|Synonyms:||Multimedia (Multiple Fandoms)|
|See also:||multifannish, monofannish, serially monofannish|
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The term multifandom refers to using or following source texts from many different fandoms. A multifandom challenge may be pan-fandom like Yuletide and include RPF, Anime, Book, Movie, and Television sources. Another term for fan activities involving multiple fandoms is multimedia.
A multifannish person is one who participates in several fandoms, usually at the same time. This is in contrast to being monofannish, or serially monofannish, a term which refers to a fan person participating in one fandom at a time.
Multifandom: History of the Term
The earliest term in media fandom for zines or other fan activities involving multiple fandoms was "multimedia." As the word "multimedia" became associated with CD-ROMs and "new media," the word "multifandom" became more widely used in places like LiveJournal, possibly to avoid confusion over the two meanings of "multimedia." In some fandoms and fan communities, "multifandom" has become the more common term, effectively replacing "multimedia" in those communities.
Examples of vids that draw from multiple fannish sources:
AMVs, in contrast, routinely use clips from many different sources.
As vidders migrated to sites like YouTube, multifandom works have become more common and popular. These vids often use dialogue, as well as clips from multiple fandoms to examine common themes in these works. Vids may even focus on the use of a common phrase across multiple fandoms. Some works can be set in the same universe, with MCU multifandom vids often taking clips from multiple movies and TV shows to draw parallels.
The title of the vid often first identifies it as a Multifandom vid, with variations including Multifemales, Multimales, Multicouples and Multiheroes common. The remainder of the title often refers to the song used, or the common phrase/theme which the vid focuses on.
More recent examples of vids that draw from multiple fannish sources:
- The Greatest: multifandom vid of characters of color in sci-fi/fantasy/horror fandoms, set to Sia song, made in 2018 by closetfan
- Everybody's Free (To Be Fannish) - a multifandom advice essay based on the Sunscreen Song by elizah jane. (2010)
- How Fanfiction Made Me Gay - essay by J.M. Frey (2016)
- Fandom history lesson (Twitter Thread) - by viciousdelights (2020)
- How to Handle... by unknown (1990s)
- Os leitores-autores de fanfictions na internet - Fabíola do Socorro Figueiredo dos Reis (2018) [Portuguese-language]
- The Favorites Tracker - a site built to allow users to watch for updates to their favorite fanfics across several fic archives.
Communities and Mailing Lists
- Beyond Middle Earth a mailing list and later archive focusing on stories about other media the cast of Lord of the Rings had acted in, such as Black Hawk Down (stars Orlando Bloom).
- Comic Book Babes Web Ring, a web ring focused on female characters in comic books
- Crack & Roll - Spanish language crack pairing Livejournal.
- Fanfic Italia - Italian language fanfic archive community on Livejournal.
- fanficofcolor - a multifandom LiveJournal community for fanfiction about characters of color.
- Imaginarium - a Polish-speaking multifandom forum.
- Lande Di Fandom - Italian language prompt community.
- Licenseartistic - prompt community on Livejournal
- Mirriel - Polish-language forum
- Mt parnassus - multifandom rec community
- Pornday - "everyone's favorite arbitrarily declared, sex-themed holiday".
- Stranger in a Strange Fandom - multifandom fanvid community
- Writerverse a multifandom landcomm
Challenges and Events
A challenge may be called a multifandom challenge if it allows for more than one source fandom. Yuletide is one such challenge, in that it includes obscure fandoms from a variety of source texts. Other challenges like this would include:
- 1 million words
- 10 snuggles
- 10 whores
- 10 cliche fics
- 11 reasons
- 13 fears
- 24 times
- 25 foods
- 30 ballads
- 30 breathtakes
- 30 caresses
- 30 dogpile
- 30 gens
- 30vicios (Spanish language challenge)
- 31 Jours (French language challenge)
- 5 prompts
- 60 minute fics
- Advent Challenge
- Advent Drabbles
- Character is...
- Comment fic (LiveJournal community)
- The Concise Science-Fiction and Fantasy Month
- cremepeach (RPF fandoms, including Disney RPF, Actor RPF, Hockey RPF)
- DVD Commentary Challenge
- Every Fandom Bang and Reverse Bang
- Fanfic Bake-off
- Fanfic Summer Reading Program
- Five Times Big Bang
- Froday Flash Fiction Challenge
- Funguary (fanart)
- I Saw Three Ships - threesome challenge
- Just Married Exchange - gift exchange
- Misión insana - Spanish-language prompt community based on mission_insane
- Multifandom Yuri Festival
- Multiverse - space show crossover challenge
- Obscur echange - French-language rare fandom challenge
- Over look
- Pet The Rat Flash Exchange
- A Picture is Worth 1000 Words
- Remix Redux
- Retos a la Carta - Spanish-language prompt community
- Season of Kink
- Smut 69
- Twelve Days of Christmas Challenge
- Wayward Mixes (multifandom fanmixes)
- WIP Big Bang
- The Archive at the End of the Universe
- An Archive of Our Own
- Beth C's Fan Fiction
- Bit Alchemy Revolution
- Bring It Fanfics (Portuguese-language archive)
- Chaos Horizon
- Doc Swain's Lounge (fanfiction and original slash)
- Enlightened Dreams (fanfiction and fanart)
- Fafnir's Lair
- Fanfic-fr (French-language archive)
- Fanfiction Archive
- Fan Fiction by Scribbler
- Fanfiction Directory
- FanficsLandia (Spanish-language archive)
- The Glass Onion
- IcyBrian's RPG Page
- Italian Multi-Fanfiction Archive (Italian-language archive)
- Mazochungo (Spanish-language animation archive)
- Scorpio's Constellation of Fanfic
- ShatterStorm Productions - multifandom femslash
- Two Chickies
- The Wonderful World of Makebelieve
- Yuletide (challenge-based archive)
Multifandom awards and contests allow entries from many different fandoms, sometimes from any fandom. They include:
- Allstar Video Awards
- Angels Are Dark Awards
- Dream Vision Awards
- Fan Q Awards
- Huggy Award
- No Rest for the Wicked Awards (Buffy, Star Trek, Heroes, and X-Files)
- Pegasus Award (for filk)
- Screwz Awards or 'Slash Creativity Recognition for Entertainment and Writing in Zines' (for slash)
- Sizzler or 'Slash In Zine Literary ERotica' Awards (for slash)
- STIFfie (for slash)
- Titanium Whip Awards (for kink)
- UFO Awards
Multifandom conventions may be devoted to a certain type of fandom, such as an anime convention, slash fandom convention, or science fiction fandom convention. They may also be devoted to a particular type of fanac, such as cosplay or vidding, across fandoms. Some examples:
- A Weekend in the Country (US)
- Cult TV (con)
- Detroit Triple Fan Fair
- Geek Media Expo
- Muskrat Jamboree