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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

00:58:51

Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs - The History of...

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/03/24

Back before there were dozens of different energy drinks to choose from, back before soda game in plastic bottles, there was a humble little juice company called Hanson's Juice, and they made the best juice on the American west coast. Flash forward to 2002, and they're releasing Monster Energy Drink. How did we get here?

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00:53:21

Is Filmmaker James Cameron Trying To Drown Someone?

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/03/17

In this episode, Host Brenda delves into the mad world of James Cameron, who seems to have an obsession about filming people in giant tanks of water. Whether it's a 50 foot deep tank inside of an abandoned nuclear power plant for "The Abyss", or the 30 foot deep tank where he staged the sinking of a five foot replica of the Titanic, Jimmy Cameron sure does love filming people struggling for their lives in freezing water.

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01:00:08

The Unexpected Consequences of Light Gun Arcade Games

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/03/10

Since the dawn of time, mankind has been playing around with guns, and that drive even extended to video games. Right at the very beginning of video game history, light guns allowed players to simulate the real feeling of shooting. However, while the targets were initially simply balloons and pixelated ducks, things shifted until these fake guns were aiming at real people.

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01:01:51

The Tumultuous Production of Little Nemo In Slumberland

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/03/03

This week Host Brenda dives into the chaotic production history of 1989’s Little Nemo in Slumberland, a Japanese/American animated film based on Windsor McCay’s influential 1905 comic strip. This story involves Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Ray Bradbury, George Lucas, both of the Sherman brothers and more.

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00:52:06

"Steel" The Movie Walked so "Black Panther" Could Run

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/02/24

In an era where superhero movies are few and far between, famed music producer Quincy Jones sets out to adapt the story of the recently introduced superhero, Steel. However, between a writer/director who wanted to change the entire story, to Warner Bros. slashing the entire budget, it's a wonder this movie got made at all!

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00:44:02

Unofficial Olympic Mascots: From Kapa to Fatso the...

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/02/17

Before there were official olympic sanctioned mascots for every olympic games, there were unofficial mascots. Sometimes they were already the mascot of an existing sporting event, or sometimes they were just a piece of merchandise that took on a life of its own, and sometimes they were a smirking Wombat with an impossibly fat ass and some really cool tennis shoes.

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00:56:39

Were Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Books the First...

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/02/10

In this episode of Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries, Host Austin delves deep into the origins and cultural impact of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books. While they are commonly credited with popularizing interactive fiction, were they REALLY the first? Is Wikipedia wrong about where this entire genre of fiction comes from? How could wikipedia be wrong? Why must we live in an unjust world?

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00:46:09

What Really Caused the Closure of Disney World's...

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/02/03

Join hosts Austin and Brenda as they navigate sinus infections and the sometimes baffling, sometimes tragic history of Disney's River Country, the first themed water park in the United States. Come along on a thrilling deep dive into a lesser-known chapter of Disney's past, won't you?

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00:53:50

4Kids Entertainment: The Early Years

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/01/27

In this episode of 'Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries, hosts Austin and Brenda explore the origins and the early years of 4Kids Entertainment.

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00:57:20

Journey into Imagination, Disney's Forgotten Dark Ride

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/01/20

This episode of SHONM delves into the history of Epcot’s beloved "Journey into Imagination" ride and its mascot, Figment the dragon. Host Brenda discusses the ride's origins, its intricate design by Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter, and how it became a fan favorite...only to be gone a decade later.

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01:00:47

The Yu-Gi-Oh Card Game

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/01/13

Hosts Austin and Brenda delve into the fascinating history of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game. They discuss the origins of Yu-Gi-Oh! as a manga by Kazuki Takahashi and its evolution into a globally popular card game. This episode also covers notable events such as a 1999 riot in Tokyo during a promotional event for the game, Konami's strategic planning, and how the video game laid the foundation for the card game's rules. The hosts discuss Yu-Gi-Oh!’s reception in the U.S., its impact on popular culture,

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01:09:02

Did McGruff the Crime Dog Really Take a Bite out of...

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2026/01/06

In the 60's and 70's, violent crime rates were an all-time high in the United States. Can a trenchcoat-wearing bloodhound find a way to empower the people and "take a bite out of crime"?

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00:50:43

A Brief History of Queer Christmas Movies

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2025/12/16

In this year's Christmas special Host Austin details the history of queer Christmas films.

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00:51:18

The Many Failures of Atari

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2025/12/09

Atari is a company who exists nowadays through graphic t-shirts and dubai hotels, however, there was a time when they dominated the US video game console market. There was a time when it seemed as if they couldn't fail....Then that was followed by several decades of failures. The 5200 and its massive size and poorly designed controller. The 7200 which was just a little too late to the game. The handheld Lynx that sacrificed the accessibility of the gameboy for a color screen and poor battery

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00:56:34

The Lost Fantastic Four Movie

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2025/12/02

Before Spider-Man, before Blade, before X-men, the Fantastic Four almost made it to the silver screen in 1994. The movie was finished. The premiere was set...but it never released. What happened to Roger Corman's Fantastic Four?

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00:48:43

Theme Park Publicity Stunts

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2025/11/25

This summary is going to be short, Host Brenda forgot to write one and the episode is supposed to be up. This entire episode was an excuse to talk about Fabio getting hit with a goose.

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00:58:23

Dance Dance Revolution

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2025/11/11

It's a staple of every mid 2000's school lock-in. It's Host Brenda's favorite form of exercise. It's Dance Dance Revolution, the rhythm game that changed arcades forever!

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00:53:05

Is the Michigan Dog Man Real?

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2025/10/28

These days, the michigan dogman is treated just like any other cryptid, however, its origins are more recent than you might think!

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00:58:32

The first Halloween Special on TV

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2025/10/23

Google's AI would have you believe that "The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" was the first halloween special on television, but it actually goes back further than that, back to the very dawn of television!

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00:54:40

Haunted Theme Parks Part 3

Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries ·

2025/10/14

Host Brenda is back to share more hair raising stories of haunted theme parks. From Alfred Hitchcock's offices, to Dogpatch USA, which was a real themepark at one point, ghosts and ghouls are lurking everywhere.

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204 results

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