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The focus of this thesis is to examine representations of otaku and fujoshi (i.e., dedicated fans of pop culture) in Japanese anime and manga from 1991 until the present. I analyze how these fictional images of fans participate in larger mass media and academic discourses about otaku and fujoshi, and how even self-produced reflections of fan identity are defined by the combination of larger normative discourses and market demands. Although many scholars have addressed fan practices and identities through surveys and participant observation, many of these studies work with Western groups of fans whose identities may not be consistent with those of Japanese otaku and fujoshi, and fewer studies have addressed the way these fans are reflected in the very media (anime and manga) they consume. I examine both negative and positive depictions of otaku and fujoshi, as well as the representations of fan gender identities and sexualities, across a broad range of anime and manga, including Rusanchiman (Ressentiment), Genshiken, N.H.K. ni Yokoso (Welcome to the N.H.K.), Otaku no Video, Kuragehime (Princess Jellyfish), Oreimo, and Moso Shojo Otakukei (Fujoshi Rumi). The varied depictions of otaku and fujoshi in these works illustrate the tension between otaku and fujoshi identities and normative social roles, the problematic elements of identities defined through consumerism, and the complexities of the interaction between fans' fictionalized and lived desires.

This thesis examines the themes of characterization of the character Sasha James and Not-Sasha within the media text The Magnus Archives, as well as which of the themes can be seen reflected in the visual paratextual works created by the audio dramas fan community. This is to examine what influences the visual representation created in paratextual work when the media text from which the visuals take inspiration lacks visuals and description of characters. The thesis employs a thematic-analysis approach and monster theory to understand how the horror genre and the monstrous narrative of Sasha James have helped inspire the visualizations. The result presents three themes of Sasha James' canon narrative that have impacted the visual paratextual work created by the audio dramas fan community: The “real” Sasha, Not-There, and wit. The themes showed how fans approached the subject of the monstrous body within the paratextual work by presenting a version of Not-Sasha with easily identified monstrous features, but also their willingness to employ the monster’s wit to visualize it as a humanoid version, working as a parallel to Sasha James.

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The popularity of wearing costumes and masks has a long tradition. The phenomenon called cosplay began to be discussed for the first time in the 1980s. Cosplayers are fans of media content that not only wear costumes, but they also try to imitate the character's character on festivals. Some individuals, thanks to their activity, become celebrities themselves within the community. Fans may not always be just a passive group of recipients of media content. This thesis focuses on how these positions can be achieved and how the hierarchy is shaped in the Czech cosplay community. The theoretical framework is based on findings of fan studies. Methods used for data collection include participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The timeframe for data collection is the period from May 2018 to October 2018. For analysis were used the grounded theory principles, namely open and axial coding. The output is a paradigmatic model. This research has brought new information related to the topic of hierarchy in fan communities. Not only has the high activity of the individuals but also the social ties had an influence on hierarchy formation. This work also reflected the Czech cosplay community.

This dissertation is a study of cultural memory, exploring how superhero comic books, and their readers and creators, look back on and make sense of the past, as well as how they use that past in the creation of community and stories today. It is my contention that the superhero comics that exist as part of a long-standing "universe," particularly those published by DC and Marvel, are inextricably linked to a sense of cultural memory which defines both the organization of their fans and the history of their stories, and that cultural memory in comics takes the twinned forms of fandom and continuity. Comic book fandom, from its very inception, has been based around memories of past stories and recollections about favorite moments, creators, characters, etc. Because of this, as many of those fans have gone on to become creators themselves, the stories they have crafted reflect that continual obsession with the histories -- loosely termed "continuity" by creators, fans, and comic book scholars -- of these fictional universes. Often, this obsession translates into an engagement with actual events from the past. In many of these cases, as with much art and ephemera that is immersed in cultural memory, these fans-turned-creators combine their interest in looking at the history of the fictional universe with a working out of actual traumatic events. My case studies focus on superhero comic books that respond to such events, particularly World War II, the Vietnam War, and 9/11. / text

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