The Department of Nerdly Affairs

In this episode, Rob and Don delve into society's dark underbelly and explore how popular culture and our image of criminals have become intertwined. Along the way, the pair discuss where our concepts of villainy come from, how the roles of hero and villain have switched places over history, and how TV and movies have shaped how criminals see themselves. All this, and Don's unhealthy obsession wit...

Following up on the last episode, Don and Rob continue their exploration into the world of the occult with new guest Lothar Tuppan and returning guest David Towers. The four of them pick up where Dave left off, giving more context to the ancient Abrahamic origins of modern mystic thought, and then tumble forward in time to discuss not just European approaches to mysticism, but African and Asian pe...

In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with Don's old friend David Towers to discuss mysticism. Dave has had a lifelong interest in the subject, and he shares the fruits of his research with the pair. Spiraling off from Don and Rob's earlier episode about the Satanic Panic, the three of them delve deep into the origins of pop culture mysticism and the role it plays in our lives. Along the way, they...

In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with teacher, martial artist, and gamer Brian Welcher to discuss his project to automate some parts of tabletop gaming. The three discuss how Brian first got into gaming, and how his fascination with the RPG Pathfinder led him to look for ways to create scripts that would control the actions of absent players and NPCs. It's a fascinating discussion that leads...

In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with the incomparable Lee Gold to discuss her life as an early RPG designer, editor of the long-running APA Alarums and Excursions , and filk songwriter. Along the way, the trio discuss the history of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS), how she started her APA, and some of Lee's memories of the early days of fandom. All this, and a sample of Lee a...

In this episode, Rob, Don and Jack Ward discuss the relationships between the law and entertainment media. These three gumshoes leave no stone unturned as they delve into the seedy and often antagonistic relationship between those who make the rules and those who make the fun. Along the way, they discuss how copyright law has affected Audio Drama, real-life superheroes, and a surprising amount of...

Ronald McDonald 1.0 In this episode, Rob and Don explore the weird relationship between food and popular culture. From C3POs to Mac Tonight, the pair discuss how food is both shunned and adored in popular culture, and how this relationship has changed over time. Along the way, they ask the big questions, like "Can you eat D&D Monsters?" and "Why are North American so afraid of food in their me...

In this episode, Don and Rob are joined again by Professor Otaku to discuss the legendary tabletop miniatures game Warhammer. From the original Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay to the glory that is Warhammer 40k, the trio dive deep into the dark lore of the game which rules basement tables and hobby shops across the UK. Along the way, they discuss how the game has changed over the years, the things that...

In this episode Don and Rob discuss Don's view that tabletop RPGs and video games have influenced the way people write and consume stories. Delving deep into the topic, the pair discuss Kung Fu movies, westerns, Isekai stories and (naturally) litRPGs. All this and a deep discussion into where Dr. Who went wrong and how it's connected to sitcoms, are waiting for you in this episode of The Departmen...

First Group picture pic.twitter.com/Ue75tvKTZy — DNA Millwood Chapter (@dnamillwood) November 10, 2016 A while ago, friend of the show Jack Ward approached us about making his High School's nerdly arts club into a branch of the Department of Nerdly Affairs. We naturally were flattered, and accepted- thus the DNA Millwood Chapter was born! Now we sit down with Anika MacMullen and her co-president M...

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by J-Novel club founder Sam Pinansky. J-Novel club is the largest online seller of translated Japanese Light Novels, and one of the pioneers in bringing these Japanese works to English readers. During this great interview, the trio discuss Sam's journey to becoming a publisher, the nature of the English Light Novel market, and why Light Novels are exploding...

In this episode, Don and Rob enter the arena of giant robot combat with blazing hearts to face off with Professor Otaku- mecha history expert extraordinaire! The three discuss why Japan is so darn fascinated by giant robots, super robots vs. real robots, and the nature of mecha anime characters. Then, for the main event, Don and Professor Otaku spar off against each other over the Professor's scat...

In this episode, Rob, Don, and their friend Jack Ward attempt to delve into robots in popular culture, but what was intended as a light jaunt into robots and their place in entertainment turns into a deep existential discussion about what it really means to be human. Along the way, the trio explore possible definitions of what a robot is, how robots might truly be the children of men, and question...

In this episode, Rob and Don team do an international team-up with Tim Finn and Jesse Farrell of Hub Comics of Somerville, Mass. to expose the true nature of owning a comic shop in this modern age. Thrill as the intrepid foursome discuss the perils of pissing off your comic reading audience. Gasp as Tim and Jesse expose the hidden side behind the counter at Hub Comics and what really goes on when...

In this episode, Don and Rob delve deep into the history of American superhero comics. From their early murky and pulpy origins to the modern digital age, the pair explore the rocky history of superhero comics and how they reflect American society.  All this, and the Crimson Bee, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs. Closing Music: Ode to Joy performed by Oliver E...

In this episode, Rob and Don delve into the weird and wacky world of fandom. They talk about their own fandom backgrounds, explore modern fandom's roots, and talk about how it evolved. Along the way, they discuss fandom's positive side, and try to define toxic fandom. All this, and why the My Little Pony RPG is D&D for kids, is waiting for you in this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affair...

In this episode, Don and Rob explore the place of UFOs in our popular culture with the help of Jack Ward. The trio explore the earliest UFO reports, talk about how UFOs have changed with the times, and what our ideas about aliens say about us. Along the way, Jack tells the story of his father's UFO encounters, and they talk about their favorite alien-related movies. All this, and the 82 kinds of a...

In this week's episode, Rob and Don sit down to talk about time travel! The pair discuss the past, present, and future of time travel stories, how time travel seems to have developed fictional "rules" that everyone agrees on (but have no basis in fact), and what some of their favorite time travel stories are.  All this, and a voice from the future drops by, in this episode of The Department of Ner...

In this episode, Don and Rob discuss The News, exploring the past, present and future of our primary source of knowledge about the world around us. In the process, they discuss the relationship between the news makers and the audience, how the news has evolved to meet the needs of different eras, and how the democratic nature of the news actually works against itself. All this, and Ben Franklin's...

In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with Justin Charles of the A Dude and Chick Walk Into a Studio podcast to talk about Justin's life growing up as a geek in the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. The three explore how Trinidad and  Justin's early loves of anime, video games, storytelling, and audio drama shaped his future and lead him to his work today in the media production indu...

In this episode, Rob and Don sit down with their friend Jack Ward to talk about the TV shows that might have died too soon (or not soon enough!). The trio leave no unfinished stone unturned as they delve into shows about science fiction, fantasy, comedy and cartoons that never made it past their freshman year. From Logan's Run to Manimal, It's Your Move to Madam's Place, the three rummage through...

In this episode...everybody say HAI! Because Rob and Don sit down with YouTuber and Tokusatsu fan Squall Charlson to discuss the history of Japan's Super Sentai genre. Donning the colours of Red, Blue and Yellow, the three heroes discuss the genre's origins, how it evolved over time, and the highlights of Super Sentai's 43 year history! All this, and how Dynaman is the greatest thing ever, is wait...

In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with Jack Ward to discuss portrayals of Intelligence in popular culture. The three delve into the hows and whys of the way smart people are portrayed the way they are in the media, the difference between wisdom and intelligence, and how it's all linked with the ways the human brain works. All this, and why Daniel Kahneman is the most important person you've ne...

In this episode, Rob and Don continue exploring the world of mecha anime with a journey into the "Real Robot" subgenre. The pair discuss how the Real Robot genre split off from the Super Robot subgenre they covered in the last episode, and then recombined with Evangelion, to form a whole new kind of titanic monster machine, covering the subgenre's past, present, and future. All this, and what a Ma...

In this episode, Don and Rob sit down to discuss the origins of Super Robot mecha anime. The pair discuss how it exploded onto Japanese TV in the 1970's, how it changed and evolved over time, and it's invasion of the minds of youth everywhere. All this, and the story of how the genre started because one man hated traffic jams, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs....