Episode 459: Jessica of Rebellion of Hope Podcast talks Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Wars, Podcasting, and more
Release Date: 05/25/2026
Episode 466: Dr. Anna Eskamani talks Star Wars and Politics
Tales from the Fandom
Dr. Anna Eskamani, Florida native, and current Florida House of Representatives member for District 42 (in Orange County, as of release in July of 2026 - her term expires in November 2026), and currently running for Mayor of Orlando (election in 2027) joins me to talk about one of her favorite fandoms. We split the episode in two. We focus first on Star Wars. Dr. Eskamani talks about how she got interested in the franchise. From the movies to TV shows, books, video games, and more. We talk about how she watched her older brother play Star Wars video games, and how she's love to revisit the...
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Episode 465: Hazel the Writer returns and talks Live Action Roleplaying, Game of Thrones, and Cosplay
Tales from the Fandom
Hazel aka HazeltheWriter on social media returns to the podcast after 5 years as we get to catch up and talk about some new fandoms! After recording 5 years ago, Hazel moved to England for some time, and has now moved back stateside. While over in England, she got interested in Live Action Roleplaying. If you're thinking of boffer style games, then you're about to learn what kind of games Hazel found herself in. First swept up into Lord of the Rings / Hobbit style games, Hazel branched off into Game of Thrones themed games. We talked about her weekend adventures, overnighting at these events,...
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Episode 464: Kate aka TheCloudyKate talks One Piece, Tabletop Roleplaying Games, Books & Fantasy Balls, and Cosplay
Tales from the Fandom
After quite some time, I'm pleased to have Kate aka TheCloudyKate join me as we get to talk about some of their favorite fandoms! We start things off by tackling One Piece. Kate talks to me about how and when they got into the series, and whether they're into the anime, the manga, or the live action. We talk about their watch parties with friends, their thoughts on the live action series and where it may or may not go, their favorite characters, and what the One Piece could end up being (though Kate threatens to quit if it becomes reality) Then we jump over to Tabletop Roleplaying Games. From...
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Episode 463: Sadie Waycaster returns and talks old and new fandoms, and Cosplay
Tales from the Fandom
The first official returning guest of the 10th year of this podcast, Sadie Waycaster aka SadiebyDesign returns almost 9 years later as we get to catch up and talk about some past fandoms, new fandoms, and Cosplay! Sadie was one of my first guests back in 2016 and was a huge supporter of the podcast in its infancy. Ever since then, it has been a pleasure to know Sadie and follow her life and work and have someone I can call a friend. I knew I wanted her to return and she said yes, so here we are. We get to catch up first since it has been awhile since we talked, and then we cover a number of...
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Episode 462: ElectroCosplay talks Elder Scrolls, A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons, and Cosplay
Tales from the Fandom
ElectroCosplay joins from New York to talk about some of her favorite fantastical fandoms, plus we're talking about Cosplay too! We start things off by talking about one of the biggest fantasy video games series, Elder Scrolls. Electro and I talk about how she got into the Elder Scrolls series, and we bounce around between talking about Skyrim, Elder Scrolls Online, and how she incorporates Elder Scrolls themes and idea into her real life decorating for her home. Plus, there is a request for Elder Scrolls 6 (take note Bethesda!) From there, Electro and I talk about George R.R. Martin's A Song...
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Episode 461: Ali aka The Ali Way talks about his growth and evolution as a person & creator, and his brand
Tales from the Fandom
June 6th reflects the anniversary of Tales from the Fandom. This episode also serves as the 10 year anniversary, as well as the birthday of our returning guest, Ali aka The.Ali.Way Recorded back in February, Ali returns after nearly 3 years since his first episode. Our conversation focuses all about Ali and his journey as a creator. In our first episode, Ali seemed to be right at the start of reaching that brass ring in the content creator space. We now reflect on the years since that release. From attending movie premieres, working/partnering with brands to create content and reviews for...
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Episode 460: Sara Moni Cosplay returns and talks X-Men, Monster High Dolls, Cosplay, and more!
Tales from the Fandom
Returning for a 3rd episode and to help us get closer to our 10th anniversary, Arizona cosplayer and creator Sara Moni Cosplay joins me. We originally recorded an episode in 2016 during my first year, and then she returned in 2020. Now here we are, reflecting on the past, present, and futures of our fandoms and passions. We kick things off with a through line through our previous conversations, as we once again return to the X-Men. We talk about the past several years of X-Men media, from movies like New Mutants, to X-Men 97, and the inclusion of X-Men characters in the MCU. Sara and I discuss...
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Episode 459: Jessica of Rebellion of Hope Podcast talks Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Wars, Podcasting, and more
Tales from the Fandom
TW: Mental Health discussions On the same day we celebrate the 49th anniversary of Star Wars, Jessica of Rebellion of Hope Podcast joins me to celebrate and talk about the famed fandom, plus a whole lot more! I've been following Jessica for quite some time from the lead up to launch of her Star Wars podcast, Rebellion of Hope. We finally were able to get together and I could host her on my podcast. We kick things off by decidely NOT talking about Star Wars, as we talk about Avatar: The Last Airbender. We mainly stay in the animated series realm, as we talk about how Jessica got into Avatar,...
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Episode 458: DaVaun Sanders talks his work as an Author, and Editor of FIYAH
Tales from the Fandom
Coming highly recommended, I'm joined by multi-hyphenate DaVaun Sanders as we explore the depths of his work as an author, along with taking a peek behind the scenes, as we delve into his work as an Editor. DaVaun and I start off by talking about how he got started in wordsmithing. From his early work in poetry to his first book idea which came to him, we explore that early time. Then, we talk about his middle grade series, Keynan Masters. I read the first book, so we tend to focus primarily on that one. DaVaun talks about how he got the idea for Keynan Masters, the magic system in the book...
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Episode 457: Carleigh aka Uneekchic returns and talks Dungeons and Dragons, Renfaires, and Cosplay
Tales from the Fandom
After nearly 9 years, Carleigh aka Uneekchic on Instagram returns to the podcast! I've had the pleasure of following Carleigh and her journey through life since we recorded in late 2016. Now located on the East Coast, Carleigh and I get to catch up and talk about what's been going on ever since. We get to talk about two of her fandoms that she's been into during this time. Starting things off, Carleigh talks about getting into Dungeons and Dragons. She talks about how she first got into it after her move, and who introduced her to the game. We talk characters, her play style, and what she...
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On the same day we celebrate the 49th anniversary of Star Wars, Jessica of Rebellion of Hope Podcast joins me to celebrate and talk about the famed fandom, plus a whole lot more!
I've been following Jessica for quite some time from the lead up to launch of her Star Wars podcast, Rebellion of Hope. We finally were able to get together and I could host her on my podcast. We kick things off by decidely NOT talking about Star Wars, as we talk about Avatar: The Last Airbender. We mainly stay in the animated series realm, as we talk about how Jessica got into Avatar, favorite characters, what kind of bender she'd be, and the connection between this show and Star Wars media for her.
Then, we travel to a fandom from a galaxy far, far away. We spend a lot of time talking about Star Wars. From how Jessica got into Star Wars, how it got her through tough times in life, and getting into the fandom more and more. We talk about a lot of the media, from Clone Wars, to the Mandalorian, The Acolyte, and more. We discuss the EU/Legends, and Disney's decision to move into their own choices with the Star Wars universe. We also talk about her Star Wars podcast, Rebellion of Hope, and what she has done/is doing as a positive voice in the Star Wars fandom. We also talk about Star Wars conventions, panels, and so much more.
We also talk about Jessica's desire to strike out on her own and starting her own business, Asteria Outpost. You'll hear the background behind that, what Jessica does to source the items she sells for her brand, and being an entrepreneur in these times.
You can find Jessica and Rebellion of Hope Podcast at:
https://linktr.ee/rebellionofhope
https://www.instagram.com/therebellionofhope/
https://www.threads.com/@therebellionofhope
https://www.youtube.com/@therebellionofhope
You can find Asteria Outpost at: