Tales from the Fandom

Rachael joins us for Episode 24 of Tales from the Fandom. Another guest from Florida, this was recorded after the CEO Fighting Game Tournament that happened here in Orlando in June. We start off with video games and talk about Kingdom Hearts, Mass Effect and Final Fantasy before talking about the CEO Fighting Game Tournament and Street Fighter. After that, we talk about Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of the greatest TV shows to have come on the air. Rachael then talks to us about her she got into cosplay and how she's transitioned from being a cosplayer to also being a cosplay photographer and what her plans are. You can find Rachael at: http://www.facebook.com/pikaklutz https://www.instagram.com/rachayel/ https://twitter.com/Rachayel

Anna aka Pinkuperfect joins us from North Carolina for Episode 23 of Tales From the Fandom. Anna first starts off with a conversation about her favorite video game series, The Legend of Zelda. She tells us which game she started out with, her favorite game of the series and more. We then transition over to Disney. Anna, being a graphic design student has a very definite flair and understanding of the art that Disney brings to the table with their various animated movies. We spend a lot of time on Tangled, the story of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider before switching gears to The Emperor's New Groove. Next, Anna gives me an education on the K-Pop and J-Pop fandoms. How she got into that kind of music, why she likes it and more. We then talk about Magical Girl Anime, including her favorite series, Tokyo Mew Mew. She also talks about Your Lie in April and Attack on Titan. Anna then talks to us about cosplay, with a brief conversation about The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Disney's Tarzan in between. We talk about how she got into cosplay, what she does and how involved she is. RWBY is brought up by Rooster Teeth and I talk about Monty Oum's Dead Fantasy series which can be found on YouTube. You can find Anna at: http://www.instagram.com/pinkuperfect http://www.facebook.com/pinkuperfect

Kevin Hearne, author of The Iron Druid Chronicles and Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi, joins Tales from the Fandom for the 22nd episode. Kevin talks about his early fandom influences as well as what he is into now before we talk about his series, The Iron Druid Chronicles. We discuss characters, books, fandom references in the series as well as his upcoming books including The Purloined Poodle, Besieged and more. He also talks about writing the Star Wars books, Heir to the Jedi, one of first books released that is considered Canon in the Star Wars universe. Kevin also talks about his journey from high school teacher to author, how he progressed and his advice to those who want to be writers. You can find Kevin Hearne at: www.kevinhearne.com https://www.facebook.com/authorkevin/ https://twitter.com/KevinHearne https://www.imzy.com/kevinhearne https://www.instagram.com/kevin_hearne/

Kelsey Walmer joins us from Los Angeles, California for Episode 21 of Tales from the Fandom. Kelsey is an actress, model, cosplayer and voice over artist is will be appearing in the new play "Snowed Inn" in December. We first start off talking DC Comics, primarily Batman, along with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. We discuss the two women at length as well as the Harley/Joker relationship and how it's evolved over the course of various mediums starting with Batman: The Animated Series and ending with the Suicide Squad movie. Kelsey and I then talk about Bob's Burgers, the animated show on Fox. We talk how we got into the show, favorite characters and Kelsey talks about voice acting and breaks it down on how to get started if you want to be a voice actor and her experiences. We talk about Neil Gaiman and his writing and some of the writing that has been translated to screen, including the upcoming American Gods TV series. Kelsey than talks about her acting and voice over work as well as how she got into cosplay and what she does that sets her apart from the traditional cosplayer. You can find Kelsey at: https://www.instagram.com/van_kelsing/ https://twitter.com/van_kelsing https://www.facebook.com/vankelsingactress/ http://www.kelseywalmer.com

Previous guest Trent from Episode 15 rejoins Tales from the Fandom to cover The CW DC comics superhero shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl before we switch gears to Marvel's Netflix shows Daredevil, Jessica Jones and the upcoming Luke Cage series while also talking about Iron First, Punisher and The Defenders. We talk about each show, its characters, what we liked and what we didn't and what we hope happens in their respective universes.

Aurora, a friend of the show, joins us for episode 20 of Tales From the Fandom and continues the trend of guests from Canada. Aurora hails from Vancouver, Canada and dabbles in many different fandoms. We discuss a few of them on today's episode. We start off the show talking about Harry Potter and how she got into the series. We hit on characters we like, favorite books and characters that we felt are overrated. Aurora and I then discuss at length the "Riordanverse" with the Percy Jackson series. We talk about how she got into it and which of the series she likes the best. We also discuss The Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase and the newly released Trials of Apollo book. She then hits me with two book series recommendations. The first is by Scott Westerfeld and it is the Leviathan series. The second is The Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas. She explains the backgrounds behind both books and why she recommends them. Lastly, she talks to me about a tv show that aired in 2007 that she recommends watching - at least the pilot, called The Black Donnellys.

Shannah Heffern joins us for episode 19 of Tales from the Fandom and if you are a Disney fan, you should not miss this episode! Shannah is our second guest from Canada, hailing from Edmonton, Alberta. She is a huge Disney fan and is actively auditioning to become a Disney entertainer, as well as finishing up her degree in Criminology and Psychology. We delve deep into Disney. We discuss her favorite movies and characters, as well as which movies she feels are underrated. We both discover that there are movies in the Disney library we haven't seen. She also discusses her Disney Princess cosplay and how she got into it. After Disney, we travel to Japan and talk their animated movies, specifically Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Movies and characters are discussed and I blow Shannah's mind with an item she needs to add to her bucket list of places to visit. Game of Thrones is up next, and as we recorded this after the Season 6 finale, there are spoilers. We talk favorite Houses and Characters, both the ones she loves and the ones she feel are underrated and what she hopes for next season. We wrap up with Broadway and talk about the shows she likes and why and what she has seen. You can find Shannah at: https://www.instagram.com/dpatheart/

Jeremy aka Stryfe the Warrior, joins us from Texas for Episode 18 of Tales from the Fandom. We dive headfirst into Power Rangers. We go over how he got into it, his favorite power ranger and we discuss the upcoming movie. Jeremy also recommends which series you should watch. Jeremy then talks to us about the videogame series called Earthbound, also known as Mother. He talks the history behind the game and what the game is about. We jump to another video game series, the Legend of Zelda. We talk favorite games and explore the history of the game series. Jeremy tells his his favorite Link and what game he'd recommend for someone who wants to try LoZ out. Jeremy talks about how he got into Cosplaying and why he does it. He talks about his favorites as well as what he's working on for the future. We end with the videogame, Super Smash Brothers. He talks about the different versions and which one he likes, as well as favorite characters to play. You can find Jeremy at: www.instagram.com/stryfethewarrior www.instagram.com/vanime_stryfe www.facebook.com/stryfethewarriorcosplay

David Brown, a friend from Charlotte, North Carolina, joins Tales from the Fandom for its 17th episode. We start off with how we met each other through Dungeons and Dragons and delve into how he got into roleplaying games as a kid with 1st edition D&D and West End Game Star Wars. He tells about how a setting for D&D, Eberron, brought him back into gaming and the games he currently plays. We transition into Monte Cook Games, a roleplaying company that David got involved with through Kickstarters and then launching podcasts and websites. He describes each of the different settings, Numenera and The Strange, as well as No Thank You Evil. We end with his talk of the CypherCaster online magazine that he launched as well as MCG current Kickstarter, Invisible Sun. After gaming we change to Star Wars and how he got into it through comics and the movies and how it's influenced his life. We talk movies past and present, as well as what is out there for gaming. We talk about a favorite video game of ours, XCom and XCom 2 and how we both feel it is an amazing game and why we love it, before David ends with talk about GI Joe and Battleship Yamato/Star Blazers. You can find David at: Transmissions from the 9th World Podcast - http://transmissionsninthworld.blogspot.com/ Translating the Strange Podcast - http://www.translatingthestrange.com/ CypherCaster Magazine - http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/8275/CypherCast-Network Invisible Sun Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/montecookgames/invisible-sun Monte Cook Games - https://www.montecookgames.com/

Celebrating Star Trek's 50th Anniversary, Tales from the Fandom brings back Chelsea Doyle (episode 6) to talk Trek. From when we both got into it, what it means to us personally as well as culturally and scientifically. We also talk about Star Trek's impact on Sci-Fi shows that came after it, as well as fandoms of today. You can find Chelsea at: Media Nerd Alert

Kate and Natalie, the duo behind Conjure Corps, joins us from Washington, DC for Episode 16 of Tales from the Fandom. We start off by discussing how fandom has changed from 10-15 years ago to the present and how we're more connected and able to have fandom discussions and how fandom has become more mainstream. Kate and Natalie both talk about a variety of fandoms that they're into. We ramble a bit about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Vikings before launching into a major discussion on Game of Thrones. As this episode was recorded a day after the Season 6 finale, we all talk the finale episode. Kate and Natalie discuss how they got into Game of Thrones along with a discussion on Jaime Lannister and his relationships. Favorite characters, the rise of the female characters, favorite moments and more are discussed. Vikings is up next as a fandom they both share, and they delve into the story and characters at great length and serve as a wonderful primer for the show. We discuss how they got into RenFaires and costuming before discussing the dynamic costumes/cosplays that they make and how they choose what characters they're going to represent. Finally, we discuss Conjure Corps. What is it? And what do they hope to do in the future with it. You can find Kate and Natalie at: Conjure Corps website Instagram

Trent (aka BigTrent07) joins us from California for Episode 15 of Tales from the Fandom. We start off with a lengthy discussion on Power Rangers. We discuss how we both got into the show and our favorite characters. Trent discusses his favorite iterations and what iterations he would recommend if someone wanted to get into Power Rangers. We talk about the series he feels is underrated. We delve a bit into the Super Sentai Japanese versions and talk about their differences before ending on a discussion of the upcoming new Power Rangers movie. Trent then talks about how he got into cosplaying as a Power Ranger, as well as doing Batman and Finn from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Trent talks about his experiences cosplaying characters as a black man taking on traditionally white roles and the different experiences he's had on conventions vs the internet. We then talk Pro Wrestling. Trent talks about how and when he first got into watching WWF, if he still watches it and his thoughts on the current state of wrestling. As this was recorded in June, we talk about the upcoming brand split (which has since happened) as well as his favorite wrestler. Trent then briefly talks about shows he's interested in, The 100 and Teen Wolf and how he'd love to find people to talk to them about - so if you watch them and want to talk about them, Trent's your guy. You can find Trent at: Instagram Twitter

Longtime friend, S. Brady Calhoun, joins Tales from the Fandom for its 14th episode. Brady, a former newspaper journalist who has recently transitioned into the world of TV journalism has been a friend of David's since Middle School. Due to that history, there's a lot of fandoms to cover and more that were left off of this podcast recording. We start off with how Brady got into the world of comics and our mutual humble beginnings as gas station comic book buyers before we even knew about comic shops. Then Brady tells us about the comics he's into: Savage Dragon, Usagi Yojimbo, Cerebus by Dave Sim, Hellboy and Lone Wolf and Cub. He runs through the stories and why he considers them some of his favorites. We diverge into Bob's Burgers before we hit on Brady's proclaimed "Greatest TV show of all time", Babylon 5. We talk Babylon 5, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: The Next Generation. We touch on how Captain Picard is the best Captain. We venture briefly into Battlestar Galactica before tackling topics such as ambiguous show endings ala The Sopranos and when things should have called it quits, such as the bloated Hobbit movies. You can find Brady at: Twitter The Syndicate - Facebook Page

Tali joins us from Calgary, Alberta, Canada for Episode 13, a special release of Tales from the Fandom to coincide with WWE's Summerslam! We first talk about Professional Wrestling. We discuss how she got into it, her favorite pro wrestler of all time and her current favorite wrestler on the roster. We talk brand split, the draft and of course, Summerslam! We also talk about dream matches and the craziness of the Universal Championship. We also touch on the Cruiserweight Classic and the new Cruiserweight division. From there, we delve into her vidoegame fandom. Tali is a classic PS1 and PS2 RPG gamer, and we discuss the trials and tribulations of being a gamer in the 90's and early 2000's. She talks about her favorite games, including Shadow Hearts, Silent Hill and Final Fantasy. We then talk about how she got into Cosplay, the characters she does and wants to do before accidentally delving into Xenosaga while talking about her desire to cosplay as KOS-MOS. You can find Tali at: Facebook Twitter Instagram Tali's Website Tali's YouTube channel

Sadie Geerligs of Sadie by Design joins us for Episode 12 of Tales from the Fandom. We explore her experiences with Pokemon including the video games and we discuss our favorite Pokemon before talking about Sun and Moon briefly. Sadie and I delve into the world of Harry Potter and discuss Severus Snape and Hermione Granger, before talking about the different houses, along with J.K. Rowling talking about what she would have done differently (ie: Hermione being with Harry as a possibility) We switch to Disney and discuss favorite movies and characters, along with how Sadie has one of the best looks as a Cinderella that I've ever seen. Sadie talks about how she got into cosplay and what she's done so far and what she's planning to do. We also talk Ever After High, DC Superhero Girls and Spider Gwen, specifically talking about Spider Gwen's rise in popularity and the portrayal of the character on the internet. You can find Sadie at: Sadie by Design on Facebook https://twitter.com/sadiebydesign Instagram Sadie by Design - Blog Sadie's Youtube Channel Podcast direct download link- http://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-12-sadie-geerligs

Ashlee of Kingdom of Ribbon Cosplay joins us from Arizona for Episode 11 of Tales from the Fandom. We delve into the start of her fandom experience - being Batman. We delve into Batman: The Animated Series, including a discussion about Harley Quinn. Ashlee and I then talk Marvel. Up first is the X-Men comics and a discussion on Gambit, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and what draws her to them. We discuss Excalibur and then talk about Jubilee and Quicksilver as being the most underrated X-characters. We discuss the X-men movies, pre-Apocalypse, as it had just been released at the time of the recording. We talk MCU and Marvel-Netflix including Infinity War and who she'd like to see in that movie that hasn't been featured yet. Ashlee talks to me about Hellboy. From how she got into the fandom to what she likes most about it. We discuss a favorite book series from our childhood, the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. What it's about, why we both loved it and how it needs more love. Ashlee talks to me about cosplay. How she got into it, who she is most known as and how she chooses who she cosplays. She also discusses her involvement with the Justice League of Arizona, a charity cosplay group. You can find the JLA Cosplay group at: http://justiceleaguearizona.com/ Justice League of Arizona Facebook You can find Ashlee at: Facebook Instagram

Boodoir Babe (fka The Scarlet Stitch) joins Tales from the Fandom for Episode 10. We dive into The Walking Dead, talking about the past seasons and what's going to happen to the crew in the upcoming season, as well as our favorite characters. Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes up next. We discuss characters like the Scarlet Witch and Kamala Khan. We discuss the range of MCU movies and talk about the shows on ABC and Netflix. We talk about what characters we'd love to see be in or get their own movies and shows. We also talk about the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. We transition to cosplay and how she crochets all of her cosplays, something that I have never seen before. We start with how she learned to crochet and then how she transitioned to cosplaying. She tells us how she decides on her characters to cosplay as well. Scarlet tells us about a webcomic called Check, Please! that is available on Tumblr. It's about a character called Eric Bittle who loves to bake pies and joins the university hockey team. You can find Scarlet at: https://www.instagram.com/boodoir_babe/ Facebook Twitter

Barbie of Cosplay by Barbie Wi (formerly Asgard Barbie Cosplay) joins us from the windy city of Chicago to discuss the multitude of fandoms that she is into. We start off with Labyrinth and how we both had entry points into early fandoms through online messaging boards such as AOL and Prodigy. We hit her current number one fandom, Agents of Shield. Why does she like it? Favorite characters? The stories that are going on. Barbie walks us through the ABC show. We go back to 2004 and discuss the Battlestar Galactica remake and how it still holds up 12 years later. Barbie discusses the Dr. Who spinoff show, Torchwood, educating me about what it was. We go on a lengthy discussion about Black Widow from the Marvel Universe including talking about how she deserves her own movie and what it would look like, as well as the general failure of the marketing of female characters such as Black Widow and Rey (from Star Wars: The Force Awakens) We switch gears to talk about some of the upcoming slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies including Thor: Ragnarok, Doctor Strange and Antman and the Wasp. Finally, we discuss Barbie's love of Cosplay. How she got into it, how she does it and what she's worked on, including a 30+ pound wedding dress from the movie Enchanted, along with several other costumes such as Xena. You can find her at: Facebook Instagram Tumblr Twitter

Mew of Mew 21 cosplay is the third guest to join us from Tales from the Fandom's home base of Orlando, Florida. Mew is a cosplayer, costume designer and performance company owner who has won various craftsmanship and performance awards at events such as DragonCon in Atlanta, and Megacon here in Orlando. She's been featured in various social media outlets as well. We dive into her favorite fandom, Sailor Moon, to start off with. We cover topics such as her favorite scout, dubs vs subs, how she got into it and recommending newer shows if you like Sailor Moon. Mew talks to us about the video game, Mass Effect. We discuss gameplay, characters, story and more. We also talk about Disney, being that we both live in Orlando and it's almost a prerequisite of conversation. Mew then talks to us about Cosplay. The characters she does, how she creates those costumes, her competitions and now how she is doing craftsmanship based panels at upcoming conventions. You can find her at: Facebook Instagram

Meghan Short, a cosplayer and Disney fanatic joins us from Tales from the Fandom's home base of Orlando, Florida for our first Not Safe for Work (NFSW) episode. We start off with a discussion of how we both had awkward phases and got into our respective early Fandoms, including a discussion about Final Fantasy X and Nintendo Power. Meghan reveals that while she enjoys the Abramsverse Trek movies, she's never seen any of the Star Trek TV series. Her main, number one fandom, Neon Genesis Evangelion is discussed at great length. We touch on Firefly before launching into a long discussion about Game of Thrones. As this episode was recorded prior to the end of the season, you'll notice there are some things that are discussed due to not having yet seen some of the series. We launch into Disney and her very strong feelings about Frozen and certain characters represented in Disney World. We wrap up with how she got into cosplay, what she's doing and what's in her future. Find her at: Instagram - Meghan Short Meghan's Tumblr Meghan Short on Facebook

Self proclaimed Queen of the Nerds, Chelsea Doyle, joins us on this weeks episode of Tales from the Fandom. Raised in a comic book store at a young age, Chelsea wrapped herself in the Geek and Nerd world early. We cover Archie comics and the pending Riverdale tv series debuting on the CW. We also discuss another CW show, Reign. We hit upon the Supernatural fandom before taking a deep dive into Star Trek. The shows, the movies and the new series coming out along with favorite characters. Marvel, DC and Vertigo comics are all highlighted along with a discussion about the differences between the DC and Marvel universe and Chelsea recommends some of her favorite comics. We discuss Game of Thrones (before the season finale), the books, the show and the epic failure of the Dorne plotline last season. We give some love to Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra before we start discussing how the US model of 22 tv episodes needs to be changed to a 10-13 episode model. She recommends her favorite books and I talk about some of the books I'm into, before we take a turn into talking about kids and getting them into the geek world early. We wrap it up with Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Force Awakens and the upcoming Rogue One movie. Find her at: Media Nerd Alert

MJ joins us from the West Coast to talk about her wide range of fandoms. Her journey into Fandom began with Star Trek: The Original Series and we discuss the original series, the reboot movie series and our thoughts on the Abrams Trekverse. We delve into Marvel comics like Winter Solider, Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales and then move into the MCU with her love of the Captain America movies and Bucky and delving into the MCU version of Bucky. We talk a bit about Infinity Wars and which characters we'd love to see show up in the movies and how you can't say no to Captain America. MJ suggests watching Dollhouse from the Whedonverse and discusses what the show is about and what she likes about it and we talk about Whedonverse relationships. MJ discusses how she got into cosplay, how she makes her own cosplay outfits and the challenges between photo shoots, construction times and real life. And then we talk about Realmology, her upcoming webshow that delves into Fandom worlds and explores their culture/sociological/economic topics - like what kind of taxes or costs are there associated with living in the MCU New York City.

Bailey of Bailey Vea Cosplay joins us from Central Florida to talk about a variety of fandoms. We talk about Harry Potter and how she knew what house she was instantly. We talk about her favorite book in the series, as well as talk a bit about Narcissa Malfoy. We venture into Azeroth to talk about World of Warcraft and Bailey's 10 years with the game and what draws her in. We explore the Welcome to Nightvale Podcast and Book. Then we delve into her cosplay - how she got into it, the characters she does and her experiences with cosplay and conventions. We also talk about how she is studying and working towards being an opera singer. Find her on: Facebook @baileyveacosplay Instagram @baileyveacosplay Twitter @bvcosplay Snapchat @bvcosplay

Ginny of Ginny Not Weasley Cosplay joins us from the Bay Area of California to talk about a variety of fandoms. We discuss how she got into cosplay, Disney and the new Beauty and the Beast movie, Game of Thrones and who should be on the Iron Throne at the end. We also talk about my lack of experience with Doctor Who and Ginny offers great advice on how to get into it. We also discuss Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as Sailor Moon, along with how she chooses her cosplays and some of the difficulties. We talk about her recent interest in Studio Ghibli and my recommendations. And we delve into Harry Potter and our joint Hufflepuff-ness along with her opinions of the romantic relationships that happened with the trio and others. Find her at http://www.instagram.com/ginnynotweasleycosplay/ or http://www.facebook.com/Ginnynotweasleycosplay/

Published author Eden Royce joins us from England to talk about a variety of fandoms. These include cooking and the rise of cooking shows, horror and dark fiction, her southern gothic and horror writing, Star Trek, Sleepy Hollow (the tv series) and how Fox made a big mistake with it. Find her at www.edenroyce.com and darkgeisha.wordpress.com

The inaugural Tales from the Fandom episode covers Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Leverage, Girl Meets World and the Iron Druid Chronicles with longtime friend, Jachelle Overstreet.