Backstory
In 2010, I created this website to organize my research on Gene Kelly, never anticipating that thousands of people would interact with it on a daily basis.
I am a Ph.D. who studies the work, star image, and fandom of Gene Kelly. In addition to teaching a course on Kelly and integrating his work into my college classroom, I have published more than a dozen essays on the star and his fandom. For example:
In 2010, when I created GENE KELLY FANS, it was purely for my own use. Like Dr. Mathieu Deflem, a sociology professor who teaches a course on Lady Gaga and hosts the fansite Gaga Front Row, I needed a digital archive to house my growing research on the Hollywood dancer, choreographer, and director best known from the film musical Singin’ in the Rain (1952).
But that began to change after only a few months. And eventually my scholarly project evolved into this functioning web/fansite with multiple (unpaid) contributors.
I never expected that by 2019, roughly 15,500 people would be interacting regularly with GENE KELLY FANS and its various offshoots on social media.
But that began to change after only a few months. And eventually my scholarly project evolved into this functioning web/fansite with multiple (unpaid) contributors.
I never expected that by 2019, roughly 15,500 people would be interacting regularly with GENE KELLY FANS and its various offshoots on social media.
