Gom Jabbar: State of the Imperium 2026

Podcast: Gom Jabbar: A Dune Podcast
Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Abu and Leo (Lore Party Media)

Episode Overview

In this annual “State of the Imperium” episode, Abu and Leo pull back the curtain on all things Gom Jabbar as 2026 begins. They share detailed stats and financial transparency about the podcast, reflect on changes to their production team, discuss personal life updates influencing the show, and lay out their creative and community goals for a quiet Dune year. Most excitingly, they hint at an ambitious new secret project, inviting their core supporters to help shape its early development.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Radical Transparency: Stats, Money, and Team

• Download Numbers & Growth

  • 2025 Recap: Averaged 40–50k downloads/month, totaling 550k for the year.
    • “[In] 2025, we didn't get those huge waves of downloads... We basically just held consistent download numbers every month.” (06:00)
  • 2024 Contrast: 1 million downloads, thanks to releases of Dune: Part 2 and HBO’s Prophecy.
    • “[2024] turned out to be a record breaking year for us.” (05:59)
  • Gom Jabbar’s success is closely tied to major Dune universe events.

• Budget and Revenue Streams (07:36)

  • Monthly Revenue: About $3,000, coming from five main sources:
    • Patreon: $2,300/month (the real foundation)
    • Ad Revenue: $400–500/month
    • Merch & Tips: $100–200/month
    • Sponsorships: Inactive in 2025; sporadic in busier years.
  • “The Lion's share is Patreon and is our patrons... We could not do this without patrons.” (08:28)

• Production Expenses/Team Structure (10:09)

  • Team: Abu, Leo, assistant producer Luna (not renewed for 2026), editor Declan.
  • Monthly costs: ~$1,000 to the team, a few hundred to operational bills (e.g., cloud services, live streaming), remainder split between hosts.
  • Host Pay: $800–900/month each; equates to ~$12/hour after 30–40 hours of work weekly.
    • “When all is said and done, we each usually make around eight to nine hundred dollars per month... our 'hourly wage' hovers around $12 an hour.” (11:34)

Changes & Decisions: Luna’s Departure and Personal Updates

• Luna’s Non-Renewal (12:25)

  • Luna’s performance was stellar (“To be crystal clear, Luna's fucking awesome.” (12:53)), but lower anticipated 2026 revenue and a need for creative recalibration led to the decision not to renew her contract.
  • Deep appreciation shared for Luna’s impactful research and contributions (notably the episode on Dune Part 1 script).

• Why Downsizing? (13:52)

  1. Financial Realities: A slow Dune year, attrition in online audiences, need to be responsible stewards.
     • “2026 is going to be a slow year... we are always facing this decision of can we even afford to pay to expand the team in a year...” (14:02)
  2. Creative Lessons Learned: Scaling a creative podcast doesn’t mean more or better content. Style and voice are not easily outsourced.
     • “Adding more people is not just a linear chart that increases... for a creative project like this... especially a project that relies so heavily on our literal voices...” (19:32)

• Personal Life Milestones

  • Leo is moving to France after getting married in September 2025; will do Gom Jabbar, audiobook, and voiceover work full-time for the first time.
    • “For the first time in my life, I will be relying on my voiceover work...” (15:47)
  • This shift may allow for more creative bandwidth but also brings new uncertainties.

2026 & Beyond: Show Goals, Projects, and Community

2026 Content Plans

• Book Club Milestone

  • Frank Herbert’s Main Series: The show’s deep-dive read-through of all Frank’s Dune books will finish with Chapterhouse Dune by June (Patreon) / September (public feed) 2026.
    • “2026 is the year that we are going to complete our deep dive, chapter by chapter, read through of every Dune book by Frank Herbert.” (23:32)
  • On covering Brian Herbert & KJA books: Definitive answer—no full book club. Only two or three summary episodes for Hunters and Sandworms, out of completeness.
    • “We're not interested in spending a bunch of time and effort on any of the Brian Herbert or Kevin J. Anderson books.” (25:03)

• Fullerton Archive Exploration

  • Continuing in-depth research and episodes from the 700+ newly digitized Fullerton archives documents; slow to produce due to research demands.

• Merchandise Store Revamp

  • Migrated from Teespring to Fourth Wall in November 2025 for a much better experience.
  • Ambitious new merchandise and creative physical items (e.g., improved papercrafts, custom Mad Libs).

• Dungeons of Dune D&D Series

  • Positive community response; talking to Dungeon Master Noah about a 2026 return, details forthcoming.

Secret Project Tease: Project Reanalog [33:10–38:16]

• Overview

  • Starting 2026, on the last Friday of each month, instead of a new episode, they’ll rerun an archival episode with fresh commentary, freeing time to develop “Project Reanalog.”

• Early Details

  • “It’s not about Dune, but same wheelhouse, same vibe.” (34:43)
  • Will be both an audio project and have a physical, multimedia component.
  • “We will be the primary voices, but we do want to emphasize this project is also about elevating other voices.” (36:47)
  • “Leo’s art degree is going to play a pivotal role...” (37:17)
  • Supporters at higher Patreon levels (Fremen Nabe, Kwisatz Haderach) gain early access to concepts and feedback channels starting February 2026.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Radical transparency indeed is the thing.” (04:25, Leo)
• “Our podcast is so tied to Dune that when Dune has a giant record breaking year, so will we. So do we, oftentimes.” (06:14, Leo)
• “Our monthly Patreon supporters build the foundation upon which this show is built, that is a thousand percent.” (08:28, Leo)
• “Luna's fucking awesome... her research and her script. So, Luna Rockstar.” (12:53, Leo)
• “The reality is, that's not the case. Adding more people is not just a linear chart that increases more people equals more output.” (19:32, Abu)
• “This is the first time that I have more bandwidth and so I think we're also both not... really sure what this year is going to look like.” (21:01, Leo)
• “We are at our best and we're making our best content when we are excited and energized and invested.” (25:52, Leo)
• “If you hear anyone talk about Teespring, just hiss.” (28:59, Leo)
• “We have tracked down Noah. We know where they are. The young Lord has been found.” (30:55, Abu)
• “It’s not about Dune, but same wheelhouse, same vibe. I like wheels as we have. We love wheels. Love a wheel.” (34:43, Leo, playful tone)
• “Project Reanalog is going to be putting Leo's art degree to work, baby.” (37:17, Abu)
• “We want to make something that brings joy to people's lives and helps people find community and helps make those long hours of whatever you got going on just a little bit more enjoyable.” (39:55, Leo)
• “This project has truly helped me grow personally and professionally in ways that I never would have expected. And Leo, you've played a huge part in that. But this show... has played a huge part in shaping me personally.” (43:21, Abu)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |------------|----------------------------------------------| | 00:00–03:55| Intro & episode structure preview | | 04:11–06:36| Download stats & Dune universe impact | | 06:36–09:48| Revenue breakdown by stream | | 09:48–12:25| Expenses, team, and host pay | | 12:25–21:40| Team changes, Luna’s departure, life updates | | 22:05–27:15| 2026 project/goal breakdown (book club, etc) | | 27:15–28:45| Fullerton archives project update | | 28:45–29:59| Merch store overhaul | | 30:19–31:37| Dungeons of Dune/D&D episodes | | 32:10–38:16| Secret project (Project Reanalog) tease | | 38:16–41:02| How patrons/community can participate | | 41:02–44:31| Hosts’ reflections, gratitude, and outlook |

Tone & Style

The episode is chatty, warm, candid, and occasionally irreverent—with plenty of in-jokes, playful banter, and self-deprecating honesty. The hosts address the audience directly and level with them as partners in their creative journey. Major announcements (about team changes, finances, and future plans) are balanced with humor and affection for their community.

Final Thoughts

State of the Imperium 2026 offers listeners an earnest, illuminating look inside Gom Jabbar’s operations, challenges, and ambitions. In a year when the Dune universe is quieter, expect the hosts to deepen their book and archive work, invite fans into more community co-creation, and lay the groundwork for an exciting secret project with both audio and physical dimensions. As always, Gom Jabbar continues to value transparency, community, and creativity above all.