Tales From The Fandom

SPOILER WARNING! Previous guest S. Brady Calhoun (episode 14) rejoins Tales from the Fandom for a review of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Dr. Strange. Brady and I discuss our general knowledge of comicverse Dr. Strange before going into an in-depth discussion about the movie.  We talk characters, plot, effects and more.  As well as what worked and what didn't.  We touch on a number of other MCU properties including Ant-Man, Thor, Iron Man and more.  We talk about the upcoming appearances of Dr. Strange as well as what we'd like to see in a sequel and what other properties we would love to see on the big screen.

Sara Moni is the second guest from the Phoenix, Arizona area to join Tales from the Fandom for its 28th episode. Sara and I start off discussing the X-Men.  How she related to them and how she got into the X-Men franchise. We talk about her favorite characters and if she was charged with making an X-Team, who her choices would be. After that, we discuss the comic book series called Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples.  We talk about what the comic is about, how and why she is drawn to it and more. We wrap up with talking about cosplay.  Sara tells us how and why she got into it, her favorite costumes and how she is a member of the Arizona Avengers. You can find Sara at: https://www.instagram.com/saramonicosplay/ https://www.facebook.com/SaraMonicosplay https://twitter.com/KrayolaKid

Jachelle Overstreet and Chelsea Doyle return to Tales from the Fandom to talk all about the new Ghostbusters movie, now out on DVD. Jachelle (Episode 1) and Chelsea (Episode 6) talk a little about the original Ghostbusters movie from over 30 years ago before we launch into the discussion about this newest iteration.  We talk story, characters, what worked and what didn't as well as what we'd like to see if a sequel gets made. We talk about how the announcement of an all female cast broke the internet, and the facts about the movie - how much money it made, the generally positive reviews and more. We also sidetrack and talk about movies that are focusing on strong female roles as well as remakes with an all female cast (ie: Oceans Eight). You can find Jachelle and Chelsea at: https://medianerdalert.wordpress.com/

J. Appletini joins us as yet another guest from Vancouver, Canada for Tales from the Fandom's 27th episode. We talk about how she first got into fandom before talking about two of her biggest fandom loves: Star Trek and Star Wars.  We cover a wide range of topics including favorite characters, shows, movies and more.  We talk about the upcoming new Star Trek show Discovery, along with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the upcoming Rogue One. We then discuss her toy collecting.  What she collects, how much room she devotes to it and more. She tosses out a few comic book suggestions that aren't DC or Marvel before we talk about how she got into Cosplay.  She talks about her first experiences with it, her favorite and most well known costumes and more. You can find J. Appletini at: https://www.facebook.com/j.appletini/ https://www.instagram.com/j.appletini/

Rebecca Parker joins us for Part 2 of her podcast episode.  Rebecca is a long time friend of the show and in Part 1, we discussed her love of JJ Abrams and the Abramsverse. Part 2 is all about Joss Whedon and the Whedonverse.  We cover the big four: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse.  We also talk about Much Ado About Nothing, Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers. Rebecca also ends with non-Whedonverse topic, giving us shows that she loves that she would love people to watch.

Long time friend of the show, Rebecca Parker, joins us from New York for Episode 26 of Tales from the Fandom. We first start off talking about the accessibility of fandoms and how it has changed over the years since the internet has taken shape.  From Prodigy and AOL to Livejournal and Myspace to Twitter, Facebook and more. While Rebecca has hundreds of fandoms she's into, we decided to split up our discussion to two main 'verses. This part covers what is known as the Abramsverse.  All things JJ Abrams. Rebecca runs us through the main Abramsverse shows - Felicity, Alias and Lost before we take a detour and talk about Fandom and how the interaction between fans and creators/actors of movies/TV shows has changed to being extremely toxic at times. We then jump back on the Abramsverse train and finish up with Fringe and the new Star Trek movies.  When this episode was recorded, Star Trek Beyond had just come out, so you'll hear us talk about it, even though now it's out on DVD. Part 2 will cover the Whedonverse.

Recorded back in July, Caitlin joins Tales from the Fandom for its 25th episode. Caitlin and I discuss a number of fandoms she's interested in.  We first start off with Harry Potter and how she got involved in the fandom.  We talk about favorite characters, underrated characters and more.  We also talk about The Cursed Child, which at the time of recording, had not been released yet. Then we talk Pokemon and Pokemon Go (which had just been released).  We talk about the TV show before talking about the various games. We then talk about Glee, the TV series that started strong and went downhill from there.  We talk about the rise and fall, characters and story lines and more. We wrap up with talking about how Caitlin and cosplay.  How she got into it, her costumes she's done and what is in store for her future. You can find Caitlin at: https://www.instagram.com/atheatrephile/ https://www.facebook.com/atheatrephilecosplay/  

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

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 c

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 watchin

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 sh

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

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, XC

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 co

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

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 t