Risembool Rangers
| Fan Club | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Risembool Rangers |
| Dates: | April 2005 |
| Founder(s): | between two and four unnamed individuals |
| Leadership: | Barb Myers |
| Country based in: | U.S. |
| Focus: | Vic Mignogna |
| External Links: | https://www.risemboolrangers.com |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Risembool Rangers are a fanclub for actor, voice actor, and musician Vic Mignogna.
Founding
The Risembool Rangers fanclub was formed in 2005, shortly following the US release of the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime. [1] [2] The club was named by Vic, who initially suggested naming it the "Resembool Rangers" after the hometown of the character he played in FMA, Edward Elric. The spelling was later changed to avoid copyright issues. [3]
Most of the leadership of the group is anonymous, but Mignogna himself has a large role in the group, as does his mother Barb Myers. [4]
Fanclub Activities
The fanclub maintains a Facebook Group, a Twitter account, and a Discord group.[5] [6][7]In the past, the group also had a Tumblr and a DeviantArt group, but neither has been active since 2017.[8][9] The Proboards forum is similarly defunct.[10]
Membership is free, and the group functions more or less as a social club. According to the Risembool Rangers website, "Members have access to select features and online communities specifically created to safely unite our fandom and appreciation for not only Vic Mignogna and his various movie or music properties, but also other general interests like the latest anime, music and movie interests, and an optional opportunity to share in open faith discussions without fear of judgment." [11] In the past, the Risembool Rangers also hosted a Bible study called Rangers in Bible Study (R.I.B.S.), but it is unclear if the group is still active.[3]
In 2012, the group published Advanced Alchemy: A Risembool Rangers Cookbook and Scrapbook: A culinary collection by the Risembool Rangers Fan Club, a recipe book featuring recipes, fanart, and fanfiction created by club members. [12]
The group also sells merchandise related to Vic Mignogna and his various roles through their online store. [13]
Rivalries
The Risembool Rangers are extremely fond of playful rivalries with other fans and fanclubs. In their early days, they maintained a rivalry with a Travis Willmingham Fanclub called The Miniskirt Army, based on the rivalry between the characters the two played in Fullmetal Alchemist. This conflict often played out through volleyball games, and Vic Mignogna wrote and recorded a song about one such game, "The Legend of Middle Tennessee." The Rangers also took part in the later Youtube rivalry between Mignogna and VA Todd Haberkorn. [3]
Vic Mignogna Misconduct Allegations
Following the allegations of misconduct against Vic Mignogna, The Risembool Rangers fully took Mignogna's side and maintained his innocence of all charges. On Twitter, they still display the "IStandWithVic" hashtag created by fans who supported him. [14][15]
Vic's closeness with the Risembool Rangers, which includes many younger female fans, was brought up several times during discussions of his behavior toward fans. At least one story mentioned a former Ranger who had left the group after a negative experience with Vic. At least one court filing in the legal battles over the allegations also cited how many of the Rangers were underage. [4][16][14]
Some fans even expressed frustration with the fanclub's continued insistence of Vic's innocence:
I doubt everyone will forgive him but seeing as he did finally own it and apologized, his longtime fan club the Risembool Rangers needs to follow his lead and apologize for their part in helping to surpress the voices of those who spoke up over the years.
The Risembool Rangers address some of these allegations on their website:
In more recent years, The Risembool Rangers have been accused of being a cult. The Senior Moderation team ("Mod Squad") wishes to assure all parents and fans that we are no such entity despite the sensational allegations some select individuals may choose to fabricate. At the end of the day, we are merely a fanclub. However, we strive to maintain a safe space for all Rangers to express themselves without fear of judgement, teasing, or bullying. So in all of our communities we seek to maintain an admin/moderated structure which will enforce a PG safe environment to the best of our abilities. This includes restrictions on language and questionable content as well as member conduct observation to restrict any inappropriate behavior, harassment, or cyberbullying.
In August 2019, a fan hosted a livestream in which they told viewers "In this world of negativity, ESPECIALLY with KickVic still kicking about, I think it's time to spread some positivity about Vic Mignogna," and used the hastag #positive-voices.[17] The Risembool Rangers fanclub used the same hashtag as part of the Positive Voices Project, which was described as a way for fans to share positive experiences with the actor and "Let the world know what the sound of the fans voice truly sounds like." [18]
References
- ^ Risembool Rangers: "About Us"
- ^ Wikipedia: Fullmetal Alchemist (TV series)
- ^ a b c Risembool Rangers Wiki at Fandom.com: "Home" (last updated February 18, 2011)
- ^ a b Kotaku: "One of Anime's Biggest Voices Accused of Sexual Harassment" (posted by Beth Elderkin on Feb 20, 2019)
- ^ Facebook: Risembool Rangers (Official)
- ^ Twitter: The Risembool Rangers
- ^ Risembool Rangers: Discord
- ^ Tumblr: The Risembool Rangers Official Tumblr
- ^ DeviantArt: "The DA Ranger Group
- ^ Proboards: The Risembool Rangers Forum
- ^ Risembool Rangers: "About Us"
- ^ Advanced Alchemy_ A Risembool Rangers Cookbook and Scrapbook_ A culinary collection by the Risembool Rangers Fan Club
- ^ Risembool Rangers: Store
- ^ a b [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/images/cms/interest.2/149401/2019-07-01-funimation-tcpa-motion-to-dismiss.pdf Anime News Network: Upload of "DEFENDANT FUNIMATION PRODUCTIONS, LLC’S MOTION TO DISMISS UNDER THE TCPA"] (posted July 1, 2019)
- ^ Twitter: The Risembool Rangers
- ^ Anime News Network: "'Far From Perfect': Fans Recount Unwanted Affection from Voice Actor Vic Mignogna" (posted by Lynzee Loveridge on Jan 30, 2019)
- ^ Youtube: "Positivity Stream for Vic Mignogna"(posted by Dragonfist900 on Aug 2, 2019)
- ^ Risembool Rangers: "Submit Your Voice"