The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs is a bi-weekly talk podcast dedicated to exploring different aspects of nerdly arts and culture. Together bringing over 80 years of experience to the table, the hosts, Rob and Don, try to take a seasoned, knowledgeable, and real-world approach to looking at the creation of nerd culture and the forces shaping it. The podcast covers topics ranging from from film and comics to writing and history, and pretty much everything in between. If it's a hobby shared by few or by many, you can expect to hear it talked about by the Department of Nerdly Affairs. New episodes every second Friday!
Come chat with us at obeythedna.com!
- Update frequency
- every 19 days
- Average duration
- 92 minutes
- Episodes
- 141
- Years Active
- 2015 - 2024
DNA Podcast 141 – Martial Arts in Popular Culture (of the 20th Century)
In this episode, Don and Rob are back exploring how movies and television took martial arts from being weird and forbidden arts practiced by a select few to the McDojos of the 1990s. Along the way, t…
02:34:23 |
Thu 01 Feb 2024
DNA Podcast 140 – Marvel Product Tie-In Comics
In this episode, Rob, Don and Jack Ward take a trip back to the 1970s and 1980s, when a floundering Marvel Comics was saved by barbarians, vampires, giant robots and toys soldiers. It’s the story of …
02:38:38 |
Sun 02 Jul 2023
DNA Podcast 139 – Half-Hour Toy Commercials of the 80s
In this episode, Rob and Don revisit their childhoods as they talk about the time when capitalism and animation joined together to create one of the greatest marketing forces known to mankind – the h…
02:06:26 |
Tue 02 May 2023
DNA Podcast 138 – Family in Popular Culture
In this episode, Don and Rob do their best Vin Diesel impressions and spend the whole episode talking about family. They talk about what family really is, its place in society over time, and most imp…
02:17:49 |
Thu 02 Mar 2023
DNA Podcast 137 – AI in Popular Culture
In this episode, Rob and Don look back at the past of humanity’s relationship with Artificial Intelligence and ponder where it will be going in the future. The duo discuss recent innovations in AI, h…
02:09:59 |
Sun 01 Jan 2023
DNA Podcast 136 – Classic Doctor Who
In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by Jack Ward to discuss the 20th century versions of the iconic staple of U.K. science fiction – Doctor Who. The trio discuss how they first met The Doctor, th…
Tue 01 Nov 2022
DNA Podcast 135 – Breaking Up With Fandom Is Hard To Do
In this episode, Don and Rob discuss the thorny issue of why people break up with their media darlings. The two delve into the reasons why people and the properties they love might go their separate …
Fri 02 Sep 2022
DNA Podcast 134 – Brainstorming a Caravan Guards Story Setting
In this episode, Rob asks for Don’s help in brainstorming the setting for a story about caravan guards – the unspoken heroes of the fantasy world whose job it is to keep the goods flowing despite att…
Fri 01 Jul 2022
DNA Podcast 133 – Malls in Popular Culture
In this episode, Don and Rob head to the mall to discuss capitalism and the place of malls in popular culture for the past hundred years. Along the way, the duo discuss the history of shopping, the o…
Thu 02 Jun 2022
DNA Podcast 132 – The Psychology of Comics
In this episode, Don and Rob discuss the psychology of comic books. The two delve deep into the unconscious desires of comic book readers, discuss why Manga failed to find an audience in 1980s Americ…
Mon 02 May 2022
DNA Podcast 131 – Samurai TV
In this episode, Rob and Don walk the path of meifumado and explore the golden age of Samurai television on Japanese TV during the 70s and 80s. Along this path to hell, Rob discusses what he learned …
Fri 01 Apr 2022
DNA Podcast 130 – The Mandela Effect
In this episode, Don and Rob explore the intersection of reality and human perception and how these two things often fail to match up. Along the way they discuss Don’s four ways reality and humanity …
Tue 01 Mar 2022
DNA Podcast 129 – Anime Tabletop Roleplaying
In this episode, Don and Rob sit down to talk about tabletop roleplaying’s relationship with anime and manga, and the many successful and failed attempts to simulate anime style adventures through RP…
Wed 02 Feb 2022
DNA Podcast 128 – Who Gates the Gatekeepers?
In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by Jack Ward to discuss the issue of gatekeeping in our culture. Along the way, the three discuss who the new gatekeepers are, if they’re any different than th…
Thu 23 Dec 2021
DNA Podcast 126 – Injuries in Popular Culture
In this episode, Don and Rob explore how the way that injuries are portrayed in a story has a bit effect on how the audience perceives both stories and reality. Along the way, the two discuss how mov…
Tue 16 Nov 2021
DNA Podcast 126 – Comics Writer Peter B Gillis
In this episode, Rob and Don sit down with comic book writer Peter Gillis to discuss his career writing comics for Marvel, First Comics and DC Comics during the 1980s and 90s. Along the way, the thre…
Wed 20 Oct 2021
DNA Podcast 125 – Comics Artist Doug Rice
In this episode, Rob and Don sit down with comics artist and animator Doug Rice to discuss Doug’s long and fascinating career in comics and animation. Along the way, the trio discuss how Doug got int…
Thu 12 Aug 2021
DNA Podcast 124 – Comic Book Horror Hosts
Hey guys and ghouls! In this episode, Don and Rob explore the dark and ghoulish history of horror hosts in comic books. From the EC classics like Tales from the Crypt to Judge Edwina Strange (from Ju…
Tue 20 Jul 2021
DNA Podcast 123 – Original English Light Novels with Brandon Varnell
In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with author of over 50 light novels, Brandon Varnell. The three discuss whether books written in English can really be light novels, how Brandon got into writing…
Sun 13 Jun 2021
DNA Podcast 122 – US Comics in the UK with Richard Sheaf
In this episode, Don and Rob sit down again with UK comics historian Richard Sheaf to talk about how American comics were received across the pond in the UK. The trio discuss the experience of being …
Sun 16 May 2021
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