Expies, Fandoms, Disappointment, and Hope

don't i know you people from somewhere?


oh yeah!


I realize it's not true of everyone, but there is a good chunk of various fandoms who are not happy with the condition of their favorite franchises these days. We've talked about the Star Wars of it all quite a few times.

Jon Favreau, now working at Lucasfilm on The Mandalorian, recently came out with a statement very positive about the importance of remembering the hardcore fanbase who have kept the franchise alive over the decades. That that core has to be respected, even as they try to bring in new audiences too. Many beaten-down Star Wars fans have expressed much appreciation for those words; they've gone a long time with nothing positive being directed at them. It's a good sign.

By and large, it's the hardcore fanbases that are the unhappy ones, whether we're talking about Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Marvel and DC comics and/or movies.

While many Star Trek fans have given up on the Franchise after the expectation-subverting Discovery and Picard (and now the cartoon), many are expressing great love for The Orville, which better captures the spirit of The Next Generation and Voyager series. When is that damn show coming back, anyway??

While feelings are mixed on the DC Universe that began with Man of Steel, the dark and brooding Superman, the "expies" of the Justice League on 'The Boys' are intriguingly dark, and it works a lot better because the classic icons are not being subverted or being portrayed out of character. It's new characters, who strongly call to mind those icons, who are the dark and twisted versions of those icons. That works!

We'll see what happens going forward. But it looks like in many cases, the official franchises are missing the mark to one degree or another. And the expies (the somewhat-similar copies) are capturing something that the frustrated fandoms want to see.

For the creator-types, writers and artists like many creators here on The Duck, this is good news, and an eye opener.

Always wanted to write Star Trek? Star Wars? Game of Thrones? The Hulk? Archie?

The companies that own these characters generally keep an iron grip on their rights. If you were ever lucky enough to make any money or even get a level of notice from writing about their characters or worlds, they will be ready to swoop in and shut you down. Some owners are more lenient than others, but you would still be creating-or not-at their pleasure.

This is nothing against fan fiction. I say go for it and have fun as long as you're allowed to.

But to write your OWN characters, in your OWN worlds, that capture the spirit and essence of those things you love? That's perfectly fine.

And in an era where many of us think our beloved fiction and modern myths are in the worst of hands these days, there's a good chance your take could be better than the pros'. You can capture the spirit of what you love and do it in your own way. And it's yours!

Have a good one,

Banes