The Flopcast

Here's our big silly report from Northeast Comic Con in exotic Boxborough, Massachusetts! Featuring: Rubber Chicken Comics, Lost in Space's Mark Goddard, weird comedy from Mark Gallagher, kaiju rock from Gwello, chicken songs from The Fools, and Cesar Romero rumors from Gilbert Gottfried! Then it's time for another round of Capes or Apes, in which we flip through an old Spider Woman comic book and check out the ads for Cracker Jack, Atari, and Blip magazine. We're also celebrating the birthday of our favorite Russian doll, Natasha Lyonne, and exposing her secret connection to Wooly Willy. And we have a big announcement about a rare (as in once a decade) live show from Kevin's band! (No, not that band. The other one.) Save the date (May 25th), hitchhike to Massachusetts, and join us. Bring Bubble Yum.

Direct download: Flopcast_360.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:37pm EDT

Just a couple of quick items this week: A Monkees concert report and a Captain Marvel movie report. Reaching our beloved Monkees (Mike and Micky) involved a long perilous ferry ride to Long Island; 'twas about an hour at sea, and we'll never be the same. Getting to the movie was simpler, but we're still waiting to see the real Captain Marvel on the big screen. No, not Shazam. We mean the 1960s alien robot whose head and limbs pop off. Look it up, and get on that, Hollywood. Also discussed: Davey and Goliath, Russian Doll, Richard Marx, REO Speedwagon, Alan Arkin, and NerdBliss. All packed into one silly half hour show, because we value your time, if not ours.

Direct download: Flopcast_359.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:11am EDT

Kornflake braved the subzero temperatures of winter in Minnesota, and now she's back with her annual report from MarsCon! It's the science fiction convention that also has a whole track of comedy music, and this year's performers included old and new Flopcast friends like Insane Ian, Cutesylvania, TV's Kyle and Linzilla, Power Salad, the great Luke Ski, Devo Spice, Jeff Whitmire, Michael Hunter, Carrie Dahlby, the Library Bards, and more! Plus: Airport security adventures, vermin at the Mall of America, Dementia Smackdown wrestling, the Logan Awards, scary Klingon drinks, scary Ikea breakfasts, a million mustaches, and of course, Kornflake's Dementia Water Aerobics. In the Upper Midwest, they fight the cold with silliness, and it works.

Direct download: Flopcast_358.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:39pm EDT

Here we go, kids! Time to flip though another goofy old issue of Dynamite magazine! (It's a Flopcast tradition, especially when we have to wait until next week for Kornflake's MarsCon report.) This is a 1978 Dynamite, and the cover story is, "The Bee Gees vs. The Beatles: Who's the Greatest?" Our answer is The Bay City Rollers, which is why no one asked us. Also featured in this issue: Tatum O'Neal makes a horse movie; another lame trick from Magic Wanda; amazing new ways to watch TV (cable, video tape recorders, and something called Qube); Dynamite Bummers; and some Bic pen scribbles that make us question the puzzle-solving ability of our magazine's previous owner. Plus: Find Flopcast personnel on recent episodes of The Batcave Podcast, The Watch-A-Thon of Rassilon, and Earth Station One... and Happy Birthday to Erik Estrada. Or nada. Your choice.

Direct download: Flopcast_357.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:46pm EDT

We've been threatening to do a whole show about creepy songs for quite a while... and here we are. The history of pop music is just lousy with inappropriate songs, and this week we're counting down our favorites (?) in a very creepy Top 4 1/2 List. Why, even Springsteen strayed into creepy territory in the mid-80s when he asked, "Hey little girl, is your daddy home?" And of course, back in the 60s, there was Gary Puckett, who scored one creepy hit after another (mostly about young girls, such as the subtly titled "Young Girl"). Even our beloved Monkees are not so innocent. So hop in your creepy Chevy van, and join us as we achieve maximum creeptitude. We're sorry.

Direct download: Flopcast_356.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:48am EDT

In our first official installment of Kornflake On the Road, Kornflake checks out Chris's Comics in Seabrook, New Hampshire, and we recall the first comic book shops we ever visited. (We recommend Starship Excalibur in Providence, Rhode Island, assuming you can get yourself back to 1984.) Our comic book talk also includes some old favorites (Blue Devil, Swamp Thing, Y: The Last Man) and a new one (Cover, by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack). Plus: Kornflake prepares for MarsCon! Capes or Apes! Weird new jobs for everyone from Beverly Hills 90210! And we celebrate National Retro Day by suspecting that everything is secretly controlled by 80s pop band The Jets. It would explain a lot, you know.

Direct download: Flopcast_355.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:23pm EDT

It's a short show, because Kornflake called in sick, and the rest of us should have. But Kevin and the Mayor of Chickentown are still here, all miserable and confused, for a quick goofy conversation. Subjects include: The big Doctor Who convention, Gallifrey One! (Hey, isn't the Mayor supposed to be there right now? Oops.) The Bugs Bunny Film Festival! The Old School Game Show! Quiz-o-Tron! ESO Riffs! Spooky Dudes! And more! But not much more! Okay, time to collapse.

Direct download: Flopcast_354.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:54pm EDT

It's miserably cold here in Chickentown, and we just can't take it anymore, but we still managed to prepare a goofy little show for you. Including: Kevin reviews The Van, a dreadful 1977 movie with Danny DeVito (and a weird Brady Bunch connection)! Kornflake has questions about yacht rock! (Don't we all?) Jennifer Aniston has a birthday! We preview two more upcoming conventions: Gallifrey One and MarsCon! Plus Kornflake goes snow tubing, Kevin donates blood, and we invent a disgusting new Olympic competition.

Direct download: Flopcast_353.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:53am EDT

Once again we braved the horrifying winter weather to cover Arisia, Boston's long-running (30 years!) science fiction and fantasy convention. We were there for you. (We were also there because we're huge geeks.) This year's report features: A weird new hotel! Why Kornflake couldn't be there! Kevin's panels (about comic books, 1980s nostalgia, Pulp Fiction, GLOW, and the Star Wars Holiday Special)! Other panels (about Clerks, Sesame Street, Batman, and the Great Molasses Flood)! Performances we wanted to see, but missed, including Jim's Big Ego and Minusworld! Performances we actually saw, including Dr. Horrible and harpist Sara Henya! Cosplay figure drawing! How to play the theremin! Matches Malone! Robolar from Mars! And even more! 'Twas a lovely weekend, and we hope to return next year, assuming we've thawed by then. Also: Seth Green's birthday, the dangers of Powerpoint, the soft rock of Bread, the truth about Mr. Belvedere, and the Fantasy Island riots of 1983.

Direct download: Flopcast_352.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:28pm EDT

Just a big weird mix of stuff this week, including: Patton Oswalt's birthday, the Big Chicken in Atlanta, storytelling at The Moth, the 100th anniversary of Boston's Great Molasses Flood (as observed by our friends The Great Molasses Flood), another round of Capes or Apes (featuring some intense gorilla talk), another round of The Pudding Pages (featuring a weird trend from the 90s), and some previously unknown trivia involving Kornflake and a boy band. Next week: Our full report from Arisia. Yes, it will involve Wookiees.

Direct download: Flopcast_351.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:41am EDT