Frantic Nerdcast

The lads are back for another rambling journey through the chaotic world of nerd culture. In Episode 117, Zachary recounts his trip to the brand-new Grindzone TCG brick-and-mortar storefront in Brookvale before the conversation shifts to the corporate blunder of the week: EB Games. The guys break down the retailer's baffling statement defending their inflated Pokémon 30th Anniversary pre-order prices as an "anti-scalping strategy".
Following a tragic, sudden loss in the local acting community, the crew pays tribute to the iconic New Zealander (whom Australia proudly claims), Sam Neill, sharing their ultimate favorite performances from Event Horizon to Merlin.
Finally, things get dark and moody as the team unloads a massive list of the most shocking, heartbreaking fictional deaths across pop culture history. Whether it's the heartbreaking exit of Gambit in X-Men '97, the traumatic execution of Ned Stark, the ultimate anime tragedy of Nina Tucker, or the brutal loss of Dom in Gears of War, no tear duct is left safe.
They wrap things up with quick thoughts on Enola Holmes 3, the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle, Absolute Batman, and a highly controversial debate comparing Heath Ledger's roles in A Knight's Tale and The Dark Knight.
To grab your physical copy of Monsters at War for $25 AUD, hit up store@franticnerdcast.com, and don't forget to join the community on the official Discord!

The boys are back for Episode 116, and Zach is kicking things off with a massive rant about the absolute disaster that was the Pokémon 30th Anniversary pre-order drop. From major Australian retailers testing the waters with scalper-level pricing to website crashes forcing collectors to check out one item at a time, it was a total mess.
Once the rage settles, the guys dive into a massive pop culture breakdown. They dissect the new Dune Part 3 trailer, theorizing on how the film will blend Dune Messiah and Children of Dune, before pivoting to the anime world to discuss the insane premise of Zombie Land Saga and the upcoming One Piece remake. The crew also reviews the new Supergirl movie, hits a frustrating storytelling wall in their Smallville rewatch, breaks down The Legend of Vox Machina season 3 finale, and chats about the latest updates to Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Wrap it all up with a lightning round of geek news—including a Lego Dragon Ball Z leak, a bizarre Fallout reality show announcement, and a massive anime piracy bust—plus updates on their own card game, Monsters at War.

In Episode 115, the boys sit down to rant about the state of next-gen gaming and celebrate the golden era of cinema.
We kick things off by venting our frustrations over Sony and the push toward disc-less, all-digital consoles. Between inflated store prices, mandatory multi-gigabyte day-one updates, and upcoming AI-driven hardware shortages, are modern consoles shooting themselves in the foot? We break down why the plug-and-play magic of old consoles is officially dead.
Next, we open up the vault for a massive nostalgia trip through the best (and most obscure) movies of the 80s and 90s. We bypass the massive blockbusters to highlight the cult classics that defined our youth—ranging from The Mighty Ducks trilogy, The Sandlot, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, to left-field horror-comedies like Idle Hands and Puppet Master 4.
Plus, we celebrate some massive wins for the Monsters of War universe, give a shoutout to our mates at Grindzone TCG in Sydney, and check in on AJ's elusive fifth canvas.
Want to play our home-grown card game? Order your copy of Monsters of War for $25 AUD by emailing store@franticnercast.com.

With Brock out traveling the wilderness this week, the dynamic duo teams up to deliver a jam-packed episode of nerdy deep dives. The guys kick things off with a countdown to PAX Australia before losing their minds over Stonemaier Games' newly announced title, Duel of Melok—an ambitious asymmetrical game allowing Scythe and Expeditions systems to battle head-to-head.
Then, they step into the designer shoes to pitch how iconic anime IPs like Dr. Stone and One Piece could naturally fit complex resource management and dungeon-crawling board game systems without just being cheap reskins. Finally, they step into the screening room for a massive retro discussion on the greatest animated feature films that have absolutely zero affiliation with Disney or Pixar. They cover everything from the brutal heartbreak of The Land Before Time and the legendary rock soundtrack of the original Transformers movie to absolute anime milestones like Akira, Ninja Scroll, and Evangelion.
Plus, get an update on Zach’s Diddy Kong Racing streams and find out how you can buy the crew's homegrown tabletop game, Monsters at War!

In this episode we chat, Masters of the Universe, Mortal Kombat II, Michael, Send Help, Pokemon Giveaway and much much more.

Welcome to Episode 112 of the Frantic Nerdcast! Brock is back and recovered from the family sickness, and we are diving headfirst into a massive week of TCG drama, book reviews, tabletop gaming, and a heavy dose of TV nostalgia. In this episode, we go on a much-needed rant about the absolute chaos surrounding recent Pokémon TCG drops (seriously, pick your act up, community!) and look ahead to the highly controversial "futuristic" 30th-anniversary celebration set. We also break down why the first half of Warhammer 40k's 'False Gods' is a massive slog, review the illegal VR world of 'Monster Hunt New York', and preview the upcoming print-and-play TCG Kickstarter 'Cataclysm Arcade'. Finally, we skip the intro by doing a full tier list of our TOP 5 FAVORITE TV show intros of all time! Let us know in the comments: What is your absolute favorite TV show theme intro?

Welcome to episode 111 of the Frantic Nerdcast! This week, we’re diving deep into our current reads, watches, and gaming obsessions. We discuss the latest in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, our thoughts on Monster Hunter NYC, and get hyped for the new X-Men '97 season 2 trailer. Plus, we’re talking all things TCG, including the exciting Cataclysm Arcade Kickstarter and a major giveaway announcement with Grind Zone TCG! We also break down our latest watch, the Netflix series The Burrows, and catch up on Clarkson’s Farm season 5.

We hit Episode 110! This week on the Frantic Nerdcast, the boys are celebrating two and a half years of broadcasting by diving headfirst into a massive week of tabletop, book, and screen media.
First up, Brock accepts a challenge and begins the notorious name-dumping slog of the Warhammer 40k Horus Heresy books, while simultaneously tearing through the back half of Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 8.
Then, it's screen time. We share our thoughts on the premiere of Spider-Man Noir on Prime Video—explaining why it's gorgeous for cinema nerds but potentially a total snooze-fest for comic book fans. We also chat about our recent watch of Ready or Not 2, check in on a mid-2000s rewatch of Smallville, and discuss Jon Bernthal's return in The Punisher.
On the tabletop front, we preview the massive Wheel of Time: War of the Dragon board game on Kickstarter, talk about a custom push-your-luck dice game called Biscuits, and highlight our upcoming gameplay video for the highly thematic Godzilla TCG.
Finally, we run through the recent Crunchyroll Anime Awards triumphs (did My Hero Academia deserve the win over DanDaDan?) and lose our minds over the insane 2026 theatrical release calendar.
Don't forget to check out our YouTube channel for our brand new Diddy Kong Racing playthrough starting this Monday!

Welcome back to another frantic episode! In Episode 109 of the Frantic Nerdcast, we are diving deep into the massive television finales, upcoming gaming news, and the latest drops in the Trading Card Game (TCG) world.
First up, we are breaking down the action-packed release of Devil May Cry Season 2 from Adi Shankar. From the jaw-dropping Virgil vs. Dante fights to that incredible, heavy-hitting soundtrack featuring Papa Roach and Korn, we talk about why this show absolutely slaps (and our few gripes with the demon forms).
Next, we shift gears to the chaotic and controversial series finale of The Boys Season 5. We look at how Homelander's ultimate showdown compared to the original comic book ending, Black Noir's fate, and what Butcher’s crowbar moment means for the franchise. Finally, we’re talking all things TCG and board games!
We cover the launch of Pokémon: Chaos Rising and its wild pull rates, give our thoughts on the upcoming Cataclysm RK single-booster TCG, check out the free-to-play digital port of Altered TCG, and review a hidden $15 Kmart find: Catan on the Road.
Plus, updates on our massive $500 Pokémon Card Giveaway ending soon!
If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to Like, Share, and Subscribe to help get our numbers up!
Drop a comment below letting AJ know what Pokémon he should paint next!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Welcome back to Ep. 109 & Ocarina of Time Jump Scares
02:00 - Catan on the Road Review ($15 Kmart Board Game)
04:45 - Warhammer Horus Heresy Audiobooks Challenge
08:15 - PAX Australia News: World of Warcraft Executive Producer Holly Longdale
11:00 - New TCGs: Cataclysm RK Kickstarter & Altered TCG goes Free-To-Play
15:35 - Sydney Comic-Con & Carl Urban Rumors
20:00 - Pokemon Chaos Rising Pull Rates & Quality Control Drama
25:27 - Devil May Cry Season 2 Review (Adi Shankar, Dante vs Virgil)
37:00 - The Boys Season 5 Finale Spoilers & Comic Book Comparison
55:30 - AJ's Gengar Painting & Diddy Kong Racing vs Mario Kart 64
01:01:00 - Batman: Gotham City Crimes Board Game & Nerd News Rumors
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In this weeks Episode, the team talks 2 Player Boardgames and which ones you should get.
Aj Chats the new HBO Show Rooster, starring Steve Carrell and also the new Prime show Young Sherlock.
Aj Shows of his latest Pokémon painting, which is part of his 151 Pokémon painting challenge.
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