DePaul Pop Culture Conference

Fandom Encyclopedia:

I’m seeking authors for 1000-word entries in a forthcoming Pop Culture Fandoms encyclopedia, published by Bloomsbury Press. First draft entries are due Jan 15, 2027 (negotiable) with second drafts due later in 2027 for publication in 2028.

The project started life under the editor-ship of Dr. Kathy Larsen (Fandom at the Crossroads, Fangasm, and co-editor of the Fandom and Culture book series at Iowa Press). Very sadly, Kathy passed away in 2022 without progressing very far on the book (other than a tentative TOC). With the blessing of Kathy’s family, I restarted the project, and expanded the scope to include critical essays and more entries. The book will include 12 (4000-word) chapters on key fan practices and 100 short (1000-word) entries on key fandoms. All proceeds from the book, including my royalties, will be donated to the Lupus Research Alliance, in honor of Kathy.

I am looking for contributions on any of the following. Please send a one-paragraph (200-300 word) abstract of your topic to [email protected] by Aug 30, 2026. If you have ideas on other fandoms you'd like to see included, you are welcome to include an abstract for those as well. Below, I’ve appended a list of available fandoms, but I’m wide open to other suggestions. I'm particularly interested in non-US/UK fandoms and historical fandoms.

Arcane, Attack on Titan, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Beatles, Big Lebowski, Blackpink, Bollywood, BookTok, Bravo (Reality TV?), BTS, Lord Byron, Dance, Danganronpa, DC Comics, Drag, Dragon Ball Z, Elvis, Eurovision, Final Fantasy, Fullmetal Alchemist, Grateful Dead, Hamilton, Hannibal, Heated Rivelry, Homestuck, Homestar Runner, Horror, Insane Clown Posse, James Bond, Jane Austin, JoJos, K-pop, KPOP Demon Hunters, Marvel Comics, Mass Effect, MCU, Merlin, Metal, minecraft, Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed, My Little Pony, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Naruto, NASCAR, One Direction, One Piece, Pop Art, Rudolf Valentino, Sailor Moon, Sarah Bernhardt, Simpsons, SKAM, Sound of Music, Squid Game, Taylor Swift, Telenovellas, TMNT, Transformers, Tyler Perry, Undertale, Vampires, and Xena Warrior Princess (please suggest more!)

I look forward to your abstracts! (Please feel free to distribute widely!)

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Big things are happening 🤩 Check out our website & make sure to subscribe to our email list for a special update on our 2027 conference theme!

On this Star Wars Day, I'm happy to be auctioning off two amazing near-mint condition Star Wars comics, donated to the Pop Culture Conference charity sale. Proceeds go toward Freedom of the Press Foundation. Check them out!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/227328270440
https://www.ebay.com/itm/227328267754

Star Wars 2015 #1 Premiere Variant Near Mint | eBay Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Star Wars 2015 #1 Premiere Variant Near Mint at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

🚨🚨 T-MINUS 3 DAYS TO PCC 🚨🚨

we can’t wait to see you there!

Registration now open!
Register for this year's pop culture conference -- it's totally free and you get to hear some amazing panels, musicians, keynotes, and more.
Register on our website. Popcultureconference.com, link in bio!

Since 2014, the DePaul Pop Culture Conference supports a charity each year, nominated by one of our keynote speakers. This year, attendees will have the opportunity to support the Freedom of the Press Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting journalists and their sources. Learn more about the Freedom of the Press Foundation at https://freedom.press, and learn more about the conference and previous charities we have supported at https://popcultureconference.com.

Reminder that presentation ideas are due a week from today, January 31st. 🎶 If you have an idea for a talk, workshop, creative piece or anything else, we want to hear from you! Submit your idea and learn more about the conference at our website.

https://popcultureconference.com/2026-remix-pop-music

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Calling all musicians! 🎵🎸🎤 The DePaul Pop Culture Conference is looking for musical acts to perform at our 2026 Remixing Pop Music conference. Whether you're a solo act or band, we want to hear you!

Please note that submissions are not limited to stricly pop music- all genres are welcome to apply. Additionally, you do not need to be associated with DePaul in order to apply.

Apply to perform and learn more about the conference at our website.

https://popcultureconference.com/2026-remix-pop-music

Do you have thoughts on pop music you want to share? We want to hear them! The DePaul Pop Culture Conference is looking for talks, workshops, creative pieces, and more. Submit your idea and learn more about the conference at our website.

https://popcultureconference.com