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Fan Art Empowers Queer Women

Once upon a time, writing fan fiction – stories written by fans of a popular TV show/movie that incorporate characters or story elements from the show – was a pretty fringe activity, something that small groups of dedicated fans enjoyed as a hobby.

Then fans of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer began branching out into other forms of fan art, including wallpaper and drawings.

Now, in 2009, fan art (encompassing written stories, music videos made from show clips, and works of visual art) is as much a part of mainstream fandom as episode analyses and debates about characters. Fan sites in general are now as much creative communities as they are “just” groups of fans.

It is lesbian fan fiction (often called fanfic, check out Malinda Lo’s feature on the subject for a fantastic primer), music videos and other fan art that hold the most lasting fascination for many viewers, gay and straight alike. There’s something particular about lesbian fan art – a sense of gung-ho self-discovery and a sense of ownership over a given property – that’s readily apparent with even a casual glance at the work.

And while producers, authors and studios have all reacted to fan art in different ways – some embrace the concept as a good way to keep fans happy, while others shut down fan efforts, fearing copyright infringement – fan art is absolutely here to stay. It has become an important way for the queer community to create stories that speak to us. And it’s incredibly fun to be a part of.

Who can say they watched a few episodes of the campy classic Xena Warrior Princess without thinking that the titular hero was a bit more than a friend to her faithful sidekick, Gabrielle?

Who among us wouldn’t want to make a few storyline changes to The L Word’s many twists and turns (and radical, unlikely character transformations – i.e. Helena Peabody, season 3)?

Who hasn’t at least momentarily wanted to make icons out of their favorite moments moments between Spencer and Ashley on South of Nowhere?

Fan artists highlight what they see “between the lines,” or often, what they’d like to see happen among their beloved characters. They literally take a property and make it their own – and share their hard work with communities of other enthusiasts.

Many see that as the greatest and strongest draw to the whole fan art enterprise.

Amy Thornley is an award-winning artist who makes music videos based on Xena characters, editing show clips in a way that highlights the love story between the two female leads. “I think making music videos allows me to express my love of the show. Without it I become a little out of touch with the ‘Xenaverse’ and the fans,” she told AfterEllen.com in a recent email interview.

We spoke to a number of lesbian and queer-friendly fan artists, hailing from both the booming Xena and The L Word fan communities. All of these artists agreed that fan art is an important part of participating – and that lesbian fan art is the best way to be proactive and make our own stories out of established fiction.

It’s especially important for lesbian and bi viewers who have so few options to create entertainment that speaks to us. While The L Word is supposedly “our” show, and the only major TV program to feature all lesbians, all the time, that doesn’t mean it speaks to every queer woman.

With Xena, the creators of the show famously played out the relationship between the two lead characters in “subtext,” playing with the “are they or aren’t they” question to varying degrees up until the very end.

So queer fans of the show took it upon themselves to create their own stories of Xena and Gabrielle – stories that spoke directly to them as lesbians and bisexual women.

Artwork credit: *Indelibly – Yours

“It makes me feel more a part of the gay and lesbian universe,” said video maker Angela Merry Pavlica of her work as an editor. “I get an even greater fulfillment when someone sees my music videos and says something like, ‘I didn’t know Xena and Gabrielle were lesbians. I’m going to have to check out the show again.’Or when they comment on the images used and how they love the love between both women.”

In fact, sometimes people prefer the fan art over the actual show, feeling that the artist who reinterprets the characters actually knows them better than the show’s producers. It’s not a slight towards the makers of a show – it’s a reflection of the fact that lesbian writers and artists can sometimes better fulfill the needs of a lesbian audience.

Queer women are known for their “Do-It-Yourself” spirit – why should storytelling be any different?

Thornley herself noted that she was inspired to answer Xena’s central “are they or aren’t they” question herself, with a resounding “yes:”

This [ambiguity] personally makes me want to give people an answer, and I’ll do that through making music videos. Others will do it through fan fiction, or fan art. People can mold the show to fit their point of view and express it in their chosen art form, and that art then draws in new fans. [It was a] pretty smart move on the makers’ parts, even if they didn’t intend to do it.

This fan art isn’t just the prorduct of guerilla filmmaking, or amateur hour at a local creative writing class – major entertainment companies hold massive conventions for fan artists, giving out major prizes for the best stories, videos and pieces of artwork in a multitude of categories.

Both Pavlica and Thornley are frequent winners at the video competitions at Creation’s Xena conventions.

Spashley.com is currently holding a fan art contest among its members, for best Spashley icons, wallpaper, and banners.

Artwork credit: Orzelska

In 2006, Showtime held a contest to let fans help write a script for one of the episodes, and in 2007, invited fans to submit their real-life stories based on themes from the show, for other fans to read and rate.

When it comes to The L Word, the fervor of fan art tends to fall more towards those who want to see specific couplings, since there’s no fictional world to explore.

“I think the shippers [fans who follow a specific relationship] are still writing fast and furiously,” said Jacky Abromitis, Webmaster of the L Word Fan site. “But I do think it’s the nature of the beast that there will be more fantasy pairings the longer a show is on the air. They may not overtake the number of ship fics, but they seem to gain a stronger presence as time goes on.”

Abromitis also noted that, contrary to popular belief, not all fan art (even L Word fan art) is racy, X-rated stuff.

“I don’t think it’s any racier than any other “adult” fandoms,” she said. “I think the more telling element is the story line of the show or movie. Our Loving Annabelle fics on myFandoms.com, for instance, tend to be more cerebral.”

Artwork credit: Samiko_2007

“I think that’s because the movie was so in the heads of the characters,” she explained. “Sure, there was a super hot sex scene, but overall, it was a very introspective movie, so the fics tend to try to fill in the blanks…the unspoken words of Annabelle and Simon.”

This time of year is one of the busiest for fan artists of Sapphic persuasions, with the debut of The L Word’s final season and another official Xena convention just having concluded.

It’s hard to underestimate the level of skill and creativity on display at some of the more prestigious art competitions and bigger websites. It’s easy to blow naysayers away with the sheer amount of talent on display, and the way the art adds to fans’ enjoyment of the original shows and movies.

Like this brilliant video showing the entire series of Buffy – all seven seasons – in three minutes, set to the classic “William Tell Overture.”

Some people still think that fan art is just a lame hobby, but to fans and film and TV producers, it’s too important to dismiss.

“Those who create fan fiction, fan art, fan videos, etc. are the most dedicated fans,” said Abromitis. “They are also the ones that keep fans focused on the show during hiatus. Those fan artists should be courted and thanked by networks and show creators for the service they provide- entertaining and creating dedicated fans.”

Whether or not outsiders consider fan art to be “true art” or not, it’s all part of the overarching trend of internet-enabled participation – and it’s one of the richest sources of lesbian entertainment in the world.

Fan art allows truly talented artists and writers find their calling – and it allows all of us to see familiar stories with new eyes.

“I take to heart what one of my creative writing instructors once told me,” said Pavlica, drawing upon her own inspiration. “If all you can do when you wake up is think about writing or creating, then you are an artist. Nothing else matters.”

Check out the fan communities these women frequent at the L Word Fan Site, TheLWordOnline.com, the Xena Online Community, and Spashley.com.

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