Experiments In The Lab

By Ellen (@fringecomix)

I have been an artist for a few years, but my journey into the world of Fringe fan art started on New Year's Day 2013. I was sitting around on the last day of my midwinter vacation, thinking about how our beloved Fringe only had a few episodes remaining. I had my iPad in my lap and I started doodling a picture of the Fringe glyphs. Then I realized, "Hey it's New Year's Day, and this is the perfect day to start a 365-day art challenge."  The idea made me a little less sad about losing our show. So the Fringe 365 Project was born. Truly one of the greatest adventures I've ever been on!(http://fringecomix.wordpress.com/the-fringe-365-project/)

A year and 365 Fringey pictures later, I didn't want to stop doing it and lose all that daily discipline!  And though Fringe had a somewhat larger weekly TV audience than other shows, such as Supernatural, it seems that these other  fandoms are so much more engaged in art and fanfiction (some of that Supernatural fan art is world class!) I don't know why this is, but I do know that I don't want to sit idly by and let the one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time go unrepresented. (And also, Joshua Jackson said we could.  So why not?)

While I think the Fringe series ended beautifully, at the same time I feel like the creators of Fringe made such a rich universe and expanded cast of characters, that for fans to not explore it further would be a huge waste of imaginative space. So, for 2014 I decided to paint a speculative Fringe picture every month, focusing on what the characters might be doing and what new adventures they might be getting into. It's called the Fringe Forward Project (with new pictures posted on the 18th of every month, in honor of the final episodes of Fringe). I think it will continue at least through 2015. (http://fringecomix.wordpress.com/the-fringe-forward-project/) 

While this version of the Fringeverse will never hit the screen, I hope it is  proof of some sort that there are in fact stories about these characters left to tell. (Surely, the smart people in Hollywood can think of something even better, if it ever so happens that the money is there, that the cast is willing and that other highly improbable things fall into place....)

Over the past year and a half I have gotten to virtually know a great little community of inspiring artists (like Kylie, @wildheart71) and we are having a lot of fun. I hope more and more fans join us in exercising whatever talents you have.  

Fringe needs you!