2003: When Fangirls Attack

The first fangirlIt was March of 2003. A high school anime club had just started watching Hellsing. In one corner of the room, clinging to a sketchbook, a fan-for-life was born.

The first fangirl storyline came together in that initial rush of infatuation. A character about whom I had thought nothing more impressed than "wow, he's mad" during the opening credits was my adored favorite by the third episode. I had to do something.

Luckily, I had recently discovered webcomics, and by extension the free-and-easy ComicGenesis (then Keenspace). One signup later, and not only was the world going to see the first story arc, but the next few I had thought up while drawing it. And the next few after that...and the few after that...with no signs that the inspiration would slow up any time soon.

The Fans

MarianThe Integra fangirl was pretty much an authorial self-insert from the beginning, though it wasn't like any of them got individual personalities in-strip. Not yet.

Future answer to a winning Jeopardy question: The Walter fanboy was inspired by my friend Matt (introduced to the series through the same anime club), while the Alucard fangirl took influence from another friend, Maddie (introduced to the series by how I suddenly couldn't shut up about it).

Still, at this point I made up the designs myself, and the rants of fannish obsession came straight from the heart. Favoritism notwithstanding, I had enough love for all the characters to go around.

That love was the fans' downfall. It gave them the determination to cling to their favorite characters through almost anything, but it allowed them to be overloaded: so delighted that they passed out from the squee, at which point they could be tossed back through the portal from whence they came.

Of course, they were bound to try again eventually....

Erin Ptah 2003-2011