In the late 80's, the television animation branch of the Walt Disney company needed new shows for their popular weekday lineup "The Disney Afternoon". But with strict deadlines and even stricter issues with copyright, making a new cartoon wasn't easy. In the end, we would get "Darkwing Duck" the terror that flaps in the night, a comedic parody of g…

Nowadays when people think about virtual pets they think about tamagotchi, or neopets or webkinz, or nintendogs, but the genre goes back much further than that. Where did this trend really get its start, and why does this story involve the controversial Sega CD game "Night Trap"?Bởi Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

1999 movie, "The Matrix" popularized the use of "bullet time" or the method of using slow motion in film to create a time bending effect. But it wasn't the first to do so, not by a long shot. Travel back in time with us to experience a story about Smirnoff commercials, a 1900's Austrian priest who loved movies, and the father of modern cinema, Akir…

In 2018, an urban explorer at Walt Disney World would make a startling discovery: Buzzy, the animatronic star of the defunct EPCOT show "Cranium Command" was MISSING. What follows is a tale of 80's fitness mania, learning about conception on vacation, Pete Doctor lying about where he got the idea for "Inside Out", and naked animatronics. In the end…

Ralph Bakshi's animation/live action hybrid film, "Cool World" is infamous for being an incredibly disastrous flop, but, who's to blame for this colossal misstep in the portfolio of an otherwise prolific director an animation legend? Was it the studio meddling in the story? Was it the two writers who came in and rewrote the script right under the d…

In the 90's, the city of Las Vegas made an attempt of incorporating more kid friendly attractions, in order to entice families to vacation there. Now, almost all of these attractions are gone. In this episode, Host Brenda tells the tales of Speed, the rollercoaster at the Sahara, the Nile River Adventure Boat ride at the Luxor, and of MGM Great Adv…

Italian coming of age magical girl series "Winx Club" was the most popular animated series in Europe, but it struggled to find its footing in the United States. Viacom, wanting to strengthen their Nickelodeon brand in international markets, entered into a deal with the show's creator in order to keep the series going and to give it another shot at …

This special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts. J. Keith v…

In the late 90's, Disneyland was suffering from severe budget cuts as a result of the failure of Euro Disney. In the midst of this, they debuted a new ride, the Rocket Rods, a thrill ride built on top of the track of the old peoplemover. However, this ride would be plagued by constant problems; computer malfunctions, poor car design, noise issues, …

Starting in the mid 60's teachers began to notice a concerning phenomenon where kids were losing reading skills at a rapid pace over the summer break. In order to combat this summer slump, two separate local PBS stations partnered up to assemble the dream team that would create one of the most beloved children's shows of the 80's and 90's: Reading …

Sometimes, characters that are created don't get popular in their home countries, but are instead embraced abroad. This episode tells the stories of several different characters that have become popular outside of the United States where they were born. Learn the story of Pica Pau in Brazil and his American-Made Movie that catered to the Brazilian …

When Nickelodeon released "Blues Clues" in 1996, it was heralded as a new kind of children's show, one that was interactive, and spoke directly to its young viewers. But, what if "Blues Clues" wasn't the first? What if there was a different interactive children's program that predated Blues Clues by several decades?…

When people mention famous figures from Nintendo, they often bring up Shigeru Miyamoto, Satoru Iwata, or even Masahiro Sakurai. However, without Gunpei Yokoi, the world of video gaming would be vastly different. From designing the toys that made Nintendo famous, to introducing the masses to handheld gaming, Gunpei Yokoi's many contributions to the …

The Walt Disney theme parks are well-known for their dazzling nightly fireworks extravaganzas, but what most people don't know is that this company, who purchases more explosives per year than many militaries, has gone extra lengths to ensure that their fireworks are not only spectacular, but that they cannot be copied by other theme parks.…

This episode's a little different mystorians! Austin and Brenda celebrate 100 episodes of SHONM by answering a couple listener questions, sharing some favorite moments, and just overall reminiscing about the good times. Thanks for going on this ride with us! Here's to 100 more!Bởi Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

This week, SHONM is taking part in the global strike for Palestine. We understand that not everyone is able to participate in the strike, so please check out our socials for more information and for resources on how you can help. Episode 100 will be released next Tuesday!Bởi Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

Is the lovable beagle from Charles M. Schulz's beloved comic strip "Peanuts" actually Mexican? The answer is more complicated than you think. And also more straight forward than you would expect. And also what you feel is true in your heart.Bởi Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

When Mattel premiered their Hot Wheels cartoon in the 1960's in order to promote their latest line of toys, they had no way of knowing that they had just opened a can of worms that would change the landscape of children's programming forever, for better or for worse.Bởi Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

In 1971, the USDA Forest Service Introduced Woodsy Owl, the anti-pollution owl, in an attempt to educate the masses about environmentalism. Little did they know at the time, but his legacy would end in flames. This is a story featuring potential federal crimes, pants-wearing bears, and job-stealing owls. This is the story, of the death of Woodsy Ow…

When Rankin/Bass' "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1964, no one who worked on it had any idea that it would become a Christmas tradition and a lasting part of American culture. Because of this, the stop motion puppets used to make the film were lost, their exact whereabouts a mystery...until now.…

As late entries to the McDonaldland canon, the Mcnugget buddies are characters that have been mostly lost to time. But, back in the 80's, they were the shining star of McDonald's menu, and the food they were based on helped save the restaurant during a time when American's were becoming more health conscious. Today, they've been brought back for a …

There's an intense resale market surrounding trading card games, but where did that get its start, and why is it so addictive to open these packs of little paper cards? This is a story that dates back to the early 1900's, with baseball cards and the early stages of the speculative market.Bởi Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

Much has happened in the world of Neopets lately. From its parent company shutting down, to new ownership, new promises and a new baffling choice for a brand ambassador, Neopets seems to finally be making a push into the modern era. But will Y2k nostalgia be enough to keep the struggling brand alive? Plus, Austin shares what it's like playing Neope…

From the dawn of gaming, people have wanted to use the medium to tell stories in new and inventive ways. But what game is the origin of this? Was it Final Fantasy with its character customization, or Final Fantasy 7 with its groundbreaking cutscenes? Was it Donkey Kong whose simple story has captivated gamers for decades? Or does it go back even fu…

For decades, the Walt Disney Company had the theme park market cornered, creating cutting-edge animatronics and immersive ride experiences for their own parks. That was, until a small company from Jacksonville Florida, who got their start making moving mannequins for museum and store displays, threw their hat into the ring. Sally Corporation might …

When mother Sheryl Leach set out to create a new type of children's entertainment for her son, she had no idea how big her creation would get, or how much people would grow to despise it. This episode goes through the inception of the Barney character, highlights the men who brought him to life, and explores the unbelievable amount of hate that the…

Bratz, the popular fashion doll line, was once one of the top-selling fashion doll brands in the world, but then they suddenly disappeared from store shelves. Find out what was happening behind the scenes at toy company MGA, and learn the details of the decade long legal battle they've been embroiled with against Barbie's creator, Mattel.…

Hosts Austin and Brenda connect with their inner child by watching the newest Paramount + release “Blues Clues Big City Adventure”. It’s a movie for kids! But it also has a lot of heart and a lot of nostalgia. Also, Warner Bros Discovery is getting sued by the state of Ohio.Bởi Brenda & Austin

This week your host Brenda takes you on a deep dive into the history of the second highest selling children’s book franchises in history: Goosebumps, the brainchild of writer RL Stein. This episode features haunted masks, childhood traumas, lost media, and yes, another heated legal battle. Listener beware, you’re in for a scare!…

Full disclosure, this episode was so much fun for your host Brenda to edit. And if that wasn't enough of an incentive to listen, it’s about Harley Quinn! We promise it’s good, so please listen. Thanks!Bởi Brenda & Austin

Since we took a week off, there is LOT of news to cover...but fear not...we’re here to weigh in on Lesbian Velma, Try Guys and Adult Happy Meal News. After that hosts Brenda and Austin talk about the 2022 Predator Prequel “Prey”. What did your host Austin, self-professed "big-fan-of-the-Predator-franchise" think of it? Listen and find out!…

Buckle in for a fairly long news segment this week, Mystorians! We had the Emmys! We had D23! We had the passing of a prolific world leader! Wowie! To cool things down a bit, your host Brenda brought a shorter topic this week, Hallmark’s answer to Strawberry Shortcake...Rainbow Brite!Bởi Brenda & Austin

After sharing one tiny scrap of good news, and talking about the latest Pokémon updates, your host Austin shares the story behind one of their guilty pleasure franchises: The Predator. Have you ever wanted to know how they achieved that invisible cloaking effect? Or what the experience was like for the actor inside the iconic Predator suit? Perhaps…

In this very special return episode, hosts Austin and Brenda try to make sense of exactly what Warner Bros. Discovery is doing these days; from canceling almost completely finished projects, to pulling dozens of cartoons from HBO Max with little warning, things seem pretty dire. To lighten the mood a bit, Austin and Brenda answer a couple of questi…

Brenda is here to talk about the 1999 virtual pet website, Neopets, a subject that is near and dear to their heart. Austin, meanwhile, knows very little about Neopets. This is a story of controversial advertising and even more controversial religion. It's about what happens when a website's existence is stretched out too long. NFTs, black market sc…

You voted and we delivered. Hosts Austin and Brenda are here to talk about the 2022 box office hit, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Has the curse of video game movies finally been broken? Do video game movies just get to be good now? And what do our hosts think the future of the franchise holds?Bởi Brenda & Austin

Today, Austin is here to talk about arcades and to answer the age-old question, just what is an arcade anyway? Is it a state of being, a laundromat? What was the first arcade machine, and what is the highest selling arcade machine of all time? What city in the United States declared itself the “gaming capital of the world”? Find out the answers to …

This week we’re talking about McDonaldland, the wacky world that McDonald mascot Ronald McDonald and his friends inhabit. Learn about the evolution of the Hamburgler from "Lone Jogger" to weirdly sexy dad. Witness the details of yet another corporate lawsuit. And once again fear the unhinged visage of Ronald McDonald’s terrifying clown dog Sundae.…

This episode sure is a big one, so hang in there. Your host Brenda is also incredibly caffeinated, don’t worry about it, it’s fine. On this episode, Hosts Austin and Brenda talk about Pixar’s latest feature length film, Turning Red, a coming-of-age story about a preteen girl named Meilin who, upon the onset of furry puberty, starts turning into a R…

What’s up gamers!? After a news segment where hosts Austin and Brenda try to parse the existence of furry Xbox controllers to promote Sonic 2, Austin has prepared an episode about Toonami! This late '90’s action programming block ran on Cartoon Network, where it brought animation to an older audience and introduced a whole generation to Gundam, Dra…

This week we have a special treat for you, Mystorians! Heather Antos, senior editor at IDW and professional penguin enthusiast joins us today to talk about how a little story that takes place in a galaxy far, far away has changed the landscape of pop culture, and society forever.Bởi Brenda & Austin

"Goes to the Movies" is back, and Austin and Brenda are here to talk about the 2010 Dreamworks animated movie, Megamind. While overshadowed by the releases of How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek Forever After in the same year, Megamind delivers an incredibly poignant, clever, witty, and funny take on the superhero genre, and makes a powerful stateme…

Brenda is here with the topic today, and the topic is the Walt Disney Company’s massive indoor interactive adventure flop...Disney Quest. Once the pillar of Disney’s regional entertainment division, Disney Quest was opened in Orlando with very little fanfare, and was left to rot for most of its lifetime. What was considered cutting edge in 1998, wa…

Austin is here to talk about the rise and fall of the “toy store in the mall” KB Toys. While Toys R Us was just a twinkle in its founder’s eye, KB toys was creating the modern toy store, moving into malls and developing unique strategies to make it stand out. But after several business mishaps and a stinky leveraged buyout, KB Toys would find itsel…

Hello everyone! What a long break we had. This episode has a couple announcements about the podcast going forward, and then Brenda and Ausin answer more user submitted questions? What is the wildest comic storyline we’ve read? What color unicorn would we have, and would we be able to eat it? Who would win, Ash Ketchum, or Tai from Digimon? All thes…

This is a shorter episode this week, but is no less jam packed. This week, Austin and Brenda cover We’re Back: A Dinosaur’s Story, a 1993 animated movie produced by Steven Spielberg and animated by Amblimation. This is a movie that hits the ground running and doesn’t let up. Whether that's good or bad, you decide. Brenda’s fake crying in this episo…

Episode 69 (nice) sees Brenda dive into the history of fanfiction, an often maligned and misunderstood art form. How did fanfiction get its start? What writer is notorious for sending DMCAs to their fans for creating fan works? Find out the connection between fanfiction and Russian journalists trying to find a place where they express themselves fr…

He’s a little dog with a big imagination and a thirst for knowledge. Childhood friend or undefeated eldritch creature? Find out, on this week’s episode featuring the 90’s PBS kids show: Wishbone!Bởi Brenda & Austin

Did you know that there was a movie based on the Disney ride Tower of Terror? Host Brenda knew (because of course she did). This month on Goes to the Movies, Host Austin and Host Brenda talk about two Disney Halloween movies, Tower of Terror and Hocus Pocus.Bởi Brenda & Austin

Animal crossing fans, thou are eating well. Hope you are having fun on your island. Brenda is here to talk about once prolific animation studio Hanna-Barbera, who not only created beloved characters like Scooby Doo and the Flintstones (and Brenda’s favorite Top Cat) but revolutionized television animation as we know it.…