Fan theories are not new – they have been around for a long time, invented by content consumers to fill in gaps left by creators. The theories have long been a fun way for audiences to become further immersed into the content – when you read a book, your imagination paints a picture that is your own, and likely differs from others’ in some way. Fan theories have surged in recent years, though, and where you have the Internet and the 24-hour news cycle, you have stories that are accepted as fact by readers and viewers. There is no better example of this than the so-called “Pixar Theory,” developed by Jon Negroni by using easter eggs seen in Pixar’s films to explain how all of the films actually take place within the same universe – there are some who have come to believe the theory as fact. Now, in the past week there have been numerous stories declaring that the truth behind what happened to Andy’s dad in Toy Story has been discovered. Let’s separate the fact from the fiction so we can figure out what is actually canon in the world Andy, Woody, and Buzz inhabit. [Read more…]