For superfans, comic-con culture is more than fun – it’s sacred, a sociologist explains

By Michael Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Towson University

Picture a packed stadium of fans in extreme weather, all clad in their favorite jerseys, cheering and cursing at their favorite American football team or European soccer club. Or a crush of screaming fans, singing and dancing in unison at a Taylor Swift or K-pop concert. Or a sea of costumed “Star Wars” fans, lightsabers aloft, filling up movie theaters on opening night of a new movie.

Plenty of people like to watch sports, attend concerts and go to the movies. But what about those fans – the die-hard…

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