Locals Embrace Nerd Culture with New Podcast

Written and reported by Judy Davids.

If your life spins around comic books, Pokemon cards or a Pez dispenser collection, a crew of locals hope you'll give their podcast revolving around nerd culture a listen.

Kat Ruff, who plays the children's card game Pokemon and works at Warp 9 in Clawson, is the co-host of the Not So Cool Kids podcast with four friends. Brent Brozek, 40, collects DC Superhero action figures; Kelcie Banas is the cult and horror film expert; Michael Lomas is the comic book expert and Brian Titus reads graphic novels.

Titus decided to start the podcast after losing his marketing and public relations job earlier this year.

"We call ourselves the Not So Cool Kids because, you know, there was that table at high school that all the not so cool kids sat at, and that's kind of what we do every Thursday or Friday," Titus said.

The Not So Cool Kids have produced ten episodes so far, all of which are free to watch or listen to the audio. 

The episodes contain segments called 'Cinefile,' or a movie review, 'Collectors Corner' where the hosts or guests share something they collect and something called 'Versus.'

"Versus is where we take two random people from fiction or the nonfiction universe - Abraham Lincoln versus Captain America, then we just talk about who would win," Titus said. 

For more information on the Not So Cool Kids Podcast, find them online at notsocoolkidspodcast.wix.com/notsocoolkids or watch the episodes here.

Where to 'get your nerd on' around Clawson

"A nerd is someone who is really passionate about something that most people do not think is cool," Brozek said. 

1. Lift Designer Toys & Gallery, 228 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak: This store carries unique toys, collectibles, art, shirts and other items that you won't find in your average toy shop. 
2. Warp 9, 21 W. 14 Mile Rd.: Warp 9 is a comic book heaven, filled with thousands of comics, ranging from 50 cents to $500, and include some classic issues dating back to the early 1940s and '50s.
3. Flipside Records, 41 E. 14 Mile Rd.: Established in 1983, Flipside Records is loaded with vinyl records, CDs, video games and other collectibles.  From classic vinyls such as the Beatles to Xbox 360 games, Flipside has all of your entertainment needs. 
4. Thomas Video, 4732 Rochester Rd., Royal Oak: Thomas Video is an individual video store that carries a variety of foreign films including Norwegian, Dutch and Swedish films for movie geeks.
5. UHF, 512 S. Washington, Royal Oak: "Collecting vinyl is a big geek thing," Brozek said. UHF offers vintage, new and re-released vinyl LPs. In addition to its musical selection, this store also sells vintage audio equipment, record players, posters, magazines and pop-culture novelties.

Nicole Krawcke contributed to this story.