Fanboy

For the comic book character, see Fan Boy. For the film, see Fanboys (film)

Fanboy or fanboi is a term used to describe an individual (usually male, though the feminine version fangirl may be used for females) who is utterly devoted to a single subject or hobby, often to the point where it is considered an obsession.

In computing, the word is used somewhat differently - referring to someone slavishly supportive of their preferred operating system, computer programming language or brand of computer hardware[link][link][link][link].

Contents

1 History of fanboys and the term
2 Trivia
3 Media

3.1 Comic Book
3.2 Television
3.3 Radio/Podcasts
3.4 Webcomics
3.5 Video Games

4 See also
5 External links

History of fanboys and the term

The term originated in comic book circles, to describe someone who immersed himself in the fictional worlds of comics and the culture of comics fandom. The term is often used in a derogatory manner by other less obsessed fans. In the songs of the fannish parody musician Luke Ski, many characters proudly consider themselves fanboys. The term is most commonly associated with adolescent and teen males but can be applicable to any age or sex. Common subjects of reverence by fanboys are TV shows, movies, anime, cars, video game consoles, video games, operating systems, MMORPGs, and software companies.

The stereotypical image of the fanboy is as an unkempt, socially awkward, young man who may be perceived as a loud mouthed pseudo-intellectual. A popular depiction of this stereotype is the Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons.

The earliest use of the word "fanboy" has been dated to 1982, to the cover of the "Official Underground and Newave Comix Price Guide". On this cover page are sketched overweight, overzealous comic book collectors wearing T-shirts that state "Fanboys of America," and are describing the extreme measures they would go to, including moving to San Francisco, to preserve their comics. Another early use is in a smart-alec editorial reply by "Ambush Bug" to a letter in his comic in 1985.

Many fanboys can display an intense obsession with the object of their affections. This is often shown by their devotion to a company/product/character, often to the detriment of their sense of veracity or critical judgment. This condition often coincides with bouts of heavy denial and a marked resistance to any type of meaningful or significant change in the status quo of the obsession, as noted in the controversy surrounding the introduction of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner.

Trivia

The word "Fanboys" can be a mnemonic for the coordinating conjunctions of the English language: "for", "and", "nor", "but", "or", "yet", and "so".

Media

Comic Book

Sergio Aragonés' Fanboy
Doug Holverson's "Fanboy" (anthropomorphized rotary fan obsessed with comics, who uses his electrical plug for a hand). Dates from the prolific minicomic wave of the 1980s.

Television

The Simpsons's Comic Book Guy
Freakazoid's Fan Boy

Radio/Podcasts

Fanboy Radio - [link]
Drooling FanBoy - [link]
iFanboy - [link]
The Fanboy Smackdown Podcast - [link]

Webcomics

Fanboy Almanac (webcomic) - [Fanboy Almanac]
[Fanboys web comic]
[Fanboy Otaku Gamers Club web comic]

Video Games

External links

[Urban dictionary: fanboy]
[Dissecting the Fanboy Mind] - A discussion of the fanboy behavior in regards to video games.

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