This Week in Nerd History | July 24-30

Nerd culture is a vibrant tapestry of events, releases, and milestones that have shaped the entertainment landscape. From iconic movies to groundbreaking games and significant literary contributions, this article takes a trip down memory lane to explore the notable nerd culture events that occurred from July 24th to July 30th in history. Let’s celebrate these cherished moments that have left an indelible mark on the hearts of fans around the world.

Photo Credit: Amazon

July 24, 2010 | Sherlocked

On this day, BBC’s Sherlock premiered. Sherlock is a thrilling and witty modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic detective stories, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the brilliant but eccentric Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as his loyal and pragmatic Dr. John Watson.

Nerdy Fact: Matt Smith, who played the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who, auditioned for the role of Watson before Martin Freeman got it. He later admitted that he was probably too eccentric for the part.

Photo Credit: Ranker

July 25, 1997 | Welcome to Good Burger

On this day, Good Burger premiered. Good Burger is the hilarious and wacky adventure of two fast-food workers who try to save their struggling restaurant from a ruthless corporate rival, based on a popular sketch from the Nickelodeon series All That.

Nerdy Fact: Linda Cardellini, who later starred in Freaks and Geeks, Scooby-Doo, and Avengers: Endgame, made her big screen debut in Good Burger as Heather, a sweet girl from the psych ward who helps Ed and Dexter escape.

Photo Credit: GQ

July 26, 2013 | The Wolverine Redeems Solo Series

On this day, The Wolverine premiered. This superhero film follows Logan / Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) as he travels to Japan and faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that tests his physical and emotional limits, as well as his immortality.

Nerdy Fact: The Wolverine was inspired by the 1982 limited series Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, which is widely regarded as one of the best stories featuring the character. The series introduced many elements that were used in the film, such as Logan’s journey to Japan, his romance with Mariko, his rivalry with Shingen and the Silver Samurai, and his friendship with Yukio.

Photo Credit: IMDb

July 27, 1940 | A Wild Hare

On this day, Bugs Bunny made his first appearance as a wisecracking, carrot-chewing, Brooklyn-accented rabbit in the Merrie Melodies short “A Wild Hare”, directed by Tex Avery and co-starring Elmer Fudd.

Nerdy Fact: “A Wild Hare” was the first cartoon to feature the voice of Mel Blanc as both Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. Blanc would go on to voice these characters and many others for decades, becoming known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices”.

Photo Credit: Syfy

July 27, 1997 | Stargate SG-1

On this day, Stargate SG-1 premiered. This military science fiction television series follows the adventures of a team of explorers who use an ancient device called the Stargate to travel to different planets and encounter various alien civilizations and threats.

Nerdy Fact: The Stargate effect, which shows the rippling surface of the wormhole, is actually a jet engine in water. The visual effects team filmed a jet engine submerged in a tank of water and then digitally composited it onto the Stargate prop.

Photo Credit: The Movie Database

July 27, 2007 | The Simpsons Movie

On this day, The Simpsons Movie premiered. This long-awaited hilarious and adventurous animated comedy follows the misadventures of the Simpsons family as they try to save their town from being destroyed by the EPA. The movie fit between Seasons 18 and 19 of the TV series.

Nerdy Fact: The Simpsons Movie is the only PG-13 rated animated film to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature. It is also the only film based on a television show to do so.

Photo Credit: Forbes

July 27, 2018 | Teen Titans Go! to the Movies

On this day, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies premiered. This American animated superhero comedy film follows the Teen Titans as they try to get their own movie in Hollywood, while facing a sinister plot by Slade. The movie was a light-hearted lampoon of the superhero movie trope.

Nerdy Fact: This movie features several celebrity cameos, such as Nicolas Cage as Superman, Jimmy Kimmel as Batman, and Michael Bolton as a singing tiger.

Photo Credit: EW.com

July 28, 1951 | Alice in Wonderland

On this day, Alice in Wonderland premiered. This American animated musical fantasy film follows the adventures of a young girl named Alice who falls into a whimsical world full of talking animals, eccentric characters, and a tyrannical Queen of Hearts.

Nerdy Fact: Alice in Wonderland was not a big success when it was first released. It received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, and was considered too complex and chaotic for children. It was also overshadowed by other Disney films such as Cinderella and Peter Pan. It was not until its re-release in 1974 that it gained popularity and cult status.

Photo Credit: Bookshop Apocalypse

July 29, 1954 | The Fellowship of the Ring

On this day, The Fellowship of the Ring was published. The Fellowship of the Ring is the first volume of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, in which a group of nine heroes embark on a perilous quest to destroy the One Ring, a powerful artifact that threatens to enslave Middle-earth under the Dark Lord Sauron.

Nerdy Fact: The Fellowship of the Ring was originally intended to be the first half of a two-volume novel, with The Two Towers and The Return of the King as the second volume. However, due to post-World War II paper shortages, the publisher decided to divide the novel into three parts and release them separately over the course of a year.

Photo Credit: ReelRundown

July 29, 1994 | The Mask

On this day, The Mask premiered. This American superhero comedy film stars Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss, a timid bank clerk who transforms into a zany and unpredictable trickster after finding a magical green mask that contains the spirit of the Norse god of mischief, Loki.

Nerdy Fact: The Mask was one of the first films to use computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create the visual effects of the mask’s transformations. The CGI was blended with Jim Carrey’s live-action performance using a technique called “morphing”. The film’s visual effects supervisor, Scott Squires, said that Carrey was “the perfect actor” for the role because of his expressive face and body movements.

Photo Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

July 29, 2022 | DC League of Super-Pets

On this day, DC League of Super-Pets released. This American 3D computer-animated superhero comedy film follows the adventures of Krypto the Super-Dog and his team of super-powered animal friends as they try to rescue Superman and the Justice League from the evil schemes of Lex Luthor and his evil hairless guinea pig Lulu.

Nerdy Fact: The movie includes a number of references to Superman (1978), such as the opening on Krypton, the hologram of Krypto’s father, the scene with the broken train track, Clark Kent’s glasses, and John Williams’s famed theme.

Photo Credit: Comics Archeology

July 30, 1947 | The Penny Plunderer

On this day, Joe Coyne, also known as the Penny Plunderer, made his first appearance in World’s Finest Comics #30 as a criminal who specialized in penny-themed heists and was eventually defeated by Batman and Robin, when Batman escaped a deathtrap shaped like a giant penny. The giant penny is often shown in the Batcave as a trophy.

Nerdy Fact: The Penny Plunderer was sentenced to death at the end of his first and only appearance, making him one of the few Batman villains to be executed. His obsessions with pennies was so great that he surrendered to Batman when he couldn’t use a pay phone that required a nickel. Though he is a classic adversary of Batman, he has been ret-conned out of Batman’s rogue gallery. The giant penny has also been the focus of a ret-con and is now canonically known as an item that Two-Face attempted to use to crush Batman instead.