Concast - A Podcast About Conventions And Fandoms

The crew is back in full force as Ash, Little Beard, and Cookie prep for TsunamiCon and dive into a week of wild geek and tech headlines. OpenAI drops its Atlas browser, pushes Sora 2’s storyboard update, and—yes—announces that erotica is coming to ChatGPT. The team breaks down how that stacks against Google Gemini and Perplexity AI, debates the new EagleEye military HUD helmet that looks straight out of Halo, and laughs their way through Ghostbuster Magic cards, Star Trek modeling, and con chaos. What’s next? Probably holographic helmets, horny chatbots, and plexiglass at TwitchCon.

Ash battles the tail end of COVID while Little Beard and Cookie recover from a wild weekend at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. Between talk of ghost-hunting cats, ultraviolet bug runways, and AI Alexa getting emotional, the crew dives into deep and hilarious territory. They recap KC RenFest chaos, share an airbrush breakthrough, talk fake AI Comic Con leaks, and react to Marvel’s Wonder Man trailer — all before spiraling into Wilford Brimley’s age crisis and the immortal truth that Gen X just ages better.

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 eyeing Warner Bros., and TsunamiCon’s new venue at Newman University. The guys also cover the wild Demon Slayer theater incident and upcoming festivals like Great Plains Ren Fair. Key Segments

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 rare autographs.

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 ride of an episode.

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 infamous “festival turkey.” Along the way we detour into geek news: AOL ditches dial-up, AI avatars outsell human livestreamers in China, Robot Olympics, Penn & Teller’s Ren Faire return, and new casting news for Booster Gold and Spaceballs 2. It’s a mix of festival chaos, steampunk community, and geek culture gold.

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 the White House. It’s a whirlwind tour of conventions, pop culture, and the latest tech that has the fandom buzzing.

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 collectibles.

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.

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 toy-collector heartbreak over She-Ra Barbies.

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 Dirty Smoker show moment where R2D2 "fought" Darth Vader onstage—an unscripted con memory that stole the show. Big Game Market – Over 200 vendors, great food, and a good crowd despite the heat. Little Beard encountered a disgruntled attendee who mistakenly blamed the Scallywags for a prior bad show (turns out another group used their name as a scapegoat). Geekgasms of the week included: Little Beard’s new lightweight 1984

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 new Harry Potter series casting and the AI-fueled future of pop culture. Expect laughs, behind-the-scenes banter, and a healthy dose of fandom love.

Ash and Little Beard kick off the episode reminiscing about their custom podcast intro music and how AI tools like Suno are reshaping creative work. The duo dives deep into the chaos of AI-generated fake trailers, especially surrounding Spider-Man Noir, and reflect on the challenges of identifying real content online. They preview and analyze trailers for Superman, Peacemaker, and Spider-Man Noir, discussing concerns over bloated casts, tone inconsistencies, and James Gunn's creative control.

This week on ConCast, Ash andLittle Beard dive into the biggest geek and nerd news for May 2025! We’re talking about Disney’s new villain-themed musical ride, Comic-Con expanding to Spain (with Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom!), and OpenAI taking a swing at the social media world. Plus, we spotlight the Slate Truck—an EV straight outta a minimalist’s dream—and celebrate the brightest breakthroughs in futurism: fusion power, dolphin translators, biodegradable pacemakers, and more! We also share updates from the winery, 3D printing triumphs and tragedies, a potential He-Man casting catastrophe, and why Wichita’s Riverfest button might be giving us AI-induced headaches.

In this week’s episode, Ash and Little Beard plow through a deluge of new trailers—including Fantastic Four: First Steps, Toxic Avenger, Thunderbolts, Predator: Badlands, and more. We rant about cosplay boot prices, con guest burnout, nostalgia overload, and why Galactus might need a zoning permit in Manhattan. We also serve up fresh geek news on Critical Role’s publishing empire, Star Wars: Starfighter with Ryan Gosling, and YouTube’s 20th birthday. Bonus: tales of stripper boots and the great White Castle Kansas conundrum.

This week on ConCast, Ash and Little Beard limp back from a whirlwind weekend at the Great Plains Renaissance Festival. From gale-force winds and collapsing pop-ups to soy sauce shots in the Pirate Power Hour, it was an event to remember… or partially blackout. They share tales of steampunk woes, generator dreams, new 3D printing tech, and why the new Supergirl movie might just slap. Plus, AI creates creepy-accurate videos of two tired Ren Faire dads, and they give a shoutout to Mac for leveling up Wag’s socials. Oh—and if you’re wondering what movie might actually kill a man in a theater, Minecraft’s got you covered.

In this episode of ConCast, Ash and Little Beard kick things off with a heartfelt tribute to Val Kilmer, diving into their favorite films and his unforgettable performances. From there, it’s a wild ride through geek culture—everything from dice hoarding and Star Trek model building to the chaos of AI-generated movies and Magic: The Gathering nostalgia. They rant about overpriced collectibles, reveal con plans (including wine slushies!), and debate whether B-movies are making a comeback in the AI age. It’s nerdy, it’s rowdy, and it’s pure ConCast energy.

This week on ConCast, Ash and Little Beard dive into their experiences at Kansas Comic Con, discussing highlights, vendor trends, and the evolving convention scene. They’re joined by their wives, Christie and Jessica, for a fun and lively discussion about everything from upcoming events like Planet Comic Con and Great Plains Renaissance Festival to the wild world of celebrity autographs. Plus, they share their latest geekgasms, including sci-fi movies, 3D printing, Ghostbusters gear, and the state of Marvel. Tune in for laughs, insights, and plenty of nerdy banter!

In this episode of ConCast, Ash, John, and Tim dive into a wild mix of topics, from classic pop culture gems and obscure movie facts to ridiculous strip club stories and the ever-changing world of cosplay. Along the way, we tackle the evolution of Ren Faires, the absurdity of Pawn Stars, and why Nathan Fillion deserves a better role in DC or Marvel. We also reflect on Michelle Trachtenberg’s passing, the state of the gaming industry, and how conventions keep shifting in the Midwest. Tune in for another round of unfiltered geek talk, laughs, and unexpected tangents!

In this episode of ConCast, Ash and Little Beard dive into PC upgrades, 3D printing collectibles, and the latest Marvel movie shake-ups, including the return of Wesley Snipes as Blade and the chaotic multiversal direction of the MCU. They discuss Microsoft’s quantum computing breakthrough, SNL’s 50th anniversary, and the blurring of Star Trek canon thanks to Star Trek Online. Plus, hear about 3D-printing a lost He-Man toy, upcoming conventions, and whether George Miller directing a World War Hulk movie is a genius move or a risky gamble. Tune in for geek culture, tech talk, and plenty of laughs!