The Rec Center #330
Hi all! This week we have articles about Shōnen Jump and cursed merch, along with some cool Black Sails fanart, multifandom time-loop fic recs, and more! — Gav
new stuff
“The Four OG Hobbits Reunited for the First Time in 10 Years (and We Were There)” by Cian Maher at IGN
Perhaps the most important fandom-related story of the week: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd on, amongst many other things, their very active group chat. “‘I sent a nude last night,’ adds Boyd. ‘I was in the bath.’”
“My ancient tablet finally let me read manga in peace” by Ana Diaz at Polygon
“Together, the shitty tablet and Shōnen Jump make for a powerful combination stronger than Goku himself.”
“From CNN+ to Fyre Festival: This collector seeks swag from companies with epic ends” by Jacyln Diaz at NPR
“I’m looking at the ones that were flying high, too close to the sun.” Is collecting Quibi merch a fannish act? Either way, we salute Christina Warren.
love going to anime conventions and seeing people in full cosplay in the parking lot. there goes madoka in her honda civic
— alicia 🍳 SHOP OPEN (@alchenart) April 23, 2022
older stuff
“The Unbearable Whiteness of Taylor Swift’s Fandom” by Jenna Mahale at Mic
“It’s left the non-white Swiftie in a kind of community limbo, part of a diverse and growing global fandom whose beginnings are firmly rooted in whiteness.”
tumblr & beyond
Black Sails fanart by nohtara
”is anyone else bi or is it just me and that guy from supernatural.”
prepare to be dazzled by dave filoni’s alien linguistic skills wrt star wars canon.
“ive been on tumblr almost eight years and i still dont know what homestuck was.”
“Knowing a fic author through AO3 is like attending someone’s thesis presentation and politely clapping at the end.”
Starting May 3, this newsletter will deliver the novel Dracula to you in real time, following the original epistolary format.
fanfiction
This week’s theme is time-loop fic—including an actual Groundhog Day fanwork! Thank you very much to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth
“A Duel With Fate” by Psocoptera. 21K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace; Ship: Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Recced by: anon
Backstory: Obi-Wan Kenobi gets stuck in a groundhog day-style time loop, canon compatible.
Rec: This fic has the most glorious, thorough explanation of a time loop I’ve ever seen, utilizing Jedi history to give story context.
Content warnings: Canon-typical violence and death
“god loves everybody, don’t remind me” by napricot. 70K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Black Panther, MCU; Ship: Gen
Recced by: tinystreetlamp
Backstory: Erik Killmonger’s own personal version of Groundhog Day, only with a lot more murder, dying, trips to the ancestral plane, awkward family conversations, and divine intervention.
Rec: Characterisation and worldbuilding is amazing and I love how the fic takes time to imagine different versions the movie could have gone, and how it stays true to Erik’s character. Amazing writing.
Content warnings: Violence
“Exactly the Kind of Person Who Would Do That” by scioscribe. 8.8K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Vice Principals (HBO); Ship: Neal Gamby/Lee Russell
Recced by: tsudigogo
Backstory: A darkly hilarious story about American toxic masculinity that plays out over 18 immaculately planned episodes. Gamby and Russell are terrible idiots who go from enemies to partners-in-crime to friends to admitting they love each other.
Rec: The characterization and dialogue are staggeringly note-perfect, MANY lines made me laugh out loud, and then it ends with a well-earned emotional gut-punch. There are only three fics for this show on AO3 so to have this one is an incredible blessing!
Content warnings: Suicide (in a Groundhog Day context) and violent ideation
“The 70 Days After Groundhog Day” by Ptelea. 44K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Batman, DC Comics; Ship: Gen: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd
Recced by:
Backstory: Set in the ever-vague DC comic continuity, an exploration of how the estranged formerly-dead, resurrected to anti-hero, Jason Todd returns to the Batfamily after a time-loop, mostly focusses on the brotherly relationship between him and the first Robin, Dick Grayson.
Rec: Ptelea takes the setting of a time-loop that has already basically finished at the start of the story and uses it as a stellar device to kickstart a lovely exploration of reconciliation and emotional trauma between siblings.
Content warnings: Non-graphic references to suicide, murder, past sexual assault
“Before We Say Goodbye” by qikiqtarjuaq. 6K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: MDZS; Ship: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian
Recced by: Gav
Backstory: Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are star-crossed love-interests in a xianxia setting.
Rec: This short-but-effective fix-it fic sees Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian repeat the days leading up to WWX’s demise in the Burial Mounds, giving LWJ a chance to change their destiny.
Content warnings: N/A
And a podcast rec!
“Ten Thousand Years” by Ross Sutherland, Vanessa Kisuule, Daniel Cockburn, Lenni Sanders, and Kim Noble. 55 minutes, rated Mature.
Fandom: Groundhog Day; Ship: Phil/Rita
Recced by: Nick Douglas
Backstory: What if Phil Connors never escaped Groundhog Day? Selected accounts spanning ten thousand years.
Rec: Extends Phil’s psychological journey and god-like feats far beyond those explored in the movie.
Content warnings: N/A
when a woman in sci fi is wearing a jumpsuit and you’re like. yes. and then she takes off the top part and ties it around her hips to show her arms and her tank top/sports bra/etc and you’re like YESSSS
— stoner werewolf (@crowkids) April 21, 2022
FINAL THOUGHT
Calling everyone who enjoys taking fandom surveys: fan studies academic Maria Alberto (who Fansplaining listeners might remember from our “Teaching Fanfiction” episode last year) is running a survey for her PhD research on the definition of “canon.” You can take it here. It’s pretty quick and I personally enjoyed getting to interrogate my own framings as I took it! :-)) — Elizabeth