We start season four with a bang, and a world tour, traveling across the globe and through time (not really) with special guest, Graeme of Reality Bomb! We're talking about fans of the fab four, _Beatlemaniacs_ (aka Beatles Fans). What was it about this iconic pop group that left such an impact on the musical world and its fans? We're giving you the fans-eye view!
Next week, we'll be taking the chunnel to France to talk about fans of a well-loved, but perhaps not as well-known, character: Arsene Lupin!
## Where can I learn more about Graeme?
You can check out the podcast that he and Alex Kennard co-produce, [Reality Bomb](www.realitybombpodcast.com), a monthly, magazine-style Doctor Who podcast that focuses on the Doctor Who fandom, which just recently finished its 50th episode! You can also check out their podcast on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/realitybombpc/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/realitybombpc).
If you want to know more about the man behind the podcast, you can follow him on twitter: [@graemeburk](https://twitter.com/graemeburk).
## Episode outline
### Fandom Facts
**Origins:**
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960, consisting of four members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era. Though they broke up in 1970, the individual members enjoyed successful musical careers on their own.
John Lennon was shot and killed in 1980, and George Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001.
> The Beatles are the best-selling band in history, with estimated sales of over 800 million physical and digital albums worldwide. They have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any other act. They are also the best-selling music artists in the United States, with 178 million certified units
>
> — [Wikipedia - The Beatles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles)
**Fandom Origins:**
The fandom started to take off in 1963, and continued pass the group's break up in 1970 (public performances had stopped in 1966).
**Names:**
Beatlemaniacs
**Most Active:**
Definitely between 1960 an 1970. Today, according to [Google Trends data](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=The%20Beatles,Beatlemania), interest in the Beatles has been on the decline, though there was a spike in interest in September 2009 when remastered versions of their albums were re-released and again in February 2014 with _The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles_.
**Fanfics:**
Archive of our Own has over 1200 fanfics related to The Beatles.
### This week's spotlight
**[The Race Against Time](http://raceagainsttime.io)**
Now in its third year of running, the Race Against Time is the Nickscast's annual charity livestream where we work our way though Chrono Trigger, obtaining all its endings, and also raising money for the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Last year we raised over $1200 CAD, and have plans to surpass that!
This year, the event will be held August 12 through to August 13, starting at 10am ET. You can also subscribe on [Twitch.tv/theraceagainsttime](https://www.twitch.tv/theraceagainsttime) in anticipation of the event!
### Famous Last Words
This week's famous last words around *next week's* fandom as we travel to France, Arsene Lupin (Gentleman Thief)!
**G:**
Arsene Lupin is an old-timey thing and isn't relevant anymore.
**Z:**
Why... did Japan think there would be enough of a fandom for an anime?
**T:**
Why is Sherlock Holmes so popular (by comparison)? Arsene Lupin is a good guy on wrong side of the law... why is _that_ not more popular?
## Where can you find us online?
We are everywhere! Most notably though, we like to hang out in a few places on social media:
- If you want to help us to create more amazing fannish content, become a patron on [Patreon](http://patreon.com/thenickscast); even as little as a dollar a month pledge really helps us out!
- For all the latest updates, check us out on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast)
- To see the latest hijinx from our conventions or even our daily lives and adventures, check us out on [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)
- For our latest convention updates, *Let's Plays*, and other in-real-life video, [check out our YouTube channel](http://youtube.com/thenickscast)
- We're also on [iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210), and [Google Play](https://play.google.com/music/m/Icmngxz7yhaoivdvivvf6q6c2pu?t=Fanthropological), and would love it if you could leave a review and rating!
- if you want to reach us, and for some reason none of those work for you, try [
[email protected]](mailto:
[email protected])
- You can check out [our website](http://thenickscast.com); that will mostly bring you back to this stuff.
- Everything is `thenickscast`, so if you can't find us, go on your social network and search for that!
- ... You're still looking for ways to reach out? You can also use the hashtag `#fanthro` on Twitter!
## What is "Fanthropological"?
How did you read this far without asking this question?!
Fanthropological is an anthropological (ish) podcast where we bring the fan's-eye view to you! Each week, we take a look at a different fandom, dig up interesting background, trivia, and history, and try to get to why it is that people are a fan. We also try to highlight good causes related to that fandom, and find interesting things that fans have created to share those to the world. Each episode is about an hour. Ish.
## Who is "The Nickscast"?
*We* are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek ... who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick. Yes, we are super creative. Dare we say, the most creative.
*Ahem*
We are Nick Green, Nick Terwoord, and Nick Zacharewicz: We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom, and all that is shiny and interesting in that realm. It's what lead us to start our first podcast, our satellite podcasts, Fanthropological, and so much more.
We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans: We dream of a world where other fans aren't "those Weird-o's", but just folks with different tastes. A world where fandom is full of discourse and analysis, and there are plenty of tools and resources to help. Fans building communities to do good in the world. *Because everyone's a fan.*
## Thanks
Special thanks to Graeme for taking the time out of his busy schedule (especially since, at time of recording, the announcement of the new Doctor on _Doctor Who_ had taken place)!
## Credits
### Sources
- [Huffington Post - 5 Beatles Fan Theories You'll Think Are So Crazy They Might Just Be True](http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/the-beatles-fan-theories_n_6258074)
- [Wikipedia - The Beatles (TV series)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_(TV_series))
- [Wikipedia - Cultural impact of the Beatles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_impact_of_the_Beatles)
- [Suck My Beatles - MORE THINGS THE BEATLES INVENTED](http://suckmybeatles.com/category/more-things-the-beatles-invented/)
- [Book Doctor Gwen - 36 Beatles Firsts, Excerpted from an essay on The Beatles, by Gwen Foss](http://bookdoctorgwen.blogspot.ca/2009/09/36-beatles-firsts-excerpted-from-essay.html)
- [Beatlemania - A sexually defiant consumer subculture? - Barbara Ehrenreich, Elizabeth Hess and Gloria Jacobs (1992)](https://www.sfu.ca/cmns/courses/2011/488/1-Readings/Ehrenreich_Beatlemania.pdf)
- The Beatles Anthology by The Beatles (2000, Chronicle Books)
- [Wikipedia - The Beatles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles#1963.E2.80.931966:_Beatlemania_and_touring_years)
- [Wikipedia - Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanganyika_laughter_epidemic)
- [Wikipedia - Beatlemania](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatlemania)
- [The Guardian - Beatlemania: 'The Screamers' and other Tales of Fandom](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/29/beatlemania-screamers-fandom-teenagers-hysteria)
- [Business Insider - Science Explains Why Girls Went so Crazy for The Beatles](http://www.businessinsider.com/science-explains-why-girls-went-so-crazy-for-the-beatles-2014-2)
- [The A.V. Club - Spotify Sees a Resurgence of Beatlemania](http://www.avclub.com/article/spotify-sees-resurgence-beatlemania-234992)
- [Reddit - Why Are the Beatles Regarded as Such a Good Band?](https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/2x70gb/why_are_the_beatles_regarded_as_such_a_good_band/)
- [Reddit - Why Do You Love the Beatles?](https://www.reddit.com/r/beatles/comments/1npgn9/why_do_you_love_the_beatles/)
- [Reddit - Being a Human: What The Beatles Mean to Me](https://www.reddit.com/r/beatles/comments/16x865/being_a_human_what_the_beatles_mean_to_me/)
- [Reddit - How 15 Year Old Marsha Albert Kickstarted the British Invasion and Beatlemania in America](https://www.reddit.com/r/beatles/comments/6juw2a/how_15_year_old_marsha_albert_kickstarted_the/)
- [Reddit - Paul is Dead and Other Conspiracy Theories](https://www.reddit.com/r/beatles/comments/4yppkn/paul_is_dead_and_other_conspiracy_theories/)
- [Reddit - Was Beatlemania a Unique Social Phenomenon Based on the Musical Talents of The Beatles or the Result of Societal Changes of the Period?](https://www.reddit.com/r/beatles/comments/1mppt7/was_beatlemania_a_unique_social_phenomenon_based/)
- [Reddit - For Those Who Lived During the 60's, What Was Beatlemania Really Like?](https://www.reddit.com/r/beatles/comments/v6xxx/for_those_who_lived_during_the_60s_what_was/)
- [Reddit - How Much of the Beatlemania Craze was Deliberately Manufactured?](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3y0ipf/how_much_of_the_beatlemania_craze_was/)
### Music / Sound
- All music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!
### Artwork
- [Glasses](https://thenounproject.com/term/glasses/132894) by [Anton Anuchin](https://thenounproject.com/antonwebium) used under [CC BY 3.0](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/)
- ["Ringo Starr"](https://thenounproject.com/term/john-lennon/240389) by [enrico chialstri](https://thenounproject.com/enrico.chialastri) used under [CC BY 3.0](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/)
