The Department of Nerdly Affairs

Original Poster for The Five Fingers of Death (aka King Boxer) In this episode, Don and Rob are back exploring how movies and television took martial arts from being weird and forbidden arts practiced by a select few to the McDojos of the 1990s. Along the way, they discuss how the Shaw Brothers changed everything,... Read More

Written by Bill Mantlo – of course! In this episode, Rob, Don and Jack Ward take a trip back to the 1970s and 1980s, when a floundering Marvel Comics was saved by barbarians, vampires, giant robots and toys soldiers. It’s the story of product tie-ins brought life back to the dying comics company, and in... Read More

In this episode, Rob and Don revisit their childhoods as they talk about the time when capitalism and animation joined together to create one of the greatest marketing forces known to mankind – the half-hour animated toy commercials of the 1980s! Strawberry Shortcake! HE-MAN and the Masters of the Universe! GI JOE! The Transformers! JEM!... Read More

Aka “Al” and “Peggy” Bundy In this episode, Don and Rob do their best Vin Diesel impressions and spend the whole episode talking about family. They talk about what family really is, its place in society over time, and most importantly, its place in drama up until today. All this, and why “Punch and Judy”... Read More

In this episode, Rob and Don look back at the past of humanity’s relationship with Artificial Intelligence and ponder where it will be going in the future. The duo discuss recent innovations in AI, how people’s concept of what AI is has changed over the years, and why AI might not want to wipe us... Read More

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 01: English actor Tom Baker in his role as the fourth incarnation of Doctor Who in the British science fiction television series of the same name, circa 1975. With him are two of his arch-enemies the Daleks. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) In this episode, Rob and Don are joined... Read More

In this episode, Don and Rob discuss the thorny issue of why people break up with their media darlings. The two delve into the reasons why people and the properties they love might go their separate ways, and explore whether that’s a good or bad thing. Along the way, the duo discuss heavy metal, isekai,... Read More

In this episode, Rob asks for Don’s help in brainstorming the setting for a story about caravan guards – the unspoken heroes of the fantasy world whose job it is to keep the goods flowing despite attacks by monster, bandits, and rats. Lots of rats. Along the way, the duo discuss real caravan guards in... Read More

In this episode, Don and Rob head to the mall to discuss capitalism and the place of malls in popular culture for the past hundred years. Along the way, the duo discuss the history of shopping, the origins of malls, and how malls reshaped capitalism. All this, and why the 80s were the peak of... Read More

In this episode, Don and Rob discuss the psychology of comic books. The two delve deep into the unconscious desires of comic book readers, discuss why Manga failed to find an audience in 1980s America, and probe how comics are linked to human needs. All this, and why British girls comics are the anti-manga, is... Read More