The Fan Studies Network

Editor:             Lisa Funnell, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, lfunnell@ou.edu

The release of Skyfall in 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise. The 23rd film in the series, Skyfall earned over one billion dollars (USD) in the worldwide box-office and won two Academy Awards (Best Sound Editing and Best Song). Amidst such popular and critical acclaim, many have questioned the representation of women in the film, viewing Skyfall in relation to the Bond film franchise at large. From the representation of an aging and disempowered M, to the limited role of the Bond Girl, to the characterization of Miss Moneypenny as a defunct field agent, Skyfall arguably develops the legacy of James Bond at the expense of women in the film. While the character of James Bond has historically been defined by his relationship with women (and particularly through heterosexual romantic conquest) and the franchise has long been accused of being sexist (among other things), the treatment of women in Skyfall recalls the media-driven backlash against feminist gains in the 1970s, which impacted the representation of women in the series—with the disempowering of female villains and the domestication of the Bond Girl. Since the prequel Casino Royale (2006) and its sequels Quantum of Solace (2008) and Skyfall (2012) constitute a rebooting of the franchise, it leads many scholars, like myself, to question if there is a place for women in the new world of James Bond and, if so, what role will these women play in the future of series?

This book seeks to answer these questions by examining the role that women have historically played in the Bond franchise, which greatly contributed to the international success of its films. This collection constitutes the first book-length academic study of the women of James Bond that moves beyond the discussion of a single character type (such as the Bond Girl) or group of films (such as the Connery era). This anthology will redress this critical oversight by providing a comprehensive examination of feminism and femininity in the Bond franchise. It not only focuses on the representation of women on screen (via casting, characterization, and aspects of stardom), but also includes a consideration of the role women have played in producing and marketing the franchise, female fandom and spectatorship, female scholarship on the franchise, and the widespread influence of the Bond series on the representation of female characters in other (non-Bond) films. This collection will offer a timely and retrospective look at the franchise, in light of the 50 year anniversary of the series, and provide new scholarly perspectives on the subject.

 Proposals are welcomed on the following topics:

i) Female Representation

• ·       key characters/character types (Bond Girl, Bad Girl, M, Moneypenny)
• ·       close readings of specific films
• ·       trends in casting and characterization (between eras/phases of Bond)
• ·       response of the films to different waves of feminism
• ·       other women (e.g. opening credit sequence, secondary characters, movie posters)

ii) Women Producing/Marketing Bond

• ·       the influence of Barbara Broccoli and other creative personnel
• ·       musicians lending their voices and star power to the films (i.e. the musical “Bond Girls”)

iii) Female Fandom and Spectatorship

• ·       reception studies of female spectatorship
• ·       examination of the female pleasures in watching Bond

iv) Female Scholarship on Bond

• ·       the ease/struggle in studying Bond
• ·       the perception of female scholars in this field of study
• ·       teaching and writing on Bond from a female perspective

v) Influence of the Bond Films on Women in Other Films

• ·       the Bond Girl character type (e.g. True Lies)
• ·       James Bond (e.g. Lady Bond films in Hong Kong)
• ·       parodies/plays of the Bond films (e.g. Austin Powers, Agent Cody Banks)

Please send a 500-word abstract (with bibliography and filmography) and an author bio as email attachments by May 15, 2013 to Lisa Funnell lfunnell@ou.edu  

Michael Goodrum (Essex) and Philip Smith (Loughborough)

It has been ten years since Joss Whedon’s Firefly (2002-3) was first screened. Although narrative covered only one season and a film, the series has enjoyed a long afterlife through comic books, a roleplaying game, and the fan community. Despite the continued interest in, and development of, the series, Firefly remains relatively unexplored in academic literature, particularly when compared to the critical attention directed towards Whedon’s earlier series, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).

This volume, comprising of 12 essays, to be published by Scarecrow Press, seeks to address this imbalance. We are looking for 5,000-7,000 word contributions which fall into one of the following broad areas:

Politics

Race

Class

Agency

Preference will be given to proposals which satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

Contributions which are prepared to challenge, as well as celebrate, Firefly. Consider Firefly in light of the controversy over the casting of Avatar: The Last Airbender (2010), for example. How should we read a series with an abundance of Chinoiserie and very few (if any) Asian actors? How does the uncomplicated, humorous and stylized violence of Firefly and Serenity relate to the high instance of gun violence in the US and the very real violence of American military action overseas?

Contributions which examine Firefly alongside other texts. How does Firefly‘s Western/Sci-Fi multicultural landscape compare to the Noir/Sci-Fi multicultural city shown in Blade Runner (1982)? How does the portrayal of Asian cultures compare to that shown in Avatar: The Last Airbender? How does the relationship between the Browncoats and the Alliance compare to the Empire and the Rebels in Star Wars?

Contributions which include a consideration of Firefly and Serenity’s afterlife. How have the comics, roleplaying game and fan-made expansions of the universe changed the series? How have the creators used their respective mediums?

Contributions which show an awareness of existing Firefly scholarship. How does your work relate to the papers inInvestigating Firefly and Serenity (2008) and to Christina Rowley’s work on gender in Firefly? What are the limits of the existing scholarship?

Willingness to apply theoretical concepts. Contributions should be prepared to mobilise theory in their approaches toFirefly, particularly if dealing with agency.

Willingness to situate Firefly in a broader historical context. How does Firefly engage with prevalent themes in both US history and the history of international relations?

300-500 word proposals should be sent to mgoodr@essex.ac.uk by May 1st 2013. Proposals should include the author’s email address and affiliation. Full papers will be expected by September 1st 2013.