Try This for a Deep Dark Secret...

[tzikeh]

Inspired by yahtzee63's Moonlighting icon that says "you never forget your first love", I thought I'd do a "first fandom" icon and blather on about fannishly falling for the first time...

I was 13. I wanted her hair. I wanted her nose. I wanted her hats, her car, her voice, her job. I wanted ... him.

My fannishness had been sparked earlier - I went nuts for Star Wars in 1977 - saw it in the theaters more times than I care to count and had all the action figures, carrying cases, trading cards, plastic light-sabers, et al. In 1979, Christopher Reeve let me know that a) I had a sexual preference, and b) I would always be interested in Superman. And that weird Star Trek thing my dad always watched had a movie in the theaters, too...

But 1982 was the point of no return. Zines, cons, collecting articles and photos and sneaking out of bed to watch late night talk shows - taping every single episode on our top-loading, dual-unit VHS (we'd given up our Beta, more fool my father), barring my parents from the living room on Tuesday nights...

And, as evidence that spoiler whores are born, not made, I present Exhibit A. At 14, I was calling NBC's promo department in New York and talking to a guy who would read me the official press releases for the upcoming episodes. (Who knows what this guy thought I wanted them for, or who I was. Man, those were the good old days.) TV Guide and the newspapers only gave a *truncated* version, I discovered, and NBC got episode information three or four weeks in advance, as compared to one week with TV Guide. Besides, TV Guide was like 75 cents!

I made my first real fannish friends in Remington Steele fandom. I wrote my first fanfiction (I still have it, handwritten on actual paper, in folders under my bed). I wrote filk (no, I won't show it to you). I bought the sheet music for the theme song and learned to play it. My bedroom wall, from floor to ceiling, window to door, was covered with clippings, articles, interviews, posters, autographed photos, ADS FROM THE TV GUIDE, FACHRISSAKE. (I called it the "Wall of Steele". I have photos. Every single piece is in a folder, somewhere.)

I wrote episode reviews and assigned letter grades to each ep. I discussed the episodes in depth with the two other girls I knew who were also fans. I noted and recorded the best quotes from each week. I made my piano teacher give me the Chopin piece that Laura played on the new piano Remington bought her after her house blew up.

Even at 15, I could tell that prolonging the consummation of the relationship was going to cause a believability problem.

The cancellation / James Bond contract / uncancellation nightmare was my first experience with the effects of asshat PTBs on fandom. Yes, Remington ran the gamut, and prepared me well for the wonderful world of organized fandom that lay before me.

What was your first fandom? Show me an icon!

ETA: "First" is however you define it. The one that grabbed you and never let you go. The one that drove you to seek out other like-minded people. The one you made up stories in your head for. Whatever it is to you that makes something more than a show or movie you "like" and into a "fandom", that first experience of it - that's the one.

Comments

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

And now I have the Remington Steele theme stuck in my head. Thanks.

RM wasn't my first fandom, but Remington Steele was definitely my first crush (at the age of 9 or so). I think my first fandom, despite lacking fanac of any kind except for obsessive watching and discussing, was Twin Peaks. Sadly, I have not the skills for icon-making, but I will gladly confess my passion.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

If I make you a TP icon that says "first fandom", will you use it to post and talk about it? ;)

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Oh, hell, yes. I'll even break my own personal rule that posts get made only under the aegis of Vamp!Buffy. 'Cause it's not good to be hidebound. And although I haven't seen Twin Peaks since it aired, I think I still remember enough about why I loved it to work up a pretty good essaylet.

So, um, yes, please! (And although, please, have free rein, I will add that Cooper and Audrey were my favorite characters, and I will not post under the aegis of Bob.)

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Kat made some great ones too! But just for you, here they are, the sweethearts of the rodeo:



Feel free to use it.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

I have weird beautiful nostaglia now. Thank you so very very much. I shall post and share my weird beautiful nostalgia with the world.

I took both of yours and one of katallison's, because now I think I need a TP icon in the permanent rotation. Thank you! Again!

And one more

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

just 'cause I can -

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Heh. Though I'm sure you'll do better than these, I couldn't resist whipping together a few TP icons of my own, because that was the first show I loved with crazed intensity, although I've never really considered it a "fandom" of mine, because at the time I didn't know such a thing as fandom existed. I posted some thoughts about it a couple of years ago in my blog, and should see if I can find them. In the meantime, my feeble efforts (from fairly crappy source):

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I've never really considered it a "fandom" of mine, because at the time I didn't know such a thing as fandom existed.

But that's the interesting part - what makes it a fandom, for you? Is it the active discussion with other people? Or is it simply what the show does to *you*, regardless of whether it's shared? I mean, my roommate whatssnoo recently decided that her first fandom was Sesame Street. So who's to say?

Oh, and -

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I'd love to read your comments about Twin Peaks. ;)

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

I have absconded with Laura Palmer.

That sounds decadent, but you know what I mean. *g*

[renenet.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, this post warms my 80s TV-watching fangirl heart! Laura! Steele! My little sister and I were so in love with him -- with them! I love your first fandom post idea, as well, and I may have to read your friends page for the next week to track who takes you up on it. I'm considering where to draw the line in the shifting sands of my media-fascinated memories and say, "this was my first." I have nothing as clear cut as plastering my walls and calling television stations until Buffy, I *think.* But my memory frequently has to be prodded with a hot poker before it yields up useful information. And I'm remembering now that I took a class on ST:TNG in college...cripes, I'm not willing to let it rest there. I think I'll go conduct a fannish history inventory of myself on the drive to see The Matrix Reloaded...an examination of a life between my fascination for 1970's TV women who kicked ass (Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels) and online fandom. At the very least, I should get a process post of of it.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Heee!

I still have the vast majority of the original VHS tapes off of NBC, 1982-87. Back when tapes were *heavy* and cost like $25 a pop! I'd tape at EP to get six to a tape - and then realized that if I paused during commercials, in six episodes I could cut out enough to fit a *seventh* episode on the tape. Maximum usage. I got *really* good at unpausing just before the show started up again. Probably primed me for vidding. ;)

And the TITLES - License to Steele, Steele Crazy After All These Years, You're Steele the One for Me, Vintage Steele... oy.

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

See my LJ :)

[melina123.livejournal.com]

I guess it depends how you define fandom -- just a show you were totally obsessed with, or actual participation? RoS was the first show I was really obsessed with, but this was waaay pre-Internet and nobody else I knew was even watching this obscure British show only showing on a pay TV channel.

The first fandom I participated in at all was Star Trek: TNG, in the early days of text-only Internet fandom, on forums like Compuserve, Usenet and a MUD or two.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

"First" is however you define it. The one that grabbed you and never let you go. The one that drove you to seek out other like-minded people. The one you made up stories in your head for. Whatever it is to you that makes something more than a show or movie you "like" and into a "fandom", that first experience of it - that's the one.

I think RoS sounds good for yours!

Will this do?

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I don't have room for a First Fandom icon, but this is it.

For a look at my old wallpaper (now slowly beong scanned in)
http://www.geocities.com/lady_aethelynde/fangirl.html

Everything from one-sheets to clipped bits from the TV section (not even TV Guide, but the Sunday Paper). The Kansas City Star Minipage and Teen Magazine.

Re: Will this do?

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Excellent!

Man, now I want to go find my photos and scan them in...

Finding this thread through friends' pages.

[sidewinder.livejournal.com]

The story behind the icon here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/sidewinder/381923.html).

[taraljc.livejournal.com]

in my LJ...

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

On Bonibaru's page I mentioned Flambard's because it was the first show I ever made a fool of myself in public over. but, my first love was Dr. Who. When I was six, it was on every day at 3:30. I would race home form school, fix myself a heaping bowl of peppermint bon bon ice cream (complete with marshmellows and nuts and chocolate sprinkles), grab a Pepsi and run up to my bedroom. Once there, I would turn on the TV, stash my bedspread under the bed and watch the tail end of the Mickey Mouse club. As Mickey and friend said goodbye, I hid under my bed and wrapped the bedspread around my head so that I wouldn't hear the theme song. It was spooky.

I kept watching ofr years. I even attended (and worked) a few cons when I was in high school. When student reps from prospective colleges called the house, I asked them if they got public TV and if the public TV station played Dr. Who. The girl from Sweet Briar lied at told me they did. I was in for a rude awakening.

When I came home after graduation I found that my brothers had taped over all of my Dr. Who eps. with old wrestling matches and Randolph Scott Westerns.

[dragonsinger.livejournal.com]

Ooh...this looks like fun. I might have to try it.:D

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Took me forever to get around to this, but I've just posted some ramblings in my LJ, right here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/synaesthete7/34861.html).