Participatory fans and individuals engaged in cosplay at fandom conferences are members of an under-investigated, yet quickly growing subculture. Increasingly, today’s media audience members seek more involvement related to their favorite movies, television shows, comic books characters, etc. Once stigmatized and relegated as “geeks” and “nerds,” these fans are not content to be passive consumers of media, but often take an active approach, engaging in endeavors related to their fandom. Two such activities are convention attendance and cosplay, literally “costume play,” dressing up and performing as their favorite characters (Gunnels, 2009; Lamerichs, 2010; Norris & Bainbridge, 2009). This study will investigate participatory fandom and cosplay, examining how media fans identify themselves, what motivates men and women who are media fans, and what motivates cosplayers who attend media fan conventions.
To delve into research of media fandom, one must understand what is meant by the term. “Media fandom is the recognition of a positive, relatively deep, emotional connection with a mediated element of popular culture,” (Duffett, 2013b, p. 2). Media fandom blossomed almost from the time mass media – phonograph, film, radio – began (Duffett, 2013b). But to fully grasp the concept of media fandom today, one must consider the multi-faceted nature of the current state of fandom. Passionate fanbases surround TV shows (Koppa, 2006), movies (Duffett, 2013b), popular music (Duffett, 2013a), video games (Wirman, 2009), comic books (Schelly, 2010), anime/manga (Hills, 2002), and all other aspects of popular culture.
Much of our understanding of media fandom today can trace its history to science fiction fandom from the past. According to Coppa (2006), historians cite the origin of science fiction fandom as the reader letter section of Amazing Stories science fiction magazine, which began publication in 1926. Fans were able to communicate for the first time with each other as the magazine published addresses for readers who sent in letters. From magazine to the small screen, science fiction fandom would expand and evolve into media fandom with the introduction of the shows The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which ran from 1964 to 1968, and, of course, the ubiquitous Star Trek, which ran from 1966 to 1969. Fans of these shows would go on to write fan fiction based their beloved characters, edit fan magazines (zines) dedicated to their favorite programs, and ultimately would find their way to fan conventions. “Media fandom, now a gigantic international phenomenon, clearly began life as a very small pool” (Coppa, 2006, p. 44).