Blog-It Llama!

By Papa Llama - August 26, 2008

As part of the ERIICA Project’s research studying fan behavior, faculty and student researchers conducted a year-long series of interviews with comics professionals and fans at conventions like Comic-Con 2007, Wizard World-Texas, Wonder-Con, and Comic-Con 2008. As we sort through the interviews along with the hundreds of surveys we collected, we’ll report on excerpts from some of these interviews, publishing them through the Rocket Llama World Headquarters ezine.

One of the people we most wanted to interview was Blair Butler of the G4 television series Attack of the Show! because of Blair’s unique position as a professional fan. In her Fresh Ink segments and other contributions to the program, she gets to review comics, interview industry pros, and report on nerd news for the TV audience. How many people have ever had a job like that?

During a break between interviews which Blair was conducting with convention-goers at WonderCon, she let us interview her — until her sound guy had to interrupt (which we mention only so you’ll understand what happened to her last sentence).

We are endlessly grateful to Blair, as we are to everyone whom we interviewed over the last year. Overall, our year’s experiences proved to be very informative, and we had a lot of fun along the way.

FYI: Quotation marks on words mean Blair gestured with finger-quotes when saying them, which seems trivial to mention but we want you to know that we did not randomly decide when she was speaking figuratively (nor were we reading her word balloons at the time).

Papa Llama: How has fan behavior surprised you?

Blair: I think it’s become more mainstream actually. With movies like Fanboys and even Superbad which celebrate the ‘geek’ culture, I think it becomes more of a fun thing to dress up like a superhero or to be into ‘cult’ shows or programs or comics. I think that’s more acceptable in the mainstream, and part of that is because Hollywood has begun licensing and adapting so many video game and comic book properties.

Papa Llama: Sometimes fans can be rude. How do you personally respond to rude fans?

Blair: I’m really lucky because I’ve been fortunate to meet nothing but nice people. I meet a lot of really cool, mellow fans. Usually the only rude thing is if someone yells when you’re shooting, but I think that’s more excitement than rudeness. People get excited.

Papa Llama: At this point in your career, when do you find yourself acting like a fan?

Blair: You know, it’s weird because this is like a perfect example: I did an interview a little while ago with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, which was really cool, but then I got really shy when I had to interview Erik Larsen from The Savage Dragon. So my inner nerd is definitely there, definitely strong.

Papa Llama: You are a fan of many things. Is it surreal to you that you yourself have fans?

Blair: Yes. (laughs) It is extremely surreal. I certainly never anticipated that people would be interested . . . (points to man suddenly crouching beside her leg) There’s a guy changing my mic pack! (laughs again)

Papa Llama: Thank you so much.

Blair: Glad I could help out. I’m lucky I get to be a professional nerd!

Categories: Convention, Interviews
Tags: AOTS, Attack of the Show!, Blair Butler, Comic-Con, Convention, fan convention, fanboy, fangirl, fans, Fresh Ink, Interviews, nerd, WonderCon