Surprising to me, it had nothing to do with the alcohol induced nakedness in most of the rooms that some of my fellow RAs encountered. It was video-gaming! Granted that this blog values the many fandoms in the Ithaca area, I was pleasantly surprised to find people uninterested in the athletic or alcoholic niche and more interested in playing video games. Given that Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare just came out, I thought this was fantastic that the interest in a “game” on “game day” was so high.

Way to go 3HE, you continue to make me proud.

–Lizzy

Contrary to many of the clearly fantastical fandoms that Kristin and I have been blogging about, play going can be more realistic in subject matter. Children of Eden, for instance, is based on the “fact” of the bible. But plays through the visual and auditory aspects of plays envelop the audience in the story. Live performances are one of the best ways for fans to surround themselves in their play.

In the case of Children of Eden, I had no idea how much I wanted this for this play. Granted I’ve been to my fair share of Shakespeare performances, and I know what to expect. This play, I went in blind to what it was going to be about. From the very first song, “Let There Be“, I was drawn into a story I am very familiar with. Only this time, the show brought emotions to me that the reading of Genesis every Easter does not do. This is what draws play “fans” in time after time. Otherwise, why waste the money and the time to sit behind that tall guy in the hat to see something uninteresting.

–Lizzy

Captain Kirk: So classic. Star Trek fan or not, you have to admit that Captain Kirk’s sex appeal makes him completely 100% worth dressing up as.

Ash Ketchum: Pokemon has been in the mainstream scene for over 10 years now, which makes it as classic as any other 90s cartoon costume. What really made the person’s Halloween costume great, however, was the Bulbasaur she carried with her instead of a Pikachu. In my mind, this made her seem like a real fan, using a Pokemon character that was a little less known than Pikachu to complete her costume.

Quailman: I saw three Qualmans this year…but it’s such an awesome costume concept that personally I think 100 Qualmans would be not nearly enough. From the fantastic Nickelodeon cartoon Doug, Qualman just screams fandom. Nickelodeon cartoons from the 90s are becoming cult classics, which in turn gives then just the right type of fan following to fit into our phantom fandom category.

Edward Cullen: The college student was dressed rather normally, if not slightly preppy…but with glitter on his face. I knew immediately that this must be Twilight-related.

Written by Kristin Lanshe

I was not the only one, either. I find myself surrounded by people walking around with t-shirts with the title or pictures from the book. In Ithaca College’s Clarke Hall in the lower quads, the three Resident Assistants themed the bulletin boards, door tags, and information for their residents around the theme.

For me at least, this book turned movie reminds me so much of my childhood and how my mom would read this book and others to me. (I distinctly remember being really afraid of the goat wild thing…) It would not surprise me if most of the people who are jumping on the boat to join in the Where the Wild Things are craze feel exactly the same way as me. We are fans of our childhoods, and this book movie manifests what all children go through.

At the end of the movie, I started the slow clap (Not Another Teen Movie style), but no one joined in. At first I was confused at why no one seemed to like it. And looking at the faces of those who left the movie, it became more clear to me that they were still in awe of the movie’s power, and no superficiality with clapping for a movie screen would deter them from doing as the Wild Things do in the movie: feel. And Ithaca knows exactly what that means. *aaaaa–aaaahhh—oooooo*

–Lizzy

Here’s my proof:

Heh, actually that’s a sign for a teachers convention that was going on in the same hotel at the same time. I took a picture of that sign because the letters on it, as well as the apple, reminded me of an anime series that I’m positive would terrify most teachers. At the time I felt bad for those teachers, whom I watched walk into the hotel and stressfully find their way around the lines of rather rude cosplayers (people in anime/sci-fi costumes).

But thinking back on it, I’m glad those teachers could be there, scooting their way through the crowds of Edward Elrics. Because anime and sci-fi are two very popular genres of fandom that have been growing exponentially. I’ve recently developed the mindset that everyone needs to at least understand what fandom really is in order to fully be aware of the the good things this world has to offer.

This year, Zenkaikon will be held at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge in King of Prussia, PA on November 7-8.

Written by Kristin

As someone who has worn a Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire watch for the last two years having replaced the battery 3 times and gotten a new wristband because it’s that awesome, I definitely understand the fantastic idea this store had to market these T-shirts. Yes, a lot of people want the name brand or the little embroidered symbol somewhere to advertise where they shop, but others prefer to express their favorite fandoms. That this Ithaca store jumped on the popularity of these characters and are marketing is an amazing idea. Who knows, maybe the customers will grab a pair of $2 flops that match the tee. This way fans can be loud and proud in their expression of their beloved fandoms. Maybe I’ll have to go back and get that hoodie!

–Lizzy

Cornell University offers 2 clubs that I consider to be under our phantom fandom category:

Cornell Japanese Animation Society: The anime club offers manga meetings, J-pop karaoke, and cosplay contests. “Our goal is to bring together as many Cornell anime fans as possible, from the hardcore cosplayer to the casual fan looking to find some more interesting shows.”

Games Club at Cornell: This club plays non-traditional games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Settlers of Catan, and Magic: The Gathering. “The Games Club at Cornell provides a place where the Cornell community can get together to organize and play games.”

Ithaca College offers 5 clubs that I thought might pique the interest of fans in the area:

Anime Society of Ithaca College: ASIC offers the members a variety of anime series for their viewing pleasure (disclaimer: I am VP of this club. In no way is this a shameless plug. Nope.) “The Anime Society of Ithaca College is an organization dedicated to the celebration of Japanese culture through animation.”

Humans vs. Zombies Social Club: HvZ brings people together to form a sense of community through team-building outdoor activity. “This club is designed to make Humans vs. Zombies at Ithaca College a more popular social group through a modified version of the game “tag”. The club promotes the week long game where “zombies” try to chase and tag “humans” who then try to fend off the “zombies” with nerf guns.”

IC Game Developers Club (ICGDC): Members work collectively and individually to practice making and produce video games. “The ICGDC is a group for motivated students who would like to work together to make their very own video game.”

Magic Club: Fans of this popular card game come together to form a community and have strategic fun. “Play Magic the Gathering Friday Night Magic every Friday Night. No decks required! Win promotional cards, Friday Night Magic cards, boosters, and more!”

Other Realms: “To provide an intellectual forum for science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts to interact and discuss the genres. To encourage interest in science fiction and fantasy at Ithaca College and in the community.” (I believe that this particular club might provide Lizzy and I with some more information on the area’s phantom fandoms.)

Ithaca College has been going through the steps of creating a Quidditch Club, which would revolve around playing the Harry Potter-created sport.

My point is, this area really is full of interested persons that make up fandoms. And a sense of community is what connects us all.

Written by Kristin

While you might still be interested in vampires (even though I do disapprove) I am quite intrigued by the upcoming show I Kissed a Vampire about a boy who is struggling after being transformed into a vampire and continuing to go to high school and to maintain a normal life. While this seems pretty standard, what’s that? A swell of a chorus in the background? People walking in formations? A….a….a…..MUSICAL?!?!?!?!?!?!? Yes HSM stars Lucas Grabeel and Troy Bolton’s singing voice Drew Seeley are pairing up in this musical as Dylan and Trey Slyvania respectively (although who wouldn’t suspect a vampire with that name…). Anyhoo, this trailer looks so bad, it looks good and might give the whole vampire craze a new bite (pun still intended). Catch it this Tuesday October 13th, available only available on iTunes (shameless plug not endorsed or intended).

—Lizzy