The Geeky Juans is basically the podcast version of all the novelties and hobbyist paraphernalia being sold in Greenhills Shopping Mall. Self-proclaimed geeks can test their knowledge about interests by listening to Jude Cruz, Von Adrias, and Steven Tan ecstatically talk about their fandoms in the comic and Gundam world. Since 2018, this trio has successfully been making their episodes distinct from each other by meticulously picking interesting topics and cultivating diverse and entertaining geek-out sessions.
But how exactly did The Geeky Juans start?
Jude and Steven work in the fields of content writing and digital marketing, aside from the fact that all of them—including Von—are History majors who graduated from De La Salle University. Von is currently taking law school. As a way of building personalities outside of their professional careers, the three started the Geeky Juans as an outlet for their geeky interests.
They would usually talk about their fandoms. For example, Cruz’s love for Gundam, and Tan’s thing for comics. By sharing what they’re passionate about, they hope their listeners will be able to resonate with them as well. Aside from these topics, they also cover anime, movies, video games, and pro-wrestling.
On the other hand, both of them realized how the podcast could be an avenue to establish relationships with the people they’ve met and others who share the same interests as well. They envisioned themselves inviting creatives from any industry to join them for interviews and have a rich dialogue about their craft.
Fortunately, they were able to do so in the past two years. They were able to tap Miguel Mercado, a local comic book artist, to join them as their special guest in one of the podcast’s episodes where he discussed his sentimental connection to Spider-Man 2099 (the very first Marvel comic book he got that his mother bought him), his Gwen Stacy cover, movies, and cosplay, among others. In that particular episode, Mercado mentioned how he was contacted by Marvel last 2019 to draw a Spider-Man 2099 cover because of his Peter and Mary Jane fanart that garnered wide public acclaim on social media. In addition, he was also contacted by Jacob Cabochan of Filbar’s and Sandy Sansolis of Comic Odyssey in his making of an Philippine exclusive cover for Archie.
Similarly, for their 35th episode, Cruz and Tan spoke with Jin, an avid cosplayer. Jin narrated how she started out in cosplaying when she started seeing cosplayers in Japan and China through the internet. She realized she had similar physical features with these cosplayers and eventually decided to pursue the endeavor coupled with her fondness of anime. Her first portrayal was lifted from the Prince of Tennis anime series, which her siblings would always watch together as they only shared one television set. Jin’s interest in cosplay also stemmed from her love for theater, fueling her passion to dress up and mimic a character. She identified it as the trait that sustained her commitment to the hobby of cosplaying.
These two stories show that The Geeky Juans is more than just a source of entertainment. The podcast has become a space where like-minded people can talk about their passions and find a community they can belong to. The way The Geeky Juans is able to create an inclusive community shows that they have been successful in relating to their fellow geeks.
While The Geeky Juans have a unique content structure, the trio is aware that they still need to set themselves apart from other podcasts. One of the ways they do this is through their candor when it comes to reviewing certain topics. By maintaining their candidness and constantly curating ideas that they’re zealous about, it’s easy for the pair to imbue their content with more love and energy.
What’s also flamboyant about their podcast is how they stay true to their geekiness in the wide range of subjects they cover. It’s a reflection of how they love to listen to different kinds of fans and appeal to all kinds of geeky interests.
The Geeky Juans is also able to foster more publicity and boost their content by scouring interest groups and regularly updating their Facebook page, Twitter profile and Instagram account.
The podcast can be seen as both Jude’s and Steven’s extended identity, and more than just a sharing platform, it has also been a way for them to learn about other skills such as arranging a conducive audio and live-video setup, editing various multimedia content, and even developing personal marketing and communication skills. The two hosts are also grateful for fellow podcasters who helped them improve their hosting skills, and as well as guide them in tailor-fitting their podcast format such that it will facilitate a wider and more engaged audience.
Just like much of the media we consume these days, The Geeky Juans is a one-stop shop for all things geeky. More than just an avenue for entertainment, it’s also a community-building platform where everyone gets to hear and share what they love.
You can tune into them in a number of platforms: Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and their Facebook page among others. Apart from their podcast channels, they also have their own blog.
Visual By: Chloe Gaw
Written by: Ervin Delas Peñas