Up Your Nerd Cred

The Good, the Bad, and the Donna Troy: When Retcons Go Too Far | UYNC S3 Ep12

In Part 2 of The Good, the Bad, and the Donna Troy, CiCi and AM keep digging into retroactive continuity—starting with some of the cleverest examples of writers changing

The Good, the Bad, and the Donna Troy: Retcons Done Right | UYNC S 3 Ep 11

Retcon has become a dirty word in nerd spaces—but some of the things we consider absolutely essential to our favorite characters weren’t there in the first draft. This w

Your Movie Will Hold Up Better if You Punch Up, Brah | UYNC S3 Ep 10

Did the movie stop holding up, or did we finally notice who it was stepping on? This week on Up Your Nerd Cred, CiCi is solo and talking about old movies, nostalgia, com

She Can't Go on a Date with You, She's Gotta Finish Homework for 4th Period | UYNC S3 Ep 9

Why does pop culture keep asking whether teenage girls are “mature enough” for adult men instead of asking why those men are pursuing teenagers in the first place? In th

When the Movie is Made with Love... We Know | UYNC S3 Ep 8

This week on Up Your Nerd Cred, we’re closing out our toyetic movie trilogy with part two of our conversation with film producer Ben from Disrupt Entertainment. After ta

Respect the Toy Box if You Want the Cash! |UYNC S3 Ep 7

This week on Up Your Nerd Cred, we’re continuing our toyetic movie conversation with film producer, distributor, sales agent, and friend of the pod Ben from Disrupt Enter

Bro, We Could Tell Y’all Were Embarrassed By This... | UYNC S2 Ep 6

This week on Up Your Nerd Cred, we’re talking about the merch grab of it all. From Care Bears and Clue to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mort

How Long Do They Stay Heroes Without the Heart? | UYNC S3 Ep 5

This week on Up Your Nerd Cred, CiCi is flying solo and talking about one of the most disrespected team roles: the Heart. Sure, the Leader gets the speeches, the Brain g

Give Your Brain Enough Enrichment or They’ll Tear Up the Couch/Universe | UYNC S3 Ep 4

Some dogs need puzzle toys, long walks, and enrichment activities or they’ll eat your couch. Some comic book geniuses need the same thing, except when they get bored, lon

You Can Have My Sword... and My SASS | UYNC S3 Ep 3

This week, CiCi is flying solo and circling back to one of the ensemble roles that deserves a little more respect: the lancer. What makes someone a good second voice in

Ensembles Pt 2: We Need A Heart and A Brain and... | UYNC S3 Ep2

We’re back with Part 2 of our season opener on why ensembles hit harder than one-off team-ups. This week, CiCi and AM pick up the conversation with the roles that keep s

The Fastball Special, and Other Reasons Ensembles are Awesome | UYNC S3 Ep 1

After a surprise hiatus, Up Your Nerd Cred is back — and we’re kicking things off with the first half of a two-part conversation about why ensembles hit harder than one-o

You Swear You Want Originals… But Nostalgia Keeps Winning | UYNC S2 Ep15

You say you want original characters… but do you actually support them? This week on Up Your Nerd Cred, we’re digging into one of the biggest contradictions in fandom: e

How to Survive Comic-Con Without Missing Everything (Comic-Con 2: Electric Boogaloo) | UYNC S2 Ep14

How to Survive Comic-Con Without Missing Everything | UYNC S2 Ep __ What actually happens when you go to a comic convention—and how do you make sure you don’t waste the

Cons and Pros: How Comic-Con Built Nerd Culture (Part 1) | UYNC S 2 Ep 13

This week we're time traveling from early sci-fi meetups and zines to the massive spectacle of modern Comic-Con culture. We’re talking about how fandom sustained itself

We’ve Been Here the Whole Time: Women in Nerd Culture | UYNC S2 Ep 12

Who built nerd culture? If you’ve ever been made to feel like women “entered” comics, fandom, or nerd spaces late, this episode is here to gently (and not-so-gently) cor

Can a Good Person Be a Good Leader? | UYNC S2 Ep11

Can a good person actually be a good leader? Or does leadership force people to compromise what makes them “good” in the first place? This week on Up Your Nerd Cred, CiC

"To all those who enter here..." The Happiest Place on Earth, with Tiffie Starchild | UYNC S2 E10

What happens when nerd culture collides with the happiest place on Earth? This week on Up Your Nerd Cred, AM Diaz takes the lead mic while CiCi reacts as the conversatio

The Little Mermaid: A Gay Danish Allegory (Tentacles Optional) | UYNC S2 Ep 9

The Little Mermaid: A Gay Danish Allegory (Tentacles Optional) | Up Your Nerd Cred Did you know the original version of The Little Mermaid is significantly darker than t

Beyond “Black” and Lightning: Black Heroes Breaking the Trope | UYNC S2 Ep8

It’s the end of Black History Month and we’re highlighting Black superheroes who don’t rely on lightning powers or “Black” in their codename. From Green Lanterns to War M