Portrait of a Fangirl is a web series created by Temple of Geek. At the core of the project is the importance of telling the stories of women who have found inspiration, growth, and power through fandom. In this episode, we interview Annika, who is passionate about many fandoms, from music to geek culture and community.

Portrait of a Fangirl – Episode Eight “Annika”

We photographed Annika a few years apart at different conventions and again in 2021. Annika also provided photos from her personal collection. These photos only scratch the surface of who Annika is as a person. However, they do begin to tell a story about who she is as a fangirl.

One thing that is inspiring about Annika is the way she is able to be unapologetically herself. She doesn’t hide the fact that she is a fangirl. For many geeks who grew up in the 80s and 90s, being open about their passions wasn’t easy. The introduction and popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has helped usher geek culture into the mainstream. But two decades ago, even being a “Star Wars” enthusiast was looked down on. Comic Book culture was thought of as something young boys and unattractive men who lived in their mom’s basement enjoyed. It made it so that many pop culture enthusiasts hid their passions. For Annika to have been so open about her passions in that era is really impressive.

Portraits

Portrait of a Fangirl began as a photography project with the goal of capturing the rich and diverse manifestations of fangirling. We wanted to take portraits of geeky women as a way to celebrate their fandoms. We soon came to realize that, even though a picture—as the cliché goes—is indeed worth a thousand words, these women have stories to tell that require a more robust mode of storytelling. Our photos hope to break the stereotype and their stories are meant to praise their vast and unique expression—from sports to music, movies to books and history, and countless other fandoms.

In her photos, you can see that Annika lives her life authentically. Her home is decorated with art, figures, and collectibles from many of her different fandoms. Music was one of her first fandoms, and she has turned her love of music into meaningful experiences. As a Beatles’ fan, she has traveled to many of the spots well-known to the Beatles. She also manages to turn her excitement for movies and television into vacations. She travels to the places that many of her favorite franchises were filmed.

Fandom plays a part in the way she dresses on a daily basis, as well as the jewelry she wears. She loves to cosplay and visit comic book conventions. Also, she has managed to turn all of that into a community. Her love of fandoms has given her a community and friendships with like-minded people.