Oh no! We've been transported to another world where podcasters fight in some sort of Battle Royale (and also Z has been turned into a washing machine)?! This week, we're talking about the fascinating fandom that is Light Novel fans, with special guest, [Justus R. Stone](justusrstone.com)! Next week, we'll be going to another other world... in ... space? Talking about... Galaga?! ## Where can I learn more about Justus R. Stone? [Justus R. Stone](justusrstone.com) is the author of the apocalyptic fiction series, The Bleeding Worlds, and has a podcast ([Light Novel Podcast](lightnovelpodcast.com)) and [YouTube channel](http://youtube.com/justusrstone) dedicated to light novels. You can also find him on Twitter ([@justusrstone](http://twitter.com/justusrstone)), Instagram ([@justusrstone](http://instagram.com/justusrstone)) and Facebook (... [@justusrstone](http://facebook.com/justusrstone)). ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **History and Origins:** Light Novels are short (approximately 50 000 words), Japanese novels primarily targeted at high- and middle-school students which are often accompanied by manga- or anime-style illustrations. The "light" in the name actually comes from the lack of hard-to-read kanji (ideographic characters in Japanese). Light novels are sort of the evolution of pulp novels and magazines in Japan: Somewhere in the 1970s, many pulp magazines had started to move away from classic-style covers towards more anime and manga style covers and including illustrations at the beginning of stories. In the 1980s, novels like _The Heroic Legend of Arslan_ and _Record of Lodoss War_ took a hold of audience, as did _Slayers_ and the _Boogiepop_ series in the 1990s (note that many of these were turned into anime). Interest in light novels really took off in the mid-2000s with the success of the _Haruhi Suzumiya_ series. **Search Data:** By Google Trends search volume, [Light Novels have become much, much more popular since 2004](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F06b_0_) and are arguably the most popular ...
*\*various grunting / shouting sounds\** That's right, this week, we're talking about fans of that long-running much beloved Nintendo series: *The Legend of Zelda*! Why are fans so fixated on the timeline, and what is it exactly that reels in fans both new and old? All that and more with this week's special guest, Andy Spiteri of [Zelda Informer](http://www.zeldainformer.com) / [Zelda Dungeon](https://www.zeldadungeon.net)! ...And that's it for this season! We'll be taking a brief holiday break and come back in the new year with all new, exciting episodes about fans and fandoms you've probably never even heard of! Thanks for listening and stay tuned! ## Where can I learn more about Andy? You can learn more about Andy Spiteri through his work at [Zelda Informer](http://www.zeldainformer.com) / [Zelda Dungeon](https://www.zeldadungeon.net)! ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **Origins:** > The Legend of Zelda is a high-fantasy action-adventure video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments have been outsourced to Capcom, Vanpool and Grezzo. The series' gameplay incorporates elements of action, adventure and puzzle-solving games. > The series centers on Link, the playable character and chief protagonist. Link is often given the task of rescuing Princess Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from Ganon, who is the principal antagonist of the series; however, other settings and antagonists have appeared in several titles. The games' plots commonly involve a relic known as the Triforce, a set of three omnipotent golden triangles. The protagonist in each game is usually not the same incarnation of Link, but a few exceptions exist. > Since the original The Legend of Zelda was released in 1986, the series has expanded to include ...
[// Pregenerate link to episode ahead of time: - clicktotweet.com- sharelinkgenerator.com]: # This week, special guest Tyler "Spooky" Mann joins us a special guest friend to dig into the surprisingly large and _obviously_ magical world of Disney... theme parks! How many hidden Mickeys can you find? Plus, this episode was so long that we broke it into two parts! Be prepared for the second half! ## Where can I learn more about Tyler? Tyler happens to run his own podcast, [Ride Rehab](http://riderehab.com), where he and his co-hosts put themselves in the role of Disney imagineers (i.e. the folks that make rides) and figure out how they would update different attractions at Disney! You can find lots of details about that via [Twitter](http://twitter.com/riderehab) or [Instagram](http://instagram.com/riderehab) both @RideRehab. And, if you haven't got enough of Tyler, you can check out his personal art (as he _is_ a comic artist and illustrator): [tylermannart.com](http://tylermannart.com) or [@TylerMannArt](https://twitter.com/TylerMannArt) on Twitter. ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **History and Origins:** > Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, officially Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, was one of The Walt Disney Company's four major business segments and a subsidiary. The company was responsible for the conception, building, and managing of Disney theme parks and vacation resorts, as well as a variety of family-oriented leisure enterprises. It was founded in 1971, following the opening of Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida. > > — [Wikipedia - Walt Disney Parks and Resorts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Parks_and_Resorts) [// 11 theme parks]: # **Search Data:** Interest in Walt Disney theme parks [hasn't changed much since 2004](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F09b1k,%2Fm%2F02fzs,%2Fm%2F04tkqm); though interest in Walt Disney World is about half the interest as in 2004, Disneyland is about the same as it was. Search data ...
