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When writing fan fiction or creating fan art or just growing attached to a character in general, it's natural for your own personal theories or developments of that character to arise. These are called head canons or "fanons". And the beauty of it is that with the head canon clause in effect, you can pretty much add your own flavour to that character and make them do whatever they want. If I came up with a fanon that on Tuesdays at precisely 3:05 pm Peter Venkman suddenly turns plaid after he hiccups four times in succession, there ya go and no one can stop me.
But the thing to remember is that fanons are NOT CANON. They are not fact according to what the show's developers and writers (and animators, depending on the show) came up with. As such, if I describe a character with precision, and back it up with specific scenes from specific episodes, commentary from writing staff of the show, model sheets, and writers bibles, you can't argue with me and tell me I'm wrong because you see the character different solely based on overall conclusions and theories you came up with yourself based on your vague overviews of the character and your picking and choosing of traits.
You can have head canons. But the fact is that they're NOT facts. They're your opinions and your customizations and you can write your own stories and do your own art based on your own ideas as much as you want. But if you outright tell me I'm wrong because evidence from the show doesn't line up with your personal visions and pops your bubble, I'm going to get my hackles up.
But the thing to remember is that fanons are NOT CANON. They are not fact according to what the show's developers and writers (and animators, depending on the show) came up with. As such, if I describe a character with precision, and back it up with specific scenes from specific episodes, commentary from writing staff of the show, model sheets, and writers bibles, you can't argue with me and tell me I'm wrong because you see the character different solely based on overall conclusions and theories you came up with yourself based on your vague overviews of the character and your picking and choosing of traits.
You can have head canons. But the fact is that they're NOT facts. They're your opinions and your customizations and you can write your own stories and do your own art based on your own ideas as much as you want. But if you outright tell me I'm wrong because evidence from the show doesn't line up with your personal visions and pops your bubble, I'm going to get my hackles up.
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Date: 2014-05-13 01:32 pm (UTC)From:Fandoms will accrete fanon (it's amusing when people think something is fanon and it is if not canon within history/natural laws. see the boxing from the RDJ Sherlock Holmes' movies. ACD wrote a guard letting Holmes through a gate having recognized a fellow pugilist.)
Not all fanons are equal and some can get pretty toxic. Others are just a little 'tie waving' or deal with a glaring absence (normally adults do know the name of living parents.)