Browncoat

This article is about fans of the television series Firefly and its spin-off film Serenity. For the Nazi paramilitary sometimes called "brownshirts", see Sturmabteilung.
Uniform of the Browncoats as seen in the TV series

Browncoat is the name given to fans of the space western franchise Firefly. The term originated as a nickname to the fictional Independence fighters in the television series.[1][2] It has come to refer to those who continue to support the show, including cast members.[3]

Fictional meaning

In the series, Browncoats were named after the simple brown dusters the soldiers of the Independence faction in the show had worn as uniforms. Conversely, the Alliance's soldiers were called "Purplebellies," because of the purple-tinted body armor they wore on their chests.

Fans

In 2002, while Firefly was nearing cancellation, fans organized to try to save the series from being canceled by Fox Broadcasting Network. Their efforts included raising money for an ad in Variety magazine and a postcard writing campaign to UPN.[4] These fans are also sometimes known as "flans" (IPA /flænz/). This originated from a slip of the tongue by actor Nathan Fillion during an interview, when talking about Firefly fans.[5] (Wikiquote transcription)

Since then, there have been several Browncoat fan films. One titled Browncoats: Redemption raised $113,000 for charity.[6] The film is set on the ship Redemption three months after the Miranda signal is sent.[7]

Notable Firefly fans include science fiction writer Orson Scott Card;[8][9] writer Tracy Hickman;[10] xkcd author Randall Munroe;[11] and NASA astronaut Steven Swanson.[12]

Charity

A number of fan groups and charitable organizations[13] were created by browncoats across the globe. Notable charitable groups include Austin Browncoats,[14] California Browncoats[15] and Southeastern Browncoats.[16]

Can't Stop the Serenity is a global charitable event to benefit Equality Now and other causes (chosen at the local level, some cities include Kids Need to Read, a charity co-founded by Firefly/Serenity star Nathan Fillion and author PJ Haarsma). The project began in 2006 and has raised a combined total of more than $600,000.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Chonin, Neva (2005-06-08). "When Fox canceled 'Firefly,' it ignited an Internet fan base whose burning desire for more led to 'Serenity'". San Francisco Chronicle. pp. E1. Retrieved 2007-11-22.
  2. ↑ McGILL, HANNAH (Oct 6, 2005). "Hungry for the real Roman Cinema FILM OF THE WEEK". The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland). p. 8. [Reviewing the film Serenity]... [t]he intricacies of the plot, however, are really of interest only to browncoats (yes, there are enough Firefly obsessives that they have their own special name)
  3. ↑ "'Firefly: Browncoats Unite' Preview: Nathan Fillion Recalls His Mal Reynolds Audition (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)". Huffington Post. 2012-11-11. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  4. ↑ Bergen, Jennifer. "10 Extreme Cases of Nerd Rage", p. 2: Firefly Cancellation" pcmag.com April 28, 2012
  5. ↑ IESB.net video
  6. ↑ "Happy Anniversary Firefly! - Non-Sport & Entertainment Trading Card News from Non-Sport Update". Non-Sport & Entertainment Trading Card News from Non-Sport Update.
  7. ↑ "Firefly Takes Flight Again With Browncoats: Redemption". WIRED. 21 May 2010.
  8. ↑ "Uncle Orson Reviews Everything". Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  9. ↑ "Serenity - Uncle Orson Reviews Everything".
  10. ↑ "The Signal Season 1 Show 15". Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  11. ↑ "Category:Firefly".
  12. ↑ "Meet Your Browncoat Astronaut". Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  13. ↑ "Browncoat Fan Groups and Charities". bigdamnboard.com. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  14. ↑ "Browncoat Charities". austinbrowncoats.com. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  15. ↑ "Browncoat Charities". californiabrowncoats.org. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  16. ↑ "Browncoat Charities". southeasternbrowncoats.com. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  17. ↑ "Can't Stop the Serenity - The history of Can’t Stop the Serenity". Can't Stop the Serenity.

Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, March 20, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.