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hello again Barbelith
I do quite a lot of research into popular culture and fan communities, and have published some books on related topics, eg. Batman Unmasked, Using the Force (on Star Wars fandom) and forthcoming in 2005, The Blade Runner Experience.
I am beginning a new project now, on pilgrimages. This is at a very early stage but it should also become a book.
Two case studies I want to explore are Lord of the Rings communities making pilgrimages to the New Zealand locations, and X-Files fans visiting the show's related sites in Vancouver.
I'll also be doing a parallel study, for the same book, on "symbolic pilgrimages" -- the sense of immersion and almost out-of-body experience that, some say, can happen when you're watching a favourite film or TV show, especially when combined with rituals like shutting out all distractions, being in the company of other fans, bringing in appropriate clothing, refreshments or music. For this strand of the research I will probably focus on LOTR and X-Files again, but also want to include Blade Runner fans, to contrast that with my experience of pilgrimage to the film's locations.
So while this is a long-term plan, I want to make contact with some intelligent and interesting fans from these communities, ideally including some who have made such a trip and some who plan to make the journey during the period of my research (probably 2005-2007). Fans who aren't planning on a pilgrimage, but who understand what I mean about intense, immersive viewing experience that takes you to a different place, will also be integral to this study.
Barbelith's Comic Book forum helped me out a whole lot with a recent piece I did on Batman, and as this is a thoughtful community that clearly includes members of diverse fandoms, I thought this might be a good place to start with the new project.
If you are interested, or know anyone who might be -- or know of a decent online or real-life community that might be -- then rest assured that I am not the type of researcher who has a cheap laugh at fans, or studies them from some position "above" or "outside". I am only interested in respecting fan activities, understanding their passion (in the cases where I don't share it myself) and recording what these fandoms are all about.
Please feel free to post or private-message any suggestions or questions, and I hope this isn't any kind of abuse of Barbelith for my own purposes -- I am a fairly frequent contributor, on Comic Books at least, rather than someone just dropping in. |
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