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Call for Papers! The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Studio Ghibli

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The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Studio Ghibli, edited by Alex MacLellan Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985, is known around the world as the animation studio bringing works such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and My Neighbour Totoro to the big and small screens. With a characteristic art style indelibly linked with childlike joy and a strong focus on moral storytelling, Ghibli movies are eagerly anticipated and cherished by fans old and new alike. The influence of the studio beyond Japan and the animation industry is clear, with comparisons to the studio or legendary director Hayao Miyazaki a byword for quality,...

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Play Story Book Talk – Roll with Advantage

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In this Book Talk, Suzanne Richardson and Ed Chang share about their book, Roll with Advantage: Creative, Collaborative, and Critical Responses to Dungeons & Dragons. https://playstorypress.org/books/roll-with-advantage/ This book is an interdisciplinary, multi-genre, mixed-form anthology featuring poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, personal essays, interviews, and analytical scholarship about and inspired by D&D—the game, the legends, the media, and the people. The book is a playful, imaginative, and critical response to D&D’s pop cultural renaissance, particularly during and after the global pandemic, with its appearances on television shows like Stranger Things, Community, and The Big Bang Theory, celebrity players like Vin Diesel, Deborah...

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Call for Papers! Games and Thirst, a Psychgeist Series

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Games and Thirst, a Psychgeist Series, edited by Kristine Ask, Ashley Guajardo, and Tanja Sihvonen. Game characters are hot. From Leon Kennedy’s slutty little waist (Resident Evil 4) to Mel Medara’s graceful political maneuvering (League of Legends), videogames present us with magnetic, desirable, and sexy characters to thirst after. Thirst, in common internet slang, references a strong sexual attraction or desire for something. Just as a person who is thirsty in a traditional sense badly needs water, thirsty people in the slang sense crave a fictional character with the same desperation and intensity. If you have ever thirsted after a...

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Play Story Book Talk – The Psychgeist of Pop Culture Book Series

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In our first Book Talk, we chat with Dr. Rachel Kowert about the Psychgeist of Pop Culture Book Series. https://playstorypress.org/all-psychgeist/ Over the last few decades, interest in pop psychology has grown faster than most of our Netflix backlogs. This series from Dr. Rachel Kowert highlights iconic pop culture content from television, film, literature, and video games through an examination of the psychological mechanisms that endear us to these stories for a lifetime. https://youtu.be/5KVqle5N5Gc  

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IndieCade: A History

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Play Story Press is excited to release IndieCade: A History — The Interdependence of Independents, by Celia Pearce. IndieCade: A History — The Interdependence of Independents chronicles the story of IndieCade as told by one of its three co-founders—its modest beginnings and evolving role in the larger independent games ecosystem over its decade-plus history. More broadly, it situates IndieCade within a historical context, looking at the various factors of the indie ecosystem that have contributed to making independent games writ large such a major force in today’s video game industry. IndieCade: A History — The Interdependence of Independents

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The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Stardew Valley

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Play Story Press is excited to release The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Stardew Valley, edited by Elizabeth D. Kilmer. Stardew Valley is a cozy farming simulation role-playing video game where players work to restore their grandfather’s farm to try out a new pace of life. Players farm, fish, and forage, while building friendships with residents of the valley. Stardew Valley has an approachable story, engaging gameplay, relaxing music and sound effects, and is open-ended enough for players to progress at their own pace. This volume explores psychological concepts related to the story, gameplay, and culture of Stardew Valley. The Psychgeist of Pop Culture – Stardew...

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Play Story Press in The Strong!

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Play Story Press is thrilled to announce that all of our current and future publications will be collected in the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong National Museum of Play. Our catalog resonates with the Strong’s exploration of how play encourages learning, creativity, and discovery, illuminating cultural history. This is such an honor for all involved with the press. We wouldn’t exist without you all sharing our vision, and sharing your work through Play Story Press. Thanks everyone!

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Call for Papers! The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: KPop Demon Hunters

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The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: KPop Demon Hunters, edited by Courtney Lazore Netflix’s 2025 animated movie KPop Demon Hunters quickly became a viral success with its creative visual style, catchy songs, and unique blend of K-Pop culture and traditional Korean mythology. The film currently stands as Netflix’s most-watched original movie with over 300 million views, a theatrical release, and a sequel on the way. KPop Demon Hunters’ fusion of idol and fandom culture with mythology, its focus on female leads, and its literalization of psychological concepts such as shame, power, self-acceptance, good versus evil, and identity have resonated with fans...

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The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Play Story Press is excited to release The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Marvel Cinematic Universe, edited by Rowan Daneels & Alexander Vandewalle. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the shared universe of movies and TV series based on characters from the Marvel comics. Starting with Iron Man in 2008, the MCU now spans over 15 years of storytelling, following heroes, villains, and anti-heroes such as Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Loki, Captain Marvel, Thanos, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel. Beyond the eternal struggle of good versus evil, these franchises address topics such as family, friendship, identity and morality. This book explores...

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