The Flopcast

Watch out, fair citizens of the Upper Midwest! Kevin is creeping back to Bloomington, Minnesota for CONvergence, an amazing science fiction convention happening July 5th-8th! This year's guests include Marina Sirtis (one of our favorite Star Trek counselors), Mary Jo Pehl (one of our favorite MST3K Mads)... and a classic 80s synthpop band: Minnesota's own Information Society! (And in case you're wondering: Yes, we are officially freaking out about Information Society.) Kevin will be appearing on panels throughout the weekend, discussing Swamp Thing, Stranger Things, Gotham, and more. And we will be debuting our new Flopcast badge ribbons at CONvergence too! So come to a panel, get a weird ribbon, and be the envy of your weird friends. Also: Our dream of Krofft-themed mini-golf, a new book and podcast about storytelling from Matthew Dicks, and Kornflake's tragic obsession with parchment paper.

Direct download: Flopcast_320.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:16am EDT

Are you ready for the summer? Not us... we are not exactly "outdoorsy" around here. But we do know how to hide inside with iced coffee, pizza pie, and a classic summer movie. So this week we're watching Meatballs, the beloved 1979 summer camp comedy starring Chris Makepeace (you know Chris from Mazes and Monsters) and Bill Murray (you know Bill from Ghostbusters II). Kornflake has never seen Meatballs before, so it's time for her to learn about Wudy the Wabbit, the Mystery Meat Contest, the disco hit "Makin' It," the weird sequels, and the North Star CIT sing-along (which has been trapped in our brains for decades). The conversation also drifts over to Caddyshack (and the wonderful new book about Caddyshack)... because it just had to. Plus: Despite a general avoidance of nature, Kevin went to Vermont and found two turtles, one turkey, and one folk singer (that would be Dar Williams). And we're celebrating the Day of the Gong, just as Chuck Barris would have wanted. So join us! Or don't! Because as the movie taught us... it just doesn't matter.

Direct download: Flopcast_319.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:29am EDT

Not much happening here in Chickentown, and it's been a few weeks, so once again we're turning to our big crazy stack of Dynamite magazines. This time we're looking at a 1982 issue of Dynamite with a smiling Lisa Whelchel (you know her as Blair, your favorite Facts of Life rich girl) on the cover. And inside we find a shocking tell-all Lisa Whelchel interview! (Warning: The most shocking revelation is that she likes Rick Springfield.) Then thanks to a Dynamite quiz, we learn that we're awful at identifying product mascots, even when they're naked. (We did recognize those ne'er-do-wells Snap, Crackle, and Pop, who were fully clothed, thankfully.) This issue also contains a bizarre UFO story, Chewbacca's birthday, puzzle pages with Count Morbida (the freaky pink vampire), Dynamite Bummers (of course), and a pretty lame poster. Hey, 1982 was the year of Fast Times, Tron, and Pac-Man Fever (none of which are discussed in this show). 'Twas a magical time, and now you can relive it as two goofy podcasters flip through a children's magazine and giggle incessantly. You're welcome.

Direct download: Flopcast_318.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

Kevin and the Mayor of Chickentown are back from a weird little trip to Ohio! (It's the Buckeye State, you know, named after Popeye's mortal enemy, Buckeye.) They visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where they totally failed to get Air Supply inducted), Ratsy's Store (where they found chicken socks, Dynamite magazines, and Ratsy), and the 16-Bit Bar Arcade (where you can play Burgertime all night long). Meanwhile back in Chickentown, Kornflake prepares to bust some ghosts and/or dust on Ghostbusters Day, and in honor of the new Solo movie, we have a "What's in the Bag?" segment featuring some classic Star Wars memorabilia. (And no, it's not Bea Arthur's costume from the holiday special. But someday...)

Direct download: Flopcast_317.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:07am EDT

1