The Fundamental Foursome are joined by returning guests Adam and Bozena and they discuss gatekeepers in fandom. What’s a Gatekeeper? Someone with arcane knowledge of some subject which others of a similar interest desire. If you’ve ever been to a movie before the rest of your friends and they seek you out for the hidden knowledge of that film-then you’ve been a Gatekeeper. This translates across all aspects of fandom and can be either “sad or luxurious” depending on how the Gatekeeper chooses to wield that knowledge. A Gatekeeper can either let you in or keep you out, so beware abusive Gatekeepers!

Topics Discussed Include: Abusive fandom, how not to ask for a job at a comic book store, comic shops as “sanctuaries”, the changing nature of comic book acceptance, proving your Gatekeeper cred, the internet breeding false superiority and mis-information, diversity pandering, how the internet has changed the talent/fan dynamic, fans being more accepting of other fan disciplines and more.

This week’s SAD or LUXURIOUS: Kilts