Toy Soldiers

As the accompanying text explains, the creators of this video are encouraging others to make similar works.

The following is a mixed-media stop motion music video and celebration commemorating the election and inauguration of Barack Obama as the forty-fourth president of these United States. Audibly showcasing Adam Freeland's remix of Daft Punk's "Aerodynamic" and the imaginative stylings of forward thinking toy artists Dalek, Bill McMullen and Kubrick to name just a few. Independently animated and directed by the progressive minds of the directing team GOLD, the piece is a labor of love that invites everyone to join in or create their own celebration this coming Tuesday January the 20th.

It's an interesting example how online Obama fan videos that are independent of the campaign and now his presidency continue to be produced and disseminated. It could also be said to manifest certain aspects of the collision of fan culture and civic engagement that Henry Jenkins describes in Convergence Culture, as the interests of Obama fans, toy collectors, and club goers converge.

However, with so much Obama-related folk art appearing on the Internet, it may also be worth asking how the cultural signifier of Obama will function in connection with his role as head of state?

(Thanks to Barbara Bestor for the link.)