Spider-Man Fandom - Abi Grella
What Kind of Fan Are You?
There are many different kinds of fans within the Spider-Man fandom. Some just dip their toes in by seeing a movie or two, maybe reading a comic, or hopping on the game. Others dive headfirst into a variety of different things they create for themselves. What kind of fan are you? Many things surprised me as I delved deeper into my research, but some really stood out. Fans can express their creativity through art, encapsulating everyone's favorite hero through cosplay, making memes, and even edits. Through these simple acts, these fans are not only getting something from Spider-Man, but from themselves and the community that they've created around this shared love for him.Yes, of course, Spider-Man is most commonly recreated in his well-known setting and his frequently worn red and blue suit, but that doesn't mean you can't use your imagination. Fans recreate him as an entirely different person. One that stood out to me was an interpretation of him as MJ, and not the one you're thinking, but Michael Jackson(1). Fans are able to put their passion on paper, share their creations with each other, and receive genuine engagement from people who share these same passions.
This creates a supportive community for people who may not see it everywhere, as some tend to impose more definitive ideas on the fandom(2). Being a part of this community doesn't mean you only have to see him as what has been given to us, but you can reimagine him in any way, and you'll find someone out there who has envisioned him like that too(1).
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| Figure 1: Spider-Man as "MJ" |
This creates a supportive community for people who may not see it everywhere, as some tend to impose more definitive ideas on the fandom(2). Being a part of this community doesn't mean you only have to see him as what has been given to us, but you can reimagine him in any way, and you'll find someone out there who has envisioned him like that too(1).
If you have seen any of the movies in theatres, then you've also seen someone wearing the suit. That's all they're doing though, just wearing it. Some fans really get into their cosplay and encapsulate him, whichever version they may choose, that is. This idea of encapsulating the role is taken to several different levels.
Some simply suit up and hit one of his infamous poses, while others hit the streets and jump on signs. "Anyone can wear the mask"(3). Seeing someone casually do what has been so inspiring, wear the mask, is a reminder to fans that what they say is true. Even though these street sign swinging Spider-Men aren't actually fighting villains, they still bring a smile to people around them, which is heroic in its own way(4).
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| Figure 2: Spidey on the Streets |
Some simply suit up and hit one of his infamous poses, while others hit the streets and jump on signs. "Anyone can wear the mask"(3). Seeing someone casually do what has been so inspiring, wear the mask, is a reminder to fans that what they say is true. Even though these street sign swinging Spider-Men aren't actually fighting villains, they still bring a smile to people around them, which is heroic in its own way(4).
Although you probably think the pointing meme is overused...I still think it's funny. I see it quite frequently, along with Raimi fan memes, and along the lines of something different, edits(1). Fans have entire social media accounts related to posting things like that. The accumulation of these accounts creates an online culture for people to talk about their shared interest. More and more fans find themselves discussing, debating, laughing, engaging, or sometimes staying quiet and just looking. Whether you actually interact or not, it still feels nice to be somewhere where everyone loves what you love, it's all that's talked about, and you'll find yourself discovering new things each day.
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| Figure 3: Raimi Fan (?) Meme |
There are so many things to be taken from the fandom, and such a large part of it has no idea what they're missing out on. Even what I found to be surprising could be yesterday's news to you; it could also be a whole new world for you to discover. Have you turned your admiration into participation, or is he simply just a movie to watch? What kind of fan are you?
References
(1)Spider-Man Fan Art. (n.d.). Home [Pinterest Page]. Pinterest. Retrieved May 4th, 2020 from https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=spider%20man%20fan%20art&rs=rs&source_id=rs_7ZNr7t9k&eq=spider&etslf=3479
(2)Otutuloro, A. (2021, May 30). The Spider-Man Fandom: A Battleground. Darkerarcher, Medium. https://darkerarcher.medium.com/the-spider-man-fandom-a-battleground-8e2df9a4cef4
(3)Spider-Man [r/Spiderman]. (2010, July 02). The subreddit for the Marvel character and friendly neighborhood wall crawler, Spider-Man [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/Spiderman/
(4)Barlette, K. (2020, July 28). The Man Behind The Mask: Who is Albany’s Spider-Man? . Times Union. https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Who-is-Spider-Man-in-Albany-15439138.php
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