It's All Fandom!
34 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago -Conversations with fans, about fandom!
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Episodes
26: Our Flag Means Death (with Cecelia Gray)
July 04, 2022 10:33 - 1 hour - 83.5 MBThis episode is for anyone who fancies a fine fabric. Cecelia Grey aka Ceceliaisgray joins me in trying to be normal about Our Flag Means Death. We discuss the explosion of its fandom (which she has been tracking through the Archive of Our Own), incredible fanfiction tags, the season 2 renewal, and the Snapeification of Israel Hands, among other things. In her own words: “I’ve just never seen a fandom like this before.” Cecelia's TikTok: @ceceliaisgray Allison's twitter: @allyspock The...
25: Black Sails (with Daphne Olive)
May 23, 2022 10:29 - 1 hour - 52.8 MBWithout romanticizing the crime and violence inherent to a life of piracy, the liberation from societal expectations is not unique to pirate narratives. At its core, Black Sails is a show about myth and story. Television writer Daphne Olive joins me to discuss the way different ways people perceive art, and how such things are expressed in online communities. We also discuss the benefits of taking media at face value, the value of ambiguity in storytelling, and what it's like to engage with ...
24: Pacific Rim (with Ladyknightthebrave)
January 17, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBAfter Ladyknightthebrave released a wonderful video essay all about Pacific Rim (that movie where they fight monsters with the power of friendship), I wanted nothing more than to talk with her about it here, too. I also wanted to excavate some shared memories and spill some tea about a strange fandom situation we both experienced in different ways. We discuss queer coding, science boyfriends, trigger warnings, the dangerous cult of personality inherent to the BNF archetype, and of course a b...
23: The Matrix (with Tilly Bridges)
December 20, 2021 11:30 - 50 minutes - 39.9 MBWith The Matrix Resurrections' release date fast approaching, I spoke with writer Tilly Bridges about lipstick, the spinny dress phenomenon, and about the inherent transness of these very trans films. We barely scratch the surface of it all, so check out her #TransTuesday threads on twitter for a lot more nuance! Tilly's twitter: @tillybridges Allison's twitter: @allyspock The show's twitter: @itsallfandom
22: Ashita no Joe (with Shaybs aka Caribou-Kun)
June 21, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBFrom the president of his high school anime club to working for Discotek, Shaybs knows a thing or two about anime. I spoke with him about his all time favorite series, Ashita no Joe, an underdog story that revolutionized the anime industry and is still being referenced in modern anime to this day, 52 years after it started airing. We talk about boxing, the anime industry, burning out until all that's left is pure white ash, and a Chorus Line! Shaybs on youtube: Caribou-kun Shaybs on twi...
21: RPF (with I Met You On LJ)
April 05, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBAs you might have guessed from the title of their podcast, Maggie and V met on Livejournal, but after their first initial fandom brought them together, they haven't shared a fandom since. Their first fandom, and some of their subsequent fandoms as well, have fallen under the category of RPF (Real Person Fiction). While writing RPF is a fairly common practice, it is also rather controversial. The three of us discuss bandom, performative fan service, the downsides of a universal internet, the ...
20: Lupin III (Shannon Strucci returns!)
March 15, 2021 11:30 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBAnyone who follows Shannon Strucci on twitter might have noticed how deep she's gotten into Lupin III, the anime series about a womanizing gentleman thief and his gang of pals! I know I just spoke with her in my last episode, but I couldn't resist bringing Shannon back. Lupin III is goofy like a kid’s show, but its deep and complicated themes have it primed for a more mature audience. It is also rife with sexism, racism, and other dated tropes. But at the end of the day, this weird horny gre...
ONLINE ROLEPLAY! A Bonus Episode
March 01, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 44.5 MBAfter recording my previous episode with Shannon Strucci (talking about Neopets) I found myself feeling nostalgic for the Y2K-era online roleplaying of my childhood. I asked you for your own stories, and here they are! 9 unique perspectives on the highs and lows of online roleplay, featuring cliques, wrestling, revolution, and more! This episode features submissions from: Blushippi, The Sin Squad, Ange de Sang, User Cannot Be Found, Charlotte Raines, Teo, Quickfire, CzarovskiKristal, and C...
19: Neopets (with Shannon Strucci)
February 22, 2021 17:57 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBBack when the only form of security the internet had against predators was to tell you to just assume that everyone you talk to is a 40 year old man, Neopets capitalized on the concept of a click-through adventure site and became a worldwide phenomenon. It was a fun website slash ad-revenue trap that taught children about luck, inflation, gambling, and the stock market. Shannon Strucci joins me to explore the underlying darkness of the site, contemplate the exhausting nature of social media,...
18: Lurking (with Elizabeth Minkel)
February 01, 2021 16:16 - 1 hour - 70.6 MBAs fandom shifted from analog to digital, we have seen a seemingly endless stream of platforms through which to engage. But even now, there is no one way to engage that is more worthy than any other. In a break with tradition of this podcast, Elizabeth Minkel, "the world's loudest lurker," inspires a new topic: instead of discussing a specific fandom, we challenge a statement made in a previous episode. In order to define lurking, we must first define engagement. But what is the differenc...
17: Voltron (with The Sin Squad)
January 11, 2021 09:30 - 2 hours - 78.6 MBWhat do you lose when you stop being able to engage in the fandom of a show you used to love? Artist and Youtuber Natalie has some answers, sharing her experiences of being in the Voltron fandom as well as what it's like to come out the other side. The show rose to intense popularity, but shot itself in the foot when it decided to forgo its entire premise in order to deliver a failed attempt at fan service. Natalie and I discuss queer representation in media, the rising trend of antishippers...
FESTIVUS! An Airing of the Fandom Grievances
December 23, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 47.2 MBHappy Festivus everyone! Aside from the miracles and feats of strength, another way to celebrate this nondenominational winter holiday is with an airing of the grievances. This is a fandom podcast, so I've decided to host an airing of the fandom grievances. Please join me and my many guests as we rant, vent and complain about the things in fandom that aggrieve us. This episode features fandom grievances from: Charlotte Raines, Alex/atrashcancosplays, The Sin Squad, Jessica, Lucy Wheeler, J...
16: Tom Hardy (with Emma Logsdon)
December 21, 2020 09:30 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBAfter a chance encounter on twitter, I was so happy to talk to Emma Logsdon (the internet's #2 premier Locke scholar) about her favorite celebrity, Tom Hardy. As a native New Yorker who has never driven a car, she shares why she felt so connected to a movie about a man who does nothing but drive. We discuss the way Tom Hardy challenges stereotypical masculinity, how to maintain healthy boundaries with revered actors, and how to handle strange dudes on the internet trying to simp on your lesb...
15: Balvaan/Final Fantasy XII (with Riley)
November 30, 2020 09:00 - 2 hours - 80.3 MBPhotographer Riley is a talented artist with an incredible eye and a passion for creativity. She's also quite passionate about a certain sky pirate and his scrappy orphan boyfriend. This is Balvaan, the ship name for rarepair Balthier and Vaan, two characters from Final Fantasy XII. Riley has a rich history with the Final Fantasy franchise, but was drawn specifically to Final Fantasy XII. This game was a notable departure from other Final Fantasy games, with a unique new battle system and th...
14: Remus/Sirius
November 09, 2020 14:05 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBSome people play fantasy football. Some people cash in their savings to see Dave Matthews Band in concert 200 times. And some people write fanfiction. Gen is a prolific writer with a passion for music and a talent for incorporating it into her work. In this conversation, she explains her fascination with the American West, shares why writing is such a personal experience for her, and talks about the appeal of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black both as characters and as a ship. We discuss the art o...
14: Remus/Sirius (with Gen aka @fluorescentgrey)
November 09, 2020 14:05 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBSome people play fantasy football. Some people cash in their savings to see Dave Matthews Band in concert 200 times. And some people write fanfiction. Gen is a prolific writer with a passion for music and a talent for incorporating it into her work. In this conversation, she explains her fascination with the American West, shares why writing is such a personal experience for her, and talks about the appeal of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black both as characters and as a ship. We discuss the art o...
13: Ewan McGregor (with Angelina Meehan)
October 19, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MBNoted fanfiction scribe and Delaware teen Angelina Meehan and I had a very similar middle school existence. As latchkey kids with access to the internet, we both filmed our own movie reenactments, we both covered our bodies in Bath & Body Works roll on glitter, and we were both very much in love with Ewan McGregor. Cinemablend praises him as "our nakedest actor," but Angelina was charmed by his boyish, puppydog cuteness. She also attributes many foundational aspects of her personality to thi...
12: Star Wars (with Jessica Bone)
September 28, 2020 14:04 - 1 hour - 67 MBJessica Bone is what I like to call a gateway nerd: someone with their finger on the pulse of the nerd world, who is always happy to share her knowledge adn excitement. Friends from the once robust Sweeney Todd Broadway revival livejournal fandom, Jessica and I reunite over our love of Stormpilot and come to terms with enjoying the prequels. She also discusses what it's like to be a woman in nerd spaces, her struggle to destigmatize fanfiction, and explores the internalized misogyny that mad...
11: The Matrix (with Brittany Alsot, feat. Ellie)
September 07, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBMeeting your significant other online is pretty commonplace these days, but was a much more radical concept back when filmmaker Brittany Alsot met her wife Ellie. Like many, Brittany recognized something of herself in The Matrix, a trans allegory disguised as a mainstream 1999 sci-fi/action film. Back in the early oughts, I knew her by her handle on The Hardline, a Matrix fanfiction archive and message board run by 3 college-aged women who called themselves The Goddesses. Her wife Ellie join...
10: Fortnite (with Lucy Wheeler)
August 07, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 70 MBThis trans bar is full of trans women! I am joined by my friend and former fellow steampunk crewmember Lucy Wheeler to talk about Fortnite, a very popular video game whose reputation precedes it. Lucy is a self proclaimed "dumb girl with bad taste who will never change", but more importantly, she moderates a subreddit and discord server for queer and trans women in gaming. Together, we discuss the artform of making fun of yourself, the inherent discomfort of the steampunk genre, and why life...
09: Nirvana in Fire (with @tchancua)
July 14, 2020 12:00 - 2 hours - 81 MBIf you could watch only one Chinese drama, polyglot language nerd and writer Tchan says it should be Nirvana in Fire. It is a powerful show about one very smart man's mission to dismantle the systemic corruption that did him wrong, and it probably will make you cry. We talk about language nuance, viewing Chinese culture through the lens of Chinese media fandom, spending one's entire family vacation in a hong kong bootleg mall, and just... a lot of danmei. On a more personal note, I have a...
08: Homestuck (with Charlotte Raines)
June 29, 2020 18:26 - 1 hour - 48.6 MBAs an unabashed lover of nerdy things (and one of my best friends), Charlotte Raines has been an active participant in fandom since she was 9 years old. But the one fandom that will haunt her until the end of her days, one of the most infamous and chaotic fandoms to ever burst forth from the cursed loins of the internet, was a seemingly unassuming webcomic about four kids trying to save the world. Homestuck gave Charlotte the freedom to explore her identity and redefine her sense of self as ...
07: The One Shot Network (with James D'Amato)
June 10, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 45.4 MBJames D’Amato (@OneShotRPG) runs the One Shot Network, comprised of tabletop role playing game play throughs. The One Shot Network fandom is small but mighty, and as a fan turned creator himself, James talks about how to encourage and help facilitate a fandom’s growth while avoiding the pitfalls of other, more negative/toxic fandoms. Things turn complicated when the concept of death of the author splits host and guest with two different opinions, and we explore how to cope when the creator o...
06: Yuri on Ice (with Marissa/glamatcha)
May 13, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBSelf-proclaimed “giant weeb” and talented cosplayer Marissa (@glamatcha) joins me as we mutually wonder when Yuri on Ice will return from the war. From scouring Chinatown for “dirty” VHS tapes to teaching herself hiragana so she could read manga, Marissa tells tales of the days back when the only formative anime source a lot of us had was Toonami. The world cried out for a realistic portrayal of mental health, and Mitsurou Kubo said… here you go. Yuri on Ice tells the story of a high funct...
05: The Untamed, part 2 (with Aja Romano)
April 25, 2020 21:01 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBSPOILERS!! This is an uncensored and non-linear discussion. If you haven't watched The Untamed yet, please save this episode for when you do. Fan culture reporter Aja Romano only meant to sample a few episodes of The Untamed for a work assignment, but they fell down the rabbit hole like the rest of us. Their subsequent twitter thread became the stuff of legends, and it seemed only fitting that we reunite to talk about our one true love: Wangxian. In part two of this double-feature, Aja m...
Early Days 05: The Untamed, part 2 (with Aja Romano)
April 25, 2020 21:01 - 1 hour - 59.4 MB[this episode pre-dates the established format and title of It's All Fandom. please listen with a grain of salt.] SPOILERS!! This is an uncensored and non-linear discussion. If you haven't watched The Untamed yet, please save this episode for when you do. Fan culture reporter Aja Romano only meant to sample a few episodes of The Untamed for a work assignment, but they fell down the rabbit hole like the rest of us. Their subsequent twitter thread became the stuff of legends, and it seemed...
04: The Untamed, part 1 (Aja Romano returns!)
March 20, 2020 22:56 - 1 hour - 64.7 MBSPOILERS!! This is an uncensored and non-linear discussion. If you haven't watched The Untamed yet, please save this episode for when you do. Fan culture reporter Aja Romano only meant to sample a few episodes of The Untamed for a work assignment, but they fell down the rabbit hole like the rest of us. Their subsequent twitter thread became the stuff of legends, and it seemed only fitting that we reunite to talk about our one true love: Wangxian. Together, Aja and I navigate the murky an...
Early Days 04: The Untamed, part 1 (Aja Romano returns!)
March 20, 2020 22:56 - 1 hour - 64.7 MB[this episode pre-dates the established format and title of It's All Fandom. please listen with a grain of salt.] SPOILERS!! This is an uncensored and non-linear discussion. If you haven't watched The Untamed yet, please save this episode for when you do. Fan culture reporter Aja Romano only meant to sample a few episodes of The Untamed for a work assignment, but they fell down the rabbit hole like the rest of us. Their subsequent twitter thread became the stuff of legends, and it seemed...
03: Inception with Aja Romano
February 11, 2020 00:46 - 1 hour - 48.3 MBPlease forgive this humble podcaster for making you wait over two years for this episode. Aja Romano (@ajaromano) joins me to talk about Inception! It's a dream heist movie about style, men's fashion, and Edith Piaf, and is considered by many to be last great fandom of Livejournal. The conversation covers fandom at large, imagination as an outlet for isolation, and yes, don't worry, Arthur/Eames. Listeners, welcome back!
Early Days 03: Inception with Aja Romano
February 11, 2020 00:46 - 1 hour - 48.3 MB[this episode pre-dates the established format and title of It's All Fandom. please listen with a grain of salt.] Please forgive this humble podcaster for making you wait over two years for this episode. Aja Romano (@ajaromano) joins me to talk about Inception! It's a dream heist movie about style, men's fashion, and Edith Piaf, and is considered by many to be last great fandom of Livejournal. The conversation covers fandom at large, imagination as an outlet for isolation, and yes, don't w...
02: Hackers with Lucas Brown
March 01, 2018 01:31 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBI've met my match in remembering insignificant minutiae with Lucas Brown (@lokified), a fellow Canadian expat who hosts his own lovely podcast (@themathofyou). He also knows a lot about computers, which comes in handy, as we are talking about Hackers! It's a mid-90s movie about computer hackers and their l33t floppy discs, and if you haven't seen it, you're missing out! Lucas also talks about the time he schooled his own teacher on Macbeth. Anyway, type "cookie" you idiots! [Intro music is...
Early Days 02: Hackers with Lucas Brown
March 01, 2018 01:31 - 1 hour - 56.7 MB[this episode pre-dates the established format and title of It's All Fandom. please listen with a grain of salt.] I've met my match in remembering insignificant minutiae with Lucas Brown (@lokified), a fellow Canadian expat who hosts his own lovely podcast (@themathofyou). He also knows a lot about computers, which comes in handy, as we are talking about Hackers! It's a mid-90s movie about computer hackers and their l33t floppy discs, and if you haven't seen it, you're missing out! Lucas a...
01: The Lymond Chronicles with Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
January 14, 2018 01:49 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBGavia Baker-Whitelaw (@Hello_Tailor), who writes for the Daily Dot, is a self proclaimed fan of “gothic, operatic sumptuousness.” She is also entirely responsible for my Lymond problem. The Lymond Chronicles is six novels worth of emotionally satisfying fanfic tropes that have been elevated to masterful historical fiction. You've probably seen me screaming about it on twitter, but Gavia and I actually break down what these books are about. Spoilers have been bleeped out or removed entirely, ...
Early Days 01: The Lymond Chronicles with Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
January 14, 2018 01:49 - 1 hour - 53.2 MB[this episode pre-dates the established format and title of It's All Fandom. please listen with a grain of salt.] Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (@Hello_Tailor), who writes for the Daily Dot, is a self proclaimed fan of “gothic, operatic sumptuousness.” She is also entirely responsible for my Lymond problem. The Lymond Chronicles is six novels worth of emotionally satisfying fanfic tropes that have been elevated to masterful historical fiction. You've probably seen me screaming about it on twitter, ...