History of Fandom, Part II

I originally had something different planned for this entry, but last night a discussion I had gave me a chance to ruminate on what exactly it is I do.

I attended a wonderful talk last night about Lilith in the arts and popular culture. Of course, my contribution to the evening was about Lilith and her impact in the world of Neon Genesis Evangelion (for this I must give major credit to my girlfriend, who pointed much of her importance out to me over the past few months). Indeed, much of the classical Lilith mythology and astrological significance is reflected in the interpretation of Lilith in Eva, but that is another discussion for another day.

What struck me, however, was how the ideas of Lilith were received. The author of the book, who was extremely knowledgeable about the topic of Lilith, had never heard of Evangelion, despite it being one of the best known and best loved anime of all time. When I explained to her about the contribution of Lilith to the story, her face lit up and she immediately took down all the information about the series I had. She went on to exclaim that the version of Lilith found in Eva was "classic Lilith." She had never heard of Eva before last night, and it seemed to have an impact on her as a scholar.

The point of that little story is that anime, despite being something of a global phenomenon (at least from a media and media culture standpoint), is still very, very underrepresented in the academic sphere. Admittedly, much of this goes back to the idea of pop culture as being something more than contemporary or passing fads. Some aspects of pop culture change on a monthly basis and vanish into the annals of history as footnotes of what once was, or more frequently, as "what the hell was I thinking?" moments. But these segments of pop culture are often tied to trends or specifics.

Anime itself is neither of these. It is not a trend, as much as mass media cannot be a trend at all. And while specific anime can come and go, this is not an accurate representation of anime as a whole. It would be a fallacy to judge anime itself as merely one show or series of shows. Shows come and go. Some, like Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Dragonball or Gundam, transcend their temporal space and become phenomena in themselves. Other flare brightly and burn out, but not before leaving indelible marks on their followers.

So then, why is it that things like anime (and to an equal extent, comic books, video games and pop art) suffer from bias or stereotyping? If the classics of film can be studied, why not the classics of anime? Why is it that people who study and extrapolate on anime have to defend themselves and their work against laymen and professionals? If Star Wars can have books devoted to it, why not Galaxy Railways or Mobile Suit Gundam? And speaking of Star Wars, why, despite having been given attention to by legendary mythologist Joseph Campbell, do people who delve into the Star Wars fan culture still have to fight against being labeled journalists? Has the artistic, academic and mythological merit of media culture been proven time and again? Why do the classical traditions thumb their noses down, or relegate the study of such cultures to lesser branches of academia, despite their functions in our society?

Media cultures and fandoms are far more than just a cluster of antisocial or deviant people banding together to debate "their favorite captain." Fandoms are growing, evolving and living things, with their own associated mores, folkways, myths, heirarchies, sacred texts, priests and followers, who don't simply latch onto the idea of another person and emulate it, but contribute, worship and expand the views of something that otherwise might be static. The masses (and they are mass) of people who ascribe to a specific fandom are all part of the community, all have a place to belong, and all love to expand upon what they are experiencing, be it though art, writing, cosplay, convention or blog. They are, in all honesty, something akin to religion, sans the experience of the sacred.

Of course, that idea is also up for grabs.

Fandom: A History. Part I

No, this entry is not about the history of fandom in general. Such a topic would take up far more space than have here. Honestly, before I began my work studying fandom, I had no idea just how much research went into it. I, like so many other people, viewed fandom (including my own) as something too far off the beaten path to be deserving of study. Why study Trekkies or Jedi or really anything? It's not much of a culture, it has no merits, really. It's just a hobby that people take part in for fun.

But wow, is that a wrong answer. It took me a few days of sitting in the library to realize this. In need of books and articles to back up my research proposals, I found what could probably called a deluge of work done about fandom. Apparently, the study of fandom has been around for a good, long while, starting with works by Jenkins and Tulloch about Doctor Who fans, Star Trek fans, fan-fiction and evolving fandoms. Jon Gray edited a volume about the differing aspects of fan cultures and their impact of worldwide development. Mall Hills wrote a wonderful book about Fan Cultures that has gotten a good deal of reading time in. Susan Napier actually studies the ideas around anime fandom. And this is all academic work, mind you, not internet debate. When one factors in the internet, the entire topic explodes, and no academic bias can detract rom the fact that this culture is fan-centric and debated just like any academic idea. Fans love to talk, and who's to say that their ideas are not as valid as anyone elses?

The concept of native anthropology, analyzing and observing one's own group, has been around a long time, and in many cases leads to a wonderful understanding of why people are the way they are. Who understands your own group better than you do? Who gets the specifics better than the participant? Is bias an issue? Of course it is, but no more so than any study involving human perceptions. Perhaps the bias is more focused on the familiar than the unfamiliar, but the idea that a native researcher has flawed bias is, in itself, very flawed.

So why, then, did I choose to call this entry Fandom: A History. Because I intend, both in this entry and the next, to talk about why I am a fan. In my previous entry I spoke of my credentials and my passion for the study of anime culture. I am also a native anthropologist, electing to research and document the ideas of my own media culture. So perhaps it goes without saying that I need to explain why I have ascribed myself to this media culture. Fandom cultures are just that, ascribed groups that transcend family or ethnic groups, and have may of the same functions and features as those ethnic and family groups. Much like friends are sometimes called the families we choose for ourselves, external ascribed cultures are the ethnic groups that we desire to belong to, either due to shared interests, camaraderie or a sense of belonging, maybe even all three. And despite perceptions that can be stereotypical or even skewed by other cultures (ie, the infernal machine known as "mainstream mass media"), they are still created and sustained by those passionate about what they are.

We are all fans of something. What makes any of us better than the other?

Welcome to Animology!

Greeting, fellow traveler, and welcome to Animology: The Study of Anime. This site will explore my journeys into anime, manga and video games as a method for modern mythology, storytelling and academic research. It will also host reviews, previews and reports from the various anime conventions I travel to each year.

I have been a fan of anime and its related media forms since 1997, when a friend of mine gave me a copy of Dragonball Z "Dead Zone," itself a third generation recording of a badly subtitled movie. Back then, I thought this was the most incredible thing I had ever seen, and wanted more. Since then I have followed it with fervor, choosing series based on interest, merits and, above all, story. I have given several talks about anime and games as a form of modern mythology, have studied the reasons for anime subculture becoming mainstream, and now am devoting my time and energy to those few who travel across the country to associate with their fellows at conventions. Since the beginning of 2009, I have been to 7 such conventions, and I have two more planned this year.

My motives are simple: I study anime fan culture as an anthropologist, a fan myself and a scholar. I feel, and know, that there is more to being an "otaku" (this will hopefully be the only time I use this word, unless people do not mind my throwing it around) than sitting around watching TV and playing games. This is an evolving culture, a media culture and above all, a fan generated and supported culture. It holds a depth that may not seem obvious on the surface, but inside is as intricate and developed as any other fan culture. And I feel that it has been mislabeled and misaligned.

So there it is, my mission statement. I hope that my ramblings and lectures open some eyes and garner some debate, or at least thought. I know they have for me.