Welcome back to This Week in Fandom, the OTW’s new fannish roundup series! We’re still catching up on all of 2016’s fandom news, so Volume 2 includes items from earlier in the month as well as developments from this past week. If you’ve got a tip about events or trends in your fandom, or if you’d like us to promote your event (including relevant calls for papers and even requests for fannish research participants), send us a message.
April Fools! This week included a bunch of hilarious jokes (and a couple of not-so-hilarious ones). Check out roundups from various parts of fandom, including celebrity jokes, gaming jokes, and tech jokes. One of the highlights was the announcement that Sony has finally made a working proton pack!
The pack is “both water- and slime-resistent” for all your ghostbusting needs.
And let’s not forget Tumblr’s Decision 2016. Which lizard with a spiffy hat did you vote for?
Fans were charmed by Entertainment Tonight’s interview with the cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in which actress Daisy Ridley rapped and danced with her co-stars. Here’s the video all those gifs are from.
It was a Cumberbatch kind of week as Dr. Strange finished filming and series four of Sherlock began production. Beware #setlock spoilers! And speaking of Sherlock, this weekend was the annual Holmes-themed 221B Con in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Have a look through the #221bcon hashtag on Twitter to see what shenanigans people got up to. Or, go listen to the Baker Street Babes podcast that was recorded live!
It def was a ball of laughs at the @BakerStBabes podcast with the latest honorary babe, @nellidge. pic.twitter.com/ZpFzV3O6UP
— 221B Con (@221bcon) April 3, 2016
In mainstream discussions of fandom, the LA Timestalked about how the new Batman vs Superman movie is fanfiction. “And that’s ok,” the article’s headline declares. Some fans were not so thrilled by the article, though, including acafan Anne Jamison.
@prof_anne I feel like that author thinks he's much smarter than he actually is.
— Jamie (@jlew8) March 30, 2016
you guys, you guys, fanfiction is ok, this guy told us it's ok
what a relief https://t.co/0LN6Xz3YZa— Britta Lundin (@brittashipsit) March 31, 2016
Lastly, current and former OTW staffers (notably former OTW Board member Francesca Coppa) were interviewed for an episode of the BBC World Service radio show The Why Factor on fanfiction. The show includes some dramatic reading of some fanfiction. (C’mon, you know you’re intrigued.)
We want your suggestions! If you have a story you think we should include, please contact us! Suggestions are welcome in all languages. Submitting a story doesn’t guarantee that it will be included in a TWIF post, and inclusion of a story doesn’t mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.