Happy New Year from Fangirl Forward | #4
A quick check-in, featuring a 2025 recap and preview for 2026.
Happy New Year!!
I wasn’t initially going to send out an edition for today because of the holiday, but I couldn’t close out the year without saying a huge thank you to everyone who has subscribed to Fangirl Forward so far. I’m very grateful for everyone who has shared their support or contributed this year. Thank you for believing in the vision during this special launch era!
At its core, Fangirl Forward is all about the idea of pushing fandom forward. That means:
showing how fan skills can translate into creative and entertainment careers, and highlighting the pipeline from fandom to industry
giving the industry clearer insight into how fans actually think, behave, and respond to entertainment through fan storytelling and on-the-ground reporting
helping fans understand the systems they participate in, think critically about their engagement, and build healthier, more informed fan communities
Launching this platform has been such a meaningful highlight of my year, and hearing from readers who say the mission resonates with them has constantly reminded me just how needed these fan-driven conversations really are. I’m looking forward to creating even more in 2026.
Inside this edition, you’ll find a full digest of all of the stories published by Fangirl Forward this year, along with insight on how to get more involved in the new year. Plus, if you stick around to the end, there’s a short survey where you can share your thoughts on Fangirl Forward so far. Since we’re still in our early stages, I’m actively tweaking and refining the publication to make sure it serves this community well. Your insight truly helps shape what comes next, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on what’s working and what’s not so I can push this publication forward in the new year :)
Fangirl Forward’s 2025 Recap
In case you missed anything, here’s the full lineup of what we published this year.
Interviews - Conversations with fans, creatives, and industry professionals shaping fan culture and the entertainment industry
Carla Jara on Work Ethic, Representation and Building a Career in Music
Darija Katolik on Fan-Led Storytelling, Rewriting Media Narratives and Building ROARA
Forward Features - Longform essays and cultural analysis exploring how audiences shape entertainment and how entertainment shapes us
The “Crazed Fan” Problem: Why Stopping at the Spectacle Lets the Real Dangers in Fandom Thrive
Boyband Gone Rogue: How 5SOS Built Their Most Unhinged Era Yet
Black Girls Belong in Pop Fandom Too
From the Crowd - First-person reflections and fan perspectives from concerts, premieres, award shows, festivals and more
The Fan Moments That Made All Things Go 2025 Unforgettable
Running on Magic: Inside the Fandom That Powers runDisney
Farewell, Six Flags America: A Love Letter to the DMV’s Theme Park
The Fan Moments That Defined This Year’s HOT 99.5 Jingle Ball
FANFAQ - A practical explainer series answering the questions fans actually ask, with research or insight from people who know how the industry works
FANFAQ: 2026 Grammy Nominations, Explained
FANFAQ: What is a Parasocial Relationship?
FANFAQ: Are Artists Lip-Syncing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
FANFAQ: How Do You Become a Balloon Handler in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
FANFAQ: Is Your Spotify Wrapped Lying to You?
FANFAQ: Netflix Wants Warner Bros. So does Paramount. What Does It Mean for Fans?
Newsletters - A biweekly look at the people and ideas reshaping fandom, media and entertainment
How Carla Jara Built a Career in Music With Heart and Hustle
How Darija Katolik Turned Fandom into ROARA, a Home for Fan-Led Stories | Fangirl Forward
Inside the Fan-Fueled Rollout of Marty Supreme
How to get involved with Fangirl Forward in 2026
Fangirl Forward is built on community, whether that be fans, creatives, early-career professionals, or anyone who cares about how fandom shapes the future of entertainment. If you’d like to be part of our mission, here are a few ways to get involved in 2026:
Pitch a Story
We’re always looking for fresh perspectives from fans, writers, and industry-adjacent creatives. You can pitch essays, interviews, cultural analysis, and personal reflections about how fandom has shaped your identity, your work, or your worldview. Send your pitch here.
Recommend a Guest
Have someone you think would make for a great interview? We’re always looking for fans, creators, creatives and entertainment professionals to share their stories for the headline feature in the biweekly newsletter. Feel free to suggest someone, or yourself, to guest on Fangirl Forward in 2026. Recommend a guest here.
Submit a FANFAQ Question
Have a question about how the entertainment industry works? Something fans always get confused about? Want a behind-the-scenes explainer?
Send your question in here and it may be turned into a future FANFAQ.
Join the Fangirl Forward Collective (Coming Soon!)
In early 2026, we’re launching the Fangirl Forward Collective, a curated community for fans, emerging creatives, and rising entertainment professionals. It’s a space to connect, learn, and collaborate through events, prompts, resources, and community discussions that bring fandom and creativity together.
Newsletter subscribers will get first access when applications open.
Looking Ahead
As Fangirl Forward continues to grow, there may also be opportunities to support the platform behind the scenes, from editorial help to community building and event support. If that sounds like you, keep an eye out on LinkedIn and Instagram for future updates.
Share Fangirl Forward With a Friend
If you’ve enjoyed any of our stories this year, sending one edition to another fan helps the publication grow and reach more fans and industry pros.
How are you feeling about Fangirl Forward?
Since Fangirl Forward is still growing, I’d love your quick input as I plan what 2026 looks like, both for the publication overall and the biweekly newsletter. This takes under a minute!
As we wrap up 2025, I just want to again say how grateful I am that you’re here at the very beginning of this project. Fangirl Forward is still in its early stages, but I’ve been busy behind the scenes shaping what the next phase looks like, and 2026 is going to be a year of growth, new ideas, and community expansion.
From new stories and features to collaborative opportunities, full-fledged resources and our first in-person moments (!!), there’s so much more to come. I can’t wait to share more when the time is right.
Happy New Year!! Here’s to moving fandom forward, together.