The fan community around a particular interest has been referred to as fandom in American sci-fi circles as early as the 1920s. Fandom is said to derive from the English words fan and kingdom. The current form of fan culture and fandoms originated in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when fans began to organize meetings and publish fan collections, particularly inspired by the TV series Star Trek and the Star Wars movie series. Some members of fan communities also create fan art inspired by their fandom.
Fan art refers to works created by fans based on previously established characters, worlds, or stories, often from Japanese popular culture. Fan art can range from highly faithful reproductions of the original work to entirely new creative endeavors based on the original material (e.g., fan fiction). Fan art emphasizes participation rather than passive consumption. Many engage in fan art for the social aspect, as it brings together like-minded individuals with a passionate interest in the subject matter. Some create fan art purely for personal enjoyment, while others share it online or sell it at conventions. Fan art can be inspired by movies, comics, TV series, or almost any cultural source.
Creating fan art emphasizes participatory engagement rather than passive consumption. Social interaction is also an important aspect of fan art for many: the passionate involvement of like-minded creators brings them together. Many create fan art purely for their own enjoyment, while others publish it online in digital form. Fan art is also made for sale, and conventions provide a great opportunity to expand one’s fan art collection. When considering copyright issues related to original works, fan art sometimes operates in a legal gray area.
Common forms of fan art include:
- fan fiction (fan-created fictional stories)
- drawings and paintings
- doujinshi (self-published manga-style comics)
- fan films
- cover music videos
- theater projects
- cosplay
- homemade figures and plush toys
