Up Your Nerd Cred

Casual Host CiCi, Expert Host AM Diaz
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Animation & Manga
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 3d ago

    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 challenged—wild age gaps and major power imbalances. From the persistent misreading of Lolita and the manipulation at the center of An Education to The Crush, Hard Candy, American Beauty, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, Sabrina, Entrapment, and A View to a Kill, we’re examining who gets treated as responsible, who gets romanticized, and why the adult is still responsible for saying no. We also talk about changing attitudes toward grooming and age-gap relationships, the decline in teen sexual activity and teen birth rates, the disappearance of teen-centered physical spaces, and how predators moving online did not make them disappear—it changed the pipeline. Content note: This episode discusses grooming, child sexual abuse, statutory age differences, exploitation, and teen pregnancy. For a deeper examination of how Lolita has been marketed and culturally misread, listen to Jamie Loftus’s Lolita Podcast. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-lolita-podcast-73899842 Listen to Up Your Nerd Cred on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Follow the podcast on Instagram: @UpYourNerdCredPod Follow CiCi: @ciracdavis Follow AM Diaz: @AMDiaz_art #UpYourNerdCred, #NerdCulture, #PopCulture, #AgeGapRelationships, #GroomingInMedia, #Lolita, #BuffyTheVampireSlayer, #Twilight, #FilmAnalysis, #MediaCriticism, #LovecraftCountry, #Podcast

  2. Aug 3

    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 when the movie finally stops acting embarrassed by the source material. We talk Barbie, Masters of the Universe, millennial wish fulfillment, Ryan Gosling’s Ken doing the most, Barbie as blank slate and cultural pressure cooker, and why a good adaptation does not have to copy every detail to respect the toy box. The question is not “can a toy movie be serious?” The question is whether the people making it understand what made people care in the first place: the play, the camp, the fantasy, the weirdness, and the fact that sometimes the skeleton man simply wants to be evil. Listen on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Follow the pod on Instagram at @UpYourNerdCredPod. Hosted by CiCi and AM Diaz. Follow CiCi at @ciracdavis. Follow AM at @amdiazart. Follow Ben at @theguerrillarep. Learn more about Disrupt Entertainment at disruptentertainment.com. #UpYourNerdCred, #NerdCred, #Toyetic, #ToyMovies, #BarbieMovie, #Barbie, #MastersOfTheUniverse, #HeMan, #Skeletor, #MovieAdaptations, #NerdCulture, #PopCulturePodcast, #Podcast

  3. Jul 20

    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 happens when those adaptations grow up a little. Or at least try to. CiCi, AM, and Ben talk through Captain America 1990 versus Captain America: The First Avenger, the deeply chaotic 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie versus the modern animated Mario movies, the emotional violence of The Transformers: The Movie, Michael Bay’s Transformers, why Megan Fox’s character probably should have been the actual lead, and how The LEGO Movie understood the assignment better than it had any right to. Plus: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Daredevil fanfiction, the problem with being embarrassed by the source material, and why respecting the toy box does not mean copying every piece exactly. Production note: this one is arriving a little later than planned because, between a laptop outage and a basement flood, it took a while to get time to edit. We are still investigating why Xi Jinping wanted to flood CiCi’s basement and ruin her Bowflex specifically [TO WHAT END?], but for now, the episode is here and the toys have been picked up. Part 3 comes tomorrow. Listen on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Follow the pod on Instagram at @UpYourNerdCredPod. Hosted by CiCi and AM Diaz. Follow CiCi at @ciracdavis. Follow AM at @AMDiazArt. Follow Ben at @theguerrillarep. Learn more about Disrupt Entertainment at disruptentertainment.com. #UpYourNerdCred, #NerdCred, #Toyetic, #ToyMovies, #ComicBookMovies, #CaptainAmerica, #SuperMarioBros, #Transformers, #TheLEGOMovie, #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, #TMNT, #MichaelBay, #MeganFox, #MovieAdaptations, #NerdCulture, #PopCulturePodcast, #Podcast

  4. Jul 7

    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 cabinets, comic shelves, and full-blown brand ecosystems. Because here’s the thing: a movie being made to sell toys, games, cards, Happy Meals, action figures, or tickets is not automatically the problem. Sometimes the merch grab is the reason the weird little movie gets made in the first place. The real problem is when the movie is embarrassed by the thing it’s adapting. CiCi and AM talk through the camp, the cash grabs, the practical suits, the arcade chaos, the collectible feelings, the three separate Clue endings, the full-body commitment of Power Rangers, and why “You sunk my Battleship” is not, in fact, a narrative. Plus: why some movies become beloved because they embrace the ridiculousness, while others struggle because brand recognition is doing all the heavy lifting. Listen on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Follow the pod on Instagram at @UpYourNerdCredPod. Hosted by CiCi and AM Diaz. Follow CiCi at @ciracdavis. Follow AM at @amdiazart. #UpYourNerdCred, #NerdCred, #Toyetic, #ToyMovies, #ComicBookMovies, #CareBears, #ClueMovie, #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, #PowerRangers, #MortalKombat, #Pokemon, #BattleshipMovie, #MovieMerch, #NerdCulture, #PopCulturePodcast, #Podcast

  5. Jul 1

    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 everyone connected to the mission, to each other, and to the people they’re supposed to protect? We’re looking at Ma-Ti from Captain Planet, Sailor Moon, Steven Universe, Phil Coulson, the Flash, and Green Arrow to talk about why Heart is not the same thing as weak. Sometimes the Heart is empathy. Sometimes the Heart is cosmic love and purification powers. Sometimes the Heart is the emotional support child who desperately needs therapy. Sometimes the Heart is the person whose loss finally turns a group of powerful people into a team. And sometimes the Heart is an abrasive guy with arrows making sure the Justice League remembers regular people exist. Follow us on Instagram: @UpYourNerdCredPod Follow CiCi: @ciracdavis Follow AM Diaz: @amdiazart Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts. Hashtags: #UpYourNerdCredPod, #NerdCred, #ComicBooks, #Marvel, #DCComics, #CaptainPlanet, #SailorMoon, #StevenUniverse, #JusticeLeague, #KingdomCome, #NerdCulture

  6. Jun 23

    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 why the smartest person on the team still needs a team. From Charles Wallace in A Wrinkle in Time to Dark Mercury in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Kang the Conqueror, Lex Luthor, Beast, the Maker, Doctor Doom, Shuri, Moon Girl, and Riri Williams, we’re talking about what happens when intelligence has no challenge, no community, no accountability, and way too much free time. Because the Brain can build the machine, hack the system, decode the mystery, and save the day — but they also need somebody nearby to say, “You are being very clever, but absolutely not.” This week, we’re asking: is intelligence really the problem, or is it boredom? Is Lex Luthor using Superman as the world’s most expensive enrichment toy? Is Kang just a time-traveling husky with future tech? And why should every superhero team make sure their Brain has friends, projects, snacks, and at least three follow-up questions before they say yes to the plan? In this episode: We talk about the Brain archetype in superhero teams and ensemble storytelling, why Charles Wallace proves intelligence is not the same as wisdom, how Dark Mercury shows that loneliness can make the Brain vulnerable, why Beast and the Maker are basically pent-up huskies with science access, how Kang turns boredom into conquest, why Lex Luthor could help the world but keeps choosing Superman as his hobby, and how Shuri, Moon Girl, and Riri Williams show what happens when young geniuses stay busy. Follow the pod: Instagram, Apple, Spotify, and YouTube: @UpYourNerdCredPod Follow the hosts: CiCi: @ciracdavis AM Diaz: @AMDiazArt #UpYourNerdCred, #UpYourNerdCredPod, #MarvelComics, #DCComics, #ComicBooks, #ComicBookPodcast, #NerdPodcast, #SuperheroPodcast, #BrainTrope, #EnsembleCast, #KangTheConqueror, #LexLuthor, #Superman, #DoctorDoom, #Beast, #TheMaker, #SailorMoon, #PrettyGuardianSailorMoon, #DarkMercury, #AWrinkleInTime, #CharlesWallace, #Shuri, #MoonGirl, #RiriWilliams, #Ironheart, #SuperheroTeams, #NerdCred

  7. Jun 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 teammate making everything worse for fun. A real lancer is trusted opposition: the person who can tell the leader they’re being stupid and still stand beside them when the fight starts. CiCi breaks down the trope through Marco from Animorphs, Hawkeye/Clint Barton from Marvel Comics and the MCU, and Sailor Mars/Rei Hino from Sailor Moon, and ultimately why sometimes the best teammate is the one willing to hurt your feelings for the sake of the mission. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Follow us on Instagram @UpYourNerdCredPod. Follow CiCi at @ciracdavis and AM Diaz at @AMDiaz_art. #UpYourNerdCred, #NerdCred, #MarvelComics, #DCComics, #Animorphs, #MarcoAnimorphs, #Hawkeye, #ClintBarton, #SailorMoon, #SailorMars, #ReiHino, #ComicBooks, #Podcast, #NerdPodcast

  8. Jun 8

    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 the genius should probably not be left alone with a whiteboard and no emotional supervision, and how characters like Reed Richards, The Maker, and Beast show what can happen when brilliance starts outrunning accountability. Then we get into the Heart of the team: the character whose power is empathy, connection, emotional grounding, or, in some cases, extremely dangerous big feelings. From Ma-Ti and Sailor Moon to Jean Grey, Wanda, Nightcrawler, Sokka, and Steven Universe, we look at why “heart” is not a weak role, even if people love pretending it is. Finally, we talk legacy kids: Young Avengers, Robins, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Hawkeye, Hulkling, Wiccan, and the messy question of what it means to inherit a name, reject a legacy, or build your own identity while the original hero is still standing right there. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts. 📲 Follow us on Instagram:@UpYourNerdCredPod @ciracdavis @Amdiaz_art 💬 Got a question you want us to tackle? Drop it in the comments—you might get a shoutout! #UpYourNerdCred, #NerdCred, #ComicBookPodcast, #MarvelComics, #DCComics, #XMen, #FantasticFour, #ReedRichards, #TheMaker, #Beast, #JeanGrey, #ScarletWitch, #WandaMaximoff, #SailorMoon, #CaptainPlanet, #MaTi, #Nightcrawler, #Sokka, #StevenUniverse, #YoungAvengers, #Wiccan, #Hulkling, #KateBishop, #TeenTitans, #Robins, #LegacyHeroes, #SuperheroTeams, #FoundFamily, #NerdCulture, #PodcastRecommendations, #SpotifyPodcasts, #ApplePodcasts, #YouTubePodcasts

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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

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… 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.

Information

  • Creator
    Casual Host CiCi, Expert Host AM Diaz
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Casual Host CiCi, Expert Host AM Diaz
  • Show Website
    Up Your Nerd Cred