Identity elements
Reference code
TxAM-CRS C000150
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Media Fanzine Collection
Date(s)
- 1961 - 2017 (Creation)
Extent
76 boxes
Name of creator
Biographical history
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The Media Fanzine Collection is comprised of numerous pre-Internet fan-produced publications that document their involvement in a particular fandom. Fandoms are based around media productions such as movies (i.e. the Star Wars film series) or television shows (i.e. Star Trek in its various iterations). Although traditionally most media fandoms involve productions from the science fiction and fantasy genres, there are numerous exceptions.
The majority of the contents in this collection consists of fan fiction. Fan fiction is the name given to literary or artistic productions created by fans about the characters, settings and events of the media universe in which they are interested. A substantial portion of the fanworks in the Media Fanzine Collection is identified as "slash”. "Slash" refers to fanworks that feature same-sex relationships and are sometimes (though not always) sexually explicit. In slash, sexual identity, sexuality and/or romance are often the centers of the story, rather than the conventional adventures featured in more traditional fanworks.
A small portion of the collection consists of "het" material. "Het", like slash, refers to fanworks featuring sexual or romantic content, but with opposite-sex relationships.
Slash and het items are identified as such on the item folder. If an item is not identified as slash or het, it is to be assumed that the item is “gen” (containing no sexual or romantic content. Both slash and het items have been specifically identified because of their importance as highly visible fan fiction subcultures. (s) indicates slash material. (h) indicates het material.
Fanzines are organized alphabetically by fandom name, and thereunder by title. The term “Multimedia” refers to anthologies of material from different fandoms. The term “Crossover” refers to stories in which characters from one or more media universes interact with those from another. (For example, a story in which Mal Reynolds' ship Serenity passed through a wormhole and encountered Captain James T. Kirk's U.S.S. Enterprise would be a Firefly/Star Trek crossover.)
The October 2016 Addendum includes several "friend books", tiny zines used by pre-teens and teens in the 1970s and 1980s as a way of finding other like-minded fans in the pre-Internet era. Some "friend books" were sized small enough to fit into an international envelope (2-3 inches), and consisted of no more than a few pages. The covers were pages cut from magazines or advertisement and were stapled or taped into a booklet shape. Many were multi-fandom, but some focused on single fandoms like Star Wars. Fans would write their name and address, and list their interests. The book would then passed along to the next fan. When the booklet was filled it was to be mailed back to the original fan. Often times questions were asked (ex: Who is your favorite Star Wars character?)
There are several additional items, including materials from genre conventions, ads and flyers, professional publications that relate to various fandoms, and various items of printed realia.
Sub-Series 1 of the Georgia Barnes Addendum contains maps of the Star Trek universe, and has therefore been filed with other items in the Maps Of Imaginary Places Collection.
Audio-Visual Materials
The collection also contains non-print materials. There are a significant number of fanvids in the collection (and the fandoms for those vids are noted in the finding aid). There are also several DVDs that contain recordings of fanfiction podcasts, from a number of different fandoms.
On Star Trek
Since 1966 there have been 5 non-animated television iterations of the television franchise Star Trek. Each one has its own dedicated fandom (although certainly many Trekkers are fans of multiple series), and each one has a generally accepted denotation. Those denotations are used in this collection, as follows:
Star Trek [TOS] refers to the original series(1966-1969).
Star Trek [TNG] refers to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994).
Star Trek [DS9] refers to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999).
Star Trek [VGR] refers to Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001).
Star Trek [ENT] refers to Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005).
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Physical access
These materials are stored offsite and require additional time for retrieval.
Technical access
Fanvids in this collection are stored on videotape (VHS and Betamax) and DVDs. Requested vids must be digitized before they can be used.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright is held by the original creators.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Gift.
Original accession from Morgan Dawn and MPH.
The Georgia Barnes Addendum was donated by Barnes in October 2013, and the DVDs of fanvids in that addendum were donated by Morgan Dawn.
The Candace Benefiel Addendum was donated by Dr. Benefiel in July 2014, from a purchase of fanzines she made from fan Leah Starsky (aka "Catmoon").
The March 2014 Addendum was donated by Morgan Dawn.
The Alayne Gelfand Addendum was donated by Gelfand through Morgan Dawn.
The Martha Wells Addendum was donated in August 2014 by Wells, and contains many examples of her own fanfiction (written or edited as Martha Wells, Martha Wilson, Randi DuMois, Victoria Custer, and/or Ltlj). There are a few fanzines in this addendum duplicated elsewhere in the collection, but they have been retained here because Wells contributed significant material to those fanzines.
The January 2015, May 2015 and May 2016 Addenda were donated by Morgan Dawn.
The July 2016 Addendum was donated by Jeremy Brett.
The Kandy Fong Addendum and May 2016 Addendum [Box 51A] were donated by Morgan Dawn. (2016_0081).
The May 2017 Addendum (Box 58) was donated by Morgan Dawn. (2017_0066).
The November 2017 Addendum, MPH November 2017 Addendum and Sherry Evers Addendum were donated by Morgan Dawn, MPH, and Sherry Evers. (2017_0149)
The August 2018 Addendum and MPH August 2018 Addendum were donated by Morgan Dawn (2018_0093).
The November 2022 Addendum (2022_0138 and 2022_0140) were combined from two accessions, from Morgan Dawn and MPH.
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
General note
The Georgia Barnes Addendum contains the Star Trek Maps [2 2-sided wall maps of the Federation and surrounding space, and accompanying technical manual, 1980]. These maps of the United Federation of Planets and the territories surrounding it are part of the Maps of Imaginary Places Collection.