Original character
An original character (OC) typically refers to a type of fictional character that is created by a member of a fandom. They are a non-canonical character created by the author of fan fiction, a fan artist, or creator of another fan work, who exists within a certain fictional universe and may interact with existing characters or locations.[1][2][3][4][5] The term can also be used in a wider sense to refer to any fictional character.[6] There are also gender-specific acronyms like OMC (acronym for original male character) and OFC (acronym for original female character).[7][5]
Examples
[edit]OCs are used in various subcultures including the Star Wars fandom, the Harry Potter fandom,[1] and other subcultures. OCs play a big part in the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom. There are character-designing tools on sites like Newgrounds where fans can create their own Sonic OC.[8] Takashi Iizuka mentioned the character customization system in Sonic Forces was influenced by the Sonic community's tendency to create such characters.[9] Cosplayers create these characters based on their imaginations, fan fiction, and other works.[10] For cosplayers, OCs can give them a larger range of choices of characters to cosplay as.[11]
OCs are also used in the furry fandom.[12] A majority of furries have a type of OC called a fursona.[13] A fursona is defined as a personally claimed persona resembling an anthropomorphic animal adopted by a member of the subculture.[14][15] Some members of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom also use My Little Pony OCs as personas.[16]
OCs can serve as protagonists[1] or as minor characters in a story.[17] A writer may add another author's OC into their own work.[18] An OC can provide a different point of view to a fictional universe; for instance, a fan fiction author can create an OC that is a student at one of Hogwarts’ rival schools.[1] There has been some debate online whether or not writers should make their OCs suffer or not.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^ a b c d Vicente, Vann (2021-11-14). "What Does "OC" Mean, and How Do You Use It?". How-To Geek. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- ^ Whitehead 2018, p. 73.
- ^ Barner 2017, p. 188.
- ^ Franceschi 2017, p. 81.
- ^ a b Carson, C. (2017). "What is fanfiction and where to find it: Definitions and fan archives". Beyond the Book:fanfiction. S2CID 63070065.
- ^ a b Carpou, Madeline (2022-05-27). "Should You Be Allowed to Make Your OC Suffer? Twitter Debates a Controversial Tumblr Ask". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ Richard, Moriah (2022-06-25). "What Is Fan Fiction in Writing?". Writer's Digest. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
- ^ Feldman, Brian (2020-02-14). "The Staff of New York Shows Off Its Sonic OCs". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
- ^ Frank, Allegra (September 25, 2017). "Sonic Forces' Custom Hero mode might not be the wish fulfillment you want". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019.
- ^ Winge 2018, pp. 118–119.
- ^ Crawford 2019, p. 173.
- ^ Adams 2023, p. 101.
- ^ Reysen 2021, p. 96.
- ^ "Words We're Watching: 'Furry' and 'Fursona'". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
- ^ "Definition of FURSONA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Alexandratos 2017, p. 67-68.
- ^ Schott 2023, p. 49.
- ^ Black 2008, p. 40.
Bibliography
[edit]- Whitehead, Carrie (June 15, 2018). Teen Fandom and Geek Programming:A Practical Guide for Librarians. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 9781538107539.
- Winge, Therèsa (November 2018). Costuming Cosplay:Dressing the Imagination. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781350035928.
- Crawford, Garry (June 4, 2019). Cosplay and the Art of Play:Exploring Sub-Culture Through Art. Springer International Publishing. ISBN 978-3-030-15966-5.
- Alexandratos, Jonathan (March 31, 2017). Articulating the Action Figure: Essays on the Toys and Their Messages. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-4766-6427-9.
- Barner, Ashley (October 31, 2017). The Case for Fanfiction:Exploring the Pleasures and Practices of a Maligned Craft. McFarland. ISBN 9781476668772.
- Schott, Christine (January 30, 2023). Canon Fanfiction:Reading, Writing, and Teaching with Adaptations of Premodern and Early Modern Literature. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN 9781501515989.
- Franceschi, Valeria (June 20, 2017). Exploring Plurilingualism in Fan Fiction:ELF Users as Creative Writers. Cambridge Scholars. ISBN 9781443896085.
- Black, Rebecca (2008). Adolescents and Online Fan Fiction. Peter Lang. ISBN 9780820497389.
- Adams, Camielle (December 8, 2023). Furscience: A Decade of Psychological Research on the Furry Fandom. Stephen Reysen. ISBN 9780997628838.
- Reysen, Stephen (April 19, 2021). Transported to Another World:The Psychology of Anime Fans. Stephen Reysen. ISBN 978-0-9976288-1-4.