Advertise on podcast: Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

It's one of the oldest urban legends in Hollywood.  Was James Dean's Porsche actually cursed?  And where did the car go? Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

In 2001, one of Disneylands most beloved attractions, the Haunted Mansion, was visited by the Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington, and the holidays would never be the same again.  But why doesn't Disney World receive this festive seasonal overlay?  And what lengths did imagineers have to go to make this crossover possible in the first place?   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

In this haunting episode, Host Brenda talks about one of the oldest video game Urban Legends, the Curse of Evil Otto, and shares the real life stories that inspired it.  Then, Host Brenda talks about digital cryptids and one creepy creature that gave her for real goosebumps!  Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

In the 90's, right in the middle of "mummy-mania" an action cartoon featuring super powered mummies protecting the reincarnation of a child pharaoh should have been a sure-fire hit, right?  That's what everyone working on it thought, and honestly, they should have been right.  So what happened?   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

In the 80's when Universal Studios Orlando was just in the planning stages, it only made sense to base one of the rides off of the first ever summer blockbuster:  JAWS.  But making a ride where a 25 foot animatronic shark jumps out of the water to attack a real boat of real people is easier said than done.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

Today Host Austin and Host Brenda are joined by comedian, television writing, and hopefully soon to be best-selling author Joey Clift to talk about that lasagna-loving orange cat, Garfield.   Pre-Order Joey's Book "We've Been Here the Whole Time!  A not-so-sacred Guide to All Things Native America" Here! And find Joey on social media:   https://www.instagram.com/joeycliiiiiift/ https://bsky.app/profile/joeytainment.bsky.social Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

How does a simple carpet pattern come to be known and loved by thousands of convention attendees?  When the Atlanta Mariott made the decision to replace their aging hotel carpet in 2015, they had no idea how important it was to a whole community, and how far people would go to keep its memory alive.    Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

The greatest themepark in the United States isn't Disneyworld.  It isn't Cedar Point.  It's Dollywood, a family run passion project born from the remains of a defunct railway.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

In the wake of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Turkish citizens found a new way to make their voices heard:  Cinema.  Despite extreme poverty in a nation that was cut off from the rest of the world, Turkish filmmakers found a way to make movies using what they had on hand.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

We've still got ducks on the brain it seems.  This week, Host Brenda tells the long story of Duck, or Donald, or Puddles, the Oregon University Mascot.  It has something to do with Nerd Stuff we swear!  Walt Disney is involved!     "I Found Oregon's Lost Mascot RoboDuck" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GziJMqZKXts Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

The tween sitcom is something that came and went in the blink of an eye.  But how did this genre get started, and what happened to it?   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

Michigan was experiencing some of the worst air quality in the world this week, so here is a rerun of a classic SHONM episode for your enjoyment! In 1976, disgraced wallstreet investor Eugene Mullvihill opened the infamous Action Park in Vernon New Jersey.  It would turn out to be a lawless place full of drunken poorly trained teens, a deadly wave pool, and the world's first, and last, looping waterslide.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

CLAMP is an absolutely legendary group of all female Manga creators known for classics such as Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits and xxxHolic.  But how did this group of women come together?  And what the hell does "CLAMP" even mean? Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries

In the modern day, we're so used to being advertised to, that an ad in our favorite films doesn't even phase us anymore.  However, the history of product placement and film might be more intertwined than you think, and while it wasn't the first, the film, E.T. definitely played important part in shaping advertising in movies as we know it today.   Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmysteries