July 15, 2022

The Rec Center #341

Hi folks! This week we have articles about K-pop fandom homophobia and Amazon comics publishing, along with a deluge of fanvids, some cool Severance fanart (again!) and, of course, your weekly gift of fanfic. — Gav

new stuff

“K-pop’s online community has a homophobia problem” by Jessica Lucas at Input
A reported piece featuring interviews with queer K-pop fans from around the world on their struggles with bigotry and hypocrisy in their fandom spaces.

“Black Women in Fantasy Saved Me Where Academia Failed” by Ravynn K. Stringfield at Catapult
“Monica Lynne’s presence in the Black Panther comics I was studying led me to ask different questions. She helped me begin to think through what Black American women’s relationship was to fantasy as a genre, in superhero comics and in other types of media, affirming that there was indeed a place for us.”

“What’s happened since Amazon’s Comixology overhaul, how it’s actually affected sales” by Graeme McMillan at Popverse
Amazon caused some major upheaval in the comics publishing landscape earlier this year, when it shifted the digital platform ComiXology over to Amazon and Kindle. It’s a rather inside-baseball topic for comics fans, but this article looks into how things have changed since then.

older stuff

“Spock Taught Me to Accept Myself as a Transgender Man” by AJ Winder at Star Trek
“As a ‘child of two worlds,’ Spock was often made to feel like he belonged in neither. But in actuality, his human and Vulcan halves gave him unique insights that enriched those he came across. I hope it is the same for me and that, as a trans, religious person, I can use my experiences to help others feel less alone.”

tumblr & beyond

Severance’s Burt and Irving by travessao_arte

cinematic analysis at its finest.

“torchwood was like one third tacky camera zooms and one third homosexuality and one third the most terrifying and fucked up implications ive ever seen in sci-fi”

A truly gorgeous Hades animated fanvid.

release the horny cut of Attack of the Clones!!

An impressively exhaustive spreadsheet of fanvids set to music by Dessa and Vienna Teng

fanfiction

This week’s theme is found family (as tagged by our guest reccers, of course). Thank you very much to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth

“Have I Told You About Minnie?” by Hinn_Raven. 4.6K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Batman (Comics); Ship: Gen
Recced by: rea_p
Backstory: One of Batman’s undercover identities is Matches Malone. In order to connect with the people who meets, ‘Matches’ starts telling stories about his nieces and nephews—all based on members of the Bat family.
Rec: This is a gentle story about how much Bruce loves and admires his found family. Seeing how Bruce (and/or the author) translates the BatFam into a working-class family is fun for the references to the comics and because he’s clearly so proud of all of them. It always makes me smile.
Content warnings: N/A

“Imprints (For the Boys in the Back)” by Anna (arctic_grey). 53K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: BTS; Ships: Jin/Namjoon, side Jimin/Suga
Recced by: howtosolveit2
Backstory: An AU where Jin is a struggling + hot actor (a “ten” which he loves reminding everyone) and Namjoon is a successful raper/song writer. Jin promises himself he doesn’t have relationships, but Namjoon worms his way into his life and the rest is history.
Rec: Jin’s mental health, and in general mental health challenges are explored in an extremely nuanced and realistic way, which are in no way overshadowed by the romance arc of this fic. Jin’s character backstory is slowly revealed layer by layer, and is extremely clever and realistic. All of the characters are fleshed out and delightful. Also some extremely hot sex scenes abound. This fic is equal parts sweet rom-com, and angst that will tear your heart out. I found myself squealing and crying in equal measure.
Content warnings: Mental health issues (bipolar briefly mentioned, depression, self-hate), alcohol

“babylove” by anonymous. 14K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: It (Stephen King book & Muschietti films); Ship: Patty Blum Uris/Stan Uris, Gen
Recced by: anon
Backstory: In IT, Mike Hanlon calls his childhood friends back to Maine to fight Pennywise (primordial evil in clown form) and the memories of their youth come rushing back, Stan Uris commits suicide rather than face the monster again. He leaves a loving wife behind, and while she’s beloved by fandom, she isn’t mentioned in either canon thereafter.
Rec: This story is a thoughtful, meditative exploration of Patty’s grief and how she connects to the Losers following Stan’s death that doesn’t sacrifice her faith. It’s a total tearjerker and really thoughtfully and lovingly written.
Content warnings: Suicide, pregnancy, mentions of miscarriage

“here everyone knows (you’re the way to my heart)” by catching_paper_moons. 20K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Roswell, New Mexico (TV 2019); Ship: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Recced by: backinmybodymp3
Backstory: Michael and Alex have been dancing around a real relationship since high school because the timing was never right and there was a lot of pain surrounding what they mean to each other; now they’re both around 30 years old, living in the same town again, and in this fic, they’re friends, even though Alex is dating someone else. Also, Michael is an alien.
Rec: The way this author writes Alex Manes is probably my favorite characterization of him, and it’s so easy to empathize with him and how he’s feeling through his internal monologue and also his teenage journals. Also, the eventual Malex getting together feels like it could be completely ripped from canon—that’s how much the author really understands these characters.
Content warnings: Temporary character death, gunshot wound, canon-typical violence

“Metamorphic Petrology” by Ladybug_21. 3.5K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: The Broken Earth Trilogy (N.K. Jemisin); Ship: Gen, Alabaster & Essun
Recced by: Chestnut_filly
Backstory: The Broken Earth books take place in a world that regularly experiences extinction-level events known as Fifth Seasons, and in which humans and other creatures have adapted culturally and ~magically (in a kind of Clarkeian way) to survive, not always in pleasant ways.
Rec: This story is set in the aftermath of the final book, where two of the main characters from the first book meet after becoming, essentially, different people. The book ends here, and this fic recognizes that they must now grapple with memory, forgiveness, and the rebuilding of the world, and sets them gently on that path. Also, geology.
Content warnings: MAJOR spoilers for all three books, including the whole twist of the first

“Courage was my companion” by Erisette. 127K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV); Ship: Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín/Luó "Mián Mián" Qīngyáng; also focuses on Luo Qingyang’s relationship as an aunt and mentor to Jin Ling
Recced by: LivingMeatloaf
Backstory: A canon divergence if Luo Qingyang joined Jiang Cheng’s sect and could mentor his orphaned nephew. Setting is fantasy China where warriors can use magic cultivated within them.
Rec: The main couple is an aroace couple, both by Word Of Author and by their actions and feelings. The story doesn’t focus on that, rather the importance of all relationships in their lives, but it’s a healthy depiction that impacts their decisions.
Content warnings: Canon levels of violence—one mildly graphic scene of a minor character death; discussion of childbirth, but not shown.

FINAL THOUGHT

If you’re headed to San Diego Comic-Con next week, come to Fansplaining’s panel!

Saturday, July 23, 2022
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

Here’s our official blurb:

Over the past decade, fans and creators have had more access to each other than ever before—and sometimes, the results have been painful. How can creators take in fan feedback without altering their work in a reactionary way? How can fans express good-faith critique without placing demands on creators? Featuring panelists who spend time on both sides of the fan/creator divide: Sarah Kuhn (the Heroine Complex series, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra), Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), Britta Lundin (Riverdale, Betty), Justin Bolger (StarWars.com, Fantasy Fight Games), and Flourish Klink (Fansplaining), moderated by Elizabeth Minkel (Fansplaining).

(As you likely already know if you’re attending the con, proof of vax or negative test are required, as is mask-wearing.)

And whether you’re attending the con or will just be in the area next weekend, we’ll be hosting a meetup after the panel at the wholly outdoor Marriott Marquis pool bar. (V convenient panel time and location this year, since that’s where/when we usually do this haha.) Please stop by and say hello!! — Elizabeth