Michael Elliott

It's great to be here. Thank you for having me.

It's great to be here. Thank you for having me.

Comic-Con is an abbreviation. It stands for Comic Book Convention. And so the kinds of fans that I'm researching are those engaged in what I call Comic-Con culture. So these are particular interests that revolve around a comic book convention. Fans of comic books, superheroes, science fiction, anime and manga, cosplay and gaming. Those are the main interests.

Comic-Con is an abbreviation. It stands for Comic Book Convention. And so the kinds of fans that I'm researching are those engaged in what I call Comic-Con culture. So these are particular interests that revolve around a comic book convention. Fans of comic books, superheroes, science fiction, anime and manga, cosplay and gaming. Those are the main interests.

I think I was compelled based on my experience in the classroom. So I've been teaching sociological theory at Towson University ever since I started in 2008. And one of the things you always try to do in a class like that is to make sociological theory relevant to students. And one of the main books that we read, it's a classic in the discipline,

I think I was compelled based on my experience in the classroom. So I've been teaching sociological theory at Towson University ever since I started in 2008. And one of the things you always try to do in a class like that is to make sociological theory relevant to students. And one of the main books that we read, it's a classic in the discipline,

is Emile Durkheim's Elementary Forms of Religious Life. And it was when I was watching a documentary by Morgan Spurlock. It's a documentary about San Diego Comic-Con. As I was watching, it struck me that this reminded me a lot of Durkheim's book. And so that led me to bring that documentary into the classroom and try to test some of these ideas myself.

is Emile Durkheim's Elementary Forms of Religious Life. And it was when I was watching a documentary by Morgan Spurlock. It's a documentary about San Diego Comic-Con. As I was watching, it struck me that this reminded me a lot of Durkheim's book. And so that led me to bring that documentary into the classroom and try to test some of these ideas myself.

We all, I think by now, are familiar with fans. dedicated fans, whether they're sports fans or comic book fans or Star Wars fans, I think this particular culture has grown a lot in popularity over the last 15, 20 years. San Diego Comic-Con started in the 1970s, but I think it was in the late 2000s, maybe 2006, 2007, that San Diego Comic-Con started to sell out.

We all, I think by now, are familiar with fans. dedicated fans, whether they're sports fans or comic book fans or Star Wars fans, I think this particular culture has grown a lot in popularity over the last 15, 20 years. San Diego Comic-Con started in the 1970s, but I think it was in the late 2000s, maybe 2006, 2007, that San Diego Comic-Con started to sell out.

We also saw movies related to comic books and superheroes really become popular. So I'm thinking of Iron Man in 2008 and the rise of Marvel movies. I think this is when you really started to see that culture, Comic-Con culture, really take off and enter the zeitgeist and the mainstream.

We also saw movies related to comic books and superheroes really become popular. So I'm thinking of Iron Man in 2008 and the rise of Marvel movies. I think this is when you really started to see that culture, Comic-Con culture, really take off and enter the zeitgeist and the mainstream.

So when I embarked on distributing the survey and talking to fans, I didn't know exactly what I would find. I had seen the Spurlock documentary, which got me thinking about it. I was familiar with some of the literature. I pilot tested my survey in 2018. And when I was going through those responses, it's really when that struck me. how much these interests mean to people.

So when I embarked on distributing the survey and talking to fans, I didn't know exactly what I would find. I had seen the Spurlock documentary, which got me thinking about it. I was familiar with some of the literature. I pilot tested my survey in 2018. And when I was going through those responses, it's really when that struck me. how much these interests mean to people.

And so my survey not only has stock answers, they're organized along a Likert scale, but I also have some open-ended questions. So for example, one of the questions on the survey asks, have you learned any moral values from your interests? And those who agree or strongly agree with that question have a follow-up question, which is open-ended.

And so my survey not only has stock answers, they're organized along a Likert scale, but I also have some open-ended questions. So for example, one of the questions on the survey asks, have you learned any moral values from your interests? And those who agree or strongly agree with that question have a follow-up question, which is open-ended.

And that is, tell me what some of those moral values and virtues are. And it was those responses that were so compelling and so powerful that made me see that these interests give people a lot of meaning and they mean a lot to people beyond merely escapism or entertainment.

And that is, tell me what some of those moral values and virtues are. And it was those responses that were so compelling and so powerful that made me see that these interests give people a lot of meaning and they mean a lot to people beyond merely escapism or entertainment.

That's a good question. I think of them as existing along a spectrum. But if we're talking about who's a super fan... I think somebody whose interests are a big part of their daily lives. And you mentioned the word sacred before. I delineate particular dimensions of the sacred and I test them through the survey. So a superfan, I think, derives meaning from their interests.

That's a good question. I think of them as existing along a spectrum. But if we're talking about who's a super fan... I think somebody whose interests are a big part of their daily lives. And you mentioned the word sacred before. I delineate particular dimensions of the sacred and I test them through the survey. So a superfan, I think, derives meaning from their interests.