New year, new format, new episode! This week, we ask the question “Is it ok to be a fan of bad things?”. Disregarding what _bad_ means, we dig into: * Solidarity in fans of bad media * Bad media as a metaphor for life * Bad media as a references for good media And a lot more! All in under 30 minutes! ## Where can I get updates? If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered: * Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological) * Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic) And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)). Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com) ## What is Fanthropological? Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation! We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture. ## Who are you? We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick. We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans. If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]). ## Credits * [Trouble in Watertown](https://sonic25.ocremix.org/) ...
What kind of obscure lore will we unearth about Sonic "the" Hedgehog (Or is it Sonic "Maurice" Hedgehog)? Only time will tell, unless you're too slow! Fortunately, we have special guest Matt (AKA SonicMTD) to help us out! And that wraps up Season 8! Join us in a few short weeks as we return with the beginning of Season 9! What changes will occur? How rad will our beards be? Do people say rad anymore? In any case, the episodes will keep on coming, they just won't be live until we're back. So until next time... we'll see you next time! ## Where can I learn more about Matt (AKA SonicMTD)? If you'd like to hear more from Matt or check out his work, you're in luck! - His YouTube: https://youtube.com/SonicMTD - His Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonicMTD - His Facebook: https://facebook.com/SonicMTD ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **History and Origins:** > Sonic the Hedgehog is a media franchise created and produced by Sega. It is primarily a video game franchise, centering on a series of speed-based platform games. Sonic, the protagonist, is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with supersonic speed, capable of reaching the speed of sound. Typically, Sonic—usually along with some of his friends, such as Tails, Amy, and Knuckles—must stop antagonist Doctor Eggman's plans for world domination. > > The first game in the series, released in 1991, was conceived by Sega's Sonic Team division after Sega requested a mascot character. Its success spawned many sequels and helped Sega become one of the leading video game companies during the 16-bit era of the early 1990s. > > While the first Sonic games were side-scrolling platform games, later games expanded into other genres, such as Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. The series ...
Who would’ve thought that spinning battle tops could enchant kids and adults alike? And that the franchise has more in common with Transformers than meets the eye? Definitely not us -- listen along as we learn about the fandom that shouts “Let it Rip!” with glee. ## Episode Outline **Topics:** Beyblade as the first anime series that ran up against our budding cynicism, the complexity of the toys, the complexity of the battles, the reality of the tournament scene, Beyblade World Championships, the World Beyblade Organization, adults are fans?, the physical appeal of Beyblades, why does [this guy](https://knowtechie.com/5-tips-and-tricks-that-every-beyblade-player-must-know/) have four apple watches?, Beyblades and bathtubs don’t mix ### Fandom Facts “Beyblade, known in Japan as Explosive Shoot Beyblade, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takao Aoki to promote sales of spinning tops called "Beyblades" developed by Takara Tomy. ... The series focuses on a group of kids who form teams with which they battle one another using Beyblades. … An anime adaptation, also titled Beyblade and spanning 51 episodes, aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from January 8, 2001, to December 24, 2001. The second, Beyblade V-Force, ran for another 51 episodes from January 7, 2002, until December 30, 2002. Beyblade G-Revolution, the third and final adaptation, also spanned 52 episodes (the last two episodes were released together as a double-length special in Japan) and aired from January 6, 2003, until its conclusion on December 29, 2003.” —[Wikipedia - Beyblade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyblade_Burst) * Even though the original series only aired between 2001 to 2003, a sequel, [Beyblade: Metal Fusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyblade:_Metal_Fusion) premiered in 2008 and ran until 2012, a Japanese-Canadian spin-off, [BeyWheelz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeyWheelz), which aired in 2012, and another sequel, [Beyblade Burst](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyblade_Burst), which ran from ...
