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. 5D AGO

    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 Prince Naveen and Flynn Rider to Hercules, Aladdin, and the Beast, we rank, debate, disagree loudly, and absolutely overthink animated men. Along the way, we talk emotional growth, healthy partnerships, why “nice” is not the same as good, and how Disney accidentally taught a generation what to expect (and what not to tolerate) in romance. This episode is opinionated, chaotic, affectionate, and exactly as unserious as ranking fictional princes should be. 👑🔥 Guest IG Handles:Kevin — @kjeezy87Shawney — @shawneyhavokRyan — @ryeorioSolving for X — @solvingforx.xmen.tas Follow the PodInstagram: @upyournerdcredpodListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major platforms.Watch on YouTube. Host: @ciracdavisCo-host: @amdiazart Support the show / bonus content:https://www.patreon.com/UpYourNerdCredPod Hashtags#UpYourNerdCred, #UpYourNerdCredPod, #Podcast, #Podcasts, #PodcastLife, #PodcastRecommendations, #NewPodcast, #PopCulturePodcast, #NerdPodcast, #GeekPodcast, #Disney, #DisneyPodcast, #DisneyAdults, #DisneyFans, #DisneyCommunity, #DisneyPrinces, #PrinceCharming, #FlynnRider, #PrinceNaveen, #Kristoff, #LiShang, #Aladdin, #Hercules, #BeautyAndTheBeast, #TheBeast, #Mulan, #Tangled, #PrincessAndTheFrog, #Animation, #AnimatedMovies, #FilmPodcast, #MoviePodcast, #PopCulture, #NerdCulture, #GeekCulture, #QueerNerds, #LGBTQPodcast, #QueerPodcast, #XMenTas, #SolvingForX

    44 min

  2. JAN 30

    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 down the different eras of Disney princes, what makes a “good” prince versus a functional one, and whether increased involvement actually strengthens (or undermines) the princesses’ agency. From early fairy-tale stand-ins to modern, ride-or-die partners, this conversation goes places. So maybe put some headphones in during the Heated Rivalry discussion... 👀 GuestsKevin: https://www.instagram.com/kjeezy87/Shawney: https://www.instagram.com/shawneyhavok/Ryan: https://www.instagram.com/ryeorio/Solving for X Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/solvingforx.xmen.tas/HostsUp Your Nerd Cred Pod: https://www.instagram.com/upyournerdcredpod/CiCi: https://www.instagram.com/ciracdavis/AM Diaz: https://www.instagram.com/amdiazart/Support the ShowJoin the Patreon for bonus content, solo scripts, and behind-the-scenes access:https://www.patreon.com/c/UpYourNerdCredPod Also available in podcast form on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major platforms. Hashtags#UpYourNerdCred, #UpYourNerdCredPod, #Disney, #DisneyPrinces, #DisneyAdults, #DisneyPodcast, #Podcast, #PopCulturePodcast, #NerdPodcast, #GeekPodcast, #Animation, #DisneyAnimation, #DisneyHistory, #DisneyRenaissance, #Cinderella, #SnowWhite, #SleepingBeauty, #TheLittleMermaid, #Mulan, #HerculesDisney, #Aladdin, #Tangled, #Frozen, #PrinceCharming, #PrinceEric, #PrincePhilip, #FlynnRider, #Kristoff, #PrinceHans, #FilmDiscussion, #AnimationDiscussion

    1 hr

  3. JAN 23

    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 Millennial nerd culture, from the Hanna-Barbera–dominated Saturdays of the 70s and early 80s to the crowded, competitive cartoon ecosystems of the 90s—and finally to the slow decline of Saturday morning cartoons in the early 2000s. We explore: How Saturday morning cartoon blocks were structured across ABC, CBS, Fox Kids, Kids’ WB, and cableWhy opportunity cost mattered when you could only watch one network at a timeHow deregulation helped turn cartoons into toy-driven storytelling machinesThe difference between Disney’s family-friendly blocks, Fox Kids’ action-heavy lineup, and Kids’ WB’s Looney-Tunes-coded chaosWhy shows like X-Men, Batman: The Animated Series, Animaniacs, and Power Rangers hit differently depending on where you watched themHow reruns, VCRs, and eventually the internet reshaped how kids consumed mediaWe also talk about: Hanna-Barbera’s massive cultural influence—and why it eventually fadedWhy cartoon morals were sometimes subtle… and sometimes aggressively obviousHow shows like G.I. Joe, He-Man, She-Ra, and Care Bears shaped how entire generations think about justice, power, and protecting othersWhy nostalgia for these cartoons still hits so hard—and why it keeps getting rebootedIf you grew up with cereal bowls, bunny-ear antennas, and strong opinions about which channel you watched on Saturday mornings, this episode is absolutely for you. Follow us📸 Instagram: @UpYourNerdCredPod🎙️ CiCi: @ciracdavis🎨 AM Diaz: @AMDiazArt Support the pod💖 Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UpYourNerdCredPod #UpYourNerdCred, #SaturdayMorningCartoons, #90sNostalgia, #80sNostalgia, #CartoonHistory, #NerdCulture, #GeekCulture, #ToyCommercials, #HannaBarbera, #FoxKids, #KidsWB, #BatmanTAS, #XMenAnimatedSeries, #Animaniacs, #PowerRangers, #GIJoe, #SheRa, #CareBears, #MillennialNostalgia, #GenXNostalgia, #PopCultureHistory, #ComicBookCulture, #AnimationHistory, #CartoonNetwork, #Nickelodeon

    1h 3m

  4. JAN 16

    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 strategies didn’t just sell toys. They shaped nostalgia, spending habits, and fandom itself. We introduce the concept of “toyetic” media, explore how 1980s deregulation transformed cartoons into sales engines, and examine the psychological tactics—eye contact, scarcity, completionism—that made marketing to children extraordinarily effective. From cereal aisles to toy aisles to long-term IP control, this episode looks at how marketing, psychology, and media converged in ways we’re still reckoning with today. Joining the discussion is Anscia Terelle, marketing strategist and community-builder, to talk about ethical marketing, storytelling, representation, and why legacy marketing institutions left enormous amounts of money on the table by focusing too narrowly on a single demographic for far too long. Find Us OnlineInstagram: @upyournerdcredpodCici: @ciracdavisAnscia Terrelle :@ansciaterelleSources & Further ReadingThe following sources informed the research and discussion in this episode: Lundy, Jonathan (2021). Toying with Identity: Adult Toy Collectors, Material Fandom, and Generational Media Audiences. Drexel University Dissertationhttps://researchdiscovery.drexel.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/Toying-with-Identity/991016053429804721/filesAndLinks?index=0Hastings Communications & Entertainment Law Journal — Children, Advertising, and Regulationhttps://repository.uclawsf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1450&context=hastings_comm_ent_law_journalAmerican Psychological Association — Advertising to Childrenhttps://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/advertising-children.pdfHistory.com — How 1980s Deregulation Turned Cartoons into Toy Adshttps://www.history.com/articles/80s-cartoons-toy-ads-deregulationCornell Food & Brand Lab (2014) — Eye Contact, Trust, and Cereal Mascotshttps://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2419182#UpYourNerdCred, #MarketingPsychology, #Toyetic, #MediaStudies, #NostalgiaMarketing, #80sCartoons, #90sKids, #MillennialCulture, #GenX, #PopCultureAnalysis, #AdvertisingHistory, #FandomCulture, #MediaLiteracy, #RepresentationMatters, #MarketingNerds

    53 min

  5. JAN 9

    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 freedom and others a box, this episode is about imagination, identity, and why nostalgia hits harder than people want to admit. Joining us this week is the absolutely fabulous London Villamayor, official cosplayer for The Uncanny Experience, longtime Power Rangers fan, She-Ra devotee, Barbie icon, and true mistress of shapeshifting. We get into what it means to grow up loving toys that didn’t always love you back-and how reclaiming them as adults can be powerful as hell. In the B-segment, we dig into: -He-Man, She-Ra, and the aggressively gay leather vibes of 80s fantasy -Power Rangers, tokenization, and how kids learned to sort each other into boxes -Why Barbie worked differently than most “boy toys”-and still does -How imagination, not branding, is what actually sticks with us -Why representation in toys isn’t “extra,” it’s foundational GuestLondon Villamayor Official Cosplayer-The Uncanny Experience All socials-@LondonHeartsU (L-O-N-D-O-N-H-E-A-R-T-S + the letter U) HostsCC (Casual Nerd Host)-@ciracdavis AM Diaz (Expert Nerd Host)-@AMDiazArt or @amds_art Support the PodWe now have a Patreon. If you like what we’re building and want to support the show (or just want bonus nonsense), check the link in the show notes. Where to ListenListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. If you enjoyed the episode, rate, review, and subscribe-it helps a lot. Episode Hashtags#UpYourNerdCred #Podcast #NerdCulture #PopCulture #Toys #80sKids #90sKids #SaturdayMorningCartoons #Nostalgia #RepresentationMatters #BlackGirlMagic #TransJoy #LGBTQ #QueerNerds #Cosplay #TheUncannyExperience #HeMan #SheRa #MastersOfTheUniverse #PrincessOfPower #PowerRangers #MightyMorphinPowerRangers #SuperSentai #MyLittlePony #Barbie #Mattel #Hasbro #KenyaDoll #Dolls #ActionFigures #ToyCollectors #Fandom #GeekTok #NerdTok

    1h 9m

  6. 12/26/2025

    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 the episode where Wally West’s disappearance actually matters, where memory becomes a superpower, and where DC finally has to confront what happens when you erase generational heroes. Whether your Flash is Jay, Barry, Wally, Bart, or Ace — this episode makes the case that legacy isn’t optional. It’s the engine. What We CoverBarry Allen’s return and why it destabilizes the DC timeline (again)Flashpoint and the catastrophic butterfly effectWhy the New 52 erased legacy heroes — and why that failedWally West being written out of existenceTrauma, memory, and identity in DC RebirthThe Speed Force as connection, not just powerSanctuary and why Heroes in Crisis remains controversialWally West’s return — and why it works emotionallyBart Allen, Young Justice, and generational restorationAce West and what it means to inherit a stabilized Flash legacy Up Your Nerd Cred is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Instagram: @UpYourNerdCredPodCiCi: @ciracdavisAM: @AMDiazArt Support the pod on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/UpYourNerdCredPod #UpYourNerdCred, #TheFlash, #DCComics, #Flashpoint, #DCRebirth, #New52, #WallyWest, #BarryAllen, #JayGarrick, #BartAllen, #AceWest, #SpeedForce, #ComicsPodcast, #NerdPodcast, #ComicBookLore, #SuperheroLegacy, #Multiverse, #TimelineChaos, #DCMultiverse

    59 min

  7. 12/22/2025

    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 Flash, and how the Speed Force became the backbone of modern Flash mythology. Then we get into the most chaotic redhead time-disaster in the family tree: Bart Allen (Impulse/Kid Flash II)— the grandson-from-the-future who makes “no impulse control” look like a mission statement. We talk Titans, Young Justice, Infinite Crisis fallout, the Rogues going off-script, and why the Flash legacy always comes with trauma and heart. Also: holiday banter, pop culture tangents, and the universal truth that if you can convince a Flash to sit still, you can convince anybody to do anything. In this episode:Crisis on Infinite Earths— why DC tried to “streamline” the multiverseWally West’s imposter syndrome arc (and why many of us grew up with him as The Flash)The Speed Force— what it is, why it matters, and why it’s kinda sentient (allegedly)Bart Allen/Impulse— hyper-aging, chaos energy, and becoming Kid FlashYoung Justice → Teen Titans → crisis-level consequencesContent notes: Strong language and adult humor. Follow us:Instagram: @upyournerdcredpodCiCi: @ciracdavisAM: @AMDiazArtSupport the show:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UpYourNerdCredPod #UPYOURNERDCRED, #COMICSPODCAST, #DCOMICS, #THEFLASH, #FLASHFAMILY, #WALLYWEST, #KIDFLASH, #BARTALLEN, #IMPULSE, #SPEEDFORCE, #CRISISONINFINITEEARTHS, #INFINITECRISIS, #FINALCRISIS, #TEENTITANS, #YOUNGJUSTICE, #JUSTICELEAGUE, #DCMULTIVERSE, #COMICBOOKLORE, #GEEKPODCAST, #NERDCULTURE, #COMICBOOKHISTORY, #SUPERHEROES, #POPCULTURE

    57 min

  8. 12/12/2025

    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 then jump to Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash who helped revive superhero comics… and also helped kick off DC’s whole “wait, what timeline are we on?” problem. We talk: Why Jay Garrick matters (and why DC didn’t actually let him disappear)The Justice Society vs the Justice League vibesBarry Allen’s “science era” origin (lightning + chemicals = speed, apparently)The Flash rogues being a whole community (with a moral code??)How the Flash family is basically built for legacy… and continuity chaosAnd yes: we tease the mystery redheaded child, but you have to come back for Part 2 for that. Follow us:Follow us on Instagram @UpYourNerdCredPod.CiCi is @ciracdavis and AM is @amdiazart.We’re on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UpYourNerdCredPod #UpYourNerdCred, #UpYourNerdCredPod, #TheFlash, #Flash, #DCComics, #DCUniverse, #DCEU, #DCU, #JamesGunn, #Supergirl, #SupergirlWomanOfTomorrow, #Krypto, #JayGarrick, #BarryAllen, #GrantGustin, #JusticeSociety, #JusticeSocietyOfAmerica, #JSA, #JusticeLeague, #JusticeLeagueOfAmerica, #JLA, #Multiverse, #DCMultiverse, #CrisisOnInfiniteEarths, #ComicsCodeAuthority, #CCA, #ComicBooks, #ComicBookPodcast, #NerdPodcast, #GeekPodcast, #PopCulturePodcast, #ComicsExplained, #ComicBookLore, #DCCharacters, #SpeedForce, #TheRogues, #CaptainCold, #MirrorMaster, #WeatherWizard, #HeatWave, #GorillaGrodd, #IrisWest, #ForensicScience, #Superheroes, #NerdCulture, #Podcast, #YouTubePodcast, #SpotifyPodcast, #ApplePodcasts, #PodcastersOfYouTube, #ComicTok, #NerdTok, #GeekTok

    47 min
See All (34)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Casual Host CiCi, Expert Host AM Diaz
  • Show Website
    Up Your Nerd Cred