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Dungeons & Dragons was once blamed for Satanism, brainwashing, and corrupting an entire generation. Before comic books ruled the box office and geeks ran pop culture, being a nerd meant basements, dice, Atari consoles, comic shops, and getting side-eyed by adults who thought we were summoning demons.
In this episode of Original Geek, we dig into the real origin story of geek culture — starting with Dungeons & Dragons and the moral panic that turned tabletop gaming into a national controversy. We break down the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, where D&D, fantasy novels, and early video games became scapegoats for everything parents didn’t understand.
We rewind to the basement years: rolling dice, discovering comic shops, grinding through early video games, and navigating a world where being a geek was a liability, not a badge of honor. From the evolution of the word “geek” to the culture wars that shaped fandom, this episode explores how ridicule turned into resurgence — and how today’s golden age of geekdom was built by kids who stuck with what they loved.
We wrap with Critical Hits & Epic Fails, looking at what D&D culture got right, what it stumbled over, and why fandom today still struggles with gatekeeping, nostalgia wars, and remembering where it came from.
Topics include: Dungeons & Dragons, the Satanic Panic, geek culture history, 1980s nostalgia, tabletop gaming, early video games, comic shops, and fandom evolution.
Welcome to Original Geek—the podcast for anyone who rolled their first d20 on shag carpet, waited hours for a comic book JPEG to load on dial-up, and wore the label “geek” back when it got you mocked, not monetized.
Hosted by stand-up comic Steve Scarfo and Forever DM Jeff Shaw, we dive deep into what it meant to be a geek in the '70s and '80s—and how that underground culture became the mainstream multiverse we live in today.
🎙️ Subscribe for weekly episodes on Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, comic book chaos, geek court debates, and critical hits from your childhood basement.
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If you ever hid a Monster Manual like it was porn, you’re not alone. You’re an Original Geek. Welcome home.