UPDATE: This is the podcast of the conversation with Prof. Jenkins that took place October 16, 2008 in Etsy's Virtual Lab.

Please share your thoughts in the comments!

[The following was originally published on Oct 10, 2008.]

MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Professor Henry Jenkins accepted Etsy's invitation to participate via webcam in a Virtual Lab talk about fan art. All are welcome to participate (all you need is an Etsy username, and it is free to register). Please join us in the Storque room of the Virtual Labs (Etsy's interactive chat room), Thursday October 16, 3-4pm EDT.

Fan art is a fascinating example of the intersection between art, pop culture and commerce.  In fact, some fan artists sell their work on Etsy.  Due to the nature of fan art, there are many intellectual property issues. Etsy is a venue and, as such takes very seriously issues of copyright and intellectual property.  See our policies here. However, this talk is not meant to address the many legal issues concerning fan art, offer legal advice to artists or to talk about specific items on Etsy.  Rather, Professor Jenkins will give context and history to fan art and speak about its transformations in the digital age.

Fan art — what is it and what is its history? Where did it come from and why did people start making it? Professor Jenkins wrote a seminal academic book — "Textual Poachers" published in 1992 — about fandom — television and science fiction fans and their art, writings and fan culture. His book challenged much of the theory about spectatorship and the consumption of popular culture, and he presented a new model — one in which the audience plays an active role in creating meaning from entertainment and cultural properties.

Much has changed in the world of media and fandom over the past 15 years. Whereas much of fandom used to exist largely through the exchange of zines through snail mail and face-to-face meet ups at conventions, today many fan activities and communities have moved online and sought immediate though media-ted relationships with each other and to the authors and corporations that offer stories and characters — often very immursive worlds — to consumers. Professor Jenkins's recent book "Convergence Culture" (2006) details some vivid accounts how these 21st century media properties connect deeply with fans and how in turn, fans are seeking deeper, more participatory relationships with those works. These present challenges both to fans — who are now more visible and therefore vulnerable to media giants' lawyers — as well as to companies and authors who have legitimate rights to protect their properties but at the same time don't want to alienate their fans.

These are really complicated issues! The goal of the talk is to give creators and customers reference points and a deeper understanding of those complexities. We're so excited to welcome Professor Jenkins to share his knowledge with us and fuel some lively discussion about the role of fan art in our society.

We're looking forward to it and hope you can make it!