Bugs Need Heroes

A Boxing Day Delay (BUGJOKES)

The cave we keep Producer Derek in unfortunately flooded and he hasn't been able to polish off this week's episode! But no worries, Amanda is here with some apologetic bug jokes to tide you over until (hopefully) next week! She does not apologize for their badness. Happy Holidays!

The Bean Bosses (CHOCOLATE MIDGE)

Chocolate midges (Genus: Forcipomyia) are tiny flies that do one big thing for us. In size? Miniscule. In impact? Monstrous! It's a very distractible week on the pod. Topics range from super hero movies to royal journals to extinct birds! It's a very wild and sexy episode of Bugs Need Heroes.
 
Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-bean-bosses
Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com
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Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

Holiday Special (Marvel’s MANTIS/Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special)

We decided to watch and discuss the new release on Disney+, the 2022 Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. We talk about how Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff, compares to actual an actual mantis and whatever else wanders through our heads in this special holiday episode.
 
Recommended Links!
Kevin Conroy's "Finding Batman" comic from DC Pride 2022 Annual #1: https://www.dcuniverseinfinite.com/comics/book/dc-pride-2022-1/38309538-e865-422a-a732-79cfdc205440/"Why 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' hero Drax resonates with the autism community" by Michael Rothman at ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Entertainment/guardians-hero-drax-resonates-autism-community/story?id=47283398
"Disneyland Cats: The Feral Cats Who Live In The Park": https://insidethemagic.net/2020/04/disneyland-cats-cb1mmb/
Pictures of some of Disneyland's resident cats: https://www.instagram.com/disneylandcats/
 
Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com
Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes
Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes
Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

Ms. Buzz (YELLOWJACKETS)

Bust out the picnic baskets and settle in for some social wasp discussion. The newest member of the Bee Team is fast, thorough, and sharp as a tack. Amanda confronts her prejudices after being stung. Kelly has never been stung. Producer Derek has been stung over twenty times.
Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/ms-buzz
Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com
Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes
Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes
Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

Bats Need Heroes (DC’s BATMAN Special)

In this episode, Kelly and Amanda invite Producer Derek on to talk about his heroes: the bats! What if Bruce Wayne had been bitten by a radioactive bat? Is Robin really the perfect partner for the caped crusader? Do bats really love a dark night? And most importantly, what is the cutest bat?
 
Some references on the episode page: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/bats-need-heroes
 
Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com
Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes
Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes
Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

The Burning Bee (JAPANESE HONEY BEES)

This episode focuses on a subspecies of the Eastern Honey Bee, Apis cerana japonica, which has some unique and impressive behaviors to thwart would-be predators. Kelly discusses the Better Common Names Project, bee balls, and jello. Amanda discusses the times she was nearly killed by toothpaste, the judgement of a toddler, and the "murder hornets" of Washington state.
Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-burning-bee
Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com
Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes
Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes
Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

The Big Boys (RHINOCEROS BEETLE/STAG BEETLE)

Content Warning for this episode: There is a story about the loss of a pet and brief mention of suicide from minutes 9-14.
 
In this episode, Amanda flexes her art history degree and Kelly adds another item to her shopping list. An example of remarkable behavioral convergence and sexual dimorphism gives us a double episode of big boy beetles with feudal stylings.
Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for these characters: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-big-boys
Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com
Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes
Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes
Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

A Friendly Neighborhood Hero (Marvel’s SPIDER-MAN)

Respect the hyphen! This episode is all about Peter Parker and how his powers compare to actual spiders. Is Spider-man amazing or simply spectacular? Is Tom Holland the best Spider-man yet? Where did Peter get his sick dance moves? Does the MCU need more dancing??? We have a lot of thoughts about these things. 
Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-friendly-neighborhood-hero
Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com
Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes
Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes
Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

Kelly’s Nemesis (MOSQUITOES)

Is she good? She is bad? This episode features the focal species of Kelly's PhD research and Amanda learns some startling facts about what mosquitoes are up to when they aren't biting her ankles.
Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/kellys-nemesis
 
Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroesJoin us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman.
Artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

Mini Episode: Bonus Bits

CONTENT WARNING: Amanda tells a gross story about eating spoiled food in this collection of cut bits.Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroesJoin us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman.
Artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.