The Convention Creatives: An Art And Fandom Podcast

#animeconuk

Recorded live at Raku Con 2026, Jay holds down the podcast solo while PB covers a table for a friend with a toothache. In this episode, Jay sits down with the ever-talented musician Bentley Jones. From surviving the adrenaline of massive US conventions like Sonic Boost to enjoying the relaxed, late-start vibe of Raku Con, we cover Bentley's incredibly busy year. We dive into the emotional milestone of singing a duet live with Pete Capella, how releasing "Sonic Verse 3" via an album pass helps avoid burnout, and the intense process of 3D animating music videos in Blender. Plus, we discuss the enduring legacy of "Dreams of an Absolution" and what's next for Bentley's original character, Oscar!
YOUR HOSTS
PB (aka Gilles) off camera: / gillesbone
J (aka Jay Bear): / ohheyitsjaybear
OUR GUEST
Bentley Jones: bentleyjones.com / Bentley Jones Official on YouTube
EVENT
Raku Con 2026
IN THIS EPISODE

• Recording live at Raku Con 2026, dealing with main stage music bleeding into the room
  
• Why PB is absent today (shoutout to Rob's dentist trip!)
  
• Bentley’s recent US convention run at Sonic Boost and comparing the wild energy of Sonic fans to the UK scene
  
• The emotional, full-circle moment of performing "Say Something" live with Pete Capella
  
• Diversifying the Raku Con live setlist with Tekken and Japanese tracks
  
• Why Bentley is using an "album pass" model for Sonic Verse 3 to release tracks as they are finished and prevent deadline burnout
  
• The 20-year legacy of "Dreams of an Absolution" and taking time to appreciate fan stories
  
• Bentley's intense dedication to learning 3D modeling in Blender for music videos featuring his OC, Oscar
  
• Teasing a new synth-wave track for Silver's birthday, featuring another collaboration with Pete Capella
  

SPONSORED BY
Decal Empire
Premium custom stickers, prints and more. https://decalempire.co.uk/
(Their support helps make this show possible.)
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Explore all our socials and more at https://theconcreatives.com

Leave a five star review to help support the show
Get behind the scenes content and extras at / theconcreatives

Recorded live on the main stage for day two at AnimeCon UK Birmingham, PB and Jay return with wig artist and cosplayer Aries (Fear of Aries) and FrootbatCosplay! For today’s session, the crew is digging into the podcast archives to revive one of their most popular formats: reading juicy, dramatic "Am I the Asshole?" Reddit stories.With a lively convention audience serving as their jury, the team tackles three crazy, community-themed cases, sharing hilariously blunt, unfiltered reactions directly from the stage.YOUR HOSTSPB (aka Gilles): https://www.instagram.com/gillesbone/J (aka Jay Bear): https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitsjaybear/SPECIAL GUESTSAries (Fear of Aries): https://www.instagram.com/fear_of_aries/Frootbat Cosplay: https://www.instagram.com/frootbatcosplay/EVENT PARTNERAnimeCon UK: https://www.instagram.com/animeconuk/IN THIS EPISODELive on stage for day two at AnimeCon UK Birmingham with a special guest panel lineup!Special shout-outs to the actual, incredibly hardworking Cosplay Hospital staff running the floor at AnimeCon UK!SPONSORED BYDecal EmpirePremium custom stickers, prints and more.https://decalempire.co.uk/(Their support helps make this show possible.)SUPPORT THE SHOWExplore all our socials and more at https://theconcreatives.comLeave a five star review to help support the showGet behind the scenes content and extras at https://patreon.com/theconcreatives

Recorded live on the podcast stage for day one at AnimeCon UK Birmingham, PB and Jay take the mic for a special interactive episode! With an entourage of listeners acting as their live jury, the boys put the most common habits, shortcuts, and debates of the anime community on trial. From the ultimate sin of skipping opening themes to tactical blind box purchases and handling annoying internet fandoms, it’s time to find out who is officially guilty or not guilty.

YOUR HOSTS

PB (aka Gilles): https://www.instagram.com/gillesbone/

J (aka Jay Bear): https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitsjaybear/

EVENT PARTNER

AnimeCon UK: https://www.instagram.com/animeconuk/

IN THIS EPISODE

• Live from the stage at AnimeCon UK Birmingham for the first of three special convention episodes!

• Case 1: The Skipped Opening — Is it ever acceptable to skip an anime's opening theme on the very first episode?

• Case 2: The Emotional Ending Skip — Skipping the credits even after a heartbreaking or pivotal character death.

• Case 3: The Unfinished Watch List — Starting a brand-new show while you currently have twelve other series sitting half-watched.

• Case 4: The Ancient Spoiler — Jay shares a legendary, decade-long Facebook grudge born from a totally accidental Star Wars spoiler.

• Case 5: Sub vs. Dub Judgment — The shifting cultural history of dub styling, and using voice tracks to watch anime while you work.

• Case 6: The Aesthetic Purchase — Buying independent merchandise or figures of a character you know absolutely nothing about just because they look cool.

• Case 7: The Gacha Curse — Jay's traumatic experience of pulling four identical Shippo capsules in a row at the Bandai Namco store.

• Case 8: Masterpiece Openings — Loving the melodic genius of themes like Attack on Titan more than the actual series.

SPONSORED BY

Decal Empire

Premium custom stickers, prints and more.

https://decalempire.co.uk/

(Their support helps make this show possible.)

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Explore all our socials and more at https://theconcreatives.com

Leave a five star review to help support the show

Get behind the scenes content and extras at https://patreon.com/theconcreatives

Recorded live from Secret Con at the historic Hoghton Tower, roaming reporter StroberryCosplay hooks up with favourite repeat guest Georgia Dyer for a fun, spontaneous episode! With the rest of the crew out holding down the fort elsewhere, your favourite duo is hanging out in a fanciful grand ballroom to break down the highlights of the photography-focused event, trade catastrophic face paint horror stories, and overanalyse the latest fandom releases.**YOUR HOSTS**PB (aka Gilles): [https://www.instagram.com/gillesbone/](https://www.instagram.com/gillesbone/)J (aka Jay Bear): [https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitsjaybear/](https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitsjaybear/)**GUEST HOSTS**Stroberry Cosplay: [https://www.instagram.com/stroberrycosplay/](https://www.instagram.com/stroberrycosplay/)Georgia Dyer: [https://www.instagram.com/xgeorgiadyerx/](https://www.instagram.com/xgeorgiadyerx/)**SPONSORED BY**Decal EmpirePremium custom stickers, prints and more.[https://decalempire.co.uk/](https://decalempire.co.uk/)(Their support helps make this show possible.)**SUPPORT THE SHOW**Explore all our socials and more at [https://theconcreatives.com](https://theconcreatives.com)Leave a five-star review to help support the showGet behind-the-scenes content and extras at [https://patreon.com/theconcreatives](https://patreon.com/theconcreatives)

Fresh out of the cinema, PB and Jay are joined by our roaming reporters (dressed as Pomni and Jax!) for an emergency review of The Amazing Digital Circus Episode 9. From completely opposite theatre experiences to deep-dive lore theories, we are unpacking everything about the highly anticipated finale.**Your Hosts**PB (aka Gilles) – [https://www.instagram.com/gillesbone/](https://www.instagram.com/gillesbone/)J (aka Jay Bear) – [https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitsjaybear/](https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitsjaybear/)**Our Guests & Contributors**Stroberry Cosplay – [https://www.instagram.com/stroberrycosplay/](https://www.instagram.com/stroberrycosplay/)Frootbat Cosplay – [https://www.instagram.com/frootbatcosplay/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/frootbatcosplay/)**In This Episode*** An emergency cinema review of *The Amazing Digital Circus* Episode 9 right after the credits rolled* Opposite theatre vibes: Dead silence and live-blogging laptops versus screaming kids, sing-alongs, and being recognized in cosplay* Deep diving into abstraction and trans/queer-coding theories* Where was Gummigoo?! Demanding justice for our favourite NPC* Ribbit, and the emotional weight of abstraction* Analysing whether this finale worked better as a cinema experience or if it should have stayed a YouTube video* As always, the return of the chant: "We listen… And we don’t judge!"SPONSORED BYDecal EmpirePremium custom stickers, prints and more.https://decalempire.co.uk/(Their support helps make this show possible.)SUPPORT THE SHOWExplore all our socials and more at https://theconcreatives.comLeave a five star review to help support the showGet behind the scenes content and extras at https://patreon.com/theconcreatives

Recorded live from the UK's biggest tabletop convention, PB and Jay take over the Printing Like Rabbits booth for a special UK Games Expo episode! We're ditching our full setup for a streamlined t-shirt wall and diving deep into what makes trading at this massive event so uniquely different from the rest of the convention circuit. Plus, we're sharing our ultimate convention hauls, reviewing some card games, and sitting down with fellow traders Hillman's Handmade and Fizzy Fuzzies to hear about their UKGE experiences!Your HostsPB (aka Gilles) – https://www.instagram.com/gillesbone/J (aka Jay Bear) – https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitsjaybear/Our Guests & ContributorsPrinting Like Rabbits – https://www.instagram.com/printinglikerabbits/Hillman's Handmade – https://www.instagram.com/hillmanshandmade/Fizzy Fuzzies – https://www.instagram.com/fizzyfuzzies/Event UK Games Expo – https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/In This EpisodeGoing minimalist: Why we opted for just a t-shirt wall instead of our full convention setup.Insider tips and tricks for trading at UK Games Expo and what sets it apart from typical comic cons.The convention haul: Unpacking the coolest things we bought on the show floor.Special interviews with Hillman's Handmade and Fizzy Fuzzies on what it takes to trade at the UK's biggest tabletop event.Sponsored ByDecal Empire - Premium custom stickers, prints and more.https://decalempire.co.uk/(Their support helps make this show possible.)Support the ShowExplore all our socials and more at https://theconcreatives.comLeave a five star review to help support the showGet behind the scenes content and extras at https://patreon.com/theconcreatives

Recorded live amidst the absolute wilderness of MCM London Sunday, PB is joined by StroberryCosplay (while Jay is stuck serving customers) for a massive event recap. From the overwhelming scale of the ExCeL center to the wild reality of finding a rogue craft scalpel on the convention floor, we cover all the highs and lows of the UK's biggest con. PB breaks down the business side of things, including a massive design merch drop, the incredible success of the convention Stamp Rallies, and why The Amazing Digital Circus is currently dominating the fandom scene. Plus, dodging a sprinting toddler and how the convention community has brought us all together!YOUR HOSTSPB (aka Gilles): https://www.instagram.com/gillesbone/J (aka Jay Bear) off camera: https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitsjaybear/OUR GUEST COHOSTStroberry Cosplay: https://www.instagram.com/stroberrycosplay/EVENTMCM London: https://www.instagram.com/mcmcomiccon/IN THIS EPISODERecording live from the show floor at MCM London Sunday (and saying "Bonjour!")Stroberry’s first impressions of the massive ExCeL center and discovering a dangerous craft scalpel on the floorThe undeniable success of the MCM Stamp Rallies (Pokemon, Sonic, and Disability & Me)Wild con encounters: A sprinting toddler and the "exhibitor" vs "exhibitionist" badge jokeFandom Trends: The absolute dominance of The Amazing Digital Circus, the slow fade of Hazbin Hotel, and Arcane cosplaysWholesome moments: How PB met his partner Jamie and other close friends just by working a convention boothSPONSORED BYDecal EmpirePremium custom stickers, prints and more.https://decalempire.co.uk/(Their support helps make this show possible.)SUPPORT THE SHOWExplore all our socials and more at https://theconcreatives.comLeave a five star review to help support the showGet behind the scenes content and extras at https://patreon.com/theconcreatives

POV: You entered an anime utopia in #TrianguloFriki Barcelona. ✨

This next video is going to be so fun, so I’m taking some extra time over the next week or so to make it perfect. Stay tuned, it’ll be worth the wait!
In the meantime, here’s a tiny peek at the @bandainamcoeu store we found along our journey
#anime #gachapon #vlog #meme barcelonatravel

PB and Jay are officially on a "Jolly Holiday," which means the our favourite roaming reporters and "Ring Pop" performance duo, StroberryCosplay and FrootbatCosplay, have hijacked the podcast for a highly informative takeover episode. From explaining their weirdest inside jokes to dropping essential knowledge on wig styling, costume safety, and stage performances.YOUR HOSTS (In Spirit)PB (aka Gilles): https://www.instagram.com/gillesbone/J (aka Jay Bear): https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitsjaybear/OUR GUEST HOSTS FOR TODAYStroberry Cosplay: https://www.instagram.com/stroberrycosplay/Frootbat Cosplay: https://www.instagram.com/frootbatcosplay/IN THIS EPISODEThe Catchphrase Challenge: Explaining our weirdest inside jokes, from "Lovely gowns" to "Hi Bowser, you porno king!".Cosplay tool essentials: Rotary cutter safety (don't slice your fingers!), good fabric scissors, and why you need a Velour wig band.Wig styling 101: Polystyrene heads, crimping for volume, and why you should always look to drag queens for styling tips.Costume safety and mishaps: The absolute necessity of dancers belts, and surviving rogue spiral boning with duct tape.Advice for convention performers: Pre-stage warmups by loud generators, checking your costume mobility, and bringing something unique to the stage.Our massive 2026 convention schedule: MCM London, UK Games Expo, RakuCon, Timeless, Epic Comic Con, and more!SPONSORED BYDecal EmpirePremium custom stickers, prints and more.https://decalempire.co.uk/(Their support helps make this show possible.)SUPPORT THE SHOWExplore all our socials and more at https://theconcreatives.comLeave a five star review to help support the showGet behind the scenes content and extras at https://patreon.com/theconcreatives