What the !#$@!? (about underground)

Did you read my first feature about Sci-Fi Fandom and watch the video, and then wonder: "What the !#$@!?"

So what is Underground?

It began with some burning questions: Who exactly would pay $49 to pose with wax figures from the Starship Enterprise? How long does it take to put a pair of BVDs on a goat? And why are people having such a blast doing these things?

Armed with a video cam, a '76 Guild guitar, an old bike helmet, and a Space Oddity costume I picked up on Venice Boulevard, I set out to get some answers.

I've met taggers, tuners, krumpers, gay rodeo riders, furries, filkers, and Bollywood dreamers. I've sucked up the smoke of burning tires, clouds of spray paint, and fumes of spent rocket fuel.

I took lots of pictures and posted them on Flickr. (Shameless Yahoo! Promotion I) Check them out if you want, or post some of your own. (Shameless Promotion, The Sequel: No One Gets Out Without Posting Pics!)

I put together video reports—of a kind—and wrote some music with a friend to set the mood.

Got your own take on this stuff? (Of course you do!) I've uploaded the music, video, stills, and other random footage to Jumpcut, so you can cut your own video and add it to the underground mix. (Shameless Promotion III: The Day You Outdid Brad.)

America is a gigantic collection of subcultures: fans, hobbyists, collectors, obsessives.  We're all on the fringes.  The aim of Underground is to explore those fringes, tassel by tassel, and have some fun.

And remember: a good paint mask can come in real handy.