Welcome to the very first edition of Bondvember!

Today, we will highlight one of the major reasons I am a James Bond fan in my mid-thirties—the Bond community! 

Growing up as a fanboy, I never actively sought or cared to fully immerse myself in any fan community, not even Star Wars. Message boards, meet-ups—none of these things interested me. I was always a bit of a loner in that regard. However, if someone asked me about my fandom(s), I could passionately discuss how Anakin is the chosen one and not Luke or how Highlander isn’t an action movie but a tragedy. 

As I got older, I started realizing that, despite my genuine and passionate fandom, it was essentially only knee-deep. This realization bothered me. Why was I feeling this way? What could I do to fill that void? I needed a solution to avoid becoming a curmudgeonly nerd who couldn’t bring anything to the table because he was just too good for that sort of thing…can you see me tapping my nose? What a cringy thought. I knew I needed to change.

So, the mission presented itself, and I added another caveat—how could I integrate my masculinity into this as well? I’m not a chest-bumping, carnivore-diet meathead, but I do believe in maintaining my masculinity to better myself as a man. This is a modern and trivial dilemma, but I refuse to discard a part of me that I enjoy. If done right, both fandom and masculinity can be mutually agreeable to create a better version of yourself. 

I knew this dilemma began after my unfavorable reaction to the way the Star Wars community went with the sequel trilogy – full of shit, confused, angry, sad, and all rightfully so.  I also knew that I wanted to be part of something that aligned with my introverted nature yet provided an opportunity to engage in extroverted activities as a human on earth rather than say, a cosplayer. I cannot do what those cosplayers do so magnificently, and I truly envy those wonderful creatives who give so much joy to others! 

But at least I could identify my mission terms: join a fan community that will challenge me creatively, professionally, and personally.

And In 2021, I had my “ah-ha” moment. 

It occurred when I walked out of No Time to Die, the 25th Bond movie and the last of the Daniel Craig films.

I was both shell-shocked and intrigued that they had decided to kill off Bond for the first time, ever. I still remember standing up in the theater (it was a midnight showing on a Tuesday and i was two pints gone) and holding out my arms in disbelief. What the hell just happened? Did they really just kill one of the greatest male heroes of all time? A huge part of me began to think that this was an assassination not only on Bond but on men because of the day and age we live in. However, as the days went on, I started realizing the full depth of who James Bond IS now that he had a concluding chapter. 

He was or is a man of honor, duty, and now family—a guy who is laser-focused, sharply dressed, and now a martyr. I am not applying a direct Christian element here, but it’s hard to argue that, in the end, Bond did a very Christ-like thing by dying so others could live.

 It was because of his death that I started to realize that I had something. This well-tailored man of action and values has been in my life since Goldeneye came out in 1995. I had always said that every guy wanted to be like Bond that’s why we watch it the way we do. But post Bond 25 I started to peel back that statement a little further to see that Bond was the perfect fandom for me because he carried most of the attributes that I wanted to develop myself as a man: Health, dress, confidence, drive, focus, and now family. 

That’s when it hit me:  

I wanted to BE LIKE BOND!

End of Part I.