Fanboy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fanboy or Fanboi is a term used to describe an individual (usually male, though the feminine version fangirl may be used for females) who is utterly devoted to a single fannish subject, or to a single point of view within that subject, often to the point where it is considered an obsession. Fanboys remain loyal to their particular obsession, disregarding any factors that differ from their point of view. Fanboys are also stereotypically aggressive and hateful towards the opposing brand or competition of their obsession regardless of its merits or achievements.

Contents 1 History of fanboys and the term 2 Subjects of obsession 3 Media 3.1 Comic Book 3.2 Television 3.3 Radio/Podcasts 3.4 Webcomics 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] History of fanboys and the term

The term originated in comic book circles, to describe someone who immersed himself in the fictional worlds of comics and the culture of comics fandom. The term is often used in a derogatory manner by other less obsessed fans. In the songs of the fannish parody musician Luke Ski, many characters proudly consider themselves fanboys. The term is most commonly associated with adolescent and teen males but can be applicable to any age or sex. Common subjects of reverence by fanboys are TV shows, movies, music, anime, comic books, cars, video game consoles, video games, operating systems, MMORPGs, hardware and software companies.

The stereotypical image of the fanboy is as an unkempt, socially awkward, young man who may be perceived as a loud mouthed pseudo-intellectual. Popular depictions of this stereotype include the Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons and columnist Larry Groznic from the satirical newspaper The Onion.

The earliest published uses of the word "fanboy" have been dated to 1982. One reference is on the cover of the "Official Underground and Newave Comix Price Guide". On this cover page are sketched overweight, overzealous comic book collectors wearing T-shirts that state "Fanboys of America," and are describing the extreme measures they would go to, including moving to San Francisco, to preserve their comics. Also published in 1982, a comic strip appeared in Jim Engel and Chuck Fiala's "Fandom Confidential" comic. In the strip, Jim and Chuck met comic artist/writer John Byrne and collapsed into "mindless paroxysms of adoration." The John Byrne character responded that they were "a couple of fanboys in bondage" which was a play on words referring to a Monty Python skit in which an Elizabethan era character reads what she claims to be "'Gayboys in Bondage' by William Shakespeare".[1] Another early use is in a smart-alec editorial reply by "Ambush Bug" to a letter in his comic in 1985.

[edit] Subjects of obsession

Some current examples of brands and products which have fanboy supporters:

• The graphics processing units produced by ATI and NVIDIA.
• The computer microprocessor companies AMD and Intel.
• The various automobile manufacturers, such as General Motors and Ford.
• The competing video game consoles Xbox 360, Wii and Playstation 3
• The competing handheld video game consoles the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable.
• The competing DVD successor formats Blu-ray and HD DVD.
• The competing computer hardware and software produced by Apple, Microsoft, and GNU/Linux. (See also Operating system advocacy).
• The various MP3 players, notably the iPod and the Zune.
• The long running science-fiction franchises Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, The Matrix, Godzilla and Babylon 5.
• The Japanese style of animation and comics, also known as Anime and Manga, respectively.
• The comic book brands DC Comics and Marvel Comics.
• The internet web browsers Firefox and Opera.
• The MMORPG World of Warcraft
• The First Person Shooter Video Games Quake, Unreal Tournament, and Counter Strike.
• The wrestling companies WWE, TNA,WSX and ROH.

[edit] Media

[edit] Comic Book

• Sergio Aragonés' Fanboy

[edit] Television

• The Simpsons's Comic Book Guy refers to himself as a fanboy.
• Freakazoid's Fan Boy

[2] [Fanboy.TV] Weekly IPTV show

[edit] Radio/Podcasts

• Fanboy Radio - [3]
• Drooling FanBoy - [4]
• ifanboy - [5]
• The Fanboy Smackdown Podcast - [6]

[edit] Webcomics

• Fanboy Almanac (webcomic) - Fanboy Almanac
• Fanboys web comic
• Fanboy Otaku Gamers Club web comic
• Fanboys!! Beyond Geekdom!!! (webcomic)
• Fanboys-Online
• Fanboy Productions

[edit] See also

• Addiction
• Computer zealotry
• Editor war
• Anorak
• Astroturfing
• Otaku

[edit] External links

• Urban dictionary: fanboy
• Dissecting the Fanboy Mind - A discussion of the fanboy behavior in regards to video games.
• The trial of the Fanboy - A criticism of the fanboy concept and overusage of the term.