Tales from the Fandom

David Ginsburg

Tales from the Fandom is a podcast that explores fandoms with a different guest each week. Each guest brings their own insight into fandom. We discuss topics such as television shows, movies, books, cosplaying and more.

  1. Kris Lozano returns and talks Taylor Swift and Book Recommendations

    2 DAYS AGO

    Kris Lozano returns and talks Taylor Swift and Book Recommendations

    Returning for a 6th episode and to help me get one week closer to the podcast's 10th anniversary is Kris Lozano aka Cafe.Contessa on Instagram.  We get to catch up and talk about how long we've known each other before diving into a repeat topic, Taylor Swift. Kris had joined me previously to talk about The Eras Tour once the movie had come out, and before we even had an inkling that a new album was on its way (TTPD). This time, Kris talks about the wrap up of the tour, the final concert that was recorded, plus the behind the scenes documentary. Plus, we revisit a few conversations about costumes and songs from that previous episode (linked below), as well as discuss a bit about the latest album. Then, Kris and I talk about one of her biggest passions, reading. We talk about what books are on her shelf, what books she'd recommend, and what she's looking forward to. We talk about Ana Huang's "King" series (King of Gluttony releasing 4/28), "Not In My Book" by Katie Holt, and the "Never After" series by Emily McIntire. We then wrap up with a little talk about Cosplay. Kris talks about where she is with Cosplay and whether she plans to continue with that part of her life, or hang it up in the closet. You can find Kris at: https://www.instagram.com/cafe.contessa/ You can listen to her previous episodes here: https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-369-taylor-swift-and-the-eras-tour https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-322-kris-lozano-returns-and-talks-dystopian-movies https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/final-fantasy-35th-anniversary-special https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/avatar-the-last-airbender-15th-anniversary-special https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-174-kris-lozano

    1hr 17min
  2. Jazmin aka ThatOneNerdyFanGirll returns and talks One Piece, Star Wars, and Cosplay

    20 APR

    Jazmin aka ThatOneNerdyFanGirll returns and talks One Piece, Star Wars, and Cosplay

    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

    36 min
  3. Mayanna Berrin returns and talks Dispatch, Kingdom Hearts, and StoryQuest

    13 APR

    Mayanna Berrin returns and talks Dispatch, Kingdom Hearts, and StoryQuest

    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

    1hr 6min
  4. Saint Valkyrie talks Video Games, Tabletop Roleplaying Games, DC & Marvel, and Cosplay

    23 MAR

    Saint Valkyrie talks Video Games, Tabletop Roleplaying Games, DC & Marvel, and Cosplay

    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/

    1hr 20min
  5. Episode 448: Vivien of FreshFrippery talks The Lord of the Rings and Costuming

    9 MAR

    Episode 448: Vivien of FreshFrippery talks The Lord of the Rings and Costuming

    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/

    51 min

About

Tales from the Fandom is a podcast that explores fandoms with a different guest each week. Each guest brings their own insight into fandom. We discuss topics such as television shows, movies, books, cosplaying and more.