Decoding Fandom is a weekly column that dives deep into the world of fan culture and runs on Wednesdays in the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. If you want to get this column a day before we publish it, subscribe to web_crawlr, where you’ll get the daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
Much like fan fiction, fan art has existed for hundreds of years. The works of Shakespeare, for example, have inspired many beloved artworks, such as Sir John Everett Millais’ aquatic portrait of Ophelia. In the modern era, fan art is a central aspect of pop culture fandom, particularly now that artists can easily share their work online.
Across social media platforms, fans use the multi-fandom tag #FanArtFriday to share their fan art with others in the fandom, or with internet users more broadly. On X, one of the most active fandoms using the hashtag is the Twenty One Pilots fandom, also known as the Skeleton Clique.
The musical duo, comprised of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, have established a devoted fan base since their breakthrough 2015 album, many of whom resonate with the group’s frank discussion of mental health issues. Fans use the fandom-specific tag #cliqueart to share their works with the online community, with new posts appearing on an hourly basis.
Pop culture of all kinds inspire fan works, but the Twenty One Pilots fandom appears particularly creative. To get a better sense of why the fandom has developed this way, I spoke to several Skeleton Clique artists about their experiences with this fan art community.
Several noted when they initially encountered the group’s music and it resonated with them, they started researching the band and found this tight-knit fandom online. As for their initiation into the fan art aspect, a number of fans told me they had made fan art before, but had never been involved in a supportive community quite like this. When I asked why Twenty One Pilots inspires so much art, the fans had a lot to say.
Twenty One Pilots fan art aligns with the band’s message
Lien told me that fan art aligns with the band’s message, which is “that you can find meaning and purpose for yourself through creation, and that creating things yourself can also be a weapon against dark thoughts.” Barbara noted that “One of the band’s most famous slogans is power to the local dreamer,” which has served as an inspiration to all fans, artists or not.
But it’s not just the band’s music that inspires art—it’s the members themselves. Joseph and Dun have been vocally supportive of fan art over the years, and they even organized an event called ARTØPIA, which showcased Twenty One Pilots-inspired fan art from around the world. Tek suggested that the band’s openness about the “reality of creating art,” creates a “judgment free zone” for fans to create themselves.
Moreover, the band frequently interacts with fan art online, which makes these fans and artists feel seen and appreciated. “It feels like as people they’re very aware and they care about what we create in the dark in our bedrooms. It makes you feel a lot closer to them,” Carla told me. Barbara shared that she was burnt out after art school and the supportive community created by the band and by fans reignited her love for painting.
Ultimately, the spirit of creativity that is fostered within the fandom brings members of the Skeleton Clique closer together. Lien told me joining the fandom was the first time she “actually felt part of a larger community,” and Carla says she’s made several close friends since becoming involved in the Clique.
The relationship between fan and idol seems especially symbiotic, which contributes to the close-knit feeling among fans. As Artie eloquently put it, it’s like we’re “all holding on to the same thread.” It’s an “endless process of inspiration, from them to us and reversed.”
Why it matters
Because of copyright issues and occasionally negative responses from celebs, fan works can be controversial, and fans are often criticized for their intensely parasocial tendencies.
In the case of the Twenty One Pilots fandom, the communication between artist and fan feels more like a dialogue than a proclamation, as fans feel inspired to create within this ostensibly safe environment.
Within the Skeleton Clique, expression of art is valued just as much if not more than consumption of it, a notable distinction indeed.
