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PODCAST

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

Brenda & Austin

Two friends, Austin and Brenda, delve into the rich history of secret nerd mysteries near and dear to their hearts in their own loose, light-hearted way. If you"ve ever wondered "Why Saturday morning for cartoons?" or "How come Chuck E. Cheese cares so much about other people"s birthdays?", this is the show for you!

society & culture hobbies

All Episodes

01:02:27

Kingda Ka (Roller Coaster War is Over)

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/12/10

This story is about a lot of things. It's somehow about tigers, Sea World Ohio, the world's tallest drop tower, Fabio getting hit in the face by a goose, and so much more, but above all, it's about Kingda Ka, formerly the world's tallest and fastest rollercoaster, and sister coaster to Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster. For decades, Kingda Ka stood with her records untouched, but soon she'll be dismantled for parts, marking the end of the roller coaster wars as we knew them.

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00:52:50

Reboot - The First CGI Cartoon

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/12/03

Years before the release of Toy Story, when computer animation was still in its infancy, several guys from the UK, riding high on the success of their animated Dire Straits music video, got a wild idea: What if they made a computer animated cartoon...in the late 80's? Reboot Rewind Documentary - https://youtu.be/OuAfWhsI-F8?si=ORdxQEAZJgX4NB-D

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00:35:30

Green Onion Chex - A sixteen year long battle for...

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/11/26

In 2004, when Kellogg's cereal released a contest to determine what new flavor of cereal they would release in South Korea, they had no idea that they were about to kickstart a sixteen year fight for justice. The contest was between Chocolate and Green Onion Chex, and when the results of the voting weren't what Kellogg's wanted, they had to resort to drastic measures.

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01:12:21

Rerun: Toonami

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/11/19

An episode all about everyone's favorite programming block Toonami!

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01:04:34

Origin of the Comic Convention

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/11/12

Nowadays, comic conventions happen all over the United States, and the world, in many major cities, with the most well known being San Diego Comic Con, in San Diego California. Many people assume that San Diego was the first, but that isn't true! Comic Conventions got their stars years earlier, in the midwest, headed by several teenage boys armed only with a dream and some impressive industry connections.

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00:52:42

Rerun: Night Trap

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/10/29

A rerun of episode 20, about the controversial Sega Game "Night Trap".

en

00:47:46

The Orange Bird, Anita Bryant, and a Pie to the Face

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/10/22

In the late 60's, during the tail end of construction on Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom in Orlando Florida, the Disney Company entered into a partnership with the Florida Citrus Commission. The commission would sponsor Disney's Tropical Serenade show, while disney would make a mascot for them to help sell orange juice. This mascot was the Orange Bird, a cute little canary with an orange for a head. But, what does this cute, innocent character have to do with notorious anti-gay activist Anita Bryant

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00:55:02

Early Superhero Movies

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/10/15

Nowadays super hero movies are their own genre of film, but what was the first one? Which film kickstarted the trend, which film was so iconic that it made permanent changes to the comic if was based on and which film was the first big hollywood blockbuster success?

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00:51:23

Palworld Vs. Nintendo

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/10/08

On one side we have Nintendo, a video game company that has survived through two video game crashes and two world wars. On the other side there's Pocket Pair's indie video game Palworld, which has been accused of infringing on two of the Pokemon company's patents. Sure Nintendo has a history of being incredibly litigious, but is this story as cut and dry as it seems? Is this really a case of a small spunky studio having to face off against one of the most powerful companies in their industry? Or

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00:52:24

Rerun - Sonic the Hedgehog the Game

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/10/01

In this rerun of episode 37, (and oldie but a goodie) Host Austin talks about the complicated creation of Sonic the Hedgehog.

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01:00:56

SHONM Goes to the Movies: The Flash

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/09/24

The hosts of SHONM are finally here to fulfill one of their promises from the max fun drive. Austin and Brenda watch and review "The Flash" a troubled film with a convoluted plot, and too much Ezra Miller.

en

01:01:00

The Militant History of Laser Tag

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/09/17

What started as a method to simulate realistic war quickly turned into the defining activity of a generation. While laser tag might seem like a product of the 90's, it has its origin a decade sooner. This is a story that involves Star Trek the Motion Picture, the Republican National Convention, Fleetwood Mac, and of course, lots and lots of lasers, as well as some Lazers, with a Z.

en

00:42:43

The Tragic Fate of the McBarge

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/09/10

The Friendship 500, a floating McDonalds also known as the McBarge, was one of many attractions at Expo '86 in Vancouver Canada. But what happens to these attractions when the festivities are over? Will the McBarge ever find a new home?

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01:06:04

Shadow the Hedgehog (the Ultimate Lifeform)

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/09/03

In the early 2000's, Sega's Sonic Team was floundering to find a way to help their flagship game franchise survive a rapidly changing gaming landscape that didn't seem to include Sega at all. The Saturn had failed. The Dreamcast had flopped, and it was looking like the writing was on the wall for everyone's favorite blue blur. That was until Sonic Adventure 2 released and introduced a new character: Sonic's rival, Shadow the Hedgehog.

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00:54:02

Babyland General Hospital: Birthplace of Cabbage...

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/08/27

Where does baby come from? How about Cabbage Patch Baby? Located in Cleveland Georgia, Babyland General Hospital has been the birthplace of Cabbage Patch Kid dolls since 1978. Host Brenda went on location to learn all of Babyland's secrets and to also experience the miracle of life up close and personal by watching the Mother Cabbage give birth. It's an adventure you won't soon forget!

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00:44:35

Farm Sims

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/08/20

Cozy Games have taken over the internet, gaining rapid popularity as gamers search for chill experiences to counterbalance the action and violence of mainstream video games. But what was the first cozy game ever to incorporate farmlike elements?

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00:45:41

Olympic Mascots - the Good, the Bad, and the Gay Beaver

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/08/06

The Summer Olympics is an event that brings together athletes from all over the globe to compete against one another and share in camaraderie and sportsmanship. It's also an opportunity for a committee to get together to create a marketable mascot, a character that embodies all of the qualities of the host country, and also something to slap on t-shirts and pins. The history of these mascots dates back to Los Angeles in 1932, and over the years there have been good mascots, great mascots, and ones

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00:52:44

The Hunt for the First VHS Tape

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/07/30

In a time where owning physical media is more important than ever, we turn our attention to the origins of physical media on VHS, and ask ourselves, what WAS the first VHS? Was it an explicit adult movie? Was it old classics most people had moved on from? Or was it an obscure South Korean Sports film? Will we ever truly know?

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00:46:51

Ferngully vs. Disney: The Fight for Robin Williams

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/07/23

In the late 80's, a small animation studio reached out to Robin Williams to get him to voice a character in their upcoming film: Ferngully the Last Rainforest. Not long after, the Walt Disney company did the same, signing Williams on to voice the Genie in Aladdin. These events led to corporate espionage, Jeffrey Katzenberg yelling, a desperate real estate search, and an unwanted painting by Pablo Picasso. Music Credits: Money Dollar Bills by Lemon Demon

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01:00:32

Captain Planet

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2024/07/16

In the 80's, business Tycoon and inspiration for Doug Dimmadome had an idea for using cartoons to educate children about the importance of environmentalism and saving the planet. This idea would become "Captain Planet", and he's here to save the world.

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185 results

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