Meet the Failcrew – Sabra Schirm

I’ve always been a fan…of cheesy horror movies, of books, of movies, of travel, of theatre, etc. Life would be very bored indeed if there was nothing to “fangasm” over. So thank you, Made of Fail, for letting me fangasm all over you…er, wait…

What is your role in Made of Fail Productions?

Currently, I am writing a (cheeky) The Ohtori Archives (*cough*ShamelessPlug*cough*), a review blog of Hatori Bisco’s Ouran High School Host Club, a parody on the reverse-harem/high school romance genres. I’m nearly done with the first volume (so, so close), and am looking forward to writing about the insanity that’s to come.

…there’s a lot of that to come, actually. Probably more than I can remember. O.o

In general, I’ve had a great deal of fun writing the entries, and often find myself gleefully cackling. I’m pretty sure that the people I live with think I’m as Mad as a March Hare. :) I wouldn’t have it any other way, though. With 83+ chapters, all at least 20 pages long, and a very full schedule, there would be absolutely not point in doing a review blog like this if I didn’t enjoy the hell out of it.

What fascinates you the most about your fandoms, or fandom as a whole?

The Fan Experience…”warts and all.” You give a fan a book/comic/movie, and what they connect to, what they identify with, how they interpret what is being shown to them is going to be unique to that person. More often than not, these same fans go out into the Wilds of the Internet and share these interpretations, these likes/dislikes. Some start fan art/-fiction archives, some blog, others produce awesome podcasts (*cough* Made of Fail *cough*). It doesn’t matter what they do, the point is that they are connecting with people they might never have met, otherwise.

Most relevant for me, though…the Fan Experience is why I write. I started writing fan fiction when I was fourteen because I wanted to share my Fan Experience with my friends. It’s how I connected with them, over shared stories and giggles. It is how I developed my own style and was able to create original works. It’s how I learned about other genres I otherwise would have over-looked, all of which have informed my style and quirks as a writer, over time.

If not for this sharing, I wouldn’t even know about Ouran, seeing as I first saw clips of it in an AMV on Youtube, using a dub over of “The Internet is for Porn” from Avenue Q. That shit sticks to your brain like glue, and I’m very glad that it did.

What is your proudest accomplishment or achievement?

I have a lot of writer’s anxiety, I guess you could call it, so the fact that I even proposed a project in the first place is a Big Thing for me. I’d wanted to do something for Made of Fail for a while, but always ended up putting it off. I have to say, I don’t regret putting on my Big Girl Panties and doing this, because this is the most creative writing I’ve done in a long, long time. The fact that I can put my work out there, and not criticize every line, every word, every stylistic choice is a big step in allowing myself to Chill the Fuck Out and give myself a break.

Also…my Lit professor, who specializes in Graphic Novels (which is just plain awesome), took down the web site for my blog. I didn’t think about it when she asked for the web address, but…my professor could be reading my blogs. The Streams are being Crossed, guys. This is both exciting and nerve-wrecking. I’m just going to grit my teeth and pretend that she isn’t mentally grading me. XD

What do you do when you’re not online?

Before? There was no Outside, only the Interwebs…and I’d play on my Xbox 360 or PS2, on occasion. I miss those days…my games all are dusty and stare at me, especially the older Silent Hill games I went out of my way to track down and buy for my PS2. They just sit there, gathering dust, and judge me.

Now, though ? I’m going to be splitting my time between getting out reviews and doing all the work that comes with being enrolled in 13 units in college (four classes and a Lab)…oh, and finding a job, too. :/

What is your dream job?

I’d like to work in Communications and New Media…it’s what I am going to school for, actually. I’m planning to specialize in either 3-D animation and gaming, OR Audio/TV production. Either way, it’s a lot of web design, script production for TV/web/radio, website building, hand-on training to edit for TV and web series, and all with elements of design thrown in.

I’ve always wanted to find a way to combine music and visual elements in a way that is striking. Some of the Epic BBC promos come to mind, as well as one fan-made promo in particular that is actually one of the best I’ve ever seen. The fact that I could take all these learned design elements and combine them in a way that would work with by experience in Art and Theatre is a huge, HUGE bonus. Unfortunately, I have to wait another two semesters at least before I can get to that part of the program, but it is so, so worth the wait and the major travel cost I will be paying to commute. I can’t wait.

What is your greatest pet peeve?

Ignorant people running at the mouth.

There is nothing so irksome to me than someone saying this or that is “wrong” or “bad,” and having no idea what they are talking about. I can usually keep my cool, but I’ve been known to go from calm to She-HULK on the very rare occasion that I’ve come across the breed of Douchebag that claims tolerance on high, then says something so disgusting and ignorant that I want to reach through the internet and slap them upside the head.

For the most part, I’ve been fortunate to have avoided confrontations like that.

Sabra can be followed on Twitter (@cue_face_palm)

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