CULTURE / RECEPTION / CONSUMPTION TOYING WITH TWIN PEAKS: FANS, ARTISTS AND RE-PLAYING OF A CULT-SERIES KATRIINA HELJAKKA Name Katriina Heljakka and again through mimetic practices such as re-creation of Academic centre School of History, Culture and Arts Studies characters and through photoplay. Earlier studies indicate (Degree Program of) Cultural Production and Landscape that adults are showing increased interest in character toys Studies, University of Turku such as dolls, soft toys (or plush) and action figures and vari- E-mail address
[email protected] ous play patterns around them (Heljakka 2013). In this essay, the focus is, on the one hand on industry-created Twin Peaks KEYWORDS merchandise, and on the other hand, fans’ creative cultivation Adult play; fandom; photoplay; re-playing; toy play; toys. and play with the series scenes and its characters. The aim is to shed light on the object practices of fans and artists and ABSTRACT how their creativity manifests in current Twin Peaks fandom. This article explores the playful dimensions of Twin Peaks The essay shows how fans of Twin Peaks have a desire not only (1990-1991) fandom by analyzing adult created toy tributes to influence how toyified versions of e.g. Dale Cooper and the to the cult series. Through a study of fans and artists “toy- Log Lady come to existence, but further, to re-play the series ing” with the characters and story worlds of Twin Peaks, I will by mimicking its narrative with toys. demonstrate how the re-playing of the series happens again 25 SERIES VOLUME I, Nº 2, WINTER 2016: 25-40 DOI 10.6092/issn.2421-454X/6589 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TV SERIAL NARRATIVES ISSN 2421-454X PARATEXTS, FANDOMS AND THE PERSISTENCE OF TWIN PEAKS CULTURE / RECEPTION / CONSUMPTION > KATRIINA HELJAKKA TOYING WITH TWIN PEAKS: FANS, ARTISTS AND RE-PLAYING OF A CULT-SERIES FIGURE 1.