The Department of Nerdly Affairs

In this episode, Don and Rob are joined by Jack Ward of the Sonic Society podcast to talk about Jack's experiences hosting the Internet's greatest audio drama showcase for over a decade and the thrills and frustrations of being an audio drama producer in the podcast age. Slap on your Podjectors and Flip the switch to join us in this, the 15th episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs! Closing Mu...

In this episode, Rob and Don sit down with former Comics F/X magazine founder and editor Jeff Wood to talk about the West Coast independent comics scene of the 1980's. The three discuss the origins of Comics F/X magazine, MU Press, the small press black and white comics explosion, and how "three adjectives and a noun" comics and anthropomorphic smut crashed the industry. All this and the story beh...

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by James Wegg of No Dice Games to talk about collectible card games (CCGs). The three of them discuss Collectible vs. Living Card Games, the current state and future of CCGs, and the pros and cons of running a gaming store. All this, and (Butt) Crack Gate, are waiting for you in this 13th episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs. Closing Music: Ode to Joy...

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by their friend Chad to discuss 20 years of Pokemon! They discuss how and why the phenomena has lasted so long, the origins of the game, and why a dark Pokemon movie is inevitable. All this, and a heaping helping of Nerd Rage is waiting for you in this, the 12th episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs. Closing Music: Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt...

In this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs, Rob and Don discuss the dreaded creatures known as teenagers! Slouching their way from post-WWII suburbia, these strange beings have had a huge effect on culture and media, and the pair are joined by the Sonic Society's Jack Ward to discuss their past, present and future. Along the way they discuss Archie, Star Trek, Social Justice and Slactivis...

In this episode, Rob interviews Don about his Mego toymaking hobby. They discuss the history of the Mego company, the current state of Mego fandom, and the future of toys in a 3-D Printing world. All this, and the Mego Mangler are waiting for you in this 10th episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs. Closing Music: Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt  Thing Discussed: Mego Corporation The His...

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by their friend Chad to discuss all things Giant Monster! They discuss why the genre has an enduring popularity, and then delve into their favorite Giant Monster films and guilty Daikaiju pleasures. Finally, they talk about the future of Giant Monster movies and what it would take to revitalize the genre in the 21st century. All this and Moby Dick helping te...

Welcome Operatives to the Department of Nerdly Affairs. In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by indomitable Jack Ward, host of the Sonic Society Podcast, to discuss actor/writer Simon Pegg's article about the infantalization of popular culture and society. The trio go deep into the topic, and come out having discussed Nazis, Adult Films of the 70s, and the Honeymooners. All this, and how "Free...

Greetings Operatives! In this episode Rob and Don discuss the ways in which the reality has come to mirror Cyberpunk fiction. It's 2016, and in the 1980's Cyberpunk promised us Netrunning, Posergangs and Rockergirls! What did they get right? What did they get wrong? We also discuss why AKB48 are the perfect girl group, For-Profit Prisons and the glorious show that is Max Headroom! So jack into the...

Greetings Operatives! In this episode Rob and Don are joined by their friend Chad to discuss the nerdly films of 2015. What was awesome? What barely made the grade? And what didn't the trio like from 2015? Then we forge on into 2016, and discuss why a new film version of The Little Prince excites us more than Batman v. Superman, why Yo-Kai Watch may or may not be the next Pokemon, and why Pokemon...

Greetings Operatives and welcome to the Department of Nerdly Affairs. In this episode, Rob and Don explore the effects that Star Wars has had on their lives, and the culture around them, as they’ve grown up. Comics, cards, toys and the origins of Don’s Beilert Valance action figure are all explored in this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs. Closing Music: Ode to Joy performed by Oliver E...

Welcome Operatives! In today's show, Rob and Don explore the Ritual Satanic Abuse panic that gripped America during the 1970s and 1980s and how the game Dungeons and Dragons became wrapped up in it. Then, in the second half of the show, the pair dig deep into the cinematic roots that laid the groundwork for Satanism's grip over the American psyche of the period. All this and 2000 Maniacs are waiti...

Welcome Operatives to the Department of Nerdly Affairs, tonight your hosts Rob Paterson and Don Chisholm discuss whether the nerdly spectulators markets of the 80s and 90s helped or hurt nerd culture, and how this crept into the action figure market as well. Don gives us the comic shop eye view of the industry during this period, and we talk about how the Punisher was responsible for the comic spe...

Welcome Operatives to the Department of Nerdly Affairs, tonight your hosts Rob Paterson and Don Chisholm discuss how audience expectations shape how people create media and react to it. In addition, we discuss Jack Campbell's The Lost Fleet series, what really makes a story "Adult", why Hollywood can't get Wonder Woman right, and International Comics culture. All that, plus the Combat Sign Wave an...

Rob Paterson and Don Chisholm discuss the books Ready Player One and H. Beam Piper's Space Viking. We're also going to discuss the idea behind the common writing advice "Write what you know", the techniques of Stephen King, and why writers have a lot to learn from HP Lovecraft and the Scottish pirate metal band Alestorm. All this, and a heaping helping of magic white guys are ahead for you in this...