Who Are the Northlanders?
Northlanders are Canadian fans of Highlander. We share a love for Duncan
MacLeod, of the Clan MacLeod; for Connor MacLeod (same Clan, older vintage);
for Amanda, Methos, Cassandra, Richie, Tessa, Joe, and the rest of the
crew.
More than that, Northlanders share a unique perspective:
-
Northlanders know that HL the series was, at least partly, Canadian.
-
Northlanders know that MacLeod loves beautiful cities. Why else would he
spend half his time in Paris and the other half in Vancouver, B.C.?
-
Northlanders are amused by "Seacouver" and the token attempts to make it
seem American.
-
Northlanders secretly admire Forever Knight for having the courage
to admit it's in Canada.
-
Northlanders love to play "name that Vancouver landmark".
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Northlanders knew Jim Byrnes before they ever met Joe Dawson.
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Northlanders know that a favourite episode or, in a pinch, a good Fru,
is a great way to keep warm on a cold winter's night.
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Finally, Northlanders proudly own a copy of Ghost
Cat's I am Immortal parody. *Well, you
do, don't you?
Why Clan Northlander?
Mrello all, I'm Ghost Cat, of
the Clan Northlander. I'll be glad to welcome any and all Canadians as
kin. Alaskans are most welcome, as they share the same Northern spirit;
and if you want to become an Honourary Canadian, we can talk about it.
The purpose of creating Clan Northlander was to provide a sense of community
and identity for Canadian fans; a name we can rally around, a place to
make contacts both on-line and in real life; a way to get information and
a Northern perspective.
Fandom, like the 'Net, is a very big place and it seems to be mostly
populated by Americans. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The
Forum
is wonderful, and there is an immediate feeling of being part of a family.
But a Canadian can still feel a bit like an outsider, especially during
Convention season. Being an HL fan in Canada is not an easy thing, even
more than many other fan groups. The Conventions are far away, or horribly
expensive, or both. Merchandise must be obtained at U.S. prices, in U.S.
dollars, often with twice the normal shipping and handling. Most of all,
it's really hard to find other fans.
When the I am Immortal parody rant first
went out on the Forum,
it got a mixed reaction. There were those who loved it, and there were
those who just didn't get the joke. But the enthusiastic responses proved
that there really were HLanders out there north of 49. It wasn't until
someone circulated a horrible rumor suggesting a delayed Canadian release
of Highlander: Endgame, though, that the full extent of the Northern presence
was felt. Hell hath no fury like a Northlander scorned! That's when I knew
it was time...
