Button

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You may be looking for the Star Wars meta article Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?, or a Forever Knight Affiliation Pins.

My beautiful people,
you'll never have to be alone
'Cause there'll always be someone
with the same button on as you...
-- Melanie Safka

Related terms: Fannish Knitting, Fannish Clothing, Stationary
See also: Affiliation Pins
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Buttons (called "badges," in the UK, which is different than Badge in the US; also called "pins" or "pin-badges") usually fan made, play an important role in fannish getogethers and conventions. Buttons can signal an interest in a specific fandom, whether one read slash, or offer inside jokes that only fans of a show (or of a pairing) understand. Wordplays and puns are also popular button themes.

As button-making tech became widespread and affordable, many fanartists began to sell buttons featuring their art.

Fans with a great quantity of buttons may display them with an itabag.

Sample Usages

  • "Did you notice the "Terrorist, Lesbian, Witches from Hell?" button some attendees were wearing? I saw them too and asked around..."[1]
  • At a Starsky & Hutch convention, "Some Star Trek fans showed up and wore buttons that said, "Greater love hath no woman than to help at the con of a friend in another fandom."[2]
  • "At MediaWest one year, the Horsechicks wore bright yellow buttons saying "Abby's Handmaidens: All of the Work Fun, None of the Jedi." Abby's just said, "I'm Abby."[3]
  • "One ZebraCon, someone (whose name I wish I could remember), brought a multitude of buttons that read, "I am a member of the Marian Kelly Fan Club." We all had a lot of fun wearing them around all weekend, even though Marian blushed and rolled her eyes. I remember being trapped in the elevator with some mundanes who were quizzing me about, "Er... Who IS Marian Kelly?" She's a very well-known writer" (in certain circles <g>). I still have my button." [4]
  • For Forever Knight's Dead of Winter Con, Susan Garrett and Calliope Monsoon made affiliation pins so that fans could readily identify what faction people belonged to.
  • "... somewhere between the inception (whenever exactly that was) and the 80s development, things somehow got stalled and to my mind sidetracked. Hopefully they are getting unstuck but whereas much gay fiction is read (in this country) with respect, just try saying you write K/S at a con! (In the early days we felt almost as isolated as [male name redacted] at cons as K/S writers/readers, gay or not. I used to wear my "Fans Upholding the Concept of K/S" just above my "How Dare You Presume I'm Heterosexual" badge." [5]
  • "A lot of us were sporting badges of dubious wit - I believe my own set included 'Gay whales against racism', not to mention 'How dare you presume I'm heterosexual' and the fact we were all female seemed to worry her unaccountably." [6]

Gallery

  • Perverted Lesbian Terrorist Witches From Hell button was worn to signal the fandom-mundane divide.

    Perverted Lesbian Terrorist Witches From Hell button was worn to signal the fandom-mundane divide.

  • "K/S Classic Trek," this button was used to signal to other convention attendees that the wearer was into Star Trek slash or K/S

    "K/S Classic Trek,"
    this button was used to signal to other convention attendees that the wearer was into Star Trek slash or K/S

  • the button that came with the second issue of the zine, Yrch! in 1986

    the button that came with the second issue of the zine, Yrch! in 1986

  • This reproduction of fan art depicting Kirk and Spock in an embrace may have signaled a similar interest in Star Trek slash. Artist unknown

    This reproduction of fan art depicting Kirk and Spock in an embrace may have signaled a similar interest in Star Trek slash. Artist unknown

  • "K-S. A Close Enounter of The Very Best Kind." Fans would sometimes engage in word play and witty cross-references to other fandoms. This button uses the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind to imply a slashy relationship between Kirk and Spock.

    "K-S. A Close Enounter of The Very Best Kind."
    Fans would sometimes engage in word play and witty cross-references to other fandoms. This button uses the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind to imply a slashy relationship between Kirk and Spock.

  • "Fanzines Are Fandom." For some fans, fandom was all about the written word. The button dates to a time where most fan fiction was published in fanzines.

    "Fanzines Are Fandom."
    For some fans, fandom was all about the written word. The button dates to a time where most fan fiction was published in fanzines.

  • "My husband said he'd leave me if I bought another fanzine. I'm gonna miss him." The often large number of zines that women would bring home from conventions is the subject of this button. While some fans see this as a humorous read on how families viewed their involvement in fandom, others see it as a more pointed commentary on how women and their interests were sometimes held in contempt. The button attempts to offer a counter-point to that reaction.

    "My husband said he'd leave me if I bought another fanzine. I'm gonna miss him."
    The often large number of zines that women would bring home from conventions is the subject of this button. While some fans see this as a humorous read on how families viewed their involvement in fandom, others see it as a more pointed commentary on how women and their interests were sometimes held in contempt. The button attempts to offer a counter-point to that reaction.

  • A more recent button showing support for the OTW.

    A more recent button showing support for the OTW.

  • sort of meta-y, sort of fourth wall-y: some hypothetical buttons that characters from Blake's 7 might wear, illo from B7 Complex #14 (1988)

    sort of meta-y, sort of fourth wall-y: some hypothetical buttons that characters from Blake's 7 might wear, illo from B7 Complex #14 (1988)

  • Button collection of a fan from the 1980s-1990s

    Button collection of a fan from the 1980s-1990s

  • Button collection of a fan from the 1980s-1990s

    Button collection of a fan from the 1980s-1990s

  • "Anime Rule #76 - Two guys with swords can beat 30 guys with guns". Button sold at Ushicon in mid-2000s, part of a series.

    "Anime Rule #76 - Two guys with swords can beat 30 guys with guns". Button sold at Ushicon in mid-2000s, part of a series.

  • Buttons by mizgoat, for Destielcon (2014)

    Buttons by mizgoat, for Destielcon (2014)

  • Button featuring Danny Phantom in his ghost form, with the trans pride flag as a background. By therosielord, 2021.

    Button featuring Danny Phantom in his ghost form, with the trans pride flag as a background. By therosielord, 2021.

  • A blue pinback badge showing the logo for CoVaCon 2023

    A badge sold at CoVaCon 2023, featuring the con logo and dates.

  • A pinback badge that was given out as a prize at CoVaCon 2023.

    A pinback badge that was given out as a prize at CoVaCon 2023.

  • Advertisement for a an-made Mark Hamill Fan button, 1983

    Advertisement for a an-made Mark Hamill Fan button, 1983

  • A pin depicting III from Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal holding a sword; fanart by blackfeatherdragon/darkestabsol, 2024

    A pin depicting III from Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal holding a sword; fanart by blackfeatherdragon/darkestabsol, 2024

External Resources

References

  1. ^ Comment from Zebracon attendee in the 1990s discussing the problems slash convention goers had with other hotel guests.
  2. ^ The Paul Muni Special.
  3. ^ Remembrances on Abby A's page.
  4. ^ Source: Linda Cabrillo, posting to the Loveofmeandthee (mailing list), May 7, 2011, quoted with permission.
  5. ^ from The K/S Press #23
  6. ^ a fan remembers a very early con in Leicester, one run by Jenny Elson -- this fan remembers that the hotel owner ("the proprietress") was alarmed by the tenor of the con and the buttons the con-goers only fanned her fears, from DIAL #17
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