This Week In Fandom History
Co-hosted by V @aimmyarrowshigh (I Met You On LJ) and Emily @idontgettechnology (I Ship It), This Week In Fandom History celebrates fandom culture's highest highs and weirdest lows. With which short-lived vampire cop drama was the very first X-Files fic crossed over? Who is Tara Gilesbie? How recently did the Starsky & Hutch Lending Library rent out its last zine? What were Strikethrough, Racefail, LGBTFansDeserveBetter, and Conchobar, anyway? V and Emily trade off some deep-internet research each week to learn and laugh (and sometimes rage) their way through the annals (heh) of fandom history. Come join us!
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September 20, 2020: Heat Waves, Or: We Try to Understand MCYT
11/26/2025
September 20, 2020: Heat Waves, Or: We Try to Understand MCYT
We don't know enough about this fandom to have a silly exclamation at the start of this summary, tbh! This week, V and Emily stumble along in the dark as they try desperately to fulfill a request from @thesilverstarling: the posting of the massive, massive MCYT Dream SMP RPF, "Heat Waves." We do our best. Truly. But we're so very old and uncool. That said, there are some genuinely fascinating aspects of RPF culture at play here, and we're happy to wade through these waters even if they are much too deep for us! Sources Promo Codes - For 25% off any order on Aim High Brooch Designs on Etsy, including a custom brooch, bag charm, keychain, or magnet design, use the promo code TWIFH. This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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July 1997: Highlander [WAR!] II
11/24/2025
July 1997: Highlander [WAR!] II
They're on a boat! This week, Emily and V finally tackle a topic requested by one of our wonderful Patreon supporters, @elismor, who also wrote up an AMAZING primer about the fandom and the event. We're venturing back to the wonderful, weird world wide web of the late '90s to see a mailing list [WAR!] -- a round-robin, not-technically-roleplaying-but-it-kinda-is, fanfiction extravaganza. But delightfully, more than being about producing more #content, it was about... making friends. And fandoming together. And we think that's beautiful. Sources Promo Codes - For 25% off any order on Aim High Brooch Designs on Etsy, including a custom brooch, bag charm, keychain, or magnet design, use the promo code TWIFH. This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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November 5, 2020: November 5! With Special Guest, SPN Writer Meghan Fitzmartin
11/05/2025
November 5, 2020: November 5! With Special Guest, SPN Writer Meghan Fitzmartin
Happy November 5! This week, V and Emily are joined by special guest, Supernatural writer Meghan Fitzmartin, who gives us the skinny on what it was like from the other side of the curtain on November 5, 2020, and who tells us all about her new fandom-centric comic book, Mary Sue (available now from BOOM! Box). Misha Collins' silly vocal choices, Russian autocrats shipping Destiel, and the omegaverse galore. Plus, lots of discussion of needing characters to just KISS already! Promo Codes - For 25% off any order on Aim High Brooch Designs on Etsy, including a custom brooch, bag charm, keychain, or magnet design, use the promo code TWIFH. This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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July 19, 2019: Veronica Mars Kills Off LoVe... And Its Entire Fandom
10/19/2025
July 19, 2019: Veronica Mars Kills Off LoVe... And Its Entire Fandom
KABOOM! This week, V and Emily discuss a fandom that V was very much in, and is very much no longer in. Because no one is. Because the showrunner used the Hulu reboot to give a gigantic middle-finger to 15 years of passionate fandom. Why?! Why must showrunners Punish?!? Featuring also: Sex and the City and, of course, Marvel (but we promise it's not all Endgame salt for once). We also get pretty deep into a discussion of whether artists "owe" their audience anything and, for more of the episode, the issue of fictional people not being allowed to grow and change -- and how fanfiction is the one place where that's encouraged. Promo Codes - For 25% off any order on Aim High Brooch Designs on Etsy, including a custom brooch, bag charm, keychain, or magnet design, use the promo code TWIFH. Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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July 11, 2016: Voltron Fandom Airs Its "Dirty Laundry"
09/28/2025
July 11, 2016: Voltron Fandom Airs Its "Dirty Laundry"
Not again... This week, Emily and V look at yet another time that a fandom cannibalized one of its own because of popularity. This time, it's Voltron: Legendary Defender fandom in the summer of 2016 and the massive fic (an all-time all-AO3 kudo-haver!) "Dirty Laundry" by gibslythe. While we didn't read the fic, and thus our opinions are colored by those of the people who wrote up the drama minute-by-minute and day-by-day as it happened, we predictably have a lot of feelings about how fandom always... effing... does this. Featuring: The Bee Movie, Babe 2: Pig in the City, and Spaaace Chiiiimps. Promo Codes - For 25% off any order on Aim High Brooch Designs on Etsy, including a custom brooch, bag charm, keychain, or magnet design, use the promo code TWIFH. Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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July 12, 2013: Pacific Rim Released, Pacific Rim AUs Invented
09/21/2025
July 12, 2013: Pacific Rim Released, Pacific Rim AUs Invented
Into the drift! This week, V and Emily talk, once again, about a movie that V has never seen but that fandom loves: Pacific Rim. Topics include the Mako Mori Test, why and how this fandom is the victim of Any Two White Guys syndrome, and... Jupiter Ascending? Also, why Pacific Rim: Uprising failed as a sequel and why sometimes filmmakers just getting to play with toys for millions and millions of dollars can be a lot of fun. Promo Codes - For 25% off any order on Aim High Brooch Designs on Etsy, including a custom brooch, bag charm, keychain, or magnet design, use the promo code TWIFH. Sources Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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June 20, 1904: Saluton, Morojo! (The Invention of Cosplay)
09/14/2025
June 20, 1904: Saluton, Morojo! (The Invention of Cosplay)
Saluton! This week, Emily and V look at the life of one of fandom's under-appreciated heroes: Morojo, AKA Myrtle Rebecca Smith Gray Nolan (née Douglas), the Mother of Cosplay. From her genuine belief in the ability of humankind to be good, like in her favorite scifi stories, to her BANGIN' sewing ability and sweet-ass silk rompersuits, Morojo deserves to be way more well-known in fannish spaces. (And for more than being some dude's girlfriend.) Join us as we celebrate the legacy of one of fandom's founding women. Also: apologies for the unplanned hiatus, this episode was technically VERY messed up and V had to watch so many YouTube tutorials to learn how to salvage it. Promo Codes - For 25% off any order on Aim High Brooch Designs on Etsy, including a custom brooch, bag charm, keychain, or magnet design, use the promo code TWIFH. Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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June 14, 2021: The NSFW Episode (Thanks, Batman)
08/10/2025
June 14, 2021: The NSFW Episode (Thanks, Batman)
Holy lunch at the Y, Batman! This week, V and Emily just rate which, if any, superheroes are fuckable, because DC's editorial team made an edict in 2021 that will never, ever, ever, never not be funny. Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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June 8, 2024: A Surprise for Emily! (TW Mentions of Suicide, Parental Grief, Religious Control)
07/30/2025
June 8, 2024: A Surprise for Emily! (TW Mentions of Suicide, Parental Grief, Religious Control)
Roll for initiative! This week, V and Emily use the actual "what happened this week in fandom history" event (the USPS released Dungeons & Dragons themed stamps) purely as an excuse to talk about a meatier topic: the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and its effects on fandom... focusing on the writing of one blorbo extraordinaire, Mr. Eddie Munson. Stranger Things did a great job with Eddie and the other nerd characters! The 1980s did NOT do a great job with nerds! And for being the only two people on the internet who don't play DND, we think we did a great job with this topic...! NOTE: This episode was auto-edited by Zencastr, so it may not be as clean as our usual releases. We should be able to go back to human-edited episodes very soon! Thank you for your patience and for listening! Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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June 3, 2011: Cherik Explodes the X-Men Multiverse
07/20/2025
June 3, 2011: Cherik Explodes the X-Men Multiverse
To us, our X-fandom-historians! This week, Emily and V venture once again into a fandom that has way too many moving parts to understand as they discuss the release of X-Men: First Class and the subsequent multiversal explosion of Cherik (Charles Xavier/Erik Lehnsherr, or Professor X/Magneto) fanworks. Even though this is literally a pairing V has written, we claim no knowledge of the X-Men franchise, because again: there are so many X-men and they are all always doing things. While the internet fandom for the X-Men had been alive before XMFC, as we discussed in our Subreality episode, Cherik really brought it to dizzying new heights because those two men are so, so sad and they should kiss about it. Which version of the X-Men do you like best? NOTE: This episode was auto-edited by Zencastr, so it may not be as clean as our usual releases. We should be able to go back to human-edited episodes very soon! Thank you for your patience and for listening! Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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May 25: A Double Nerd Holiday!
07/13/2025
May 25: A Double Nerd Holiday!
Grab your towel and your hard-boiled egg, nerds! This week, Emily and V look at a double holiday once again, because May 25 is a big day for two big fandoms: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy celebrates Towel Day, while Discworld remembers Sir Terry Pratchett and celebrates the Glorious 25 of May. Both of these hugely influential, beloved book series have spanned decades, genres, and all manner of fans, becoming tentpoles in the worlds of scifi and fantasy. Whether you're hopping from planet to planet with Arthur Dent or patrolling the streets of Ankh-Morpork, there is something about the universe to find joy and connection about on May 25. Would you rather have a towel or an egg?? This episode was edited by our lovely listener @s0apb0xst0ries! Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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May 19, 1997: Clan Denial Avenges Richie Ryan... On the High Seas
07/02/2025
May 19, 1997: Clan Denial Avenges Richie Ryan... On the High Seas
There can only be one! And that one better fucking be Richie Ryan! This week, V and Emily tackle a requested topic from lovely Patron @elismor and look at the extremely confusing, way-too-many-installments fandom of Highlander. Specifically, Highlander: The Series. And specifically, teenage thief and heartthrob Richie Ryan, and how he was unjustly killed off by canon and revived by the formation of Clan Denial. This fandom-within-a-fandom is also nine inside jokes wearing a trench coat, but that's our favorite thing, so it's a fun romp. Come along with us as we shadow Clan Denial on a cruise! (A real one, on a boat. It's shipping on a ship.) This episode was edited by our equally lovely Patron, @garrideb! Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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May 1–31, 2020: The First VoiceTeam!
06/29/2025
May 1–31, 2020: The First VoiceTeam!
Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah! This week, Emily and V head to summer camp! That is, we discuss the podfic summer camp extravaganza that is VoiceTeam, an annual challenge to create creative podfic for any fandoms and pairings your heart desires... as a team. We also look at how podfic was THE COOLEST way to pick up chicks in the '90s, where podfic started back in the '80s as a way for sight-impaired fans to get their shipping on, and what VoiceTeam 2025 is doing (and how it's stressing V out). Let's pull some pranks and make some friendship bracelets! And, of course, make some podfic! This episode was edited by our amazing listener and Patreon supporter, @kingstoken! Thank you so much! This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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May 6, 2001: BNF Leyla Harrison Appears on The X-Files
06/22/2025
May 6, 2001: BNF Leyla Harrison Appears on The X-Files
Grab your tissues, it's a crying episode! This week, V and Emily look at the short life and long impact of X-Files BNF (Big Name Fan) and BNA (Big Name Author), Leyla Harrison. The very first thing she did when she got the internet was post an X-Files fic... and immediately got anon hate. From there, she became one of the cornerstone writers of '90s XF MSR fic and helped to shape the way we all still think about, read, and write fanfiction. Her legacy loomed so large that when she died of cancer, the actual X-Files created a character named after her. Join us as we sob about the time she met Gillian Anderson. Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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April 27, 2023: Fanbinding Puts Dramione Fandom in a Bind
06/18/2025
April 27, 2023: Fanbinding Puts Dramione Fandom in a Bind
Going once, going twice, sold... unfortunately! This week, Emily and V look at an event requested back while it was actually happening: the 2023 fanbinding drama that nearly ended Dramione- and Reylo's fanbinding communities on Instagram. Mostly, though, it's an episode about people coming into fannish spaces without an interest in fannish community, and people who view fanfiction as "content" to be consumed rather than art to be engaged with or affection bids meant to be answered. We're probably preaching entirely to the choir if you love fandom enough to be listening to a fandom history podcast, but still. Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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April 20, 2000: The Haircut Warning Wars
06/08/2025
April 20, 2000: The Haircut Warning Wars
Grab your floaties! This week, V and Emily travel back 25 years (gross) to the spring of 2000, when the internet was the Wild West and everyone was an asshole. Or maybe not everyone, but wow, this one e-mail list for The Sentinel sure was. We discuss the difference between tags, warnings, spoilers, and censorship, and we also discuss just how much has changed in the fandom landscape over the last 25 years in terms of expectations and norms. Get ready to be kind of mad at people in the past! Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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April 13: Homestuck Banging Out the Tunes
05/25/2025
April 13: Homestuck Banging Out the Tunes
We finally learned what Homestuck is! This week, Emily and V look at a very special double-holiday: April 13, the day that Neil banged out the tunes and, also, Homestuck Day. Who is Neil? The greatest pianist who ever lived, that's who. And what's Homestuck? That was our question every goddamn day of our lives until Emily dipped a toe into the extremely deep water that is the Homestuck multiverse and came back alive to tell V about it. Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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BONUS! Trans Fans Have Always Been Here (TW Old-Fashioned Terminology Uses)
05/07/2025
BONUS! Trans Fans Have Always Been Here (TW Old-Fashioned Terminology Uses)
In light of certain fandoms' creators recently using their considerable fortunes to substantively make life worse for trans people, particularly trans women, this week, V and Emily take a look at a pioneering gender-nonconforming person who, literally, founded modern scifi fandom: Donald Wollheim. We look at Donald's fannish history, including hosting the very first scifi con ever; publishing Lord of the Rings in the US; and founding the Futurians, the early East Coast scifi fan club who definitely won the all-time BNF war. Then, we look at the other side of Donald's life as a landmark figure in the midcentury East Coast trans and GNC community, including penning the first first-person book about being gender-nonconforming and it not being something to shun, but something to celebrate. While certain big-name authors have decided that they want their legacy to be one of division and hate, we look this week at an individual whose legacies in both fandom and the queer community are ones of building. Of hope for the future. And of telling people that they are not alone. Sources American Experience: Casa Susannah A Year Among the Girls, Darrell G. Raynor (Donald Wollheim) (1959) This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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April 8, 2023: Trans Hanni Day + Adapt, Evolve, Become
05/04/2025
April 8, 2023: Trans Hanni Day + Adapt, Evolve, Become
Do you see, Will? This week, V and Emily finally have a happy, joyous, euphoric episode! And it's about... Hannibal, the scariest show ever to be on television. But the fandom has embraced the show and one another so wholly and so delightfully that we can't help but be charmed. In particular, we are looking at the annual fannish holiday of Trans Hanni Day, a day celebrating fanworks created by trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer Fannibals, celebrating headcanons about trans, nonbinary, or genderqueer characters from the Hannibal Extended Universe. In particular, we look at the zine "Adapt. Evolve. Become," which had its first issue in 2023 and its new issue in 2025! We also swoon over Hugh Dancy just being the fucking best, even if he's also the most boring man alive. Sources Trans Cannibalism, RED Guhde This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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March 31, 1995: The Death of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (TW: Murder, gun violence)
04/24/2025
March 31, 1995: The Death of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (TW: Murder, gun violence)
This week, Emily and V look at the brilliant life and tragic death of the Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who was murdered by the president of her national fan club. While Selena's life was cut way too short, the amount of genius and joy that she exuded onstage and offstage is the most important part of her story. Emily skillfully guides us through Selena's life, her music, and her fashion, and V is along for the very sad ride. We also reference other stars who were killed by people claiming to be their fans, such as John Lennon, Rebecca Schaeffer, and Christina Grimmie, so please only listen to this episode if you are in the right mindset to be sad. Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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March 28, 2010: The Indie Twific Award Winners Announced
04/13/2025
March 28, 2010: The Indie Twific Award Winners Announced
AU/AH/OOC! This week, V and Emily fall down an Internet rabbithole to the wild and weird world of Twilight fanfiction in 2010, where contests, rec blogs, and awards reigned supreme. Specifically, the rabbithole of the Lazy Yet Discerning Ficster blog led straight to the Indie Twific Awards, where undersung Twilight fics in quirky and delightful categories were given laurels by readers and a judging panel of BNAs. There's so much going on. It's all wonderful. Also, V recounts the single most insane plot-twist she's ever encountered in anything, fic or otherwise, and it's a doozy. Join us, won't you? Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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March 16, 2014: Wizard Rock Goes Down in Flames (TW Sexual Assault, Coercive Control, Emotional Abuse, Neil Gaiman Discussion)
03/30/2025
March 16, 2014: Wizard Rock Goes Down in Flames (TW Sexual Assault, Coercive Control, Emotional Abuse, Neil Gaiman Discussion)
Yuck... This week, Emily and V tackle a requested topic and look at the downfall of wrock, AKA Wizard Rock, aka music about Harry Potter made by semi-pro musicians in the 2000s and early 2010s. Much of the wrock genre was caught up in the blizzard of allegations that made up YouTube Abuse in 2014, the pre-MeToo movement that aimed to take vloggers who preyed on their fans to account. In particular, we look at the total shitheads who made up the band Ministry of Magic. As an extra content warning, if you miss it in the episode title: we discuss Neil Gaiman in this episode -- not in graphic detail, but just, be aware. Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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BONUS! Femslash Deep Dive with TGIF/F
03/26/2025
BONUS! Femslash Deep Dive with TGIF/F
Thank god it's femslash... part two! This week, in lieu of a minisode, V and Emily were joined by jarrow, the founder of FaberryCon and TGIF/F (see ), for a lengthy chat about all things femslash. We talk migratory (fem)slash fandom; subtext; female friendships and friend-ships; and why the death of the 22-episode season is killing shipping, especially for noncanonical pairings. Femslash has a parallel history to slash fandom, and it's one that we don't get to talk about nearly enough on this show, so it was a delight to skip the shallow wading and get right to the deep dive. Thank you, jarrow! Find out more about TGIF/F at . This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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March 16, 1982: Earthshock Rocks Doctor Who Fandom
03/23/2025
March 16, 1982: Earthshock Rocks Doctor Who Fandom
To the TARDIS! This week, V and Emily tackle a requested episode about a deeply controversial Doctor Who episode: Earthshock, which aired in 1982, featuring the Fifth Doctor. This episode killed off -- 40-year-old spoilers -- child companion Adric, and we're still seeing the effects of that choice in the writing of the show today. Although as far as it actually affected the Doctor or his other companions... well, that's up for debate. Compared to New Who companion deaths like those of Clara and Bill, Adric's was handled... uh. Well. They made some choices. Who was your favorite Doctor Who companion? Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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Minisode #007
03/19/2025
Minisode #007
What was the most shocking character death you’ve witnessed, and how did it make an impact on you? In 2025, TWIFH is starting something new… minisodes! These will be released on Wednesdays as a li'l sneak preview of the topic for the upcoming full-length episode on Sunday. Huge thank-you to all of the wonderful listeners who sent in replies for these minisodes! If you’ve ever wanted to hear yourself on a podcast, send us a voice note! We’ve turned Submissions on on our Tumblr, and we’ll also accept links to uploaded .mp3 files. If you want to answer but don’t want your real-life voice on a fandom podcast, send us an Ask here on Tumblr and we’ll read your response. Please include your preferred name (your Tumblr username or AO3 name is fine!) and pronouns at the top of your voice note or Ask message. If you want to be anonymous, you can just say “call me anonymous.” :) Check to see the current minisode question and send us your response!
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March 2, 2012: The Onceler Becomes Tumblr Sexyman Supreme
03/16/2025
March 2, 2012: The Onceler Becomes Tumblr Sexyman Supreme
How bad can he be? This week, Emily and V peek through their fingers at their MOST REQUESTED TOPIC EVER: how The Onceler, from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, became Tumblr's #1 Sexyman in 2012. Not other 2012 villains like Loki or Moriarty or Cato The Hunger Games. No. The Onceler. The animated Onceler. And you know what? After this episode, we kind of understand what was going on with all the Onceler love, and we're 100% in support of it. Did you have your very own Onceler? Tell us on our Tumblr! Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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February 28, 1986: Pretty In Pink Proves the Brat Pack Possess Power
03/09/2025
February 28, 1986: Pretty In Pink Proves the Brat Pack Possess Power
That's not a name, that's a major appliance! This week, V and Emily use the release of iconic teen film "Pretty In Pink" as an excuse to look at the influence of the Brat Pack on film, fandom, and film fandom since 1985. "Pretty In Pink" is a part of why Star Wars IX has the chopped-up feel it does; the Brat Pack themselves changed the nature of how fans and celebrities were meant to relate to one another. And, of course, the VCRification (it's a word) of movie-watching feeds right into the issues with direct-to-streaming fan culture today. What's your favorite Brat Pack film? Are you a brain... an athlete... a basketcase... a princess... or a criminal? Tell us on our Tumblr! Sources You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried, Susannah Gora *NOTE* In the episode, V says "The New Yorker," but it's New York Magazine. This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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Minisode #005 + Minisode #006
03/05/2025
Minisode #005 + Minisode #006
How would you celebrate a holiday all about your blorbo? + What is the biggest contribution you’ve made to your fandom? Anything counts, including being a kudos-leaver and headcanon-cheerleader! In 2025, TWIFH is starting something new… minisodes! These will be released on Wednesdays as a li'l sneak preview of the topic for the upcoming full-length episode on Sunday. Huge thank-you to all of the wonderful listeners who sent in replies for this minisode. Additionally, thank you to everyone who has been kind and patient with us as we had to take an unexpected break due to bereavement. If you’ve ever wanted to hear yourself on a podcast, send us a voice note! We’ve turned Submissions on on our Tumblr, and we’ll also accept links to uploaded .mp3 files. If you want to answer but don’t want your real-life voice on a fandom podcast, send us an Ask here on Tumblr and we’ll read your response. Please include your preferred name (your Tumblr username or AO3 name is fine!) and pronouns at the top of your voice note or Ask message. If you want to be anonymous, you can just say “call me anonymous.” :) Check to see the current minisode question and send us your response!
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February 15-17, 2013: FaberryCon East (Plus, T.G.I.Femslash!)
03/02/2025
February 15-17, 2013: FaberryCon East (Plus, T.G.I.Femslash!)
Thank god it's femslash! This week, Emily and V discuss the absolutely pie-in-the-sky delightful FaberryCon, a long-running convention dedicated to Quinn Fabray/Rachel Berry in the Glee fandom, a noncanonical femslash ship. Then, even more delightfully, after the end of Glee, the conventioneers transformed the experience into @tgifemslash, a multi-fandom, ship-neutral, femslash convention OF DREAMS that is still ongoing! We take a look at the absolute pinnacle of con panel planning, cute vidshows, and why a small, niche audience is almost always better than trying to please everyone. Have you ever been to, or hosted, a ship-centric con? Let us know on our Tumblr! Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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February 12, 2011: The Odds Are Not In V's Favor
02/16/2025
February 12, 2011: The Odds Are Not In V's Favor
Thank you for your consideration! This week, V and Emily are joined by a very special guest, Heidi Tandy AKA Heidi8, who is on the show to explain the intricacies of fandom and copyright law because, well, she was V's attorney for the event this week in fandom history. In 2011, V made a fanwork map of the fictional country of Panem from The Hunger Games novels -- not the movies, which had not even been officially announced yet -- and in 2023, Lionsgate released an official map of Panem that looks... extremely similar. (You can see a side-by-side on our website, ). Emily and V had questions for Heidi about what fans can do to better protect themselves and their fanworks from poaching by big corporations, what exactly constitutes fair use, and whether V is allowed to say that the whole happening sucked. Have you ever created something that became canon? Would you want to interact that way with your fave fandom? Sources This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at You can support the show via our Patreon at . If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via . Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
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