Stefan's weekly rant

Obviously I'm a more than a 'normal' fan. For one, there's this giant website that I've been working on since 1996. You've never seen my house, but I've got a whole room that's almost a Cammy museum. My car's license plate says "CAM FAN", I've got a little Cammy figure hanging from my rearview mirror, and I've got a CammyFan.com bumper sticker. On top of all that, I've carried a little Cammy figure in my pocket every day since the summer of 1996 (it's my good luck charm). I even named my company after Cammy! Cammy's always around me. Am I crazy? Yeah, maybe a little bit, but it's really all for fun. Why not go all-out and have as much stupid fun as I can?!

I sometimes use these rants to explain myself, and this is another one like that. It's probably one of the most overdue explanations... I should have done it a long time ago because I think so many people wonder what the heck is up with me and Cammy. I can't imagine what kinds of things people might think about me... well, he seems like a nice normal guy, but what's up with him being so obsessed with a cartoon character? Is he crazy... is he really in love with Cammy? Does he get Cammy a birthday cake? Will he only date girls who look like Cammy? And I'm sure there have been many other strange thoughts. So, instead of letting people come to their own conclusions after their imaginations have run wild, I thought it would be a good idea if I explained exactly how I feel about Cammy, and why.

To simply explain it all, Cammy is my perfect character. I've always loved games, comics, toys, anime, artwork, cosplay, storylines, interesting characters, etc., and Cammy is all of that and more! Oh yeah, and I've always loved girls with pigtails too ^_^ All that stuff is what makes "Cammy". She's pretty much everything I've always loved wrapped up in one perfect character... it's like somebody read my mind and made Cammy with what they saw in there. I doubt I'll ever change so much that Cammy won't be my favorite character until the day I die. I really couldn't imagine a better character.

I am definitely head-over-heels in love with Cammy, but it's not the kind of love I'd feel for the girl I'm gonna marry in real life... it's like the love I have for my dog, or some people have for their favorite sports team. That's what I mean when I say "I love Cammy". She's basically an extreme hobby for me. I love Cammy the character and all her awesome fans who've done some much to support her! I know there are lots of strange people who live in a demented fantasy worlds, but don't worry about me... I've still got a good head on my shoulders. ^_^ I'm a diehard fan at heart, and I give it everything I got, but I'm still just a normal person (more or less).

Anyhow, this rant is about why I love Cammy, so lemme get to some specifics. When I think about a character, there are basically 3 things that I consider: appearance, personality, and storyline.

Appearance - Cammy is the coolest, cutest, prettiest, and sexiest girl I could imagine... a perfect 10 in all areas! I think she's also unique. There is no other character who looks like quite like Cammy. She doesn't fit into any type of stereotype or mold, and that alone makes her something special. I love the pigtails more than anything. I even love the big scar 'disfiguring' her face. I love her outfits. I love the painted legs. And I love that her body isn't... hmmm... how do I put this tastefully... it's not a little girl's body, and it's too womanly. Plus, she's a fighter, and she's got the muscles to prove that she's in top shape. She may wear some strange colors (camo with bright red hat & gloves, or an assassin in light blue, red & yellow), but even that ads something unique to her style.

Personality - Cammy doesn't have the personality of anybody that I'd wanna have to deal with in real life, but for a character, I couldn't imagine a better personality. Shadowloo Cammy is evil and brainwashed, and Delta Red Cammy is a mess of emotions. Between the pre and post amnesia Cammys, you've got almost every personality and emotion and that makes for an awesome character! But underneath it all, she's a strong girl that fights with everything she's got! Cammy probably has the most complex personality of any character I've ever known, but instead of limiting what she can do, it actually gives her almost unlimited potential. I think that's very important because any character, no matter how great their personality, will grow stale if there's no diversity or way for them to evolve. That can't ever happen to Cammy because she has so many possibilities.

Storyline - Cammy's storyline is filled with tragedy and mystery, but she's never let all that adversity stop her. She has always given it 100%. Overcoming that adversity, or at least not letting it stop her, makes her a great heroine that everybody can admire. There are a lot of things we know about Cammy's life, but with every new thing we learn, a dozen more questions need to be asked. Cammy's past has been unraveling over the last few years, but there are still a lot of things that we don't know anything about. And with her chaotic personality, who knows what Cammy's future holds in store for her. Just like her personality, her storyline is well very defined, yet it's designed in a way that allows for almost infinite possibilities. There are very few limits to Cammy's storyline, and I think that's very important for a character because it gives them flexibility. Cammy could realistically go almost anywhere and do almost anything. What could be more interesting?!

And you know what, there's really a 4th thing that makes Cammy really special... her fans! She's always had some of the best and most dedicated fans in the world. If it wasn't for all of her fans, she wouldn't have evolved as much as she has. As cool as she is, she's just a background character in some old games, but she's still here thanks to the fans! All the artwork, fanfics, cosplay, non-Capcom products, etc., all help to build Cammy a little more. I don't really create anything for this website... I'm just here collecting and showing what other talented people have done with Cammy. And even if you're like me, you don't create anything that adds to Cammy, but your support helps inspire everybody out there who does create and add to Cammy, and that's very important too! Most characters are the property of somebody else, so all fans can do is sit back and watch. But with Cammy, it has always felt like we've all had some influence in what Cammy is, was, and will be.

Anyhow, I could rant forever about "why I love Cammy". In fact, I've been doing that since 1996! And I expect to be doing that for the rest of my life. But like I said at the beginning... I've always loved girls with pigtails, games, comics, toys, anime, artwork, cosplay, storylines, interesting characters, etc., and Cammy is all of that and more! She's everything I love wrapped up into one perfect character.

The real reason any of us loves a character is because they bring out emotions in us. Some characters are really cool, some you love to hate, some are so cute you wanna hug 'em, some make us laugh, some inspire use, etc. I think Cammy does all of that and more for me. And since I've kinda taken it upon myself to try and be the #1 promoter and authority on everything Cammy, it makes me proud and happy whenever I know that other people are enjoying Cammy too. And on top of all that, Cammy has helped me meet so many very interesting people that have become good friends. Plus, my interest in Cammy has inspired me to learn and do so much more with my life. In one way or another, Cammy has always made my life better and more interesting, and that's why I love her SO much! I hope you all feel the same way about something in your life, I think everybody needs a "Cammy"