In honor of Champion Crab Races Day, we recall weird pet hermit crabs, weird comic book ads for Crazy Crabs, and weird late night calls for crab rangoon. And to keep a weird animal theme running through the whole show, we also have a lobster-inspired round of "What's in the Bag," and Kornflake reports on her visit to Zoo Creatures in Plaistow, New Hampshire. Stop by and make friends with the goats, eels, snakes, skinks, a turkey, and yes, a kookaburra. (A little touch of Australia in the Granite State; Air Supply would be so proud.)

It's time to review our long crazy day at the Boston Women's March! (The ride into the city was crazy enough; all 175,000 marchers squished into the same subway car, or so it seemed...) Lots more friends of the Flopcast were out that day too, both in Boston and throughout the world... but the only familiar face we found in the crowd was Keytar Bear. (A bear playing a keytar does tend to stand out...) And in an effort to be completely exhausted, we also attended the ACLU benefit after-party, with awesome performances by Stars Like Ours, Carissa Johnson, and Petty Morals. (Did the whole night end with an appropriate George Michael cover? But of course.) Plus: Listener feedback from last week's Top 4 1/2 List of doctors! (Yikes, we missed some big ones.) And Kornflake reminds us to celebrate Plimsoll Line Day, because these may not be good times, but you still have to keep your head above water. (See, no matter how bad things get, we'll just keep making sitcom references...)

After a brief but vital discussion about hula dancing in the winter (we highly recommend a weather-resistant adhesive for your coconut bikini), Kevin and Kornflake present a Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite doctors. Plenty of Muppets are on the list (you'd be surprised how many puppets and cartoon characters are licensed medical professionals), as well as doctors from Star Trek, The Krofft Supershow, Lost in Space, and even some doctor songs. (Apparently Doctor Worm is NOT a real doctor. But he's still on the list, and his drumming is getting better.) But if we missed your favorite doctor (because yikes, there are a bunch of them), let us know! We look forward to all those cards and letters from angry Whovians...

Kevin is back from Arisia (Boston's big science fiction convention, held in the middle of winter, to eliminate the weak), with a full report including cosplayers, birdwatchers, bad science, a parade of wet singing people, and some Foxes in the Hen House. Meanwhile Kornflake is preparing for MarsCon (also a science fiction convention, but in Minnesota, where they must think our Boston winters are just adorable). And this year, MarsCon's Dementia Track (a whole weekend of comedy music concerts) will feature as Guest of Honor... Judy Tenuta! Prepare to surrender to the Love Goddess. We also recommend a couple of MarsCon-related fundraisers, and we suspect that Kornflake's MarsCon Dementia Water Aerobics class will be ruined by Neil Diamond. As Judy says, it could happen.

It's time for our annual memorial show, as we look back on those we lost in 2016, and knock back shots of coffee and/or water (you know, the hard stuff) in their honor. We remember the big ones, of course, like David Bowie, George Michael, and Prince (not to mention a certain Princess). But yikes, there were so many more, including old TV favorites like Grizzly Adams, Mrs. Brady, Henry from Punky Brewster, Mr. Carlin from The Bob Newhart Show, and yeah, Schneider from One Day at a Time. (If you want to walk around today wearing a tool belt and a weird little mustache, we'll understand.) We also cover people from music, comics, animation, wrestling, science... and we had to include a whole Star Wars category. Will even Kevin, Kornflake, and The Mayor of Chickentown survive this, the longest episode in Flopcast history? Let's find out. Then we'll go forward. Because that's what Abe Vigoda would have wanted.

Just in time to be too late for the holidays, we open the Flopcast mailbag for a "What's in the Bag?" segment, and find a couple of mysterious envelopes mailed with Rankin Bass Rudolph stamps! Then as we prepare for next weekend's Arisia science fiction convention, we have even more events coming up the following weekend. On Saturday January 21st, there will be Women's March events happening all over the place -- look for us at the Boston version. And hey, Boston people, stick around for the after-party, featuring one of our favorite local rock bands, Petty Morals. (So much for our big plan to spend January hiding in a pillow fort...) Also: We celebrate Dave Grohl's birthday by actually drumming with an actual drumstick once used by an actual rock star. (But not Dave Grohl. You know we never get things quite right around here.)

It's our first show of 2017, so once again it's time to reveal our New Year's Resolutions. (Kornflake's will interest you podcast fans, while Kevin's is just stupid. Some things never change.) And we have some rare Flopcast sports talk, because Kevin and Brittany went to see the Patriots (that's our local football team, you nerds), and encountered rain, free cookies, and rain. We also look ahead to Arisia (Boston's big science fiction convention, January 13-16), where you can sing in a swimming pool, learn how to be a cyborg, learn about bird-watching, and see Kevin on a panel about comic book art. (Hopefully that will all happen in the same room at the same time.) And just in time for the horrifying new year, we're celebrating I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day, and you should too. Dee Snider will be so proud.

If you want to spend the holidays hiding from your family and listening to goofy podcasts, we have you covered (for 23 minutes, at least). First we celebrate No Interruption Day, and you can too, whether you're catching up on work or bellying up to the bar. (Let nothing interrupt that egg nog. You deserve it.) Then we secretly replace our regular Pudding Pages segment with a more festive version, the Figgy Pudding Pages, and recall nature shows from back in the 80s. (Come on, who wouldn't want to go on a safari with Boy George?) And we sneak in a little "Chickens in the News" too, as our friend Kitty reminds us that two chicken heads are way better than one. After that, you're on your own. (But if you haven't suffered through the Star Wars Holiday Special in a while, that's always an option. Just one more round with Bea Arthur, friend.)

Your Flopcast hosts have not been spotted together at many conventions in 2016, but it happened at Northeast Comic Con! (Just barely -- Kornflake was feeling under the weather, but still managed to arrive fashionably late. 'Twas a holiday miracle.) Wandering around the convention, we ran into a bunch of friends (including Tiki Zombie's Mike Gordon, TV Guidance Counselor's Ken Reid, and the Rubber Chicken Comics guys), a bunch of great costumes (including a "Stranger Things" costume that was just brilliant), and a bunch of people in Devo energy domes, because yikes, two members of Devo were there! (We love Devo... and as you may have noticed recently, they were right about "De-Evolution" after all. So show some respect, you spuds.) We also stayed for the Saturday night concert, with performers including Tsunami of Sound (with special guest Billy West!), The Lights Out (Kornflake's new favorite rock band), and The Fantastic Plastics (a Devo-inspired sci-fi pop duo with a theremin... so yeah, we sort of fell in love with them). We also have some recent podcasts to plug, from our friends at Earth Station One, Pop Culture Cosmos, and Grant's Advent Calendar. And thanks to National Whatever Day, we're thinking about "9 to 5." (Not the song, not the movie, but the sitcom. We try to make everything about 80s sitcoms. Hey, remember when Devo appeared on "Square Pegs"? We sure do.)

Just in time for the stupid holidays, it's the long-awaited (by two or three people, maybe) return of the Flopcast Top 4 1/2 List! And in a desperate attempt to be festive, we're counting down our favorite holiday villains! If you've watched as many holiday cartoons as we have, you know there's a never-ending supply of creepy characters who want to stop Christmas, arrest Santa, turn Frosty into a puddle, kidnap Baby New Year, tell big fat lies to Cindy Lou Who, and of course, get rid of all the toys. (Raggedy Ann even faced a holiday villain obsessed with sealing up all the toys in "gloopstik" -- remember?) So if you're as cuddly as a cactus and as charming as an eel, we just might be celebrating you this week. (We're also celebrating World Monkey Day. We're multitasking. We're despicable and we make ourselves plain sickable. Don't judge us.)

A trio of festive concert reports this week: Kornflake journeyed to a casino in the middle of Rhode Island and finally saw The Monkees (parking was tricky, but the view of Peter Tork was outstanding); meanwhile, Kevin and the Mayor were in Boston for the long-awaited return of Letters to Cleo (for the record, Kay Hanley remains our favorite singer in the universe); and once again we dodged flying undergarments at Niki Luparelli's annual David Bowie tribute concert and burlesque show. We also celebrate the 100th birthday of Mr. Peanut (the secret of eternal youth -- wear a top hat, a monocle, and nothing else), and remind everyone to appreciate ninjas. Especially coffee ninjas.

Great Hera, it's another 75th anniversary show, and this is a big one: we're celebrating Wonder Woman. We'll look back at Princess Diana's curious 1941 comic book roots, her bizarre 1960s TV pilot (YouTube it right now -- your head will explode), her goofy animated adventures with the Super Friends, the TV movie that got it wrong (with a pre-That's Incredible Cathy Lee Crosby and a pre-Fantasy Island Ricardo Montalban), and the TV series that got it right (when we all fell in love with Lynda Carter). And along the way, we'll point out several connections between Wonder Woman, The Brady Bunch, and The Facts of Life. (Hey, it's The Flopcast. You knew the risks.) So fire up your invisible airplane and join us. (If you bring along a magic lasso too, you'll see that we are quite sincere.)

It's Thanksgiving week, and we're celebrating with cranberries, espresso, and Robbie Rist (you know, just like the Pilgrims). We also catch up on silly events of the last few weeks, including a weird trip to Rockport for a Joan Osborne concert, our friend Mous E's 25-hour charity gaming marathon (including Operation!), and Kevin's attempt at an even dumber Halloween costume than last year's debacle. (They said it couldn't be done. Challenge accepted.) And we're looking forward to next week's David Bowie tribute concert from Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers (with burlesque from the Lipstick Criminals), and next month's Northeast Comic Con (featuring Dean Cain, Billy West, members of Devo, TV Guidance Counselor's Ken Reid, The Lights Out, and perhaps even a Tiki Zombie). So hey, Happy Thanksgiving, true believers. We'll never be as festive as a giant Underdog balloon, but we're trying.

Okay, it's been a tough week, and we're even more frightened and confused than usual. But we have pizza (watch out for those creepy anchovies), we have root beer (and its tricky pal, Moxie), and we have a bootleg DVD of the ridiculous 1986 made-for-TV movie Combat Academy. (The cast is just amazing... if you think George Clooney never worked with George Jefferson, Cliff Clavin, Klinger from MASH, Doc from The Love Boat, and Bull from Night Court, we have evidence to the contrary...) So this week, we're just chomping on pie and learning why Kornflake is so obsessed with this goofy little movie. Next week: We keep going.

Cover yourselves -- it's time for our annual whining and complaining about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! However, this year we're thrilled to announce that the nominees are The Monkees, The Go-Go's, Devo, Lionel Richie, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Air Supply! So this will be... oh wait, sorry... give us a minute to snap back into reality. But hey, even the real list has some fine nominees, like Electric Light Orchestra (yikes, it's about time) and Kraftwerk (we do love scary synthy robot bands). And the long-awaited nomination of Journey means that arena rock is finally on the table! (Someday, REO Speedwagon, someday...) Join us as we look at each nominee, and learn which acts are Flopcast-approved (truly the highest honor in pop music). Also: It's Sally Field's birthday, and we have some weird ideas about how to reboot The Flying Nun.

Since two geeky conventions happened the same weekend, we divided and conquered. Kornflake wandered up to New Hampshire for Granite Game Summit, where she enjoyed a new game called Junk Art (but don't forget the classics, kids; we're still endlessly amused by Hungry Hungry Hippos). Meanwhile Kevin was at Super Megafest, along with the guys from Rubber Chicken Comics, the ladies of Wicked Geeky, Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers, "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid), David Mazouz (Gotham), Richard Dean Anderson and Richard Grieco (best known for their Facts of Life backdoor pilots), Aileen Quinn (from the 1982 Annie movie, and her fun new band The Leapin' Lizards), and yes, Meat Loaf. Also: Our friends Kyle and Lindsay made a VERY quick trip to Massachusetts (because they were kidnapped by Kornflake) for water aerobics, brunch, and butterflies. (You're all watching Kyle's new cartoon series Mighty Magiswords, right? RIGHT?) And it's National Cookie Monster Day, which is good enough for us.

This week we're rolling (Del Amitri-style) back twenty years to recall the music of 1996. (You can blame Dar Williams; we just saw her in concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of her classic Mortal City album...) 'Twas an odd time in music... while the post-grunge pop charts were dominated by the likes of Celine Dion and those Macarena dudes, some interesting new acts were breaking through too. Some of them stuck around for a while (Alanis Morissette, Blues Traveler, No Doubt), while others had just a hit single and a weird band name (Spacehog, Dog's Eye View... and yikes, Deep Blue Something). The Barenaked Ladies broke into their old apartment, Dishwalla counted blue cars, and Tracy Bonham just kept screaming at her mother. Joan Osborne had some questions about God... but World Pasta Day is this week, and we're more curious about the Flying Spaghetti Monster. So relax at your favorite coffee shop (that's certainly where we spent most of 1996) and enjoy the show. We hope you find it even better than Ezra.

If you're a fan of Wonder Woman and/or potatoes, we have more podcast recommendations; rapper Eminem has a birthday this week (can you guess which one of us is a fan?); in the long-awaited return of "Chickens in the News," we find a chicken crossing the road in Scotland (probably searching for the Bay City Rollers); and we preview next weekend's Super Megafest convention, featuring comedy from our pals Niki Luparelli and Ken Reid, as well as stars from Good Times, Gotham, The Karate Kid, The Outsiders, Annie, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and a forgotten backdoor pilot episode of The Facts of Life. (We still believe that "Tootie's Aunt and MacGyver" could've been a big hit...)

This week we rediscover Big John Little John (a lost classic of 1970s Saturday morning TV, starring Robbie Rist!); during weird trips to the dentist, Kevin gets a flu shot and Kornflake gets a flop wreath (both will protect us through the winter); our new stack of comic books includes Josie and the Pussycats (alas, they're not in outer space... yet), The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror (featuring Homer as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man), and Wonder Woman: The True Amazon (by Jill Thompson, who once gave us cupcakes); Would I Lie to You (Kornflake's favorite British game show) is back, with some familiar guest stars; and we end with a "What's in the Bag" segment, compliments of an old friend of the Flopcast who knows what we like. (That'd be chickens and robots, of course.)

It's election season (had you noticed?), and the Mayor of Chickentown buys our votes with magical coffee-themed gifts; in case you're somehow not sick of our voices yet, we list our recent guest appearances on other podcasts (talking about DragonCon, Watchmen, iZombie, and more); Siri teaches us all about crayfish (for one thing, they're not made of crayons -- thanks for nothing, Ms. Russo's eighth grade biology class!); Mighty Magiswords, that crazy awesome cartoon created by our pal Kyle, is now a series on Cartoon Network (we haven't been this excited since Fangface); and it's National Kale Day... but we're just going to stick with our coffee.

It's our annual DragonCon review show, in which Kornflake patiently tolerates Kevin's endless yammering about our very favorite gathering of nerds and/or geeks in hot and sticky downtown Atlanta, Georgia! Featuring: All our crazy awesome friends from the ESO Network, the American Sci-Fi and Fantasy Media Track, the American Sci-Fi Classics Track, and Wicked Geeky; a field trip to the Center for Puppetry Arts (to visit all the Muppets, plus Kornflake's old friend Up-Up from Romper Room); the Cult of the Marriott Carpet; Kevin explaining "filk" on DragonCon TV; panels on Little Shop of Horrors, Watchmen, Gotham, Wonder Woman (with George Pérez!), and mullets; music from Here Come the Mummies, Kirby Krackle, Paul and Storm, Molly Lewis, The Doubleclicks, and Jonathan Coulton; the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Frank, Trace, and Bill!); the stars of Flash Gordon and/or Manimal (Sam Jones and Melody Anderson!); the one true star of Caddyshack (that'd be the dancing gopher, of course); a mysterious Polaroid fairy; an unexpected banana; and giant space chickens. Yikes, that was not a normal weekend. Also: We're celebrating National Good Neighbor Day (with a little help from Davey and Goliath), and we're drinking Hi-C Ecto Cooler from a plastic tiki cup. Because if nothing else, DragonCon taught us to be classy.

Kornflake is back from Chicago, where she was surrounded by some of our favorite silly people at FumpFest, a whole crazy convention of comedy music! Her adventures included Dementia Water Aerobics, field trips away from the convention for weird theater and weird French toast, receiving more lobster-themed gifts, and smashing up a rental car like she was in Hazzard County. There were also plenty of hilarious performers, of course, including Devo Spice, Carrie Dahlby, Seamonkey, Worm Quartet, The Gothsicles, Rob Paravonian, Tim Cavanagh, Tom Smith, Dino-Mike, Megathruster, 2D6, and FumpFest Guests of Honor Paul and Storm! Kornflake even brought us a special Flopcast interview with The Library Bards, Bonnie and Xander! (And listen carefully for cameos from Jaykitty, Insane Ian, and the great Luke Ski!) We also have a "What's in the Bag" segment (featuring a mysterious liquid Kornflake acquired in Chicago), and we're celebrating National Elephant Day. So come on -- this is the most Fumpfestive podcast you'll hear all day.

It's our convention recovery show! (Because we knew that after FumpFest and DragonCon, we'd need an extra week readjusting to reality...) So this week we're celebrating Scooby Doo (and his tricky pals Scrappy Doo, Scooby Dum, and Davy Jones), we're trying on turkey masks (this is why everyone turns to the Flopcast for fall fashion advice), and we're still obsessed with Shazam and Isis (because we like our Saturday morning TV low budget and forty years old). Next week our convention reports begin. Unless we decide to keep on relaxing. These turkey masks are shockingly comfortable.

Lords of light! Just in time for DragonCon 2016, we're flashing back to DragonCon 2015 for a panel about Thundarr the Barbarian! Yes, Kevin and a bunch more sleep-deprived maniacs from the American Sci-Fi Classics Track look back at our favorite post-apocalyptic Saturday morning cartoon hero. In Thundarr's world, the horses had beaks, the rats had stylish scarves, and nobody -- certainly not Ookla the Mok -- wore pants. It was glorious. Our conversation drifts to other Saturday morning science fiction favorites too: Space Ghost, Herculoids, Jason of Star Command, Gilligan's Planet... yikes, now all you need is a big bowl of Cookie Crisp (like we had at the panel -- yes, Joe brought cereal). Plus: Back in Chickentown, Kevin and Kornflake watch a very special Thundarr episode in which Thundarr goes to Boston! (A crumbling post-apocalyptic version of Boston, that is... but in a way, it's frighteningly accurate.) Thundarr's Boston episode is called "City of Evil." Write your own punchline; we're still sleepy.

We're just days away from DragonCon, which means nerds and geeks from around the world shall soon descend upon hot and sticky Atlanta, Georgia. (Annoying reminder #1: Despite what everyone is saying, this is NOT the 30th "anniversary" of DragonCon. This is the 30th DragonCon. It started in 1987, if you want to do the math...) This year's guest list includes Sam Jones (Flash Gordon!), Melody Anderson (Flash Gordon AND Manimal!), William Shatner (TJ Hooker!), Erin Gray (Silver Spoons!), Judge Reinhold (every single movie from the 80s!), and more stars from Mystery Science Theater 3000, Firefly, iZombie, and all those superhero TV shows we could only dream of as kids. (The guy who plays Vibe will be there. VIBE. Time to practice our breakdancing...) Musical performers include Paul and Storm, Jonathan Coulton, Molly Lewis, The Doubleclicks, Mikey Mason, Kirby Krackle, and yes, Here Come the Mummies. We also have a few tips on surviving the convention as usual. (Annoying reminder #2: Vitamin C supplements, and all those products that claim to boost your immune system, will NOT help prevent con crud. Save your money. Or spend it on rum, which at least works as advertised.) And we run through Kevin's DragonCon schedule -- you can find him conducting tours for new attendees, meeting and/or greeting at the ESO Network Meet & Greet, and appearing on panels about Wonder Woman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Watchmen, Gotham, and more. See you there! As the old saying goes, we'll have more fun than a whale shark.

Breaking news: The Olympic golf course has been overrun by capybaras (our favorite giant rodents), and it's pretty much the greatest thing in sports history. Meanwhile, Kornflake and Doornail celebrate Thanksgiving, on the beach, in August. (Peppermint Patty was aghast... but at least the menu didn't consist of popcorn and toast.) And Kevin's summer of goofy retro concerts reaches its finale with three shows in a week: Rick Springfield (who introduced the word "moot" to pop music), The Go-Go's (on their farewell tour -- be sure to catch them before they stop-stop), and Belly (Boston's mid-90s alt-pop heroes, back after a quick 20 year break). Now before we make our final preparations for FumpFest and DragonCon, we just have to launch our new fashion line for golfing rodents. (Yes, Kenny Loggins will perform "I'm Alright" at the runway show.)

Time to get back in the pool, kids -- Kornflake is bringing her Dementia Water Aerobics class to FumpFest 2016! It's a whole weekend of comedy music, featuring a bunch of our favorite silly humans. (The lineup includes Paul and Storm, Carrie Dahlby, Devo Spice, Dino-Mike, Rob Paravonian, Seamonkey, Tim Cavanagh, Worm Quartet, and more!) Chicago will never be the same. Also: We catch up with our old pal (and Adventure Time artist) Andy Ristaino, we find cats (actual live cats) in a museum, and we murder a beach ball at a Joan Jett concert. It's been a busy and ridiculous week.

It's become a beloved summer tradition here in Chickentown... yes, it's our fifth annual robot list. No special theme this time -- we're just listing whatever robots happen to be on our inferior human minds. We cover robot cartoons, robot songs, robot art, and perhaps an actual real world robot or two. (And hey, how did we take this long to mention Pee Wee Herman's robot?) And we open the Flopcast Mailbag for a correction from last week's show about Journey. (Relax, Journey is still awesome. We did get that part right.) Also: Zucchini.

We're back from a long day of 1980s-style silliness in the middle of Kornflake's home state of New Hampshire. Our first stop was Funspot, a giant amazing arcade packed with dozens of classic video and pinball games from decades ago. Alas, there was no Swimmer or Donkey Kong Junior. But there was plenty of Frogger, Dig Dug, Tron, Gorf, Donkey Kong (as seen in the movie The King of Kong), Crazy Kong (a weird alternate version of Donkey Kong), and just about everything else. Get yourself a billion tokens and spend the day. Our next stop was... a Journey concert. Because Journey is awesome. Just admit it to yourself and move on. And we have a friendly reminder that FuMPFest (our favorite funny music convention) is almost here (August 26-28 in Chicago), and Kornflake will be there with Dementia Water Aerobics! Get your tickets and room reservations now, kids! Also: It's Kevin Smith's birthday, and we're encouraging everyone to celebrate by shutting up, just like Silent Bob.

This week we've secretly replaced our regular coffee with Hi-C Ecto Cooler, because it's time to check out the new Ghostbusters movie! Kevin recalls his favorite cover version of the Ghostbusters theme, by that legendary band, the Happy Hamsters. Meanwhile, thanks to our friends at the Kyle and Luke Talk About Toons podcast, Kornflake has become an actual Ghostbuster, and is already busting ghost lobsters. We also get hit by mysterious articles of clothing during Strip Zeppelin, a burlesque show featuring Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers, the Lipstick Criminals, and an elf. And we recommend new music from Richie Ramone (the third Ramones drummer, between Marky and, uh, Marky) and Moon Hooch (because we just can't get enough crazy saxophones). Plus: If you'd like to learn how to talk to a rabid weasel in an elevator, we just might have you covered.

Kornflake reports on the second annual FlopFest celebration, which mostly involves flopping in a hammock in the middle of New Hampshire. This year's FlopFest also featured tall monsters, small manservants, Isaac the Bartender, an Internet-famous dog, and waffles. Next year's FlopFest will feature a giant Silver Spoons-themed parade float shaped like Ricky Schroder's head (if there's any chance of Kevin showing up, that is). Kornflake also has a concert report, because those crazy Indigo Girls came around again. And we open the Flopcast mailbag and learn that someone really wants to sell coffee to Kevin's old band, the Sponge Awareness Foundation. (Throw in a Silver Spoons coffee mug, and we just might have a deal...) Also: If you prefer fractions to decimals, relax and celebrate Casual Pi Day! No need to pack up that FlopFest hammock just yet.

We're back from a long weekend of science and silliness at CONvergence in Bloomington, Minnesota! Our convention report includes: A meteorite from Mars (Robolar would be so proud), special guest birds from the Raptor Center, comedy from Joseph Scrimshaw, music from Beth Kinderman and the Player Characters, Science for the People with Desiree Schell, a sneak preview of Vermin (with lab rat puppets!), the Supergirl and iZombie panels (no mansplaining, but plenty of gummy brains), a live version of "Would I Lie to You?" (Kornflake's favorite game show!), happy little trees, robot chickens, Ladro the Squirrel, and a final round of Buzzed Aldrins in the Skepchick Space Lounge. Also: It's Town Crier Day! You were going to run around screaming anyway, and now you have an excuse.

It's miserably hot here in Chickentown, and local scientists (who are totally not just rubber chickens in lab coats) say that summer is to blame. They're probably right; we can't blame EVERYTHING on the cancellation of Knight Rider. (But you must admit, it's been a rough thirty years.) So this week we're presenting a Top 4 1/2 List of summer songs! Be warned that these are not necessarily our favorites; they happened to get stuck in our heads many summers ago, and they just won't go away. But we still cover some fun stuff, and along the way, we even figure out which 80s pop stars were actually robots. And hey, Huey Lewis (relax, probably not a robot) has a birthday this week! Celebrate by hitting the beach, playing your favorite summer songs, and burying your backup band members up to their necks in the sand.

Kevin and Kornflake are back from Northeast Comic Con, where they found Muppet choirs, Rubber Chicken Comics, the Lost in Space chariot, and some of our favorite costumers (including Cosplay Dad, RW Martin as Indiana Jones, and Brandon the Shapeshifter as Thundarr the Barbarian). And the convention's Saturday night concert featured Tsunami of Sound, The Lights Out, Draco and the Malfoys, Loose Salute, Sam Mulligan, a Walton (Jon Walmsley), a Blackheart (Ricky Byrd), and yes, a Monkee (Micky Dolenz)! 'Twas a long show; we're still sleepy. Also from Northeast Comic Con, we have a Flopcast interview with the original Captain America (from way back in 1979), Reb Brown! (Did we mostly ask about Reb's appearance on The Facts of Life? What do you think?) Plus: The Mayor of Chickentown makes her Earth Station One podcast debut, we unveil our new Flopcast convention badge ribbons, and Kornflake is still obsessed with popsicles.

Kevin and Kornflake want you to celebrate National Selfie Day, especially if you're a macaque; we creep down to the rock clubs of Providence, Rhode Island in search of Mongoose Molly; we have a new movie review, all thanks to a power outage; and we look ahead at CONvergence (4th of July weekend in Bloomington, Minnesota), featuring meteorites, owls, Martians, Joseph Scrimshaw, the Skepchick Space Lab, and Kevin's big chance to mansplain Supergirl. Also, yes, Kornflake and Doornail invented a new fun beverage. The secret ingredients are vodka and vodka.

Kevin and Kornflake are talking music again this week, following a concert by 80s legends Cyndi Lauper and Boy George. It's been over thirty years since Cyndi conquered the world of pop music, with a little help from The Hooters, The Goonies, and Rowdy Roddy Piper. These days she takes an occasional detour into country music, but she still just wants to have fun, and most importantly, her hair is as big and crazy as ever. Meanwhile, Boy George is armed with a huge amazing backup band, and still delivers all the Culture Club hits you never admitted you loved so much. Friends, it's time to give "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" another chance. It's also time for some "Chickens in the News" from the other side of the world: New Zealand, once thought to be solely populated by sheep and hobbits, is actually being terrorized by drunk roosters. Really. And Nature Photography Day is this week too, so go creep around outside and try to get a picture of a karma chameleon.

The Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake for a very special Flopcast celebrating fifty years of The Monkees! We discuss our earliest memories of the TV show (from reruns on a Boston UHF station in the 70s), recall our earliest Monkees album purchases (horribly scratched vinyl from yard sales, also in the 70s), and look at each individual Monkee. Peter had the serious folk music background and the super-silly TV persona; Micky was the former child star (with a baby elephant!), destined to be the lead singer and drummer by default; Mike had Nashville-style musical aspirations and a hat; and Davy had stars in his eyes, plus a date with Marcia Brady. We also recall seeing The Monkees in concert on their various reunion tours over the last thirty years, including this year's 50th anniversary tour. (You'd better get ready -- they may be coming to your town.) And then there's the remarkable new Monkees album Good Times! (Do not miss the "She Makes Me Laugh" video, featuring 1960s Monkees comic book art!) We're also looking forward to Northeast Comic Con (June 18-19), featuring stars from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Affair, Captain America (1979 version), and more! Plus nerd comedy with Mark Gallagher, music from The Lights Out, and hey, MICKY DOLENZ! (Want to meet a Monkee? Be there!) And although we've never seen The Monkees' freaky 1968 movie Head at a drive-in, we're still celebrating Drive-In Movie Day, and you should too. Don't forget to visit the snack bar, and try the clam cakes.

Kids, this week we're talking about snakes. (Blame our tricky pal Matt, who suggested another weird Top 4 1/2 List...) Whether you're totally creeped out by snakes (a touch of ophidiophobia, perhaps), or you like them creeping all over you (Jake "The Snake" Roberts could help with that), you cannot deny that snakes are everywhere. (Samuel Jackson might not be happy about it, but these days he's so busy with the Avengers... and hey, the Avengers have snake troubles of their own, thanks to the Serpent Society...) So we're listing our favorite snakes, from goofy old horror movies, sitcoms, cartoons, and maybe even Paula Abdul songs. Slither on over and join us! Bring macaroons.

As summertime approaches here in Chickentown, Kevin and Kornflake are back on the iced coffee, featuring our beloved coffee cubes! (Coffee cubes are like Time for Timer's "Sunshine on a Stick," but without the toothpicks, and you use coffee instead of orange juice. We'll send you the recipe.) This week Kevin has a couple of concert reports, as Ben Folds and yMusic rock Boston (with a bass clarinet!), and Freezepop returns to Harvard Square (with a bunch of keytars, of course). And by the way, there are just a few days left in Freezepop's Kickstarter campaign! Send them your human money, and you might even get a Fluff sandwich in return. Also: Kornflake cannot avoid the Red Arrow Diner (which is not a problem), we celebrate National Grape Popsicle Day, and we peek inside the old Flopcast mailbag. As one might assume, it's filled with lobsters and skinks.

Another superhero anniversary is upon us, as Green Arrow turns 75 this year! So we're looking back at the long crazy history of our favorite comic book archer (sorry, Hawkeye). We recall how Green Arrow totally ripped off Batman (Arrow Car, Arrow Cave, kid sidekick...), his Justice League induction (because Superman and Wonder Woman would be helpless without a bow & arrow dude), his one true love (Black Canary, of course), his 1970s Mego doll (good luck not losing that tiny bow), and most importantly, his weird little goatee. Green Arrow made just one TV appearance during his first sixty years; apparently he was just an adequate friend, because the Super Friends never invited him back. But in recent years, he has popped up in multiple cartoons, as well as Smallville, and of course, his current hit TV series Arrow. (They dropped the "Green" for the show's title, probably to get an earlier listing in the phone book.) But Green Arrow isn't the only comic book subject in this week's show, as we also look at Long Distance, a romantic comedy (in graphic novel format) by Thom Zahler. And in honor of National Piercing Day, we recall how a quarter century ago, we were all freaked out by Jane Child. Plus: Kevin and Kornflake reveal their own archery experience (or lack thereof), and design their own trick arrows. (You know you want a rubber chicken arrow.)

In honor of National Night Shift Workers Day, we're completely exhausted! But we still manage to creep up to Lowell to see Gunpowder Gelatine and Aerochix (covering the music of Queen and Aerosmith, respectively); we return to the Triiibe exhibit at the Fitchburg Art Museum, and do not get trapped in the basement (trust us, it can happen); a visit to Maine features one turkey, one whistle pig, and a billion lobsters; and a trip into the Pudding Pages reminds us of Funny Face drink mix, which was at once delightful and horrifying. Hey, as of this week, we've been Flopcasting for four years! We have almost paid our debt to society...

Last week Harvard University was invaded by Stormtroopers (and at least one Wookiee), possibly because Carrie Fisher was there receiving the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. We were there too, to cheer for our Princess, although our view was somewhat obstructed by a giant bird. (This was not a problem. We like giant birds.) And speaking of birds, did a chicken recently visit the White House, in the name of science? Find out in another ridiculous "Chickens in the News" segment. Also: National Two Different Colored Shoes Day is this week! But Kornflake, Doornail, and Tom Hanks started celebrating decades ago.

Can Kornflake see all the costumes, collectibles, and celebrity guests at Super Megafest in just ninety minutes, and not be late for karaoke? Let's find out. We did indeed find plenty of crazy characters there, including our friends from Rubber Chicken Comics and Wicked Geeky, costumer R. W. Martin (as Doc from The Love Boat!), and our old pal Mr. T. We also ran into stars like Lee Meriwether (Catwoman!), Michael Beck (The Warriors! And Xanadu!), and William Zabka (Cobra Kai!). And we even attended a Q&A session with Burt Reynolds, because we still have a lot to learn about early 80s mustaches. Also: Steve Martin and Martin Short (two amigos, approximately) come to Boston, Kornflake is the Chico DeBarge of poetry, and lobsters are the new cows.

We received a long list of suggestions for this week's Top 4 1/2 List... and we picked the very dumbest one. So please enjoy our list of guys named Bill. (Yes, despite "Bill" being such an exotic name, we were able to think of a few.) Our Bill list includes songs, movies, cartoons, excellent adventures, science guys, and a bunch of bizarre characters from radio and TV. (Note: In accordance with international Bill list protocol, guys named "Billy" were not eligible. Otherwise we would have just listed Billy Ocean 4 1/2 times.)

Kornflake's 2016 convention tour continues, and this week she shares her adventures at Anime Boston! Getting there was an adventure in itself, but eventually she found a subway mermaid to lead the way. At the convention, Kornflake encountered Teen Titans, the Bear Hug Squad, anime crustaceans, Chickenhead, our old pal Keytar Bear, and many more strange and wonderful characters. Meanwhile, your other Flopcast host may or may not have been creepily lurking just outside the convention. (It was all part of our plan.) Also: a quick look ahead at DragonCon, an important turxting update, and National Dolphin Day. (You know Flipper is still out there somewhere. And Flipper is angry.)

While every other podcast is busy reviewing Batman v Superman, we know what the people really want. They want Kornflake's brutally honest review of the new Full House sequel series, Fuller House. (We've been preparing for this moment for years, by staring at the same photo of Dave Coulier every day.) Kornflake also recommends Zootopia, which offers more political intrigue than any cartoon since Captain Caveman. And we look ahead to next week's Super Megafest convention, where you can meet Burt Reynolds, Chewbacca, Hercules, Eddie Munster, a Beatle, a Badfinger, and The Warriors! (One of those Warriors also starred in the old Ted Knight sitcom Too Close For Comfort, which is very, very important to us.) We hope to see you there -- remember, as Huey Lewis said, it's hip to be a square root, or something.

A sleepy Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake for a round of "What's in the Bag?" featuring Batman and lobsters (our two favorite things); in perhaps our all-time stupidest National Whatever Day, we learn about Chinese gooseberries, and how Kornflake really feels about produce managers; Kevin wanders around Vermont and experiences the bizarre tradition of "sugar on snow" (it's weirder than you think -- pickles are involved); and we check out a crazy CBGB-themed concert and burlesque show, featuring a Blondie tribute by Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers, a Ramones tribute by Warthog, and a Talking Heads tribute by Byrne's Big Suit. (We'd been trying to figure out what was lacking in Kornflake's life. The answer was punk rock and strippers. But isn't that always the answer?)

Get ready to party, kids -- it's National Button Week. (Which one of your Flopcast co-hosts had New Kids on the Block buttons, and which had Men at Work and Air Supply buttons? The world may never know...) Then during our Pudding Pages segment, Siri is horribly offended when we ask a simple question about Roseanne. (The robots are getting angry, people. The revolution has begun.) We also have some Chickens in the News, because a bunch of Canadian kids have started a Chicken Club at their school. (Those lucky Canadians... at Kevin's old school, we certainly didn't have any chickens. All we had was carbon paper.) And we wrap up this goofy little show with a super-quick review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens! (Have any other podcasts covered this movie yet? No, we're probably first, as usual.)

Thanks to the highly lucrative world of podcasting, Kevin and Kornflake are pretty much their own bosses these days. But before they got filthy rich giggling about chickens every week, they too had to answer to a bunch of crazy hotheaded bosses. So in this week's Top 4 1/2 List, we're counting down our favorite bosses from our favorite TV shows and cartoons! Thanks to Hanna Barbera, we know all about gravel quarry bosses way in the past, and sprocket factory bosses way in the future. We recall sitcom bosses from The Office, Parks and Recreation, and a little place in Phoenix called Mel's Diner. And of course, there's a certain boss we can't forget from back in Hazzard County. So if you, like Tony Danza, can't figure out who's the boss, just relax and listen. We'll sort it all out for you. Also: National Awkward Moment Day is this week. Remember to tell your boss that you'll need some time off to celebrate.

Oops! Kevin, Kornflake, and the Mayor of Chickentown are trapped in a walk-in freezer! (Kornflake didn't know the door locked automatically!) But while waiting to be rescued by a wacky neighbor, they recall favorite moments from past Flopcast episodes through a series of annoying old clips. Okay, not really. For our 200th show, we're just relaxing in the studio as usual, because alas, this isn't quite a 1980s sitcom. (But we're working on it.) In honor of National Cereal Day, Kevin shares a really stupid idea he once had for a really stupid new cereal. Then the Mayor discusses her recent trip to California for the annual Doctor Who convention known as Gallifrey One. She encountered many colorful characters out west, including the great Luke Ski, TV's Kyle, Lindzilla, Ken Reid, Greg Proops, Laura Kightlinger, Phil Plait, Joseph Scrimshaw, and ESO Director Mike Faber! Meanwhile Kornflake tells us all about her visit to New England's largest game convention, TotalCon. She even has a Flopcast interview with the creators of a new robot-themed card game, PBL Robots! Finally we review some Flopcast stats after 200 ridiculous weeks of podcasting, and reveal why we're dispatching Flopcast listeners, one by one, to North Dakota. (Watch your inbox. You might be next.)

This week we're talking with novelist (The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs), storyteller (The Moth), and podcaster (Boy vs. Girl) Matthew Dicks! Matthew and Kevin grew up in the same tiny town, rode the same stupid school bus, and were the only non-girl flute players in the school band. We recall a time when kids (and crazy unleashed dogs) ran free, and we'd ride our bikes down to Main Street in search of comic books, Donkey Kong, and John Candy on VHS. Our old school was torn down years ago, but our memories of weird little lunches and angry little gym teachers will never die. Also: We're not trying to make "Turkeys in the News" a regular Flopcast segment, but when the police are called to rescue a New Jersey mailman from a bunch of crazy turkeys, what choice do we have? And speaking of New Jersey, Kornflake reminds us to wish a Happy Birthday to Bon Jovi. (We could also wish a Sad Death Night to "Jon Bovi" -- the Bon Jovi opposite band.)

Because we tend to get everything wrong, we have some corrections from a previous Flopcast, mostly involving astronauts and Monkees; a recent benefit show by Dar Williams and Catie Curtis turned wonderfully Schoolhouse Rock-ish; the Fitchburg Art Museum has an amazing new exhibit by our friends from Triiibe (but alas, no plastic lawn flamingos); we visit the Comedy Studio in Harvard Square for a bizarre night featuring Niki Luparelli, Mark Gallagher, Nathan Burke, Skip Daniels, magic, improv, kazoos, and a dumbwaiter; National Whatever Day celebrates our favorite cartoon snowman/Mormon, Josh Gad; and we're going on strike. A podcast strike. But probably just until next week's show.

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate 75 years of the King of Atlantis, the guy in the scaly orange shirt (perhaps not the fanciest of superhero costumes), Aquaman! Yes, Aquaman has been talking to the fish since 1941, he's a founding member of the Justice League of America, and he's your favorite Super Friend. So let's show some respect. We also look at Aquaman's whole crazy Aqua-family: his flipper-footed wife Mera, his teen sidekick Aqualad, and Aqualad's "deep-six chick" (yeah, that's what they called her) Aqua-Girl. And then we have Aquaman's greatest villain (and coolest member of the Legion of Doom) Black Manta, his pesky little "water sprite" Quisp (sort of an underwater Great Gazoo), and his giant octopus buddy, Topo (who is also a fine musician, because why not). We cover Aquaman's 1960s Filmation cartoons, his 1970s Mego action figure, his live action debut on Smallville, and his truly outrageous appearances in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. And of course, a dark scary Game of Thrones-style Aquaman is coming soon to a theater near you! But we suspect that the lighter, sillier version of Aquaman will always be our favorite. And we have freshly-baked Aqua-cookies to prove it.

Kevin and Kornflake check out the new MarsCon Dementia Track fundraiser album, and you should too. (Warning: Contains goofy songs by The Sponge Awareness Foundation, and lobster songs by Kornflake!) Also: Astronaut Cady Coleman has a space flute, we have mixed feelings about a new ninth planet that isn't Pluto, Kornflake has big plans to play Connect Four and Hungry Hungry Hippos at TotalCon, the Mayor of Chickentown has seized control of our Twitter account, and Kevin was back on the Earth Station One podcast to talk about The Monkees. (Speaking of which, we have a correction from this week's Flopcast! Melanie Mitchell's book is actually called Monkee Magic: a Book about a TV Show about a Band. Get it through Amazon! We sure did. Because we just can't get enough Tork talk.)

Kevin and Kornflake are full of excuses this week, because somebody decided "excuses" should be the subject of this week's Top 4 1/2 List. (We won't name any names, except for the name "Kornflake.") Some of our favorite excuses come from Steve Martin, Marcia Brady, the Blues Brothers, the Kids in the Hall, and of course, Juan Epstein. And these days, with the right excuse, you can even bring a turkey on an airplane! (Several listeners brought this wonderful story to our attention. It turns out that Mr. Carlson was right, and turkeys CAN fly.) Also: It's National Carrot Cake Day, and Kornflake learns about her new favorite superhero, Flaming Carrot, just in time.

After a three year absence, Kevin and Kornflake went creeping back to Arisia! (A science fiction convention on the Boston waterfront in mid-January... this is how we eliminate the weaker nerds from the pack.) Kornflake was there on Saturday, and enjoyed a game of Munchkin, a Princess Bride shadowcast show with the Teseracte Players, a workshop about shiny things, and a large angry chicken. Kevin didn't show up until Sunday, and just sort of wandered around not doing much of anything. (The winner is Kornflake!) Also: National Kazoo Day is this week, so our usual advice applies -- don't leave the house.

We have a quick show for you this week, because we're sleepy, and Kornflake keeps spilling the coffee. In our "Chickens in the News" segment: It has been suggested that in order to sustain the human population, we should shrink everyone down to the size of chickens. (We can't decide if this is a good idea or a GREAT idea. Either way, it's another step toward a world ruled by chickens.) Then in our "Pudding Pages" segment, we look at the Six Million Dollar Man action figures of the 1970s. And coincidentally, those action figures were just about as tall as chickens! So after you step through our shrink ray (on loan from Brainiac and the Legion of Doom), stop by our wardrobe department. You can dress like a chicken-sized Bionic Man, Bionic Woman, or maybe even a Fembot. And remember, Winnie the Pooh Day is this week. So pants are optional.

It's time for a Flopcast-style look back at those we lost in 2015. The Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake as we recall some of our favorite recently-departed actors, musicians, writers, artists... and maybe even the guy who invented plastic pink flamingos. Including: Stars from The Dukes of Hazzard, Happy Days, The Partridge Family, Eight Is Enough, The Beverly Hillbillies, and yes, Archie Bunker's Place; the voices behind Space Ghost, Pac-Man, Mr. Slate, and the Chiquita Banana; the singers of "Stand By Me", "Unforgettable", and "The Thrill Is Gone"; the creators of Wolverine, Zatanna, Marmaduke, and Barbapapa; and many more. (Did we mention the flamingo guy?) Hey, 2015 was the year we lost Mr. Spock, Jimmy Olsen, and Batgirl -- so feel free to cry if you want to, Lesley Gore-style. But then feel free to enjoy yourself with a Stan Freberg record, a Christopher Lee Dracula movie, or just a giant cup of coffee. (Kornflake really needed coffee this week.)

We're kicking off the new year with one more convention report from the old year! Northeast Comic Con featured the stars of A Christmas Story; a round of Press Your Luck (No Whammies!) with Big Bucks Entertainment; legendary comic book artist George Pérez; TV Guidance Counselor with Ken Reid, Claudia Wells, John Wesley Shipp, and Andrew WK; and the 50th anniversary of Lost in Space. Speaking of which, we have a special Flopcast interview with one of the stars of Lost in Space, Marta Kristen! Marta discusses not only her time aboard the Jupiter 2 as Judy Robinson, but also her role as Lorelei the mermaid in Beach Blanket Bingo, her critically acclaimed theatrical work, and her current projects. (Listen carefully for a cameo from Marta's Lost in Space co-star Mark Goddard! And you might even hear the Robot in the background, screaming about danger, as usual.) Also: Soupy Sales would have been 90 this week. Why not celebrate by hitting yourself in the face with a pie?

It's our final Flopcast of 2015! Almost time to flop over and relax! We celebrate with the return of Kornflake's regular National Whatever Day segment, in which we learn why paper snowflakes can be disgusting. (You're welcome!) Then Kevin reports on last month's Super Megafest convention, featuring Nichelle Nichols, Peter Tork and Bobby Hart, the Dukes of Hazzard, and the Miser Brothers. (Apparently Heat Miser finally outwitted Snow Miser, because we certainly had a green Christmas here in Chickentown.) And of course, we reveal our (really stupid) New Year's Resolutions. Meanwhile, Kornflake is spending the final days of 2015 frantically hopping on a trampoline, thanks to her OLD Year's Resolution. She is dedicated. And dizzy.

Happy Holidays from The Flopcast, where we hide our toys inside rubber chickens, so the Burgermeister won't find them. This week Ed joins us again, to talk about yet another pre-Sponge Awareness Foundation project: his goofy 1989 college band, Wet Paint! We look back on this short-lived band's eclectic lineup, their repertoire of dance/pop cover songs (awful), their one original song (even worse), their big night playing at the Suitcase Dance (there were no survivors), and the time they ruined a beach party (but it was New Hampshire, so who cares). And Kornflake reminds us that 1989 was also the year of the Super Soaker! (Did you know it was originally called the Turkey Launcher? Please don't fact-check us. Just spread the word.) Also: How to find tacky Christmas lights (our dog just won the big lights and display contest, by the way); a "What's in the Bag" surprise from Ed (hint: it's not a piece of the Berlin Wall); the new Earth Station One book (get it!); and the Christmas music of Air Supply, Smashy Claw, Zamfir, and a bunch of very festive chickens.

This week we're joined by a special surprise guest (it was certainly a surprise to Kornflake): Ed, of The Sponge Awareness Foundation! (That's Kevin's old comedy band, which you probably knew already, because we're super-famous.) And we're talking about 1988, which was the year Ed put together his high school rock band, Vortex. (Yikes, those guys covered a lot of Bon Jovi.) Ed takes us through the history of Vortex, including their crazy gigs (a mix of children's dances and creepy all-ages rock clubs), their self-produced cassette album (Kevin found a copy years later at a flea market), the "Playgound Closed" sign they stole from Burger King (the perfect crime), and the explosions (yes, the explosions). And speaking of the rock scene of 1988, Kornflake tells us about a controversial omission from that year's Grammy Awards. (But we manage to fix everything retroactively, through the magic of Debbie and Tiffany.) Also: Everyone is now turxting instead of texting (good job, everyone), our Turkey Stark business cards are even dumber than we thought, and Kevin and Christine report from the happiest place on Earth: an Air Supply concert.

Kevin and Kornflake's ill-conceived trip back through the 80s brings us to 1987! It was the year Debbie Gibson taught us to shake our love -- a practice which is illegal in most states these days. Kornflake reminds us of the 1987 debut of the San Francisco-based sitcom Full House, as well as the time that city's famed Golden Gate Bridge nearly collapsed under the weight of a million hippies. (Historians still debate which was the greater disaster.) Kevin's 1987 pick is the goofy Jon Cryer movie Hiding Out, which was set in the Boston area and a little creepy, just like us. And if you think we got through 1987 without sneaking into a Pretty Poison concert, you really don't know us anymore. Also: A festive time was had at Freezepop's recent EP release show, also featuring Madaila, The Lights Out, and Math the Band. (But no one shook their love, thankfully.)

This week our excruciating ten-part look at the 80s brings us to 1986! 'Twas the year we danced on the ceiling, had fun tonight, and were rocked by Amadeus (which explains the headache we've had for the last thirty years). Kornflake tells us about the 1986 reopening of the Statue of Liberty, which had spent much of the 80s surrounded by scaffolding, while construction workers added giant shoulder pads and one massive sequin glove. Meanwhile Kevin recalls the high school sitcom Head of the Class, in which a bunch of genius kids learned simple life lessons from Doctor Johnny Fever. Also: Kevin and the Mayor are back from their goofy Caribbean cruise, during which they tried (and failed) to avoid people, reggae, piano bars, napkin folding demonstrations, and pretty much anything that wasn't a howler monkey.

We're halfway through our court-ordered ten-episode celebration of the 80s, which means it's time to talk about 1985. Kornflake has a song by Passion Pit (not from 1985, but still thematically appropriate... well played, Kornflake). Meanwhile Kevin selects the classic Pat Benatar-meets-Supergirl film The Legend of Billie Jean, because fair's fair. Then we move on to some holiday talk -- Kevin's Halloween costume was the stupidest thing anyone has ever seen, and we have the Turkey Stark business cards to prove it. We also thought Thanksgiving week would be the perfect time to tell the world about "turxting" -- a bold new breakthrough in turkey-themed communications technology. (You might even hear us send and receive turxt messages from some friends of the Flopcast during the show! Try to contain your excitement.) And we look forward to our final convention of the year, the Northeast Comic Con! (If Judy Robinson from Lost in Space will be there, then we'll be there. This is how we plan our lives.) Hey, if you found this week's show to be a little weird, please let us know. Send us a turxt.

For our 1984-themed episode, Kevin and Kornflake each have a weird TV memory to share. Kornflake recalls DTV, which was Disney Channel's take on MTV-style music videos. (But where was Billy Ocean? A certain cartoon rodent owes us an apology.) Meanwhile Kevin is still obsessed with The Master, a short-lived TV series about a ninja, his dopey apprentice, and their pet hamster. It was ridiculous and we loved it. And in our "Chickens in the News" segment: Well, there's a chicken on Twitter. For real. This is best thing to come out of Australia since Air Supply (and coming from us, that really means something).

This week we're creeping back to 1983, the year Top 40 radio was totally conquered by goofy new wave. We were blinded with science, rocked down to Electric Avenue, safety danced if we wanted to, and watched 99 red balloons go by. In fact, Kevin's pick for our 1983 discussion is Nena, the young German lady who taught us about those red balloons (or luftballons, if you prefer). Meanwhile, Kornflake reminds us that 1983 was also the year of the Chicken McNugget! (Mayor McCheese knew his days were numbered when those little creeps blew into town.) We also look ahead to the Super Megafest convention (November 21-22), where you can meet MacGyver, Big Bird, a Bad News Bear, a Monkee, and all three Dukes of Hazzard cousins! (We're not counting Coy and Vance. Sorry, guys.) And we sneak in a quick review of the new Supergirl TV series, and learn that Kevin would not make a good Supergirl. Alas, another dream has died...

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate the year 1982 by discussing a couple of lost Saturday morning cartoons ("Meatballs and Spaghetti" and "Pandamonium") and an early computer virus ("Elk Cloner"). Scientists are trying to determine which of these 1982 creations has done the most damage over the years. Then we review the recently announced nominees for induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next year: Chic, Deep Purple, Nine Inch Nails, NWA, The Smiths, The Spinners, Yes, The Cars, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Janet Jackson, The JB's, Chaka Khan, Los Lobos, and Steve Miller. Warning: This list contains one of Kevin's all-time favorite artists, as well as one he thinks is the worst thing that ever happened. (The Hall of Fame has a lot of range, apparently.) By the way, we're still angry about The Monkees getting snubbed every year. Also, Tiffany.

With our neighboring red planet in the news lately (we can't wait to try that delicious new Martian water), Kevin and Kornflake are counting down their Top 4 1/2 favorite Martians (and miscellaneous Mars-type stuff). We cover Martian cartoon characters, music, movies, candy bars, and lots more. (You know, Matt Damon isn't the first Martian from Boston. It's time for you to meet Robolar.) Also: This week's 1981 edition of National Whatever Day includes Gary Coleman movies, a royal wedding, and yet another Weird Tale of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. And speaking of the Ocean State, we also preview the upcoming Rhode Island Comic Con, where you'll find Tiki Zombies, Wicked Geeky cookies, and HENRY WINKLER! (Yikes, the Fonz in Rhode Island... this can only end with a Marvin the Martian-approved Earth-shattering kaboom.)

This week our usual National Whatever Day segment is replaced by a weird tribute to 1980! (Next week we'll tackle 1981. And because we're so obsessed with the 80s, we'll keep this going for ten weeks, or until we're shut down by the government.) 1980 was the year of Pink Lady and Jeff (a variety show so bizarre that it could only come from those far out space nuts, Sid and Marty Krofft) and the year of the Post-It note. (Kevin and Kornflake disagree on whether or not you should lick Post-It notes. So just follow your heart.) Also: We have feedback on last week's backwards show (uh, sorry about that); Kornflake appears in Dino-Mike's new music video (it's kind of silly, believe it or not); and we review Puglet, a recent production of Hamlet with an all-pug cast. Yes, modern theater has gone to the dogs, and we approve.

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It's a quick show this week, but we still manage to cover all the pressing issues of the day, including bumblebee costumes (Kornflake wants hers back), World Octopus Day (Doctor Octopus is celebrating by creeping everyone out), and the 25th First Annual Ig Nobel Prizes! This year's Ig Nobels, which celebrate the sillier side of science, recognize studies in how to unboil an egg, how to fight bribery with bribery, and how to make chickens walk like dinosaurs. (Yes, we did indeed cover that last one here on The Flopcast several months ago. We try to stay ahead of the curve on chicken stories.) Now if you'll pardon us, we really do need to go track down some Frankenberry.

As summer turns to fall, Kornflake bids a fond farewell to iced coffee, and we consider packing up and moving the whole show to Turkeytown. Also: We recommend several podcasts recorded during (or looking back at) DragonCon, from our friends at Earth Station One, The Adam and JP Show, Needless Things, and Arrow Squad; Kornflake is bursting with Chubby Checker trivia; The Doubleclicks, Molly Lewis, and Joseph Scrimshaw wrap up their Nerd Night Out tour and teach us about snakes, dinosaurs, and chickens; and Kevin's trip to Vermont Comic Con features Clerks, a Vulcan mermaid, that Monster Squad board game, and (once again) chickens. It's been a weird week. Hold us.

Last week Kevin wouldn't shut up about DragonCon, so this week we're catching up with Kornflake! As usual she has been busy with silly adventures of her own, including an impromptu trip to Chicago for our friend Sara's birthday! And to double down on the silliness, Doornail came along too! Join us as Kornflake learns about root beer waffles, gypsy jazz, the Mud Show, why Lewis and Clark were the Hall and Oates of the nineteenth century, why you should always dress like Tootie at a Renaissance fair, and yes, how to bellydance like Groot. Also: It's time to trade in your stupid gas-guzzling car for a sleek fuel-efficient trampoline. That's the Chicago way.

We're safely back in Chickentown after a crazy weekend in Atlanta (with 70,000 of our favorite geeks) for DragonCon! Our convention report includes: the stars of Arrow, Flash, Kids in the Hall, and Mystery Science Theater 3000; the music of Rasputina, Paul and Storm, Mike Phirman, Molly Lewis, The Doubleclicks, Carter Parton Rogers, Mikey Mason, and Here Come The Mummies; the Sci-Fi Drive-In Heckle-Along; the Amazing James Randi; lots more ESO Network podcasters; and American Sci-Fi Classics track panels on important topics like Thundarr the Barbarian, Otherworld, Battlefield Earth, and mullets. We also review our favorite costumes, including Yip-Yips, Super Friends, Hall and Oates (!), our friends from Wicked Geeky, and of course, Carl. Also: Make A Hat Day is this week, and it's way more dangerous than you think.

Kevin has abandoned Chickentown to join the crazy people at DragonCon! Assuming he isn't captured by Sleestaks, we'll have a full report in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, here's a special panel we recorded on the Fourth of July at CONvergence in Bloomington, Minnesota! Kevin is joined by our new best friends Jennifer, Mark, and Anna, and we discuss one of our very favorite subjects: Saturday morning cartoons! Included in the discussion: Scooby Doo, Gilligan's Planet, Jabberjaw, Fangface, Strawberry Shortcake, New Kids on the Block, Danger Mouse, Beetlejuice, The Harlem Globetrotters, Mighty Mouse, Jem, Captain Caveman, Speed Racer, Gargoyles, PSAs, Magic School Bus vs. Mission: Magic!, Filmation's Ghostbusters vs. The Real Ghostbusters, the problem with Super Friends (what?), and much, much more. And if you stick around for the panel's shocking conclusion, you just might hear the Mayor of Chickentown (along with the whole audience) join us for a School House Rock singalong! (Be kind when you unpack your adjectives.) Also: Kornflake learned her multiplication tables not with School House Rock, but with Hershey's chocolate bars. You're not surprised, are you?

This week we're celebrating 75 years of the fastest man alive, The Flash! In the comic books, Flash was a founding member of the Justice League and the Justice Society, as well as a pivotal figure in the history of the DC Comics universe. On the other hand, he has been known to hang around with goofballs like Mopee (Flash's version of the Great Gazoo, sort of) and The Three Dimwits (whose resemblance to The Three Stooges was completely coincidental, we assure you). We also look back at the Flash on TV, including the Filmation cartoons, the Super Friends, and a couple of bizarre live action appearances in the late 1970s. (Alas, Dan Aykroyd has only played Flash once. So far...) And of course, there have also been two live action Flash TV series: the short-lived but fondly-recalled 1990 version, and the surprisingly excellent current version. Both shows, by the way, have guest-starred Mark Hamill as the Trickster. And as Kornflake learns in our totally unfair Flash Villain Quiz, Trickster was certainly not Flash's goofiest villain. Not even close. Also this week: Did Mr. Peanut ever work for the phone company? We think he did, but we're about as reliable as The Three Dimwits.

We're less than two weeks from our favorite geek event of the whole stupid year: DragonCon. So before we begin the long, treacherous journey from Chickentown to Atlanta (we got a great deal on a MTV LeRun skate-bike), here's our DragonCon preview show! This year's guest list includes some of our favorite actors (from Arrow, Flash, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, and of course, Silver Spoons), comedy and music performers (including Paul and Storm, Molly Lewis, The Doubleclicks, and Mikey Mason), puppeteers (Carol "Big Bird" Spinney!), skeptics (The Amazing Randi returns!), and even a couple of guys from Monty Python and The Kids in the Hall! All our friends from the ESO Network will be there too, appearing on panels, podcasting, and ordering way too many buckets of rum at the Hyatt bar. (Speaking of panels, Kevin runs through his whole crazy panel schedule too. Yes, of course we're doing a panel about Thundarr the Barbarian. Did you really have to ask?) Also this week: Kornflake is back from Otis, Massachusetts (where dogs hate to swim, and everyone might be naked); Kevin is back from WeddingCon (where dogs wear Star Trek uniforms) and Connecticut ComiCONN (where we found ANOTHER Disco Boba Fett!); Kyle and Luke talk about Homestar Runner; and Pluto (arguably our favorite dwarf planet) is full of jive turkeys.

Summertime is robot time (as all good citizens know here in Chickentown), and so it's time for our fourth annual robot-themed Top 4 1/2 List! This year, in a desperate attempt to keep things interesting, we're looking specifically at EVIL robots. Evil robots from movies, TV, and video games... evil robot cars... evil robot lobsters (yeah, Kornflake found one)... and of course, an evil robot with a pet monkey and no pants. Hey, humans won't be completely obsolete for another month or two, so you have plenty of time to enjoy this list. Still not convinced? Then here's some evil robot-style click-bait for you: This week we reveal which of the following is NOT an evil robot: Belinda Carlisle, Gloria Estefan, or Enya. The answer will not shock you.

It's another Flopcast convention report, this time from Boston Comic Con! (Official convention motto: "Let's see how many Harley Quinns we can squish into one building!" It sounds better in the original Latin.) There were comic books aplenty, of course, including at least one amoeba-themed mini-comic. (Say goodbye to the X-Men; amoeba comics are the wave of the future.) There were amazing costumes everywhere -- and one of those Harley Quinns even had a rubber chicken. (This is important to us.) And there were celebrities lurking about too, including Gotham's Robin Lord Taylor, 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander, Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell, and the Mistress of the Dark herself, ELVIRA! (We're still sort of freaking out about Elvira.) And in non-convention news: Kornflake has another hammock-themed adventure and checks out the new Minions movie, Kevin nearly gets run over by the roller-disco stars of Xanadu, we celebrate National Lazy Day (or not, whatever), and we remember Rowdy Roddy Piper. Also, yeah, there was a weird juggling incident.

We have an extra-short, extra-goofy show this week, because Kool and the Gang were right: it's TOO HOT. (Of course, Kool and the Gang were always right. So bring your good times and your laughter too, or suffer the consequences.) In honor of National Watermelon Day, we recall the good old days when the government forced everyone to rent Gallagher tapes and pretend to like them. (For a while in the mid-1980s, this was a largely a Gallagher-based economy.) Despite the horrifying heat, we also fire up our supercomputer for a round of "The Pudding Pages," and end up discussing Jolt Cola and other weird soda from the past. (Kornflake still misses OK Soda, mainly because she was addicted to their toll-free hotline.) And finally, our "Chickens in the News" segment takes us to the jungles of Indonesia, where some mad genius built a giant chicken church! But we don't need to visit, because our studio is already hotter than an Indonesian chicken church (as the old saying goes). And so we trust in the wisdom of Kool: Gotta run for shelter, gotta run for shade.

Kevin and Kornflake are back in Chickentown after a goofy road trip to Vermont, where they found bugs, mud, and other constant reminders that they should never leave the house. But hey, in addition to all that pesky nature, there was a "Weird Al" Yankovic concert! Well played, Vermont. We also note the closing of T. T. the Bear's Place, a legendary club that was the heart of Boston's rock scene for decades. TT's was the site of countless shows by some of our favorite performers (including Ed's Redeeming Qualities, Mojo Nixon, The Shods, Mary Lou Lord, Freezepop, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and yes, the Christmas Chickens), and we'll miss it. (These days, not enough rock clubs are named after pet hamsters, and it's killing the music industry.) Also: We look ahead to Boston Comic Con, learn that mustard belongs in a museum, and suspect that Kevin might be a zombie.

Kevin, Kornflake, and The Mayor have abandoned Chickentown to record this week's show from a secret undisclosed location! But we'll be back in our regular studio next week (the chickens are getting restless), and all will be revealed. This week, however, we're looking back at the 4th of July weekend (which took place in early July, according to scientists). Kevin and The Mayor journeyed west to Minnesota for CONvergence, where they encountered a giant walking milkshake, Disco Boba Fett, bellydancers, Trek Bunnies, rat puppets, Feng Shui Ninjas, School House Rock singalongs, and Buzzed Aldrins in the Skepchick party room. Meanwhile, Kornflake and Doornail headed north to New Hampshire, where they started their own weird new convention called FlopFest. And if you suspect that FlopFest largely consists of flopping in hammocks, giggling, napping, and looking for Vodka... yeah, that just about covers it! Also: It's National Drive-Thru Day, so talk to the clown and keep moving.

It's been 100 weeks since Flopcast episode 66, which was dedicated to V66 (Boston's own UHF music video channel back in the mid-80s). So for episode 166, we're doing it again, just in time to celebrate the DVD release of Life on the V, a documentary all about V66! This week, we recall our favorite music video stars from 30 years ago, including The Cars, The Bangles, A-ha, and Weird Al (who once appeared on V66 with a rubber pig). We recall Hurricane Gloria, which tore through New England in the fall of 1985, was covered on V66, and inspired young Kornflake to dream of being a 6-year-old meteorologist for a music video channel. We recall the shockingly goofy music video produced by V66 for the New England Patriots' 1986 Superbowl appearance. (Seriously, you MUST see this thing. It's just awful, and we love it.) And we recall the day the music (or at least the 'Til Tuesday music videos) died, when V66 suddenly turned into a stupid home shopping channel. But wait, there's more! We're also joined by Life on the V director Eric Green for an exclusive Flopcast interview! Also: Embrace Your Geekness Day is this week, and the facts of life are all about us.

Kornflake dreams of a Flopcast road trip to Wayne, Nebraska... possibly because they have a GIANT ANNUAL CHICKEN FESTIVAL!!! Meanwhile Kevin has been creeping around the rock clubs of Boston again, and reports on recent shows by Telelectrix (they have a keyboard fort), Party Bois (they like to drink, they like to party), Petty Morals (aka Go Bang), CJ Ramone (who brought along an Aquabat or two), Shonen Knife (they sing about cats and capybaras, so we love them), and (get ready to freak out) Men Without Hats. (We can pretend it's 1983 if we want to.) Kevin also dropped by Northeast Comic Con, and found pirates, rubber chickens, gargoyles, Adam West, our favorite TV Guidance Counselor, and a whole bunch of Shriners. Also: Kornflake reviews the new Pixar movie Inside Out, which may or may not be a shameless ripoff of Karate Kid Part 3.

Kevin and Kornflake have one more item of business to discuss from FuMPFeST, as Kevin reveals that in the middle of this funny music convention, he sneaked off to a whole other convention! This was Mego Meet, a show dedicated to the Mego superhero dolls (sorry, action figures) of the 1970s. Found at Mego Meet: Kid Flash's boots, Tiny Titans creator Art Baltazar, an Ark II Halloween costume, and (according to a rumor started by some goofy podcast) Taylor Swift. The toy talk continues as we flip through a fun book called Rack Toys, which features page after page of bizarre cheapo toys from the 70s and 80s. (The Land of the Lost pinball game looks awesome, but we're baffled by the Love Boat Barber Shop set.) Then we look ahead to CONvergence, a big crazy convention happening Fourth of July weekend in Bloomington, Minnesota. Kevin will be there, mostly talking about Fangface. Meanwhile, Kornflake just wants you to enjoy a bowl of angry ice cream.

Kevin and Kornflake are back in Chickentown, but can't stop screaming about FuMPFeST! This week we review our whole crazy weekend at this funny music convention in Wheeling, Illinois (a town Kornflake would visit just to have breakfast). Highlights include: Kornflake's water breaking (what?), an Inspector Gadget chorus, Kenny Rogers-themed water aerobics, a Pod of Destiny field trip to see the Neo-Futurists, The Logan Awards, a shocking allegation from The Boobles, Dumb Parody Ideas, Dementia Smackdown Wrestling, Doornail spilling stuff, and the ancient art of "padlockigami." Plus, of course, performances by Insane Ian, Bad Teenage Moustache, TV's Kyle and Lindzilla, Tim Cavanagh, Drew Jacobs, the great Luke Ski, Steve Goodie, Carla Ulbrich, The Arrogant Worms, Smashy Claw, Matt Griffo, Todd Chappelle, Devo Spice, Carrie Dahlby, Power Salad, Rhiannon's Lark, and more! Also: Apparently we have to wear sparkly fairy wings this week. One of us is not happy about this.

Kevin and Kornflake are back in Wheeling, Illinois for the second annual FuMPFeST comedy music convention! And we're joined by our regular giggling, coffee-spilling correspondent, Doornail! Also on the show this week: Alyssa (of Rhiannon's Lark), DJ Particle, and FuMPFeST performers Todd Chappelle and Carla Ulbrich! Plus cameos by Tim (aka Poohbear) and Blasted Bill! Topics of discussion include: Doornail and Alyssa's college days (breakfast was a rare event; being stared at creepily was not), Mad Mike's wine, Seamonkey's beer, dating Amish women, saying hello in Klingon, wearing a Snuggie at an Arrogant Worms concert, and an insane phone call with Insane Ian. (Plus lots of immature giggling about boobs, because we're so classy.) Note: This episode was recorded in the hallway just outside the main FuMPFeST concert room, so expect a little background noise here and there. And if you think there wasn't a maniac in a Spider-Man costume lurking around through the whole show... you are quite mistaken.

Kevin and Kornflake discuss a new documentary featuring Big Bird, a new Kickstarter campaign for The Perhapanauts (get a voicemail message from a chupacabra!), new music from Dar Williams and Anaria, and old music from John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. Also: Freezepop, Duran Duran, Petty Morals, the Somerville Ukulele Club, the Swedish Chef, Kornflake's all-time favorite edition of "Chickens in the News," and yet another trip into the Pudding Pages. Next week: FuMPFest! Things just might get silly.

Most scientists agree that Kevin is tragically obsessed with the classic 1984 movie Footloose. Kornflake, however, had never actually seen it! Thus our mission was clear -- we had to watch Footloose, and then try to make sense of it all. So this week, we discuss the Footloose cast (which was completely upstaged by Lori Singer's red boots), the soundtrack (yikes, so many Top 40 hits, including one from a guy who may have been from Krypton), the dancing (let's hear it for the adorable "Kevin Bacon teaches Chris Penn to dance" montage), and of course, the chicken race. (No actual chickens were harmed in the chicken race -- just Bonnie Tyler's crazy singing voice, and a couple of tractors.) We also have some perfectly reasonable ideas for new versions of Footloose involving squirrels, Klingons, and Rowan Atkinson. And the Mayor of Chickentown drops by and considers passing some Lithgow-style anti-chicken-dancing legislation. So kick off your Sunday shoes (do you really need a pair for each day of the week, Imelda?) and enjoy. And remember that somewhere, Kenny Loggins' beard is judging you.

We have quite a mixed bag (but not a "What's in the Bag?") of silly topics this week. You'll learn why Kornflake is totally obsessed with Highlander, how to look insane when you see the new Avengers movie, how to stare creepily at folk singers through a window, and how to be a loser at a freak show. Also discussed: The Nerdist's Chris Hardwick and Matt Mira; the weird old diners of Lowell, Massachusetts; Free Comic Book Day; a festive Freezepop show; the horrors of face-painting booths; one of your two dads, Paul Reiser; steampunk hula-hooping; Rifftrax Live; and our new favorite cartoon, Mighty Magiswords. We also just invented the hammock sidecar, so get ready to be very relaxed and very hospitalized.

It's the end of an era in late night TV, as David Letterman wraps up 33 years of stupid pets and guys under the seats. So this week, we're looking back on how we discovered Dave in the 80s, how he influenced Kevin's goofy band, and how he inspired Kornflake to hide inside a couch. And we share the silly tale of how Kevin actually ended up on Dave's show way back in 1991. (We may even have a rare audio clip from that appearance. You have been warned.) Also: Kornflake reviews the nominees in this year's Logan Awards for excellence in comedy music; Rowdy Roddy Piper takes a stand against bullies (yikes, the irony); and for National Whatever Day, we're celebrating a birthday during which many fools shall be pitied.

Kevin and Kornflake are frightened and confused by creepy leprechauns; The Sponge Awareness Foundation is crushed by falling drunk people at a They Might Be Giants concert; Jay Leno is mesmerized by our Leave It to Beaver t-shirt; we prepare to pitch a gritty crime drama to HBO (it's about a chicken detective, and shut up); Kornflake has a trampoline update; and we celebrate the third anniversary of The Flopcast by observing that no one in North Dakota has ever listened to our goofy little show. But that's okay, North Dakota. We understand, and we salute you.

Another convention report, from the new spring edition of Super Megafest! Featuring pirates, Ghostbusters, Bigfoot hunters, Mr. T, Wicked Geeky costumers, a Niki Luparelli concert, a CHiPs reunion, Supergirl's Helen Slater, Soap's Katherine Helmond, Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes, a kilt-free Rowdy Roddy Piper, and an alligator on the loose! Plus: A quick detour into Harvard Square for a live edition of TV Guidance Counselor with Ken Reid, Eugene Mirman (from Bob's Burgers), and Jon Glaser (from the Slipnutz)! Also: Bird Day is this week. Happy Bird Day to you.

It's been too long since we presented a good old fashioned ridiculous Flopcast Top 4 1/2 List... and so this week, we bring you a Betty list. (Hey, we take that "ridiculous" part pretty seriously.) We're listing our favorite Betty cartoon characters (from the Stone Age and beyond), our favorite (and least favorite) Betty songs, our favorite Golden Girl (of course), and many more. Whether you're looking for a 1950s pin-up model or a big box of cake mix, you could probably use a Betty, and here they are. (But if we missed your favorite Betty, please let us know. This is very, very important.) Also: This week's National Whatever Day reveals a shocking secret about one of the stars of The Big Bang Theory! (Not really, but we're trying to trick everyone into listening.)

Our report from the South Coast Toy and Comic Show includes: silly cat comics; a very tempting Monster Squad board game; the stars of Buck Rogers, Clerks, and The Last Dragon; and our dream of unleashing the New England Brethren of Pirates on Fish Island. Also: comedian Marc Maron (whose podcast is arguably even more popular than this one), DNA Day (celebrate by running up and down a spiral staircase), and another "Chickens in the News" story (which is eerily similar to our last "Chickens in the News" story). As the old saying goes, this show is more fun than pouring hot coffee on a snowbank.

According to the Elders, it's time to celebrate 75 years of Captain Marvel! Yes, young Billy Batson has been screaming "Shazam!" and fighting crime (and Superman's lawyers) as Captain Marvel since 1940. This week we'll look at the comic books, the movie serials, the cartoons, and of course, the live action Saturday morning TV series from Filmation (from which we learned that driving around in a Winnebago looking for troubled teens is not NECESSARILY creepy). Along the way we'll meet Mary Marvel (Billy's surprise twin sister!), Captain Marvel Junior (who was a huge influence on Elvis Presley, believe it or not), a talking tiger, an evil worm, and maybe even Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. We'll learn about the weird 1960s version of Captain Marvel, who could separate his head and limbs from his torso. (Then again, everyone could probably do that, at least once.) We'll learn how to stop your city from being buried in strawberry Jell-O. (Folks, it's not a question of if it will happen, but when.) And we'll learn why we should get totally liquored up for the Shazam movie. (Just don't tell those pesky Elders.) Also: National Whatever Day, Super Megafest, and the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival. That should keep you busy until the evil Dr. Sivana destroys us all.

Kevin and Kornflake are finally back in Chickentown, just in time for Jackie Chan Day. (We're celebrating by doing our own stunt work throughout the entire podcast.) This week: An 80s-themed concert report, featuring Katrina (without the Waves) and Howard Jones (with a keytar); reviews of comics we found at the Rhode Island Independent Publishing Expo (featuring birthday clowns, giant sandwiches, and city chickens); Kornflake's new job (inspired by Janet from Three's Company, of course); and a "Chickens in the News" story from Athens, Georgia, where a giant metal rooster is on the loose.

Still live from Minnesota, it's the shocking conclusion of our MarsCon coverage! We thought we'd end the convention by stuffing a bunch of crazy people into a hotel room. We did it for science. Joining us were: Blasted Bill, Ed, Bob, Tony Goldmark, Break Man Z, Mr. Tuesday, Angela, Jared, the great Luke Ski, and Carrie Dahlby! Discussion topics include: Dementia Track concerts by Luke, TV's Kyle and Lindzilla, Power Salad, Tony, and Rob Paravonian; Kornflake's shiny new lobster songs; The Sponge Awareness Foundation's tired old School House Rock medley; Blasted Bill's Stay Puft Marshmallow Man costume; bellydancing vs. wrestling; and how Bon Jovi wants to be the air for you. Then it's time for THREE rounds of "What's in the Bag," featuring: weird items requested by Kornflake from the Pod of Destiny, a weird TV dinner from Bob, and weird cookies from Break Man Z for our annual MarsCon taste test. (Perhaps the weirdest thing is that, by Flopcast standards, this was a pretty normal weekend in Minnesota.)

Live from Minnesota, our MarsCon coverage continues! First Kevin and Kornflake are joined by Ed, the other half of The Sponge Awareness Foundation! (We get Ed's first impressions of the insanity that is MarsCon, and we learn the final fate of the tuba from the previous night's SAF concert.) Next we meet a couple of actual Klingons, from the long-running Klingon group that hosts the most notorious party at MarsCon every year! Finally we spend some time with MarsCon Dementia Guest of Honor Rob Paravonian! Rob talks about the New York comedy scene, his love of The Monkees and Family Ties, and working with the legendary George Carlin. And hang on -- we'll have more from MarsCon next week! (Warning: It just gets weirder.)