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

After stumbling across her Kitty Pryde cosplay and then following her work with her cosplay and writings, I knew it'd be a fun time to talk with Jenna Costa Deedy.

We kick things off by talking about Marvel. We talk about the comics, the movies, and the characters she enjoys. We focus some of the world of the X-Men. We talk about the upcoming inclusion of the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and what characters she'd love to see make their MCU appearance.

Jenna and I then talk about her love of Star Wars. She talks about which characters she loves, why she continues to love the Galaxy Far, Far Away, and we talk about the wide range of Star Wars media.

Then, a first for the podcast, Jenna talks about Marine Animals. We talk about why she loves marine animal science and how she got interested in that field. Jenna talks about her time volunteering and working with animals all over at different centers, and what draws her to this work.

Lastly, we talk about Cosplay and her writings. On the cosplay side of things, Jenna talks about how she first got into cosplay and why she got interested in it. We talk about some of the characters she's represented and why those in particular, as well as some of the character she hopes to do in the future. Jenna also talks about the writings that she does - between marine animals as well as pop culture. We cover a few different pieces she's written as well.

You can find Jenna at:

https://www.instagram.com/jennacostadeedy/

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

https://vocal.media/authors/jenna-deedy

https://linktr.ee/jennacostadeedy

Use code JENNA20 for 20% off at https://www.davidsonstea.com/

Use code JENNAD679 to get 10% off at https://superxapparel.com/

I stumbled across Gabriella Buba's work on Instagram through a previous guest. This guest was cosplaying as the main character from Saints of Storm and Sorrow, and then hyped up the book. She influenced me, I read the book, and knew I'd love to talk to Gabriella about her work.

We start things off by discussing her early fandom influences - Supernatural and Sherlock. We talk about both shows and how these shows were gateways into her early writing, including fan fiction.

From there, we talk about her progression into a writer. We talk about the history of Saints of Storm and Sorrow from early iterations to what you can now hold (or listen) to. Gabriella talks about how just one change can be the change that makes the magic happen and make your work become what it was meant to be.

We specifically focus on the first book, Saints of Storm and Sorrow, since that's the book I had read. We talk about the characters, the plot, and the setting. Gabriella talks about how real world influences of location and mythology of the Philippines, as well as the role of the Catholic Church, and colonization, all play a role in her book.

Gabriella talks about how the book was received here in the US, as well as having made a trip to the Philippines to promote the book last year. Gabriella touches on the audio book version, which has Dante Basco voicing one of the main characters! We also talk about the follow up, Daughters of Flood and Fury, and what is coming next for her.

You can find Gabriella at:

https://gabriellabuba.com/

https://www.instagram.com/gabriellabuba/

https://x.com/GabriellaBuba

https://www.tiktok.com/@gabriella.buba.books

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

https://www.tumblr.com/inkcurlsandknives

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

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555269646766

You can buy Saints of Storm and Sorrow at:

https://amzn.to/4cuIksa

Continuing to bring new guests to the podcast, Rizuki and I connect after following each other for quite some time on social media. I'm a fan of the work she does in the realm of Cosplay, and she is one of the co-hosts of Eternal Mooncast.

We start off our conversation with none other than the one named Sailor Moon. From how Rizuki used to watch it in the mornings while getting ready for school, to the various iterations of the show that she's watched (along with the dialogue/story choices that had been made!). We talk about her favorites series, her favorite Sailor Scout, and the longevity of the franchise in the world of anime and Cosplay.

Rizuki and I then switch gears to talking about video games. We cover a lot of ground with video games. From talking about her love of the Pokemon franchise, to JRPG's like Skies of Arcadia, and her deep obsession with Sonic the Hedgehog. Rizuki is down for Sonic in all versions and all generations of video game console. We also talk about how games hook her, how she can get fixated on games, and what games she's looking forward to in 2026.

Then, we get to Cosplay. Rizuki talks about how she first got interested in Cosplay. We talk about the Play in Cosplay, and how having fun is important to remember. She talks about some of her favorite cosplays she's done, her goal to do all the Sailor fuku's, and what she's working on for this year with some larger group collaborations. We also talk about Eternal Mooncast, the Sailor Moon live stream / podcast that you can catch, where she and her other co-hosts discuss all the Sailor Moon you could want, and have guests on as well!

You can find Rizuki at:

https://www.instagram.com/rizuki

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

https://www.twitch.tv/rizukiii

https://www.facebook.com/rizukicosplay

https://www.rizuki.net/

You can find Eternal Mooncast at:

https://www.instagram.com/eternalmooncast/

https://www.twitch.tv/eternalmooncast

https://www.youtube.com/@EternalMooncast

New York Times best-selling author Don Martin joins me on the podcast for a wonderful episode full of laughs, learning, and beautiful words.

We kick things off by talking about his podcast, Head on Fire. Don talks about how and why he started it, and what you can expect to find by listening or watching his episodes. He interviews experts in overlooked fields, searching for answers to life's biggest and smallest questions.

From there, we talk about some of his early fandom influences. From the X-Men, to a focus on the Animorphs series by Katherine Applegate. We discuss how his time spent with family in West Virginia and the history and stories that come out of Appalachia formed the foundations for his future work.

Don then talks about how he started writing poetry when he was 10-12. Under the guidance of his uncle as his poetry & writing mentor, Don continued to develop and hone his craft. If you haven't found a poet you like, Don says you just haven't found the right one and recommends a number of poets and poetry to read. Link are at the end of the show notes.

Then we talk about Don's novel, Verity Vox and The Curse of Foxfire. As mentioned previously, Don talks about how the idea for the novel started with a real town and story in West Virginia. From there, Verity Vox can be described as Kiki's Delivery Service meets Old Gods of Appalachia. We talk spoiler free about the book, and Don talks about how he infused the book's town and characters with his personal history with West Virginia and the family that resides there. We also talk about what's coming next for his work, and some projects that we hinted at are out now, including Hexes and Heroes.

You can find Don at:

https://bydonmartin.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bydonmartin/

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

Verity Vox and The Curse of Foxfire - https://amzn.to/4qf4FNL

Don Martin's catalog on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3M1hixS

You can find Hexes and Heroes at:

https://www.youtube.com/@hexesnheroes

You can find Head on Fire Podcast at:

https://www.youtube.com/@HeadOnFirePod

Don's Poetry Recommendations Include:

Clint Smith - Above Ground - https://amzn.to/4t6Tvgx

Andrea Gibson - Lord of the Butterflies - https://amzn.to/3NPX62t

Franny Choi - https://amzn.to/3Ogjzps

Maggie Smith - Good Bones - https://amzn.to/49RmPjI

Maggie Smith - The Well Speaks Of Its Own Poison - https://amzn.to/3M1gmJS

Staceyann Chin - https://amzn.to/49YGVak

Beau Sia - https://amzn.to/4ann5qN

Taylor Mali - https://amzn.to/4ann5qN

Saul Williams - https://amzn.to/4ar4OsD

Danez Smith - https://amzn.to/3NRul5G

Morgan Parker - Other People's Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night - https://amzn.to/4kcF0DX

Maya Popa - Wound Is the Origin of Wonder - https://amzn.to/3LPgj3Q

After 5+ years, Lexi aka LexiChuChu on IG returns to the podcast! Lexi's been busy over on their side of the country and we finally had the stars (and schedules) align for their return!

We get to catch up a bit before we dive into the realm of Video Games. We kick things off by talking about Hades. Lexi has put in a lot of hours with that game and you'll find out how many hours they've got, plus their favorite weapons for dear ol Zagreus. Plus, we discuss Hades 2 and the different mechanics and gameplay from Hades. Lexi also talks about a game category that we have determined to call Catharsis Games. No, they're not the cozy games you're used to hearing about. Lexi talks about what games are in her catharsis game category and what draws them to those particular games.

From there, we're venturing back into Tabletop Roleplaying Games. In Lexi's first episode, this was a topic we had talked about. Now here we are with even more to say. Lexi talks about the multiple Dungeons and Dragons games they play and/or DM in, along with other TTRPG's like Pathfinder, Coyote and Crow, and more. We discuss the gameplay at the table versus online, the storylines that have been created, and the TTRPG systems they'd love to try in the future (here's looking at you, Blades in the Dark!)

We then come full circle with more Cosplay. Lexi talks about the past 5 years and what they've been doing in that space, and getting back into building/crafting some cosplay pieces for competition this year. We talk about what they're working on and even more ideas for the future. We also talk about Cosplay Judging, as Lexi has judged for several competitions. We talk about what it's like having seams looked at, techniques being judged, and how to be a good competitor (in skill and respect for others) in cosplay competitions.

You can find Lexi at:

https://www.instagram.com/lexichuchu/

You can listen to Lexi's first episode here:

https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-194-lexichu-cosplay-talks-mmorpgs-book-recommendations-ttrpgs-and-cosplay

We return to Australia after many a year as Darvily joins me for this episode! I had stumbled across her on Threads and loved the fandoms she was into, and we get to jump into a few of them for this episode.

Darvily and I kick things off with talking about the broad topic of video games. We talk about the first games that she experienced, starting with Spyro. We focus on a few games that Darvily specifically was into over the years, including Animal Crossing, Pokemon, and Skyrim. Darvily also talks about some of her favorite indie games that she likes and recommends. Want the recommendations? Listen!

From video games, we make our way into the realm of Fantasy Fandom. We talk about Darvily's love of How To Train Your Dragon, books like Lord of the Rings, Fourth Wing, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, to name a few. We also bundle in talk about Renfaires in Australia, as well as Darvily's experience with Dungeons and Dragons.

We then wrap up with a conversation about Cosplay. Darvily talks about getting into Cosplay, along with some of the character she does. From Spider suits to Renfaire looks, Sailor Umbreon, and more. We talk about how she decides and chooses her looks and what she's working on for this year.

You can find Darvily at:

https://www.instagram.com/darvilyyy/

https://linktr.ee/darvily

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

https://www.twitch.tv/darvily

https://www.youtube.com/@darvilyy