I’m sure that everyone has it in them; just so few of us dare to let it out.

The “it” is the freak edge of oneself that remains suppressed on a daily basis. Whether it is a fascination with golf or a deep love for Japanese anime, we all have an “it” that can be indulged and explored. Stephen and Suzie Lackey’s affectionate documentary on the culture of comics and conventions gives us an introspective insider view into the lives of folks who aren’t ashamed of their freaky side, and who find others who share their devotion to comics, fantasy, and science fiction.

The documentary starts slow with Chris Dyer owner of Outer Limits Comics narrating in an interview format from behind the counter of his store. For me, his “narration” is the weakest part of the film, however, Dyer does provide us with an experienced and mature voice among those who may just be involved with the fascination as a passing youthful phase. You see Dyer has chosen a career that submerges him in his hobby—a dangerous combination I have discovered when I took to writing for EI several years ago. The moral may be to be careful, too much of a good thing, well, you guys know the rest.

The Director Lackeys (a husband and wife team) take a hands-off approach and try to capture their subject naturally in the wilds of the comics store, an Anime Weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, and ultimately Dragoncon—the biggest freak show of the year. Veteran actress Karen Black who comments on her latest film “House of a 1000 Corpses” describes the atmosphere of the cons aptly as “odd” and “wonderful.”

To be sure, cons, especially Dragoncon, are both odd and wonderful and for the rest of us who dare not indulge our fantasies, a little scary. "Fans and Freaks" gains much momentum by covering the ghoulish and freakish happenings sponsored at Atlanta's annual freak fest. Highpoints include limited coverage of wrestling events, concerts both large and small, the Klingon Empire Beauty Contest, and the Dragoncon "Dawn" lookalike contest which Rusty White highly recommends having covered it for EI last year.

Dragoncon, held each year in Atlanta, is such a freak show that it alone could have been the subject matter of this documentary. One day at this festival would shock and amaze the non-science fiction and fantasy fan to his core. Karen Black's perspective is a kind of magic because as an insider she admits to being amazed by the convention recounting her experiences with weird fans and giving us her observations of Dragoncon.

The Lackeys want desperately to do more than just capture the happenings, they want to legitimate their subjects taking time to give many con goers the opportunity to tell us why they devote so much of their lives and time to such pursuits. We enter the bedroom of one young lady, Ambera McGee, who is awfully attached to her collection of anime action figures, clothing and other sundries. She tells us that she got into anime through her Dad. Her room is adorned with wall-to-wall anime books, action figures, and anime convention items. Although she is 18, she appears much younger telling us that one day she sees herself sitting on a “straw mat” at a “low art desk” drawing anime. She quotes lines of Japanese dialogue as though it is her second language.

Is this a passing phase? Well, yes, we know it is and someday, those old crazy days will be only remembered fondly and spoken of with a wink and a nod. Of course, every now and then the imagination and creativity that emerges from such “laboratories” spawns a great mind, and without fans to support it in infancy, progressive societies would suffer immeasurable losses.

So much of “Fans and Freaks” is odd and wonderful.

To learn more about the documentary "Fans and Freaks" visit the site http://www.captain-pixel.com.

Jonathan W. Hickman, 2003