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310 Mizuko ItoIn Dilan Mahendran’s study of young hip-hop musicians (Hip-HopMusic Production), he found a strong entrepreneurial spirit among manyof the youth he spoke to. Some of the beat makers sold their creations torappers who would use them for their own song production. Others producedmix tapes of their own work or that of other artists and sold themon public transportation or in other pedestrian areas. Artists can often feelconflicting loyalties over whether they are pursuing their craft for the loveof the work or for economic goals, and this is tied into widely recognizedtensions between hip-hop culture and the commercial rap industry (Mahiriet al. 2008). Louis gave voice to this ambivalence:It shouldn’t be about a meal ticket. It’s not always about money. I mean, it’s twoways to do it. It’s either you make music to make music, or you make music to makemoney. Me? I do both. . . . I know that the music I make, it’s not necessarily goingto be accepted by all, because not everybody is going to be able to identify and agreewith it. But the thing is, is that in order for that to survive, I have to make musicthat people can identify with, that people are going to listen to.Although hip-hop may be an example of a form of media in whichpractitioners have an unusual amount of self-reflexivity regarding theproblems of commercialization, many young creators struggle with thisboundary between a creative pastime and a more work-oriented commercialstance.Among the case studies of anime and Harry Potter fans, we have alsoencountered examples of youth who have successfully capitalized on theircreative talents. Although intellectual-property regimes make it difficult forfans to make money off fan-related creative production, there are someniches where economic gain is possible. Becky Herr-Stephenson’s study ofHarry Potter fans focused in part on podcasters who comment on thefranchise. Although most podcasters are hobbyists, a small number havebecome celebrities in the fandom who go on tours, perform Wizard Rockmusic, and in some cases, have gained financial rewards. Mizuko Ito, aspart of her study on anime fans, spoke to Ian Oji 3 , an artist who drawscomics as part of a comic writers’ collective. Once a year the group selfpublishesa comic anthology that it sells at local anime conventions. Allthe large anime conventions have an “artist’s alley” that will feature youngaspiring artists selling their artwork, stickers, T-shirts, pins, and bookmarksfor a small fee. These same artists generally will also have online sites thatpromote their work. The peer-based spaces of the convention floor and

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