Current mood:

Mundane

Once again, HP fandom proves its ability to wank anywhere, anytime.
I instigated this one, but was not actually involved.

What happened was that I posted something I hoped people would find mildly amusing on fanficrants.

Okay, fanficcer boys and fanficcer girls - but mostly fanficcer girls - gather around! We're going to play a little game! Don't worry, it's not hard... all you have to do is answer one simple little question.

WHICH IS HOGWARTS?

this one?

OR

this one?
Take your time. This is not a trick question.

So people comment. People snark. It is a normal fanficrants day. And then junediamanti shows up wearing the crown of ultimate canon-nazi. I fear everything has been very polite so far, but it amused me nevertheless.

junediamanti: It is a trick question, actually. Picture A is taken from a cheap and nasty fanfic to be found on an ffnet near you. Picture B is taken from an equally inaccurate (but very expensive and glossy looking) fanfic to be seen on you television set provided you have either VHS or a DVD. Both are fanon. B is prettier.

meshou: Disagree. Second isn't just based upon the books, it's sanctioned by the author as something she wants her name on, and involves heavy input directly from her that didn't come from the books. If she didn't, she wouldn't have signed contracts, nor would she take part in helping promote the movies. They are a separate source material. There are most likely visual things in there she sanctioned not in the books. She has taken actors and told them what would happen in future books so they would have a better clue how to play their characters faithfully. I wouldn't call it canon, but I would call it a supplement to canon, and certainly not fanfic.

junediamanti: The agreement is after the fact. And generally they would show her what they had planned, not involve her in the design. I personally do not consider the movies as canon, that is all.

meshou: So wait-- she did not sign her name to give permission to make a Harry Potter movie? I'd think she'd be outraged if they made it without her approval or permission, or if they didn't publish something faithful to her books. Steven King took his name off Lawnmower Man at considerable loss, I don't believe JKR couldn't have done that.

fernwithy: Whether she signed permission or not is irrelevant--where the books differ from the movies (a point which increases with each one), the books are canon and the movies are wrong. Where they don't differ, the movies are fan art. That said, of the two pictures, only one depicts a British castle. You could have as easily put up Winsor Castle, and it would still be the right answer. ;)

I wonder if we'd be having this same discussion if I'd used an illustration from the books. "JKR didn't draw that! It's not canon!"