I'm a Fan of That!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas Special! About Christmas Specials!

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

It's the Christmas Special! And today's episode is all about... the Christmas Special! Yes, we know it's quite meta, but it's worth a chat. We talk about the media that defines this time of year, from episodes of American sitcoms, to A Christmas Story, to the Doctor Who Christmas Special. We chat about the differences between American and English culture (as of 11 years ago), and what specific type of nostalgia we reach for.

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Vivian's Taylor Swift project

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is Fandom?

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 23:00:00 GMT

The end of season three is probably the best time to finally confront an all important question: what actually is fandom? How do we define this strange thing? Is it even possible? We chat about the history of the word and idea, take a little side path down an explanation of cultural evolutionary anthropology, and end with a big 'ol question of whether we can actually ever get away from some of the problematic ideas we have.

Some stuff:

Holly briefly mentioned Vivian's pool analogy, so it's here if you're interested

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Vivian's video games and myth article

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Silent Hill

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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 Materials

Games Mentioned:

Silent Hill

Fatal Frame

Resident Evil

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Kotaku article about Bioshock

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Religion and Popular Culture | Professor Asimos Presents

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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?

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fun Fandom Catchup

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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 Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Video essay on the Chthuluscene

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ghibli Studios

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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 Links

Video essay on No Face

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Goffman's work on identity

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flanderization

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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 Links

Fiona Sangster on YouTube

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

The Guardian - Trump "played" by K-pop fans

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

K-Pop Stans!

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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 Fandom

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crossing Genres

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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 Mentioned

Psalm of the Wild Built

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Drunk Women Solving Crime

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

True Crime Fandom

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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!

Gangster

Do Go On

Ruth Penfold Mounce - a sociologist of crime whose amazing and lovely and wonderful

The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ru Paul's Drag Con

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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 Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor Swift bought her masters, and Swifties are pissed

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Today, we've got some breaking fandom Swiftie news, and Vivian comes with notes on all the drama.

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

You're Dead to Me epsiode on the history of coffee

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coffee Fandom

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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.

References

Vivian's Writing Vlog around Coffee Shops

Food and Culture: a Reader (for anyone interested in the anthropology of food and culture)

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

South of Midnight and Representation in Video Games

Sun, 18 May 2025 23:00:00 GMT

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 References

Fiction writers: William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor

Music: the Dead South

Movies: O Brother Where Art Though? and Sinners

Video Games Referenced

South of Midnight

Kingdom Come Deliverance

Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios)

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Logo by Moira Daykin, @mecha_moira on instagram

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PATREON UNLOCK | Olly's Bracket Challenge

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT

This is a Patreon Unlock. Our Patreons at the Associate Producer level or above get access to bonus episodes during our season break. This episode was initially released to our Patreons on January 13.

Vivian has come back from Christmas break with a fun game for 'Olly to play. Well, fun for her. For 'Olly, it's a source of fandom-wracked identity questioning dread.

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nightmare Before Christmas | Christmas Special

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:00:30 GMT

Happy Holidays everyone! Fan of That is back this December with our yearly Christmas Special, and this time we're continuing from last year to discuss Spooky Christmas. But the emo and goth teenagers living deep inside both Olly and (less deep) Vivian means today we're discussing Nightmare Before Christmas. We chat about spooky Christmas, the lovely turn of coming of age narratives gone different, how we couldn't have had Evanescence without Tim Burton, and how nostalgic we all are for the good ol' emo days.

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS: Dracula, featuring Holmwood Foundation Podcast

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:51 GMT

Surprise! Another Bonus Episode! We just couldn't pass up the opportunity to chat about Dracula, the development of the vampire, and all other fun pop culture stuff with the Holmwood Foundation podcast!

Check out the Holmwood Foundation!

WEBSITE: https://www.theholmwoodfoundation.com/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/theholmwoodfoundation/

TUMBLR: https://www.tumblr.com/theholmwoodfoundation

TWITTER: https://x.com/TheHolmwoodFnd

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560610285247

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theholmwoodfoundation

KICKSTARTER: www.kickstarter.com/projects/georgiacook/the-holmwood-foundation

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theholmwoodfnd

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Project: Daydream Trailer

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:00:42 GMT

Project: Daydream is a new queer-weird adventure series that focuses on the lives of two agents working for the clandestine British Paranormal investigations organisation “Project: Daydream”. Together with the fresh-faced new recruit, 0620 (Georgia Mea) and the mysterious agent 4815 (A.V Nobelium), they work as partners tackling anomalies, artefacts and all manner of dangers lurking under the world's surface. But sometimes, it’s not just the monsters you need to be afraid of…

Starring:

48 - A.V. Nobelium / Athena Nobelium [SHE/HER]

06 - Georgia Mae

0220 - Moira Daykin [She/They/Xie]

CID - Calumny Winder - [They/Them]

And from your very own I'm A Fan of That...

1138 - 'Olly Rose/Holly Swinyard - [They/Them]

Writing Staff

Sarah Hazelgrove [She/Her]

Moira Daykin [She/They/Xie]

Audio Editing

Moira Daykin [She/They/Xie]

Theme Music Arthur Robbo

Where to find it:

Project Daydream can be found on multiple podcast platforms, specifically

Acast: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/66549671f9a48400127e306f

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4d1bDZlyAbvpqwbNzNAlg3

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@project.daydream?lang=en

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/project-daydream.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offical_projectdaydream/?locale=uken1&hl=am-et

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus! Halloween Special

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:07 GMT

Surprise Bonus Episode!! Happy Halloween, and today Vivian and Holly catch up in costume to chat about Halloween traditions, the importance of being Spooky, and the reason why Halloween (maybe) got so huge recently.

If you want more episodes during our off season, go check us out on Patreon!

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Fandom Goes Wrong

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 23:00:31 GMT

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 Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cosplay, Accessibility, and Accuracy, with Jay Justice

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 23:00:45 GMT

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 out

Jay Justice's Website

Jay Justice's Instagram

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Fan Of That is now on Patreon!

Our podcast's Babadook (aka Holly in a top hat)

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Babadook - a Queer Icon

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 23:00:17 GMT

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.

Check out

Stryker article - My Words to Victor Frankenstein

Halloween party pic

Too Scary Didn't Watch

Babadook Video Essay on Monstrous Motherhood

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Rapid City Library Tiktok

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank You and Special Announcement

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 23:00:50 GMT

Today we are announcing something we never thought we would. We're launching a Patreon!

Check it out: patreon.com/fanofthatpod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taskmaster

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 23:00:37 GMT

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 Out

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stardew Valley and Cosy Gaming

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 23:03:51 GMT

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 Socials

Buy Our Books!

Dashcon's Infamous Ballpit

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS: Dashcon 2 and Swift vs Lestat

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 23:00:49 GMT

Today's an extra lovely bonus episode! We were inspired to come and chat together on a hot summer day because it was just so important to discuss the news of Dashcon 2. We reminesce on what Dashcon was before, and all the trainwreck cons that have come after. But that's not all! The amazing worlds of fandom have also given us Taylor Swift vs Lestat, the vampire. That's right, Swifities are currently at war with fictional vampire Lestate from Interview with a Vampire.

Video Essays Holly Mentioned

DashCon: An Extensive Oral History - Strange Aeons

Tumblr's Failed Convention: The Story of Dashcon - Sarah Z

The Failure of Dashcon | The world's first Tumblr convention - Internet Historian

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Vivian's Blog Post on Science Fiction, Magic and Mythology

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frankenstein and the History of Science Fiction

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 23:00:30 GMT

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

Religion and Conspiracy Theories: an Introduction by David Robertson

Books Mentioned by Holly:

A True Story by Lucian

Somnium by Johannes Kepler

The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

The Last Man by Mary Shelley

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Listen to Nathan on Campaign: Skyjacks

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tabletop Role Playing Games with Nathan Blades

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 23:00:03 GMT

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 Info

Nathan Blades on itch.io

TheNeonCaster on Twitch

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sports Anime! and Vivian's love for archery

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 23:00:53 GMT

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, Tiamat

Reading and Enjoyment List

Keijo!! (the show Vivian couldn't remember the name of)

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Images of Holly's Lovecraft books

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 23:00:46 GMT

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.

Reading and Enjoyment List

Rudolf Otto's Idea of the Holy

Vivian Asimos's Digital Mythology and the Internet's Monster

Jeffrey Cohen's Monster Theory

Mary Douglas's Purity and Danger

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comic Books with Kieron Gillen

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 23:00:51 GMT

Today, we don't have an object. Instead, we have a person! Comic writer and enthusiast Kieron Gillan joins us today to chat all things comic books! We talk about comic books and religion, the nature of mythology and storytelling, and the absolute power of narrative.

Check out Kieron's Stuff!

Kieron's Website

Check out Kieron's new book Power Fantasy in August!

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

The Tom of Finland (esque?) print

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Myth of the Cowboy

Sun, 26 May 2024 23:00:48 GMT

Today, we're YEEHAWing into the story of the cowboy. But we're not just chatting about it generally, we're talking about it in relation to queer culture, and other marginalised groups. And while we do talk a little bit about the historical cowboy, we focus on the myth of the cowboy and how the story of it is understood and explored by its audience. And then we talk about how the mythology is being utilised by marginalised groups to explore their history and personal experiences.

Reading List

Contemporary Cowboys: reimagining an American archetype in popular culture

Black Cowboys Podcast

Yellowstone

Brokeback Mountain

A Strange Way of Life (the Pedro Pascal film we kept mentioning but not remembering the name)

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Vivian's copy of the Hyrule Historia

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zelda and Mythology

Sun, 12 May 2024 23:00:24 GMT

To kick off Season 2, Vivian wants to talk about her two favourite subjects: The Legend of Zelda and Mythology. We chat about storytelling, definitions of mythology, implicit mythology, and why the Zelda series is so wonderfully special to Vivian.

Reading List

VIvian's Video Essay on the Zelda Timeline

Jonathan Miles-Watson's Cathedral on the Ridge

Vivian Asimos's Video Games as Mythology

Dara O'Brien's Video Game Skit

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS - Taylor Swift's Totured Poets

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 23:00:29 GMT

In a Fortnight we'll be giving you Season 2, but we coudn't wait to talk about Taylor Swift again because of the fanfare that has accompanied her newest album, the Tortured Poets Department

Our Socials

Buy Our Books!

The Guardian - article on why Muppet Christmas Carol is the perfect festive film

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Muppet Christmas Carol and Adaptation

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:00:19 GMT

Merry Christmas, everyone! or whatever holiday time you're taking for yourself. But today, we're talking about Christmas because we watched the Muppet Christmas Carol, the best adaptation of the Dickens novel according to Holly. We chat about adaptation, what makes a good one or a bad one, what's the difference between adaptation and re-imaginings, and the social pressures of Christmas time.

Fun Extra Readings

The Conversation - how Muppet Christmas Carol became a cult classic

Empire Online - The Making of Muppet Christmas Carol

Penguin Books - How the Muppets made the most accurate Christmas Carol adaptation ever

Abby Cox - costumes in Muppet Christmas Carol

Andrew Siddle version of Scrooge

You're Dead to Me - episode on Dickens and Christmas

Our Socials

Check out Holly's beautiful Discworld Trophy!

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cosplay Competitions and Accessibility

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 23:00:40 GMT

Holly and Vivian finally talk about cosplay! Just kidding, we know we've accidentally talked about cosplay a lot throughout the season, but this time we mean to talk about cosplay the whole time. In this cosplay special, we wanted to focus on the role of cosplay competitions in the community, and also how this impacts both the actual and the perceived accessibility of cosplay. We chat about race, ableism, and beautiful trophies.

Our Socials

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigun, Anime Reboots, and Storytelling

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 23:13:02 GMT

On this slightly chaotic episode, Holly and Vivian chat about the Trigun reboot, and reboots more generally. We talk about how storytelling can change, how anime storytelling has changed, and how nostalgia plays on all of us.

Our Socials

Vivian's Lord of the Rings Tattoo

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fan Tattoos Can be Meaningful Too!!

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 23:07:06 GMT

On this week of Fan of That Podcast, Vivian brings her arm. Yes,her arm! A few years ago, Vivian got a tattoo of the words from the One Ring around her arm. Holly also has some tattoos based on fandoms. So today, we talk about fan tattoos, what people think of them, and how they can demonstrate our identities, connections and what is so immensely meaningful.

Holly's Star Wars Tattoo

Reading List

Mary Douglas - Natural Symbols

Our Socials

Taylor Swift's Midnights Album Cover

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor Swift at Midnight

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 23:06:35 GMT

This week, Vivian wants to talk about pop music, and specifically Taylor Swift's newest album Midnights. To really get the full knowledge of what this album means to both Taylor Swift and - more importantly for our purposes - her fandom, Vivian hops into history corner to give a concise overview of the history of Taylor Swift's position in the spotlight and her ever changing view of herself. We talk about the complicated racial and political dimensions of the Kanye/Swift fights, this misogynistic view of her "list" of men, and the wonderful way a music fandom can have its own collective name. We also chat about the ever changing nature of Swift's songs, from autobiography, to fiction, to the blurring between the two.

Our Socials

Some fangs for cosplay

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Great Fanfiction Debacle of Anne Rice

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 23:04:32 GMT

This week, Holly struggles to chat with fangs in their mouth because we're talking about vampires! More directly, we're chatting about Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire, and the great fanfiction debacle of the early internet years. Strap in you youngin' listeners as Old Folks Vivian and Holly explain how the internet used to be with online chat rooms and the early days of fanfiction and fandom online. We talk about the actual notion of death of the author, and try to explore what ALLEGEDLY happened in the 90s and early 2000s.

Reading List

Anne Rice Fanlore page with timeline of the ALLEGED events

Info on the nature of creator backlash

Our Socials

Holly's copy of Shakespeare's Histories

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Shakespeare Jubilee and the Beauty of Conventions

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 23:07:06 GMT

In this episode, Holly brings their copy of Shakespeare's Histories as an entryway for us to talk about the history of Shakespeare. Get it? In history corner, Holly talks about what the Shakespeare Jubilee was, how it worked, and what it did for the history of fan conventions. We talk about conventions and how amazing they are, as well as how fan conventions function as spaces of imagination. And of course we get a little nerdy about Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and celebrity gravesites.

Reading List

Overview of the Shakespeare Jubilee

Shakespeare Jubilee Day One

Shakespeare Jubilee Day Two

Places of Imagination - Stijn Reijnders

Imagined Communities - Benedict Anderson

Our Socials

A Pic of Vivian's Scarf

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knitting and Communities of Creation

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 16:09:30 GMT

In this episode, Vivian brings her handknitted Lord of the Rings scarf - a double knitted scarf with the One Ring rhyme and the Tree of Gondor. Vivian learned to knit in high school, and always enjoys making something related to her lovely fandoms. So we talk about it! We chat about communities of creativity, and the powerful bonds formed when you meet people who love making and your media choices, and how the process of creating draws a close relationship between the creator and the media.

A Pic of Vivian's Bastion Cross Stitching

Reading List

The Practice of Everyday Life - Michel de Certeau

Our Socials

Orville Peck and His Lovely Mask

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Orville Peck's Mask and LGBT Storytelling

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 23:02:46 GMT

On this episode of I'm a Fan of That, Vivian brings a fringed eye mask worn by country singer Orville Peck. We talk about the masked country singer, and the power of that amazing fringed mask. Holly brings their love of folk music, and Vivian brings her obsession with Orville Peck, to talk about the way he tells his stories in such a way that it becomes tied intimately with the LGBT Community. An out-country singer and self-proclaimed gay cowboy, Orville Peck's music, and more importantly his mask, has come to represent the experiences of the gay community.

Reading List

A. David Napier - Masks, Transformation and Paradox

Daytona Sand by Orville Peck

Our Socials

Pic of an Arc Reactor

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Arc Reactor and Marvel's Relationship to Capitalism

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 23:00:02 GMT

This week, Holly brings their Arc Reactor to the party, and a detailed conversation about the history of the growth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We also talk about the relationship grown with Disney and the formulaic nature of super hero films and stories. And Vivian teaches Holly the idea of the "Nigella Effect".

(Holly accidently misplaced theirs)

Reading List

CNet article on the history of the MCU

"Myth Sells: Mattel’s Commission of The Masters of the Universe Bible" by Joseph Laycock

Henry Jenkins explains transmedia storytelling

Our Socials

The Perilous Realms by JRR Tolkien

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Perilous Realms and the Tolkien Society's Definitions

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 23:59:20 GMT

This week, Vivian brings a copy of The Perilous Realms by J.R.R Tolkien, a wonderful gift from her mother-in-law, who is a member of the Tolkien Society. Holly has their own experiences with the Tolkien Society, so we talk about it! The Tolkien Society is a more academic based fan group of people who love Tolkien's writings and worlds. We talk about the perceived boundary between "play" and "serious", and the fight to make fantasy and genre-literature more generally to be seen as a legitimate field of study. But we also talk about the way different fan groups and individuals have different definitions for the same stuff, often resulting in conflict between individuals and groups.

Reading List

"Anthropology and Play" by Thomas Malaby

Our Socials

Picture of a Love Island water bottle

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vivian Wants a Love Island Water Bottle

Sun, 28 May 2023 23:58:34 GMT

Vivian comes to Holly demanding a Love Island water bottle! Not really, but we actually chat about Love Island today, one of Vivian's favourite reality shows in the UK. We talk about the notion of the "new" celebrity, and the accessibility of celebrity through social media. We talk about the creation of narratives and storylines, and how Love Island creates gossip and narratives through the presentation of the islanders.

Our Socials

Gizmodo article about DnD's open gaming license

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The D20 and Communal Storytelling in TTRPGs

Sun, 14 May 2023 23:00:13 GMT

This week, Holly brings a D20 to the podcast, a 20 sided dice that has become a token symbol of table top role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. We talk about the need for adult play - not that kind of adult play - and the way TTRPG players play with the boundaries of belief, and the creative and interactive way stories are crafted.

An image of a D20

Reading List

Gizmodo article about fan response to the license change

Polygon article about the u-turn on the license

Jane McGonigal's article "A Real Little Game: The Performance of Belief in Pervasive Play

Our Socials

Music for this episode was Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLead Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode was produced by Vivian Asimos and Holly Swinyard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Teaser Trailer

Mon, 08 May 2023 08:36:48 GMT

Enjoy this teaser trailer for I'm a Fan of That! First episode drops just NEXT WEEK!!!

Our Socials