Welcome to Big Nerdy Wrestling! From time to time, Josh will indulge his life-long affinity for professional wrestling with some fun discussions with awesome wrestling podcasters. In this first BNW show, Josh is joined by Kelsi ( SuperKicking It With Kelsi and the Two-Faced Pod ) and Chad and Diesel ( View from the Top Rope ). The topic at hand: What would we book if NJPW/ROH and WWE had a one-night-only crossover event? Hear four awesome yet widely divergent cards in this extravaganza! Plus, we...
Jul 12, 2018•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 55
This week we welcome back author EC Ambrose to help us select the Mount Rushmore of genre literature. Fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and horror are fair game for the selections. There are a LOT of amazing authors who write in our favorite genres, so making our final four selections proved incredibly difficult. Let us know what you think of our choices and if you would have gone a different route. Big Nerdy Recommendation #1: Touch by Claire North Big Nerdy Recommendation #2: Golden Kamuy Check out EC...
Jul 04, 2018•49 min•Ep. 54
We're back for the second half of Season Three! It's time for a rapid fire episode where everyone on the panel will FINISH HIM! This week, Josh leads Matt, Rachel, Ed, and JP on a journey through Mortal Kombat style fatalties for non-MK characters. How would Teenage Groot knock off an opponent? What about Commander Riker? Thirty characters go through the MK treatment in this insane episode. Please note that, from this point forward, BNQ is not going to bleep any language. We've seen that our aud...
Jun 15, 2018•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 53
In which Josh provides an update on upcoming shows and announces an appearance on another show.
May 17, 2018•3 min
It's time to get serious as the BNQ crew tackle the huge issue of where nerdy franchises intersect with civil rights in this two-part episode. In Part I, Callie interviews Marvel writer Jeremy Whitley about his hit series "Princeless" and what comics get right and wrong about equal representation of races and genders. Joining them for this part are Josh, JP, Matt, and Colleen. This discussion goes deep, but it might be one of the most important discussions we've ever had on the show. Look out fo...
May 03, 2018•53 min•Ep. 51
Could you imagine Han Solo or Deadpool as stand-up comics? Could Jar-Jar work as an "alternative comic"? This week, BNQ welcomes Kevin Gootee, the host of the hit Amazon Prime series "Comics Watching Comics," to our show to answer these questions and more as we merge the world of nerd culture with the world of comedy. Plus, Kevin discusses his show, life as a comic, and how he knows if a comic has "it." Big Nerdy Recommendation from Kevin: Far Cry 5 Check out Comics Watching Comics on Amazon Pri...
Apr 26, 2018•56 min•Ep. 50
We saw Ready Player One and then recorded a review in Matt's van. Thanks to Podbean for the recording app! We hope you enjoy the on location feel of this discussion. BNQ is brought to you by FleetWit.com!
Apr 18, 2018•18 min
If you found yourself in a crisis, which iconic fictional squad would you want on your team? This week, JP, Colleen, Rachel, Kenneth, and Matt each pick a squad to defend against crises proposed by your resident host Josh. Which crew will experience a love triangle? What happens when the Planet Express ship is hijacked? Who will be given the enviable task of transporting Jar-Jar on a long voyage? Find out these answers and more in this wide-open discussion! Big Nerdy Recommendation: Blood and Go...
Apr 12, 2018•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 48
You're trapped in an old house and the only way out is to either fight or trick a goblin guarding the front door. Do you imagine yourself rolling a D20 or do you place your hands on a keyboard and mouse in this scenario? Which option creates a fuller sense of immersion? This week, Matt hosts his first episode as he's joined by Josh, JP, Rachel, Kenneth, and special guest tabletop gaming blogger Tom as BNQ tackles the differences between tabletop and video gaming. Find out why you should never cr...
Mar 29, 2018•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 47
Get out your wands as BNQ goes back to Hogwarts! This week, Callie leads Josh, Colleen, and newcomer Amanda on a discussion through all the supporting characters of the Harry Potter series. Which character outside of the Harry, Ron, and Hermione trio is the most important, interesting, or crucial to the development of the plot? Hear how one character is more useful dead than alive and another character is the Helen of Troy in the Potterverse. And, of course, we get into a deep discussion about t...
Mar 22, 2018•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 46
This week, Josh, JP, and Matt bring you Big Nerdy Quickie #2. This time, we discuss our big announcement that we have entered into a partnership with FleetWit.com, the leading purveyor of trivia games for real money, to bring you the best new content! Josh then pits JP and Matt against one another in a battle of trivia wits about superheroes (but not really about superheroes). Be sure to listen to the end for information on how to enter a contest to kill Jar-Jar in an upcoming episode! BNQ is pr...
Mar 15, 2018•18 min•Ep. 45
Authors put their favorite characters through the ringer, but in this episode, we decide to flip the script. Jen Finelli, author of the amazing novel "Becoming Hero" joins Matt, Colleen, Rachel, and Josh to discuss which characters would most want to kill their authors. Find out which resident of Westeros gains vengeance on George R.R. Martin, why living the life of a city elf isn't a great idea, and which character makes Dickens pay off his debts. Check out Becoming Hero here! Big Nerdy Recomme...
Mar 08, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 44
From space pirates to towering mechs and from the brightest colors and orchestrations to the most tragic tales drawn on screen, anime deserves its own Mount Rushmore. In this episode, Ed hosts Rachel, Matt, and Tino as they name the limelights of this genre. Creators, animators, and composers come up in this wide-ranging discussion. Let us know if you agree with our picks! Bonus: Find great songs from nominated composers in the links at the end of the show notes! (Only available where show notes...
Mar 01, 2018•56 min•Ep. 43
This week, BNQ welcomes Petrea Burchard, the English voice of Ryoko on Tenchi Muyo and acclaimed author, to Big Nerdy Headquarters. Petrea talks about what it's like to record narration for a show originally written in another language, her love of historical fiction and cozy mysteries, and how she realized that her part in anime history was much bigger than she ever imagined. We are incredibly honored that Petrea visited BNQ and we hope you enjoy our talk. Check out Petrea's books: Camelot &...
Feb 22, 2018•47 min•Ep. 42
It's time for a deep dive into the ships of Star Trek! This week, Josh and JP welcome Rick from Starbase 66 back to Big Nerdy Headquarters to talk the vessels of the Final Frontier. Which Enterprise is best? Which alien race builds the best behemoth? Do models of ships hold up better than CGI? Find out these answers and more in this incredibly nerdy installment of BNQ. Excelsior! Big Nerdy Recommenation: Black Mirror ("U.S.S. Callister") and Ready Player One Audiobook Find Starbase 66 here! Podi...
Feb 15, 2018•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 41
Welcome to the first edition of Big Nerdy Quickies! In these shorter episodes, we bring you bonus content independent of a full-fledged Big Nerdy Question. To start this tradition off right, we welcome comedian extraordinaire Chris Cope to Big Nerdy HQ for his opinions on comedy, history, and mayonnaise. (Trust us, it'll make more sense once you listen.) PLEASE NOTE that the Big Nerdy Quickie series will be uncensored, so this episode is not child-friendly. Check out Chris's site for more great ...
Feb 08, 2018•37 min•Ep. 40
Does Groundskeeper Willie make you hot under the kilt? Is the stench of beer and disappointment at Moe's an aphrodisiac? Are you really into women with one-eye who captain starships? If so, this is the episode for you. JP leads Josh, Erin, Ed, and Matt on a journey through the dating world in Springfield and New New York. The dialogue in this episode is for the adults, so kiddos may want to skip this entry. For everyone else, the only thing more fun than listeneing to this hour is going on a ben...
Feb 04, 2018•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 39
LANGUAGE WARNING! This is JP here. After we got done recording the two-part season 3 premiere, a few of us stayed after and caught up with one another. One thing led to another, and eventually Ed and Colleen start talking about the latest Star Wars film. Well, it turns out they have very strong, opposing, and entertaining opinions about the film, and luckily I was within reach of the record button not too long after Colleen really gets going. I hope you enjoy this candid and raw discussion. This...
Jan 30, 2018•39 min•Ep. 38
It's time for Part II of our discussion of which fictional universes we least want to live in. Ed, Colleen, Rachel, Matt, Callie, JP, and Josh lead you through a discussion ranging from Dragon Ball to Fallout and from Resident Evil to the Powerpuff Girls. Find out which hapless villain JP wants to drink with at the bar, why life as a commoner in Westeros must suck, and if reality itself is a bad fictional universe. The official podcasting platform of BNQ is Podible . Download our shows there and...
Jan 25, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 37
Hello everyone! We are currently First Place in the Podible downloads contest, but we need your help to stay there. Listen to this short episode and find out how to help us win a new studio and a featured spot on Podible. We also raise the stakes by promising to watch one of the worst films in the history of nerd culture and provide a commentary track if we win. Find out your options for cinematically torturing us in this special short. Plus, Part II of Bad Fictional Universes comes out on Thurs...
Jan 24, 2018•9 min•Ep. 36
We're back! Season 3 premieres with a twist on our traditional opener. Instead of discussing which fictional universe we want to live in, we flip the script and discuss which universes would constitute living nightmares. Learn how the world of "Berserk" might outdo the dark stories of George R.R. Martin, why Lord of the Rings isn't as idyllic as one might think, and why living in Dune would feel like your worst ever day at the beach. The whole crew of Colleen, Matt, Ed, Callie, Rachel, JP, and y...
Jan 18, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 35
A short announcement about why we are on an unplanned hiatus, plans for the future, and (in happy news) we announce the winner of the prize from CSE Games.
Nov 11, 2017•3 min•Ep. 34
The truth is out there; you can find it by killing off the Gungan. Welcome to the 2017 Halloween Special where Josh, newcomer Lea, and special guest Greg from Rumor Flies talk about the classic series of conspiracies and creatures of the night, The X-Files. Instead of focusing on the mythology (which would require a much longer episode and some aspirin), we're tackling the funniest monster of the week episodes. We don't spoil the mythology of the show, but we do spoil the episodes we discuss. Co...
Oct 26, 2017•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 33
And the Oscar goes to...well, not the nerdy films. For most of the history of the Academy Awards, nerdy genre films haven't got the love they so richly deserved. Josh and Colleen look to rectify these omissions with the help of special guest Steve from the OscarWatch Podcast as they discuss which nerdy films were most overlooked at the Academy Awards. Find out which classic horror film almost won two Razzies, why 2001 wasn't nominated for Costume Design, and why the Academy wanted to rescind the...
Oct 19, 2017•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 32
Whether it's tabletop, board, or in a video form, gaming is more than just a hobby. It's become an art unto itself. We at BNQ believe gaming deserves its own Mt. Rushmore. Callie, Ed, Matt, and Josh enlist the help of board gaming developer Fabio Del Rio to determine the four figures who most belong on the hallowed mountain of gaming. We guarantee you'll learn some interesting factoids as we dive deep into the limelights of all kinds of gaming. Big Nerdy Recommendation: Photosynthesis (Board Gam...
Oct 05, 2017•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 31
"The only question I ever thought was hard/was do I like Kirk/or do I like Picard?" -Weird Al Yankovic Welcome to the 50th Episode of BNQ! With a full panel consisting of Sarah, Ed, JP, Colleen, Matt, Josh, special guests Jay Sandlin and Orie from Dragon Fruit and a special appearance from Dr. Leah Brahms and Lt. Nuno from The Replicated Hat Podcast, this is the biggest BNQ to date. We discuss the timeless question of Star Trek: Kirk or Picard? Find out which captain most resembles General MacAr...
Sep 18, 2017•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 30
Have you ever finished a book or comic and thought, "Gee, this really ought to be a movie!"? We certainly have--and it's time to tell you which book and comic heroes deserve the silver screen treatment. This week, Josh, Matt, and Ed go through the best of fantasy, science fiction, Marvel, and DC Comics and name the characters who are waiting for their close up, Mr. Spielberg. By the way, this is episode 49. Next week, expect something special. Big Nerdy Recommendation: The Cat Who Series by Lill...
Sep 07, 2017•58 min•Ep. 29
Josh doesn't watch anime yet. Luckily, Matt, Rachel, and Ed (filling in as guest host) will rectify this situation. They present nine recommendations for gateway animes, including three series that are guaranteed appropriate for kids and parents to watch together. As Matt says at the beginning of this episode, even if it's something weird from Japan, that doesn't mean it's not awesome. Big Nerdy Recommendation: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Theme song credit: "Adventure Meme" Kevin MacLeod (incompete...
Aug 31, 2017•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 28
Alternate realities: the spaces where the characters and histories we know are twisted into something not quite recognizable. This week, we put on our evil goatees as we analyze our favorite alternate realities and histories. On the panel we have Ed, JP, Matt, and Josh. We also welcome acclaimed author Jay Sandlin to BNQ to discuss his alternate history Outbreak Mutiny. Jay is a bona fide nerd and an amazing addition to the BNQ Roundtable. If you happen to manifest a superpower during the listen...
Aug 24, 2017•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 27
What do you get when you compare a scruffy nerfherder and an ophidiophobiac archaeologist? Well, if you're in Big Nerdy Headquarters, you get our discussion of who's more badass — Han Solo or Indiana Jones. We compare the two Harrison Ford iconic roles in terms of charisma, resourcefulness, moral code, intelligence, and caliber of victories. Which hero will reign supreme? Join Ed, Matt, Kenneth, and Josh to find out. Don't worry: No Crystal Skulls were used in the production of this episode. Has...
Aug 10, 2017•51 min•Ep. 26
