Episode 60
Psycho Bob Says

In this turbo-charged transmission from the fur-lined bunker, Shakin Shaner and Psycho Bob the Cat claw into the legend of JJ Armes—the real-life, prosthetic-powered private eye who rewrote the rules of crime-fighting with chrome limbs and desert swagger.
 

From a childhood TNT explosion to parachuting into crime scenes, JJ’s story is part pulp fiction, part Cold War allegory, and all attitude. We decode his wild career busting drug rings, rescuing Marlon Brando’s son, and starring in a CBS pilot that aired once and vanished into myth. Plus, we dig into his 1970s action figure—complete with modular hands and a crime van playset—and explore how merchandising turned JJ into a plastic icon of resilience and rogue justice.

Episode 58
Psycho Bob Says..

Set sail with Shakin’ Shaner and his whiskered first mate Psycho Bob as they chase the spectral sails of the most infamous ghost ship in maritime lore—the Flying Dutchman. This mini-episode of Psycho Bob Says… plunges into stormy seas, cursed captains, and devilish deals that echo across centuries.

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Whether you believe in cursed ships or chalk it up to tricks of light and lore, this episode is a rollicking ride through one of the sea’s most enduring mysteries.

Episode 56
Psycho Bob Says

In this gusty deep dive, Shakin Shaner and Psycho Bob the Cat explore the bizarre and brilliant history of flatulence-as-entertainment. From medieval jesters to Moulin Rouge fart symphonists, this episode proves that passing gas has long been a performance art. Learn about, Saint Augustine’s singing farters and Roland the Farter, who earned land for his annual Christmas toot and literary fart jokes from Chaucer and their deeper cultural meanings. Whether it’s satire, social rebellion, or just good old-fashioned absurdity, this episode celebrates the wind beneath history’s wings.

Episode 54
Psycho Bob Says 

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In this claw-sharp episode of Psycho Bob Says, Shakin Shaner and his purrplexing co-host Psycho Bob the Cat dive whiskers-first into the mystery of the Kensington Rune Stone. Discovered in Minnesota in 1898, this rune-covered slab allegedly links Norse explorers to the heart of North America—centuries before Columbus took his first sail.

Was it a 14th-century Nordic expedition, a 19th-century hoax, or a runic rally for Scandinavian pride? 

Psycho Bob’s verdict? “Whether it’s real or cosplay, it’s clawtastic conspiracy bait.” Is it a rune or a ruse? You decide.

Episode 52
Psycho Bob Says

Join Psycho Bob and Shaner as they discuss the novel, Blood Oath.  Zach Barrows is an ambitious young White House staffer whose career takes an unexpected turn when he's partnered with Nathaniel Cade, a secret agent sworn to protect the President. But Cade is no ordinary civil servant. Bound by a special blood oath, he is a vampire. Cade battles nightmares before they can break into the daylight world of the American dream, enemies far stranger-and far more dangerous-than civilians have ever imagined.

Episode 50
Psycho Bob Says 

Holy Crapadoodle, It's our 50th Episode! In “What's Shakin with Shaner’s episode 21 “Where’s My Jetpack?” We made reference to a possible jet pack appearance on the cover of the August 1928 issue of Amazing Stories. So, bob and I decided to research the magazine and yep, we fell right down the rabbit hole of the archives for all Amazing Stories issues.

Episode 48
Werewolf of Bedburg

Join Shaner and Psycho Bob the Cat as they discuss the case of a supposed werewolf in a remote German farming community. This is a well-documented case from the 1500's and was even referenced in the Exorcist and a Scooby Doo animated movie and the Dresden Files book series.

Episode 46
PAIN

Join Jeremy, Kevin and Shaner as they host the inaugural meeting of People Against Idiotic Nincompoopery (P.A.I.N.). They share their stories about the Agents of STUPID (Sluggsih, Thick-headed, Unthinking, Puerile, Inane, Dunderheads). As a part of the ceremony they must also describe how they, themselves, have been sleeper Agents of STUPID.  Yep, the moronic behavior runs deep with this group.
 

Episode 44
Legends of Pirate Treasure

Psycho Bobber and Shaner discuss pirate treasure. Dive into the rabbit hole with them and hear about the pirates, Captain William Kidd, Olivier Levasseur also known as the Buzzard, Black Sam Bellamy and Amaro Pargo.

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• Did pirates really bury their treasure?

• Have treasure hunters found any? 

• What happened to Captain Kidd's treasure?

• Has Pargo's treasure been found?

Join them to find out!

Episode 42
Dashiell Hammett & the Dain Curse

Join Psycho Bob the Cat and Shaner as they rediscover Dashiell Hammett and discuss the Continental Op, one of the first major hardboiled detectives later developed in such characters as Hammett's own Sam Spade, Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, and others. 

The Dain Curse was published in 1929, but before its publication in book form, it was serialized in Black Mask magazine in 1928 and 1929. The novel is composed of three parts, each concerning different mysteries — Part One, The Dains; Part Two, The Temple; and Part Three, Quesada.

Episode 40
Ancient North America's First City

Join Shaner and Bob as they discuss Poverty Point in northeastern Louisiana. Many archaeologists and scientists consider it as North America’s First City. It lies 15 miles west of the Mississippi River. At 1500 BCE, everywhere else in North America had small villages of about 100 residents, however, Poverty Point had between 4000 and 5000 residents. This was unprecedented at time. 

Episode 38
Psycho Bob Says

n the past few months, the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights have been visible by so many people, other than those in the extreme north. A member of the Nerd Herd, Scott from South Dakota, asked what did ancient civilizations think the northern lights meant? That got me thinking and researching…. 

Join Psycho Bob and Shakin Shaner as they dive into ancient cultures and their beliefs on the Northern Lights. They explore the myths of the Norse, Chinese, Japanese, first nations of North America.

Episode 36
Psycho Bob Says...

Join Bobber and Shaner as they discuss that after the 1st Edition of their fairy tales, the Grimm Brothers  had several of the stories altered such as Snow White’s biological mother became her step-mother and Rapunzel was not pregnant. 

However, certain tales could not just be edited or altered to a fit a less gruesome standard, because they were completely horrific. One such story was “How Some Children Played at Slaughtering.” These were removed after the 1st edition and never published again. 

Episode 34
Psycho Bob Says...

Another 10-minute installment of Psycho Bob Says...Join him and Shaner as they try to answer 3 questions:

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1. Who was Johan Konrad Dipple?

2. Was he the inspiration for Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein?

3. Was he the real-life Dr. Frankenstein?​

Episode 32
Psycho Bob Says...

Psycho Bob and Shaner recommend the book, "The House of Silk," by Anthony Horowitz. This is the first Sherlock Holmes novel to be authorized by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Estate. 

Horowitz has been called one of "the most original and best spy-kids authors of the century" by the New York Times. It is set in London in 1890, and takes place just after the short story, "The Adventure of the Dying Detective." Discover the two intertwined mysteries and why Watson has this manuscript locked away for 100 years.

Episode 30
Psycho Bob Says...

Join Psycho Bob and Shaner as they discover the real meaning and origination of the word Yule! 

They jump into 5th and 6th century references as well as Norse history and sagas to discover that Yule is a reference to a pagan celebration of Odin and the Wild Hunt. Hear how the King of Norway made the significant changes to Yule and why we say it today. 

Episode 28
Psycho Bob Says...

Crystal skulls have been a popular subject appearing in numerous TV shows, novels, and video games. Popular references are the movie, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and the video game Assassin Creed Series.

Join Bobber & Shaner as they discusses the Crystal Skulls and their legacies. There are 4 skulls he will cover and specifically the Mitchell-Hedges Skull.  Is it a real Mesoamerican artifact that can cause visions, cure cancer and take the life of human beings?

Episode 26
Icelandic Sorcery

Join Shaner as he dives head-first into a new rabbit hole and discovers Icelandic Sorcery. He discusses the historical background of Iceland as a nation, the introduction of Christianity, the uniqueness of Iceland magic. 

He really fell deep into this one as he also explains three different Icelandic black books, sorcerers and the execution of witches. One of the bizarre discoveries is the necropants. Yeah, you gotta hear this. 

Episode 24
Blue Beard

Join Shaner as he dives down the rabbit hole of the French fairy tale Blue Beard. He was completely unaware of this tale previously and discovers the horrific murder of seven wives. In this episode, he provides a reading of the fairy tale, explores the literary and psychoanalytical interpretations. He dives down further into the influence of the tale such as the Grimm Brothers story, "Blaubart" and Dickens's "Captain Murderer". Kevin and Jeremy jump in and try to decided is this a fairy tale or a horror story.

Episode 22
Cryptographs, Lost Treasure, & the Beale Papers

Join Shakin Shaner as he discusses his love for cryptographs and lost treasure. It all started with the 1980 ABC Weekend Series, The Gold Bug, an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's short story of the same name.

Join the adventure of looking for Captain Kidd's treasure. Shaner also talks about John Dillinger's lost case of cash, the $375,000 in gold on the Big Horn River and gets deep into the infamous Beale Papers. Is there $43 million hidden in a vault in Virginia?

Episode 20
Psycho Bob Says

In this 10-minute installment, Psycho Bob the Cat & Shakin Shaner explore the films and legacy of special effects and animator Ray Harryhausen. Join them as they discuss "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", "Jason and Argonauts" and "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad."  

Episode 18
Psycho Bob Says

Psycho Bob the Cat is the co-host, producer and engineer of “What’s Shakin With Shaner” and he usually has a lot to say. To give him a bigger voice, we will be releasing 10 minute episodes in between our larger episodes. These installments will be based on topics picked and written by Psycho Bob.

Psycho Bob says “what’s the deal with the half-naked statute of George Washington?”  

Episode 16
Grimm Brothers: A Celebration

Join Shakin Shaner in a celebration of the long lasting legacy of the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. Less well known is the their pioneering scholarly work on a German dictionary, which they began in 1838. Shakin Shaner discusses that their tales were not originally intended for children and goes into detail on a lesser known tale, the Girl without Hands.  

Episode 14
Sandwiched?

Shakin Shaner is joined by Marquis and Tony, fellow sandwich connoisseurs, as they discuss bread and its secret code, the namesake of sandwiches, the first sandwich recipe in America and the great debate of what is and is not a sandwich. 

Episode 12
Who's Soul is Trapped?

Join Shakin Shaner as he discusses mirrors in mythology and attempts to determine who's soul is trapped in the magic mirror in Snow White, the Grimm Brothers story.

Episode 10
Burned fingers, the salmon of knowledge & the heart of Fafnir

Join Shakin Shaner as he discusses the gate control theory of pain and how we instinctively sucked a burned finger. He then heads on a rabbit hole to discuss two mythical heroes and  how they gain their power from sucking a burned finger. Discover the absurdity of this episode.

Episode 8
Meet the Fictitious Five!

 Shakin Shaner is joined by three expert panelists to create a new superhero team....The Fictitious Five.  For some context--this is all in the spirit of the comic books Flaming Carrot and the Mystery Men. 

Episode 6
The Adventures of Jonny Quest with Mike from Comics in the Golden Age.

Shakin Shaner and Mike from Comics in the Golden Age (@ComicsintheGA) let their geek flags fly on the original Adventures of Jonny Quest which aired in 1964!

Episode 4
Movies that Scare Us with Jeff, the Movie Guy.

Shakin Shaner and his friend Jeff discuss monster movies, Hitchcock, 80's slasher movies, alien movies, vampire, zombie, and several other movies that they find scary or disturbing. 

Episode 2
The novel, Ivanhoe

Shakin Shaner and his friend Randy, a fellow book worm, embark on an enthusiastic nerd-in on Ivanhoe. They explore this 200 year old novel. One of the 10 best adventure novels, ever!

Episode 59
Big Trouble in Little China

Shakin Shaner and Psycho Bob hop aboard the Pork Chop Express to revisit John Carpenter’s neon-mystic cult classic. With special guest Stew from the Stew World Order, we unpack this genre-mash love letter—martial arts, horror, comedy—where the “hero” is the sidekick and the best friend saves the day, because its all in the reflexes! Our verdict: Comfort-movie nostalgia meets kung-fu chaos and Carpenter cool.

Episode 57
Princess Olga

In this episode, we dive into the jaw-dropping saga of Princess Olga of Kievan Rus—a royal widow who turned grief into one of the most brutal revenge campaigns in medieval history. After her husband was murdered by the Drevlians, Olga responded with chilling precision: burying emissaries alive, torching bathhouses full of nobles, and burning an entire city using pigeons as incendiary messengers.

And somehow… she became a saint.

Shaner and Psycho Bob the Cat unpack the layers of Olga’s transformation—from vengeful regent to canonized figure—while riffing on the absurdity, brilliance, and brutality of her tactics. It’s history with bite, commentary with claws, and storytelling that doesn’t flinch.

Episode 55
Hong Kong Phooey

Slide into your nostalgia zone and join Shakin Shaner and his wildly unpredictable feline co-host, Psycho Bob the Cat, as they karate-chop their way through the groovy legacy of Hong Kong Phooey. This Saturday morning cult classic may have only run for one season, but its kung-fu spoof, unforgettable theme song (sung by Scatman Crothers himself), and outrageous gadgets left a paw print on pop culture that still makes fans smile.

Special guest Matt Spectro, host of Matt Spectro Through the Multiverse, joins the Nerd Herd to reminisce, riff on trivia (Spot the cat was the real brains, folks!), and unravel why Phooey’s clumsy heroics still resonate with fans decades later. From funky theme song covers to comic book crossovers, this episode is a love letter to quirky Saturday morning glory.

Episode 53
Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe

One man. Nine theories. Zero answers.
Edgar Allan Poe’s death is a tale stranger than fiction—lost days, hallucinations, cryptic whispers, and a name cried into the void: “Reynolds…” In this episode your battery-operated host Shakin Shaner and Psycho Bob the Cat crack open one of literature’s greatest cold cases. Was Poe a victim of political corruption? Poisoned by mercury? Or pulled into the shadows by a scheme so sinister it echoes his own stories? Step into the fog. Follow the clues. Decide for yourself.

Episode 51
CIAs Secret Quest for Mind Control

This episode is based mostly on the book, “Poisoner In Chief” by Stephen Kinzer, published in 2019. During the early period of the Cold War, the CIA became convinced that communists had discovered a drug or technique that would allow them to control human minds. In response, the CIA began its own secret program, called MK-ULTRA, to search for a mind control drug that could be weaponized against enemies. Journalist Stephen Kinzer, who spent several years investigating the program, calls the operation the "most sustained search in history for techniques of mind control."

Episode 49
How Bizarre

Hey Nerd Herd, we are back from an extended break and excited to get this collection of bizarre and odd stories out to you. Join Shaner and Bobber as they discuss the intersection of an outlaw, a physician and politics in Wyoming and then jump to some actual non-lethal proposals considered by the Pentagon. They close it out with a look at animal hybrids and actual research into creating a human animal hybrid. These are truly bizarre.

Episode 47
Where is Buffalo Bill Buried?

Join Psycho Bob & Shaner as they explore a contraversy or Buffalo Bill's final resting spot. Buffalo Bill Cody has been glamorized and criticized for over 100 years because of his role as a government scout, buffalo hunter, and Wild West Show promoter. We are not gonna jump into any of those topics but more specifically, where is he buried? 

Is he buried on Lookout Mountain outside of Denver or on a mountain outside of Cody, WY? 

Episode 45
Harry Houdini Before Congress

Shaner and Bob dive into Harry Houdini testifying before Congress. ​For years, Houdini had worked tirelessly tto debunk mediums who claimed to communicate with the dead. He viewed them as “ghost racketeers,” charlatans conning grieving and vulnerable people out of money. However, one of them even made a chilling prediction about his death, that came true.

Episode 43
Psycho Bob Says

Join Psycho Bob and Shaner as they discuss the Cosmos Club, which was founded in 1878 by the  Civil War soldier, Grand Canyon explorer and scientist John Wesley Powell. Powell and the other original members envisioned the club, located in the nation’s capital, as a nexus of thought and action. 

Among its stated goals is, "The advancement of its members in science, literature, and art and also their mutual improvement by social intercourse." Should Bobber and Shaner apply for membership? They think they meet the criteria!

Episode 41
Psycho Bob Says

Join Psycho Bob and Shaner as they discuss and recommend the Netflix series, the Blue-Eye Samurai. They say, Holy Crapadoodle its awesome and they are not kitten.

In 17th-century Japan, when borders are closed to the outside world, citizens would never see a face that was not Japanese, except in rare cases of illegal trade. Our hero, Mizu, knows there were only four white men in Japan at the time of her birth and sets off to kill these men, one of whom might be her father, who made her a “creature of shame.” But revenge is not an option for women, so Mizu must forge her revenge quest while hiding her gender as well as her blue eyes. 

Episode 39
Psycho Bob Says

Join Bobber and Shaner as they discuss Shawn Inmon's book, Kradak the Champion.
 

They call him Kradak, but his friends call him Steve.He’s big and strong – an actor who plays a hero named Kradak in a series of B-movies. When Rista and Grint come through the portal from Arkana, they don’t understand what a movie is. They think Steve truly is Kradak the Champion. They kidnap him and take him back to Arkana to help them save their world. Once they discover the truth, it is too late. The portal is closed. Steve needs to become a hero. The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance.

Episode 37
Robin Hood Men in Tights

Stew from the Stew World Order podcast, joins Shaner as they discuss the 1993 Mel Brooks movie, Robin Hood Men in Tights. Find out why Shaner has a special spot for this movies and Stew's cross-country trip that led to an insane number of viewings of this movie.

Not only do they share their original joy for this 30-year-old classic, but some behind the scenes information and a wee bit of insight. 

Episode 35
Psycho Bob Says...

Another installment of Psycho Bob Says is here and Bobber asks, what is the Antikythera Mechanism? For more than 100 years, scholars have struggled with defining it, determining its origin and replicating it. 

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After decades of study, it has been determined that the Antikythera mechanism is an Ancient Greek hand-powered mechanical model of the of the solar system. Additionally, is it the object in the new movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny?

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Episode 33
MTV Spider Man, the Animated Series

Join Will and Shaner as they discuss the single season of MTV Spider-Man, a fully CGI animated series, solely on MTV. 

MTV Spider-Man lasted only one season but addressed more mature themes following Peter, Harry and Mary Jane at Empire State University. Will and Shaner address the darker tones, the villains and voice actors that made this an award winning animated series. It is currently streaming on Disney Plus, so check it out and join Will and Shaner as they geek out! 

Episode 31
Psycho Bob Says...

Join Psycho Bob and Shaner as they geek-out over Marvel's GI Joe issue #21, the Silent Interlude.

The issue has no dialogue, word bubbles, or onomatopoeia and was published in March 1984. It stars Snake Eyes, one of GI Joes most iconic bad asses, who is mute.  This is the introduction of the Cobra assassin, Storm Shadow. He kidnaps a member of GI Joe; Scarlett and takes her to the Balkans to Destro's castle.

Episode 29
Failed 80's TV Shows

Join Shakin Shaner and Psycho Bob as they explore some horrible shows from the 80's, some of Shaner's favorite shows that were cancelled and one diamond in the rough of sucktastic 80's shows. 

Shaner goes into detail on Automan, Manimal and the Tales of the Gold Monkey. These were some of his favorite 80's shows that were all cancelled, but one actually made it a full season.  Tune in to find out which one. 

Episode 27
Dan Daly

Join Shaner as he celebrates the Marine Corps Birthday, honors Veterans Day and discusses one of the most iconic Marines ever, Dan Daly, a legendary badass.
 

Daly was one of two Marines to receive the Medal of Honor for two separate combat engagements. The other Marine was Major General Smedley Butler, whom we highlighted in our 5th episode. They served together in a few locations and Butler described Daly as "The fightin'est Marine I ever knew!" 

Episode 25
Psycho Bob Says...

Another 10-minute installment of Psycho Bob Says...Join him and Shakin Shaner while they try to determine how bad can these ads be? 

In “Whats Shakin with Shaner’s” episode 13, “The Crash at Crush” we explored failed marketing and publicity stunts. Recently, we discovered some additional failures that just got be talked about, like linking your restaurant to a murderous cult. Really!

Episode 23
Psycho Bob Says Whose Booty is It?

Another 10-minute installment of Psycho Bob Says...Join him and Shakin Shaner while they try to determine Whose Booty Is It? 

In “What's Shakin with Shaner’s” episode of “Cryptographs, Lost Treasure and the Beale Papers” we discussed several lost treasures to include that of the pirate Captain Kidd. During research, they came across the largest sunken treasure ever found, in other words the largest booty ever found. Learn about the Black Swan Project that resulted in the recovery of an estimated $500 million worth of silver and gold coins from the ocean floor.

Episode 21
Where's My Jetpack

Shakin Shaner has assembled an expert panel to discuss why we do not yet have jetpacks. He is joined by Jim, Raye from the podcast, Being Bookish, Matt from the podcast, Don't Wreck Yourself, and Mike from the podcast, Multiverse of Badness. 

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Why don't we have jetpacks? Are the airline unions behind it, is the government testing them but allowing us to think they are UFOs, is there problem with fuel, or is this all part of the ball bearing matrix? You need to listen to this to believe it! 

Episode 19
Hercules v Heracles

Join Randy and Shakin Shaner as they discuss the 1997 Disney movie Hercules and geek out over Greek mythology. They explore the differences between the movie versions of Hercules, Zeus, Hera and Pegasus and the actual Greek myths. Check out their favorite stories from the 12 labors of Heracles.  

Episode 17
Monster Hunter International

Shakin Shaner is joined by Kevin and Jeremy, two fellow veterans on a complete geek out on the book, Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia. It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Officially secret, some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. On the other side are the people who kill monsters for a living. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. 

Episode 15
The Game is Afoot!

Shakin Shaner has a complete nerd-fest in this homage to the original Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories. He relates several noteworthy items, such as Sherlock Holmes, as a fictional character has been featured in more movies than any other character in the history of cinema. 

Episode 13
The Crash at Crush

Shakin Shaner and Psycho Bob the Cat explore failed marketing and publicity stunts. From the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati's turkey drop to Pepsi's failed marketing campaign in the Philippines to the head-on train collision of the Crash at Crush!

Episode 11
Words & Phrases

Join Shakin Shaner as he explores fun words to say, words we do not use often, 80's slang, military terminology and the crazy shit his dad says. His is join by Matt, cohost of the Don't Wreck Yourself podcast. Listen in while they debate which is colder....

Episode 9
Sean Connery James Bond

 Shakin Shaner and Jeff pay homage to Sean Connery as the definitive James Bond.  Join them as they explore the movies and the lasting impact of Sean Connery.

Episode 7
Odd Thomas, by Dean Koontz.

Shakin Shaner is joined by Jeremy, fellow Marine and fan of Odd Thomas.   Jeremy  shared this novel with Shakin Shaner years ago and listen to them get their nerd-on. 

Episode 5
General Smedley  Butler, the life and legacy of Old Gimlet Eye.

Shakin Shaner explores  Major General Smedley Butler and dives into his participation in the March of the Bonus Army, the Business Plot and his book, "War is a Racket". 

Episode 3
A debate-Jetson Transport Tubes Thingies

Shakin Shaner is joined by four expert panelists to debate the complex issue of the Jetson Transport Tube Thingies: Why don't we have them and who dropped the ball. 

Episode 1
Spider Man & His Amazing Friends

Shakin Shaner hosts Mike from Comics in the Golden Age (@ComicsintheGA) in a geek out on the 1981 Saturday morning cartoon, Spider Man & His Amazing Friends.