otw_news | Links roundup for 16 March 2012

Here's a roundup of stories on fan activities that might be of interest to fans:

K-pop fandom made the pages of the Wall Street Journal which wrote about how the "true measure of a fan's devotion is sending lunch to the stars." "The trend, which has spawned a little industry of specialist lunch providers, reflects the desire of many South Korean fans to nourish their idols rather than just shower them with gifts they probably don't want." The trend has profited the providers of the lunches, although the needs are quite specific. "Food should be low-fat because most of the recipients are weight-conscious pop stars, and it should taste good even when served cold. She also varies her charges to reduce the burden on younger fans." There is also a concern for security. "Applicants are usually asked to fill out an online order form, including the proposed menu, delivery date and the name of a catering service, which is sent to the management agency of the artists for review and approval."

While K-pop fans treat their idols' tastebuds, one man has found a way to satisfy his own fannish desires. "Popping up in nearly 30 comic books, he has become the industry’s Waldo—a lurking stowaway who has managed to hijack the unlikeliest panels. 'It's the ultimate bragging right to go into a comic store and pick up a book you're in,' says [Jeff] Johnson, a 30-year-old Kmart electronics clerk from Leavenworth, Kansas."

Both fans and companies do look beyond themselves, however. As part of a Make-A-Wish effort one company created an oversized R2-D2 for a boy to drive and presented it to him at a school assembly that also featured a lightsaber battle.

PC World recently featured a live-action Minecraft fan film and noted "At this point, there must be more live-action fan films for Minecraft--a bit of a blank slate, from a fiction point of view--than there are for franchises with rich settings like Half-Life. It's surprisingly genre-flexible, isn't it? I suppose that's the kind of creative adaptability that comes from material that literally has been designed to be taken apart so you can invent something new."

If you are a Star Wars, Comics, K-pop fan or are a gamer, why not write about it in Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

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