No matter what fandom or geek community you come from, you have probably come across dozens of fake fans who pretend to like the stuff that you like. So here are five rules that will help you spot real, genuine fans of a franchise.
1. You have to read (or watch) every chapter.
If you are a Doctor Who fan, you have to watch every episode of Doctor Who. Yeah, I know that there are over 36 seasons of Doctor Who, but if you are really devoted to the Doctor, you’ll find the time to express your love. If you are a Batman fan, you have to read all the comic books and all the movies, and that includes the serials from the 1940’s. If you are a Star Wars fan, you have to have seen all the movies, all the TV shows and animated series, and read all the novels, especially those from the extended universe. If you are not willing to put the time and energy into the fandom, then you should not dare call yourself a real fan.
2. You have to know all the trivia.
When did Spider-Man first appear? He first appeared in August 1962 in Amazing Fantasy #15, written by Stan Lee with art by Steve Ditko (though Jack Kirby did the art of the comic book’s cover). What legend served as the inspiration for Dragon Ball? If you are a part of a fandom, you better know everything about everything, including origins of characters, stories behind the creation, and the names and backgrounds of creators. It’s even better if you make a show of this information every hour of every day and challenge others to prove that your knowledge is superior.
3. You have to invest all your money. All of it.
Sure, you might need to save your cash to buy food and pay for necessities, but if you are a real fan, you will forget all about those things that are vital to survival and spend every last dime on figures, posters, statues, wall scrolls, books, DVDs, Blu-Ray, and other accessories from your favorite fandom. If you like Superman, then you should buy as many Superman comic books and figures as your wallet allows. If you are into One Piece, buy all of the wall scrolls and as many statues as possible. Your room should look like a museum dedicated to your favorite fictional characters and stories.
4. You have to adverti... I mean... wear all the merch.
If you’re a real fan, then it is very likely that your entire wardrobe shows off your favorite characters and fandom. You have hats with the Flash insignia. You have purses with the characters from Attack on Titan. Your t-shirts have different members of the Avengers. In fact, you have one shirt for every member. Your watch is actually a morpher from Power Rangers. Whenever you go around town, everyone knows, without a doubt, that you are a true fan. The only rule about your attire is that you can’t represent multiple fandoms at a time, meaning that you can’t wear a Sailor Moon hat, a Green Lantern t-shirt, and Star Trek sneakers. That is just chaos.
5. You HAVE to forget all of the previous rules.
Yes, the final rule to be a true fan is to forget all the previous rules. The honest truth is that there are no rules to being a fan. If you’ve only read the comic books but never watched a Marvel movie, you can still be a fan of Marvel. If you don’t know the names of Chewbacca’s family from the Star Wars Holiday Special, that’s fine. You can still be a Star Wars fan if you love Star Wars. If you want to save your money for food and bills, that’s cool. You don’t need a shrine to be a fan of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. And if you’re not comfortable looking like a walking billboard for the next Spider-Man movie, that’s a-okay!
What makes someone a fan is not their arsenal of trivia about their favorite characters or the amount of action figures that they have in their closet. What makes someone a fan is how much they love their specific interest. So to all my fellow geeks, remember to love and share that love with all the other geeks out there and make our communities welcoming to everyone.
