The Passion of the Doom Marines

    In Christmas of 1993 the world of video games was changed forever with the release of the first ever first-person shooter, Doom. This simple game made out of pixels and sprites created one of the most well-known gaming genres which continues to be a driving force for sales in the market to this very day. It is because of this importance in gaming

Box Art of the First Doom Game (8)

 history that Doom has evolved from a niche title known for demon killing action and gore into a long-lasting franchise with over seven games and an expanding community who welcome anyone and everyone if they are old enough to play and have some appreciation for the Doom Marine. People in middle school, metal lovers, artists, to even adults in their late 70's are welcomed with open arms as fans of Doom. While demon hunting has become a dying art, Doom fans have transformed the simple concept of a lone man surviving hordes of the undead into works of masterpieces in their own right. In the Doom fandom, songs, comics/art, video analysis, and cosplay are consistently made by the fans only because of their love and dedication to the iconic character. While small in numbers compared to the conglomerate gaming brands such as Call Of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, the Doom community shines bright like a burning star with enthusiasm and joy for their aggressive form of escapism. 

Demon Slaying Tunes           

    Surprisingly one of the most iconic aspects of Doom to its fans isn't its gunplay or storytelling, but rather its aggressive and quick metal soundtrack which gives the player a sense of power and strength as they go through the hordes of hell. In fact, music has become such an integral part of the Doom community engagement that after only one week of public release for Doom 2016 there were two fan made songs created and put on YouTube. The first one to be published was from the YouTube channel named miracleofsound known as Hell To Pay (6), a hard hitting song which takes inspiration from several metal bands, mainly Metallica, while also trying to fit the fast-paced nature of Doom 2016's gameplay. The second fan song that several fans flocked to and put into their playlists was from the YouTube channel TryHardNinja known as See You in Hell (10). Both of these songs have over one million views with thousands of comments praising these fan made works as true Doom songs, going on how these creators understand the feel or "vibe" that was created in the original trilogy. However, these fan created songs aren't a rarity that only appears whenever a new Doom title is being released or announced. Doom fans are constantly honing their musical talents even when there's seemingly no new content in sight. This can be seen specifically with the YouTube channel known as JT Music (4) who has created over six Doom inspired songs since the franchise's latest game Doom Eternal which released back in 2020. And unlike the previously shown songs, JT Music tries to be more unique by mixing in game lore into their lyrics with the singer being presented as the playable main character. Each of JT Music's Doom songs have on average over 3 million views with their highest receiving just above 19 million. Every single one of these colossal videos have thousands of comments praising and criticizing these metal and rap songs on how "Doom" they feel.  Many commentors claim that they've added these songs to their dedicated Doom gaming playlists. These songs are one of the many ways Doom fans attempt to introduce new potential fans to the intellectual property (IP) while also allowing fans who don't have the ability to get the newest console or build a pc to interact with the Doom IP in a way that lets them feel like a true part of the Doom community.      

Artistic tributes

    Another popular form of engagement fans in the Doom community often participate in is the creation and consumption of fan art, and with-it fan-made comics. These pieces of media can be startlingly different from each other talent wise, with some being simple stick figures or AI generated images and some pieces looking almost like they should be a part of the production of the next game like 

Fan Art of Doom Marine from Doom Eternal (5)

the image on the left by LozanoX from DeviantArt. However it's the imperfections and intent for difference of the pieces that draws the community together as user whatup876 explains on their post on the DoomWorld (11) website, a site where fans can post anonymous discussion in a similar manner to the popular app Reddit, "it also kinda reminds you of how classic Doom had a few inconsistencies like Doomguy's design in the cover and the in game sprites having some differences" (pp. 1). These changes are what fuels the spark for new ideas that the community can then discuss not only with each other, but also with the creative developers of their beloved franchises. As user whatup876 delves further into the topic noting that "[i]t's also interesting that no matter how creative or unfaithful a design is, it can still be recognizable or fitting to the series, as a way to stretch Doom's likeness or something" (pp. 3). No matter how strange or abstract a piece of work is as long as it clearly has heart and soul put into it, it'll be welcomed by the Doom fandom with open arms. As a side effect of this openness though most fan-made artwork is typically put into two categories.  The most common fan-made pieces have some form of serious intent, which most claim jokingly as "edgy", while the other common category is considered funny comedic pieces. These funny fan-made pieces of art are often comics that take center stage as talking points in the Doom community. These comics are viewed as a way to engage and laugh with each other, with some even becoming memes. One of these meme comics can be seen to the lower right on how the player base views the character Samuel Hayden by user Ayej. It's a simple doodle that has spread through almost every forum that Doom fans interact on. This comic has appeared on both the games fan-made wiki as 

Fan made Meme about Doom 2016 Character (1)

well as several posts on the Doom subreddit. This ability to accept the random and ridiculousness is what gives the Doom fandom the ability to stay entertained and active while the franchise itself is slow paced in creating new projects. It's the fan art that helps maintain the spirit, nostalgia, and growing anticipation for the Doom fandom. 

DoomTubers     

    Due to the franchise's typical nature of staying dormant for several years with little to no news on any kind of production information, many Doom fans have struggled over the years to find a way to keep themselves entertained without replaying the same game over and over again. To combat this boredom and bring in some new life into the community, speedrunning became a popular fad where players would send videos on message boards like Reddit or DoomWorld challenging any players who would attempt to beat their time on specific levels. This practice continues to be an integral aspect of entertainment for the Doom community to this very day with many becoming YouTubers just for Doom speedruns. Just seven months ago PCGamesN (9) announced that "on Saturday April 6, 4ShockBlast completed Entryway in four seconds, beating a record that has stood for 26 years" (pp. 5). Even though the original game is viewed now as a simple easy to follow quick reaction and constant moving pixel experience, the accomplishments and pride of former speedrun record holders are still acknowledged and respected among the Doom gameplay community. When speedrunning began to lose traction as the sole form of Doom online entertainment, thankfully a new game in the series was released. With this updated reimagining the first of a new type of Doom YouTuber gained popularity almost overnight, the Doom theory channels. As the franchise was constantly shifting the Doom IP to different parent companies the story and overall plot of Doom became very confusing and hard to follow. Many fans believed that there was no story, and that the 2016 game release would become a complete reboot for the franchise. To set the record straight after Doom 2016's release many avid and detail-oriented Doom fans began uploading their own understandings of the lore and presented their future predictions as theories based on production notes or easter eggs put into level design. These videos often had hundreds of comments discussing or bashing these said theories with other game findable texts or concept art. One of the more famous and controversial of these Doom theory channels is the YouTuber known as Midnight (7) who gained traction due to his often wild accusations for the future of the Doom franchise with often little to no evidence to support his claims. However, even if these theories were wildly absurd, they still brought fans together whether it be to laugh at them or to create a genuine discussion on what the implications of these theories would mean to the franchise itself. As long as social media continues to be a dominant aspect in the daily lives of people, this type of fan engagement of creating content and releasing it to the world will continue to be a source of entertainment for as long as the Doom franchise lives.     

Bringing Pixels to Life              

    A famous quote that's often said in the modern day is imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This flattery can be seen in most fandoms through the art of cosplay, and the Doom fandom is no exception. As Comicon and other conventions have gained traction with mainstream pop-culture Doom enthusiasts have worked tirelessly trying to recreate and imitate their beloved icon using their own money, time, and creative ability. The greatest aspect of this fan engagement other than the visible dedication and enthusiasm for the IP is its ability to also celebrate the legacy of a franchise the cosplay comes from. Many Doom fans switch between the original and new Doom marine design, which have two completely different themes and their own unique challenges. This contrast can be seen in pictures below from reddit users Hammerdowntv who did the classic 1993 design and DamnedEternal who attempted the most modern 

Hammerdowntv Cosplay (3)

design. Not only do Doom fans get an outlet to show other people/fans their passion for their most beloved character, but they also get the opportunity to introduce new people into the IP and fandom without it being forced. Many Doom fans often post their self-made costumes throughout its stages of development to the Doom subreddit in order to get encouragement or serious criticism in how they can improve on their ability. Often these posts are filled with positive comments with the majority affirming to the poster that their creation is better than anything the comment section could've attempted. Most of the problems if any are small simple changes like the costume's material or the shading of colors in small divots and corners. So not only is cosplay a way to show a fans appreciation of an IP and a way for introduction, but it also allows the fandom a way to interact with each other that isn't just a form of consumption of their favorite media. Cosplay by the Doom fandom has given the Doom Marine a form of life that has helped and will continue to help the growth and development of creators and artists alike.  

DamnedEternal Convention Cosplay (2)

My Personal Doom Experience

    The first time I ever even heard of the Doom series was during COVID-19 when the newest game was released in March of 2020. Its gameplay and large-scale story alone made me instantly fall in love with the franchise. Its ability to take itself seriously but not serious at the same time gave me a very much needed source of joy and distraction during a very uncertain time. When the game itself began to feel repetitive it was the joy, enthusiasm, and comradery of the Doom fandom along with my family that helped me mentally push through the last two years of lockdown before restrictions slowly died down. The greatest aspect of all of these types of fan engagement in the Doom fandom is the fact that they can also be used to interact with completely different fandoms. When Doom Eternal came out on the same day as Animal Crossing New Horizons many fans of both franchises joked about the conflicting themes of both games by having the mascots of the games swap roles in many pieces of fan art. In fact, this joke has gone on for so long that there's fan-made songs of the characters singing together along with many cosplay pics of the mascots being presented as a duo. Whenever a convention is occurring if there's a Doom Marine cosplay present it'd be quite surprising to not see them posing with other demon slaying characters with the most popular combo photo often being the Doom Marine posed next to Dante from Devil May Cry. Their welcoming nature and openness to change and interaction is what truly allows the Doom fan base to be as imaginative and creative as they are. It's because of this nature that I have grown to become so attached to this franchise. This nature is the reason why I and many other fans will forever and always be a fan of the Doom Marine even when the franchise turns to dust. 

Works Cited

(1) "Ayej", Doom 2016, Doodles 7, 1 February 2019, DeviantArt, https://www.deviantart.com/ayej/art/Doom-2016-doodles-7-783695801. Accessed 26 November 2024. 

(2) "DamnedEternal". Here’s My Final Doom Slayer Cosplay!. 2023. R/Doom. https://www.reddit.com/r/Doom/comments/180uff1/heres_my_final_doom_slayer_cosplay/#lightbox. Accessed 27 November 2024.

(3) "Hammerdowntv". Brought Doomguy’s Classic Costume From the 1993 Game Doom to Life!. 2021. R/Halloween_Costumes. https://www.reddit.com/r/Halloween_Costumes/comments/ql5g14/brought_doomguys_classic_costume_from_the_1993/. Accessed 27 November 2024.

(4) “JT Music.” https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzTdZz7z2sPRGCImodwOw0g

(5) "LozanoX", Doom Eternal- Fan-Art, 7 May 2020, DeviantArt, https://www.deviantart.com/lozanox/art/Doom-Eternal-Fan-art-840868239. Accessed 26 November 2024.  

(6) "DOOM SONG- Hell To Pay by Miracle of Sound (Epic Metal)." YouTube, uploaded by miracleofsound, 21 May 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjIVkl34Vig. 

(7) “Midnight.” YouTube, www.youtube.com/@Midnighthalo.

(8) Punchatz, Ivan. "Doom Cover Art". Wikipedia, 1993, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Doom_cover_art.jpg. Accessed 25 November 2024. 

(9) Smith, Ed. “Impossible’ Doom Speedrun Record Finally Beaten After 26 Years.” PCGamesN, 17 Apr. 2024, https://www.pcgamesn.com/doom/new-speedrun-record.

   

(10) "DOOM SONG 'See You In Hell' TryHardNinja Feat. Rap by NamRaps." YouTube, uploaded by TryHardNinja, 21 May 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3q0sv_NPeU.

(11) "whatup876", "I Like How Doom Fanart Always Changes Designs One Way or Another". Doomworld, 17 April 2022, https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/128700-i-like-how-doom-fanart-always-changes-designs-one-way-or-another/ Accessed 26 November 2024.