Browncoat

Synonyms:
See also:	Fandom Nickname
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Browncoat or Brown Coat is the canon nickname for the Independent side in the war with the Alliance that takes place before the main canon timeline in the television show Firefly. The name is a reference to the brown coats that form part of the Independent uniform and can be seen worn by some of the characters, Malcolm Reynolds and Zoë Washburne.

Browncoat is also a term for fans of the Firefly series and the film Serenity. The name is used by many fans on various online communities and message boards, and has been used for commercial ventures such as the Browncoat Cruise in 2007.

Groups

PA_browncoats was a Yahoo group that had moderated membership with 445 members at its close. It was linked to a group website. The group began on December 30, 2005 and was most active between 2007-2009 when it received up to 500 messages a month. Posting activity began to die out in 2014 although there were still a few dozen posts each year thereafter until the group ended with the Yahoo Groups closure in October 2019. Their group description offered information on how different groups in the east had divided themselves.

The Pennsylvania Browncoats is a group of more than 450 Firefly/Serenity fans located in or near the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We organize social events as well as charitable activities, such as the Can’t Stop the Serenity screenings of the Serenity movie.

Since Pennsylvania is so large we've sub-divided the state into four (4) loose regions, which we call “Brigades” in honor of the Independents divisions from “Firefly”. These smaller groups can get together much more often than the state as a whole, but we have several statewide activities in various stages of planning and development.

The Delaware Valley Brigade represents Eastern PA and draws some of its members from New Jersey and Delaware near Philadelphia. The Susquehanna Valley Brigade represents Central PA, centered around Harrisburg, the State Capitol, but also draws members from Northern Maryland. The Rivers and Bridges Brigade, a reference to Pittsburgh, represents Southwestern PA, but also draws members from Eastern Ohio and Northern West Virginia. The Woods and Lakes Brigade represents Northwest PA, encompassing, Crawford, McKean, Mercer, Venango and Warren Counties, but activity is centered around Erie, PA, on the Great Lakes.