FanMade

As a kid, I was obsessed with glitter. My mom gave me a glitter glue set, and let me tell you what, my dolls and just about everything else in my room (including the carpet) had a little more glam by the end of the day. Now, as an older version of that little girl, I’ve expanded my creative energy into the wonderful world of fashion. You see, I’ve always had and still have a passion for “pretty” things… let me explain.

When I say pretty, I’m really speaking of beauty (a close cousin… or maybe its twin that was separated at birth? We may never know… back to the point).  Beauty encompasses a great deal to me, including all forms of expression and communication, whether that be a great story that inspires a kid to dream and imagine, a cleverly written song that tickles your ears, a t-shirt that makes someone smile, a dance that causes an astonished curse word to escape your lips, or picture that tilts your head with a thoughtful “hmm”. And I might be speaking only for myself, but this is beauty to me. It’s anything and everything that helps me appreciate this life of mine and the lives of others. It’s the thing that leads you to embrace the quirky, unique creature that you are and makes the best of the world in which we eccentric individuals interact.

So if you’re a fan of beauty, then I’m a fan yours.

I guess you could say my journey down the road of Fandom started with Saturday morning cartoons. These were the days when “Saturday mornings” were filled with mystery, mayhem, action and adventure. When the good guys stood for right and the bad guys were plain evil. In my house there was rule that I could not be out of bed before 7 o’clock but that did not stop me from jumping out of my warm bed at 5am and sneaking down the stairs to go sit way to close to our 23in TV and watch my favorites like Reboot, TMNT, Sonic The Hedgehog, Spiderman, X-Men, The Tick, etc…

Fast forward a few years and you are more likely to see me curled up on the couch reading a good book than watching TV or movies. My passion did not change, just my weapon of choice.

You see my passion is a good story. Tell it with a sixty five million dollar budget, a great cast, and some killer effects. Tell it with a massive world, balanced gameplay, and some killer A.I. Tell it with a couple of guitars. Tell it with your friends in the forest while making complete fools of your self to the rest of the “real world”. I don’t care how it’s told. I just care that it is told and that I get to partake in the telling in some way, shape, or form. And thats why I am here. To partake in the story. Or rather partake in you partaking in the story.

My name is Craig, and I’m a Fan.

I remember, when I was but a wee lad, my dad buying a VHS of Return of the Jedi – I was never the same. It was like a beam of light shown down upon me and I was born anew. Ok, that is a bit dramatic but you get the idea. My imagination went crazy! Everything in my house became the empire and I was the lone defender of freedom. I was strong with the force. (Stuffed animals and G.I. Joe’s were flying).

Did it stop with Star Wars? – Absolutely Not. Next was Superman. If, Star Wars ignited the fire of imagination, Superman was NOS! I believed I could fly or at least that if I really tried to fly, I could. One day, I climbed onto the roof of my mom’s car and jumped off. I just knew that at any moment I would defy gravity and lift off.  I was so convinced of this that I decided not to put my hands down before hitting the ground, instead I let my forehead stop me. Blood and stitches ensued.

Superheros were the things dreams were made of. They represented, to me, everything right in life. They had purpose, integrity, power. They helped the weak and stood for justice. These elements are still very much apart of my life – now translated differently but still very real.

I could go on and on through many more stories – from my need for a Swiss army knife so that I could be exactly like MacGyver to the many wounds inflicted upon myself whilst practicing with my nunchucks and orange bandanna. Or digging up the back yard in order to unearth a mosquito like in Jurassic Park. (I was ambitious and really wanted a dinosaur) – but I won’t… at least not yet.

Suffice it to say, I am a fan because I enjoy everything about a great story – the adventure and intrigue. The magic and experience. And because the movies and characters I cherish stand for justice.

My name is Ian, and I’m a Fan.

When I was 7 years old, I had a picture of myself in my head. I was a perfect blend of McGyver and Han Solo. “Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster, swiss army knife, stick of gum, and a coat-hanger at your side, kid.”

Not much has changed in almost 20 years, however, I’ve added to my list of supplies, and they now include several cameras, a few computers, a wife and two kids. I am a photographer slash videographer slash internet junkie slash nerd. I love to write because ultimately I love to tell stories.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is an amazing movie, but take away the special effects and camera tricks, and at it’s rawest form, it’s a brilliant story. One that could be told around a camp fire, in a series of bedtimes, or acted out with stuffed animals in a quiet dining room. It’s those kind of stories that get me amped up and, at the end of the day, make me a fan. There is something deep in the heart of each of us that longs for a good story. We need our imagination stimulated, we need our attention focused, and we need to be entertained. It’s part of who we are as humans.

I am a fan of good stories, and of good storytelling. And that’s not limited to blockbusters and bestsellers, I’m a huge fan of the guy telling his stories with stuffed animals in that dining room. I was pretty good at entertaining myself with nothing but my LEGOs, a blanket, and a story. So, fans, thank you for loving the stories that make you fans. I am your biggest fan.