Multimedia (multiple fandoms)

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Synonyms: Multifandom, Multi-media, mixed media
See also: multifannish, monofannish, serially monofannish
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If you are looking for information on fan activities, including fan art, involving more than one medium, please see Multimedia (Multiple Media).

The term multimedia (or mixed media) refers to using or following source texts from many different fandoms. A multimedia challenge may be pan-fandom like Yuletide and include RPF, Anime, Book, Movie, and Television sources, while a multimedia zine would be a fan-published book that could contain stories about all of those fandoms as well.

The term is not used for stories that are set in two or more fandoms -- those are usually called crossovers or xovers.

Multimedia: History of the Term

The phrase "A Multi-media Fanzine" on the cover of issue #48 of Warped Space

In the beginning of modern fanfic-centric fandom, there were only one or two media fandoms to choose from: Star Trek or, perhaps, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Few people left their single track of monofannishness, possibly due to a lack of exposure to the other options available (Comics fandom, Manga, Anime, etc). As more fandoms developed in the late 70s-early 80s, a term was needed for people who followed more than one source text. In 1983, the editors of Warped Space began placing the phrase on their fanzine covers. "Slash" became the term for fans of not only K/S, but also S/H, B/A, and other such relationships. "Media fandom" became the term on the gen and het (called 'adult' at the time) side of the house. MediaWest*Con became the premiere convention for people with multifannish interests. The term is still actively used in certain communities of fandom, though it is sometimes shortened to "multi", "media", or even "mm" (despite the fact "mm" also refers to male/male).

As the word "multimedia" became associated with CD-ROMs and "new media," the word "multifandom" became more widely used in places like LiveJournal, possibly to avoid confusion over the two meanings of "multimedia" or because the existence of the fannish version of the term simply wasn't known.[1]

Multimedia Fanworks

Multimedia zines are ones with stories from more than one fandom (though not necessarily in the same story); multimedia songvids are ones with source clips from more than one show/movie/etc., set to the same song. (Garbage can vids are vids with tens, or even hundreds, of clips from different fannish sources.)

Multimedia Vids:

Multimedia Zines: A multimedia zine frequently has illustrations--often simple portraits or cartoons, rather than illos specific to a story--from more than one fandom to go along with the text. Again, the focus is on including multiple fandoms in the zine. Sometimes the description of the zine will be listed as Multi-Media.

+ The Price is Right: A Collection of Media Cartoons, cartoon zine by Mary MacVoy (1998)

For a list with more, see List of Multimedia Fanzines.


Multimedia Skits and Plays:

Challenges

A challenge may be called a multimedia challenge if it allows for more than one source fandom. Yuletide is one such challenge, in that it includes obscure fandoms from a variety of source texts. Other challenges like this would include:

Archives

Mailing Lists

Conventions

Other Events


References

  1. ^ making up fannish stuff, for posterity and beyond! accessed December 3, 2008
  2. ^ Asido Zines Accessed November 15, 2008
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