Browncoat

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This article is on fans of the TV series Firefly and its spin-off film Serenity. For the Nazi stormtroopers sometimes called "brownshirts" see Sturmabteilung.

Browncoat is a term applied to fans of the short-lived television series Firefly.[1][2] The name is based on a nickname for the Independent Faction from the series.

Contents

[edit] Fictional meaning

In the series, Browncoats were named after the simple, brown dusters they wore as uniforms. The simplicity of their gear was greatly due to the fact that technology and resources were scarce on the Outer Planets. Conversely, the Alliance's soldiers were called "Purple bellies", because of the purple-tinted body armor they wore on their chests.

[edit] Fans

Ad that ran in Variety magazine
Ad that ran in Variety magazine

The original fans first organized to try to save the series from being cancelled by Fox Broadcasting Network. Their efforts included raising money for an ad in Variety magazine and a postcard writing campaign to UPN.

These fans are also sometimes known as "flans" (IPA /flæn/ - rhymes with American-English "fan"). This originated from a slip of the tongue by actor Nathan Fillion during an interview, when talking about Firefly fans. (Wikiquote transcription)

[edit] Notable Browncoats

[edit] References

  1. ^ Chonin, Neva. "When Fox canceled 'Firefly,' it ignited an Internet fan base whose burning desire for more led to 'Serenity'", San Francisco Chronicle, 2005-6-8, pp. E1. Retrieved on 2007-11-22. 
  2. ^ "Hungry for the real Roman Cinema FILM OF THE WEEK" The Herald (Glasgow); Oct 6, 2005; HANNAH McGILL; p. 8 "[Reviewing the film Serenity]... [t]he intricacies of the plot, however, are really of interest only to browncoats (yes, there are enough Firefly obsessives that they have their own special name! )"
  3. ^ Meet Your Browncoat Astronaut. Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
  4. ^ Uncle Orson Reviews Everything. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  5. ^ The Signal Season 1 Show 15. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  • Joss Whedon (2006). Firefly Official Companion, Volume One. UK: Titan Books. ISBN 1-84576-314-9. 
  • Done the Impossible: The Fans' Tale of Firefly & Serenity (2006), directed by Tony Hadlock, Jason Heppler, Jeremy Neish, Jared Nelson, and Brian Wiser, DVD, UPC 822732036221