I'm a Fan of That!

Spooky Season has officially begun! We're celebrating by diving into one of Holly's personal favourite horror video games: Silent Hill. Today's topics include: what defines the horror genre, how horror video game narratives work, and a brief interlude about Vivian and Holly's nightterrors.Some Extra MaterialsVivian's video games and myth articleGames Mentioned:Silent HillFatal FramePTResident EvilOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, because we've lost some audio, I'm stepping in for today to give you lovely listeners a little idea I've had for quite some time. I've thought about doing little fun light-hearted lectures on a particular subject, so if you like them just let me know! I'll keep doing them!Today's topic is an overview of Religion and Popular Culture. What do we mean when we say this? What's being covered under that umbrella? What are some of the interesting dynamics which can happen here?Kotaku article about BioshockOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full cards on the table guys, we may have lost the audio of an episode. So, we decided to fill the space with a little fandom chat, just a little quick catch up on the things we're enjoying, studying, or thinking about recently. Topics include: Taylor Swift's new album, people mad that leftist bands are leftist, the Hunger Games, and reaction videos on YouTube.Our SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That's right, folks! We're finally spending some dedicated time to the ultimate anime film studio: Studio Ghibli. Topics include: the nature of evil in Ghibli films, the plot structure of Kishotenketsu, the Chthuluscene, and even some Moomins.Note: we pronounce Ghibli with the hard G sound. Get over it.Some LinksVideo essay on the ChthulusceneVideo essay on No FaceVideo essay on KikiOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inspired by our previous episode on genres, we decide to chat today about a thing that happens, particularly in fan spaces. Flanderization is the process of a character being distilled to the point of removing many deeper aspects of their character. Topics include: definition of the term and its history of Ned Flanders, Stardew Valley's flanderized characters, and how classic novels are subjected to this through replications.Some LinksGoffman's work on identityFiona Sangster on YouTubeOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Olly and Vivian take the plunge into the world of K-Pop! We chat about BlackPink, Vivian's personal favs, and theorise on what makes it so gosh darn fun. Topics include: stan political activity, the misogynistic view of the teenage girl, Vivian's like of watching cute girls dancing (in no way connected to that misogynistic view), and how K-Pop feels so different to other pop.Some Links!V&A - KPop FandomThe Guardian - Trump "played" by K-pop fansOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is all about the nature of crossing genres - romantasy, urban fantasy mysteries, satirical fantasies, romance monster movies. You name two genres, we love to see how they combine. But things can be more complicated then they appear. Really, Vivian and Holly just wanted to chat about all the things they love.Some of the Media MentionedC.J SansomStuart TurtonShape of WaterMicky 17Psalm of the Wild BuiltOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Vivian and Holly are diving into a slightly uncomfortable fandom for them - true crime! Inspired by the very unmarked CDs of case files Vivian received for a maybe-project, we're diving into the world of true crime. Topics include: why we love crime, the fascination and allure of crime, why Vivian hates journalists, and how true crime fandom isn't really new... like at all.Some Stuff to Check Out!GangsterDo Go OnDrunk Women Solving CrimeRuth Penfold Mounce - a sociologist of crime whose amazing and lovely and wonderfulThe Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female DetectiveThe Bravo DocketOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we're stepping into the world of Drag Con, the drag-based convention of Ru Paul's Drag Race. Ru Paul has brought drag to a mainstream stage, but what does that mean for us, for drag, and for the development of a drag fandom? Topics include: what is drag, the history of drag, the role of drag kings, and the way drag may actually not be as subversive as it seems.Our SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode comes from one of our Patrons. Thanks!We're chatting about coffee fandom, coffee culture, and coffee shop culture today. And a splash of tea because its hard to talk about one without the other, especially for Vivian and 'Olly. Topics include: coffee shops vs diners in the United States, history of coffee in the UK vs the US, how food and drink show us our culture, and what a British tea ceremony looks like.ReferencesYou're Dead to Me epsiode on the history of coffeeVivian's Writing Vlog around Coffee ShopsFood and Culture: a Reader (for anyone interested in the anthropology of food and culture)Our SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Buy Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for Season 3, and we're starting off with a topic voted on by our Patreons! Today, we're talking about representaiton in video games, primarily through our object of the day: South of Midnight, by Compulsion Games. We chat about some of the folklore behind it, the history of the colour haint blue, and 'Olly explains why representaiton matters so much.VIvian's Southern Gothic ReferencesFiction writers: William Faulkner and Flannery O'ConnorMusic: the Dead SouthMovies: O Brother Where Art Though? and SinnersVideo Games ReferencedDragon Age: The VeilguardSouth of MidnightKingdom Come DeliveranceSplit Fiction (Hazelight Studios)Stardew ValleyOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagramThis episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inspired by our own files going wrong, we decided to do an episode all on when fandom goes wrong. We focus a lot on the happy postive sides of fandom, but sometimes our subjects of interest go wrong and we have to grapple with what we do with what we're left with. Especially with all these items we have. We talk about She Who Must Not Be Named, touch (very lightly) on the allegations around Neil Gaiman, and also talk about Rooster Teeth, a previous fandom of Vivian's which had gone very very wrong.Our SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's our annual cosplay episode! This week, we have on another guest! This time, its Jay Justice, cosplayer, public speaker, game developer, and many other wonderful things. Jay, Holly and Vivian chat about cosplay, accessibility and the notion of accuracy. We talk about accuracy in costume, and the variations of what that may mean. We chat about body accessibility, financial accessibility, and the public interest and ownership over a cosplayer's costumes. Check outJay Justice's WebsiteJay Justice's InstagramOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Fan Of That is now on Patreon!Go support us over there!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holly brings along a top hat to do a quick closet cosplay of the ultimate queer icon: the Babadook. This episode, we talk about how the Babadook became a queer icon, why discussions of feminism lead to discussions around queer identities, and how horror is such a good facilitator to carry social commentary. We also have many random trails along the way, including the tv show Hannibal, Shape of Water, and Frankenstein.Our podcast's Babadook (aka Holly in a top hat)Check outStryker article - My Words to Victor FrankensteinHalloween party picToo Scary Didn't WatchBabadook Video Essay on Monstrous MotherhoodOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Taskmaster! Oh, I mean, Welcome to I'm a Fan of That! Holly and Vvian chat about the UK panel show Taskmaster. We talk about what we think makes the show so successful, including the size of set, the comraderie of the crew, and the incredible size of the host.Check OutRapid City Library TiktokTaskmaster YouTubeOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Vivian has changed the plot to talk about Stardew Valley and cosy games in general. We talk about how to define the genre of cosy games, by looking at games that fit or don't fit the various aspects and definitions provided. We chat about how some games can be made cosy, how different Vivian and Holly's gaming habits are, and chat about the strange capitalistic nature of contemporary cosy games.Our SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we're talking about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and the claims some make about it being one of the first sci-fi novels. Holly chats about the history of science fiction stories, and the development of Frankenstein. Vivian explores the definition of science in contrast to magic and the problematic origins of this distinction. We also talk about other related things, like mythology, science fantasy, and how Vivian and Holly have no idea how wifi works.Reading and Enjoyment List Vivian's Blog Post on Science Fiction, Magic and MythologyReligion and Conspiracy Theories: an Introduction by David RobertsonBooks Mentioned by Holly:A True Story by LucianSomnium by Johannes KeplerThe Blazing World by Margaret CavendishGulliver's Travels by Jonathan SwiftThe Last Man by Mary ShelleyOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we sit down and talk all things TTRPGs with Nathan Blades, game designer, writer, voice actor, streamer, and much more. We chat about the role of communal storytelling, and the way that narratives come together around a table of people. We also talk about the differences between playing for an audience on an actual play, and playing for fun with friends.Check out Nathan's Stuff!Nathan Blades InfoNathan Blades on itch.ioTheNeonCaster on TwitchListen to Nathan on Campaign: SkyjacksOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, Vivian brings in her beautiful American flatbow, called Tiamat. And through this, we talk about Sports Anime! I know, a bit of a leap, but Tsurune, an anime about boys doing archery, is probably a nice place to start. We chat about the demographics of sports anime, explain a little bit about archery, chat about what makes an anime a sports anime, and gush about how much we absolutely love Yuri on Ice.Vivian's Bow, TiamatReading and Enjoyment List TsuruneYuri On IceFree!HeartstopperKeijo!! (the show Vivian couldn't remember the name of)HaikyuOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Holly brings forward the Dream Cycle by H.P. Lovecraft, as well as their book from Call of Cthulhu. Yes! We're talking about Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos! Topics include: communal storytelling and collaborative fiction, fanfiction, the ideas of monstrosity, queer monstrosity, and death of the author.Images of Holly's Lovecraft booksReading and Enjoyment List Rudolf Otto's Idea of the HolyVivian Asimos's Digital Mythology and the Internet's MonsterJeffrey Cohen's Monster TheoryMary Douglas's Purity and DangerLovecraft CountryThe Magnus ArchivesOur SocialsVivian's InstagramHolly's InstagramThe Pod's InstagramBuy Our Books!Buy Holly's Book!Preorder Vivian's Book!Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.