Draft:Last Stand Media

Colin Moriarty founded Colin’s Last Stand in 2017 as an independent media venture following his departure from Kinda Funny{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_YvlhaaM0k |title=Introducing Colin's Last Stand |date=2017-03-20 |last=Colin Moriarty |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}}​. He sold his share in the company and resigned in March 2017 after controversy surrounding a tweet posted on International Women’s Day​{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Robert N. |date=2019-07-31 |title=Colin Moriarty and Chris Ray Gun PAX West panel canceled by organizers |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/574563-colin-moriarty-chris-ray-gun-pax-west-2019-canceled |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=GameRevolution |language=en-US}}.Later that month, Moriarty launched a Patreon campaign to fund the project, aiming to produce content outside of traditional games media outlets​. The initial offerings under the Colin’s Last Stand banner were YouTube video essays focused on politics and history, with the first episode premiering in April 2017{{Cite web |title=Colin's Last Stand - TheTVDB.com |url=https://thetvdb.com/series/colins-last-stand |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=thetvdb.com}}

In late 2017, Moriarty shifted the venture’s focus back toward video games, citing audience demand. In November 2017, he introduced CLS: Side Quest, a YouTube series providing commentary and analysis on gaming-related topics{{Cite web |last=McMahon |first=Andrew |date=2017-11-14 |title=Colin Moriarty Reveals Colin's Last Stand: Side Quest |url=https://thenerdstash.com/colin-moriarty-reveals/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=The Nerd Stash |language=en-US}}. Around the same time, Moriarty launched an interview podcast called Fireside Chats, which featured eclectic one-on-one interviews with guests from various fields{{Cite web |title=Colin's Last Stand, Episode 1 (Audio) {{!}} Last Stand Media |url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/colins-last-1-8902400 |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Patreon |language=en-US}}. Fireside Chats debuted in 2017 and ran for over 100 episodes before winding down in late 2019{{Cite web |title=Colin's Last Stand: Fireside Chats |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colins-last-stand-fireside-chats/id1281641153 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Apple Podcasts |language=en-US}}.

In early 2018, Colin’s Last Stand expanded into traditional audio podcasting with the launch of new weekly shows. On February 7, 2018, Moriarty announced CLS: KnockBack, a retro-themed podcast co-hosted with his brother Dagan Moriarty​. KnockBack focused on “all of the deeply nostalgic stuff from our past” video games, movies, toys, comics, and other pop-culture memories​ with the two brothers discussing a specific nostalgia topic each episode.{{Cite web |title=Introducing CLS KnockBack, A New Podcast Series {{!}} Last Stand Media |url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/introducing-cls-16849444 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Patreon |language=en-US}}

Following KnockBack, the Colin’s Last Stand team launched its flagship gaming podcast later that year. Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast premiered in July 2018​{{Cite web |last=Square |first=Push |date=2018-07-04 |title=Sacred Symbols Sees PS I Love You's Colin Moriarty Return to PlayStation Podcasting |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2018/07/sacred_symbols_sees_ps_i_love_yous_colin_moriarty_return_to_playstation_podcasting |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Push Square |language=en-GB}}. Before founding CLS, Moriarty had been a prominent PlayStation commentator at IGN, co-hosting the popular Podcast Beyond{{Cite web |date=2013-02-24 |title=Podcast Beyond Episode Index - IGN Podcasts Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/ign-podcasts/Podcast_Beyond_Episode_Index |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=IGN |language=en}} and later at Kinda Funny, where he co-created PS I Love You XOXO{{Citation |title=PS I Love You XOXO |date=2015-09-29 |type=Talk-Show |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26672122/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |publisher=Kinda Funny}}. Sacred Symbols was co-hosted by comedian Chris “Ray Gun” Maldonado from the outset, providing a two-person format similar to Sony podcasts Moriarty had done in the past​.

By mid-2019, Last Stand Media's Patreon campaign had grown substantially, placing it among the most prominent fan-funded gaming outlets. In May 2019, Moriarty stated that the venture had become "a podcasting network first and foremost," with Sacred Symbols and KnockBack forming the core of its offerings​{{Cite web |title=The Future of Side Quest: It's Super Bright! {{!}} Last Stand Media |url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/future-of-side-27038283 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Patreon |language=en-US}}​. In the same year, Sacred Symbols was scheduled to host a live panel at PAX West, which would have been the podcast’s first public event. The invitation was later withdrawn by event organizers without a public explanation.{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Robert N. |date=2019-07-31 |title=Colin Moriarty and Chris Ray Gun PAX West panel canceled by organizers |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/574563-colin-moriarty-chris-ray-gun-pax-west-2019-canceled |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=GameRevolution |language=en-US}}​{{Cite web |last=Baculi |first=Spencer |date=2019-08-06 |title=PAX West Fails to Give Reason for Sudden Cancellation of Sacred Symbols Live Podcast Panel Featuring Colin Moriarty and Chris Maldonado |url=https://boundingintocomics.com/video-games/pax-west-fails-to-give-reason-for-sudden-cancellation-of-sacred-symbols-live-podcast-panel-featuring-colin-moriarty-and-chris-maldonado/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Bounding Into Comics |language=en-US}}. Some media commentators and fans speculated that the decision was related to Moriarty’s public profile and past controversies, though no official reason was provided​{{Cite web |date=2019-08-03 |title=PAX responds to Colin Moriarty controversy but will "not issue refunds" |url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/pax-responds-colin-moriarty-controversy-will-not-issue-refunds-876603/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Dexerto |language=en}}.

In late 2019, Last Stand Media discontinued non-gaming projects (the final Fireside Chats episodes were released in Nov. 2019​ to concentrate exclusively on the core gaming and nostalgia podcasts. In 2020, Colin’s Last Stand acquired a 49% stake in the independent game studio Lillymo Games, marking Moriarty’s entry into game development alongside media production{{Cite web |title=Lillymo Games, Side Quest, Taxes, and Mailers: A Note From Colin {{!}} Last Stand Media |url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/38682170 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Patreon |language=en-US}}.

At the end of 2020, the company adopted the name “Last Stand Media” to better reflect its expanded team and content scope​.{{Cite web |title=Standing by your creative ethics and principles |url=https://creatorhub.patreon.com/articles/standing-by-your-creative-ethics-and-principles |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Standing by your creative ethics and principles |language=en}} Moriarty stated that the original name had become too personally focused, and that the rebrand was intended to acknowledge the contributions of additional hosts and producers.

By 2023, Last Stand Media had established dedicated shows for each of the three major video game console platforms: Sacred Symbols for PlayStation, Defining Duke for Xbox, and Punching Up for Nintendo. The launch of Punching Up in May 2023{{Cite web |title=Introducing Punching Up, Last Stand Media's Nintendo Podcast {{!}} Last Stand Media |url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/introducing-up-83066841 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Patreon |language=en-US}} marked the company’s entry into Nintendo coverage, with a rotating panel including Dustin Furman, Dagan Moriarty, Micah “Mama Micah” Watson, and Washington Post games journalist Gene Park, LSM’s first regular host from outside its internal team{{Cite web |title=A Potentially Unnecessarily-Long Holiday Letter From the Desk of Colin Moriarty {{!}} Last Stand Media |url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/potentially-long-118373043 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Patreon |language=en-US}}. In addition to platform specific podcasts, LSM expanded its content offerings with Constellation, a conversational show that premiered in early 2023 and explores off-topic discussions such as personal stories, cultural commentary, and hypothetical debates. Later in 2023, LSM debuted Summon Sign: A Gaming Conversation, a weekly roundtable hosted by Brad Ellis, formerly of Easy Allies, providing a space for deeper game-focused discussions, reviews, and spoiler talk{{Cite web |title=Introducing Summon Sign, Last Stand's All-New Podcast About the Games We Play {{!}} Last Stand Media |url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/introducing-sign-95662106 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Patreon |language=en-US}}

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