Content is king in this day and age. With the help of social media, creators and fans can connect more than ever. This allows for greater discussions and interactions between fans with similar interests and creates what’s usually considered a fandom.

Fandoms, or more so the concept of a fanbase in general, have existed for a long time. Early examples can be seen in fans of Elvis and The Beatles. Fandoms can also be traced back to “Star Trek” fans, known as Trekkies, who wrote letters to extend the series and attended conventions to meet actors and creators of the series.

There’s no better time than now to be invested in a fandom. It’s incredibly easy to find like-minded individuals to interact with over something of common interest. With TikTok, Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms, people are connected around the world in various ways. 

Fans are also able to connect through social events like conventions which are extremely popular. One of the most well-known conventions is the San Diego Comic-Con, which is known as an epicenter of comic books and general pop culture-related content. 

The most popular comic books, novels, films and shows often have the biggest fandoms. There are fandoms for almost everything including books, musical artists and more. 

The Marvel Studios projects have garnered a massive audience and cemented its place in pop culture. This is apparent with almost any comic book adaptation to film and television. This success and the massive audience should be credited to original comic book fans and creators for the cult following of stories that get adapted to the big screens.

Comic fans, originating from the early golden age of comics to newer works, know the beauty of fandoms all too well. When general audiences watch films based on comic books and are introduced to these characters for the first time, they are able to be welcomed into the world by the already existing fans. 

“As an artist myself, anime has inspired me so much, essentially being the reason I have the major that I do,” said Eric Moore, a sophomore majoring in fine arts. “Through both the art pages on social media and anime fan pages, my interests intersect and I like that I’m able to interact with others with a common interest.”

It’s great to be a fan of something, and have others to connect and bond with over the things that bring joy. It’s a form of social interaction that sparks debates, discussions and conversations about the things that fans love.