What does the future hold for Firefly fandom?

POSTED BY: Haken
UPDATED: Thursday, April 29, 2010 13:43
VIEWED: 16403
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BYTEMITE

Saturday, March 13, 2010 5:27 PM

I guess two years feels a lot different to people who've already been waiting five years... or even seven years, if they weren't satisfied by the movie (or comic books).

Still, two years isn't THAT long a time... And besides, there wouldn't even be a deadlock if there wasn't still interest in the franchise on both the part of Fox and Universal, which I take as a good sign that eventually something has to happen.

We've got more than announcements for the comic books, BTW, we FINALLY have announcements for writers and artists. So, that's moving. I think Joss has started to recover from the inevitable post Dollhouse funk / production-editing exhaustion, so other projects are getting some attention and the go ahead.

LEMMING

Saturday, March 13, 2010 8:59 PM

Just wanted to make a minor correction to the pretty gorram comprehensive info listed.

[EDIT NOTE: this correction now moot 'cos Two kindly corrected the original post. Thanks.]

The Signal podcast is *not* USA based. It is hosted by 2 United States citizens, but the crew is and always has been international (it was in fact founded by a Brit - Jill Arroway if you want to get technical, though I'm sure she'd never lay claim - it was always a group effort :-)

We very conciously think of ourselves as international, as that is what the Browncoat fandom is (and again, nearly always has been - several preview screenings of Serenity and the world premier took place in the UK: Browncoats span the globe!) Current Signal crew (and we're in our *6th* year) has several Americans, 4 Brits - one of whom is based in Tanzania, Africa - and one German.

I think the future is very good for Browncoats as has been already noted. We are self sustaining now and numbers continue to grow. We will have new *canon* content from Joss this year (8 years on from Firefly and 5 from Serenity) in the form of Shepherds Tale and Float Out from Dark Horse, there's Redemption, Courage, Bellflower and more fan films/series at various stages of production and...dead...don't make me laugh :-) We're still here and will be a for a long time to come.

Nick

The Signal

TDBROWN

Saturday, March 13, 2010 9:17 PM

Here's something thats going to happen within the Fandom this Fall. It ties into Browncoats: Redemption and the upcoming 5th Sereniversary (Birthday of the BDM).

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=383429540585

The Fandom has to go "grassroots" while we wait for more Official-type stuff. The key word in the initial post is "Hold". We hold until they (the Whedonesque PTB) come back.

"Might have been the losing side, still not convinced it was the wrong one." -Mal

11THHOUR

Sunday, March 14, 2010 2:31 AM

Quote:
What does the future hold for Firefly fandom?

The fandom is us, so it will take the shape we make of it. Part of what shapes the fandom is the interaction with what is going on in the official world, and the rest is what we create on our own.

The fandom of a property that is in a kind of semi-active official status is kind of like being pioneers. When there aren't many cities or towns to inhabit, we embark upon the wilderness and make our own worlds.

Kinda like Firefly itself...

11th Hour

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Firefly/Serenity Guerilla Marketing Posters ~ http://the11thhour.home.att.net
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Spread the word today ~ Give the gift of Firefly: http://www.apple.com/itunes

SIGMANUNKI

Sunday, March 14, 2010 7:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by GWEK:

We've been self-sustaining pretty much since 2002. Why should that change now?

If we have been self-sustaining, then please show me the massive amount of works generated by the community. Please show the increase in the number of fans. Point of fact, you can do neither. No-one can. The fandom is dying.

Quote:
Originally posted by GWEK:

And why the dig at comics? Most of the SERENITY comics have been written by the same folk who wrote the show. They read just like "lost episodes."

Then why couldn't I get more than a few pages into the first comic because of tragically poor writing? Opinion is not fact. There are many more people like me than you seem to think, that think that the comics suck.

Quote:
Originally posted by GWEK:

Given that many of the cast members have moved on to other projects, it seems to be that a medium like comics or novels is the only way that story of the crew of Serenity will continue in the near future.

Your point?

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

SIGMANUNKI

Sunday, March 14, 2010 7:48 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:

Still, two years isn't THAT long a time... And besides, there wouldn't even be a deadlock if there wasn't still interest in the franchise on both the part of Fox and Universal, which I take as a good sign that eventually something has to happen.

The interest is not the interest that you think it is. What is really going on is one won't let the other profit without them getting a cut as well. Then they argue over which one has the bigger share in an effort to get more money than the other. This ends in deadlock and will kill any project.

It's about interest in money, not interest in the franchise. They don't care where the money comes from.

Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:

We've got more than announcements for the comic books, BTW, we FINALLY have announcements for writers and artists. So, that's moving. I think Joss has started to recover from the inevitable post Dollhouse funk / production-editing exhaustion, so other projects are getting some attention and the go ahead.

But not new projects. Just signs that the old announcements are going somewhere. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

GWEK

Sunday, March 14, 2010 11:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:
If we have been self-sustaining, then please show me the massive amount of works generated by the community.

As exhibit A, I point to SERENITY, a movie which Joss himself has stated would never have been made without the fans.

2010 will give us roleplaying supplements, comic books, and "Firefly: Still Flying: A Celebration of Joss Whedon's Acclaimed TV Series," a book which will contain all-new short stories. These official products would not exist without the support of a fan base to purchase them.

In terms of fan-created content, look to the Blue Sun Room and elsewhere. Look the projects like REDEMPTION and COURAGE. The project I'm a part of, www.stillflying.net, has (post-SERENITY) produced 29 episode-length scripts. That's about 1500 pages of FIREFLY (or, to put it another way, almost twice as much as Joss and his gang did).

Quote:
Please show the increase in the number of fans. Point of fact, you can do neither. No-one can. The fandom is dying.

That is your opinion, and you're entitled to it. Perhaps the most visible portion of the fanbase seems to be decreasing, but there are more fans every day.

Not a week goes by that there's not a new thread from someone who has just discovered FIREFLY posted in these very forums, and there are still consistent tales from long-time fans who've turned new people onto it.

The FIREFLY DVD is currently #27 in sales on Amazon in the category of Movies & TV. It has been in the top 100 for more than a year (consecutive). It is further rated #2 in Boxed Sets/Drama and Drama/Television. There's no other TV series with close to that accomplishment, and much of the competition has the benefit of not having been cancelled 7 and a half years ago.

Quote:
Then why couldn't I get more than a few pages into the first comic because of tragically poor writing?

I can't really speak to why you didn't like the comic, but if I had to speculate on an answer, I would posit that perhaps you have some bias against the medium and perhaps consider it a "lesser" form.

Quote:
Opinion is not fact.

You are correct. Here is fact for you: SERENITY: THOSE LEFT BEHIND was Dark Horse's bestselling title in 2005. Among other things that it beat out where multiple Star Wars titles (in the year that REVENGE OF THE SITH was released). Further, it is of note that Star Wars- and Conan-themed titles are typically Dark Horse's bestselling titles (by a pretty large margin, I believe).

It is my understanding that BETTER DAYS had similar sales (and, actually a better critical and fan reception).

Quote:
There are many more people like me than you seem to think, that think that the comics suck.

Opinion, as someone once said, is not fact.

Both TPBs are currently rated 4 stars on Amazon. Between the two, only 1 person rated only 1 star.

Quote:
Your point?

If you're one of those people who is holding his breath for the series to return, you are sure to be disappointed. Same thing with a movie, most likely.

In the foreseeable future, the canon of the Firefly 'Verse is likely to flourish only in alternate media.

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

GWEK

Sunday, March 14, 2010 11:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:
But not new projects. Just signs that the old announcements are going somewhere. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

The announcement of SERENITY: FLOATOUT is brand new from the past week or so. I don't think anyone had heard of it before.

Although STILL FLYING was announced last year, the fact that it will contain all-new short stories written by some of the series writers is a relatively new wrinkle. I believe word came after announcement of DOLLHOUSE's cancellation.

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

TUJIAOZUO

Sunday, March 14, 2010 1:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by GWEK:
Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:

Quote:
Please show the increase in the number of fans. Point of fact, you can do neither. No-one can. The fandom is dying.

That is your opinion, and you're entitled to it. Perhaps the most visible portion of the fanbase seems to be decreasing, but there are more fans every day.

Not a week goes by that there's not a new thread from someone who has just discovered FIREFLY posted in these very forums, and there are still consistent tales from long-time fans who've turned new people onto it.

The FIREFLY DVD is currently #27 in sales on Amazon in the category of Movies & TV. It has been in the top 100 for more than a year (consecutive). It is further rated #2 in Boxed Sets/Drama and Drama/Television. There's no other TV series with close to that accomplishment, and much of the competition has the benefit of not having been cancelled 7 and a half years ago.

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

From where I stand, we're growing.

My extremely large art college just had a Firefly/Serenity Marathon a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I couldn't go because I was out of town. Never seen a marathon listed before as a campus activity, EVER. But there were fliers of the Firfely DVD box art all over my building and in a few places on some of our class buildings. It was the most surreal thing ever. We get to watch Oscar Nominated movies for free on a regular basis. But then all of a sudden here's a flier to watch this little sci-fi show.

There are new fans constantly being pulled in. I have 2 box sets that go around my dorm on a regular basis. We're talking young people that love to follow franchises and buy merchandise.
Just a few days ago a friend was watching Serenity in my room as I listened/rendered. Another buddy came in, immediately making his way to my monitor. He proclaimed how he watched all of my DVDs in one sitting, then the movie and proceeded to gripe at how the show needs to get back on the air and how he's so buying a Blue Sun shirt. After watching the movie (his second time in 2 days) and playing with my Serenity ornament, he left my room with both of my lender comics. The other friend grabbed my second box set of the show after that, because he had only seen the movie and wanted to know why the show is 10x better.

New people are finding the show, yeah my area of the world is small, but I'm optimistic.

Your Indian Pirate Lord,
Ash

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