hough its life span was less than that of its insect namesake, Firefly has inspired intense loyalty among its viewers, as well as an expanding base of fans who only discovered the show after it was canceled. FireflyFans.net harnesses this enthusiasm to forge a rallying point for fans as they anticipate the resurrection of the series as a feature film.
The site provides a steady stream of news about the series, its creator Joss Whedon, and its cast and crew, keeping fans aware of progress with the upcoming movie as well as mentions of the series in various media. The site boasts a unique sort of episode guide, which consists of reader ratings for each of the series' 13 offerings, as well as reader comments, plot-point questions and storyline speculation. It makes for a disjointed, but interesting, dialogue as readers post back and forth in their attempts to better understand the series.
FireflyFans.net sports a "Blue Sun Room" for creations submitted by readers, including fan fiction, series trailers, banner ads and desktop images. The Online Store provides a table tracking the sales ranking of the Firefly DVD box set on Amazon.com, while the Personality Test poses 16 questions to participants, and then informs them which member of
the crew they most closely resemble. Rounding out the site are the Online Forums, which see a fair amount of traffic as fans debate the merits of the series, discuss the failings of nearly every other science-fiction show, and dream of the Serenity's triumphant return.
— Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—April 26, 2004
he boy who was Wesley Crusher is now a writer with a blog. Wil Wheaton's been publishing his Web site since 2001 as part of an ongoing mission to show that his life didn't end along with his stint on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The site-turned-blog is updated several times a week, and recounts his writing efforts (including his just-finished autobiography, Just a Geek), acting work (like a stint on Teen Titans) and life as an unapologetic geek (on 3/14, he wished his wife a happy "pie" day).
The Web site includes extensive archives, as well as supplemental audio and photo blogs, a frequently-asked-questions page and convention appearance news. It's all written in an informal, friendly, "just another geek" style that's engaging not just because he once played the ensign everyone loved to hate, but because he's a well-spoken member of Generation X who's passionate about the things that most geeks are passionate about.
Of course, he did play that aforementioned ensign, and those experiences allow him to provide unique insights into science fiction, including comments on conventions, acting on The Next Generation and the agony of being cut from Star Trek: Nemesis. That should certainly appeal to Star Trek fans, but it's not the primary reason to visit the site. That reason is simply this: He's one of us. He may have grown up on the set of Star Trek, but he did so with a stack of GURPS and Warhammer 40,000 books in his trailer. The Trek part of his life may be in the past, but he's still a geek.
— Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—April 19, 2004
lan Moore's Watchmen is one of two graphic novels credited with changing the very nature of the comics industry (the other, of course, is Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns). This is a major achievement, and one with which many writers might be content ... but not Moore, whose
current projects include Promethea, Terra Obscura and the deservedly renowned League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
The Alan Moore Fan Site has set itself the daunting task of tracking the ever-more-prolific creator of all these amazing comics, keeping up with the news on all of Moore's projects and their various media spinoffs. Curious about the prospects for a Watchmen movie? AMFS has the skinny. Want to see what Moore has had to say, in interviews, about From Hell or his Swamp Thing days at DC Comics? Check the index of interviews.
AFMS has a FAQ, a lengthy biography of Moore, listings of all his writings, art projects and interviews, information on awards won by Moore's works, news on upcoming projects, and fan reviews of graphic novel projects and the movies based on them. The site also maintains an e-mail newsletter, as well as a store that aids collectors in finding current works and back issues of hard-to-find comics.
The wealth of data at this site is incredibly rich, a must-see resource for Moore fans who want to be up on all the latest news, or anyone wishing to know more about one of the comic world's greatest living artists.
— A.M. Dellamonica
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