Psst.

Hey you. Yeah, you!

Do you love the fantastic?
Are you into Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Magical Realism, the Gothic, capital R Romances, Cyberpunk, Steampunk, and all the other ‘punks’?

Do you unabashedly love fairy tales, superheroes, dystopias, alternate history, and the supernatural?

Does the thought of only being able to consume Pure Realism™ for the rest of your life make you want to jump out the nearest window and run away to Narnia?

If so…

Welcome to Team Catawampus.

In 1887, Andrew Lang (yes, of the “color” books of fairy tales) wrote a wonderful essay called “Realism and Romance” (click the link to give it a quick read!) In it, he basically argues that both Realism (or fiction about things that could realistically happen in real life) and Romance (or what we might call the fantastic now – improbable stories about adventure and magic) are important… buuuuttt he also ends with this:

“One may be as much excited in trying to discover whom a married American lady is really in love with, as by the search for the Fire of Immortality in the heart of Africa. But if there is to be no modus vivendi, if the battle between the crocodile of Realism and the catawampus of Romance is to be fought out to the bitter end–why, in that Ragnaruk, I am on the side of the catawampus.” 

We are too.

And, we bet if you’re reading this, so are you. So welcome to Team Catawampus!
We’re so happy to have you join us.

There’s no official joining mechanism, no secret handshake to learn, no hazing period, and no membership fees.
If you think you’re on the team, you’re on the team.

The only requirement?

That you speak up for the fantastic whenever you can. Don’t let people get away with saying that Realism is somehow more important, more insightful, more adult, and/or more worthy of being taken seriously.

Argue that, often, the fantastic can be even more effective at showing the truth, at offering solace in times of upheaval, and at helping us imagine a possible, better future. Speak up for what you love and claim it as important.

Because it is.

(Looking for our Team Catawampus merch? Click here!)

You can also feel free to take this button graphic
and use it on your own websites if you’d like
(but please do link back here if you do!)