MuggleNet
Type of site | Harry Potter fan site |
|---|---|
| Owner | Emerson Spartz |
| Created by | Emerson Spartz |
| URL | http://www.mugglenet.com |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Free, Public |
MuggleNet is a commercial Harry Potter fansite founded by Emerson Spartz. The site is composed of news, editorials, synopses of the Harry Potter books and films, an encyclopedia of the books, a chat room, a discussion forum, and media such as screenshots, theatrical trailers and book covers. There is also a fan fiction section, a weekly caption contest, and other occasional contests and polls. On August 9 2005, it launched a podcast, dubbed "MuggleCast", as well as its own line of clothing, toy wands, other merchandise. Later, it released a best-selling reference book on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book in the series.
Emerson Spartz
Emerson Spartz (b. February 17 1987, LaPorte, Indiana) started the MuggleNet website in 1999.
At the time, he was a homeschooled twelve-year-old. Currently, Spartz is a business major at the University of Notre Dame, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2009.[2]
Emerson Spartz went on a book tour in 2007 with Ben Schoen, a senior staffer at Mugglenet, to promote their new book.
Author and corporate relationships
MuggleNet benefits from friendly relations with J. K. Rowling, the writer of the Harry Potter books, and the producers of the films. She has praised MuggleNet on her website and has awarded it her "Fan Site Award".[3].
Rowling recounts on her website that she occasionally visits the site and sometimes reads the comments left by visitors, while never commenting herself. The author also stated that she visited the site's chat room and was snubbed when she anonymously joined in a conversation about Harry Potter theories.[4]
In July 2005, Rowling invited Spartz and Melissa Anelli, of The Leaky Cauldron, to Edinburgh, Scotland for an interview at her home on the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince[5]. A transcript of the interview was posted on Mugglenet.[6]
Warner Bros., the producers of the Harry Potter movies, regularly sends MuggleNet stills taken from the upcoming movies before they are released. The studio also provided MuggleNet staff with advance views of the new official website designs, as well as including staffers in a video conference to discuss the new Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios Florida.
Podcast
MuggleNet produces a podcast entitled "MuggleCast". The first show was launched on August 7 2005. The show features discussions about the books and films and a voicemail section where listeners can send recorded questions to the panel. After two days online, MuggleCast became the number six most downloaded podcast on the United States iTunes list of most popular podcasts and downloads. On August 14, it reached the number one position. In July 2007, MuggleCast managed to hit the number one position once again.
Transcripts are available on the MuggleNet website, usually released three or so days after the original airing of the episode. Andrew Sims, Jamie Lawrence, Laura Thompson, Eric Scull, Ben Schoen, Kevin Steck, Micah Tannenbaum, and occasionally Mikey Bouchereau host the show. Several of the co-hosts, along with Emerson Spartz, went on tour with the wizard rock band The Remus Lupins to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the summer of 2007, hosting live podcasts at various sites. MuggleCast announced on December 18, 2007 that Episode 140, slated for release in April 2008, will be the last regular episode of the podcast.
MuggleNet Interactive
MuggleNet Interactive (often shortened to MNI) is a website spin-off of MuggleNet that consists of forums. It is a roleplaying community, where fans imagine they are living in the wizarding world as wizards or witches.
The site was originally formed from a 'Personality Quiz' made in 2000, which was later improved and adapted for the full version of the site. It eventually evolved into its 'orange' phase, with sections for Quidditch (including a game), a "Lockhart's Matchmaker" tool and forums.
It underwent a major redesign in 2002. Many new sections were added, such as Diagon Alley, a Duelling game, and Gringotts, where users could access a personal vault containing their galleons collected on the site. There were also numerous 'secrets' hidden on the site. Secrets often consisted of cryptic clues, and were often in various stages. The site became part of Mugglenet in 2002. A new and improved site debuted in July 2007. Currently, there are nine site secrets. Recently, Ask Snape has returned, along with a new system to award Galleons based on homework marks in classes.
The site offers Hogwarts classes such as Transfiguration and Defence Against The Dark Arts.
There are many new additions such as the 'Ask Snape' feature which allows people to ask Snape a question and they will be answered with a 'Snape like' answer. There is also a galleon system where students can earn fake currency for completing games and taking part in the sites lessons which are run by the 'professors'.
Merchandising
As of 2005, the MuggleNet network started generating a six-figure income through advertising revenue.[7] In addition, beginning in November 2006, MuggleNet introduced a line of branded merchandise, including T-shirts, wands, and other materials.[citation needed] Warner Bros. later issued a cease and desist letter for MuggleNet's sale of unauthorized Harry Potter merchandise.
Spartz admitted that he is "not quite the [Harry Potter] fan he used to be"[7] and sees his role as "more of an administrator" overseeing a large team of staff members.[8]
Book
In 2006, in advance of the arrival of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, five MuggleNet staff members (Emerson Spartz, Ben Schoen, Andy Gordon, Gretchen Stull, and Jamie Lawrence.) co-authored the reference book Mugglenet.Com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Falls in Love and How Will the Adventure Finally End, a published collection of unofficial fan predictions.
As of July 21 2007, What Will Happen sold 335,000 copies, totaling $5 million in sales, $2 million of which went to Ulysses Press of South Berkeley, California.[9]Spartz and his co-authors launched an aggressive marketing campaign in June 2007 to promote their work.[10]
Hacking
Sometime before 1:30 AM, EST., on January 3rd, 2008, MuggleNet was hacked. All that is known at this time is that the website was apparently deleted and the index page was replaced with a splash page, created by the hackers (g00ns.net). The top reads, "you got r00ted. sup bitches". Below that, there is a Photoshopped picture of a "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" movie poster, with the heads of the characters replaced and the title changed to "Hal Potter." Below that, there are shoutouts to friends of the hacker(s); the text reads:
Shouts to janus zeal, d3f, waawaa, dh, kardus, z3r0, pr0be, clorox, #insurgency, and #spk jz luv iichi, kardus luv danni irc.g00ns.net | #g00ns
There has not been any word yet from Emerson Spartz or any other MuggleNet administrator/moderator as to what has happened, and what can be done to remedy the problem.
_ _.,----, __ _.-._ / '-. - ,._ \) WHAT CAN I SAY
| `-)_ '-. \ / < _ )/" } /___ '-. \ '-, ___(c-(6)=(6) I NEVER KNEW HARRY POTTER
, '. -._ '. _,' >\ " ) WAS A WITCHY FLYING FAGGOT :;;,,'-._ '---' ( ( "/`. -='/
- , \._ .`-.)Y'- '--' YO HO HO AND A BOTTLE OF (MUFFLED)
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References
- ^ MuggleNet - About Us
- ^ "The Official Website of Emerson Spartz".
- ^ J. K. Rowling official site
- ^ J.K. Rowling Official Site
- ^ J.K. Rowling Official Site - Meeting Melissa and Emerson
- ^ MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron interview J.K. Rowling
- ^ a b Teigen, Megan. "Mugglenet founder chooses Notre Dame over Hogwarts"/ Notre Dame Magazine. October 2005.
- ^ Segal, David. "The Other Boy Wizard". Washington Post. August 3, 2006.
- ^ Raine, George. "Potter spin-off a hit for tiny Berkeley publisher". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ MuggleNet news
See also
External links
- MuggleNet
- MuggleNet Interactive
- MuggleCast
- Chamber of Secrets Forums: The official forums of MuggleNet.
- The Official MuggleCast Fansite
- The MuggleNet Fan Fiction Site