Tales From The Fandom

After following them for quite some time, I am joined by the wonderful FreakazoidCosplay (aka Ashley) for a great discussion about some of their favorite fandoms. We first kick things off with the dual superhero powers, DC and Marvel. Ashley talks about how they first got their start with DC - from the animated series and movies, to the most recent slate, the comics, and much more. We're talking about what their favorites are, their favorite characters, and how it was growing up in a Marvel household. Which leads directly into how they finally got into Marvel. What their first entry point was, the movies they like, the characters that keeps them coming back for more (and which characters don't - and some may surprise you!) We talk about the upcoming Avengers movie w/Dr. Doom, and what they hope for in the future. Then, after we're all superheroed out, we delve into Netflix's Castlevania series. Ashley talks about how they found out about the show, their favorite characters, and what drew them to the series (a

Central Florida creator Sarah aka SpiritDaySarah returns to the podcast after 18 months. I always enjoy seeing what Sarah is doing and creating and am glad to welcome her back. For this episode, Sarah had something special to talk about. While we still remain in the realm of content creation, cosplaying, and bounding, Sarah discusses what it is like doing all that while pregnant. Sarah goes over 5 tips to help creators who are or may become pregnant in the future and advice on how she's had to adapt and pivot her content over the past several months. We talk about batching content, writing down ideas that could work over a period of time, changes in what she's able to do and the times she's able to create, and so much more. There's a lot of behind the scenes talk in this episode and even if pregnancy isn't in your future, Sarah's tips work well for any creator. You can find Sarah at: https://www.instagram.com/spiritdaysarah/ https://www.tiktok.com/@spiritdaysarah https://www.youtube.com/@skayziekay You can li

It's always fun bonding with people over shared interests. For Olivia and I, it was Star Wars and The Bad Batch series. It was a pleasure getting to have Olivia join me on the podcast to talk about this, and so much more! We start things off by by getting into Marvel and The X-Men fandom. Olivia talks about some of her favorite movies/shows that exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what keeps her coming back for more. We talk about some of her favorites (one of her favorite movies may surprise you!) and then we talk about The X-Men. From X-Men 93 and 97, to comics, and what she's hoping for in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it comes to the X-Men, including one mutant that made my jaw drop. Then we find ourselves in the galaxy far, far away to talk Star Wars. Olivia talks about her first experiences with the fandom, from the movies to TV shows, and characters. Olivia talks about her love of shows like Rebels, how she's catching up on shows she missed, and what we're expecting from the f

We have another international guest joining us, as Anshie Shinohara joins me from Germany! After stumbling across her Aerith cosplays on Instagram, I'm happy to welcome her to the podcast. Anshie and I start off with the only topic we could start with, Final Fantasy 7. Anshie talks about how she first got into the video game, back in the original Playstation days. We talk about what kept her coming back to that franchise, her experiences beyond 7, and then returning to the game with Remake and Rebirth. We cover who her favorite characters are, her thoughts on the remake storyline, and what she hopes for how the story ends this time. From there, we go into a topic Aerith would be proud to talk about - Gardening. Anshie discusses how she first got into gardening and her history with it, some of her favorite plants, and her current gardening situation. We talk about a plant she'd love to have, and her advice for those who may be interested in gardening. We wrap up with Cosplay. Anshie has been cosplaying for ove

I'm excited to have the Angel of Hell's Kitchen, Alli, join me from Philadelphia for this latest episode of the podcast! We get to talk about some wonderful fandoms and her work. Alli and I kick things off by talking about The Hunger Games franchise. We cover both the movies and books (including Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and The Sunrise on the Reaping). Alli discusses some of the differences between them, and why she loves and revists the series often. We talk about favorite characters, favorite movies, and more. We also explore the idea of potential future books (and movies) and which characters we'd love to see featured. From there, we go to Westeros to talk about Game of Thrones. Alli talks about how she first got into the HBO series, and what kept her coming back for more. We talk about her favorite house and characters, her thoughts on the series, and what she'd love to see if there were even more spinoff's. Then we get to Marvel. We focus primarily on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with what movies

We go to Germany for this episode, as Yuliya aka Yuliya.Crafts joins me to talk about her past, present, and future with fandom. Raised in the Ukraine in the post-Soviet era, we refelect on Yuliya's first interactions with fandom. Mostly exposed to work from Japan, she didn't get into some of her current fandoms until the age of 20. We talk about the movies and shows she watched then, and what her fandom experiences were like.  We talk about fandoms that she's presently into, like Star Wars, Doctor Who, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and DC movies. We talk about her continued love of Star Wars, one of her first fandoms, and how the stories they've told in that fandom reflect in real life experiences with the current political climates, the war in Ukraine, and much more. Yuliya talks about Marvel's Fantastic Four movie, and DC's Superman movie, and we reflect on what could come from both movie universes.  We wrap up by talking about Cosplay. Yuliya talks about Cosplay, including how she started. Yuliya talks a

Twitch streamer Joey Vogt joins me from the great, untapped land that is Ohio for this latest episode of the podcast. Joey and I are both part of the Hyrule Gaming Group stream team, so I've had the pleasure of watching his Twitch streams and get to know him a bit more. Now, he gets to join me and share what he loves. We kick things off by talking about Game of Thrones. This show was not in Joey's wheelhouse to start with, as he wasn't so much a fantasy fan. That show changed his mind. We talk about the show - from storylines to favorite houses and characters, and why it kept him coming back for more. Joey also talks about how Game of Thrones opened him up to being interested in more fantasy media and even getting into history and mythology of the medieval time period. Our newest topic on the podcast is hiking! It's an unlikely one, but I do love getting to share what people love and enjoy. Joey talks about who got him interested in hiking and the great outdoors. We talk about some of the places that Joey and

Natalie aka OhThatNatalie on socials joins from Canada as we get to talk about a number of her passions. While we start off strong with talk of tiramisu, we dive into one of our main topics - Books! Natalie talks about how she got back into reading, fanfiction, and what books she is drawn to now. She gives several recommendations (see links below), and we talk openly about how she shares her very personal reactions to some of the books she's read on her Instagram page. She talks about how she decides which books sit on shelves, and which books get boxed to be saved for later. Mixed in with that talk, we do delve into a little about hockey and how Natalie is a fan of the Carolina Hurricanes and how that came to be. We then jump over to video games and Twitch streaming. Natalie talks about how she first got into video games, and what kind of video games she is drawn to. Natalie talks about her start as a Twitch streamer, streaming The Sims 4, and eventually transitioning to story based games such as Red Dead Re

Nearly 3 years to the day, Vicki aka Vicksipixiecosplay returns to the podcast! After we previously had technical difficulties on her first episode where we had to cut things short, this time, we are fully technical and now you've got a full episode! We kick things off by talking about Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. We specifically focus on the 2005 movie version. Vicki talks about why she enjoys P&P as much as she does, and why this version is the one she gravitates towards. We talk about some of her favorite characters, who she identifies with, and we touch on some of the other versions as well as the potential upcoming version that Netflix is working on. We also do talk about a bit more Jane Austen overall. From there, we go to Scooby Doo! Vicki talks about how she got into Scooby Doo, which versions she likes, and who her favorite character is (this one may shock you!). We talk about a number of the different versions, including HBO's Velma, the animated Scoob movie, and more. We wrap up by talkin

Sky is the latest person from the Central Florida area to join us as a guest. As some I've been following for quite a while, I was very excited to get to talk with her! We're covering some great fandom topics. We start off with talking about the music she grew up with. From Alt. Rock, Emo, and Screamo, to focusing on My Chemical Romance, we cover what Sky enjoyed and still enjoys to this day. We talk a bit about the MCR lore, along with the album she'd recommend people listen to if they're first getting into MCR. From there, we get to talking about Marvel. Sky's introduction to Marvel originates from a variety of entry points. From animation and comics, to video games, leading ultimately to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We talk about characters like Kitty Pryde, the Rogue/Gambit pairing, and some of her favorite MCU movies. Then, it's time to go to a galaxy far, far away, with Star Wars. Sky's entry point is one of the most unique ones I've encountered, so no spoilers here. You'll have to listen to the episo

Cam aka CamCammeii returns after 3 1/2 years as we catch up, talk about some of the newer fandoms she's into, and talk about her growth and changes within the past years. We first kick things off by acknowledging that Cam is the designer behind the new Tales from the Fandom logo, as of 3 1/2 years ago. So a little piece of Cam lives on in each episode promo you see on the social media side of things. Cam and I revisit Genshin Impact and talk about its impact (pun intended) on her video game playing. From her first getting into the game, the characters she enjoys, how it involved her getting a custom PC, and much more. Then we change gears and talk about two anime shows that Cam has gotten into. We delve into the realm of Delicious in Dungeon, and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Cam talks about why these two specifically call to her, the characters and story, and what you can expect from them. The back half of the episode, we're talking all about Cam. Our first Cam-topic is talking about her foray into Twitch s

Every guest has their own special story on how they get to be on this podcast. For Farah aka FarahsFantasyland, she'd been on the list and then up and moved from Florida to the Pacific Northwest! We finally mastered the timezones, calendars, and got together to get this episode to your ears. I had stumbled across Farah through someone sharing her Disney content to their stories. I enjoyed the creativity and energy that Farah brought, and now here we are. We kick things off by talking about just that - Disney. From her origins in the Disney fandom, to which VHS tape she wore down by watching it so much (and it's not the Disney movie you may be thinking of!) We talk about the parks - from Disneyland to Disney World, and even touch on her time at Tokyo Disney. We try to cram as much Disney in as we can. We then go to another property, but this time in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, with Star Wars. Farah talks about how she first got into Star Wars. From the movies and TV shows, including which ones are her favorites. P

A long time coming, I am pleased to have Ariel aka AriNicoCosplay join me on the podcast to talk with her about her favorite fandoms. We split the episode in half. The first half we cover the first anime. Ariel and I talk about our anime origins, with hers being with Toonami and staying up late to catch some of the anime series presented on the Cartoon Network. We do deeper dives into two of her current favorites, Dorohedoro and The Apothecary Diaries. From there, we step into the world of cosplay. If you've followed Ariel's Instagram for some time, you'll know that she does incredibly detailed cosplay and cosplay pieces. We talk about how she first got into cosplay, her process when it comes to costumes/costuming, the skills she's learned, and more. We highlight several of her pieces, and we talk about the work that goes into finding the fabrics and items needed. You can find Ariel at: https://www.instagram.com/arinicocosplay/ https://arinicocosplay.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@arinicocosplay

Sometimes you just stumble across someone's social media and are like "I want to talk to them on the podcast". Today, that someone is Catrina Dennis, aka OhCatrina, on their socials. Catrina joins me to talk about a number of fandom topics! We kick things off by talking about Star Wars - but, this time is unlike any other. As we start with their daily post asking for an Asajj Ventress show. Catrina and I talk about this character that has seen growth across multiple shows and even appeared in books and video games. You'll learn why Catrina likes the character, and what a show would look like to them. Plus, we do talk about the Star Wars fandom - from shows to movies, and points in between. From there, we're talking about growing up in fandom. Catrina's family growing up were in several fandom spaces, and so Catrina gravitated towards some of those shows and movies. We talk about the influence the fandom space had on them growing up, and how the love of fandom led Catrina to work in the fandom spaces. Catrina

Another new guest joins the podcast, as Hylia.Lynx joins me to talk about some of her favorite fandoms. We start things off by talking about one of the long running anime fandoms, Pokemon! Lynx and I talk about her entry into the world of Pokemon. Was it the anime? The card game? The video games? The movies? You'll get to hear about it here! We talk about some of her favorite experiences with Pokemon across the spectrum, including a few stories about her journey as a Pokemon master with Pokemon Go. Lynx stories continue, with her journey as a pirate, talking about One Piece! Lynx talks about what drew her to the storied, long running anime (and movies). We talk about the story, what continues to keep her coming back episode after episode, and some of her favorite characters. And she answers the ultimate question: Does she own a straw hat? From there, we talk about how she got into the new video game, Marvel Rivals. This was recorded prior to the Ultron release, so you'll hear us talking about that character's

The final episode of June is awesome. Pun fully intended, as Lorenzo aka TeamAwesome418 rounds out this month and joins me while he was on vacation to record this episode! We're talking DC, Marvel, Cosplay, and more in this episode! We kick things off with the DC side of things. Lorenzo talks about how he got into DC through the animated shows and movies. We talked about his love of Superman, along with Batman, and Static Shock. We bounce around between the animated shows and movies, to some of the more recent movies and discuss the upcoming reboot of the DC Cinematic Universe. From there, we swing on over to Marvel. And if you got that swing reference, that's because we have a good conversation about Lorenzo's love of Spider-Man. Peter Parker (and Miles Morales too). Plus, we talk about the animated shows, the pre-MCU movies like Spider-Man and the X-Men franchise, and we don't forget about the MCU movies, and characters like Deadpool. Lorenzo also talks about how he first got into doing Cosplay and some of

Anne returns from the Philippines after 3 years as we catch up and talk about some fandoms old and new. Anne and I get to catch up a bit and jump right into one of the older fandoms that we both love, Tabletop Roleplaying Games. Anne talks about some of her favorite games, including playing Dungeons & Dragons in Critical Role's Exandria setting, the Power Rangers RPG, Dresden Files, and Vampire: The Masquerade. We talk about her continued role as running and hosting streamed actual play games on Twitch channel through all of this. From there, we move over to another older fandom that we share. Power Ranges. Distinctly, we talk about the end of the Power Rangers series. Anne talks about the final seasons of the show, the Netflix movie, and how it all wrapped up. Anne and I discuss what a future reboot of the series may look like, ponder a sequel to the 2017 live action movie, and just reflect on the franchise and its characters. Lastly, we wrap up with a new fandom, Cobra Kai. We both talk about finding it

Sometimes I just stumble across people and love what they do and create. This is the case with Cailin aka Cailin.in.Character on socials. I loved her Midnight Spider cosplay, started following her, and got to know more of what she's into from what she shared. Now, you get to hear about some of her favorite fandoms! We kick the first half of the episode off talking about DC and Marvel. With DC, we start off by talking about how Cailin got into DC via the DC Animated Universe (hello Justice League!). She talks about her love of Batman and Wonder Woman, and some more of the shows and movies she's enjoyed. On the flip side, with Marvel, this was something that Cailin wasn't into. Until she fell in love with Groot. Cailin talks about some of her favorite shows and movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Wandavision, Netflix's Daredevil, and more. Then, Cailin talks to me about the Romantasy genre of books. She talks about how she first got into the genre - from which book started it all, a book series

Brittany aka BajanPrincessBrittany returns to the podcast to kick off Year 9 of Tales from the Fandom. Brittany said "I've got a great idea to talk about" and here we are. What are we talking about in this episode? Astrology! You may have seen from time to time, that I happen to share a lot of Sagittarius memes to my stories. I do love when I find the memes that match up to how I feel about my birth timeframe. Well, it so happens that Brittany is also a Sagittarian! So, we talk about astrology. From how we both got into it, if we feel we match our astrological sign and perhaps where we don't. Plus, we can't just talk ALL about astrology? So we talk about the intersection of fandom and astrology. We talk about characters we relate to, some Sagittarians who are noted in different fandom media (or memes). Take a listen and let us know your sign or if there are particular characters that you feel would match up with you! You can find Brittany at: https://www.instagram.com/bajanprincessbrittany/ https://talesfrom

Today, June 6th, 2025, is the 9 year anniversary of this podcast! 534 episodes, 15 countries, and so many fandoms talked about. Everything from big to niche fandoms. We've helped promote Kickstarters, movie releases, book releases, and so much more. For this episode, returning guest Briona aka StitchesandSpells joins me to be guest host of the podcast. She talks to me about the origins of the podcast, the number of different guest and fandoms I've had on, and more. We also talk about the community I try to strive for and being authentic to the audience who listens. I also catch up with Briona on what she's currently working on, as well as her travels. Thank you for being listeners of the podcast, whether you've been here since the first episode, or this latest one here. Be sure to check out Briona on her Instagram and listen to her previous episode! https://www.instagram.com/stitchesandspells/ https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-238-briona-aka-stitchesandspells-talks-star-wars-chilling-adventures-o