[// Pregenerate link to episode ahead of time: - clicktotweet.com- sharelinkgenerator.com]: # This week, we take a bit more of a convention-al bent, to talk about the wider world of women heroes in media with special guest, Emily Gonsalves (con chair of the [Pretty Heroes convention](https://www.prettyheroes.com/)). We talk about representation of women in comics, tv, anime and manga and a LOT more. Next week, we continue the magic with a trip to a little place that's a small world after world: that's right, we'll be talking about fans of Disney theme parks! ## Where can I learn more about Emily Gonsalves and the Pretty Heroes convention? Pretty Heroes is a convention dedicated to showcasing strong female characters and it's the first "girl power" convention in Toronto. It started as the Toronto Sailor Moon Celebration and grew with fan demand to expand into a convention with a new name (but the same heart) featuring a variety of anime, cute items, "girly" items, and plenty of intriguing female characters. The founder and con chair, Emily Gonsalves, is a professional graphic designer and marketing manager by day, but she also used to "moonlight" as a regular reporter for the Sailor Moon focused blog "Moon Chase." You can also find Emily at other conventions running panels about Sailor Moon, art, fandom, and social media marketing. To follow her Sailor Moon related content on social media, check out [Moon Chase on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/MoonChaseBlog/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MoonChaseblog/) and [SailorMoonCelebration on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sailormooncelebration/). For general female character and convention fun, check out Pretty Heroes on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/prettyheroes/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/prettyheroes/), and [Instagram](http://instagram.com/prettyheroes). ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **Search Data:** Given the broadness of today's topic, its hard to get data... but we tried! Looking at [Google Trends data](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F03hdkg,girl%20power,%2Fm%2F01cjwd) ...
What exactly is the significance of gel, and what is it that ties together a series that shares only two words (Tales of)?? This week, we're talking about fans of the _Tales of_ series (e.g. Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Zestiria, Tales of Berseria) with special guest (and Maple Gel Con organizer) Jesi McMulkin! Next week, we'll be demystifying the world of anime and manga fans a bit as we discuss fans of josei and shoujo... or in layman's terms, anime and manga "for women and girls". ## Where can I learn more about Jesi McMulkin? If you enjoyed listening to our special guest, Jesi, and want to learn more about the _Tales of_ series, you should definitely checkout [Maple Gel Con](http://maplegelcon.squarespace.com/) in Burlington, Ontario! ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **Origins:** The _Tales_ or _Tales of_ series is a video game series that has been running since 1995 with the release of _Tales of Phantasia_ on the Super Famicom. While there are sixteen main titles, many spin-offs, manga, anime, and audio dramas, the different entries in the series are fairly independent of each other and are mostly linked by their similar gameplay style (in particular, the "Linear Motion Battle System"), and its anime/manga art style. In English-speaking regions, it is generally seen as a niche series but is in the top-running for RPG series in Japan (behind Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest). **Most Active:** [By Google search volume](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F038sbw), interest in various Tales-series games has been on a slow decline, with the most interest in the game series occuring between 2003 and 2004 (corresponding to the releases of _Tales of Symphonia_ and _Tales of Rebirth_). **Size of Fandom:** One estimate for the size of the ...
Inspired by our upcoming charity marathon, the Race Against Time, we’re back to talking about sequels and how they change fandom. A fandom can live off of very little material (e.g. Reboot, Chrono Trigger) … but what happens when there is a sequel? Is that a good thing? In particular, we talk about: * How sequels allow for the creation of new communities * How sequels ‘change your investment in fandom’ * How we’re huge hypocrites And more! All in under thirty minutes. Plus, we’re on a short hiatus for the Race Against Time, so we’ll be back in September! ## Episode Outline **Topics:** Fandom exists outside of new content; people love _more_; sequels allow for new communities; sequels create connections between the past and present; sequels can make the past more relevant; sequels get you re-invested; CHRONO TRIGGER; sequels can create division; you can never go back; not everyone likes sequels and that’s fine; we’re hypocrites. ## Where can I get updates? If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered: * Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological) * Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic) And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)). Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com) ## What is the “Race Against Time”? The Race Against Time is an annual charity livestreaming marathon run by [the Nickscast](https://thenickscast.com) where we beat Chrono Trigger _thirteen times_ to raise money for charity; this year that charity is [Trans Lifeline](https://www.translifeline.org/)! Tune in on August 8 and 9th from noon until midnight each day. We hope to outdo all of our previous records and raise $2300 USD. For more details on the event, you can check out the main website ...
