Tales From The Fandom

The first international guest of 2025 is here! Nat aka ScruffySpaceElf on socials joins me from Austria to talk about her favorite fandoms! We kick things off with what may be her number 1 fandom, Star Trek. Nat talks about which series started things off for her, some of the shows she's watched (and others she hasn't), favorite characters, and so much more as we explore the Trek space. Then we go from Sci-Fi to Fantasy, as Nat talks about House of the Dragon. She talks about her interest in the show, the actors & characters, and what she's liked so far after having only seen the first season. We also touch on Game of Thrones, which she has not seen. Then we talk about her work in the Opera and Classical Music space. From her experience in grade school to the work in her degree program and internships, Nat talks about what attracts her to this realm and offers some music recommendations to us (check out the links further down). Lastly, Nat talks about how she got into Cosplay. We talk about her and her fa

After seeing her work alongside a previous guest, I'm glad to welcome MG aka MangaGirl1114_Cosplay on to the podcast to talk about her favorite fandoms. We start off with Disney. Disney is such a wide and varied fandom with so many entry points, it's always fun to hear how people get into it. MG talks about her entry point to Disney, some of her favorite movies and shows, and what keeps her coming back to a fandom that's been around for such a long time. From there, we talk Barbie. We talk about the dolls, the movies, and just bounce around the Barbie fandom. Then we're on to an anime and manga called Dungeon Meshi. MG talks about how she discovered Dungeon Meshi and why she enjoys this specific anime. We talk characters and food (if you know, you know. And if you don't know, well maybe you'll know after listening) Then we get to talk all about MG. MG first talks about all the different forms of art she does - from metalworking to photography to nail art. She seemingly has done it all. Then we talk about Cosp

I love stumbling across cosplayers who take a character and make it their own. One of those cosplayers is Amanda. You may know her as TheHauntedManda on socials. After finding her work and following her, I was glad she said yes to being on the podcast! We start things off with a new to the podcast fandom, Arcane. Amanda talks about how she got into the show and if she played League of Legends prior to this. We discussed favorite characters, and what she'd love to see in the future. This is mostly spoiler free, as I was only 3 episodes into the show at the time of recording. After Arcane, we continued in animation, with Disney's The Owl House. We discuss how we both found ourselves watching this show, the characters and storylines, and we lament how Disney did the show dirty with its final "season". From one house to a bigger house, we find ourselves talking about Bridgerton. We first talk about Queen Charlotte, which is how Amanda got into the fandom. We talk about the series, the love matches and characters

We're back! 2025 is here! Our first guest of the year is Emily Engel. You may know her on the socials as Axepersonified. Emily is a fiber artist who makes wicked cool Muppet replicas. Emily and I start things off by talking about, what else, Muppets and the replicas she creates. She talks about her history with the Muppet franchise (shows and movies), and how she got her start in making these replica figures. We talk about her process, and characters she will and will not do. Seriously, they are wonderful and you should bring one home to your house. We then jump over from Muppets to True Crime. Emily talks about what got her interested in the world of True Crime and what keeps her coming back for more. Then we go Back....  TO THE FUTURE! Yes, we're talking about the Back to the Future franchise. Emily talks about what attracted her to the movies, the characters, and cast, and what the franchise means to her. You can find Emily at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/bxfiberart/ https://www.bxfiberart.com/ https://www.i

After stumbling across her cosplay of Taylor Swift's Evermore cosplay outfit from The Eras Tour, I knew I'd like Eri. I checked out her work and knew I had to have her on the podcast. Eri aka CosplayAncestorEri joins me to talk all about fandom and the history from the 90s (which is when I also started getting into fandom!) We kick things off first with a mini conversation about Taylor Swift, before jumping into our first topic - Bond, James Bond. Eri gives me the behind the scenes look on how she got into the world of 007. She talks about her favorite movies, the different Bond actors, and some of her favorite Bond girls. We also talk about the future of the franchise. Then, we change gears from Bond into Anime. Specifically, we talk about our experiences with anime in the 90s. Eri talks about how she first found anime through Speed Racer. From there, we recount the struggles to find anime through rental stores, conventions, and tape trading before it anime became more of a thing. Eri talks about some of the

Amy aka Queen Amy Dala Cosplay joins me from Vancouver, Canada, to talk about two of her favorite things - Final Fantasy and Cosplay! I stumbled across Amy's cosplay on Instagram in March and I really enjoyed what she had, particularly, her love of representing Final Fantasy characters, including characters from Final Fantasy 4 and 6. So luckily for us, she said yes to being a guest. We kicked off with Final Fantasy. Amy talks about how she first got into Final Fantasy through watching her older brother play and then sneaking into his room to play for herself. From there, she fell into the realm of Final Fantasy. Amy talks about which games she's played and which she hasn't. We talk about some of our favorite games and characters, her favorite relationships, and so much more. If you're someone who enjoys this franchise, you'll definitely enjoy this talk. On the back half of the episode, Amy talks about getting into cosplay and being a cosplayer. She talks about how she got into the world of cosplay later in l

It's time! Time for the Bridgerton episode. I finally decided to sit down and watch the entire series. After binge watching all 3 seasons, plus the Queen Charlotte series, I knew I needed to talk to someone about it while we wait for Season 4. Who better to come back than Brittany aka BajanPrincessBrittany. This is a spoiler episode, so if you haven't watched any of the seasons yet, this episode is not for you. Brittany and I talk about the series overall, including some of the themes and stories that happen throughout. We talk about our favorite seasons, favorite Bridgerton family member, favorite member of the 'Ton, including some dark horse choices. We do speculate about Season 4 and the length of time between seasons. This episode was recorded prior to the casting announcement of Yerin Ha as Sophie. If you like Bridgerton, make sure to comment on Instagram or Facebook and let us know who you think is the best Bridgerton or 'Ton member! You can find Brittany at: https://www.instagram.com/bajanprincessbritt

HylianDescent returns again for his 5th episode! HylianDescent aka Joshua, founder of the Hyrule Gaming Group comes back for another entry into his time capsule of his Twitch streaming experience as we look back on the previous year. We check in on how he's doing and how his past year was. Then I talk to Joshua about a number of games he has played over the year, including games like: Fields of Mistria, Graveyard Keeper, Moonstone Island, Supermarket Simulator, Fallout, Tears of the Kingdom, and Animal Crossing. We talk about games that work for Twitch and his community, and other games that work for him and that he ultimately keeps to himself for his enjoyment. Joshua talks about the continued opportunities he is able to take for sponsored streams and promos, his 12 and 24 hour streams showcasing Indie games, and more. Plus, we talk about his continued balance of streaming versus real life, taking care of himself, his relationship and getting out and "touching grass". All this, and more! You can find Joshua

Rounding out the month of September, I am joined by LilipopeCosplay as we get a wonderful episode filled with fandom! Li has a number of fandoms we get to talk about, and we kick things off with one of her favorites, Star Wars. We talk all about how she first got into the fandom. We're talking about the movies, TV shows, books, and so much more. We're both fond of the Legends run of books (formerly called the Expanded Universe), and we do have to talk about one of her favorites - Mara Jade. Then we go from one big fandom to another, as we join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Li talks about the movies and TV series that she's drawn to in the MCU, along with some of her favorite characters. We also talk about the future of the MCU and what she's looking forward to. Then we go to my birthday twin, Taylor Swift! Taylor is like a wizard, she arrives precisely when she's meant to. Li talks about how she first got into the music of Taylor Swift. We talk about favorite Era's, favorite songs, and how her music has been

National Dance Day is a yearly day to celebrate dance. It happens on the third Saturday of September. Today's guest is here to help celebrate that day. Judy Gallagher joins me to talk about dance and more! We start things off with one of my favorite shows, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Judy talks about how she first discovered the show, and of course, we have to talk about Zuko and his arc through the series. We also talk about her favorite characters, what kind of bender she'd want to be, and much more. From there, we celebrate Dance for National Dance Day! Judy talks about how she first got into dance and her background with dance. She talks about being a professional ballroom dancer and dance instructor. She also talks about how her students slowly introduced her to her next topic... Cosplay! That's right. Dancing involves costumes and music, some of her students started bringing music from various fandoms and costumes to go along with it, and well, the rest is Judy history! Judy talks about how she went to

This guest has been a long time coming. Dreams in the Noct (Dreams) joins me to talk about some of her favorite fandoms! We start things off by talking about K-Pop! Dreams has been into K-Pop for a very long time, as we reminisce about finding international music in music stores way back in the day. She talks about first getting into J-Pop, and then finding her way into the K-Pop scene. We talk about some of her favorite groups over the years, the evolution of the music, and so much more. From there, we shift to video games. Dreams talks first about how she first got into video games and how her other was a dominating force when she was younger. We talk about two of her favorite franchises, Resident Evil and Final Fantasy. We cover the full gamut of both, from favorite games, to characters, and how both series have evolved over time.  For those who don't know, you can find Dreams regularly streaming on Twitch. She generally plays a variety of games, but includes Resident Evil and Final Fantasy in her streams.

A lot of new fandom oriented podcasts have started up this past year, and I for one am here for it. That Nerd Thing, hosted by Morgan, started in January of 2024. After 9 months of hosting, Morgan joins me to be on the other side of the mic, answering questions instead of asking them (and not having to edit the podcast too!) We start things off by heading to corporate America, as we talk about The Office. Morgan talks about how she first got into The Office, and we dive deep into the characters. From favorites, to favorite Dunder Mifflin managers, and even some outstanding background characters. Then we go to the Regency era, as we explore Bridgerton. Morgan talks about how she first got into the Netflix TV series. We talk about some of our favorite characters, favorite couples, and even take a detour Back to the Future, before returning to the 'Ton. Bridgerton begets books. Morgan talks about her love of books, the new arrival of the Romantasy genre, along with book clubs and how they've made a comeback in r

Another year, another Drewbearded podcast episode. What can I say? I like to have some friendly voices return every year, and Drew is one of those. Normally, with a Drewbearded episode, you'd get us talking about Twitch and the latest videogames that Drew had been playing. NOT THIS TIME! Drew talks about his return to the stage, and specifically community theater. Drew talks about his history in theater, from Orlando to the bright lights of New York City. He talks about his break from the stage, and his time on Twitch. Eventually, the desire to return to the stage was strong enough to pull him back in. Drew talks about his experiences in his return, from the auditioning to rehearsal, navigating his experience being older and wiser, and what he's looking forward to in the future. He talks about his first show back, Big Fish, and his show he was in rehearsal for during the recording (Into the Woods, since completed its run). Maybe Drew's story will light that passion for you to try theater, or maybe go back to

Sometimes in life, you find people that you just connect with. Sometimes, when you connect with those people, all plans are thrown out the window and you get to have a wonderfully authentic conversation based on how those people grew up. Such is this episode with Keli aka Kelz1977 on Twitch. As I told Keli when we started recording, a lot of the time, the people that come on the podcast are younger than I am. It's a rare occasion when I have someone around my age. Being that we're 2ish years apart, Keli and I spend the first half of the episode throwing out our original plans and instead we reminisce about growing up in the 80's and early 90's. From staying out until the street lights came on, to our experiences as kids coming home from school, to certain iconic movies and shows (including Labyrinth, The Last Unicorn, and The Dark Crystal). It was wonderful to take the time and just enjoy going back to that time period and having that same shared experience. Then, we talk about the most unlikeliest thing to h

After someone shared her work to their stories, I fell in love with the energy, style, and mashups that Lili aka Floris_Lilium had on her Instagram. I knew she would be someone I'd enjoy getting to have on the podcast and share her stories. One "Yes" later, and here we are! We focus solely on two topics for today. The first conversation is one then goes back to her childhood. Dancing. Lilil talks about how she first got into dance, and the styles of dance she did and currently does. We talk about how she got back into dance when she got older, and more importantly, why she does it. She talks about some of her dance experiences, parade dancing, and more. The other half of the episode, and blending in with dance, is Cosplay. We hit the normal questions - why and how she got into cosplay, some of her works... but here at Tales from the Fandom, we ask the hard hitting questions. Like how hard is it to dance while wearing a Mandalorian helmet? Plus, she talks about the various mashup Mando's she done, the populari

It's always a wonderful time when guests say Yes to being a part of the podcast. I've been looking forward to having Amy aka MogwaiLatte join me. Now from her mouth to your ears! We start things off by talking about Princess Parties. Amy talks about how not everyone can just put on a princess dress and entertain the kiddos. We talk about how they got into doing princess parties, some of the characters they get to represent (and some they don't), representation in the princess party industry, and more. We segue from princess parties to cosplay, as Amy guides us into how they started doing cosplay. We talk about some of the characters they've cosplayed as, some future cosplay projects, and more. Amy wraps up the episode as we talk about Bridgerton. We talk about how we both got into the series, and what and who got Amy into watching. We talk about some of season 3 (as we had not finished by the time of recording), and do a little compare/contrast from the books to the show. You can find Amy at: https://www.inst

I'm always on the lookout for people to ask to come on the podcast and bringing new topics to the podcast. I'm excited that Corazon aka VintageFilAmGlam on Instagram said yes, and now you get to listen and learn from her! We kick things off with one of the long running fandoms, Dr. Who. Which I still have yet to watch. Corazon talks about how she got into the fandom, some of her favorite Doctors, and we talk about who she'd love to see play the Doctor in the future! From there, we bounce over to Disney. We talk about Corazon's history with Disney from childhood to present. We delve into some of the products under the Disney umbrella, like Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar. It's a wide ranging conversation about the House of Mouse. Then Corazon leads a discussion about Asian Representation in Media. We talk about some of the representation of recent, what more needs to be done, and more. I'm grateful for the discussion and education. Lastly, we wrap up with a triple threat of fashion. We're talking vintage fashion,

Stumbling across members of The Real Assemblers earlier this year, I was pleased to have Emmanuel aka The Samoan Lone Wolf join me! We get to talk fandom, his passions, and so much more in this episode. We kick things off with the dual threat of Marvel and DC. We stay mostly in the realm of the movies, talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe. We talk about his favorite characters, favorite movies, and I catch him off guard when I ask him to form his own Avengers team. We talk about the upcoming DC slate of movies and more. (This was recorded prior to Deadpool & Wolverine's release) From there, we journey into the realm of Professional Wrestling. Emmanuel talks about what drew him to Pro Wrestling, the time period that he grew up watching wrestling, and some of his favorite wrestlers. While the focus is mostly WWE, we do touch on AEW briefly. Then it's time for... musicals?! That's right, Emmanuel is a big fan of musicals. We talk about some of his favorites, but then the conversati

I'd been following Lilly (HeyItsLilly on Instagram) after falling in love with her X-Men: Evolution Rogue cosplay. Not only did I find someone who was passionate about cosplay and did a variety of characters, I really dug their captions and stories as well. She's now here to talk about two of her favorite things - video games, and cosplay! Video games have been around with Lilly since her parents introduced her to them at a young age. You'll get to hear just which game franchise she may have discovered at an early age, along with some of her first games. We then talk about games like Animal Crossing, The Walking Dead, Until Dawn, and Immortality. The back half of the episode is all about Cosplay. Lilly talks about how she first got into cosplay, along with some of the characters that she's done. We also talk about how her parents support her with her cosplay from make up to being in cosplay as well, along with the evolution of some of her unique looks, like Ghost Rider. Plus, we talk about how she loves to re

I'm excited to have Nesreen aka thenessdiaries_ on Instagram join me for this latest episode, after having followed her account for awhile. Nesreen brings new fandoms and a wonderful conversation. We start with Star Wars. Nesreen talks about how she got into Star Wars from a young age, to rediscovering it later in life. We talk about some of her favorite movies and shows, including Star Wars Rebels. Plus, we of course talk favorite characters, unexpected ones we fell in love with, and the future of the franchise (this was recorded prior to The Acolyte releasing). From there, we talk about a show that has not been talked about on this podcast! We're talking about HBO's True Blood series. Nesreen did a rewatch, inspiring me to rewatch (and finish) the series. We talk about what we loved about the show including the wonderful character, Lafayette. Nesreen answers the Bill vs Eric question, and we talk about the show overall and how it was watching it during the height of vampire popularity. Another new fandom to