Fandoms have been a tricky thing for me over the years. I'm all about the content over the community, and many of my attempts to engage with fellow enthusiasts have dissuaded me from changing this philosophy. Negativity, gatekeeping, obsessive behavior ... there's a reason that the word "fan" evolved from "fanatic".
That's not to say that all of my experiences with fandoms have been negative. The Ace Attorney community in particular got me into cosplay, and I originally learned how to draw digitally by creating fanart for that series. I've made friends discussing DC Comics, Harry Potter, and even Dragonball Z if you go far back enough. In most cases, though, I have avoided diving too deeply into the communities surrounding these properties.
Like Scotty in this comic, however, I have recently become much more involved in a fandom. Critical Role has enthralled me in a way that I haven't felt in a very, very long time, and I've been pleased to find that the community has been mostly positive. Mostly. Anyway, it's been nice caring about a series and a community like this again, and I'll do my best not to put the "fanatic" in "fan".
Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.
That's not to say that all of my experiences with fandoms have been negative. The Ace Attorney community in particular got me into cosplay, and I originally learned how to draw digitally by creating fanart for that series. I've made friends discussing DC Comics, Harry Potter, and even Dragonball Z if you go far back enough. In most cases, though, I have avoided diving too deeply into the communities surrounding these properties.
Like Scotty in this comic, however, I have recently become much more involved in a fandom. Critical Role has enthralled me in a way that I haven't felt in a very, very long time, and I've been pleased to find that the community has been mostly positive. Mostly. Anyway, it's been nice caring about a series and a community like this again, and I'll do my best not to put the "fanatic" in "fan".
Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.
