Fandom is a powerful thing. It incites arguments and inspires creativity. As we found out last month, it pushes people to get involved in the community in new ways, like a lightsaber training class.
The Doctor Who fandom is on its own level. The series goes back more than 50 years and has its own ecosystem outside the television show with audio plays, novels, comic books and So. Much. Merchandise.
The ever-expanding Doctor Who universe (Whoniverse?) owes its omnipresence in nerd circles to its rabid fans. While not as culturally mainstream as geeky properties like Star Wars, Star Trek or Batman, Doctor Who’s fans have given it immense staying power outside its home in the UK and make the show’s presence well known on the convention circuit.
It was only natural for those gatherings to bleed over into rural Indiana. Enter Doctoberfest, an entirely Doctor Who-centric fall festival held for the past three years at Who North America in Camby, a store with a massive selection of Who merch and an impressive collection of Whovian artifacts.
In just three years, Doctoberfest has amassed a following of its own. Fans come from all over Indiana and the country at large to meet up with other Whovians, show off cosplay, play games and shop a small market of local Doctor Who-themed vendors.
In this episode of [Indi]android, we’ll get to know the store behind the festival and the fans who help make it happen, and find out just why Hoosiers love Doctor Who so much.
Thanks to Jany Bradbury (Who North America) and cosplayers Julie Riesenbeck, Lisa Sutton (Cosmic Hobo Cosplay) and Alena Van Arendonk for speaking with us. If you want to check out photos from this year’s event, you can head to their Facebook event page.
