I never understood why people put so much effort into fangames, fanfiction, etc. I mean - great, they're inspired! No copyright infringement there. Share it with the world.

I feel like these days, real creativity is punished, and only 'meme'-able things get rewarded.

Fun. Because it's fun. Because we, as humans, generally like to tell stories, especially about shared culture. Making a tribute of an artifact is another way to appreciate it. It's another take, an amateur singer sharing a moment with their friends, singing a song from fiddler on the roof. I myself love recreating props from movies and games. It connects me to the author and other fans. I appreciate small details of its construction more. I perceive the steps the original craftsperson took. I understand, through a small window, the monumental effort it took to create the original greater creative work. I'm not saying not to create something new. Simply that it's fulfilling to some of us to experience our shared culture by contributing our own point of view.

A new thing is great, not saying it isn't. Certainly, tributes of recent works are not a good commercial strategy. I personally haven't truly appreciated a great work like lotr or Chrono Trigger or Jurassic Park or what have you until I've recreated a small part of it out of love. Of course, this rant is limited to fan derivatives made out of passion. Attempts to deceive are another thing.

I'm sorry if I'm rambling and come off as angry, I'm not and appreciate your point. But I find this suggestion to leave out the tribute part in fan works to kinda be missing the point. For my stuff I'd rather have made it and have it taken down, over not having made it at all.

Eh, just 20 years to go.

You can draw on the same sources. You can do it the same way Tolkien did; nobody is going to stop you. You can't sell Aragorn slash though.