Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

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

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.  

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

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?  

Link to our new SHONM Merch collection!

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?  

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 does Pocket Pair have some skeletons in their closet and a habit of stealing game assets?  

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

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.  

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. 

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?