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Up Your Nerd Cred

by Casual Host CiCi, Expert Host AM Diaz

Did you used to know everything happening in the Marvel and DC universes? Did finding out that some superheroes are from Marvel and some are from DC blow your mind? Has keeping track of everything happening there… and then realizing we’re talking about the comics universe, not the cinematic ones… and the different universes with their own multiversal crisesses has gotten a little bit out of hand, don’t worry. Up Your Nerd Cred is here to talk about gods cosplaying as men, men cosplaying as gods, and how much the cinematic universes are leaving out.

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Episodes

  1. Kurt Wagner: What Is Family, If Not… | UYNC S3 Ep 17

    AM takes the mic for his first solo episode and goes straight for his favorite fuzzy blue elf. Part 1 traces Nightcrawler from Dave Cockrum’s pre-Marvel concept into Giant-Size X-Men #1, then digs into Kurt Wagner’s powers, faith, circus upbringing, and increasingly chaotic family tree—from…

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  2. With Friends Like These... Evil Leagues of Evil | UYNC S3 Ep 16

    With friends like these, who needs enemies? Even villains know teamwork can be useful. The problem is getting a room full of independently powerful bad guys to agree on what winning actually looks like. With the Guardians and Green Lantern Corps fresh in our minds after Lanterns, CiCi and AM Diaz...

  3. Don't Worry-He's Only "Mostly Dead" | UYNC S3 Ep 15

    Nobody stays dead in comics… except Bucky, Jason Todd, and Uncle Ben. Well. About that. This week, CiCi is getting into the many, many flavors of comic-book death: actually dead, presumed dead, retconned dead, resurrected, restored, undead, and “technically I survived the explosion, but things…

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  4. Monet St Croix: Perfect isn't Easy | UYNC S 3 Ep 14

    Monet St. Croix: Perfect Isn't Easy | Up Your Nerd Cred Monet St. Croix has money, beauty, brains, confidence, and enough mutant powers to make “pick a lane” feel like a reasonable request. But being the girl with all the gifts doesn’t mean life has been particularly kind to her. CiCi is flying...

  5. Okay, Fine, You Were Right: Uncanny Was Awesome| UYNC S3 Ep 13

    For literal years, AM has been telling CiCi that she needed to go to the Uncanny Experience. And for literal years, CiCi has basically responded, “That sounds fun! Have a great time!” Turns out she was missing out. Fine. AM was right. This week, we’re recapping the Uncanny Experience 2026: the...

  6. 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 what a story means without pretending the original story never happened. Swamp Thing gets one of comics’ great existential...

  7. 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 week on Up Your Nerd Cred, CiCi and AM are talking about the fine art of retroactive continuity: when changing the past makes a...

  8. 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, comedy, and the difference between a joke that punches up and one that punches down. The question is not whether every old story...

  9. 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 this solo episode, CiCi looks at how books, movies, television, celebrity coverage, and fandom have normalized—or occasionally...

  10. 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 talking through the early chaos of toy movies and the producer-side logic of adaptations, CiCi, AM, and Ben get into what happens...

  11. 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 Entertainment. After talking last week about movies built from toys, games, comics, and merch machines, we’re getting into what...

  12. 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, Mortal Kombat, Pokémon, and Battleship, we’re looking at what happens when movies come from toy aisles, board games, arcade…

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  13. 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 gets the plans, and the Lancer gets to be correct in an irritating way, but what happens when a team loses the person keeping...

  14. 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, lonely, or isolated, they tear up the multiverse. In this solo episode of Up Your Nerd Cred, CiCi digs into the Brain trope and…

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  15. 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 a group? Not the rival trying to take the leader’s spot, not the hater who just wants to be difficult, and not the chaotic...

  16. 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 superhero teams from becoming just a pile of costumes and trauma responses. We talk about why every team needs a brainiac, why…

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  17. 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-off team-ups. This week, CiCi and AM dig into the difference between a fun crossover and a true ensemble: the kind of team where...

  18. 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: everyone claims they’re tired of reboots, remakes, and multiverses—but when brand new characters show up, they rarely get the…

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  19. 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 experience? In Part 2 of our con series, we’re breaking down what it really feels like to step onto the floor of a Comic-Con for...

  20. 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 before the internet, how conventions like San Diego Comic-Con became industry powerhouses, and why studios now treat cons as...

  21. 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) correct the record. Because women didn’t just show up—we’ve been reading, writing, editing, organizing, and sustaining nerd culture...

  22. 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, CiCi is joined by longtime friend Matthew to break down one of the most quietly complicated questions in nerd culture: are great...

  23. "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 conversation dives into one of the most debated topics in modern fandom: Disneyland. Joined by special guest Tiffi Starchild, the crew...

  24. 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 the Disney classic most of us grew up with? Before Ariel was collecting gadgets and gizmos aplenty, Hans Christian Andersen was...

  25. 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 Machine, from Monet St. Croix to Queen Nubia, we’re breaking down the evolution of representation in Marvel and DC — and how...

  26. Why Black Heroes Are Always Carrying Trauma | Storm, Shuri & the Cost of Being “Strong” | UYNC S2 E7

    What does it cost to always be the strong one? This week, we’re digging into grief, trauma, and emotional resilience across Marvel’s Black heroes — from Luke Cage’s incarceration and invulnerability, to Storm’s claustrophobia and PTSD, to Shuri’s rage on the ancestral plane, to Riri Williams...

  27. Black Power Ranger or Pink One? Growing Up as the Token Black Girl | UYNC S2 Ep 6

    Were you the Black Power Ranger… or the Pink one? In this solo episode of Up Your Nerd Cred, CiCi dives into what it meant to grow up as the token Black girl in 90s TV friend groups — and the quiet, uncomfortable pressure to “identify correctly.” From Saved by the Bell and Clueless to Daria…

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  28. Zero to Hero: The Evolution of the Disney Prince Pt 2 (With Solving for X) | UYNC S2 Ep 5

    We’re back with Part 2 of our deep dive into the Disney Prince pipeline — and this time, things get competitive. CiCi, AM Diaz, and the Solving for X crew finish the conversation by putting these princes to the test: hotness, usefulness, and whether they were wildly out of their league. From…

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  29. Zero to Hero: The Evolution of the Disney Prince Pt 1 (With Solving for X) | UYNC S2 Ep 4

    This week, we’re stepping outside the Marvel and DC multiverses (just for a minute) to talk about the Disney Princes — and how they evolved from voiceless, last-minute plot devices into fully realized characters with agency, flaws, and emotional growth. Joined by the Solving for X crew, we break...

  30. Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Original Must See TV | UYNC S2 Ep3

    Did you grow up thinking cartoons were just something you watched before going outside—only to realize later they were also 22-minute toy ads wrapped in surprisingly strong moral messaging? This week on Up Your Nerd Cred, CiCi and AM Diaz dive into the cartoon blocks that shaped Gen X and...

  31. 22 Minute Toy Ads: Why Gen X and Millennials Nostalgia Game is Strong | UYNC S2 Ep 2

    Did you ever wonder why you still remember cereal mascots, toy commercials, and Saturday morning cartoons with unsettling clarity? In this episode of Up Your Nerd Cred, we break down how entire generations—especially Gen X and Millennials—were deliberately marketed to as children, and how those...

  32. I Used to Play with Myself... | UYNC Season 2 Ep 1

    Welcome back to Up Your Nerd Cred, and welcome to Season 2. This week, we’re talking about toys-not just the ones we played with, but the ones that quietly taught us who we were allowed to be. From Saturday morning cartoons doubling as toy ads, to dolls and action figures that gave some of us...

  33. Flash, Get in Here and Fix This Timeline | UYNC Ep 28

    If timelines keep breaking, and universes keep rebooting, eventually someone has to live with the consequences. In the thrilling conclusion of our Flash trilogy, CiCi and AM tackle the fallout of Flashpoint, the collapse of the New 52, and the long road back to legacy through DC Rebirth. This is...

  34. DAD, FLASH BROKE THE TIMELINE, AGAIN! | UYNC Ep 27

    The Flash isn’t just one guy in red spandex—it’s a whole family, and DC continuity has been putting them through a cosmic blender since the Silver Age. In this episode, we break down how Crisis on Infinite Earths reshaped DC’s multiverse, why Wally West had to grow from “Kid Flash” into the…

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  35. Mom, Flash Broke the Timeline! | UYNC Episode 26

    Did you know there are FIVE different Flashes? Because CiCi sure didn’t — and AM absolutely did. 😭 In Part 1 of this expert-level two-parter, we start at the very beginning with Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash who got super-speed via the most 1940s origin imaginable (hard water vapors???), and...

  36. Is Thor Falling on My Car an Act of God?| UYNC Ep 25

    What actually happens when superheroes, gods, villains, and reality-warpers run headfirst into real-world law? Today we’re diving into the wonderfully messy chaos of superhero legal theory and asking the question absolutely no insurance adjuster is prepared for: Is Thor falling on your car… an…

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  37. Wonder Twin Powers, Activate! Wait, Who Are You Again? | UYNC Ep 24

    This episode breaks down why Zan and Jayna — the Wonder Twins — are some of DC’s most underrated heavy hitters. Despite debuting in Super Friends (1977), their powers were far stronger than the show ever portrayed. We explore how Hanna-Barbera limitations, comedic framing, and shifting comic eras...

  38. How Strange Was My Doctor? Stephen Vs Hugo | UYNC Ep 23

    Welcome back! This week CiCi dives into the tale of two Doctors Strange- Marvel’s Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (sometimes), and DC’s Hugo Strange, Batman’s underappreciated OG mad scientist villain. We’re talking nature vs nurture, Golden Age chaos, Comics Code Authority shenanigans, and why...

  39. The Marvelous Ms... er Captain Marvels pt 2| UYNC Ep 22

    This week’s episode of Up Your Nerd Cred continues our Marvels duology with a focused deep dive into Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan. We cover: • Why Monica Rambeau keeps getting renamed and how her trajectory has been shaped by racism, sexism, and editorial decisions. • The differences between...

  40. The Marvelous Ms Marvels | UYNC Ep 21

    Carol Danvers may be the Captain Marvel you know from the MCU — but she’s far from the only one to claim that name. This week, CiCi and AM Diaz explore the women who redefined what “Marvel” means: Carol Danvers, the Air Force pilot turned cosmic powerhouse, and Monica Rambeau, the light-speed...

  41. Let's Go Lil Kitty Kat: Bruce Wayne is Definitely Dating Up| UYNC Episode 20

    This week, CiCi celebrates Gotham’s favorite cat burglar-turned-antihero. From her 1940 debut to Frank Miller’s Year One reinvention, Selina Kyle has clawed her way from “femme fatale” to fully realized character, proving she’s more than just Batman’s on-again, off-again love interest. We talk...

  42. The Hellfire Gala Origins- Met Gala, but Make it Mutant |UYNC 19

    Welcome to Up Your Nerd Cred! This week, we’re taking our seats (and our sequins) at the Hellfire Gala — Marvel’s answer to the Met Gala, where mutants, diplomats, and icons walk the same psychic red carpet. CC (@ciracdavis) and AM (AMDiaz_Art) are joined by special guests Jordan Blaza Olsen...

  43. Marc, and Steven, and Jake, and...

    When is a mask not a mask? When it’s an alter. This week, CiCi and AM dive into the complicated, chaotic world of Moon Knight — mercenary, avatar of Khonshu, and one of the few major Marvel characters officially diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). We unpack how Marc Spector…

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  44. Thor, Can I Borrow Your Hammer? | UYNC Episode 17

    Thor’s hammer has a history that spans myth and Marvel. From Loki’s bet with the dwarves and Thor’s cross-dressing rescue mission in Norse legend, to Mjolnir’s Marvel Comics debut, worthiness enchantments, and all the surprising people who’ve lifted it — we’re digging in. In this solo episode…

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  45. Hang On, When Did Beast Go Crazy (Pt 2)

    Beast used to be the witty, Shakespeare-quoting professor, the one who could hold his own in a fight and in the lab. So… how did Hank McCoy become one of the most reviled figures in mutant history? In this expert-level deep dive, CiCi and AM trace the slow burn of Beast’s fall: From noble…

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  46. Hang On, When Did Beast Go Crazy? | Up Your Nerd Cred Ep. 15

    When you think of the X-Men’s Beast, do you picture the witty scientist quoting Shakespeare from his cell in X-Men: The Animated Series? Or the fuzzy blue Avenger cracking jokes with Wonder Man? This week, CiCi takes you through Hank McCoy’s journey from his Silver Age debut to his role as the...

  47. Episode 14: Is Mystique the *Worst* Mom?

    Welcome back to Up Your Nerd Cred! This week, CiCi and AM dive into one of the most chaotic family trees in comics: Mystique’s. From abandoned children to adopted daughters, from retconned baby daddies to Destiny’s prophecies, Raven Darkhölme has a parenting record that’s… well, let’s just say...

  48. Episode 13: I'm sorry, you're HOW OLD?

    Welcome to Up Your Nerd Cred! This week, CiCi dives solo into one of comics’ strangest truths: just how ancient some of your favorite heroes and villains really are. From Martian Manhunter’s centuries of grief-snacking on Oreos to Wonder Woman’s millennia of Amazonian wisdom, from Loki’s...

  49. Episode 12: Wait, the Sentinels do WHAT?

    Welcome to Up Your Nerd Cred! This week, we're talking about Marvel’s most persistent mutant-hunting menace: the Sentinels. From their first stomping steps in X-Men #14 to their endless upgrades—Nimrod, Bastion, Prime Sentinels, and beyond—these machines have been a stand-in for fear of the other...

  50. Episode 11: A Toast to Harley Quinn

    Welcome to Up Your Nerd Cred! This week, we're raising a glass to Dr Harleen F. Quintzel. Harley Quinn may have started out as Joker’s henchwoman in Batman: The Animated Series, but she’s long since carved out her own place in DC canon. In this episode, CiCi takes a solo deep dive into Harley’s...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Did you used to know everything happening in the Marvel and DC universes? Did finding out that some superheroes are from Marvel and some are from DC blow your mind? Has keeping track of everything happening there… and then realizing we’re talking about the comics universe, not the cinematic ones… and the different universes with their own multiversal crisesses has gotten a little bit out of hand, don’t worry. Up Your Nerd Cred is here to talk about gods cosplaying as men, men cosplaying as gods, and how much the cinematic universes are leaving out.

HOSTED BY

Casual Host CiCi, Expert Host AM Diaz

CATEGORIES

leisure animation manga

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Up Your Nerd Cred have?

Up Your Nerd Cred currently has 60 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Up Your Nerd Cred about?

Did you used to know everything happening in the Marvel and DC universes? Did finding out that some superheroes are from Marvel and some are from DC blow your mind? Has keeping track of everything happening there… and then realizing we’re talking about the comics universe, not the cinematic ones…...

How often does Up Your Nerd Cred release new episodes?

Up Your Nerd Cred has 60 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Up Your Nerd Cred?

You can listen to Up Your Nerd Cred on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Up Your Nerd Cred?

Up Your Nerd Cred is created and hosted by Casual Host CiCi, Expert Host AM Diaz.
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