Posts in Transformative Works and Cultures
Transformative Works and Cultures Releases Issue No. 40
Transformative Works and Cultures has released No. 40, our annual general issue. The opening editorial of this issue works to stake our the “state of the field” and remarks that: “As long as fan studies continues to primarily examine white fandom spaces and thus also white voices, white bodies, and white ideas to the exclusion of everyone else and the detriment of full knowledge of fandom, it will continue to be a field that conventionalizes white supremacist ideology.” This issue, as coeditors Mel Stanfill and Poe Johnson explain in their editorial, does “not yet [fulfil their] vision of combatting fan studies’ whiteness problem; however, various… Read more
Transformative Works and Cultures Releases No. 39
Transformative Works and Cultures has released No. 39, “Trans Fandom,” guest edited by Jennifer Dugan and Angie Fazekas. This issue seeks to “widen our knowledge of trans fans and fandoms” and hopes that it “will not only bring trans fans out of the margins of fan studies but also that the special issue will reflect the changing face of fandom, in which gender identities appear to be increasingly diverse.” The editors emphasize that the articles in this special issue are invested in the role of fandom in trans communities, as well as “the political work that is carried out by trans fans and their allies… Read more
Transformative Works and Cultures Releases Issue No. 38
Transformative Works and Cultures has released No. 38, which is a general (unthemed) issue. Topics in this issue include non-Western fandom including K-pop fans in Vietnam, Chinese rollercoaster fandom and more; they also include essays on erotic imaginary in femslash and nonbinary identities in fan fiction; and finally, essays tease out the nuances in the transformative/affirmative imaginary via Taylor Swift fandom, anime fans, and a special section on conventions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Each issue includes articles representing theory, fannish meta, and book reviews, such as the following: “Pic sets, fan cognition, and fannish networks of meaning” “What did they smell like?: Fans creating intimacy… Read more
OTW Signal, August 2022
Every month in OTW Signal we’ll take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including legal, technology, academic, fannish history, and preservation issues that are important for fandom, fan culture or transformative works. In the News A recent article celebrating Pride and game modding gave an unexpected shoutout to OTW’s academic journal, Transformative Works and Cultures (TWC):
TWC releases No. 37, “Fandom Histories”
Transformative Works and Cultures has released No. 37, “Fandom Histories,” guest edited by Philipp Dominik Keidl and Abby S. Waysdorf. This issue “explores the role of fans in the making of histories and examines the practices and media fans use to tell stories about the past” and “contributes to the study of historical representations produced by fans and the complex dynamics and impact of these fan-made histories.” The editors highlight five key directions for fan studies’ engagement with history: (1) The impact fan histories have on fan communities. (2) The materials and evidence fans collect. (3) The production of media that presents itself as truthful,… Read more