Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

In the modern day, we're so used to being advertised to, that an ad in our favorite films doesn't even phase us anymore.  However, the history of product placement and film might be more intertwined than you think, and while it wasn't the first, the film, E.T. definitely played important part in shaping advertising in movies as we know it today.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! B...

What if I told you that there was a manga in Japan that not only revolutionized the genre of sports manga, but inspired a plane Hijacking?  Today, Host Austin talks about the famous boxing manga, Ashita no Joe and how this series, though still relatively unknown in the west, has influenced so much of our favorite anime and manga.    Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member...

When the Walt Disney company set out to open a new international theme park under their umbrella, they had no idea that they were entering into a venture that would result in millions of dollars in debt, a graveyard of cancelled projects, and the company teetering on total collapse.  It's just one little theme park in Paris.  What could possibly go wrong? Help support this show and unlock bonus co...

Betty Boop is one of the oldest animated characters in existence, and yet she is really only known as a face on t-shirts and purses.  How did she come into existence, and more importantly, is Betty Boop Black?   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

In 1992, the UK unleashed a force so terrible, so annoying, that the world would never be the same.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

Before Dreamworks released the box office hit, Shrek, they were a small studio trying to find their footing with ambitions of becoming larger than Disney.  In what would soon become Dreamwork's signature move, they decided to try and capture the success of Disney's Toy Story, but make it EDGY and COOL.  Who was the man for the job?  Joe Dante, director of Gremlins, and a man who does not know at a...

It's hard to believe that there was a time before Hannah Montana, before That's so Raven, before Even Stevens, when The Disney Channel was a much different place.  You have Zoog Disney to thank for the success of all these shows.  Now, what's a Zoog?  Why, it's a creature that lives on the Zether, the place between the internet and TV.  If that didn't make much sense to you, well buckle in.  It on...

Before Drake and Josh.  Before Ned's Declassified.  Before Pete and Pete, there was "Salute Your Shorts" a kid sitcom about the highs and lows of middle school summer camp.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

Welcome to a special episode of Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries!  Not only is this episode the first of the 2026 Max Fun Drive, but it's also the very first video episode.  But don't worry, you can still listen to the episode too.  This week, Host Brenda introduces Lunch Meat, the Furby, and talks about whether or not Furbys were ever banned from government buildings! Help support this show and...

It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters . In this episode, John Moe ( Sleeping with Celebrities & Depresh Mode with John Moe ) talks about his double life, as a person who speaks in a normal voice, and the host he becomes for Sleeping with Celebrities . And Brenda Snell ( Secret Histories...

As requested by our lovely subscriber's as part of 2025's Max Fun Drive, Host Austin and Host Brenda are here to review Joker 2, a movie that wastes everyone's time and has nothing to say.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

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?   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https...

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...

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. Help support this show...

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.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.o...

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!   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at http...

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.    Help support this show and un...

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?      ...

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? Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

In this episode of 'Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries, hosts Austin and Brenda explore the origins and the early years of 4Kids Entertainment. Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

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.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteri...

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 c...

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"? Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

In this year's Christmas special Host Austin details the history of queer Christmas films.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

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.  T...