Firefly: The Cinderella story of Hollywood

by MissKitten 

If I say the words “Joss Whedon” to a random person in the street, the most likely reply I will get besides “Huh?," is “Buffy: the Vampire Slayer."  Not as many people as I’d like even know of the other brilliant show that goes by the name of “Firefly”, so I tend to get pleasantly surprised when I find a fellow Browncoat somewhere, anywhere. And maybe that’s exactly why I’ve come to love not just the show but also the fanbase of it. We’re not just a group of strangers bound together by something we love, we’re almost like one big family.

“Firefly” started its journey on Fox in the fall of 2002. Unfortunately it was off to a rocky start when Fox decided not to air the pilot, which introduced the ‘verse, the characters, and everything you needed to know to follow the story, but instead aired the second episode right away. Even more unfortunate was their decision to continue airing the episodes out of order, confusing a lot of viewers on the way. This also turned out to doom the show, which was canceled after only 14 episodes had been shot (and only 11 had been aired).

Normally a cancellation like that one, where the series hasn’t even been allowed to run a full season, means “the end” for the show, but Joss, as well as the fans, simply refused to give up hope. He walked from network to network, trying to find his baby a new home. Fans held fundraisers in the name of the show, spreading the word to everyone they could. When the series was released on DVD, sales went through the roof, and more box sets had to be produced to keep up with the demand. And finally in 2004, Joss landed a deal with Universal to make “Serenity," a major motion picture continuation of “Firefly," containing all nine of the original cast members — ten, if you include Serenity herself. This had never been done before, and while in later years this has happened with other shows as well, “Firefly” is still the Cinderella story of Hollywood.

To quote the capt’n himself, “We’ve done the impossible and that makes us mighty.”

The ‘verse

We are five hundred years into the future. The Earth that we know is now nothing more than ancient history, best known as Earth That Was. Instead, man has moved on to a new solar system and is spread out on different planets and moons, all terra-formed to function as similar as possible to what Earth used to be like.

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It’s Thursday again, and while there’s a FanLib contest going on - the 10,000 BC contest - there are also lots of fun member contests running.  Win the admiration of your peers and the satisfaction of participating.

Contests with submissions ending in the next week:

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Showtime and its licensing agency, 360ep, signed with Bif Bang Pow! to manufacture collectibles for the drama series Dexter. Hitting stores this fall will be bobble heads and action figures based on the likable serial killer. 

Am I the only person that finds this whole idea somewhat disturbing? 

Source: Cynopsis 

Wednesday Word Day here, and the beta debate rages on… you might say there’s a bunch of debetas in the glossary forum (groan).  In the glossary we define a Beta Reader as a person who gives feedback at the author’s request before publication. Over in the forums, Live2Tivo pointed out that the term derives from the Greek alphabet, Purplepopple pointed out that the term was used a ton in computer programming, and Epalladino questioned the need for the term, asking if it wasn’t the same as an editor. I felt that the difference was that an editor actually edits, while a beta reader gives feedback, but it feels much more casual.

What do you think?  Is there a difference or no need for the term?   

TheSwedishMystery becomes a little less of one with these answers to our FanLib 5 Q’s. 

What character in your favorite fandom do you most identify with?
No character in particular. I have a lot of favorite characters in different fandoms, but they are usually the opposite of me.

Who is your favorite creator (TV shows, movies, books, artists, musicians)?
Alan Moore, the comic writer. I think he is a genius.

What was YOUR first fannish creation?
When I was around eight or nine I read "Lord of The Rings" and after that I filled sketchbook after sketchbook with pictures of elves, orcs, and people with swords. The first fannish creation I ever posted on the Internet however was The Curse of Kalla Bong and it took me years of lurking to work up the courage to do that.

What talent would you like to have that you don’t have?
I would like to be able to cook. I’m so bad at cooking that I have failed with such simple things as boiling rice.

What’s something people would never guess about you?
1. Even though I love Alan Moore and all of his graphic novels I absolutely HATE the film adaption of "V for Vendetta"
2. The desktop of my computer is an altar dedicated to Richard Chamberlain.
3. I don’t like dill.
4. I am a good example of the fact that people that look relatively normal can be completely deranged. 

It’s time to announce the winners of the first annual FanLib Movie Awards, devoted to those films that inspire us to fic, draw, and vid.  We had nominations in five movie categories and two actor categories, and here’s how it all turned out.

And the winner is. . . . 

Best Sequel - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End won with a tidal wave of votes!

Best Fantasy - Another landslide, this time for Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, but Golden Compass was well-spoken of by many.

Best Adaptation - This was a close race with Transformers beating out 300 at the last minute.

Best Superhero movie - Spider-Man had no competition.  It was a lock.

Best Horror movie - A tie!  I am Legend and 28 Weeks Later split the popular vote.

In the acting categories:

Best Fannish Actor: (with the aid of two blockbuster movies last year) Johnny Depp takes the cake!

Best Fannish Actress: This was the closest race of all, with Milla Jovovich barely rising above the pack.

Now that the awards have been given out, it’s time to party!  Meet you all at Universal Studios.  I’ve got the urge to go "ride the movies!" 
 

It’s all over, except the parties which will be going on for at least another week and a  half.  It was Oscar weekend.  The glitz!  The glamour!  The dry cleaning bills!  Did you watch?  Did you win?  (Hey, you never know who’s reading this blog.)  Did you take top prize in the company betting pool?  Tell us all about it.

(Oh silly me!  I had my weeks confused!  If you read this post before editing. . . )  Our carousel this week is all about the SONG FIC!  Yes, indeedy, those wonderful fics that are based on the lyrics of a popular tune.  Take the muse anywhere you can get it, people and check out these four emotional fics.

Finally, we have a movie contest this week that is HUGE.  Woolly Mammoth-sized even!  It’s the 10,000 BC challenge, where you could win a tiger-striped Nintendo Wii or cool movie swag.  The submission period ends March 3, so don’t wait — a contest this huge only comes along once in every, well, 10,000 years!  Good luck.

Inspired by the upcoming motion picture 10,000 BC, our latest contest invites you to submit a story, art, or video about life at that time.  There are loads of cool prizes that a caveman wouldn’t know how to use but you might appreciate:

Grand Prize: A tiger-skinned Nintendo Wii

Finalist prize package: The Legend T-shirt, 10,000 BC beanie, weathered baseball cap, and more

We also have a Top Reviewer and Voter prize, so check out the contest today!  Submissions close Monday, March 3rd.

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first annual FanLib Movie Awards (FMAs). It’s that time of year where we pay homage to those fannish movies that drove us to write, draw and vid! It was a big year for fan-favorite movies with action packed sequels such as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and gorgeous fantasy films such as Bridge to Terabithia. Johnny Depp made a couple of splashes, but that young star Shia La Beouf could be setting himself up to the lead.

We’ve put together a short list of favorite movies in five categories, and then we have Best Actor and Actress noms. Visit all seven threads and vote! We’ll announce the winners this Monday after the Oscars.

It’s time to tell your favorite movies that even though they may not be considered Oscar worthy, they’re still winners! 

CLICK HERE to vote in the FanLib Forum

And while you’re there, leave your predictions for which movies and stars you think will win!

This week Starbase11 takes us on a journey to the mythical city of Atlantis with Stargate Atlantis. 

What we’re looking for may be further away than we ever imagined, but it’s not out of reach.”
—Dr. Daniel Jackson

When Dr. Daniel Jackson of SG-1 discovers the true Stargate address to the lost city of Atlantis, it’s up to a team of explorers to both investigate and possibly colonize the mythological metropolis…but they’ll run into plenty of problems and villains along the way. This is the story of Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off of the incredibly popular — and recently ended — Stargate SG-1.

The tale begins with an adventure that shows off the skills and daring of each of the main characters. In the opening episode, we are introduced to the Wraith, a horrific enemy who possesses the ability to kill humans by ‘feeding’ on them, sucking away their life. After a painfully close encounter, the new inhabitants of Atlantis learn that 1) they have insufficient power to dial Earth’s Stargate and return; and 2) the Wraith have been fully awakened and are out to feed on every single human in the universe. Our heroes are stuck in the Pegasus galaxy with a dreaded opponent.

But the intrepid team of adventurers is more than ready to take on the challenge. Dr. Elizabeth Weir, administrator of the city, is a civilian diplomat who left behind a career and a fiancé on Earth. Colonel John Sheppard, highest-ranking military officer, was once a slightly rebellious officer serving in Afghanistan before he was coerced by SG-1’s General Jack O’Neill to join the Atlantis team. Dr. Rodney McKay, an incredibly smart and equally maddening scientist, is perhaps the only person who wholeheartedly wanted to go — every day he has the chance to show off his intelligence. Teyla Emmagan, a native of the Pegasus galaxy, is a skilled warrior and leader of her people; she also has the ability to sense the Wraith presence.

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Fandom was the topic of discussion on lips all over the net this week.  Here are some of the stories that made the rounds here in the FanLib offices.

Author Stephen Brust put his unauthorized Firefly novel on the web for the world to read.  So, this would be just like fan fiction, right?  Then why are people getting upset? 

Dr. Who producer, Russell T Davies, said that American producers spend too much time listening to their fans.  This fan fought back with her tongue-in-cheek guide to the care and feeding of same said fans.

PopMatters presents an essay on the female of the fandom species with a spotlight on a recent Supernatural convention.  Fabulous take, or the same old stuff we’ve heard before?

And Teen Fan Fic Writers Score Top Jobs During Writers’ Strike?  You’ll have to read that one for yourself.

Got a favorite fandom article or essay?  Give it a little link love in the comment box below.

I have to say, you all are posting some really creative, out there competitions.  I’m the type who toodles along, writing whatever occurs to me, but I’m really inspired by some of your ideas; don’t be surprised if I submit. 

Here are the member contests whose submission period ends this week.

 
And click the cut for member contests that want you to read, review, and vote on them. 

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Anime is one of the fastest growing segments in the US entertainment industry with more and more manga titles heading for the mainstream screen.  The latest is a live-action Akira that has been stuck in development "heck" for quite some time.

Now, thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Bros., the film is actually headed for production. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gary Whitta has been hired to write the adaptation, which DiCaprio will produce.  For those of you unfamiliar with the story, here’s a quick take:

Akira originated in 1988 as a manga and then as an animated film co-written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. The story was set in a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war Tokyo in 2019 where a teen biker gang member is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers. The gang’s leader must find a way to stop the ensuing swathe of destruction.

With its mature themes and cutting edge animation, "Akira" was a milestone movie in anime and even animation circles, and led the way for anime making inroads into Western pop culture in the 1990s.

Back in November, Twentieth Century Fox announced that they were moving forward with a live-action Dragonball movie.  So we ask you, anime fans, what property would you like to see translated into a live-action film? 
 

As some of you have noticed, we made a few changes to the MyFanLib page that should make the whole experience much more intuitive. 

First off, when you visit your own MyFanLib page, you’ll see that the "Subscription" box has been revised to display the most recent item first. This came at the suggestion of Farla and others and should be a nice improvement.

Now, if you visit the profile page of another FanLibber what you’ll see is the member’s subscriptions displayed by source, i.e. the name of the fandom or author. This gives you a fast overview of that member’s interests.

Finally, a small change that has a big impact — we moved the "Submissions" box to the top of the MyFanLib and Profile pages so it’s the first thing anyone sees when they click on your name.  Loud and proud and at the top of the page, that’s where your work belongs!

Many of the changes we make here at FanLib come from you, the members.  If you have a suggestion for an improvement or a feature please, leave it on the Feature Request thread over at the forum. 

Now go check out the new MyFanLib redesign and then click a random profile page, you might be surprised by who you’ll find posting at FanLib.com.

I was looking through the glossary, and I was thinking about Author Inserts vs. Gary Stus and Mary Sues.  An Author Insert is an actual stand in for the creator in the piece, whereas Gary and Mary are original characters who generally warp cannon.  Here are my questions:

Are author insert fics a cheat, or a great way to be a part of a universe you love?

How often are Gary Stu and Mary Sue also Author Inserts?

Which term do you prefer, or do you use both/either for different fics?

I’m not sure how I feel, but I certainly had a lot of thoughts.  What are yours?