Jess Walz | The Faithful Fangirl

I like to say that I was born a fangirl. For me fandom is a family affair. Some of my earliest memories are of watching Star Wars and Disney movies with my older brother and reading Harry Potter with my dad. As I grew up I found friends who shared my passions and helped to grow my fandom. We would discuss theories, go to Marvel movies or lightsaber duel in the backyard. Every summer was marked by watching Avatar: The Last Airbender or re-listening to the Harry Potter series. Each new thing I fell in love with ended up being something I could also share with my family. I play DnD with my brother and his kids every Saturday, I quote Hamilton with my little sister, I saw Rise of Skywalker opening night with my brothers, my mom and I went to Harry Potter World on vacation together. It’s been the thing that has connected all of us through the years. 

I’m realizing that everything that is so close to my heart starts with the letter F. Family, Friends, Fandom, Faith. It’s only fitting that my show should also be marked by F’s. The Faithful Fangirl is a project that is very close to my heart. I’ve wanted to create a podcast for years, and it took me a while for the idea to take shape. Around the time I was getting serious about my show I was struggling with my faith. I was growing in my faith, and I was starting to worry that I would have to give up the fandom stuff. That I couldn’t be a good Christian and still love the things I love. I felt in a constant tug of war with my identity as a Christian, and my identity as a fangirl. Then one day at church it just kind of hit me that it wasn’t about being one thing or the other, it was about finding a healthy balance in both. I didn’t have to give up Star Wars, or stop watching Disney movies, I just had to love God more than I loved those things. I could still enjoy them, learn from them, and talk about them, I just also had to enjoy, learn from, and talk about God. That’s when the idea for the Faithful Fangirl was born. A place where I could talk about how Jesus reminds me a bit of Anakin or how The Force is TOTALLY an allegory for the Holy Spirit, even if it wasn’t George Lucas’ original intention. I want to talk about how Harry Potter is not evil for being about magic, but can be a really beautiful picture of the gospel and sacrificial love. Avatar: The Last Airbender does have roots in eastern mysticism, but through my Christian lens, I glean some excellent themes on struggles with sin, and the overall fight against darkness. You can expect all of this and more on the show. This show is a journey for me to try and tip the scales of my passions into balance. To shift my priorities into their proper place. I figure that I’m not the only one in the world who struggles in this area or is passionate about their faith and their fandom.   

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When I’m not working on the show or volunteering at church you can find me at bonfires with friends, traveling to visit friends or family out of town, at the movies (back when they were open), or making a valiant effort to build my athletic abilities so I can compete on American Ninja Warrior. I live in a small apartment in Illinois with my cat Loki, who gives every effort to be heard when I’m recording. ​​

Laura Cassiday | Social Media Manager

Hi, my name is Laura.

I, like many people, am what I call a "Casual Fan". I cannot point out every small inconsistency between the movie and the books but I enjoyed both. I attended the Midnight premiere but I did not come in costume. I do not belong to one particular Fandom, I like them all. However, Harry Potter and Disney are my favorites.

Movies were my first love. To this day I can recite (almost) word for word, the entire dialog of Remember the Titans. If Disney released it, I probably saw it at least ten times. One fact about me, I rented the VHS tape of Sleeping Beauty from Blockbuster so many times, I broke it.
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I am excited to be a small part of this podcast as representation of the "casual fan". Fans like me represent a large group of people who enjoy Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel/DC, etc., but don't quite fit in with the "extreme fans". We will never win the trivia contests or know who had the purple lightsaber (ok, I might know that one). Regardless of your Fandom or fan level, we all have a place in the Fandom world and can all enjoy this podcast that take ideas we love from our Fandoms and applies it to real life.

Much like working on finding my place in different Fandoms, I am still working on finding my way back to faith. This has been something I have been struggling with for a while and I am baby stepping my way to Jesus. That is one of the many reasons I am passionate about this podcast, it is representing two things I am working on learning more about.

Kyle Jennings | Web Designer

Hi, I'm Kyle. Movie and TV junkie, Marvel fanboy, and comic-con nerd. Last time I went I met Michael Rooker and Amber Stevens West, got arrested by Iron Man, and subsequently rescued by Deadpool, it was an interesting day to say the least.

​I've been in the nerdy pop culture lifestyle ever since I was a kid. I used to jump around with a towel cape around my neck, beating up imaginary criminals in the yard. Some of my favorite films include the MCU, The Boondock Saints, and Tombstone. My favorite TV shows include The Walking Dead, Justified, and The Mandalorian.

​I'm excited to be part of such a cool project. I've always been a fanboy, and now I get to help someone else accomplish their fan goals and let my nerd flag fly. Jess is one of the most knowledgeable fangirls I know, so I know you're in good hands while listening to her podcast.