My First Fandom: Kim Possible

Long ago, when I was allowed to watch more television beyond what PBS had to offer and stealthy enough to watch Saturday morning cartoons without waking up my parents, I found myself wanting to be a super spy. While there were many shows that offered almost exactly what I wanted, I found Friday evenings to be my favorite time of the week thanks to a small animated show called Kim Possible.

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Fridays after school, in the basement of a house now torn down and rebuilt, I tied my hair back, grabbed hold of a small German shepherd stuffed toy, and somersaulted my way across my best friend’s couch as the theme song of Kim Possible played on the television. My best friend since pre-school was a boy, and while he didn’t have a naked mole rat, he did have an old crotchety cat. Unfortunately the cat was never amused with our antics, so we used the German shepherd toy as a stand in for Rufus when we play-acted. It helped draw me into the show, and I could see myself in the universe, even if I wasn’t as acrobatic as Kim. The show sparked my early desire for more role models, but most importantly at the time, it provided me with entertainment that aligned with my interests and let me spend a lot of time on Disney Channel’s games website.

Kim was also my first cosplay, although I wouldn’t know that word for many years afterward. Armed with full knowledge of the show and a younger cousin throwing a KP-themed birthday party, I showed up in an outfit resembling the heroine closely enough that ten 6-year-olds believed she had actually come to visit. The year before, I had been gifted with two small dolls, Kim and Bonnie, complete with everyday, cheerleading, and spy outfits. I used Kim’s spy outfit as reference for my own even if the black top and cargo pants weren’t the most complex of costumes. I carried the dolls in my pockets at the party, but I can’t remember why. It wasn’t as if Kim would carry a small doll of herself everywhere she went.

While I’m not interested in being a super spy with a best friend as a sidekick anymore, I will forever be grateful to the show for being something that deviated from the princess “nonsense” (as I thought back then) and let me see that I could be something else. I still find myself playing the old archived games from time to time. Kim Possible is still a lot of fun, and it’s a show I won’t let fade into obscurity.

Did you ever roleplay or pretend you were a part of your first fandom?