Jazmin aka ThatOneNerdyFanGirll returns after 2 years as we get closer to celebrating the 10th anniversary of the podcast. I always get excited when people say yes and come for the 1st episode. It's always super special when people come back for return episodes.

Jazmin and I get to catch up to what's been going on, and talk about one of her latest fandoms, One Piece. She talks about how she got influenced into watching the anime, where she is currently, and we talk about the live action series as well (this was recorded prior to the 2nd season releasing). We talk about favorite characters, and who she's looking forward to seeing.

Then we revisit Star Wars. We talk about what we enjoyed the past two years, the state of Star Wars, and the future series that are on the horizon, as well as the future in the movie space. (This episode was recorded prior to the Maul release)

Jazmin and I then talk about her Cosplay work. We talk about some of the characters she's cosplayed recently, and cosplay projects she's working on for the future. Plus a no sew ballgown, and how she goes about thrifting for her cosplay work.

You can listen to Jazmin's 1st episode here:

https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-358-jazmin-aka-thatonenerdyfangirll-talks-star-wars-the-lord-of-the-rings-and-cosplay

You can find Jazmin at:

https://www.instagram.com/thatonenerdyfangirll/

https://www.threads.net/@thatonenerdyfangirll

https://beacons.ai/thatonenerdyfangirl

It's only been 2 years since her last episode, but Mayanna Berrin returns for her 4th episode as we once again get to catch up and talk about her latest works!

We cover the biggest thing that's happened since our last episode in 2024, and that is the critically acclaimed video game, Dispatch. Mayanna was a writer for the game, as well as the voice actor for the character of Coupe. We talk about how she got started with AdHoc Studios and found her way into both the writing and voice acting side of things. Mayanna and I talk about the game, some of the development, her role as a writer, finding her voice for Coupe, and we discuss a few of the choices people can make in the game (and yes, there are spoilers).

Mayanna and I then talk about her Kingdom Hearts podcast that she co-hosts, Simple and Clean. We talk about how it came to existence, the planning that goes into the podcast, and we touch on what could come first - Kingdom Hearts 4 or Grand Theft Auto 6.

We then talk about her work as Creative Producer for StoryQuest, an actual play platform for tabletop roleplaying games. We discuss what she does, and her continued work in the TTRPG space.

You can find Mayanna at:

https://www.instagram.com/mayannaberrin/

https://www.threads.com/@mayannaberrin

https://bsky.app/profile/mayannaberrin.bsky.social

You can find Simple and Clean: A Kingdom Hearts Podcast at:

https://pod.link/1826633591

https://www.instagram.com/simpleandcleanpod/

You can find StoryQuest at:

https://linktr.ee/StoryQuestShowOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/storyquestshow/

You can listen to Mayanna's first three episodes at:

https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-374-mayanna-berrin-returns-and-talks-improv-writing-for-movies-television-tabletop-roleplaying-and-video-games

https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-171-mayanna-berrin-returns

http://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-47-mayanna-berrin

Lio aka Lionbcos joins me to talk all about Cosplay, the characters they do, and so much more.

I had come across Lio's Instagram several times thanks to their collaborations with others, and people sharing their work to their stories. I really enjoyed what Lio did, and here we are, getting to talk about it!

We're talking all about the Cosplay and characters that Lio does. However, we start off at a young age as Lio talks about growing up with parents who are nerds, and how their influences rubbed off on them.

Lio talks about some of their favorite characters, and we do spend a bit of time with Laura Kinney aka Wolverine, fka X-23. We talk about the characters that Lio cosplays as, like Claudia from Interview with the Vampire, Invisigal from Dispatch, and more. While they trend towards emo characters, a surprising princess made it into Lio's rotation - and we talk about how and why!

We talk about how they choose the characters they cosplay, the group collaborations they've done, and what Lio is planning to do in the future.

You can find Lio at:

https://www.instagram.com/lionbcos/

https://www.tiktok.com/@lionbcos

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