A crazed fan boy talks pop culture

July 1, 3:12 PMTampa Books ExaminerJulianne Draper

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Tampa Books Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

photo credit: Nolan

The topic of books, movies, television and other fandom would be incomplete without the fans, so this time out, we’ve got a different sort of offering, taking a look at the issue from the point of view of the fan. While, arguably anyone can produce their own website thanks to the myriad do-it-yourself free builders out there, there’s one particular one that Tampa locals think of when they think, specifically, of the topic of fandom regarding movies, television, scifi and horror: Crazedfanboy.com owned by local connoisseur, Nolan B. Canova, who recently engaged in a little fan talk with us.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Nolan.

My pleasure, Julianne.

How did you get into the fandom scene?

I felt myself as being a part of fandom even as far back as the mid-'60s, without ever knowing anything had actually been organized. Then, just after the last season of the original Star Trek series, I discovered the letter-writing campaign that had been established to bring the show back on the air. That was the first time I'd ever heard of such a thing being organized and, in retrospect, I think it was that grass-root effort that established Trek fandom. Nationally-published fan magazines started showing up at local newsstands, so by them I knew there was a national "scene" to follow.

In the early '70s I attended my first fan convention, held at the Holiday Inn in downtown Tampa. It was comparatively small by today's standard, but I was absolutely hooked on the experience. Books, magazines, 16mm films (this was before VHS), posters, everything a budding fanboy could desire in pop culture media was for sale or trade.

About 1976, I discovered a local sci-fi fandom club in South Tampa, all teenagers, who met up at a local bookstore after school. They called themselves The Andromeda Society and even published their own self-published fan magazine (later called "fanzines"). The 1977 premiere of Star Wars was both a homogenizing experience for the club and a promotional vehicle for recruiting new members. The club grew over the years to include all age groups. It disbanded sometime in the early '80s, but it was a life-changing experience for me. Over 30 years later and I am still in contact with most of the original members!

By what authors/moviemakers/comics guys would you say you are influenced?

As far as writing, publishing, and fandom awareness, the two heaviest influences are Forrest J Ackerman (Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine) and Stan Lee (Marvel Comics).

What inspired you to create Crazed Fanboy?

My first computer! That, and a desire to learn how to build websites. I could see the possibility of publishing something akin to an electronic fanzine without the expense of paper publishing and distribution.

How much research went into it?

Tons! Although I put up my first, crude webpage relatively quickly (mid-February of 2000), using a typical entry-level website tool of the day, I spent years learning more about hand-coding. In the beginning I had a few friends clue me in on the basics of HTML, but am otherwise self-taught. Nobody seemed to have the answers to the thousands of questions I had regarding this, so I bought lots of books and studied webpages arduously.

What do think of the state of fandom today?

That's an interesting question, because the atmosphere and attention has shifted over the past decades from smaller grass-roots efforts to outright corporate endeavors. The smaller ones were more personal and fun. The larger ones are obviously designed for profit and are about to get out of reach for most cash-strapped fans. However, it is usually only the larger ones where you can meet your favorite genre television, movie, and comic book celebrities.

Didn’t you meet Forrest J. Ackerman once? Tell us a little about that.


I never met Stan Lee, but met Forry Ackerman on two memorable occasions. The first was an afternoon visit to his home (the "Ackermansion") in California while I was vacationing in LA with a friend in 1988. The second time was at the Famous Monsters Convention in Crystal City, Virginia, in 1993. In both instances he was friendly, kind and generous with his time.

Can you name a standout moment for Crazed Fanboy?

There are a few. Getting my first mention in the local newspaper, around 2002. My first national attention as a featured link on radio host Art Bell's website about the same time (I'd written an article on the night he banned The Amazing Kreskin from the show that attracted the attention of Art's webmaster). Being mentioned several times on Tampa radio station 970WFLA. The years I spent as a movie critic for The Tampa Film Review was an amazing and meaningful experience. And I started being recognized by strangers! That never gets old.

More recently, a very special moment was being contacted by the granddaughter of the late Dick Bennick (aka, Dr. Paul Bearer, horror host for Channel 44's Creature Feature). She conveyed her enthusiasm over our carrying the horror-fan torch and keeping alive her grandfather's legacy.

What advice do you have for a youngster into moviemaking/comics and other such things today?

Keep learning, keep growing, and never give up. All are essential. You have more avenues of expression and distribution today than when I was young, such as digital video cameras and YouTube. You also have the World Wide Web, which, next to the invention of the printing press, has made available more education and networking than has ever been known before. The trick is to get noticed. That never changes.

Thanks for your time, Mr. Canova; it’s been a pleasure corresponding with you. Best of luck in the future with Crazed Fanboy! Before we go, do you have any final thoughts for my readers?

A nation's art and pop culture are its heart and soul, the same goes for its artistic communities. Keep supporting it as best you can. It's been a pleasure to share my thoughts with all of you.