Tales from the Fandom

I kept seeing a number of cosplays shared by people that featured Moe. That lead to following Moe, and then having Moe on the podcast. You might know on Instagram as DreadheadCos. For this episode, we're sticking to talking about Cosplay, so if that's your thing, then sit back and enjoy. Moe and I start with talking about how they got interested in Cosplay. From there, we talk about some of the first characters they've cosplayed, and how sticking to canon doesn't have to be standard and how to put your own flare and personality into cosplays. As we talk about the characters they've done, we do venture into the fandom world to discuss, particularly with Red Hood. We also talk about Moe's work with prop making and how they approach the different pieces, along with how they work deciding which cosplay or prop to work on. One of my favorite quotes of the episode is "When in dobt, add a corset and belts" We wrap up by talking about what Moe is working on this year, their dream cosplay, and more. You can find Moe at: https://www.instagram.com/dreadheadcos/ https://bsky.app/profile/dreadheadcos.bsky.social

Saint Valkyrie joins me from Puerto Rico as we dive into a number of different fandoms! I had stumbled across her account on Instagram and really enjoyed her work, and I'm glad you all get to listen! We start things off by talking about Video Games. Broad topic, as we start with how she got into gaming, her first console and games, and more. Then we have a focused disucssion on Cyberpunk 2077. We talk about what that game means to her, why she enjoys the game, and how it informs and educates in its own way. Her discussion changed the way I looked and approached the game. It was a great discussion. We also talked about a game she recommends, Sun Haven, and why you should check it out (link below!) Then we jump over to more gaming, but this time, tabletop roleplaying games! We talk about games like Dungeons and Dragons, and Pathfinder. We talk about the kinds of characters and stories she plays, the amount of games she's in, and how she got into TTRPG's in the first place. Next, we're flipping the coin of comic giants, with DC and Marvel. We get to talk about how she got into these two giant fandoms, where she falls on the spectrum of medium - comics? TV shows? Movies? Plus, we're talking about favorite characters, and favorite properties. Then we're wrapping up with a conversation about Cosplay. She talks about how she got started, some of the characters she's done and skills she's learned, along with characters she's currently working on and future plans. You can find Saint Valkyrie at: https://www.instagram.com/saint.valkyrie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@saint.valkyrie You can find Sun Haven on Steam at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1432860/Sun_Haven/

After following Danny aka DannyVanWebster for quite some time, and trying to coordinate calendar, I'm finally excited to have his episode release for everyone to listen to! We kick things off by talking about one of his favorite fandoms, Resident Evil. Danny talks about how he got into the franchise, his favorite games, the remakes that released over the past few years, and who his favorite character is. We speculate about the newest entry into the franchise, as this was recorded before the latest Resident Evil released. Danny and I then switch gears, as we talk about one of the most talked about games from last year, Dispatch. Danny talks about how he stumbled across this game, goes over the premise of the game, and we talk about his favorites. We do delve into a bit of spoiler territory for the ending of the game. We then go over to another talked about fandom from last year- K-Pop Demon Hunters. Danny talks about how got into the movie, what continues to draw him to it, his favorite characters, and we discuss the rumored (at the time) potential sequel. Lastly, we wrap up by talking about Cosplay. Danny talks about how he got into Cosplay, doing volunteer work, some of the cosplays he's done and what character's he is drawn to. You can find Danny at: https://www.instagram.com/dannyvanwebster/ https://www.tiktok.com/@dannyvanwebster

This week, I have the pleasure of having Vivien of FreshFrippery join me on the podcast! I had been following Vivien's Instagram for quite some time and had been astounded by the work she creates. We start things off by talking about The Lord of the Rings fandom. Vivien and I talk about how she first got into the fandom. We talk about the books and movies, the characters, and what drew her to his particular fandom. Plus, we talk about the costuming. That leads into the perfect segue as we get to explore the ins and outs of costuming. Vivien talks about how she first got into costuming thanks to a chance encounter on her college campus with someone from the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA). From there, Vivien talks about how she first started crafting and creating costume pieces. We talk about sewing these historical costumes and cosplay, and what skills she's learned along the way. Vivien talks about how she decides on the costume and look she creates. Plus, we talk about the cool costuming and ball events that have been in the spaces for the past several years. She talks about a few of the different events she's attended, and what draws her to specific events. You can find Vivien at: https://www.instagram.com/freshfrippery/ https://www.threads.com/@freshfrippery https://freshfrippery.com/landing_page/ https://www.tiktok.com/@freshfrippery https://www.facebook.com/freshfrippery/

We've got a hero on the podcast, as Mehr aka SuperMehr2.0 on Instagram joins me. We're talking about two of her favorite things - Superheroes, and Cosplay! With the episode divided in half, the first half is all about superheroes. Mehr talks about getting into superheroes thanks to her brothers, and being sat for several of the animated shows. Iconic shows such as Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and Teen Titans, just to name a few. We talk about these shows, then get into some of the different comics. One such comic, and a primary focus, is Ms. Marvel - aka Kamala Khan. We talk about what the character means to Mehr, as well as discuss the comic version to the MCU version. Another surprise character that Mehr talks about is Damien Wayne. I won't say more, so you can listen and find out. Then we turn to Cosplay. Mehr talks about first getting interested in cosplay and talks about the characters that she represents. We talk about her cosplaying during COVID and how she pivoted to online content. We circle back to the love of Ms. Marvel and representing her in various looks and cosplays, and attending the premieres of Ms. Marvel, as well as The Marvels. Mehr talks about some of her upcoming ideas and what she has planned. You can find Mehr at: https://www.instagram.com/supermehr2.0/ DC Comics Webtoon can be found at: https://www.dc.com/webtoon

After stumbling across her Kitty Pryde cosplay and then following her work with her cosplay and writings, I knew it'd be a fun time to talk with Jenna Costa Deedy. We kick things off by talking about Marvel. We talk about the comics, the movies, and the characters she enjoys. We focus some of the world of the X-Men. We talk about the upcoming inclusion of the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and what characters she'd love to see make their MCU appearance. Jenna and I then talk about her love of Star Wars. She talks about which characters she loves, why she continues to love the Galaxy Far, Far Away, and we talk about the wide range of Star Wars media. Then, a first for the podcast, Jenna talks about Marine Animals. We talk about why she loves marine animal science and how she got interested in that field. Jenna talks about her time volunteering and working with animals all over at different centers, and what draws her to this work. Lastly, we talk about Cosplay and her writings. On the cosplay side of things, Jenna talks about how she first got into cosplay and why she got interested in it. We talk about some of the characters she's represented and why those in particular, as well as some of the character she hopes to do in the future. Jenna also talks about the writings that she does - between marine animals as well as pop culture. We cover a few different pieces she's written as well. You can find Jenna at: https://www.instagram.com/jennacostadeedy/ https://www.threads.com/@jennacostadeedy https://vocal.media/authors/jenna-deedy https://linktr.ee/jennacostadeedy Use code JENNA20 for 20% off at https://www.davidsonstea.com/ Use code JENNAD679 to get 10% off at https://superxapparel.com/

I stumbled across Gabriella Buba's work on Instagram through a previous guest. This guest was cosplaying as the main character from Saints of Storm and Sorrow, and then hyped up the book. She influenced me, I read the book, and knew I'd love to talk to Gabriella about her work. We start things off by discussing her early fandom influences - Supernatural and Sherlock. We talk about both shows and how these shows were gateways into her early writing, including fan fiction. From there, we talk about her progression into a writer. We talk about the history of Saints of Storm and Sorrow from early iterations to what you can now hold (or listen) to. Gabriella talks about how just one change can be the change that makes the magic happen and make your work become what it was meant to be. We specifically focus on the first book, Saints of Storm and Sorrow, since that's the book I had read. We talk about the characters, the plot, and the setting. Gabriella talks about how real world influences of location and mythology of the Philippines, as well as the role of the Catholic Church, and colonization, all play a role in her book. Gabriella talks about how the book was received here in the US, as well as having made a trip to the Philippines to promote the book last year. Gabriella touches on the audio book version, which has Dante Basco voicing one of the main characters! We also talk about the follow up, Daughters of Flood and Fury, and what is coming next for her. You can find Gabriella at: https://gabriellabuba.com/ https://www.instagram.com/gabriellabuba/ https://x.com/GabriellaBuba https://www.tiktok.com/@gabriella.buba.books https://www.threads.com/@gabriellabuba https://www.tumblr.com/inkcurlsandknives https://bsky.app/profile/gabriellabuba.bsky.social https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555269646766 You can buy Saints of Storm and Sorrow at: https://amzn.to/4cuIksa