The Rocky Horror Picture Show while the film's fan culture of cosplaying and audience participation during screenings laid the groundwork for the similarly influential cult following surrounding Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" (2003). Members of the queer community comprised most of the Rocky Horror cult following: they identified with the embrace of sexual liberation and androgyny, and attended show after show, slowly forming a community. Judith A. Peraino compares Brad and Janet’s initiation into Frank N. Furter’s world to the self-discovery of queer identity, and to the traditional initiation of ‘virgins’ in the shadow screenings . June Thomas describes the midnight screenings in Delaware as a
The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1976, people attended in costume and talked back to the screen, and by mid-1978, "Rocky Horror" was playing in over 50 locations on Fridays and Saturdays at midnight. Newsletters were published by local performance groups, and fans gathered for "Rocky Horror" conventions. By the end of 1979, there were twice-weekly showings at over 230 theatres. The National Fan Club was established in 1977 and later merged with the International Fan Club. The fan publication "The Transylvanian" printed a number of issues, and a semi-regular poster magazine was published as well as an official magazine. The Los Angeles area performance