Every so often, I look at fan capital in the wild so you don’t have to. This roundup gathers the stories that stood out to me and what they say about how fandom actually works.
Supernatural fans sharing their love
It’s Huge Fan after dark! I was feeling under the weather and so this edition of Huge Fan is hitting your inboxes at night. Enjoy!
THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF DAVID LYNCH FANS
Filmmaker David Lynch made surreal cult classics like Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive. His work is a mix of cherry pie and small town sweetness layered with nightmares, dream logic, and sudden violence. Since his death earlier this year, the fandom has been louder than ever. They show up in costumes that range from ceiling fans to drawer knobs to electricity itself. There are burlesque shows riffing on his worlds, entire cabaret nights where the jokes and performances only make sense if you know the lore, and fans who treat his films less like puzzles to be solved and more like a universe to inhabit.
Lynch once said that “anyone who creates is a friend of mine,” and his fans took that literally. Many are artists themselves, using his films as permission slips to get weirder in their own work. Which is maybe why his fandom feels more alive than most: it isn’t about explaining his movies, it’s about creating alongside them. | Time Out
"Lynch fans are able to find comfort in absurdity, knowing that in his world the mystery is the most beautiful part of the story.”
FROM AO3 TO HOLLYWOOD
I shared something about this last month maybe? But what was once hidden in LiveJournal corners is now looking a little like…fan fiction → book deal → movie. 50 Shades of Grey started as Twilight fanfic. After and The Idea of You began as Harry Styles fan stories. Now publishers aren’t waiting! They’re actively mining Wattpad and AO3 and flipping through archives like talent scouts.
As the piece in RUSSH stated, “Distancing oneself from fandom beginnings is no longer a requisite for legitimacy.” Yes.
GEN Z IS BUILDING CHURCH AT THE CONCERT
A new survey of 3,000 UK adults found that music fandom isn’t just alive, it’s surging. Nearly half of fans say they “strongly identify” with their artist’s fan community, a number that jumps to 65 percent for Gen Z. More than 40 percent of Gen Z dress up for concerts, 12 percent have tattoos for their favorite artist, and 63 percent say they’ve felt an instant connection with strangers at shows.
The money follows the feeling: 46 percent said they’d prioritize live music over other spending, even during a cost-of-living crisis. Swifties, the Beyhive, and Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters are fueling a superfan revival where concert halls feel more like temples. | The Independent
"I feel more understood by fellow fans at concerts than by people close to me in everyday life.”
SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS WITH THE GHOSTBUSTERS. (WHAT COULD GO WRONG?)
Not every fan gathering has to be Comic-Con scale. Aurora, Colorado just hosted its own mini but mighty convention at city hall. Trivia tents, a Jurassic Park panel, Ghostbusters science experiments, a cosplay contest judged by a “mystery guest from a galaxy far, far away,” and even a sensory-friendly space made it feel like a sampler platter of fandom.
Fans rolled in for video games, e-sports lounges, vendor booths, food trucks, and a superhero surprise on the Great Lawn. Prizes ranged from Fan Expo passes to Amazon gift cards, and one R2-D2 replica held court. City officials said the point was simple: a free, family-friendly chance for fans of all ages to come together and show off their love of pop culture. | Sentinel Colorado
MOVIE THEATERS ARE SEEING A FAN REVIVAL
Moviegoing has become one of the only cultural rituals still scaling up. 2025 admissions are projected to hit 847 million, with 2026 forecast to break records. Audiences skew younger and they show up in groups. It’s not just about trailers and ads before the film, it’s about being part of the fandom moment (things like activations, themed food, or lobby takeovers). | ADWEEK
SHOWGIRL WEEK = SWIFTIE DETECTIVE WEEK
Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl drops this week on Oct. 3. Target is reopening 500 stores at midnight to sell exclusive vinyl and posters. Spotify staged a New York exhibit filled with boas, glitter, and lyrics scrawled in lipstick. Apple Music went further, hiding letters in her Reputation lyrics that spelled out: “They don’t make loyalty like they used to.”
For the uninitiated, Reputation was Swift’s 2017 album, and she has promised to re-record her old records after losing ownership of her master recordings. Along the way, she’s added “vault tracks” aka previously unreleased songs. Fans believe the hidden messages mean Showgirl could come bundled with those unreleased Reputation tracks, making this week a double drop. | USA Today
SUPERNATURAL HITS 20 YEARS
Jared Padalecki marked the 20th anniversary of Supernatural by posting his pilot script and first-day filming notes. The show premiered in 2005, ran for 15 seasons, and built one of the most famously devoted fandoms on TV. At its height, it was the longest-running American sci-fi/fantasy series, spawning conventions around the world, fanfiction empires on AO3, and endless theories about Sam, Dean, and the Impala. Jared wrote that he never knew he’d “gain a family, MORE THAN ONE family” through the show, a nod to both his castmates and the global fan base that has kept Supernatural alive well past its finale. Gosh, it almost makes me want to be #TeamDean too. Almost…
THE REAL SPORTS ECONOMY = WOMEN
A new global survey of 7,100 women across 10 countries found that while women control 75% of discretionary spending by 2030 and already make 85% of household purchasing decisions, sports leagues still aren’t marketing to them. Two-thirds of women sports fans say teams don’t understand them. From Kristin Juszczyk’s fan fashion to the Golden State Valkyries’ community runway show, women are building their own ways in. | USA Today
"For brands, leagues and teams, the question is no longer whether to thoughtfully engage women as fans — it’s whether you can afford not to.”
Do you have a fan story, idea, or connection I should know about? Reply to this email! I’d love to hear it.
