Tolkien Fandom

                                                                    

(Video 1 of Christopher Lee reading the one ring poem.)

Introduction

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” (J.R.R Tolkien). The Lord of the Rings fandom is an expansive group from online to real life meetups and gaming. It covers many topics of wide varieties and is one of the most interesting fandoms you will see. Tolkien as stated by David Doughan of the Tolkien society “John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892–1973) was a major scholar of the English language, specializing in Old and Middle English. Twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at the University of Oxford, he also wrote a number of stories, including most famously The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955), which are set in a pre-historic era in an invented version of our world which he called by the Middle English name of Middle-earth” (2021). Tolkien was a scholar of language and would write the Lord of the Rings trilogy that would become extremely popular. The book sales for Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, the prequel to the trilogy of books, would be as wradmin compiled “The LOTR trilogy has sold over 150 million copies. The Hobbit has sold over 100 million copies” (2021) The books draw a massive fan base and cover 38 languages officially it is a massive franchise and has millions of fans around the globe. The movies would draw in new generations (see video 1) of a actor who met Tolkien reading the one ring poem. The fandom can be broken down into two major categories, the online community and the in-person community. 

The Fandom

The fandom online is broken into many subsets of different groups however the easiest way to identify them is as the commentators and loreist, artists, musicians, and gamers. Many of these online groups are founded and based on mostly Youtube and Twitter. These four groups are part of the fandom that cover the widest area while showing the variety of the fandom. First  and the largest is the youtube community of commentators.

Youtube Commentary

                       (Video 2 Clip of Tolkien reading the charge of the Rohrrim on youtube)

Youtube is an extremely large collection of videos and communities and the LOTR fandom is one of millions. A few names of many are channels like Men of the West, Nerd of the Rings, Nerdrotic, Sîdh Aníron (see Video 2 above) and many many more. These channels of fans tell stories, theorize, celebrate the movies and shows, and talk and interact with fans of Tolkien. These online youtube communities talk on Tolkien's work and build this network of a community to continue their love and/or interest in Tolkien’s work. These videos also discuss theories and how events play out differently. Both Men of the west and Nerd of the Rings do these theory videos on the books and what if. People who do not wish to make videos can contribute to all the commentary community through the comments, forums and other methods bringing discussions in almost all comment sections of youtube videos. Another section on youtube is the music community of Tolkien's work.

Youtube/Spotify Music

The fandom of the music community is massive and the channels who love and respect Tolkien's work remaster the songs of the movies or make new songs from Tolkien’s work and poems. Channels like Clamavi De Profundis make songs on and about Tolkien’s work with millions of listeners. The way to show the love of Tolkein is not in one way and music brings out some of the poems within the books which brings different aspects of Tolkien's work to the fandom. The final youtube dominated group is the fans of Tolkien who express that through different types of games.

Gaming Section

Tolkien’s works have been remastered in many different forums for gaming on consoles but also things like wargaming. The Tolkien game community revolves around games like Lego LOTR, LOTR battle for middle earth, the RTS LOTR games, as well as a few other games here and there. Fans go through these games talking about lore and Tolkien's work while enjoying a video game. While other gaming subsections of wargaming paints minifigures and recreates maps of middle earth to fight out battles that may or may not have happened and experience LOTR specifically in different ways. The wargaming subsection also includes modelers who recreate Minas Tirith for a massive wargaming battle on a channel called Zorpazorp. This community is smaller than that of the music, commentary/loreist, and gaming communities but still shares in the fandom and creates content on LOTR and other books from Tolkien. Finally, the online space that fills dozens of websites things like twitter, youtube, pinterest, and dozens of art websites is the artist community.

Artist Community

The artist community is massive and the work to celebrate and bring more life to Tolkien’s work is incredible. Artists recreate, add or make new from the books, movies, and shows a wide range of art. From minor scenes across the books and movies they illustrate the world in respect to the books to express their fandom. To create and bring life to their favorite characters through their illustrations (see image 1 and 2). Apart from artists, modelers whether on computer programs or with

(Image 1 from art station by Alexander Sorokin) hand-crafting, create dioramas of scenes and stories to show their appreciation for the work.  Some of my favorite art is the concept arts done by the community around Lord of the rings. It is reimagining and changing the characters in a new and creative way. How does all of this tie together?

(Image 2 from Pinterest by Leo)

Tolkein Scholars

The Tolkien fandom is quite unique as they have a large part of their loreist, the people who focus solely on compiling lore who dedicate their lives to this work and are scholars. These fans of Tolkien's work study it, in some cases write 7 books over 300 pages on Tolkien and his work and compile the lore to their best ability. The scholars also host the yearly convention on lord of the rings and compile lore from the written works, letters, additions works, and over 300 page appendixes to the main story in the languages of the book he wrote. A massive community especially in places like the Tolkien Society where events and articles are organized from tolkien scholars. From their main page you can find numerous articles about Tolkien's work and this is another outlet for fans of the work. The society which is a nonprofit first chaired by Tolkien has fostered growth to over 3500 members from the current statistics of the chairman. The scholars are a decent part of the organizers of  events for the Tolkien society but the largest community is the cosplayers.

Cosplay

Cosplayers are in every fandom but the lord of the rings fans are especially more dominant now than ever. The cosplayers for Tolkien go to events like the Scholar events, or the larger nerd events like comic con, anime expo, and other conventions. Even people who dress up to go to the shire in New Zealand the cosplayers travel and show their love of Tolkien through the design and displaying of their costumes. The fandoms are expansive and the ways to learn, watch and participate are far and wide. My story however is not as long. I mainly was interested and part of the fandom online in spaces like twitter and watching videos. I have read the books and they are fantastic but I do not proactively go out for things like conventions mainly because they are mostly either in Britain or the west coast.

The End

All the online stuff ties together in the chat rooms, forums and on social media. The fans from casuals to die hards have different ways to express their enjoyment, interest or even love of professor Tolkien’s work there is no one way or one type of fan because of how big and successful Tolkien’s work is and in part with support from six great movies and a old animated movie it has built up a good will and strong fandom passing down from old generation into a new one. The fandom online has blobbed into groups you have the Fellowship, The one ring, and the scholars but at the end of the day they are all fans, they respect and enjoy at the very least professor Tolkien’s work. The in person space maintains the balance of joy and reverence for the works through the society and the fans who go to conventions and do cosplay, who play board games and people who enjoy the work of Tolkien. References

Doughan, D. (2021, May 19). Biography. The Tolkien Society. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/biography/

Gunner, S. (2022, August 28). News. The Tolkien Society. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.tolkiensociety.org/contributor/shaun-gunner/ 

Leo. (2018, September 28). Gandalf: Character Design, character art, character modeling. Pinterest. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/151152131229619759/

Sorokin, A. (2015). Artstation - Minas Tirith. Artstation. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.artstation.com/artwork/qJQmL

The Lord of the Rings Wiki. (n.d.). The One wiki to rule them all. Fandom. Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page 

TheOneRing.net. Lord of the Rings Rings of Power on Amazon Prime News, JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit and more | TheOneRing.net | Forged by and for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien. (1999). Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://www.theonering.net/

Wradmin. (2022, October 3). Wradmin. WordsRated. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://wordsrated.com/lord-of-the-rings-stats/ 

YouTube. (2013). The Ring Poem read by Christopher Lee. YouTube. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdhpA2yPu1w.

YouTube. (2021). Tolkien narrates the Ride of the Rohirrim. YouTube. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWxnHuVEwUg.

Critical Role

    

Critical Role is a DnD group made up of popular voice actors who livestream their journey through their campaign. They first started in 2015 and have exploded in popularity and have been a big reason why DnD is more mainstream(1). The cast of critical role consists of Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, Sam Riegel, Liam O'Brien, Ashley Johnson, Taliesen Jaffe, and Marisha Ray. They've created a great world that allows fans to interact in a lot of ways.

    Cosplay is a big thing in the Critical role community and in the DnD community as a whole. Cosplay stands for Costume play where people dress up as characters they like as a way to appreciate the character and the person who made it. Since critical role has been going on for 7 years there are a lot of characters to cosplay. Cosplayers will often go to conventions or meet ups and show off their cosplay. They also post it online and they garner a lot of attention(2). Critical role themselves also show off this cosplay on their website. They can also show off their cosplay live at the live shows.

    Live shows are another way that the fans can show their support. Live shows are where the cast does their show in front of the fans usually in a big auditorium. Fans buy tickets and watch the magic happen live. These shows are packed with fans showing their love to the cast. The cast usually isn't just talking with the crowd but playing the campaign in real time and the fans get to be a part of it. While the fans are there they can show off their art and cosplay live as well. They are really dedicated so the cosplay is usually some of the best out there. These shows are super popular and some of the best moments have happened live and seeing the fan reactions is crazy. The fans go wild at the shows and I don't blame them, watching these moments on my computer can get my heart racing so it must be crazy when it happens in front of you. 

    Art is a huge way that the fans interact with Critical Role. Fans create fan art which is a when they draw the characters or scenes that they like. This is done a lot and attracts a lot of attention. Critical Role goes into a lot of detail about their characters and scenes so it makes it easy to make really good looking fan art. It is such a big thing in fact that they have a whole page dedicated to showing off fan art they like. The art goes so far that critical role has their own coloring book based off of their second campaign(3). This is nice because not everyone is artistically inclined.

    In the end Critical Role is a great show and a great stepping stone into DnD. The critical role fandom is one of a kind, they show off all of the best ways to be a fan and support something you love. They have a lot of talent and show it off in a lot of different ways. I'm glad I can be apart of a such a great fandom.

1. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/14/critical-role-helped-spark-a-dungeons-dragons-renaissance.html 

2. https://criticalrolecosplay.com

3. https://screenrant.com/critical-role-mighty-nein-coloring-book-dark-horse/

Dungeon Delvers

 Intro: As of late the Dungeons and Dragons community has grown due to the attention it has received from shows like Stranger Things. Since so many new players are jumping head first into the D&D community there are a lot of new, and preexisting, ways that fans show their dedication to the Table Top Role Playing Game. First to understand the different things the community of this game does it is important to understand who they are. Wizards of the Coast released an infographic showing the age range and gender split of D&D players (Figure 1) (Croliss, 2021). 

Figure 1. Infographic of D&D players
found on gamerant.com

Seeing as so many different age groups play this game each fan is unique and has a different way of expressing their love for this game, but there are a few more common ways that fans show their dedication to dungeon delving and treasure hunting in D&D. The most common ways that players show their undying love for this RPG is by doing things like hosting and playing in local games, cosplaying as their favorite characters, listening to podcasts or YouTube videos dedicated to showing D&D or skits related to it, collecting the merchandise and tools of the game, and lastly by making and sharing their own additions to the game. 

Playing D&D: Dungeons and Dragons is known for its over the top roleplaying and intense dice rolling, but what many don't know is there are a lot of different ways D&D fans enjoy the thrill of fighting giants and dragons. The most common is with your friends or family at someone's house. Its not uncommon for a party of four or five to gather at their friend's dinner table every Friday to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons for a few hours. In this informal setting the players crack jokes, eat snacks, and enjoy each others company while they battle an evil goblin army attacking a local village. Another common form of Dungeons and Dragons, and one that is a bit more formal, is the Adventurer's League. On their own website Wizards of the Coast , the current owners of the D&D name, discussed the Adventurers League and how to get into it. The Adventurer's League is a public game of D&D that meets regularly at a public place, where players can join and leave as they see fit, and players focus on a more serious roleplaying experience. It is often held at game stores since they are the most willing to harbor a single or sometimes multiple groups of adventurers, but WotC (Wizards of the Coast), claim that "other locations such as a school, library, or community center" could work just as well (Wizards of the Coast, n.d.). Anyone can start up an adventurers league in their area, and often times there is one set up in most places already! Playing D&D is a great way to meet new friends, and to just have a good time playing a fantastical game. The last way, and most unorthodox way of playing Dungeons and Dragons is over the internet. Sometimes a group can have a hard time meeting in person, whether there is no location to meet at, or players are too far apart to do so, it can happen quite often. The solution lies on the internet, websites like Roll20 and FantasyGround offer free platforms for Dungeon Masters to make a digital board for their players to explore the same as they would sitting around a table. Other options exist that are more in depth and offer a better experience than you might even be able to get in-person, such is the case with the game Talespire, however these options most often cost money, and must be owned by all players involved. Playing D&D whether in a public Adventurer's League, online with some old friends, or in your friend's basement on a Friday night, the love and desire to play D&D is strong with millions of players across the U.S.

Cosplaying: Once a group has played a game for a few weeks, its common for players to get attached to their characters. Character creation is one of the best parts of D&D, crafting a personality, look, and backstory for your character can create a real connection with this fictional hero. After making a fun character its not uncommon for players to want to dress up as their character, to help get them in the mindset of what their character would be thinking. Emily Joice touched on this topic, saying "you can wear your costume to D&D sessions, or even wear it to a convention" (Joice, 2022). 

Figure 2. The party of Critical Role dress
up as their characters. Found at Kotaku.com

A full table of people dressed as elves, dwarves, wizards, and thieves is not an uncommon sight for D&D players, often times the funny voices and over the top roleplaying follows. Dressing up as your newest orc slaying hero can be a blast, and no two characters look alike (Figure 2). Emily Joice while talking about D&D cosplaying gave a guide on how players can go about getting the most out of cosplaying their character here. Dressing up as your favorite D&D character is a pastime that most players can agree is a fun way to further involve yourself in the roleplaying aspect of the game. Even if it is just a hood to represent your assassin, or a pointed hat to show your wizard, cosplaying can drastically change the experience players get from D&D. 

Online presence: D&D is not strictly limited to playing the game or dressing up, there are tons of different ways that the community comes together to enjoy D&D. The most prominent is through online message boards, Reddit being the leader in this. The Dungeons and Dragons Reddit has nearly three million members with hundreds of different posts being made everyday. This allows players within the community share how they feel about rules, talk about a character they made, post artwork, or even just share a funny story that happened at last weeks game. Another way fans of D&D go about sharing their love for the age old game is by making YouTube content on it. D&D YouTube content falls under two main categories, videos made for comedic purposes, and videos meant to inform. There are hundreds of channels dedicated to sharing funny stories, or poking fun at stereotypical character builds to get a laugh out of an audience who understands. One such video, found here, is a comedic take on how D&D is portrayed in popular TV versus how it is actually played. Other YouTube videos might discuss a creators favorite monster, or how to properly use a spells. Regardless of what a D&D fan is looking for, a fellow fan on YouTube has probably taken it on already. The last large online presence that D&D has online is via podcast. Plenty of fans of D&D record their games and put them online as a podcast for others to listen to and enjoy. Some larger names have also gotten involved in this practice, groups like Critical Role have millions of dedicated followers who love to listen to Dungeon Master Matt Mercer tell an enthralling story. These D&D podcasts are a great way for avid D&D lovers to stay involved with the game while driving, getting some work done, or just relaxing. Often times, when not playing the game itself, D&D fans are in some way staying involved in the game, whether its posting on a message board, listening to a podcast on the drive to work, or falling asleep to a YouTube video on the best dungeons in D&D history, the game is almost always involved in their lives. 

Merchandising: D&D is a game of ever expanding trinkets and additions. The only required information to play a character is the Player's Handbook, but most D&D fans will admit they own dozens of other expansion books that add new information and things to do to the game. Collecting these large hardcover, art-filled, books is commonplace for almost every D&D player. However the collecting doesn't stop with these books, one of the biggest things collected within the D&D community, is the dice. Some are content with a solid blue or red set of dice, and that's all they need, but most D&D fans will show a collection of various different dice of varying sizes, shapes, materials, and designs (Figure 3).Laura Gray, argued that one of the reasons D&D players like collecting these dice so much, is for the flare of it. Picking a specific set of dice to match a character that they are

Figure 3. Example of D&D
Dice found at Dnddice.com

 playing (Gray, 2021). Using a set of metal dice with skulls dotted on them is great for playing a necromancer who manipulates zombies and skeletons. While using dice that have little plastic gears situated in them 

is perfect for a robotic character. It is common among fans of the game to show off their dice to other players and often times players might bring multiple sets to one game. Often times with most D&D players there is a perception of good and bad dice. While being fictional, and all players know this, there is still a widely accepted superstition of some dice not being able to roll high numbers, while others do. Since this is the case players might deem a specific die unlucky during a game, and switch to another thinking it will bring them more luck. Dice are one great way to accent your character and make yourself stand out at the table, but the best way to do this is through minis, or miniatures. When a D&D game is played around a table in person, most times a map is laid out and the characters 

Figure 4. A D&D mini found from etsy.com

are placed on it. These little plastic figures that you use to represent your character are very important in the community. There are many different types of plastic and sometimes metal minis, and some are painted before buying, while others the players have to paint for themselves. Having a mini specifically designed for your character, made with good resin, and expertly painted is a huge difference from using a placeholder to represent your character (Figure 4). Making minis for players has become so common that websites such as Heroforge have popped up, where you can custom make your own character from hundreds of different options and then have it shipped directly to your home. There are plenty of other things that D&D players collect, but just about person in the community will have the additional sourcebooks, a few neat sets of dice, and a good looking mini or two to show off their character at the table.

Making your own rules: Dungeons and Dragons is a very flexible game, with the rules and anything about it really being subject to change by a group of players so long as they all agree to it. With this in mind Dungeon Masters, the people who run the game, will often times make up their own things to add to the game. Whether it is a special sword that can grow and shrink on wielder's command, or a special made goblin boss who throws explosive grenades, there are tons of custom made things by people in the D&D fandom. One website in particular, D&D Beyond, allows players to make a free account, and then upload these custom made additions to the game so that others can see them and use them in their own D&D game. This style of making something for your friends that you enjoy and then sharing it with the world for others to enjoy is a great way to build a community. This is also a very popular practice among players, on D&D Beyond's website for homebrew, the title given to things made by players for other players, under the monsters tab alone there sits over seven thousand pages of custom made monsters with twenty each on one page (D&D Beyond, n.d.). This is just monsters alone, there are nearly a dozen other tabs where people can put their creations. Some of these are made for fun, such as the enemy created by PanaromicPanda in 2017 called Dwayne "The Rock Golem" Johnson, while others are serious endeavors that have undergone hours of work so that they can be shared with the community.  Custom making things in the D&D backdrop is very common among players, and often times they will share these with others so that everyone can enjoy each others ideas. Sharing from one to another is a great way to strengthen the community, and helps weave all D&D players together. 

Figure 5. My group of players that meet every
2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month

My time in the D&D fandom: I've spent several years now playing D&D, since my time in middle school five or six years ago. I was first introduced to the game by my dad, who had played the game when he was in high school, and thought I would like it. Since

then I have done a lot of interaction with the community. I run a public game at Barnes & Noble in my free time (Figure 5), that has amassed nearly thirteen players total. I own nearly all of the sourcebooks, and have collected well over twenty different sets of dice. My time with this community has been a lot of fun and I've made a lot of friends through it. I've collected a lot of my own plastic miniatures, and have even started to paint them on my own. Recently I made my way to my first ever D&D convention, MEPACON, with my girlfriend and had a great time meeting some new people there. Aside from the game I run at Barnes & Noble I run two other games with my friends on the weekend. Dungeons and Dragons has become an integral part of my life, and like many of my friends in the community, I am better for it. 

Conclusion: Dungeons and Dragons is a massive community, and it will only be growing in the future with the release of the new movie Honor Among Thieves coming out in 2023, and as word continues to spread from person to person of this exciting game that runs back generations. The stereotype of nerds sitting around a table rolling dice and doing math is a far cry from the truth, D&D is geared towards all ages and all backgrounds of people. There is something that everyone will enjoy while playing the worlds leading table top role-playing game. 

Work Cited:

Corliss, C. (2021, May 19). Dungeons and dragons infographic shows how popular the game has become. Game Rant. https://gamerant.com/dungeons-and-dragons-infographic-2021/

D&D Beyond. (n.d.) Monsters Homebrew. D&D Beyond. https://www.dndbeyond.com/homebrew/monsters

Gray L. (2021, May 05). Why D&D players love pretty dice so much. Game Rant. https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-dice-collection-types-uses-characters-special/

Joice, E. (2022, January 24). Cosplay and D&D: How to bring your character to life. Cosplay Advice. https://cosplayadvice.com/cosplay-and-dnd/

Wizards of The Coast. (n.d.). Adventurers league: Organized play. Dungeons & Dragons. https://dnd.wizards.com/adventurers-league 

Minecraft Fanbase

    What is Minecraft? Minecraft is a game that supports creativity

via minecraft.net/en-us

with one of the biggest communities in gaming. I have been playing Minecraft for many years, where the game has changed almost constantly over the years. Although I could just talk about Minecraft, that is not what this blog is for. This blog will explore the massive fandom Minecraft has. Minecraft has many different kinds of players, where almost nothing is the same due to how much freedom the game can supply.

The Hermits

    One of the biggest things in the Minecraft community is Hermitcraft. Hermitcraft is full of all kinds of people, but what it is known for is the massive buildings the people that participate make. There are many seasons of Hermitcraft, as of the creation of this blog they are currently making season 9.

These bases can take almost the whole season to complete, so they pass the time by either making their own mini games or small side projects to help make it go faster.

How People Affect Minecraft

via Minecraft Twitter

via voidswrath.com/modpacks/
crazy-craft-4-0-official/

 Something that is really nice about Minecraft is the fact the Mojang, the owners, allows its fans to participate in making changes. For instance, a very well known mod that was created for Minecraft is called crazycraft. Another way fans can interact with Minecraft is voting for new mobs that Mojang puts out, which usually takes place during Minecraft Live. Minecraft live is

hosted by Mojang to make announcements on future plans for Minecraft. Some fans and YouTubers are given a chance to make a short video for the beginning of Minecraft Live. Each individual can show what they want that involves Minecraft from all over the world.

Minecraft and Myself

    I have played Minecraft for many years, doing whatever my mind set me to do. Whether it be creating builds in creative or playing plain old survival. However I have never actually beaten the game through survival. The reason for this is the amount of creativity the game supplies; I spend so much time building things in survival I don't make an attempt at beating the game itself. Minecraft is full of possibilities, so much so that even after you beat the game there is still so much that can be done.

Works Cited

https://www.minecraft.net/en-us

Hermitcraft All Minigames (S1 - S8)

Every Hermit's Bases ! | Hermitcraft Season 7 | Compilation Of All Of The Hermits Main Mega Bases !|

https://voidswrath.com/modpacks/crazy-craft-4-0-official/

Lebron James

    Lebron James, also regarded by some as the "King" is one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the sport. Lebron is a four-time NBA champion while also racing up four league MVPs. Lebron James currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and is on his search for his fifth championship. Lebron isn't just known for his outstanding play on the basketball court, He's also known for being a great role model for his vast fanbase, which can be seen all across the world from the NBA sidelines, on tv, or even at your local taco restaurant. 

(Figure 1) Lebron's jerseys he's worn throughout his career

   

 Gameday

    

    The most popular way fans admire and celebrate LeBron's greatness through fandom would be by cheering him on and supporting him on the basketball court. Lebron James has the largest fanbase in all basketball and all sports as it's safe to say LeBron's definitely a fan favorite! Lebron is famous for leading the NBA in jersey sales every year and as a lifelong Lebron fan, I have a lot of his jerseys myself! (Figure 1) (6). Lebron was gifted the nickname "The King" at a very young age, his freshman year of high school to be exact, and ever since he's been living up to it. With Lebron's vast fanbase it's not unusual to hear Lebron chants in opposing gyms as he truly has fans all across the world. Fans love to celebrate his fandom by cutting out life-size cardboard Lebron heads to bring to games to help cheer the king on, along with wearing his jersey (Figure 2) (7). This season Lebron is chasing the all-time scoring title for the league currently held by Kareen Abdul Jabbar, so far this season Lebron has been getting an immense amount of support from fans as we are cheering louder than ever for him to move up to the number one spot as that'll be one of Lebrons greatest accomplishments in his entire career (3).

(Figure 2) Fan holding Lebron cutout at game

    Royal Family

    LeBron's fandom doesn't stop on the court though as he and his royal family are definitely one of the most popular families as they are often regarded as the modern Rockefeller family (1). Lebron is married to his high school sweetheart Savannah Brinson, and they have three children together Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri (2). Bronny is the fan favorite in the sports world as it seems he's following right in his dad's footsteps and is becoming a great young player with his eyes set on being a high draft pick in the next couple of years. I along with many Bronny fans are waiting to see where he commits to playing college basketball as his decision may be one of the biggest college basketball announcements of all time (2). Bryce is the middle child and is also a rising star on the court he's also famous when it comes to Tik Tok as he is a frequent content creator. Bryce's fandom on Tik Tok has grown immensely as his followers love his content which usually consists of dancing or making highlight reels to show off his hooping skills. No matter what content Bryce creates Tik Tok seems to love it. The youngest James child is Zhuri, she is eight years old and wins over the hearts of all of the James fans as frequently present in Tik Tok videos being cute. 

https://youtu.be/QzGd_h3QGWQ

    

  

    A Meal Fit For a King

  Taco Tuesday is perhaps the best day of the week if you're a Lebron fan. According to Lebron, he's the biggest taco fan you'll ever know, claiming he could eat them every day. LeBron's love for tacos fueled his inspiration to make it a fan-favorite holiday that comes around every week! Lebron even went as far as to get "Taco Tuesday" patented but sadly was denied in court (5). This only grew taco Tuesday's popularity with fans. Restaurants began to adopt LeBron's idea of offering taco Tuesday deals for cheap. Fans from all across the world love taco Tuesday and enjoy the king's favorite meal before or after watching a game whether that be special taco Tuesday stands at Lakers games or even in your own kitchen thanks to this fandom of Lebrons. Taco Tuesday is becoming so popular with fans that new taco recipes as seen in figure 3 are being created and introduced to Lebron and he absolutely loves it as it's a great way to bond and celebrate with fans (5).

(Figure 3) Lebron and his tacos

    How I Contribute To The Fandom

    While growing up I was obsessed with basketball, every second I wasn't watching it on tv I was in a gym or in my driveway shooting hoops or scrimmaging with friends. Lebron James was and continues to be my favorite player of all time for many reasons such as his versatility on the court as he truly can play every position he's that talented. Along with his sense of humor in post-game interviews paired with always knowing what to say in response to tough questions, LeBron really is a great role model. I was seven when I went to my first NBA game and of course, it was to watch LeBron play. I remember the day like it was yesterday I went with my dad and cousin and the whole ride there I just remember how excited we were to watch the King play the 76ers. As we got to the Wells Fargo arena in Philadelphia I remember all the buzz and excitement going on within the arena as everyone was full of excitement and cheer for their respective teams. I remember as the announcers called LeBron's name and the whole arena got so loud and chats erupted "MVP" "MVP" "MVP" as I joined in on the chants I couldn't believe he was getting "MVP" chants and the game didn't even start yet not to mention it wasn't his home arena as he played for the Cavaliers at that time. My dad secretly brought a big LeBron cardboard cutout for us to hold up to cheer for the king as they went on to win the game, it was truly a night I'll remember forever as watching Lebron's greatness in person that night is the reason he has the largest fan base in all of the sports and its no wonder why.

Lebron dunking on the 76ers

References

(1) Debbarma, S. (2022, September 14). "they look like the 2023 rockefellers": Billionaire Lebron James and family left his mother Gloria in awe as 'the royal family of the NBA' posed for latest photoshoot. EssentiallySports. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.essentiallysports.com/nba-basketball-news-they-look-like-the-2023-rockefellers-billionaire-lebron-james-and-family-left-his-mother-gloria-in-awe-as-the-royal-family-of-the-nba-posed-for-latest-photoshoot/

(2) Donnelly, G. (2022, January 13). Everything you need to know about Lebron James' Kids. ClutchPoints. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://clutchpoints.com/lebron-james-kids-everything-you-need-to-know-about-bronny-bryce-zhuri

(3) ESPN Internet Ventures. (n.d.). Lebron James Stats, news, bio. ESPN. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/1966/lebronjames

(4) James, L. (n.d.). Lebron James Family Foundation. LeBron James Family Foundation. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.lebronjamesfamilyfoundation.org/

(5) Sullivan, R. (2020, July 28). Lebron James Taco Tuesday analysis. Sports Gambling Podcast. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.sportsgamblingpodcast.com/2020/07/28/lebron-james-taco-tuesday-analysis/

(6) The lebron james miami heat swingman jersey collection - 6 NWT large SZ jerseys. Worthpoint. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/lebron-james-miami-heat-swingman-1850718123

(7) Gray, A. (2014, July 1). Hot clicks: Cardboard cutouts of athletes. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2014/07/01/cardboard-cutouts-athletes#gid=ci02559114b000279d&pid=messi_0jpg 

The King and I

In the United states of America there has been 46 presidents but only one true king. Often referred to as the king of rock n roll Elvis Aron Presley was born on January 8th 1935 and from that day forward the world of music would change forever as he quickly became an international sensation and had his name reach the heavens in his 42 years of life.

                                                 "Elvis During his 1968 Comeback Special"
However, no impact he had was more significant then the one he had on the people who loved and adored his music and voice. Elvis had no short list of infatuated fans who practically fell in love with him. While at certain concerts girls would go so crazy for him they would throw their own clothing at him. Furthermore they would begin to faint at the sight of him and if he put his hand the crowd of screaming girls they would try and rip his clothing apart. 
   

                                              "Elvis Presley Fan Reactions from the 1950s"

    Fans of the king also enjoy making trips to popular spots where Elvis has lived or made a mark on  history. The most popular being the ability to visit his gorgeous mansion in Memphis Tennessee known as Graceland which still includes his old furniture and is pictured below.

                                                   "Elvis Presley Home from 1957-1977"

  Other places fans have chosen to visit to get a closer connection to the king is the fabulous city of Las Vegas Nevada. Where fans have enjoyed many Elvis attractions such at the Elvis-A-Rama Museum.

This site pays tribute to Elvis's staggering 600 consecutive shows in which he performed there before his death in 1977, including 58 straight sellout shows. Presley's contract with the International made him “one of the highest-paid performers in the history of Las Vegas,” according to RCA Records. Elvis played two shows a night, with tickets starting at $15. Fans who enter this museum can enjoy a tour of the popular jumpsuits, cars, and many wax statues. 

                                                "Preview of the Elvis-A-Rama Museum"

    However no trip to Vegas is complete without the world renown Elvis impersonators. For years after the death of Elvis people have speculated is he was still alive not wanting to let go of the king just yet. This spawned a new desire for fans around the world to create their own Elvis Presley costumes and impersonate him in various forms. The usual ones you can meet are the ones in las Vegas who impersonate Elvis's voice, clothing, catchphrases, or even their general appearance. These impersonators have even gone as far to make tribute music to the departed king through their own websites which produce their own music.

These musicians have even gotten sold out shows portraying the king making sure the world knows Elvis never left Vegas. Their is even websites such as Elvis The Music.com which has regular updates and news on new releases of Elvis's music and his many movies. 

    Collectors also find themselves bidding for the highest value Elvis Presley merchandise. Some old autographs, pictures, t-shirts and even pieces of the king himself.

The highest sold Elvis Presley merchandise was Elvis Presley's private jet which sold for a mighty price of 600,000 dollars in 1977.

                             "Elvis Presley's Private Jet named the Lisa Marie after his daughter"

     Continuing on the topic of collections fans have collected Elvis memorabilia for decades some worth up to 6 figures. On of the most expensive is owned by Elvis fan Rusty Roberts who has a treasure trove of Elvis items. 

                                                " Video Rusty Roberts famous collection"
 

      I myself have great love for Elvis Presley's music. Like many other fans my parents would play the same Elvis Christmas CD or album every Christmas and one year I decided I wanted to listen to more. Since then I love hearing Elvis's music. This year alone I listened to about 4,755 minutes of Elvis's music. My favorite song is his rendition of Trying To Get To You during his 1968 comeback special which holds a special place on my playlist.

                                         "Elvis's Performance Of Trying To Get To You (1968)"
  

  I have a very small collection as I was given a Elvis bobble head by my mother while she was in Hawaii. I was given a Elvis Vynal album which I have hanging on my wall.

                                                   "Elvis Album I received on my Birthday" 

  I sing Elvis songs in the shower all the time and though I cannot sing as good as the king I do love hearing those words come out of my mouth. In conclusion I like to think that when It comes to fans Elvis was the one who started it all. That Rockstar lifestyle that other artists would replicate to make their own legacy. Its like John Lennon said "Before Elvis there was nothing".

Works Cited:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4LotJvGR3g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm9YDtHruQQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNsJqG7CMvg

https://www.elvisthemusic.com/

https://www.graceland.com/airplanes

https://www.espking.com/ 

 

Harry Potter

    All around the world fans alike share ideas and interest of a mythical and magical place depicted by a series of novels known as the Harry Potter saga.  This has grown to become one of the most popular fandoms in the world due to its sheer interest from the public.  Fans of the series cosplay as their favorite characters, partake in the sports described in the saga, and even go to the wizarding world of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida so they too can experience what Harry Potter has.  The continued, and growing fan interest is what keeps this fandom alive and thriving today.  Re-creations of food, clothing, locations from the novels are all over the internet for even the most inexperienced fan to get involved and partake in.  The fandom is so large that according to the Wizarding world official website states that 1 out of 15 people on the planet own a harry potter book on average showcasing how large the audience truly is (2).

Wizarding World

The wizarding world of Harry Potter is a place that all members of the fandom dream of since it brings many aspects of the fictional world to life.  In an article published to park nerds, Anne Grant said, "Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts certainly leaves its riders in awe" (1).  Along with that, Anne also stated how the other rides depict magical experiences with scenery that is conjoined with what is described in the Harry Potter novels (1).   Fans all over the world travel to this location so that they too can enter the mythical realm and bring the imagination to life.  Along with rides, the Wizarding world has items to purchase such as interactive wands that when activated can allow the user to conduct spells which will cause something to happen just with the flick of the wrist.  Grant stated, "Between the park’s witches and wizards going about their day among the muggle tourists and the opportunity to witness magic around every corner, guests at Diagon Alley will truly feel as though they’ve been written into the novels" (1).  This showcases the impact these small experiences have on the witch and wizard fans of all ages.  

Quidditch

Another way the fans have gotten involved in this fandom is by participating in the fictional sport of Quidditch.  Quidditch is a sport that was introduced to the Harry Potter saga in the first novel and continues throughout the rest of the series keeping the avid fans well informed with the sport.  Since the books release a real-life league has been started known as the Quidditch World Cup.  According to Alasdair university, students all around the globe compete in the fictional game with some adjusted rules since they cannot ride flying broomsticks (6).  Quidditch is a great example of how passionate this fandom is because to the outside eye, one may look at these people as crazy riding with a broomstick between their legs, but to the fans this is what they thrive on.  The passion and dedication are all the things that keeps the annual quidditch tournament and the magic alive.  

LeakyCon

Almost every great fandom has some sort of convention for fans to gather and share their love for the fandom.  Harry Potter is not exempt from this and every year a convention is hosted known as LeakyCon.  This is an annual convention that takes place in different locations all around the globe.  It gets its name from a fictional location in the Harry Potter universe known as the Leaky Cauldron (4).  Every year fans assemble at LeakyCon where actors from the films regularly attend, and host meet and greets.  According to the Harry Potter fandom wiki, musical groups such as the viral video sensations the potter puppet pals, and the rock band Harry and the Potters attend just about every year (6).  Along with famous actors and musicians, fans can get involved by cosplaying as their favorite characters from the novels/films with some even going to the extent of not breaking character during the entire convention.  People travel from all around the globe to see their favorite actors and be a part of this one-of-a-kind fandom (5).

House Sorting

If you were to ask any member of this fandom what their house is, they would have an answer for you.  One of the most important pieces of the Harry Potter books is the sorting of houses that each student of Hogwarts receives in their first moments of arriving at the fictional school.  There is a sorting hat that each student puts on and it tells them one of four houses, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and the prominent Gryffindor (3).  Although there is no hat in real life that can talk, fans have created an online quiz that asks questions about your personality and then assigns you to a house based on those answers (7).  Once fans discover what house they are a part of they tend to purchase merchandise related to that particular house and some even take character traits associated with that house.  Some fans even go as far as basing their entire personality around that given house by changing their qualities about them to match those of the houses.

Overall, the world of Harry potter has obtained a massive following that is continuing to grow every single day.  From fans partaking in the fictional sport of quidditch, to taking a personality quiz that sorts you into one of the four fictional houses, fans all over the globe are finding new and innovative ways to get involved in this fandom.  As new parts of the saga are released, more and more people will hop aboard the Hogwarts express and enter a new realm that is the Harry Potter Fandom.  

References

(1) Grant, A. (2022, November 5). Which Universal Orlando Park Is Better for Harry Potter Fans? Park Nerds. https://parknerds.com/universal-orlando-park-for-harry-potter-fans/

(2) Just seven reasons that show why we all still love Harry Potter books in 2020 | Wizarding World. (2020). www.wizardingworld.com. https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/just-seven-reasons-that-show-why-we-all-still-love-harry-potter

(3) Lane, K. S. (n.d.). Harry Potter: The Four Hogwarts Houses Explained. Owlcation. Retrieved from https://owlcation.com/humanities/Harrypotterhouses#:~:text=This%20article%20explores%20some%20of%20the%20key%20traits

(4) LeakyCon. (n.d.). Harry Potter Wiki. Retrieved from https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/LeakyCon

(5) LeakyCon. (n.d.). www.leakycon.com. https://www.leakycon.com/

(6) There’s a Real-Life Quidditch World Cup, and Someone Just Made a Documentary About It. (2014, June 13). PEDESTRIAN.TV. https://www.pedestrian.tv/entertainment/theres-a-real-life-quidditch-world-cup-and-someone-just-made-a-documentary-about-it/

(8) Wilson, C. (2017, October 16). The Ultimate Harry Potter Fan Quiz: Find Out Which House You Truly Belong In.  Retrieved from https://time.com/4809884/harry-potter-house-sorting-hat-quiz/