Haven't signed into your Scholastic account before?
Teachers, not yet a subscriber?
Subscribers receive access to the website and print magazine.
You are being redirecting to Scholastic's authentication page...
Announcements & Tutorials
How Students and Families Can Log In
1 min.
Setting Up Student View
Sharing Articles with Your Students
2 min.
Interactive Activities
5 min.
Sharing Videos with Students
Using Action with Educational Apps
Join Our Facebook Group!
Differentiating with Action
Subscriber Only Resources
Access this article and hundreds more like it with a subscription to Action magazine.
Test Your Superfan Knowledge!
You’re about to read “Superfans! Then and Now.” This text pairing is about two popular bands and how their fans helped them become superstars. It got us thinking about all kinds of fandoms— that’s the name given to groups of fans who share a love for a specific musician, TV show, movie, book, comic, or more.
How much do you know about fandoms, past and present? Take this quiz to find out. (Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers. By the time you’re done, you’ll be an expert.)
Which author from the 1800s had what would be considered a pretty serious fandom today?
istockworld/Shutterstock; mark designers/Shutterstock; Natata/Shutterstock
A. Charles Dickens
B. Emily Dickinson
C. Edgar Allen Poe
D. Jane Austen
Charles Dickens was an English writer known for stories like A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities. Back in the day, his fans were obsessed! When Dickens visited America in 1842, superfans followed him wherever he went. They even tried to snip off pieces of his coat as souvenirs!
True or false: Fans of the Beatles—a rock group from the 1960s—were so out of control that the band stopped playing live shows.
AP Images
A. True
B. False
True. Unfortunately, Beatles concerts became dangerous. At one event, fans charged the stage and more than 100 people were injured. Crowds got so loud that the band members couldn’t hear themselves play. The Beatles kept making music, but stopped performing live.
What would someone call fans of the Harry Potter book series?
r.nagy/Shutterstock
A. Potterheads
B. The Harry Fans
C. Dumbledore’s Army
D. Potterlovers
“Potterheads” is a common name for major Harry Potter fans—and there are millions of them around the globe. More than 500 million copies of the series’ books have been sold worldwide. How did the series become so popular? The first book came out in 1997, right around when the internet started to take off. To show their love, fans made websites. This helped them connect with each other more easily than ever before.
True or false: The San Diego Comic Con is one of the world’s largest events for comic fans.
Lauren Elisabeth/Shutterstock
True! This event was first held in 1970 with around 100 fans. Now it brings together as many as 135,000 people a year from more than 80 countries. At the event, fans share their love for comics, movies, anime, and more.
Which of the following best describes a type of story that fans may write about their favorite characters?
Ollyy/Shutterstock
A. Fan-stery
B. Fan reads
C. Fan fiction
D. A fan letter
Fan fiction is a story written about characters that already exist from books, TV, or movies. It places these characters in new situations. Writing fan fiction invites fans to get creative with their own version of stories they already love.
Which of the following is NOT an official Star Wars fan club?
AKKHARAT JARUSILAWONG/Shutterstock
A. Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club
B. Rebel Legion
C. R2-D2 Builders Club
D. Obi-Wan Kenobi Task Force
The Obi-Wan Kenobi Task Force is not the name of an official Star Wars fan club—but the others are! With more than 100 fan clubs, Star Wars has one of the biggest fandoms in the world.
Which of the following social media accounts for the K-pop band BTS has the most followers?
A. Instagram
B. YouTube
C. Twitter
D. TikTok
The Korean pop band’s YouTube channel is the most popular. It has more than 56.5 million subscribers. (Instagram is second, with 47.8 million followers.) Here, you can find music videos, behind-the-scenes clips, interviews, and more. Social media now plays an important part in bringing fans together.