Original Geek

By Original Geek Creative

Two Gen X geeks who grew up hiding D&D dice from their parents now break down the franchises that built modern geek culture. Stand-up comic Steve Scarfo and Forever DM Jeff Shaw argue about Sta

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FAQs about Original Geek:

How many episodes does Original Geek have?

The podcast currently has 40 episodes available.

Original Geek episodes:

September 10, 2025 Sports Used to Be Simple — Then Geeks Took Over | Original Geek | S1E09
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Sports fandom used to be emotional. Now it’s data-driven.
In this episode, we trace how stat-obsessed fans went from handwritten box scores to fantasy leagues and billion-dollar analytics. We debate whether numbers improved sports — or drained the magic.
Topics include: sports analytics, fantasy sports, fandom culture, data obsession, Gen X nostalgia.
🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
56min
August 28, 2025 LARP vs Ren Faire: Why Grown Adults Hit Each Other with Fake Swords | Original Geek | S1E08
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What happens when D&D leaves the basement and hits the real world?
In this episode, we put LARPing and Renaissance Faires on trial. We explore their shared roots, cultural differences, DIY origins, and how both went from fringe hobbies to mainstream geek culture.
Foam swords, turkey legs, and zero shame.
Topics include: LARP, Renaissance Faires, live-action roleplay, geek culture, fandom evolution.
🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
56min
August 19, 2025 Arcades Raised Us… and Then Disappeared | Original Geek | S1E07
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Before online lobbies and DLCs, gaming meant arcades, quarters, and trash talk.
In this episode, we revisit arcade culture, console wars, early home computing, and the shift to modern gaming. From Gauntlet and Mortal Kombat to VR and monetization models, we ask what gaming gained — and what it lost.
Topics include: arcade history, retro gaming, console wars, video game culture, VR gaming.
🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
1h 5min
August 11, 2025 Blockbusters Used to Be Risky — Now They’re Just Expensive | Original Geek | S1E06
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Blockbusters were once bold, risky events. Today, they’re safer, bigger, and often forgettable.
In this episode, we trace the evolution of the summer blockbuster from Jaws to modern franchise fatigue. We talk opening-night lines, merch madness, box-office economics, and whether streaming permanently changed audience behavior.
Topics include: blockbuster movies, movie history, streaming vs theaters, film franchises, pop culture nostalgia.
🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
57min
August 05, 2025 Why Comedy Movies Aren’t Funny Anymore (And What Broke Them) | Original Geek | S1E05
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Comedy movies used to be theater events. Now they barely exist on the big screen.
In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of theatrical comedy — from classic hits to streaming-era releases that feel safer and smaller. We debate nostalgia vs reality, meme humor, reboots, and whether audiences or studios killed the shared comedy experience.
A love letter to laughs — and a plea to save them.
Topics include: comedy movies, theater culture, streaming impact, 80s and 90s films, pop culture trends.
🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
55min
July 27, 2025 SPECIAL RELEASE: FULL Original Geek Theme Song!
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🚨 DROP ALERT 🚨
You asked. We delivered.
The full Original Geek theme song is finally here—and yes, it was generated by AI… but it still shreds harder than a critical hit with a Vorpal Sword.
Whether you’re rolling dice in your basement or coding in a hoodie, this is your new anthem.
🎧 Crank it up. Summon your inner nerd. And remember:
You’re not alone. You’re an Original Geek.

#OriginalGeekPodcast #GeekAnthem #AIThemeSong #NerdLife #GenXGeek #DungeonBeats #D20Drop #CriticalHitSoundtrack #GeekCulture #AIProducer #OriginalGeek #ThemeSongRelease #RollForInspiration #GeekMusic #ComicsAndChords #DnDVibes

🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
2min
July 27, 2025 The Internet Used to Be Slow, Weird, and Better Than This | Original Geek | S1E04
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The internet didn’t start as an algorithmic addiction machine. It started slow, chaotic, and a little dangerous.
In this episode, we rewind to the early days of dial-up, AOL chat rooms, LimeWire, message boards, and online gaming — and trace how the internet reshaped geek culture for better and worse.
We examine anonymity, creativity, trolling, and how the web went from refuge to overload.
Topics include: internet history, early online culture, dial-up internet, geek communities, online gaming, modern social media.

🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
52min
July 21, 2025 Star Wars vs Star Trek: One of Them Had to Win | Original Geek | S1E03
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For decades, geeks have argued over lightsabers vs phasers, optimism vs philosophy, fantasy vs science fiction.
In this episode, we put Star Wars and Star Trek on trial. We explore what each franchise represents, how they shaped geek identity, and why the debate refuses to die. We also discuss modern entries, fandom toxicity, and whether Galaxy Quest somehow understood fans better than either franchise.
No gatekeeping. Just perspective, sarcasm, and sci-fi truth.
Topics include: Star Wars, Star Trek, sci-fi fandom, geek debates, pop culture history, fandom identity.
🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
52min
July 14, 2025 How Comic Books Went from Nerd Shame to Billion-Dollar Obsession | Original Geek | S1E02
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Comic books were once dismissed as disposable kids’ entertainment. Today, they dominate movies, TV, and pop culture worldwide.
In this episode, we track the evolution of comic books from spinner racks and plastic bags to cinematic universes and billion-dollar franchises. We revisit Marvel vs DC rivalries, iconic heroes, infamous movie misfires, and how fandom itself changed along the way.
This is a love letter — and a reality check — for anyone who ever hid comics under their bed and now sees them everywhere.
Topics include: comic book history, Marvel vs DC, superhero movies, fandom culture, Gen X nostalgia, pop culture evolution.
🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
49min
July 06, 2025 Dungeons & Dragons Was Once Blamed for Satan (Seriously) | Original Geek | S1E01
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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.
🎙️ Original Geek — Gen X geek culture from people who lived it.
Hosted by Steve Scarfo and Jeff Shaw.

🔔 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
🌐 originalgeekpodcast.com
📬 [email protected]
📱 @OriginalGeekPodcast on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
...more
51min

FAQs about Original Geek:

How many episodes does Original Geek have?

The podcast currently has 40 episodes available.