From Spock with Love

Abstract

Talking action figures, objects enhanced with sound effects, My Little Pony Star Trek remixes, and Star Trek-themed musical greeting cards are all forms of musicking fandom that foster community when circulated and consumed on participatory Internet platforms by Star Trek fans. Drawing on examples of musicking fandom from the Star Trek franchise, this chapter focuses on issues of circulation, sharing, and sociality in social media dedicated to the materiality and audio of Star Trek fan culture. I focus specifically on how YouTube is used to perform Star Trek-branded fan objects, or in the case of participatory digital maker practices (e.g., remixes, covers, or fan-made videos), how YouTube videos and other forms of fannish creative labor become fan objects. Star Trek fans create and support their community by employing Star Trek sounds/music in their fannish creations, and specifically those that circulate on participatory platforms. The creators of these participatory interactive media guide listener-viewers through performances of their carefully curated Star Trek musical greeting cards or the audio culture of action figures, toys, and other collectible objects and ephemera. I examine how the materiality of Star Trek fan audio culture is circulated, shared, and consumed in participatory ways through the advantage of digital culture innovation. Virtual performances of fan audio culture repurpose, replay, and remix iconic audio, but they also archive these sounds for infinite replay and enjoyment, and contribute to fannish notions of inclusivity, creativity, and—above all—community.