Tags : fan fiction, George Norman Lippert, GNL Series, harry potter, James Potter, JK Rowling, potterverse, Warner Bros
Of Harry Potter, James Potter, and Warner Bros. Studios – The Story
This is a part of a series on George Norman Lippert, “America’s JK Rowling”, creator of the spinoff “James Potter” novels set in the Potterverse and often compared to the original “Harry Potter” .
GNL Series: The Story – The Interview, Part I – The Interview, Part II
Harry Potter is one of the most dominant international sensations of all time, existing in printed word, on film, and in countless languages, and has captivated the minds of countless millions of readers. JK Rowling completed her series and gave the world what was allegedly the final piece in her Potterverse assemblage in mid-2007, to the joy and dismay of fans worldwide – the story was complete and their curiosity had been satisfied, but for many it left a gaping hole in their hearts and minds.
It should come as no surprise, then, that a rabid fan-fiction community developed around the Potterverse, courtesy of the Internet, as a way to cope with those whose lives had become so deeply enmeshed with Harry Potter and his adventures. Some of the fan fiction was decent, as long as you stayed away from the disturbing subgenres that prefer a more adult and mentally damaging tone. But none of it stood out as anything more than amateur writers copying the behaviors of someone they idolized with an almost religious fervor.
Enter George Norman Lippert – early August, 2007.
Like many others, he finished “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows” and was emotionally lost, so he began writing. In his first sitting, he wrote what would become a piece of his first fan-fiction novel (or “cover-fiction”, as he calls it), and showed it to his wife. After her encouragement, he continued writing, and completed “James Potter and Hall of the Elders’ Crossing” relatively quickly, followed by a release on December 1, 2007. Since then he’s released a sequel (“James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper”), is preparing to release the next in the series (“James Potter and the Vault of Destinies”), wrote a related standalone book (“The Girl on the Dock”), and produced a slew of other Potterverse related pieces.
And along the way he’s had contact with JK Rowling and Warner Bros., with mixed results.
By GNL’s calculations, over a million people have read his stories – not quite the 400 million that JKR has achieved, but still highly impressive. Rowling herself has said, via her agent, that she has no qualms about fan-fiction, so long as it’s not the previously mentioned deranged version, and specifically has no problem with the James Potter material.
Warner Bros., the rights-holder to the movie versions of Harry Potter, had the same initial reaction: the James Potter logo, use of characters, etc. was agreeable to them. However, they seem to have had a change of heart, and are demanding changes in the representation of the material and GNL’s website. It’s intriguing that they feel the need to not only contact, but attack, a creator of media in an entirely different form than what they produce, especially when it’s more of a tribute than a detraction. Even more curious, WB seems to think it will damage their branding of Harry Potter, while evidence shows that it would likely bolster sales. Why didn’t they go after countless movies and books that have emulated the iconic logo in one fashion or another? The Golden Compass, The Dark Is Rising, and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief are just three easy examples of such allowed behavior – perhaps the studio power behind these three movies makes the difference?
It is truly sad that copyright claims are being used in an attempt to stifle such creative and lovingly crafted work that approaches its subject with the feel of JK Rowling and a twist of originality. The fans have embraced them, the Queen of the Potterverse gave her blessing, and Scholastic (the American print publisher of Harry Potter) seems to have no objections – it’s only the overzealous movie studio that seems to take affront to GNL’s actions. While they are demanding changes that are largely of presentation and self-promotion, the leap to requiring the removal of the James Potter novels from public view is not a large one, especially given the known behavior of frightened media behemoths.
George, however, understands that this honeymoon period may not last much longer, and admits he may not fully complete the expected seven-book series because of the increasing effort necessary to produce further installments. Instead, he has his sights set on being an author in his own right, outside of the world of Harry Potter, and is currently “shopping” the manuscript of “The Riverhouse” for publication.
Whether the James Potter series is completely finished or not, it is safe to say that George Norman Lippert has distinctly enriched the lives of countless Harry Potter fans and even the Potterverse itself. His works have shown that not only can a fan with talent significantly enrich the source material without resulting to pale imitations, but that it’s still possible to rise from obscurity to fame within the literary world – all without an agent, a marketing campaign, or SPAM’ing forums.
To quote a dryad from “James Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing”:
You must beware, James Potter. Your father’s battle is over.
Yours begins.
GNL can be found on the James Potter series website, on Facebook, and on Twitter; the James Potter novels are available for download [1] [2], his novel can be found on Amazon, and the next chapter in the epic saga will be released December 1, 2009.
Kyle Brady is a contributing columnist for the Inquisitr, an entrepreneur, and has a future in science fiction. He can be found at his blog, via email, or on Twitter.
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