From Golden Corral to Royal Ball: The DIY Origins of a Renaissance Dream
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
Release Date: 06/19/2025
ConCast S3E28 — Clowns, Space Herpes & TsunamiCon
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
Ash and Little Beard are in rare form this week, riffing on everything from Star Trek to Ice Pirates. Ash dives into Bridge Commander mayhem, while Beard dreams up cosplay plans involving “space herpes” on RC cars. The crew spirals into conspiracy theories about clowns as the true Illuminati, riffs on Land Before Time as a horror story, and debates Star Trek vs. Doctor Who crossovers. Geekgasms this week included Ash’s massive Orville model build and Beard’s autograph haul (Jason Reitman, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and more). News coverage hit on GalaxyCon’s AI-art ban, Paramount...
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AI vs. Artists: DragonCon’s Controversy
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
Ash and Little Beard dive into a wild mix of geekdom this week. From the indie juggernaut Hollow Knight: Silksong crashing servers worldwide, to Borderlands 4’s price hike backlash, to the new Jordan Peele–Hideo Kojima horror project OD, it’s a stacked gaming lineup. They also cover the TsunamiCon venue shake-up, the firestorm around AI art bans at DragonCon, and why 3D printing at conventions is facing similar questions of legitimacy. Along the way, the crew swap stories about Pokémon Go nostalgia, the strangest Disney films (yes, Pulp Fiction counts), and the collector’s hunt for...
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ConCast S3 E26 Storms and Steampunk Shenanigans
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
Ash, Little Beard, and Cookie return from a whirlwind week of festivals, cons, and chaos. From ICT Comic Con in Wichita to the nine-block marathon that was Big River Steampunk Festival, the crew share stories of geekgasms, cosplay treasures, and late-night shenanigans. Ash talks Star Trek models and surprise connections for Jessica’s career, while Little Beard and Cookie recount the exhaustion, hilarity, and scheduling madness of Big River. Toss in storms with baseball-sized hail, Dead South concerts, Ghostbuster props, and a Romulan Warbird model worth $1,000—and you’ve got one wild...
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Turning Hannibal into Steampunk City: Festival Deep Dive
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
This week, Ash, Little Beard, Cookie, and special guest Sean Major pull back the curtain on the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, Missouri. Sean has been with the fest since its humble parking lot beginnings in 2014, and now oversees the sound and production across multiple stages, concerts, and ticketed events. We talk about the explosive growth of the festival, the challenges of running sound for five stages at once, the new additions this year (Wasteland Olympics, Boilerplate, Steampunk Ramblers), and the quirky community moments that make Big River feel like family—including the...
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Big River Steampunk Fest and the Con Life Grind
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
This week, Ash, Little Beard, and Cookie dive deep into the ever-expanding world of geek culture, starting with a guest shuffle that turns into a full-on celebration of the upcoming Big River Steampunk Festival. From ICT Comic-Con’s growth to guest list geek-outs, they swap stories of past cons, celebrity encounters, and the grind of performing across multiple stages in one weekend. Along the way, the crew tackles hot topics like Gina Carano rumors, Marvel’s Spider-Man shake-ups, AI news including Perplexity’s bold Chrome bid, the Unitree R1 robot release, and even a UFC fight planned at...
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Visa, Video Games, and Discworld Philosophy
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
This week on ConCast, Ash, Little Beard, and Cookie go full throttle on geek culture. They recap San Diego Comic Con’s biggest trailers, including Peacemaker and Spinal Tap 2, and dive deep into Ash’s shiny new $300 Elegoo Centauri 3D printer that’s performing as well as machines 4x the cost. The trio debates the Visa/MasterCard Steam debacle, celebrates Crunchyroll’s new anime theater initiative, and ponders the return of parody movies. Plus, plenty of love for Terry Pratchett, Tim Curry, and those chaotic internet corners where Rule 34 lives. Also: Muppets, Klingon K-Pop, and cosplay...
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S3E22: When Pirates Collide: Scallywags vs. Buccaneers
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
This week on ConCast, Ash, Little Beard, and Cookie are joined by Buddy from the Bawdy Buccaneers in a full-blown Ren Fest reunion that dives into everything from embarrassing smoker show stories to the rise of AI-generated VFX in Hollywood. We Geekgasam over tricorders, the secret life of Elmo’s Twitter, and the fine line between fan fiction and lawsuits. Come for the chaos, stay for the corn jokes and watermelons.
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From Golden Corral to Royal Ball: The DIY Origins of a Renaissance Dream
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
This week on ConCast, we’re joined by Angela Kearney, the mastermind behind the very first Topeka Renaissance Festival! She walks us through the wild ride of bringing an 8-year dream to life—from pirate meetups at Golden Corral to building a full-blown Ren Fest complete with jousting, Viking encampments, mermaids, and even a pole dancer in the 21+ pirate bar. We talk about the grassroots hustle, dealing with old-school gatekeepers, the creative reuse of garage sale treasures, and what it takes to make magic on a shoestring budget. Plus, as always, we wrap up with geeky news, mead talk, and...
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Bigfoot, Ghostbusters, and Giant Spiders: The Con Report
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
S3E18 | Bigfoot, Ghostbusters, and Giant Spiders: The Con Report! Ash and Little Beard are back, tired but full of stories after a packed weekend of events. The episode kicks off with some fun banter about Bigfoot vlogs and Ash’s latest weird TikTok algorithm obsession: Stick Nation. The crew gives a rundown of their weekend adventures: McConnellCon – A surprisingly packed six-hour military base convention, with free signed memorabilia from Darth Vader actor Spencer Wilding and R2D2 actor Jimmy Vee (Little Beard hilariously blanked on the name mid-show). Highlights included a chaotic...
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McConnell-Con, Mayflower, and the Most Important Machine in the Universe
ConCast - A podcast about Conventions and Fandoms
In this lively episode, Ash, Little Beard, and special guest Jon Pic delve into upcoming conventions, geek culture, and some wild AI developments. Ash reveals his family's surprising Mayflower lineage and geekgasm-worthy 3D printed "Most Important Machine in the Universe." Jon shares insights into organizing McConnell Con, a military-focused convention that bridges Wichita’s geek community with Airmen and their families. Topics include 3D printing trophies, AI-generated video content, cosplay contest prizes, and upcoming guests like Spencer Wilding and Scott Innes. The crew also debates the...
info_outlineThis week on ConCast, we’re joined by Angela Kearney, the mastermind behind the very first Topeka Renaissance Festival! She walks us through the wild ride of bringing an 8-year dream to life—from pirate meetups at Golden Corral to building a full-blown Ren Fest complete with jousting, Viking encampments, mermaids, and even a pole dancer in the 21+ pirate bar. We talk about the grassroots hustle, dealing with old-school gatekeepers, the creative reuse of garage sale treasures, and what it takes to make magic on a shoestring budget. Plus, as always, we wrap up with geeky news, mead talk, and toy-collector heartbreak over She-Ra Barbies.