The Whedonverse Expands

As with all conjured universes that have a premature ending or unpopulated grid, the Whedonverse, specifically Firefly and Serenity verse, has been persisted by fans. There are some wonderful fanfics such as the fan-made TV-series Into the Black and the live-action paromage (what I call a parody that is a homage) Mosquito. More recently there is also a documentary: Done the Impossible. It is described on the website as follows:

The story of the rise and fall and rebirth of the cult TV show “Firefly,” as told from the perspective of the fans who helped save it.

The creators of FireflyMovie.com (a.k.a. SerenityMovie.net) have teamed with with a group of creative professionals / Firefly fans to tell our story, the fan’s story – the story of the Browncoats. This professional quality production, shot in high-definition, will be released on DVD soon.

Firefly has grown beyond just the genius of Joss Whedon — just as he intended it to. In many ways the words Firefly and Browncoat have come to symbolize a sense of community, family, and believing that the impossible can be accomplished. These concepts are at the very heart of Firefly and of its fans.

In this documentary, the fans explain what inspired them to become passionate about Firefly, to help save Firefly, attend shindigs, participate in message boards, donate to charities, and become Serenity extras. They talk about the many ways that Firefly has affected their lives. Cast and crew also share humorous and insightful experiences with the fans.

The creators of “Done the Impossible” are passionate about charity and using Firefly as a vehicle to effect positive change. As such, a percentage of the DVD proceeds will be donated to Joss Whedon’s favorite charity, Equality Now.

For those in Second Life you can now venture into the Serenity ship and even inhabit your favourite browncoat. Rik blogs about two: one by Fenix Eldritch and another by Abby Dawson. And for academic browncoats, there is also a conference:

Special CFP:  Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Serenity (Whedonverses), Science Fiction and Fantasy Area, SW/TX PCA/ACA (11/15/06; 2/14-17/07)

The 28th Annual Meeting of the SW/TX PCA/ACA, February 14-17, 2007,  The Hyatt Regency Conference Hotel, Albuquerque, NM.
 
The SW/TX PCA/ACA annual conference represents one of the nation’s largest gatherings of interdisciplinary scholars.  The Science Fiction and Fantasy Area is one of the largest areas at the SW/TX PCA/ACA and has had especially fine presentations.  There have been multiple successful panels on the work of Joss Whedon (seven in 2006).  The Area Chairs of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Area again would like to invite paper and panel proposals on the special topic of Joss Whedon’s work, including Buffy: TVS, Angel, Firefly, and Serenity. 
We especially encourage presentations on:
* masculinity
* socioeconomic class
* sexuality
* race
* Firefly’s transformation into Serenity All Whedonverse topics will be considered, however.

Please send (preferably electronic) queries, 250 word paper proposals, and 500 word panel proposals to

Alyson Buckman, PhD
California State University, Sacramento
abuckman@csus.edu

Include full contact info (name, institutional affiliation if any, snail mail address, and e-mail) for all participants, working titles for proposals, as well as current curriculum vitae.

Deadline for proposal submissions:  November 15, 2006.  The registration deadline is December 31, 2006. All participants must register by that date or will not be permitted to present or appear in the program.

For more details on the conference, please visit the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture/American Culture Association:  http://www.h-net.org/~swpca/.  For more information on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Area, please visit:  http://www.geocities.com/pcascifi/index.html.  Whedonverse proposals should be submitted solely to the address above (abuckman@csus.edu).