and a few others.
When it comes to fandoms, Landmark College is a hub of activities. Thomas Kuzma, or T.K. for short, is a former student from Landmark who comes all the way from Australia and was also in an episode of the Australian episode of Love on the Spectrum is at the forefront of this activity. T.K.’s involvement in fandoms includes doing virtual movie watch parties and video game nights. The weekly game nights include Minecraft, Mario Kart, Smash Bros Hour, and Jack Box Games, and movie watch parties are held every Wednesday from 8:30-10:30 p.m. through Microsoft Teams. In a recent interview T.K. provided a detailed account of how online events were developed, and the thought process behind choosing different movies: “Growing up in high school, I had no one to hang out with and the people that I did hang out with were. I can’t swear, were mean,” Kuzma recalled. He discussed the community impact of weekly game nights- Kuzma stated, “So using things like Mario Kart or Minecraft can almost bridge the gap between you and the other individuals and you can use that as a jumping off point to socialize on other topics now.” T.K. shared many details about his programs that demonstrate his commitment to both Landmark and fandom culture.
When it comes to gaming D&D plays a huge role in fandom culture as well. I got to speak with Daniel Edgerton Dickey who oversees the D&D club here at Landmark. Edgerton believes- D&D is a popular trend on college campuses because, “It’s a huge cultural power and it’s been around since the 70s.” He also said that “It’s become a cornerstone of nerd hobbies.” Edgerton also observed the ways D&D can help students socialize and express themselves. “It’s a great way for students to connect and a way to escapism, and to express who you are and who you want to be.” “I think it’s a great way to allow students to create stories with each other.” Edgerton continued. Edgerton is passionate about his interest in a popular game in nerd culture and puts the importance in the students and bonding process first.
Fandoms have been a huge part of culture and a huge topic for print and digital media for decades. It seems like we’ve been into different forms of entertainment for quite a while. To this day fandom culture continues to grow bigger and bigger every year especially with new franchises popping up out of nowhere. It’s also a big part of Landmark. With new franchises popping up and conventions, and merch becoming increasingly popular, it doesn’t look like fandom culture is going away – any time soon. For LC Voices, this has been Gerald Fortier reporting.
