Madagascar has officially turned 14! This amazing fandom has entered a fresh new year with a new future to behold, so we've decided that one way to celebrate it is to interview one of our fellow members of the fandom, someone who has committed so much of her time in dedication to help this fandom as well as the entire Madagascar franchise.
Samantha is a young, yet rather senior fan of the Madagascar franchise. She is known for her blog on Tumblr (@lemurslovethelemurladies), as well as her active fandom Twitter account (@holymangos), and most of all she is also known for being the person who received recognition from the crew who worked on All Hail King Julien themselves, who literally follow her Instagram account and also her Tumblr blog. And if you think that isn't enough already, she has even received two official All Hail King Julien posters, both signed by more than 40 people who worked on All Hail King Julien ranging from the voice actors to producers and animators.
Sam was introduced to the franchise back when she was still eight, through the first spin-off series The Penguins of Madagascar.
"When I was young, I was really obsessed with The Penguins of Madagascar. I think I was 8, so if you want to count that as starting in the fandom, then I have been involved for about 9 or 10 years? Then when I was like 13, I saw a picture of the Penguins at the Nickelodeon Hotel (now Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites) and I was immediately reminded of that show which I used to love. So I watched a bunch of episodes (of The Penguins of Madagascar) in the car on the way back home, and soon after that I made an instagram which was my first time interacting with the fandom."
At first she wasn't really into the movies, and was mostly just a fan of the Nickelodeon series. Only after she watched The Penguins of Madagascar she started to find an interest in Madagascar and the other movies.
"Honestly, I don’t remember (about the first experience watching Madagascar). I don’t think I thought that much of it the first time I watched it. When I started watching the penguin’s tv show, that's when I started really caring about the movies."
As someone who has been involved in the fandom for a long time, and had been working in the fandom as well, we asked her why she thinks Madagascar has reached where it is today, one of the largest animated film franchise.
"A lot of people like the characters and story, plus the films have always made money. I think DreamWorks knew that people would come out to see a sequel to the original, and then that obviously kept on growing because so many people like the characters and there’s so much that can be done with them."
With Madagascar: A Little Wild seeming to come closer and closer to an official announcement or some sort, we also asked her on her opinion regarding this possible upcoming instalment in which we're all waiting for.
"I’m excited, and hopeful for it to either be a movie or TV show!"
She also expresses her hopes for the future of the fandom, as it reaches the point where we have things in development but no new content flowing in at the moment.
"I hope the fandom keeps growing, but I understand that it can sometimes be hard when there is no new content. We’re lucky that there’s a lot of Madagascar related things to watch, so hopefully more people will start caring and want to join the fandom. I know a couple people who got really into All Hail King Julien even after it ended, so that’s always good!"
And we too hope for the same. We could even see for ourselves how the fandom is running smoothly and steadily at this moment despite nearly two years without any official contents. And it shall be the duty of the fans to keep this community alive while we wait for our new instalment of the Madagascar franchise.
You can find out more about Samantha on her active multi-fandom Twitter account, as well as her Madagascar Tumblr blog where she posts many contents related to Madagascar.