Hello there! Welcome to the 13th episode of Tales of the Force. Joining me today is a husband and wife duo, Mike and Kat!

Mike is a PhD-trained astronomer-turned-developer that stumbled into Star Wars fandom as a kid when he ran out of space science at the library. His biggest jump into fandom was in 2005 when he joined LiningUp.Net to camp out for Revenge of the Sith outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood for a few weeks. That would propel him toward attending many San Diego Comic-Cons and Star Wars Celebrations over the years. It was at those cons that helped him meet and get to know his now wife, Kat. He can be found on The Old Switch-a-roo Podcast with his lifelong friend Jaymo! Their podcast explores all the retro games on the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Kat is an Aussie expat who has loved Star Wars since she bought her Mom the VHS set for Christmas in the 90’s. She’s a cosplayer, sewist, and avid cross stitcher! She’s also describes herself as Disney geek, who is most at home talking nerdy things. Her involvement in the Star Wars Fandom and costuming is what lead her to attend US based Star Wars Celebrations. Through these events she ended up meeting Mike, as well as, some of her closest friends. She even moved to the US to get married and they live together here! You can find her on her YouTube channel and instagram account, @katcansew, where she posts her love for Disney and her cross-stitching artistry.

Don’t forget this is Mike and Kat’s personal story. It is not my place on the show to dismiss, diminish, judge, or have an opinion on their story. Any views, thoughts, or opinions expressed are their own. Any comments on this episode and story are expected to be respectful.

Follow Mike and The Old Switch-a-roo Podcast:

www.theoldswitcharoo.com

www.instagram.com/oldswitcharoo

www.youtube.com/@theoldswitcharoo

www.facebook.com/oldswitcharoo

www.x.com/oldswitch_a_roo

www.tiktok.com/@theoldswitcharoo

www.threads.net/@oldswitcharoo

Follow Kat:

wwww.youtube.com/@katcansew

www.instagram.com/katcansew

Hosted and Produced by: Jessica McNair

Theme Music by: Michael Hoover

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and to subscribe to the YouTube Channel:

www.instagram.com/talesoftheforce⁠⁠

www.threads.net/@talesoftheforce⁠⁠

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www.youtube.com/@talesoftheforce

General Disclaimer:

This podcast and YouTube channel is not affiliated in any way with Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, The Walt Disney Company, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries.

Hello there! Welcome to the 12th Episode of Tales of the Force. May is mental health awareness month. This month I have been specifically highlighting story’s of fans that have also wanted to share about their mental health journey. This is the last episode in this series this month. Because of this added personal component, these story’s go over the normal episode time. Joining me today is Brandon.

Brandon is a teacher, podcaster, and mental health advocate who uses Star Wars as a platform to connect with and inspire others to find meaning through stories. Through his classroom and The Clashing Sabers Podcast Network, Brandon explores the themes and ideas of the saga through a variety of lenses and perspectives. In doing so, he hopes to show people that Star Wars can be for them and what it has been for him: hope, truth, and a light in the darkness.

Don’t forget this is Brandon’s personal story. It is not my place on the show to dismiss, diminish, judge, or have an opinion on his story. Any views, thoughts, or opinions expressed are his own. Any comments on this episode and story are expected to be respectful.

This episode also comes with a content warning. This is simply to empower you, our listeners, with the knowledge you need to make healthy decisions about how and if you should consume this YouTube Channel or Podcast content. In this story there are also references to depression, eating disorders, s—cide, self-h-rm, and loss. Not all episodes are for everyone, if you feel like this episode will be upsetting for you or will offend you in any way please do not continue. As always, please take care of yourself and reach out to someone you trust if needed.

The host and guests do not provide any medical or professional advice on the YouTube Channel and Podcast. Anything said should NOT be taken as a replacement for medical, clinical, professional advice, diagnosis, or medical intervention.

Hosted and Produced by: Jessica McNair

Theme Music by: Michael Hoover

Mental Health Resources:

www.autismspeaks.org

adaa.org

www.nimh.nih.gov

www.eatingdisorderhope.com

twloha.com

Follow Brandon and Clashing Sabers Podcast Network below:

www.tiktok.com/@clashingsabers

twitter.com/clashingsabers

www.instagram.com/clashingsabers

https://m.facebook.com/groups/230660617666426/?ref=share

clashingsabers.net

Non-profit:

www.patreon.com/clashingsabers

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and to subscribe to the YouTube Channel:

⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/talesoftheforce⁠⁠

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

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

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

General Disclaimer: This podcast and YouTube channel is not affiliated in any way with Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, The Walt Disney Company, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries.

Hello there! Welcome to the 11th Episode of Tales of the Force. May is mental health awareness month. This month I am specifically highlighting stories of fans that also want to share about their mental health journey. Because of this added personal component, these stories go over the normal episode time. Joining me today is Rory!

Rory is 35 years old and has loved Star Wars since he was 6, when the Original Trilogy VHS box set was released. He loves all the movies and shows, and his favorite character is Obi-Wan. He is also a screenwriter and film director, and George Lucas is one of his biggest inspirations. He is a mental health advocate and is very open about his own struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Don’t forget this is Rory’s personal story. It is not my place on the show to dismiss, diminish, judge, or have an opinion on his story. Any views, thoughts, or opinions expressed are his own. Any comments on this episode and story are expected to be respectful.

In this episode we do talk about mental health and the challenges it has for both of is. With discussing our personal experiences we the host and guest are not providing any medical or professional advice on the YouTube Channel and Podcast. Anything said should NOT be taken as a replacement for medical, clinical, professional advice, diagnosis, or medical intervention.

Follow Rory:

www.instagram.com/mandaroryan89

www.threads.net/@mandaroryan89

www.tiktok.com/@mandaroryan89

Additional Resources on OCD and GAD:

https://iocdf.org/

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad

Hosted and Produced by: Jessica McNair

Theme Music by: Michael Hoover

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and to subscribe to the YouTube Channel:

⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/talesoftheforce⁠⁠

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

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

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

General Disclaimer: This podcast and YouTube channel is not affiliated in any way with Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, The Walt Disney Company, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries.