Alternate Universes by Newt Albiston
Fansplaining
Our November piece is here! Newt Albiston's essay is one part guide to fandom text-based roleplaying, one part meditation on working through gender exploration via roleplay. Plus: be sure to click through and see the gorgeous art we commissioned from illustrator Anna Lark. "Alternate Universes" Through text-based roleplaying, I’ve lived so many other lives—and experienced so many other bodies. Read the whole piece: https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/alternate-universes/
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Reclaiming the Mary Sue by Meghan Fitzmartin
Fansplaining
Our October piece is part essay/part excerpt: Meghan Fitzmartin, who's written for DC Comics, Supernatural, and many other fan-favorite properties, has published an indie comic, Mary Sue, about—you guessed it!—a fanfiction writer. While the essay is a standalone text you should be able to listen to just fine here, we highly recommend heading over to the piece itself to see excerpts from Mary Sue's first issue! "Reclaiming the Mary Sue" by Meghan Fitzmartin. My new comic interrogates the continued bias against Mary Sues—and brings one life. Read the whole piece:...
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K-Pop’s Demons, Real and Fictional by Aja Romano
Fansplaining
September's piece is by longtime fandom journalist Aja Romano, on the explosion of Kpop Demon Hunters, and its intersections—or lackthereof—with real K-pop artists and fans. "K-Pop’s Demons, Real and Fictional" by Aja Romano. KPop Demon Hunters has seen massive mainstream success in the U.S. What does that mean for real K-pop artists and their fans? Read the whole piece: https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/kpops-demons-real-and-fictional
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The Fan, the Pro, and the Spaces In Between by Tessa Gratton
Fansplaining
Our August piece is by novelist (and Fansplaining SDCC 2025 panelist!) Tessa Gratton, about navigating the intersections of the fan and pro writing worlds, and how their queerness shapes their framings of these worlds. "The Fan, the Pro, and the Spaces In Between" by Tessa Gratton. Writing for Star Wars challenges me to interrogate fandom power dynamics—and figure out where I fall in a rapidly shifting landscape. Read the whole piece:
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The Fandom Advantage: How Fan Creativity Fuels Pro Entertainment Careers
Fansplaining
Fansplaining returned to San Diego Comic-Con this year (our tenth anniversary!) with a fantastic panel of fandom folks who work in pro entertainment careers. There's an audio recording here on our feed, and over at the website: You can watch video version as well as read a full transcript. Because the intro to the audio is only on this feed, that's transcribed below. Transcript of intro: Hi everyone! Elizabeth here. I am fresh off San Diego Comic-Con 2025...or not...fresh, but I'm off. [laughing] I got home in the wee hours of yesterday morning. Had a...
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How Friendships Onscreen and Off Fueled Half a Century of Fandom by Jay Castello
Fansplaining
Our latest piece is about making fanworks—and fandom friendships—last through the decades! "How Friendships Onscreen and Off Fueled Half a Century of Fandom" by Jay Castello. For the admins of the Starsky & Hutch Fiction Archive, preserving fanworks and fannish community go hand in hand. Read the full piece:
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I Came to Ruin You: The Collecting Practices of K-Pop Fandoms by Rea McNamara & Bo Shin
Fansplaining
This month’s Fansplaining piece is a bit of a departure from our usual fandom reporting and critical analysis: for the first time, we’re very excited to share a virtual art exhibit of sorts, from Toronto-based curators and BTS fans Rea McNamara and Bo Shin. I came to ruin you: The Collecting Practices of K-pop Fandoms was on display at York University this past spring, and what follows is an expanded version of the exhibition’s brochure, plus images, videos, and interviews with some of the fan collectors and participating artists Jiwon Choi and Lux Pyre. You can listen to the...
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The RPF Question by Sacha Judd
Fansplaining
In our newest piece, Sacha Judd goes deep on RPF, tracing it back decades and tackling its thorny intersections with other kinds of fan practices. "The RPF Question" by Sacha Judd. Amid blurry boundaries between fic, celebrity fandom, and conspiracy theories, how real person fiction evolved from forbidden to mainstream and back again. Read the full piece:
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Bridgerton and Period Drama Fandom’s Enduring Racism Problem by Amanda-Rae Prescott
Fansplaining
Our latest piece is by Amanda-Rae Prescott, who was one of the expert guests in our "Race and Fandom" series back in 2020! ( "Bridgerton and Period Drama Fandom’s Enduring Racism Problem" by Amanda-Rae Prescott. Complaints about historical accuracy and acting quality are often dog-whistles: some fans only want to see white actors—and white history—on screen. Read the full piece here:
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Sam Wilson Deserved Better Than Brave New World by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
Fansplaining
Gav is back in Fansplaining in 2025! This time, she writes about Sam Wilson's recent Captain America debut—and how the MCU failed both the character and the fandom. "Sam Wilson Deserved Better Than Brave New World" by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw: Marvel wants fans to care about lore without thinking too deeply about themes and emotions—the things that brought them to this fandom in the first place. Read the full piece here: fansplaining.com/articles/sam-wilson-deserved-better-brave-new-world
info_outlineOn Episode 217, “Fanbinding,” Elizabeth and Flourish talk to Tiffo (aka Fanboundbooks) about the art of turning fanfiction into physical books, and the fanbinding collective known as the Renegade Bindery. Topics discussed include how exactly you make a book, Renegade’s origin story and huge growth in recent years, fanbinders’ firm commitment to the non-monetized gift economy, and Binderary, a month-long event this February with challenges, fan-run classes, and more. Plus! (Spoiler) Flourish literally joins the Renegade Discord during the recording session.