So we’ve been doing this for awhile now: organizing ad hoc campaigns in an attempt to bring some of the fandom together and promote our favorite show. We started small – a few Skype meetings, GetGlue check ins, and lots of word of mouth on Twitter. We posted a few articles about overcoming our tragically unmonitored status,  and supporting our sponsors. We learned a lot from other campaigners as well as our own experience, and the response we’ve gotten has been overwhelming. We’re touched, and pleased, and a little taken aback at the enthusiasm with which our little campaigns have been met. Your dedication to spreading the word resulted in last week’s phenomenally successful #crosstheline campaign, and a staggering amount of traffic for this itty bitty blog. As unbelievable as it seems, the message is pretty clear: you guys are on board for all the crazy stuff we’ve been asking you to do.

Well okay then. If y’all are in, then so are we.

We’re here to stay as long as you’re with us. And honestly, probably even if you’re not – fighting for Fringe has sorta become what we do, and there’s no way we’re gonna stop until it’s over. We have a new campaign already online for this Friday (Jan. 20), and several more in the works. And we’ve been doing some talking and have decided that if we’re going to continue to do this, it’s time to get serious, get organized, and really start utilizing all that talent and dedication you guys have been throwing at us. So we’ve come up with a name for our plucky little band, and even

(drumroll…)

a mission statement! Just like a real live organization. But here’s the catch: there is no “us” and “you”. We’re not here to cook up plans on our own, hand down orders, and hope you guys follow them and everything goes well. We are all “us.” You are all “we.” To quote The Beatles, “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.” Which is a convoluted way of saying that we couldn’t have come this far without you, and we hope you’ll be with us to the end. We need you, and Fringe needs us all.

So what we’ve come up with is a name for the brilliant, wacky, affectionate promotional enthusiasm you’ve shown us, and a set of objectives that we feel covers the spirit of what we’ve all tried to accomplish together. We’re all here for Fringe, and we need everyone’s help if we’re to have a chance at a fifth (and sixth, and seventh xD) season. We don’t just need your help spreading the word and trending topics, although we definitely need that; we need your ideas, your art, your videos, your writing, your anything you can throw at us. We’ll put it all together and try to come up with campaigns that have a really good chance at making a difference. So without further ado, allow me to show you what you’ve shown us, over and over again:

Fringenuity

We define it as: “An organization of fans dedicated to celebrating and supporting Fringe in a positive and effective manner through the collaborative efforts of a global Fringe team. We believe that Fringe exemplifies extraordinary storytelling, and that it deserves nothing less than the conclusion its creators have in mind. ”

The objectives we’d like to pursue are as follows:

1. To promote Fringe through a variety of campaigns targeted at both the existing
audience and the legions of uninitiated science fiction fans.

2. To gain new viewers for Fringe while bolstering and coalescing the fan community.

3. To foster innovative promotion on all fronts, welcoming and supporting workable
ideas from anyone.

4. To engage other fandoms in friendly dialogue, forming ties between genre fans of
all stripes.

5. Above all, we intend to enjoy Fringe for as long as we have it, and continue to
enjoy the personal relationships we’ve found within this extraordinary fanbase.

We believe that genre television is always an endangered species, and would
benefit in general from the mutual support of its individual fandoms.

So there it is, what do you think? We have our work cut out for us. (I have my work cut out for me!) 😉 Look for a lot of changes to this site in the next few days, probably mainly over in the forums.* We’ll be beefing up the Neural Network (forum for posting ideas), adding dedicated threads and guidelines for posting art, vids, essays, etc., always with the goal of transparency and inclusivity in mind. We may not run with every idea that’s presented – please bear with us, we’re playing it by ear, and want to focus on ideas that have the best chance for success – but we’ll try to back anyone who wants to take the lead in a project of their own. Look for some sort of sign up sheet for those who want to contribute their talents, be they artistic, literary, or networky. Look for some kind of survey on where you’re most socially active, and where you’d like to see more Fringe promotion happening. We’ll be needing lots of volunteers for lots of things, but above all, we’ll need your continued support and “Fringenuity.”

This is not about recognition. Lord knows it’s not about making money, it’s not a professional website. It’s always and only about Fringe, and the story the producers want to tell that we want to see so very badly. We’re here until the bitter victorious end, we hope you’re with us.

So much love to all of you,

The Fringenuity Team

*Forums are still under construction! They’re functional, but some things are hard to read – working on it. 😉