Another year. We're now at Eight! Eight years of doing the podcast. Thank you to all who listen, support, and come on as guests to share your stories.

This year, Taylor aka TayMakesMagic on IG returns. We get to catch up, and then dive into the history of the podcast. From the creation of the podcast, to highlights, and memorable moments. Plus, you get to hear about some of the behind the scenes of the podcast. My day to day, the editing process, and guests themselves. And some possible other podcast projects are tossed around.

Plus, Taylor gets to talk about some of her new cosplays, her job, and some looks to the future.

Take a listen, go follow Taylor, and onward to Year 9!

You can listen to Taylor's original episode at:

https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-292-taylor-aka-taymakesmagic-talks-disney-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-steven-universe-disneybounding-cosplay

You can find Taylor at:

https://www.instagram.com/taymakesmagic/

A Taylor Swift centric episode was always going to be in the works. It was just a matter of when, where, and with who. After a successful first leg of The Eras Tour, and with the release of it into the movie theater and then Disney Plus, it was the perfect time to sit down and talk about Taylor, the tour, and the differences from Tour to Theater to streaming.

Kris aka cafe.contessa on IG returns for her 5th episode as we talk all things Taylor. Kris is a Swiftie and its through her that we can explore all three Eras Tours experiences, as she has done all three. She went to the concert in Tampa, saw that Tour in the theater, and then watched on Disney Plus.

We talk all about the differences in the experiences, from songs to timing, and to general vibes and what in-person vs at home viewing offers. Kris and I talk about her wardrobe, song choices, and viewing experience with the set design and choreography.

This was recorded prior to The Tortured Poets Department and subsequent European leg of the tour.

You can find Kris at:

https://www.instagram.com/cafe.contessa/

You can listen to her previous episodes here:

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

The final episode of May brings Bri aka Disbri_Nerd on Instagram to the podcast!

We talk about some of her favorite fandoms, and of course, we get to talk about Cosplay too.

Bri and I first start talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We talk about what movie she got her start with, and some of her favorite movies. We talk favorite characters, what keeps her coming back to the MCU, and what she's looking forward to in the future.

Then we flip from the MCU to a galaxy far, far away. We're talking Star Wars! Bri and I cover how she first got into the movies and a certain scene she may have seen over and over and over again. We talk about the movies, the TV shows, the characters she loves, and more.

Bri then talks about Cosplay. She talks about how she got into cosplay, some of the characters she represents, being a part of the Real Assemblers, and some of her plans for the future.

You can find Bri at:

https://www.instagram.com/disbri_nerd/

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

You can find The Real Assemblers at:

https://www.instagram.com/therealassemblers/

Pre aka WariWariWay returns to the podcast after 3 years to catch up and talk about some old and new fandoms.

We start things off with a quick conversation about the Live Action versions of Avatar: The Last Airbender, One Piece, and their ties to their original animated works and bringing new fans into the space.

Then we really kick things off with a talk about one of Pre's favorite fandoms, Tekken. We talk about what attracted her to the fighting franchise, the characters she likes, and most importantly, the Tekken community.

Blended into the Tekken conversation and standing on its own is a conversation about Final Fantasy 14. It's a fandom that was/is very influential with Pre, and she talks about the FF14 community as it relates to not just the game, but cosplay as well, especially with social media.

We also talk about her semi-hiatus from Cosplay, what she may be working on in the future, and what she's done over the past few years with cosplay. We also talk about how she has started streaming again on Twitch and what you can expect to find from her channel.

Then, we enter into the K-Pop realm. Pre and I talk about K-Pop groups, how to go about finding a K-Pop group that may fit your vibe, and some of the groups she recommends. She also put a playlist together that you can take a listen to, to start your journey into K-Pop!

You can listen to Pre's first episode at:

https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-209-pre-aka-cupofpre-talks-avatar-the-last-airbender-the-tales-of-video-game-series-final-fantasy-and-cosplay

You can find Pre at:

https://www.instagram.com/wariwariway/

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

You can listen to Pre's K-Pop playlist at:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3aEXlM9vpt0238FwkaRrXm?si=h91ZGHYuQc6c6Jmr_L5BMg&pi=u-cAPLRICGRoag

YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGoDdNDYMJA9wE6-LjCf5WFK-waz5wHA0&si=d_YwkWzn-2UZ-yTx

I'm really excited to have Byuka join me for this episode, as we've been in the same Twitch sphere for awhile and I really dig her work on Twitch. Plus, she's my first VTuber to be on the podcast! Heck, she's the first person I ever saw doing VTubing years ago.

We start things off with Final Fantasy! We talk about our first games in the franchise, the games we love, characters, music, and more. Plus, Byuka talks about her experience with the MMO, Final Fantasy 14.

Then we talk about world building video games. Games where you are the mastermind behind the games. We talk about games like The Sims, Animal Crossing, and Stardew Valley. Byuka talks about why she likes those style games and their appeal in being in charge of the world.

Lastly, we talk about her streaming on Twitch and VTubing. Byuka talks about how she got into streaming, her decision early on to do VTubing and the evolution of her appearance as the years have gone on. We talk about games she plays on stream, the community we both are in (Hyrule Gaming Group), and so much more.

You can find Byuka at:

https://www.twitch.tv/byuka

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

https://twitter.com/ByukaBlu

https://www.tumblr.com/byuka

May has one of the nerdiest days on the calendar, as Star Wars fans celebrate May the 4th! Plus, there is Revenge of the 5th, and I like to think we can celebrate Revenge of the 6th as well. Tiara aka Crafting_on_Ilum joins me to talk all about Star Wars and Cosplay!

We talk all about the franchise that is in a galaxy far, far away. From her first exposure to Star Wars, to some of her favorite media and characters. We talk a bit at length about The Phantom Menace, along with the latest show, The Bad Batch (recorded prior to the finale) We ponder upcoming works and what still keeps her in the fandom.

Tiara also talks about the intersection of her Star Wars fandom with her cosplay. From how she got into Cosplay, the cosplays that she's created and work she has put in, and what she would like to do in the future.

You can find Tiara at:

https://www.instagram.com/crafting_on_ilum/

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

https://linktr.ee/craftingonilum

Continuing on with bringing authors to your ears, I was lucky enough to have Carolina Cardona aka TheTropicalEccentric, join me to talk about fandom and her work as an Author!

We first kick things off with talk about Anime. Carolina talks about growing up in Puerto Rico and the anime that was shown there, and then her transition to living in New Orleans and her anime experiences there. We discuss some of the anime we both grew up on as kids, anime like Attack on Titan, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and what kind of anime she enjoys.

We blend that conversation into a conversation about Japan as a whole. Carolina talks about her experiences in Japan, what draws her to visiting there, and why she thinks everyone should visit the country at least once.

Then we get to talk about her work as an Author. Carolina talks about her writing and creative process, and we talk about her book, Andújar: The Robot Gentleman of San Juan. We talk about the plot and setting, and focus on the two main characters - Santos and Violeta, along with the historical backdrop that their story unfolds with. Violeta will surprise you! We also talk about some of her upcoming works in progress, and that Andújar will be translated/published in Spanish later this year!

You can find Andújar: The Robot Gentleman of San Juan at Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, Barnes and Noble, and Ingram Spark.

https://amzn.to/4aTlhUq

You can find Carolina at:

https://www.carolinacardona.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thetropicaleccentric/

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

I always love seeing who people are sharing on their instagram stories. It helps me find new people for this podcast, including today's guest, Yaya aka SpaceCowgirlYaya (or Yaya Cosplay). I fell in love with their traditional Mexican Sailor Moon Cosplay. I knew I needed to get her on the podcast to share her stories.

Yaya joins me as we divide the episode in two. The first half of the episode we're talking all about Cosplay. We talk about how Dragonball was her first entry point into anime and what she enjoys about that series. We also touch on anime like Trigun, Full Metal Alchemist, and Attack on Titan. It's a great reflection on where anime fit in Yaya's early life and where she is now with it.

In the second half, it's all about cosplay. We talk about how she first got into cosplay, and the motivation behind her Mexican infused cosplays such as the traditional Mexican Sailor Moon fuku, Charro Chibiusa, and Selena x Sailor Moon mashup. Yaya talks about what she's working on for the rest of the year, and the reception she's received with her work.

You can follow Yaya at:

https://www.instagram.com/spacecowgirlyaya/

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

https://beacons.ai/yayacosplay